#cream porch pillars

[vismaviedetraducteur]

Siding Exterior Tampa Example of a large southwest beige two-story mixed siding house exterior design with a hip roof and a tile roof

#dark window frames #traditional home design #outdoor lighting design #natural stone exterior #cream porch pillars #beige stuco siding

[februarypoet]

Mulch - Front Yard An example of a mid-sized modern full sun front yard mulch driveway in summer.

#beige window frames #white exterior shutters #brown mulch landscaping #cream vinyl siding #red porch pillars #cream vinyl exterior

[wearetekkenrp]

Modern Landscape

#Inspiration for a summertime mulch driveway in a mid-sized modern front yard with full sun. beige brick steps #cream vinyl exterior #wood porch pillars #brown mulch filler #custom landscape design #beige brick porch #red wood pillars

[angeldreamsoffanfic]

An excerpt from my upcoming fic where Steve and Max are thrown into an alternate universe after their untimely death, and they get to be the siblings they both deserve <3

-

Steve Harrington is quiet as he took a slow sip of his hot cocoa, the rich kind made with milk instead of water, topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with marshmallows. The sky above him is darkened, storm clouds rolling in quick, and Steve can’t bring himself to move from his spot on his back porch.

Even if he knows that he’ll definitely get drenched when the rain actually starts.

The back door squeaks open and Steve tilts his head slightly, catching sight of Max stepping out onto the porch herself. Her red hair is still held in the two French braids he had managed, just a bit more mused by sleep. Max tugged on the collar of his sweater she was wearing, the bright red one that Steve knows everyone likes to “borrow”, and she slides onto the step next to him.

Steve is completely silent as he passes the cup to Max instead.

Max is completely silent as she takes a sip, before she passes it back.

“I never really understood why you acted the way you did, if I’m being honest.” Max admits softly, her brows furrowed almost taut as she cast a look toward the swimming pool. It’s empty now, but it won’t be for long. Steve knows this, knows that the closer it gets to Will disappearing— that his father will tell him to call someone to start filling it again. “I thought maybe you were just a mother hen, but…”

“But?” Steve repeats, turning his head to catch Max’s eyes. Her blue eyes are almost watery with tears, and Steve diverted his eyes as one of her hands came up to wipe them haphazardly away.

“You did it so we could just be kids.”

Steve is silent, and instead chose to pass the mug back toward Max- who took it and cupped it in between her palms. Steve shifts so he can face Max, and pauses to prop himself comfortably against the pillar of his back porch.

“I grew up like this,” Steve explains softly, his own brow furrowed as he waved a hand around him. “I just… all of you were so young when it first all started, and if I could give you a little peace…”

“Who gives you peace?” Max asks with wide eyes, and Steve smiles as he cast her a look with slightly raised brows. Max’s eyes immediately widen, and Steve lets out a soft sigh of a laugh at the incredulous look that immediately spread over Max’s face. “Me?”

“You,” Steve nodded with a small smile, especially as Max takes another sip of the cocoa- whipped cream just above her upper lip before she licks it away. “And Robin, the rest of the brat pack too.”

“Really?” Max’s voice is soft, even as she raps one of her fingers against the mug. “But me first?”

Steve shrugs, even as the sky overhead lets out a rumble. Max extends the mug back toward Steve, and he takes another sip before he sent Max a small smile.

“I’ve always wanted a sister, y’know?”

Max allows herself to let out the softest giggle she’s ever heard, even if she’ll vehemently deny it if Steve ever attempted to bring it up. Max smiles, tilts her head back to face the sky, watching as the rain starts to fall.

“I’ve always wanted an actual brother.”

#angeldreamsoffanfic #max mayfield #steve harrington #max mayfield and steve harrington have a sibling relationship #eventual steddie #eventual lumax #eventual platonic stobin #eventual ronance #pre-season 1 kinda #steve x eddie #steddie ficlet

[surprisingmarch]

Heavenly Bound: Searching (Chapter 1)

Lucifer x F!Human Reader Rating: 16+

Fandom: Lil Lucifer AU

Story Type: Fluff / Romance / Drama / Comedy

2,545 Words

-Y/N = Your name- -L/N = Last name-

Music I listened to as I wrote: - Nothing! :)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ (In this version of the Lil Lucifer AU, Lucifer didn't start to question his father until he was around 23... in angel years, several thousands of years in human years, meaning that none of the resistance has happened yet and all the characters are still in heaven and are now adults.) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

You survey your heavenly surroundings and recall how exactly you got here. About ten minutes ago, you woke up and begrudgingly got out of bed to make yourself some bacon and eggs for breakfast, it was around 9:06-ish A.M. and the morning sunlight was still pouring in through your curtains. As you got out your eggs and started to put your bacon on your pan with a sizzle, you were suddenly teleported into this cloud like realm. Now you're wandering aimlessly in hopes you run into a service desk of some kind or somehow figure out how you got here. You've come to the conclusion you're not dead, you pinched yourself and checked your pulse, you are alive… So you've come the the conclusion that you were either teleported here for a weirdly specific reason or by accident. …You're assuming by accident since there was seemingly no one awaiting your arrival. After a few moments you calm down and realize just how beautiful your surroundings really are.

You look up and admire the beautiful balconies where beings seem to fly down from and onto… perhaps to sleep. Your current theory is that they act as nests since the beings that fly into them seem to be quite tired looking and the ones that fly out of them seem to be refreshed and energized. If they are nests, you think that's cute, if not… you think they should have nests. You think they would like them, after all, who doesn't like a good pillow nest? You hope they get a good night's sleep if they are nests, only god knows how much they must work to take care of everything, and considering how quickly beings are walking past you, you assume they rarely stop to rest. You look up further, past the balconies and their pretty giant archways and realize there's actually tall white marble walls towering high above you, your jaw drops. "Holy shit.." You think to yourself, how on earth did you miss that? It seems that said balconies that you thought were sleeping are actually just normal balconies that are on two buildings built on top of lines of marble pillars to the left and right of you. Perhaps the balconies are an entrance way for the angels? That would make sense.. they do have wings. You wonder if all the buildings are up high like that or if you'll be able to get into one eventually.

Many angelic looking being rush past you, but they don't even seem to notice your presence. Some are almost a normal person's height, but are furry and soft looking with long ears like a goat, those beings have many fur colors, such as tan, white, cream, brown, light brown.. and grey. Other's are big round many golden wheels encircling one another with many eyes and wings on them… And then there's one that truly frightens you, they have what you assume is a normal angel's head but with many animals heads as well, and they are absolutely MASSIVE. They're practically as big as a building… You've taken a mental note to stay out of their path so you don't get squashed… if that can even happen here.

You decide to go over an inspect a pillar for clues, you carefully weave in and out of the crowd of angels rushing forward and backwards and every which way until finally, you reach a pillar. None of the angels seem to go under here, probably because it's like under a porch to them, why would they go under there? The furniture is up there! Not to mention, it's quite dark under here. You carefully look into the darkness that's just past the pillar line, you decide to ignore it but stay weary of it, You get the uncanny feeling that something is watching you from in there… or maybe it's just the paranoia and your hate for the dark… Either way, you stay faced towards it but focus on the pillar. Many symbols are carved into the golden lining on the bottom on the pillar, but sadly you don't recognize a single one. You use a finger to trace one of the symbols, suddenly, you hear something shuffle from within the darkness and quickly dart your eyes back up at it. You see something open it's eyes, beautiful baby blue glowing irises irk you from the dark.. but whatever it is doesn't seem to have a very threatening aura. The entity's bottom eye lids scrunch upwards like it's smiling and it begins to step out from the inky abyss into the.. slightly less shadowy blackness, revealing a very tall furry angel wearing beautiful white robes with lots of golden jewelry and pretty shiny gems along his collar.. His fur is a beautiful creamy white color and he seems to have a set of medium sized goat horns, unlike the other smaller furry angels you've seen. As he walks over to you you realize that he's absolutely towering, he's at least seven foot, he must be a different species of angel or something. You examine his face, he's quite handsome, he looks perfect in every way, from his nose to his jawline. His teeth are pearly white but seem normal.. except for the incisors, which are extremely sharp looking and are longer than average, but he has a beautiful smile nonetheless. His nose is long and straight, and his eyes are a stunning baby blue, you almost don't want to look away.

"Hello!" The being's voice is velvety smooth like silk and sing-songy, but slightly deeper than the average man's. You hesitantly raise a hand and wave at him, you feel a faint flush take over your cheeks, you feel so out of place here, you have no idea what to do. "Hi.." You greet coyly. The angel smiles wider and giggles at your shyness. "My name is Lucifer, the eldest archangel, it's very nice to meet you!" Lucifer says excitedly as if he rarely gets company. He reaches over and grabs one of your hands and shakes it energetically. His enthusiasm makes you chuckle a bit, you shake his hand and notice he's got quite the grip to him.. it's probably because he's so big. His hand lingers on yours for a moment before he finally lets go.. you wouldn't have minded if he wanted to hold your hand, you could use it right now.. "My name is Y/N, L/N, nice to meet you too." You say chipperly. "Y/N L/N… what a beautiful name." Lucifer responds with a smirk. You smile and flush a bit from the compliment. "Oh.. thank you.." You say softly. "Any time! So, what are you doing in heaven, toots?" Lucifer asks as he summons a golden trident covered in jewels and leans on it, await an explanation. "Well… I woke up, started to make some bacon and eggs.. then.. Poof! I was teleported here." You explain softly. Lucifer smirks widely at you. ""Poof?"" Lucifer asks teasingly. You nod then repeat yourself. "Poof." Lucifer nods in response and looks away and examines his trident for a moment. "Tell me.." His eyes dart back to you. "Are you magical in any way or know any magical beings personally?" He asks blatantly. You slowly shake your head. "Yeah.. that's what I thought. I didn't sense any magic coming off of you." He admits before he looks back down at you. He rubs his chin in thought. "Did you happen to make a pact with anyone or anything? Or did you happen to accept any items you previously didn't have in your home that suddenly appeared?" He asks. "Well…" You say guiltily. "I hate the sound of that.." Lucifer admits. You bite your lip before continuing. "Well, I did find a ring…" Lucifer face palms. "Are you serious?" Lucifer asks distraughtly. You nod. Lucifer peeks at you through his fingers before dropping his hand back down to his side. "Okay.. let me just.." He squats down in front of you, he takes your hands and holds him on top of his, he carefully examines them before a golden glow appears from each of your fingers and strings out into a bunch of symbols. You look up to try to read his expression. His eyebrows furrow and the glow goes away. "No.. that can't be right…" He carefully lets go of your small hands and stands up, he paces a bit before he finally stops and looks at you with a small frown on his face.

"It seems one of my siblings has taken a liking to you.. the ring was left by an angel, by accepting the ring you accepted an agreement.. It seems you accepted a marriage proposal, they most likely used that to get you up here for some reason. I'm not sure if it was for work reasons or because they simply enjoyed you and your antics.. or perhaps fell in love with you.. it is not unheard of… But it seems that's what happened… I didn't even know you could keep mortals up here but it says in the agreement that you shall stay with them for the rest of eternity.. you know.. like a normal proposal. So it seems someone has found a loophole in the system and are keeping you here. Because of the fact you are in an agreement, I cannot help you return home." Lucifer rants. Silence echos for a few moments until you finally pipe up. "WHAT!?" You yell out. Lucifer nods. "Yeah, I know." He says distraughtly, it seems this entire situation has flipped his world upside down. "That's not fair! I didn't even know! Doesn't that mean anything, that it wasn't voluntary!?" You ask desperately. Lucifer shakes his head. "I'm afraid not dear, that's the rules. The agreement you agreed to is quite specific and detailed.. Which leads me to believe it may be Uriel who did it… Though, he hates most people and I don't see him as the proposing type, more of the "I'll die alone in an old shack in the woods with many books type" but.. You never know." Lucifer admits. You both stare at each other. "What!?" You yell out once more. "Look, I'll take care of you until this is all sorted out, I'll make sure you're fed and give you a place to stay… unless your so called "partner" comes to claim you, and depending on who it is and what their intentions are I may still shelter and protect you myself.. But I'll go to the top with this one, I'll inform Michael and have him search and ask everyone. The only thing is.. finding him can be tricky. He's usually on earth battling demons.. but when he is up here he's usually being a recluse." Lucifer says softly. He squats down and grabs your face and squishes your cheeks. "I'll take care of this… okay?" Lucifer asks soothingly. You nod softly, tears weld in your eyes. "Shhh…" Lucifer picks you up and stands back up, he carefully rocks you side to side comfortingly while holding you like a baby. "I've got ya.." Lucifer reassures. You nod and hide your face in the crook of his neck, his fur is so soft and soothing., and he's so warm. Lucifer chuckles at you. "It's okay little one, it's not that big of a deal.. I'm sure it can be worked out in a day or two, tops." Lucifer says.

You raise back up and look at him sadly, he smiles up at you, his eyes soften like honey. He rubs his cheek on yours before he puts you down and wipes your tears from your cheeks. You inhale deeply, and exhale. "This is fine… this… is fine." You reassure yourself mentally. "Come along now, let's go look for Michael and Uriel, you can't miss them, they look about like me but Michael's usually covered in blood and Uriel usually has his nose in a book or scroll." Lucifer says as he waits for you to follow him, you follow him and he carefully takes your hand, keeping a firm grip in case you were to get pushed. You both weave in and out of beings in the opposite direction you were originally going. You accidentally trip over your won feet and bump into someone beside you. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" You swiftly apologize. A tall furry angel like Lucifer scowls down at you. "Oh hey Uriel!" Lucifer quickly greet the mysterious figure. "Lucifer. What's with the mortal? Father will be displeased if you do anything rash to bother any mortals on earth. Put it back." Uriel's voice is coarse and deep like thunder, it makes you flush slightly. He seems very.. melancholy for an angel. "Actually, I was looking for you for that very reason, take a look at her pacts, an angel has trapped her here by marrying her and it seems I cannot return her unless the pact is broken by either you or it's original maker." Lucifer explains with a smile. "What!? No angel has ever married a mortal? Sex, yes. Marry? That's a whole different level of blasphemy!" Uriel yells in surprise. "…I'm guessing that this pact isn't yours then..?" Lucifer asks hesitantly. Uriel bends down and grabs your hands, the same golden strings come off and the symbols appear again. "Absolutely not! Why on earth would you think it's me!?" Uriel asks, slightly annoyed. "It's just so.. detailed. I assumed you were the only guy capable of such a complicated pact." Lucifer confesses. Uriel carefully examines each symbol and concern fills his face. "No.. I've never seen one so complex before, nor have I ever seen one like this ever." Uriel slowly lets go of your hands, stands, and continues. "It seems who ever made this pact truly wanted her to stay.. forever. They most likely fell in love with her." Uriel confesses quite emotionlessly. You look up at Lucifer, he blinks a few time in awe before he quickly snaps out of it and looks down at you and picks you up so you don't fall over and get trampled, you have a feeling he probably meant to do that earlier, but Uriel distracted him.

Uriel rubs in between his brows then down his face, Then he sighs deeply. He lets his arm fall to his side as he glaces at all the scrolls he's holding with one arm. He makes a swift turn in the opposite direction and begins to walk. "These can wait, come along Lucifer and.. what is your name?" Uriel asks, he pauses and looks at you with a brow raised. "Oh! "Y/N, Y/N L/N. It's a pleasure to meet you, Uriel." You quickly say as you hold your hand out as a greeting. Uriel looks at your hand then at you before he hesitantly shakes it. "The pleasure is all mine." Uriel says politely before letting go and flying off. "Hold on tight, Y/N." Lucifer commands as his wings start to stretch out. You wrap your arms around his neck tightly and with that, he starts to fly after Uriel, whom seems to be heading to his library which you can barely see in the distance… you think.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

#lil lucifer au #lil lucifer au lucifer #lucifer #fluff #my stories #lil lucifer au x reader #lil lucifer au lucifer x reader #female reader #female reader x lil lucifer au #lucifer x reader #female reader x lil lucifer au lucifer #reader insert #self insert #lucifer x female reader #heavenly bound #chapter story #y/n #female y/n #uriel #lil lucifer au uriel

[kpforpresident]

you sent me three and i only sent you one but i'm FIXING THAT, please do 22 and 23 also

Sassy asked 22 so my answer for that is there but ty for asking :)

23. Describe the physical environment in which you write. Be as detailed as possible. Tell me what’s around you as you work. Paint me a picture.

Usually on my couch- we have a little tiny porch with a screen door so morning light pours in the trees that shade behind my apartment, so the light is bright but dappled as it comes into the apartment. I love plants so there's a monstera and a snake plant near the window. Our couch is squishy and cream coloured with orange decorative pillows by each arm. There's a huge red moroccan rug on the floor, and our TV stand has a tv but also a ton of books- from public health textbooks to books like Braiding Sweetgrass, Communist Manifesto (lol), books on feminism and queer theories, Hood Feminism, and then a ton of nature books- one is called Finding the Mother Tree, I have a History of My Brief Body (another great queer book!) and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong). And then I have a candle collection to rival Lexa's so there's usually at least one seasonal candle somewhere in our kitchen our living room, and at least a few beeswax pillar candles around especially as evening creeps in.

Probably so much more detail than you wanted but yeah. :) either that or just on my bed hunched over like a troll lol.

#orphanmaker #writer tag #thanks for asking (2.0)

[keithrm]

I Am Alone

Originally Written and Posted July 10, 2012, edited in 2024

I am alone.

The dream was like most dreams.  Something observed.  Something I was a part of, yet detached from.  It began as an odd, nonsensical musing about the American Indians battling their oppressors.  The scene quickly shifted to strange, almost Dickens-like imagery, an odd series of narrow water locks, more like flumes, and youngsters fooling their betters out of cups of cream with feats of magic and escape-style trickery.  Large whale-like creatures rocked the small boats that worked through the locks, each whale larger than the one before, as if Escher himself had a hand in the maze like twists and turns of the locks, and the creation of the whales.

Suddenly we were in a home.  I say, ‘we’, while I was clearly all by myself, I could feel her.  I was more than just me – I was a part of a ‘we’.  She was in another room, getting ready for something.  This home was not like any place I have ever been, and yet it felt familiar. Upscale, with all the flourishes that bring her comfort.  She was bustling about, filling the air with her bounce, as she always did.  I was in a vulnerable, prone spot in some back corner of some back room.

She appeared in the open door of the room where I lay, and said, “Well, I’m on my way. Won’t be back tonight, and then tomorrow, we’ll be off.”  She had that slight English lilt that she adds when she uses her favorite British phrases.  But, “we’ll be off,” did not mean we were going for some ride.  As casually as she said it, the phrase was devastatingly final.  Panic ran through me.

I chased after her as she stepped out of the front door.  “What?” I yelled, but she did not hear or did not respond at first.  Outside, the yard is covered with the flotsam of a moving day.  Neighbors and passersby are picking at the debris like crows on a carcass, yet the sun was shining and the air was damp with morning dew.  I made it to the porch where I felt the need to cower behind a pillar, in retreat from the busybody collectors.  She cheerily flipped her shawl over her shoulder and helped a Mr. Butler to negotiate the purchase of a garden hose by one of the neighbors.

Then she turned, looked at me and responded to my earlier cry.  “Oh, didn’t you know?  I won’t be coming home tonight, and then tomorrow, we’ll be off.”  I understood it from our reality.  She would be working out of town, and appended to that was, “we’ll be off.”  Not “off” as in leaving for a trip, but “off” as in the turning out of a light.  I felt the sorrow swell up in me.  I could feel the corners of my mouth curl down, like a child about to bawl.  I clung to the bit of column I crouched behind, hiding from the crows.  I peeked out to catch a fading glimpse of her as she gave Mr. Butler a final word and began to head to her car.  “I’m sorry,” I cried, the tears swelling up as I cowered and clung to the pedestal, avoiding the gaze of the neighbors.  I watched her as she drove away.

I woke, the sorrow thick.  I am alone.

#love #love lost #life #relationship #feelings #dream #heartbreak

[hannahraehum]

Architectural Interiors

My home is a two-story with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. Its levels are more square shaped with its length just about matching the width. Outside, its roof is tiled with a red color and the entryway has two pillars beckoning you to gain entry. Once inside, an open floor plan gives the space breath and makes it larger than it is. The cream-tiled floor opens the space with a single square-shaped beam differentiating the entryway from the rest of the home. Large sliding glass doors show the small porch that is screened with a view of the backyard. The living room has a large and unframed window sloped at the top and straight on the bottom, showcasing the palm fronds like a picture frame. The stairs are wooden and twist halfway up to show an L-shaped hallway joining the bedrooms and a bathroom together. There is a white banister overlooking the stairs where an oversized clock is hung and across the way is a tall window once again making the space a sense of grandness and bringing the outside in.

My childhood home is small and rectangular, the architecture is unassuming, simple, and uncomplicated. The walls and ceilings are spackled pure white with the original cabinetry white as well. The sliding glass door is small yet shows the viewer the green backyard with trees and grass. The hallway is very long and narrow, one that could swallow you whole. I like my childhood home but it holds emotion and can feel like a cage when I enter it now. I do not know if that's because physically it is much smaller than where I am now or if my past somehow made an impression giving the home a character.

[thedeadgameblog]

(via MEET ME IN MAINE - Sneak A Peek)

MEET ME IN MAINE – Sneak A Peek

CHAPTER 8

Were Elizabeth and Scarlett ready to buy an inn and settle in Maine? Scarlett wasn’t so sure of the answer.

Scarlett’s car bumped along the winding road, farmhouses peeking at us from behind thick clusters of trees and bushes, the afternoon sun warming the inside of the vehicle with its hazy glow.

“Are you sure you know the way?” I asked. “I thought the inn was in Blue Harbor.”

“It is.” Scarlett squinted at me. “Not everyone lives near the main harbor.”

Ten minutes later, she said, “We’re here.”

A red-bricked building appeared between two thick groves of maple trees. A lush green lawn and white picket fence fronted the house. Four wide steps led to the wrap-around porch, dotted with white wicker chairs and tables. A chubby, middle-aged woman stood on the top step between two white pillars supporting the steep overhang.

“That’s Lucy Green.” Scarlett parked on the graveled driveway to the right of the house.

Lucy descended the steps, wiping her hands on the yellow frilled apron tied around her waist. “I’m happy you could meet with me today, considering the recent excitement.” Her short, brown curls fluttered in the cool breeze as she crossed the blue paving stones to the driveway.

“We were at the ice cream parlor when the guy ran inside bleeding.” Scarlett halted in front of her. “The customers ran from the place screaming and yelling.”

“How awful.” Lucy wrung her hands. “I hope you’re still interested in my inn.”

I drew alongside Scarlett. “We’re rethinking our move to Blue Harbor.” I ignored Scarlett’s sidelong glare. If Lucy believed we were reconsidering, she might lower the price. I grew up in New York City and couldn’t help my big city frame of mind.

Lucy pursed her lips. “Chief Lively will clean the riffraff from Blue Harbor, he’s done it before, and our town will be peaceful again.” She motioned for us to follow her into the house. The warm glow from the Victorian lamps, sitting on small end tables, lit the spacious room dotted with comfortable-looking couches and chairs. We followed her through an open archway to the right. Leather couches and chairs faced a red-bricked fireplace. Across the room, a set of glass doors overlooked a side garden bursting with red and yellow rose bushes. When she swung open the doors, a rose-scented breeze drifted toward us.

“Lovely,” I said.

She gave a sweet smile before shutting the glass doors. We trailed her from the den and the front room to the dining room, where glasses and silverware sparkled on the five tables set with white linen. The doorway on the back wall led us to an industrial-sized kitchen with a white marble island dead-center, surrounded by yellow stools. The view from the picture window took my breath away. Rose bushes lined the pebbled path through the green landscape to a lake filled with floating Canada geese.

“Nice,” Scarlett said.

“Thank you.” Lucy hovered behind us. “Are you ready to see the guest rooms?”

“Sure,” Scarlett replied.

A narrow door in the kitchen, wedged between the double wall ovens and built-in refrigerator, led back to the front room. We climbed the carpeted stairs between the curving wood banisters as Lucy regaled us with tales of the house’s vibrant history. On the second floor, doors stood open on either side of the hallway, revealing canopied beds and flat-screen TVs. At the end of the hall, we stepped into the owner’s apartment. The two bedrooms, eat-in kitchen, and sitting room offered impressive views of the lawn and sparkling blue lake.

“Iced tea and pastries in the sunroom?” Lucy asked as we descended the staircase.

“Sounds good. I’m thirsty,” Scarlett replied.

Lucy led us through the den to the bookshelves spanning the left wall, where she tilted a group of books forward. The bookcase shifted, and a hidden door creaked open.

“Neat,” Scarlett said as the door of bookshelves shut behind us.

I asked, “Does the house have hidden passageways?”

“There might be.” Shirley’s round face wrinkled into an eager grin. “This is an old house. A hundred years old next year.”

The sun shone through the picture window on the far wall, throwing bright squares of light across the mint-green couches and chairs. A pitcher of iced tea and a tray of pastries waited on the glass coffee table. We took seats as Lucy poured the tea into tall glasses.

“Are you still interested in purchasing the inn?” Lucy asked, handing a glass to Scarlett.

“We are.” Scarlett glanced at me. “But I’m confused.”

Lucy’s chocolate brown eyes widened.

Scarlett continued, “You have tables set in the dining room, but I didn’t see any preparations in the kitchen. Where are your guests and staff?”

“The guests aren’t arriving until Friday.” Lucy’s eyes twinkled. “And the staff have left for the day.”

I asked, “How large is your staff?”

“I have a maid, chef, and waitress.”

“Do they work every day?” Scarlett asked.

“The cook and waitress work when we have guests, and the maid cleans twice a week, even if we don’t have guests. This past year, we began offering dinner twice weekly, and the chef and waitress have increased their hours.”

“Once you sell the inn, will they be willing to continue working here?” I asked.

“They love the bed-and-breakfast. I have a contract ready to be signed.” Lucy huffed to her feet. “Relax and finish your tea and pastries.” She grinned before hurrying from the room.

“We have decisions to make.” Scarlett bit into a red velvet cupcake.

“I’m not ready to make them today.”

“Me neither.”

Lucy returned with a stack of papers. For the next hour, we discussed the price and conditions of the contract. We departed with a promise to call her in the next few days. Scarlett needed to show the paperwork to her lawyer, who will now be our lawyer. Even though the price was within our budget, we needed time to decide whether Blue Harbor was right for us.

#romantic suspense #cozy mystery #dark fiction #dark fantasy #curse #horror #reading #writing #readers #authors #mystery books

[urulxce-a]

y’all i’m having a cRISIs ( I attached a shitty picture of my house when I first bought it so y’all kinda know what it’s like ) this is the color of the door / triangle above the porch, and this is the trim / pillar color.

#and that crisis is paint colors #i'm still trying to decide what to paint the outside of my house #originally I was gonna stay true to the age #its a Craftsman bungalow built in 1904 #but that style uses a lot of green and yellow and gROSS #do you think it would look weird if I painted the trim around the windows a different #color than the trim behind the gutters / the pillars?? #those are gonna be an off white #and then the small triangle above the porch is gonna be this pretty dark blue #which is what i'm also gonna paint my door #but should I do a different color for my windows??? #because the previous owners put vinyl siding on and it's like a cream color #the roof is also replaced and a pretty black / grey color #also funny story i have a chimney shoot but no fireplace??? #what the fuck #im so glad i got gift cards to lowes #paint is so fcking expensive its ridiculous #oh and the gutters are going to be copper colored! #so i was gonna embellish places with copper tones too #mostly i just need reassurance that it's gonna look good #also the first thing i did when i bought the home #was remove that gOD AWFUL BIRD

[queen-scribbles]

OC Seasons Aesthetic-Tavi

Tagged by @starsandskies​<3 Thank you so much!

Rules: bold what always applies, italicize for sometimes, somewhat applies, and strikethrough for never.

tagging @haledamage​, @undyingembers​, @starlightcleric​, @forestdragoncat​, and @actualanxiousswampwitch​

Going with Tavi, since I’ve been neglecting my Pillars children recently

WINTER

christmas lights | cuddling by the fireplace | snowball fights | fingers blue with frostbite | yuletide carols | bundled up in a thick coat | ice cold wind| a devastating blizzard | a warm cup of cocoa | boozy eggnog | candied fruits | sliding on a patch of ice | watching your breath billow from your lungs like a cloud of smoke | half-drunk family reunions | watching your loved one’s eyes light up when you give them a gift|the steady drip of a melting icicle | silent snowfall

SPRING

a leftover chill in the morning air | dewy grass| budding flowers | rebirth | baby animals | a picnic in an endless field | rose wine | caressing flower petals | walking through a well-kept garden | ivy climbing a stone wall | butterfly wings| the smell of honeysuckles drifting through the air | a crisp breeze| a dragonfly hopping from lilypad to lilypad| sunshine warming your skin after a harsh winter|tall grass brushing against your bruised knees| a clear, blue sky

SUMMER

the smell of chlorine/sea salt in your hair after a swim| lounging in a sunbeam | a cookout with family | ripped shorts | melting ice cream| the slap of flip-flops on concrete | sweat running down your scalp | stargazing on a warm night| a mini-umbrella in your drink | martinis with friends | slathering on sunscreen/tanning oil | summer thunderstorms | sitting on the porch with your grandparents | golden sunlight | throwing a friend in the pool | thundering laughter

AUTUMN

carving pumpkins | the smell of cinnamon| crunching leaves beneath your boot |haunted hayrides | gathering around a bonfire with friends | taking your kids trick-or-treating| beanies and hoodies | earthy colors | lanterns lighting a dark path | hiking through the woods | jumping into a pile of raked leaves | reading by candlelight | pumpkin spice | seeing a specter out of the corner of your eye | a thrill up your spine | the hairs on the back of your neck standing up| a shrill scream | cats meowing beneath your window

#tagged #tavi illani #lmao now i'm picturing tavi with a drink that has a lil umbrella in it and it's a glorious mental image

[jordanstrophe]

This One is Mine, Part 4

Previous             Masterlist                Next

CW: Whump, Pet whump, some wounds mentioned, death mentioned, abuse and withstrains mentioned, this one is a little bit darker, but the next one will be fluffy, I swear <3

I also want to thank the two people who followed me, I love you

   “We’re almost there.” Charles muttered through his teeth, sipping on his drink in hand. Michael kept his head down after finishing his meal. “Is it okay if I ask you a couple of questions?” Charles asked. “Of course, sir.” He nodded.  “How old are you?” He asked.   “20, sir.” He said. It was hard to tell just how old he was, with how malnourished he looked. He was far too thin for his height, and looked utterly exhausted. He had perked up with a small spike of energy after he had eaten, and seemed slightly more comfortable. There was still a long road ahead of them. 

“How long were you there?” He asked.  “I..  um..” He stuttered. His eyes scanned the floor, scattering his thoughts. “I don’t know, sir.” He said guiltily, lowering his head further.

  “A week? A month? Give me a guess, it doesn’t have to be perfect. I would like an idea.” He said.  “Maybe a c-couple of months...” He held his arms defensively. He was still wearing Charles' oversized coat, but he could still get a glance of all the bruises and cuts littering his body every now and then. Miles let out a sad sigh from the driver's seat. 

“All good Miles?” Charles asked.  “Yeah, I uh. I’ll tell you when we get home. We’re about there, sir.” He said. That was never a good sign. He’s known Miles for years, he is his bodyguard, assistant, and best friend all in one. He could tell when he was disturbed. 

He turned back to Michael. “I’m sorry, you must have been through a lot. As I mentioned before, I was not expecting to bring you home today, so we’re going to have to scrounge last second to set some things up for you. I hope that’s alright.” He tried to give a reassuring smile, but he could still tell Michael was petrified with fear. 

“Here we are! Home sweet home.” Miles sang, as he took a sharp turn to a large metal gate. The property was completely surrounded by tall brick walls, decorated with lanterns, with vines and flowers growing down it. The large gate slowly cracked open, as they drove on through. 

Michael kept his eyes low. The panic began brewing, as he realized whatever life was in store for him, was about to begin. As much as he wanted to go outside, into the warm welcoming sun waiting for him, so could a pair of hands, that would drag him into a cell, or under a desk, or cause harm, and agony, and-

  Crack

The door opened on his side, as he cried out as if he had been struck. “Hey! Hey, it’s okay!” Miles panicked. All he had done was open the car door for him. “Charles!” Miles called, worriedly waving him over. Charles appeared behind Miles, as he slowly reached into the car and put a hand on his shoulder. Michael was hunched over, breathing heavy, trembling as he squinted up at him. 

“It’s okay, no one is going to hurt you.” He soothed. Mihcael had forgotten what was going on, and was disorientated by the change of pace, but the heavy arm on his shoulder was usually a sign that everything was okay. He wasn’t wearing any shoes, and the ground was filled with sharp gravel. “Is it okay if I pick you up until we reach the stairs?” He asked. As much as he would rather walk, he didn’t want to say no to the man, so he silently nodded. 

“Alright, up we go.” He smiled, He placed a hand gently around his back, and one arm under his knees, and hoisted him up in bridal style. Michael hissed in discomfort, and immediately latched onto Charles' neck.  Shoot... He had forgotten that his back was mangled from his time with Malcolm. Michael had wrapped his arms around Charles neck, and nudged his face into the crook of his neck, as he bit down his whimpers. Charles moved his hand higher so it was more comfortable, and quickly set his bare feet at the stairs. “I’m so sorry.” He muttered apologetically, as he gently set him down. “I-I’m okay.” He muttered back, adjusting the heavy coat wrapped around him. "I'll get a doctor to look you over soon, I promise." He assured. 

A doctor? Why would he care if he was oka- He looked up at the house, and his breath was knocked out of him again.

It was a mansion. Large steps leading up to the decorative wooden carved door, roof so tall you felt like falling backwards if you looked up as high, white pillars decorating the front porch. He could hear a powerful fountain behind him by the car. The walls that surrounded the property had hedges lining the inside, with elegant trees that looked well kept, trimmed, and healthy. 

“I know what you’re thinking, it’s sooo rural.” Charles laughed, standing behind and draping his arms around his shoulders. 

“It’s... It’s unreal.” He muttered.  

“Not surprising, Charles designed it.” Miles smiled proudly.

“I did not! Miles helped me, I just told him I wanted something nice, and this is what he comes up with.” He laughed. 

Michael was speechless, as Charles took his arm and led him up the stairs. The large doors swung open, as a woman pushed both doors open with her arms stretched out.   “Charles! Oh thank goodness, you have no ide-” She stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed the young boy by Charles' side, who slowly slunk behind him as best he could. She had long blond hair,  and was well dressed in a dark fancy suit jacket.

 “You... You actually got one.” She muttered, mind as blank as a sheet. 

“LIEM! CHARLES GOT A PET!” She turned her head and yelled into the house.

“WHAT?” A man shrieked back. Scrambling could be heard from inside the house, as a head poked out from the door. 

“Charles! You didn’t actually get one, did yo-" Charles cut him off, "No! all of you back inside the house, right now.” He commanded, pointing back into the house. They both went silent, as the women slowly took a single step back into the house.

“Give us the living room, he needs some space. Mia, please go with Liam upstairs and set up that guest room for me please, not a peep until I come get you, okay?” He asked. Mia sighed with disappointment. “Of course, sir.” She bowed politely, then scrambled back into the house, grabbing Liam’s arm as they excitedly muttered to each along the way. 

Charles reached behind him, and took Michael’s arm, who had fully squirmed his way behind him, and was gripping his shirt tightly with his face pressed into his back.

“Sorry about that, you can come on out now.” He coaxed him out.

He took his arm around his shoulder and pulled to stand next to him. He just shuffled his way to whatever direction he was guided to. He walked him into the house into a living room that was just as breathtaking as the outside. A soft cream carpet covered the floor, large chairs and couches surrounded a decorated small coffee table in the middle of the room, above it was a silver leaf chandelier that dimly lit the room. As pretty as it was, it gave him an uneasy feeling. A massive fireplace sat behind the table, with a shelf above it decorated with candles, golden owl sculptures, and a giant floral painting hanging above it. There were large stairs that curved along the wall onto a balcony with hallways and endless doors.

His first instinct was where his corner might be. Under the coffee table? The floor was carpeted, it would be nicer on his knees, rather than the hard cement surface he was used to. Or maybe there was a cell, or a cage for him deep within the endless mansion. A gentle hand directed him to the couch. He obeyed, and sat down at the long, plush floral couch. “I’m going to try and find some clothes your size. Just relax here for two minuets.” He smiled at him, and placed a gentle hand in his hair. “Miles, you’re a bit more his size, do you mind showing me your closet?” Charles asked. “Of course!” Miles smiled.

Michael starred in his direction with a concerned expression as they walked off. Wait, just like that? He was being left unsupervised? Where were the withstrains? The threats whispered in his ear to behave, or else? He was left alone without any instructions on how to behave, as he pulled the coat around him tightly. He was exhausted, as he closed his eyes for just a second...

“Yeah! This will do, thanks Miles. I’ll get him his own clothes at some point, but for today, he just needs to get cleaned up, and rested.” Charles smiled, holding a folded pair of fresh clothes. “When do you think we’ll get a chance to talk?” Miles asked. He slowly followed Charles back down to the living room.  “When he falls asleep I suppose, how serious is it?” He asked. “Well, it’s not an emergency, but it’s something that might help you out in dealing with him. Speaking of which... How are you going to deal with him? Do you have the time to actually work with him, and take care of him?” He asked. Charles sighed in response. “Not really, but I work from home, aside from the business meetings, but I’ll do my best. I wonder if I can get him to bond with Mia, and she can help out.” He said. They entered the living room, and both men froze. 

Michael was completely passed out on the couch, with the coat tucked around him. 

“Well um... I guess we get to talk after all.” Charles whispered. He crept up, and silently placed the folded clothes on the table.  “Into the kitchen, I could use a drink after today.” He whispered, sneaking back to Miles, as they left him to his rest.

Miles poured them both a drink, as set it at the small table in the kitchen. It was more of a small bar then anything, but moving into the diner room felt a bit over the top. 

“Remember that tour guy who showed us around Malcolm’s factory? Well I got to talk to him for a bit while you were getting Michael situated.” Miles took a moment to take a deep breath, swirling the drink in his hand. 

“I asked him about what it meant to be Malcolm’s favorite. And it uh... It’s not good.” He shivered. Charles stayed silent, and listened.

“Every month or so, he fixated on one of the slaves. He “adopts” them in a way, and keeps them with him at all times. When I heard that, I knew something was up. Why every month? What happened to all the old favorites?... So I asked the old man where they were.”  Before Miles could continue, Charles took a deep breath, and then a drink.

“He said they all died.” 

Charles stopped mid drink, before continuing. 

"How." 

"He obsesses over them, training them like a project, making them behave perfectly in his eyes. I think he just goes in over his head sometimes, and beats them to death, then he copes with their death by fixating on another one." Miles explained. "He uh.. He had Michael for a little over a month now. After seeing how Malcolm reacted when he came back, I... I think you saved his life, sir." 

Charles took a shaky deep breath. He was angry. He had done his best to stay away from the Pet industry, but he never knew it could get that bad. Sure, his own hands were dirty, but it was never inhuman. 

"He's going to try. He's going to try and take him back. I know it." Charles muttered. 

"But that kid... Is mine, now." He growled.

"He's mine."

#Whump #Pet whump #Whumpee #Whumper #Caretaker #Caretaking #I will appease my two followers #Creepy caretaker #Rescued whumpee #Whump stories #Whump writing #hurt/comfort #hurt comfort #Whump fluff #whump series

[dcforts]

[monday 10 - free choice: paradise]

Dean takes the last familiar turn and brings the car to a stop next to a semi-beat up truck.

He gets out and takes a moment to breathe in the clean air, smell the trees all around him and hear the distant sound of the ocean.

Every other week Dean drives up to North Cove and finds himself on the doorsteps of the little cottage James Novak rented for Kelly Kline.

It’s been two months since the birth.

There’s no one to welcome him but he knows that the rumble of his car has announced him already. He smiles to himself at the feeling of anticipation he’s got at seeing them.

He doesn’t take out the door key he’s got in his pocket though, he knows that at this time of the day, when the sun is low, Castiel and Jack will be at the back catching the last rays of the sun.

So he rounds the house and he’s not disappointed.

He spots Jack first. He’s grown again from the last time he’s been here. As a Nephilim, his growing time does not match the one of any other human. He now looks like a ten-year-old, has a big mop of blond hair, bright blue eyes and a crooked friendly smile. Right now he’s standing with his arms outstretched and a focused expression on his face. Floating in front of him there are two trembling leaves that he’s struggling to keep up in the air with the power of his mind.

Homework time then.

Jack must see him with the corner of his eyes because he looks up towards him, and as he shouts “Dean!” the leaves fall back at his feet. He doesn’t seem to care as he runs toward him to hug his waist.

“Hey, kid.” He greets him patting his hair. Turning his head on the side he can see Castiel sitting on the wooden steps between the stone pillars. He is watching them with a soft smile on his lips.

Dean has seen many things in his life, impossible things, extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime things, but if someone had told him - that first day at the barn and in the many bloody, gruesome battles that had followed that day - that the angel at his side would one day retire from the world to fulfil a promise made to a mother and raise a child everyone was scared of and everyone wanted to use, and that he would protect him and guide him and teach him good from evil, right from wrong, patience and love - he wouldn’t have believed that.

And yet there he is - and there they are.

“Look what Cas taught me,” says Jack and runs back to where he was standing.

Dean drops his bag on the porch and sits next to Castiel. He looks just as he’s always looked every time Dean had come to visit. He’s still got worry in his hands and the weight of past burdens on his shoulders, but the bags under his eyes have almost disappeared and his gaze is steady, clear, his presence solid. He knows what he’s doing, he has no doubts about where he’s supposed to be.

He looks good.

“Hey,” Dean says.

“You are early,” he greets him. 

Dean clicks his toungue and escapes his eyes to focus on Jack, feeling a little embarrassed. He shrugs, “Slow week. Plus, sunsets are cool here. Didn’t wanna miss it.”

“They are.”

“Dean, are you watching?” Jack calls.

“Yeah, kid, go ahead.”

Jack takes a deep breath and brings his hands forward, his fingers outstretched. Slowly one leaf raises from the ground by itself, soon followed by another one and again, a third.

Dean claps and whistles so obnoxiously than Castiel leans away and Jack laughs and loses his concentration.

The leaves fall on the ground but he stills bounces full of joy coming towards them. “Did you see that? Did you see?” he says, but he doesn’t give him time to reply. “Cas says that if I keep improving in a few weeks he will teach me how to heal!”

“Whoa, really? That’s awesome!” 

“Yes, but it’s enough for tonight,” Castiel says. “Go wash up while we set the table.”

“But - Dean just got here,” whines Jack.

“Yeah, and he is hungry,” says Dean laughing. “come on, after dinner I’ll show you what I brought.”

Jack gasps. “You brought movies? Star Wars?”

Dean winks. “You know it.”

Jack raises a fist. “Yes! And ice cream?”

“No. But you know what? Why don’t we all go get some tomorrow?”

Jack looks at Castiel who just nods.

“Yes!” he yells again beaming.

“Alright, but now go, it’s getting cold out here.”

Jack jogs up the steps and runs inside. “I’ll be right back!” he shouts taking the stairs two at the time.

Dean can see on Castiel’s face the same silly smile he’s probably got himself.

“I’m gonna miss this when he wakes up a teen.”

“Me too,” agrees Castiel. “Although all the energy he has now it’s a lot to deal with every day.”

Dean laughs at him. “That’s cause you’re old, Cas. Like old old.”

Castiel rolls his eyes.

“I can’t believe there was a time when I thought he could be anything but good,” keeps going Dean, throwing a look at the door behind them “You were right, Cas.”

“He’s making incredible progress. With each day he is stronger and more knowledgeable. I’ve never seen something like that.”

“Do you think he’ll be ready soon?”

“You mean, to leave this place?” Castiel sighs and gazes off into the distance. “I don’t like keeping him here either. It’s not right, I know. But I need to make sure that he’ll be able to protect himself from those that are looking for him.”

“Yeah, I get it. But you don’t have to worry that they’ll come find you. Me and Sam, we got ears everywhere. We got this.”

“I know you do.”

The sun is gone and the sky above them is striped of blues and pinks. Dean closes his eyes and imagines the aches of his body disappear - his back that hurts after twelve hours non-stop behind the wheel, the scar from last week’s hunt that hasn’t healed properly yet, the slight headache he’s got after sleeping on a cheap motel pillow.

It almost works.

It feels good, sitting there in the night breeze with Castiel by his side. He wants to say that he misses him, but doesn’t really know how or if he can. It’s not that they saw each other every day when things were good, and to be fair, when had thing ever been good in the first place? But his life with Sam and his visits here, they feel more and more like they are two separate things and he would love for them to become one.

It’s selfish but he says it anyway:

“Maybe you can come stay at the bunker. You know, after the next growth spurt. I know that we always have some drama going on but we can put up some extra warding, and we could help you. You and Jack. If you… if you wanted.”

“I’m sure Jack would like that,” Castiel says and then he looks at him and adds, “as much I would.”

A corner of his mouth goes up but it’s not a smile. His face says that he’s regretful and he too is holding something back. Dean has seen it before.

He can’t take it.

He slaps his tights, says “Alright” as he gets up and then holds out a hand for Castiel to grab.

“Come on, up. I wasn’t kidding, I’m really hungry.”

Castiel huffs a laugh and takes his hand.

“I’ll have you know, we are having vegetables tonight.”

Dean groans as he hauls him up but neither of them let go and they stay there, Castiel on a step up from Dean, their hands clasped together between them.

“Jack needs it.”

“You’re worse than Sam.”

“We have dessert.”

“Pie?”

Castiel sighs. “What else, to make you happy?”

Dean fears that the smile that has blossomed on his lips will cut his face in two.

He squeezes Castiel’s hand without really meaning to but when he feels him squeezing back, he uses that grip as leverage to lurch forward and plant a kiss on his lips.

He can’t take no more regrets, no more holding backs.

“Nothing,” he says and Castiel’s shocked expression immediatly melts into a smile.

When Castiel had first told him about Paradise on earth, he didn’t think he could ever understand.

Now though, he can almost see it too.

For the last time :( I’m participating in the spnstayathomechallenge by @bend-me-shape-me @pray4jensen @helianthus21

I wanted to say thank you so much for organizing this and for being so supportive and nice with your comments! I’ve read them all and I appreciate so much that you took the time to read and write such lovely things. Thank you!! Thank you to everyone else who liked, reblogged, commented. This was the first time for me and you made me feel very welcome and each week a little less scared to put myself out there. Thank you also to the ones who didn’t like what I wrote but did NOT tell me and just moved on. I appreciate that as well. Let’s hope for a next time cause I had a lot of fun <3

#monday 10: free choice #spnstayathome #deancas #destiel #deancas fanfic #this is me completely ignoring you know what of s12 finale #i've watched s12 long after it aired so i lost all the amazing ficlets/codas/canon divergent stuff that the fandom surely came up with #i don't even like kids tropes but i felt robbed anyway of the dad!cas content we could have had #in that beautiful cottage #lots of smiling going on in this one #i needed tenderness #also hands #never enough hand holding when it comes to deancas #too sweet not to be disgusting #deancas ficlet #deancas ficlets #my writing

[is0gild]

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Bonus Chapter 5

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 13,151

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

"Come on, Lea, unlock the door," I coaxed gently as I tugged on the car handle a couple times, even though I knew the action would be in vain. "Don't you think it's possible that you're being just a smidge childish?"

"What else is new?" Saïx deadpanned from where he leaned with one hip propped against the hood of his car and boredly scrolled through his phone, not even bothering to look up.

Lea's only response was to glower, razz his tongue and flip his brother the bird before huffily crossing his arms and slouching even further down into the driver's seat.

A testament to what a pillar of maturity he was being at the moment.

Sighing, I bent forward slightly so I could better see him through the window glass. "Need I remind you that you agreed to this?"

"I was tricked!" he harrumphed back, his voice muffled from the other side of the closed door.

My head tipped to one side. "Alright… how exactly were you tricked?"

His head turned to meet my gaze as he drooped his eyelids. "You had a cookie."

I blinked. "...and?"

"And I wanted the cookie."

"...so…?" I prompted again as my brow furrowed.

"So now the cookie's gone, I've changed my mind and wanna go home! Now get on board or get stranded cuz either way, I'm leaving." He jammed the key into the ignition, twisted hard and… nothing. Lea's eyes widened briefly before narrowing as he turned it again. And yet again.

"Did you forget my car requires the key and the code to start the engine, oh brainless one?" Saïx said flatly, eyes still trained on his phone screen.

That's right. Saïx's vehicle had a friggin' keypad built into the center console that required a seven-digit code. And it was a BMW no less. One did really have to wonder what his mystery job was that allowed him to afford such luxuries.

Lea growled, banging his palms against the steering wheel. "God fucking damnit, Saïx! This is exactly why ya shoulda told me the stupid password ages ago!"

He cocked an eyebrow at that. "So you could lock me out of my own automobile and drive away with it? As compelling an argument as that may be, I'm not exactly swayed."

"As compelling an argument as that may be, I'm not exactly swayed," Lea parroted back in a mockingly nasal tone before mashing his hand down hard on the car horn, blasting it and startling Saïx into jumping away from the vehicle and nearly dropping his phone. He shot Lea a dirty look, who simply replied by flashing him a half sneer, half smirk - a "smeerk," if you will.

"Well," I hastily interjected, trying to keep the peace as I once more peered inside Lea's impromptu little sanctuary on four wheels, "since I think we can all agree that it looks like you're stuck here for the time being, perhaps now you'll want to come out? Maybe even go inside the house with us?"

"Mm-mm. Nope. Not going anywhere near that dump," he hitched his chin with a derisive sniff. "My happy ass is gonna stay put right here, thank you very much."

My lips pursed to one side. "...okay… for how long?"

"Forever."

I fixed him with a dull stare. "Forever? Really?"

"Forever," he repeated, his voice firm. But then with a thoughtful frown, he amended, "...or until ya tell me you won't make me go inside. Whichever comes first."

I exchanged a brief look with Saïx. Then we both nodded as we came to an unspoken agreement together. My gaze settled on Lea once more, "Alright. I won't make you go inside."

He squinted at me, eyes suspicious as they darted over to his brother, then back. "You swear?"

"Cross my heart," I used a finger to draw an X over my chest.

Still, he looked unconvinced. A pause, then he rolled down the window a crack, just enough to poke his little finger out as he insisted, "Pinkie promise?"

My lips flapped as I blew out an incredulous little huff, but I hooked my pinkie with his. "I promise I won't make you go inside."

"Well, alright then!" his face immediately brightened and he unlocked the door. I took a step back as it swung open wide and he stepped out, reaching his hands skyward for a whole-body stretch with a satisfied sigh. "Whew! Feels good to be outta that car after all that time on the road, huh? My ass was starting to go numb from all that sitting and- shit motherfuck!"

The last part came out in a hiss when Saïx rushed him and Lea dodged just in the nick of time. "Betrayal! J'accuse!" Lea snapped as he dove for the still open car door, but stumbled just short of it thanks to Saïx catching his ankle in both hands. Not one to go out without a fight, Lea desperately latched one hand to the steering wheel and the other to the door frame, trying with all his might to pull himself back inside the vehicle while Saïx threw his entire body weight into dragging him out of it. Muscles straining, Lea snarled through grit teeth, "You promised!"

"She did. I made no such promise," Saïx replied matter-of-factly. He didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat.

"Don't think you'll get off on a goddamn technicality!" Lea grunted, gaining another inch into the car interior. He attempted a futile kick towards Saïx's face, "Leggo!"

Gnawing on my thumbnail, I now just watched as these two grown ass men basically played tug-of-war… with Lea's leg. And… shoot, it looked like Lea was winning. I had to do something, but what?

He suddenly shot me a tiny glare over his shoulder, "I expect this kinda bullshit from him, but not from y-"

I lunged towards him, grabbed his face with both hands, and pressed my lips firmly to his.

He lost his grip and came flying out of the car, crashing into Saïx who staggered but managed to stay upright. "That's cheating!" Lea huffed indignantly as he tried to scramble back inside the car again, but Saïx got him in a headlock first. He fought to pry himself free and when that proved unsuccessful, his hand suddenly produced the car keys once more, almost seemingly out of thin air. Threateningly tapping the tip of one key to the car's paint job, he spat, "Unhand me, villain, or the Beemer gets it!"

Saïx made a grab for the keys which gave Lea the opening he needed to elbow him in the gut and break free. But Saïx was quick to recover and snagged Lea again before he could get back inside the safety of the BMW. A struggle ensued, one that resulted in Saïx getting Lea in a grapple hold from behind by hooking his arms up under his armpits, back over his shoulders and interlocking his fingers together at the nape of Lea's neck.

Huffing and puffing and subdued for the moment, Lea grumbled a long string of curses under his breath as his brother hauled him around the car and across the front lawn towards the house - a rather nice suburban home, I might add, despite Lea's earlier comment about it being a dump. There was even a rather expensive looking car in the driveway, some sort of convertible that was sleek and black with a plate that read Insomnia RHS-113.

I took a quick glance inside Saïx's car to make sure we hadn't forgotten anything and noticed Saïx's had left behind the bag he'd brought with him. Grabbing it, I closed the driver's door and as I hurried to catch up, I could hear Saïx lecturing, "I did not ruin my sleep schedule and drive for half a day to get us all here just for you to chicken out at the last second and hole up in the car. You're going inside. Deal with it."

Lea turned his head to one side with a tiny scoff, but had no other retort. As we stepped onto the porch, his eyes landed on me. "You! Can't believe ya used your feminine wiles on me for evil. Of all the cheap, dirty, underhanded - dude," that last one had been directed at Saïx, who still had him grappled, "ya mind? You won already, jackass! I'm not going anywhere, jeez!"

Saïx hesitated for a few seconds, his face pinching before finally letting him go. "Thank you," Lea ground out in a tone that was the very antithesis of gratitude as he rolled his shoulders and popped his neck. Then he focused on me once more as Saïx retrieved his bag from me, "Now, where was I...? That's right! Of all the low, crooked, sneaky-"

"I'm sorry," I grimaced as I fidgeted with my braid. "...are you mad at me?"

"You kiddin'? Hell no, I'm proud of ya! Slowly but surely, I'm corrupting you to the ways of the dark side, El! 'Sides, who could get pissed at this adorable widdle face," he cooed, pinching my cheeks and smooching my forehead.

Then he tried to bolt.

It seemed he was hoping the element of surprise would be on his side.

"Gack!"

Unfortunately for him, it was not.

For that'd been the sound of him choking as Saïx snatched him by the scruff of the shirt , causing its collar to dig into his throat. He stumbled to an immediate stop and Saïx let go, folding his arms together and fixing him with an unamused look. Lea just rubbed at the fresh sore spot around his neck and laughed sheepishly. "Uh… wouldja believe I just forgot something in the car?"

Saïx drooped his eyelids. "No."

"Heh. Was worth a shot."

"It really wasn't," Saïx harrumphed as his hands smoothed his hair and swiped the wrinkles out of his clothes from their little kerfuffle. Then, without further ado or preamble, he pressed the doorbell.

A hush fell over us as we all waited. Lea glanced back over his shoulder, furtively side-eyeing the car. Saïx smacked the back of his head with a sharp thwack! "Ow! What the fuck was that for?" Lea snarled, socking him in the arm.

He didn't even flinch, just kept staring hard at the door as he muttered, "Don't even think about it."

"Wha- me? Think? Psh, I would never!"

"Finally… something we can both agree on."

Lea curled his lip with a soft tch, but otherwise fell quiet again… unnaturally quiet. At least for Lea anyway. He looked agitated now, with his eyes downcast and his lips set into a grim line, his posture very rigid and his whole body very still. I frowned and slipped my hand inside his, gently squeezing as I laced our fingers together. He looked over at me, eyes softening and smiling weakly as his grip tightened around mine and stayed that way.

That's when the front door opened.

Lea looked at the new face that greeted us now. "Hey…" he began, then paused, seeming to struggle with the next word. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply before exhaling, then finally forced out a soft, "...Mom."

You read that right.

Mom.

Lea had finally done it. At long last, he'd caved and agreed to see her. And trust me, he really had consented to this reunion, despite what his little tantrum a minute ago might look like to the contrary. Was it weird that I was here too for this? I thought maybe it was, at least a little bit. I mean, somehow I just felt like the first time I met his mother shouldn't also be the first time he was seeing her again in twenty years. Maybe that was just me though. In any case, Lea had kept saying how much he'd wanted me with him for moral support. Somewhat more surprisingly, Saïx had been pretty insistent about me joining them as well. Perhaps he thought my presence might keep Lea more docile and civil towards their mother.

If so, I got the feeling Saïx was about to be in for a rude awakening.

The woman who stood in the doorway before us now was pretty, her silver hair pulled back into a ponytail with long bangs that framed her face and the same vibrant green eyes as Lea and Saïx. She would've had to have been young when she had given birth to these two. Oh gosh, I might even go so far as to guess that she'd still been a teenager when she had Saïx.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Lea and she blinked a couple times. But then a slow half-grin tugged at her lips as she crossed her arms and lazily leaned one shoulder against the door frame. "Well, look who finally decided to give me the time of day."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, averting his gaze with a tiny scowl as he rubbed his shoulder with his free hand, "let's not make a huge fuss outta it."

"Course not, wouldn't dream of it. I-" she cut herself off, looking past him towards the afternoon horizon, bringing up a hand to shade her eyes with. "...wouldja look at that? Why, I do believe that's a pig flying."

"That's it, I'm leaving."

With a snort, she snagged him by the elbow before he could get very far. "Now now, no need for the ruffled feathers, I was just jerking your chain. Now stop camping out on my porch and c'mon, get in here!" It seemed it was not a request for with that, she yanked him inside, forcing me to stumble and follow since our hands were still linked.

"When you mentioned you might be bringing friends with you, Saïx, you never said anything about one of 'em being Axel," the woman good-naturedly accused him as he stepped in behind us, clicking the door shut before accepting a hug from her. From this angle, I could see her ponytail was composed of several smaller, segmented ponytails.

My boyfriend narrowed his eyes at her, "Not Axel. It's Lea now."

Releasing Saïx, she cocked her head at Lea and then hummed a laugh. "Right. Saïx told me something about that. Gotta be one of the cool kids and go by your middle name, huh, Lea?" her fingers bounced in air quotes around the name.

"It's not about being cool, it's- ugh, nevermind," Lea grumbled before shooting his brother a little death glare and muttering, "She didn't even know I was coming?"

"Didn't want to get her hopes up," he replied in his usual cool monotone.

Whatever comeback he might've had to that was swallowed in a grunt as he next suffered (quite visibly, in fact) a hug from her. He did not return the embrace. She didn't seem to mind or even notice. "C'mere, let me have look at you," his mother suddenly demanded as she pulled back and Lea's face scrunched up in displeasure as she grabbed it, tugging him down for closer inspection. After a few seconds of scrutiny, she smirked and declared, "Pretty Boy, mm! Both you and Saïx. You have me to thank for those good genes. And you're both so tall too! Dunno where that comes from, cuz you certainly didn't get it from me. You boys must be eating your Wheaties."

Now that she mentioned it, she was pretty short. About my height, in fact, maybe an inch or two taller. It was hard to be sure exactly in those heels she was wearing. But that did raise an interesting point now…

...how did such big men come from such a tiny woman?

The logistics of it had my mind boggling!

"And who's this cute lil thing?" she was now turning her gaze on me. Then to where my hand was still intertwined with Lea's and her eyes crinkled slyly. "Oh-ho, I see. This is the girlfriend."

I smiled shyly back before shooting Lea a quick, awkward glance. He stepped in to introduce me, "Mom, this is Elsa."

Still feeling rather out of place here, I sucked in a tiny, anxious breath before getting out, "It's so nice to meet you, Mrs-"

"God no, please, none of that 'Mrs' crap," she said dryly before grinning once more. "First name's fine, shortcake. Just call me Aranea. Alright, you're up."

...up? Up for what exac-

I squeaked as I too was suddenly assaulted with a hug. Just as abruptly, she was leaning back just enough to squint her eyes at me and tilt her head.

Ah. I see. My turn to be assessed and appraised like a piece of meat.

Well, I certainly hoped I passed inspection!

After a few tense seconds, one corner of her lips quirked up. "You two are gonna make absolutely gorgeous babies. So when are you gonna get on popping out my grandkids? Wait, don't tell me… there's already a bun in the oven."

"Mom!" Lea snapped, my face erupting into flames as he lunged to get between me and her.

There was most certainly not a bun in the oven! There wasn't so much as… as… as dough! The oven wasn't even, uh... preheating! No, trust me, my "oven" was one hundred and ten percent bunless, thank you very much!

Aranea snorted, "Calm down, was only having a lil fun. Just trying to make up for all those years of motherly teasing I missed out on."

A soft hmph from his throat. "Yeah? Well, who's fault was that?"

Her eyes widened slightly and a heavy silence descended over the cozy foyer we were all currently gathered in. Saïx directed a muted scowl at his brother. It went ignored, Lea idly inspecting his nails now and not looking the least bit sorry.

This visit? Off to a great start. Simply superb.

"Aranea?" a clipped, British accent suddenly came echoing from somewhere else in the house, thankfully shattering the long, uncomfortable lull. "Who was that at the-?" the owner of the voice emerged through one of the archways and the words died on his tongue as his eyes alighted on all of us. He had short, dirty blonde hair that was spiked up and intelligent, green eyes that were sharp behind his sleek, black-rimmed glasses. "Oh. I see you've begun the pleasantries without me. Saïx, my boy," he smiled, extending his hand, "a pleasure as always. Might I inquire as to who your comrades are?"

"The prodigal son returns home at last," Aranea wryly chimed in before Saïx could. "Iggy, it's about time you've met my second eldest knucklehead of a kid Axel and his-"

"Lea, Mom. Lea. Get it memorized!"

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lea," the man cordially stretched a hand out to him now.

He didn't take it. "It's something, alright…" he arched an unimpressed eyebrow, "...Iggy, was it?"

He gave a curt if a bit sheepish chuckle at that. "Ignis, if you would. And who is this lovely companion of yours?"

A beat.

Then I gasped, "Oh!"

It's me.

I'm the lovely companion.

Self-consciously clearing my throat, I supplied, "E-Elsa." I did take his hand when offered, blurting out, "And I'll have you know I'm completely and totally bunless."

...thank you, mouth, for that entirely unnecessary addition to the conversation.

His brow furrowed as he took his hand back. "Well... allow me to see what I can do about that."

Uh…

...was he propositioning me?

"Perhaps I can whip up a few rolls to go with dinner," he suggested, tapping his knuckles to his chin.

Oh.

He meant bun buns. Not-

Ahem. Nevermind.

"So," Lea spoke up once more, folding his arms beneath his chest as he fixed the man with a hard stare. "You're the orthodontist."

"Optometrist, actually," Ignis corrected. "By the by, when was your last eye exam? If you'd like, I could squeeze you in for a quick checkup sometime, free of charge."

A small, contemptuous huff escaped his nostrils as his eyelids drooped. "Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Ignis gave a bemused frown at that, but was saved from having to respond as Aranea inserted herself back into the conversation with, "Iggy, is that…?" She trailed off and the second Ignis glanced away from us to look at her instead, Saïx discreetly elbowed Lea, forcing a tiny oof out of him. Aranea grinned as she took in what Ignis was wearing, "It is. You old softie, you put on the apron I got you."

"I cut quite the dashing figure in it if I do say so myself," he gave a pleased little sniff as he stood a bit straighter and absently fiddled with the neck strap of said apron which had the words Gordon Ramsay is my bitch proudly emblazoned across its breast. That, plus the fact that I was just now noticing that he was carrying a meat mallet in one hand, suggested he'd most likely just come from the kitchen.

"Mm, I'll say," she nodded as she continued to eye him up and down appreciatively. But then her gaze landed on the meat mallet - more specifically, on the little gooey red flecks clinging to it. "Hey, did you start tenderizing the steaks without me? Told you I'd help with that."

"I'm loath to make a lady bloody her own hands," he murmured with a tiny smile, wrapping his fingers around hers and bringing them up to his lips.

Lea made a low noise deep in his throat that was half scoff, half gag. That earned him a firm shoulder check from Saïx while he walked past Lea to step closer to his mother and Ignis. As Saïx engaged the two of them in some polite small talk, Lea's expression twisted sourly and he started muttering something under his breath too quiet for me to make out. Seeing as how the others were preoccupied with their own conversation at the moment, I took the opportunity to once more take his hand in mine and ask gently, "Something you want to get off your chest?"

"Hm?" he distractedly hummed, still with a slight glower as his gaze remained fastened to the other three for a few seconds more. But then he snapped out of it and huffed out a sigh, fingers agitatedly ruffling at his hair. "Aw, nothing. I just don't trust it."

I tipped my head to the right. "Don't trust what?"

"Him," he hissed through his teeth, gesturing with his chin towards Ignis. "The whole fucking posh, namby-pamby Brit orthodontist act. Nice try, pal. Not buying it."

I shook my head with a snort, "He's an optometrist, Lea."

"Exactly! The jerk can't even get his story straight," he harrumphed. "Betcha he doesn't even know the first thing about corrective lenses."

"The man wears glasses," I deadpanned.

"All part o' the cover. Mark my word, that slimy sneak can't be trusted." As if sensing Lea's gaze on him once more, Ignis glanced up with a courteous smile and nod in our direction. "Yeah, keep smirking, you smug bespectacled bastard. I'm onto you," Lea mumbled low enough that only I could hear him, but pointed two fingers at his eyes before redirecting those digits at Ignis, who just blinked before returning his focus to Saïx and whatever it was he was talking about.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, groaning, "You're ridiculous."

Lea looked at me now, banishing the dark look and grinning softly. "Heh… maybe…" Giving my hand a quick squeeze, he then pulled me towards him and brought my arms up to hug his neck before slipping his own arms around my waist. Nuzzling his nose lightly to mine, he conspiratorially whispered, "Let's bail."

My head rocked back at that. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. This is a bust, El, so let's blow this popsicle stand. Slip out the door while their backs are still turned. Lookit what I still got," he removed one hand from my hip, shoving it down into his pocket before producing the car keys with a little jangle.

Only mildly surprised that his brother hadn't managed to recover those in their scuffle out front, I rolled my eyes, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What, ya mean Saïx? Eh, ditch him. Loser can hitchhike his dumb ass home."

I gave him a dull stare. "Still forgetting something else."

His lips pursed to one side as one eye squinted. Then it clicked. "Shit, you're right. Still don't have Saïx's code to start the car engine. Damn, guess that leaves us high and dry. Unless of course, you happen to know the code," he chuckled with a shake of his head.

Biting down on my lower lip, I averted my gaze.

"Wait… do you?" his eyes narrowed suspiciously at me. I wrinkled my nose and still kept my mouth shut. "You do! Crap, why didn't ya say so earlier?"

I gave a noncommittal shrug, still avoiding eye contact. "You never asked."

"Oh, for the love of… why would he trust you with the code and not me, his own brother of all people?"

Now I met his gaze once more, raising one eyebrow. "...maybe because he knows I'd never use it to steal his car while we're hundreds of miles away from home?"

He gave me a flat look. "...okay, just because it's true, doesn't make that any less of a low blow."

"Moonglow pear, you say?" Ignis's voice suddenly picked up, drawing our attention back over to him. It seemed Saïx had just gifted him with that small bag he'd been carrying, which one could reasonably assume was filled with the aforementioned fruit. Ignis had pulled one out and was turning it over in his hand for a closer look. "Yes, I've heard of these and have been meaning to try them." He studied it for a few seconds more, then his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers, "That's it! I've come up with a new recipe!" With that, he bustled back out through the hallway he'd come in through.

Smiling fondly after him, Aranea then glanced towards the rest of us once more and gestured towards a different corridor. "Why don't we continue this somewhere more comfortable like the living room, hm?" She turned to lead the way and Saïx did not hesitate to follow. I cocked my head at Lea in silent question and his face scrunched up in distaste, but then with a grumbling sigh, he released my waist, took my hand and we trailed after them as well.

The living room was big and filled with a homey, tidy clutter. The far wall had a giant sliding glass door that led out onto a wooden deck that overlooked a reasonably well-kept backyard. A massive entertainment unit took up another wall, housing a big screen TV amongst the ordered chaos that filled the rest of its shelves. Across from it were a few armchairs and one long, very comfy looking couch. Said couch was currently occupied.

The two boys looked to be teenagers - highschoolers, by my guess. Neither of them glanced up as we entered the room, just continued to concentrate on their phones as their thumbs tapped and swiped at their screens. The blonde one with freckles was sitting upside down with his knees hooked over the sofa's backrest and seemed extra focused, licking one corner of his lips while his brow furrowed. The other guy with the black tousled hair, black shirt, black jacket, black everything had taken up the rest of the couch by sprawling across it, propping his feet up on the armrest. He was a lot more apathetic as he stared at his own phone screen, even though his thumbs continued to be a blur of activity. Maybe he was just in "the zone."

"Look alive and make room on the sofa, boys. We got company," Aranea told them, coming to a stop next to the coffee table and planting one fist on her hip as she eyed them both.

They neither budged nor took their eyes off their smartphones. The blonde one did however chime in with, "Bah, it's just Saïx. Saïx's not company."

Her eyes narrowed with a flat, "Wanna run that by me again, Prom?"

"Lemme finish! He's not company cuz he's family. Yes!" he whooped the last part with a tiny fist pump as something good had apparently just happened in his phone game. Already, his thumbs were back on the move across his screen as he tacked on, "And family means never having to give up primo sofa real estate."

"Aw, what a sweet, half-hearted attempt at sentiment," Aranea cooed with a bat of her lashes before scoffing. "Nice try, bucko, now scoot."

With a grunt, he flipped over to sit on the couch properly and shifted closer to his armrest to make room, all while still staying fixated on his game - rather the impressive feat, I might add. The other boy however remained exactly where he was. "That goes for you too, Noct," she patted a hand to his shoes.

"In a minute," he mumbled, eyes narrowing slightly on his smartphone now as his thumbs started tapping more furiously.

"Not in a minute, now," she insisted sternly. Still he didn't move so much as an inch, not even bothering to reply this time. Aranea rolled her eyes, "Look, I know you fancy yourself a prince round here and like to lounge about like that couch is your throne and this house is your castle with everything the light touches in it your kingdom. But if you're the prince, that makes me the queen, so what I say goes. That means move your princely ass!" With that, she unceremoniously shoved his feet off the armrest.

"Hey!" he scrambled not to fall off the couch altogether, catching himself and sitting up next to Prom. Gritting his teeth as he looked at his phone again, he then puffed out a sigh of relief, "Whew, still got the Devil of the Cygillan on the line." And just like that, he was sucked back into it.

"Ah, the mortal struggle between man and virtual fish," Prom sniggered, gaze still trained on his own phone.

Aranea scrunched up her nose, "You two playing that silly game again? What's it called… King's Kite?"

"King's Knight," Prom corrected, tongue once again poking out of the corner of his mouth as his thumb mashed at the screen now. "And we were, but then Noct decided to be lame and play his dumb fishing game instead."

"Ugh, lazing about like a couple of couch potatoes all day, doing nothing but staring at your phones for hours on end…" she grumbled, folding her arms together and shaking her head. "This is why neither of you boys have gotten laid yet."

I'll say this for Aranea... she seemed to have a rather, hrm… unique approach to parenting.

Prom frowned, "'Scuse you, I've just been scoping out my prospects, thank you very much."

"More like stalking," Noct snorted, squeezing one eye shut as he rapidly drew circles on his screen with a fingertip.

"Hey now, what Cindy and I have is beautiful and I won't have you cheapening it by making it sound crude and perverted," he shot back with a small hmph.

Aranea quirked an eyebrow. "...and Cindy would be?"

"My Goddess of the Gears," Prom sighed dreamily. Eyes still glued to his game, mind you.

Eyelids drooping, Noct clarified, "She works over at the Hammerhead Fuel and Garage."

Giving the ceiling a thoughtful squint for a few seconds, Aranea then blinked a couple times. "Wait, you talking about the blonde knockout? Oh, Prom, she's gotta be at least a whole second grader older than you and way more woman than you could ever handle."

"Pretty sure she has a thing for Uncle Gladio too," Noct smirked.

Making an indignant noise in his throat, Prom scowled and freed up one of his hands to wave in front of Noct's phone, blocking line of sight to the screen as he spat out, "You shut your whore mouth!"

"Shit, Prom, language!" Aranea snapped. As Noct used an elbow to knock Prom's hand away so he could salvage his game, Aranea puffed out an annoyed breath and turned to face us once more. "Sorry about them. These would be the rugrats… your lil brothers, Ax- Lea," she hastily corrected herself before jerking her thumb over her shoulder towards one, then the other. "Noctis. Prompto."

Right… I remember Lea mentioning something about his mother and her two-point-five kids. Did that mean that there was still another o-

TWHUMP!

The sound of a large throw pillow suddenly smacking Noctis in the face.

Courtesy of a little girl with brown eyes and short, dark hair who'd suddenly popped up out of hiding from behind the sofa armrest. She proceeded to shriek with laughter as she dashed off and made her getaway down a hallway, her cackling echoing off into the distance before a door slammed shut somewhere in the house.

Huh. Guess that'd make her the point-five.

Wide-eyed and clenching his teeth, Noctis snatched up his phone from where he'd dropped it on the carpet after the vicious assault and frantically swiped the screen a few times. Then he glowered, slamming a fist down onto a couch cushion. "My line snapped and he got away. Dammit, Iris, I'm gonna kill you!" he snarled, jumping to his feet and ready to charge after her.

"Hold it!" Aranea ordered and he froze before he could even take a single step. "You leave your sister alone and sit your butt back down, mister."

"But she-"

"Ah-ah!" she waggled a stern finger at him, then pointed down in a silent but firm command.

Growling, he threw himself into his seat once more, slumping down low and crossing his arms. "You all baby her too much, especially Uncle Gladio! She's such a brat!"

"Takes one to know one, eh Noct?" Prompto chuckled. Noctis shoved his shoulder hard and he shoved back before they both settled down and became engrossed in their phones again.

"Well?" Aranea prompted them, planting both fists on her hips now, which I took to indicate she really meant business. "It's not every day you meet your other long lost half-brother. Aren't you two gonna put away the phones long enough to at least say hello to Lea and his lil girlfriend, Elsa?" No response. Her right eye twitched. "Seriously, boys, turn off the phones and stick 'em down your pockets before I stick 'em up somewhere else."

Noctis was the first to comply, tucking his phone away with a tiny eye roll before tossing a hand up in a lazy wave towards us. "Hey. Nice to meet you."

Prompto on the other hand kept his phone out, merely taking a split second to shoot us a quick glance before focusing on the mobile device again with a, "He-" The word however got swallowed in a splutter as he did a double take at me, then hopped up to his feet so fast the phone went flying out of his hands. He fumbled to catch it and hastily pocketed it before stepping closer to me with a big grin and sheepish laugh, "He-he-hello there!" He cleared his throat and smoothed his hair, then continued more confidently, "What's shakin', Miss Breathtakin'? Name's Prompto, perhaps you've heard of me? I'm kinda legendary with the ladies around here." Insert wink and finger guns.

I just stared at him blankly.

What…

...was even happening right now?

A wry snerk from Noctis. "Yeah, legendary for being a totally tongue-tied bonehead around them."

"Shush, man, be cool," Prompto hissed back over his shoulder at his brother. "Just cuz you're already tied down, doesn't mean you hafta always ruin it for the rest of us!"

"Tied d-" Noctis began to echo before cutting himself off with a huff and a tiny glare. "Luna and I are just friends!"

"Who ever said anything about Luna? You're the one who brought her up," he singsonged back with a bounce of his eyebrows.

Snorting, Aranea moved to take a seat in the chair next to the far end of the sofa as she added, "You two lil lovebirds have been practically engaged since you were in diapers."

Prompto declared triumphantly, "Exactly! So zip it, Noct! Now where was I…? Ah, yes." He turned back to me, reaching for my hand to plant a kiss to the back of it with a debonair, "Enchanté."

A groan escaped Aranea as she facepalmed. "Prom, stop hitting on your brother's girlfriend."

"I don't see no ring, which means all's fair in love and-" the words abruptly died on his tongue as he looked past me and his eyes grew round, his face paled, and he gulped. Curious as to what had caused such a reaction, I glanced back myself to discover Lea looming behind me with the darkest look I'd ever seen to grace his face aimed directly at Prompto. "Uh, heh… L-Lea, w-was it? N-Nice to m-make your acquaintance," he squeaked out before darting back to his spot on the couch and using Noctis for protective cover.

Hiding a grin behind her hand, Aranea gestured towards the freshly freed up seating, "You all gonna keep standing in the hallway? Go on, take a seat already."

Lea continued to give Prompto the evil eye as he and I settled into the now empty half of the sofa with me next to Noctis. Saïx took the armchair to Lea's right and with that, a hush descended over the room.

...a very drawn out, very awkward hush.

Now don't get me wrong, I am no stranger when it comes to uncomfortable family gatherings. My parents and I were on very, very tentative speaking terms again and I'd recently been to a handful of uneasy dinners with them where silence had reigned supreme around the dining table. Of course, even before I'd ran out on my own wedding, back when I was still their perfect daughter that always did as she was told, even then the Fryse household wouldn't exactly have been considered warm, friendly and inviting. It was just the way my family had always been - cold and distant.

But this home felt different. Here, the quiet felt unnatural and wrong. This seemed like a place that was normally filled with chatter and laughter, making its absence now very unsettling. Especially with Lea in the room, who practically considered silence his arch nemesis and always felt the need to fill the void with his ramblings. In fact, until this very moment, I'd thought him physically incapable of keeping his mouth shut whenever there was a gap in conversation in desperate need of small talk. And yet there he sat now, slouched in the couch cushions, elbow on armrest and head propped up against his knuckles, lips clenched firmly shut and his pinched expression making it abundantly clear he would rather be anywhere but here right now.

I glanced past him and made eye contact with Saïx. He merely frowned, flicked his gaze meaningfully towards Lea before looking back at me again.

Saïx wasn't going to be the one to speak up first. Afterall, he'd already long ago patched things up with his mother and was on speaking terms with her again. Now it was Lea's turn. However, Lea needed to at least make some small effort on his part.

But I'm not sure exactly what Saïx expected me to do about that.

I hesitated, gnawing on my bottom lip for a few heartbeats. Then I lowered my gaze to where Lea's hand rested atop the cushion between the two of us. Slowly, I covered it with my own and he turned his head to look at me.

Alright, so… I've always heard about couples who are really close developing sort of this, I don't know… relationship telepathy after they've been together long enough, to the point where a single glance between the two of them can communicate an entire conversation. Time to see if that theory held any water.

I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders and fixed him with a determined, steady stare.

Talk to your mother. You hear me? Do it. Do it now.

He watched me blankly for a few seconds. Then one side of his mouth lifted and he gave me a tiny nod.

I blinked.

...did it work?

Had he actually received my otherworldly message?

His hand shifted to instead be the one on top of mine, giving it a gentle squeeze as the other reached over to graze my cheek with his thumb and tuck my bangs behind my ear while he bent to press a kiss to my forehead.

Gah, no, you sweet but oblivious dope!

What, did he think the situation was stressing me out and I'd been seeking comfort?

...which, to be fair, was not an unreasonable assessment.

Puffing out a tiny, irked breath through my nose, I firmly locked gazes with him once more and jerked my head towards Aranea a couple times.

Talk.

To.

Her.

Dork.

More blank staring from Lea. But then it finally seemed to click, at least if the way his face twisted into a petulant grimace could be taken as any sort of clue. I responded by narrowing my eyes at him. He relented with a low sigh and at long last shattered the quiet with a, "So… Mom…" he paused, frowning as he rubbed at the nape of his neck and struggled to come up with something to say. "...how do you… keep yourself busy these days?"

A growling huff erupted from Saïx as he directed a dull look towards Lea. "You should know. I've told you before."

"And I wasn't listening," Lea shot back through his teeth, brutally blunt and not seeming to care. He toned it back a bit however as his eyes settled on his mother once more. "So what… ya do the whole suburban housewife, minivan driving, pep rallies and bakesales running, soccer mom thing now?"

Prompto burst out laughing at that. "This is our mom we're talking about here, right? Please, you know how she is."

Lea glared daggers at him and he blanched, ducking down to hide behind Noctis once again. Looking away, Lea mumbled under his breath, "Oh yeah… know her super well."

"I'm a process server," Aranea piped up and all eyes turned to her. "Ya know… those people who'll find you on the street, hand you legal papers and go, 'You've been served!' I'm pretty damn good at it too. I take care of all the tough cases, you know the type… those squirrelly, shifty-eyed motherfuckers who bolt at the first whiff of trouble, thinking they can outrun me." She smirked now, "Hehe… love it when they try to run."

"Mom's earned a bit of a reputation," Noctis added with a tiny grin. "People call her the Commodore."

Aranea chuckled at that with a smug, "Stop, you'll make me blush."

"Huh," was all Lea said at first, pursing his lips to one side. Don't think he quite knew what to do with this information. "...sounds… fulfilling."

And with that, a crushing silence stifled the room once more.

Okay, so… that'd worked well.

Sort of…

I mean, it'd worked okay.

At the very least, it'd worked.

They'd talked!

...for a grand total of two seconds… but still, that was something, right?

Oh who was I kidding, this was a total trainwreck.

So then… now what?

Luckily, I was saved from having to figure that out by Ignis stepping into the living room just then, dusting his hands together as he announced, "That ought to do it for the moment! Now to let those steaks au poivre cook for a bit. Saïx!" The man in question glanced up at the mention of his name and Ignis went on, "If memory serves, I seem to recall you taking a rather keen interest in observing the night sky. Well, I'm a bit of dabbler myself and have recently acquired a new gadget to fiddle with. A telescope - the Ultros StarSeeker Reflector. It's in my study, would you like to come have a look at it for yourself?"

"The mark VI?" Saïx asked, already rising from his chair.

"The mark VII," he corrected with a smile. "150 millimeter. It's supposed to be the latest. Makes the moon seem so close, you'll think yourself to be standing on it. Boys," he now addressed Noctis and Prompto, "why don't you join us?"

"Already seen it. Pass," Noctis muttered, distracted by his phone once more.

Ignis cleared his throat, smile widening. "I must insist."

Prompto groaned, "Dad, can't we do it later? It's not even dark out."

"Alas, science waits for no man, nor do I. Elsa," his gaze landed on me now, "might I interest you in accompanying us as well?"

It was then that it dawned on me that Ignis was probably trying to give his wife some time alone with her (until as of twenty minutes ago) estranged son. Even as I opened my mouth to reply however, I felt Lea's grip tightening slightly around my hand. I hesitated.

I don't think he wanted me to leave.

Maybe I should have anyway. Maybe just a smidge of tough love was in order. Maybe it would have been for his own good.

However…

"I think I'm good, thank you," I politely declined.

With a small bow of his head, Ignis said, "Very well. Come along, boys!"

Heaving a heavy sigh, Noctis stood up and moved towards him. Prompto sprung up with a chipper, "Just a sec! I wanna snap a picture of this!" He darted past the two of us still seated on the couch, snagging Noctis by the elbow and Saïx by his sleeve and yanking them back over towards Lea. Then he fished out his phone before slinging one arm around Noctis and Saïx, forcing them to huddle in close and hunch down as he crouched to throw his other arm around Lea's shoulders. Awkwardly maneuvering his phone and pointing its camera at the four of them all squished together, he laughed, "Group shot of the four bros from different Joes but all from the same ho! Say cheese!"

As the flash went off, Aranea leaned forward in her armchair, her tone dangerously sweet as she asked, "All from the same what, Prom?"

"Aw, Ma, c'mon, you know I don't mean it! It was just for the sake of the rhyme!" he brushed off as he released Saïx and Noctis, freeing up that hand to tap at his screen and double check that the photo came out well. "Lea, dude, you so did not say cheese. I mean, look at th-" he glanced towards Lea (who he still had his arm around, mind you) and choked mid-word at the withering look he was giving him. Hastily snatching his arm back and jumping away, he turned to the others. "L-Let's go look at stars n' shit! Hell yeah constellations!" Then he all but blurred out of there with Ignis, Saïx and Noctis following behind him at a more relaxed pace.

"Seriously do not like that kid," Lea grumbled low as he scowled after him before looking back at me. More specifically, at my tiny grin I was rubbing my curled fingers over. He cocked an eyebrow, "...what?"

"Oh nothing," I whispered back with a shake of my head, trying to school my expression and failing. "It's just… well, he reminds me a little of you, is all."

He stiffened, looking outright offended. "You gotta be joking. That punk? We're nothing alike."

Said one upbeat, flirty goofball about the other.

My grin twitched wider as I merely shrugged, "If you say so."

Our brief exchange had me almost forgetting it wasn't just the two of us in here. Now as I glanced over towards Aranea, I gave her a timid smile. She smiled back, shifted in her seat and crossed her legs, but said nothing. Lea continued to avoid meeting her eyes, frowning off into space as his knee restlessly jiggled up and down while he held my hand in his lap, his fingers idly fidgeting with mine.

The quiet stretched.

I had to wonder if maybe I should have left with the others. If I weren't here this very second, would they be talking now? Could it have really made a difference? Honestly, I don't think it would have. Lea had already tried to start a conversation once. Sure, it'd been a rather feeble, halfhearted attempt at that, but still the effort had been made. And now he was done. He had no interest in doing it again and seemed perfectly content to go on stewing in silence. As for Aranea, I may have known her for less than an hour now, but even in such a short amount of time I could tell she was not someone who was particularly shy about speaking her mind. If she had something she wanted to say to Lea, I very much doubted my presence would have stopped her in the slightest.

I think the two of them were just… stuck.

In some sort of limbo with zero clue of how to proceed or handle this situation.

...should I try relationship telepathy again?

No, judging by the stubborn set to his jaw, it seemed highly unlikely at this point that any amount of mental nudging or prodding would push Lea into being the first one to speak up.

...but maybe a different target would be slightly more receptive to some subtle psychic persuasion?

I slowly turned my gaze on Aranea once more. With a tiny inhale and exhale, I hitched my chin and squinted.

Here goes nothing.

Speak to your son. Say something. Anything. Just talk.

A brief pause, then I winced.

Uh… please?

Musn't forget manners when trying to pierce the cosmic veil to telepathically coerce your boyfriend's mother!

That is, er… if it's not too much trouble, ma'am?

Gah, what if she thought being called ma'am was insulting?!

N-not ma'am! You're not a ma'am! I meant Aranea- no, too overly familiar… um… Mom? Dear god, no! Commodore? Yes, Commodore!

I almost saluted her for good measure, but thankfully caught myself before I did. That would have been silly!

...as if me attempting to psychically communicate with the woman weren't already silly enough.

Lea was right. I really was a friggin' kook.

Ah well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

Please, just… talk to him, okay? Talk to-

"So, Elsa…"

No, not me! Him! Him! For the love of… what, were our metaphysical wires getting crossed? Ignore me, talk to-

Ugh, forget it, I give up.

Consider my brief and not at all glorious career as a mystical telepath officially over.

She grinned at me as she continued, "...are you still a college student?"

"Oh!" I sat up a little straighter. "No… er, I mean, yes. I mean… rather, I've graduated. But… it wasn't for me. My major, that is. So I went back, and… and now it's a much better fit." A beat. Then I gasped, "Acting! That's my new… that's what I'm doing now! What I, ah… what I went back to college for," I breathed out an awkward little laugh.

Wondering why was I suddenly so nervous?

Oh I don't know… could it be that it was just now really sinking in that this was officially my "Meet The Parents" visit? I was in no way prepared for this! I mean come on, she was supposed to be focusing on Lea, not me! Crud, I just hoped I was making a halfway decent impression so far.

"You wanna be an actor, huh? Get into showbiz?" she nodded encouragingly.

Oh, we were still talking about me? We weren't done?

Fudge.

"Maybe… I think so…" No wait, that wasn't quite right. Lifting my chin and steeling my gaze, I said more firmly, "Yes. It's… something I'm actually quite passionate about. Both singing and acting. It's a childhood dream I hope that perhaps I might one day turn into a reality."

Her eyes crinkled and she nodded again. "Been in any productions?"

"Two. Well… rather, one and a half I suppose… I'm in rehearsals for my second show. It's only community theater mind you, I'm still learning," I tacked on shyly.

It occurred to me that maybe this was her way of reaching out to Lea. I mean, a common tactic for connecting with someone was talking about something they liked. And seeing as how I was his girlfriend, it stood to reason that Lea liked me. So maybe, in a way… talking to me was her trying to score points with Lea?

Gaining a bit of confidence, I went on, "We're putting on Rocky Horror Picture Show, what with Halloween coming up and all. I got the part of Columbia, which is a supporting role but still very exciting!"

"Oooo, Rocky Horror you say? The one with all the tight leather, fishnet stockings, and lacey corsets?" Her eyes shifted slyly over to Lea as she shot him a wink, "Betcha you're a big fan of your girlfriend starring in that."

Lea's face twisted in disgust, "Ugh, Mom, don't be gross about it."

For the record, he was a big fan of it.

A really, really big fan.

She chuckled at his obvious discomfort before her eyes suddenly lit up as a thought seemed to strike her. "Speakin' of Halloween… be right back," she smirked, quickly standing up and disappearing down one of the hallways.

"Quick, now's our chance, let's make a break for it!" Lea leapt up to his feet, but I used the hold I still had on his hand to yank him back down into the cushions next to me. He drooped his eyelids at me. I drooped mine right back. With a huff, he slumped further down into the sofa and straight up sulked.

It wasn't long before Aranea returned, now with a pair of stacked cardboard boxes weighing down her arms. She deposited them onto the coffee table with a heavy thud, blowing off some dust before turning them so we could see there was something written in sharpie on their sides. Aranea shifted the top one branded SAÏX off and settled it down next to the other box that had AXEL scrawled across it. Lea's glower darkened as he spotted that particular label.

Flipping the lid off that one, Aranea began rooting around inside. "Hm, lessee here… blankie?" she muttered, mostly to herself it seemed as she then shook her head and shifted more things around in the box. "No… binkie? No…"

"What are you doing?" Lea asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at her.

"What's it look like I'm doing? Going through a few odds and ends I kept from when you were a tyke," she grinned at him before pulling something out and holding it up. "D'aww look… baby's first arson!" In her hands was the charred and blackened remains of some sort of stuffed animal. She cocked her head slightly as she scrutinized the thing, "Think it used to be a rabbit… or maybe a piglet?"

"Tiger!" Lea snapped as he snatched the thing out of her grip. "He was a tiger and his name was-" he suddenly stopped, glaring at the mutilated little plushie for a second. Then he chucked it back into the box, grumbling, "Doesn't matter."

I however reached in to pick it back up for a closer look at it myself, brow furrowing as I turned the roasted to a crisp little feline over in my hands. "...what did you do to this thing?"

"Happened when he was four. Just happily tromped the doll over to the burning fireplace and tossed it in before I even realized what the lil snot was up to," Aranea chuckled wistfully before returning to digging around in the box. Next she was lifting out what looked to be a clay mold of a child's handprints as she snerked, "Can you imagine him ever being this small? Crazy." Then she was frowning at it, lightly scratching a finger at one blackened corner of the plaque as she arched an eyebrow. "Huh. Looks like you scorched this a bit too."

Shrugging, she set it aside before taking another look into the box, her face brightening. "Ah, and here we have Lea's masterpiece collection." She stuck her hands back inside it, this time retrieving a handful of crude drawings on slightly crumpled papers. To me, she said, "Ya know, he was quite the lil arteest! Coulda been the next Picasso if he'd just…" she trailed off, distracted now as something caught her eye on the top drawing. She squinted, "...is that a tree that's on fire?" Flipping to the next sheet, she blinked. Then the next. Then the next. "Yeesh, kiddo, you really had a thing for fire when you were a tot. Maybe I shoulda been more worried." Then she brushed it off with a bat of her hand, "Bah, you turned out fine!"

Rummaging around in the box a bit more, she gave a victorious, "Ah-ha!" before pulling out a thick stack of photos. She took a second to shuffle through a few of them before showing us one, "First day of kindergarten." I took it from her, seeing as Lea showed zero interest in accepting it himself. I couldn't help a small smile as I looked at it. He really had been an adorable child, almost ridiculously so. "Second birthday." I glanced up at her words to see her holding out another photo, which I gladly took as well.

She thumbed through a couple more photos before, "Oh, here we go." Plucking one from the bunch, her fingers gave it a satisfied flick before turning it towards us with a half-grin. "The whole reason I remembered to dig up this box just now: Halloween photos! Didn't he just make the cutest lil ninja assassin?"

He really did.

"Mom," Lea abruptly spoke up, his tone low and even and… something else that made the hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stand on edge. "...why do you have all this stuff?"

"Hm?" she hummed absently, already back to flipping through the photos.

There was a pause, then he quietly rephrased, "When did you have time to grab it?"

"Oh, I just-" she cut herself off, posture suddenly snapping straight as she grimaced slightly. Her eyes darted to Lea then quickly looked away. Putting the photos down on the coffee table, she cleared her throat and began again, "I took it all with me when…" Another pause, another frown. "...when I…"

"When you abandoned Saïx and me," he finished for her, the edge to his voice unmistakable now. "So… instead of taking me with you when you flew the coop… you took a box."

Uh oh.

"Lea, that's not…" she began, then stopped, lips pressing into a grim line and face pinching as she stared down at her lap for a second. Then she lifted her gaze once more, opened her mouth to speak but clicked it shut again with a tiny growl in her throat, clearly frustrated with herself for being unable to think of the right thing to say.

Her son on the other hand seemed to be having absolutely zero trouble finding his own words, still with a deadly calm to them. "So... what? After dumping Saïx and me like yesterday's garbage, you took the boxes just so you could put on a show that you ever gave a shit about us?"

She gave him a sharp look, her eyes flashing dangerously. "That isn't fair, I-"

"Fair?!" he was on his feet in the blink of an eye, his hands balling into fists at his sides. Nostrils flaring, his voice began to rise now, "No, what wasn't fair was you deciding you didn't want your goddamn kids anymore and leaving them behind to go off and start your new stupid, perfect life and your new stupid, perfect family filled with perfect little snot-nosed brats given to you by your fucking perfect orthodontist!"

Optometrist. Not orthodontist.

Should I correct him?

I decided against it.

(Rather wisely too, if I do say so myself.)

Standing up as well now, Aranea tried to argue, "It wasn't like that! I-"

"Then please! By all means, tell me what it was like!" he snarled back. Two fingers jabbed at his temple, "I'd simply freaking love to know how you rationalized this all away in that screwed up head of yours so you could sleep at night in your comfy, cushy tempur-fucking-pedic king-sized bed while Saïx and I got chewed up and spat out by the hellhole that is the foster system! Tell me, how the fuck is what you did to us okay?!"

"It wasn't okay! Shit, of course��it wasn't and I'd never try to tell you that it was!" she yelled, her breathing heavy now as she lifted her chin slightly. "But… you have to understand, it was… I was still young and-"

Lea barked a cold laugh at that. "Young? Seriously? That's your go-to defense? You wanna talk young, Saïx was eight. For fuck's sake, I was six." He shook his head, sneering, "But no, you're right. You were young, so let's just forget it and continue sitting around getting all bogus nostalgic over a buncha meaningless crap in a box while pretending everything's fine and dandy and like you didn't royally fuck over our whole goddamn lives twenty years ago."

Shoulders tensing, Aranea shot back, "Damn it, if you'd just let me talk-"

"You had your chance to talk!" he shouted over her. "You've been talking nonstop since I walked through the front door and it's all been nothing but bullshit and rubbing my nose in your happy, cozy, picture-fucking-perfect lifestyle!"

"That's not- I never meant to-" she blew out an exasperated huff, pinching the bridge of her nose as she took a second to compose herself. Then, more softly if a bit strained, "Look, obviously I'm no good at this. But I'm trying here."

"Yeah? Well not hard enough," he ground out through his teeth. He took several deep breaths, hands clenching and unclenching repeatedly. When he at last spoke again, his voice was now hushed and thick with unshed tears, "Were you ever even sorry for what you did? Did you ever even have any regrets at all?"

Her eyes widened as her head rocked back. "Of course I had regrets-"

"No, you had a box! Just a dumb box!" he smacked said box off the coffee table, sending it crashing to the floor and spilling its contents across the rug. With that, he stormed over to the sliding glass door, throwing it open and stomping out onto the backyard deck.

As he slammed it shut again behind him, the sharp noise jolted a breath out of me that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. It was only then that I noticed how loud the pounding of my heart was in my ears, how tense my muscles were or how tightly my fingers were clutching at the skirt of my dress. Forcing myself to relax a bit, I released my grip and anxiously brushed out the wrinkles in the fabric as my gaze drifted towards Lea once more.

I could see him out there now, hands angrily ruffling at his hair as he paced back and forth. Honestly, his blow up probably shouldn't have come as any sort of shock. This was something that he'd been carrying with him for years now, an anger that had been building inside for two decades and in desperate need of release. It probably really hadn't even been a question of if he would explode, but when.

A loud scoff drew my attention over to Aranea who was also watching Lea, a little scowl twisting her features. Squaring her shoulders, she started marching over towards the sliding glass door grumbling, "Oh-ho, if you think this is over, you got another thing coming, you lil-"

"Wait," a new voice calmly commanded, freezing her in her tracks. I glanced towards where it'd come from to discover Saïx in the threshold to the hallway, frowning and arms crossed with one shoulder leaned against the inside of the arch. I wondered how long he'd been standing there unnoticed, how much of the fight he'd witnessed. Probably most of it. Pushing himself away from the wall and walking towards her, he reasoned, "You'll probably only set him off again. Allow me. Perhaps I can get him to cool down a bit first before coming back inside to continue your discussion more rationally."

Aranea's face scrunched up at the idea of having to back down for the moment but then she sighed heavily and stepped aside, letting Saïx pass. Soon he was outside with his brother, the door gliding quietly shut in his wake. Aranea stood there for a few seconds more, eyes narrowing as she watched them through the glass before turning away with a tiny hmph. "That knucklehead has more Reno in him than he'll ever know," she muttered sourly under her breath. Then she looked at me. "...excuse me, I… I need a minute." She stalked towards one of the other doors, pausing long enough to add over her shoulder, "Sorry… that you had to see that…"

"No, that's, uh… don't mention it," I said awkwardly, my voice small.

With a curt nod, she made her exit.

Peering outside once more, it unfortunately appeared like Saïx wasn't making any headway in pacifying Lea. Though the closed door muffled it, Lea was quite visibly yelling again as he gestured furiously back at the house. Saïx looked remarkably unruffled as he withstood the tirade and every now and again, I would see his lips move whenever he got a chance to squeeze in a few words, face expressionless as he did so. But if he'd intended for whatever he was saying to be soothing, it seemed to only be having the opposite effect as Lea kept bursting out into more impassioned rants. Though it was hard to tell, there was a slight twitch to Saïx's eye now that hinted at him getting more irked with each new outburst.

Finally, Lea just hotly tossed his hands up and turned his back on Saïx, kicking at the wooden railing of the deck. It seemed Saïx had had enough himself for he too turned away, pushing the glass door aside so he could come back in. As he pulled it closed with more force than necessary, he seethed, "I give up. Possibly you'll have better luck convincing that idiot to get his head out of his ass." Without waiting for my reply, he crossed the room in a muted huff and was gone.

I bit my bottom lip, hesitating for a heartbeat. Then I rose, hands smoothing up and down my dress as I slowly stepped towards the door leading out to the backyard. My hand reached out for the handle, stopping just short for a second as I inhaled and exhaled slowly. Then I grabbed hold, slid it open and stepped outside.

Lea was facing away from me, surveying the backyard as he bent forward slightly with hands braced atop the railing. A light breeze picked up, tugging at his crimson spikes and making them dance. By contrast, his whole body was very still, almost eerily so. His muscles were taut and there was a stiffness to his shoulders that was impossible to miss. His fingers squeezed around the railing to the point of practically turning his knuckles white.

No question about it. He was still very much pissed.

It was almost strange, in a way… I was so used to him always being such a boundless source of energy and joy. I'd only ever seen him get angry one other time and that was when Grandfather had tried to bribe him during that disastrous weekend with my family. Even then, it hadn't lasted long and paled in comparison by far to his temper now. It was odd seeing him like this. Unsettling even. But I understood. I knew Lea's mom had always been a sore spot for him, so I was actually almost kind of amazed things had remained civil for as long as they had.

In a way, it was maybe even a good thing he'd went off like he did. You know… cathartic. Better he have a chance to rant and get all those things he'd probably been wanting to say to her for years off his chest, rather than keeping it all bottled up inside to fester.

But now it was time to pick up the pieces, pull him back together and maybe possibly even get him talking with his mother again, hopefully in a more constructive way.

...but how to do that exactly?

I just stood there in a moment of silent uncertainty, staring at his back as I tugged and twisted at my braid. But the longer I watched Lea, the more my heart squeezed at the sight of him. At how dejected and unhappy he appeared, his raw emotions practically etched into every line of his body. Eventually, my feet made the decision for me and I took an almost instinctual step towards him. Then another, and another one after that.

When I was close enough, my hand seemingly of its own accord reached out to softly touch his back. As soon as my fingertips made contact, his whole body went visibly rigid, even more so than it already had been. I brought my other hand up to join the first and slid them slowly around his middle as I took one final step forward to hug him from behind, resting my cheek against his warm back and closing my eyes as I listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

It took a few seconds, but then I felt the tension in his muscles start to ease as he gradually relaxed into the embrace and my hold around him reassuringly tightened. I had to let go however when he abruptly turned towards me, his arms encircling my waist to hug me fiercely to him. My arms shifted up to wrap around his shoulders instead as he buried his face in my neck, inhaling deeply and exhaling a couple times. I could feel him trembling, but with each steadying breath he took it subsided little by little.

I wasn't quite sure what to say or do beyond holding him and tracing light soothing circles along his back, hoping he found it as comforting as I always had whenever he'd done it for me so many times in the past. I patiently waited and just assumed he'd eventually open up when he was ready.

When he eventually did speak, it was so low and muffled against my throat that I almost didn't hear it. "...sorry, El… if I scared you..."

I shook my head slightly, my fingers shifting up to stroke his hair as I murmured, "Scared? No. A bit startled? Maybe… Concerned? Definitely." I tucked in my bottom lip for a hushed moment, then asked, "...are you okay?"

At first Lea said nothing, his only reply coming in the form of squeezing me more tightly to him. We stayed that way a few seconds more before his hold loosened but didn't let go - just enough for him to straighten up and press his forehead to mine. His gaze was downcast and my chest ached at how miserable he looked. His lips parted once more but instead of answering my question, he grumbled, "What she did was wrong."

"It was," I said calmly with a single small nod.

"She doesn't deserve my forgiveness," he tacked on, still quiet but more firmly now.

I noticed tears brimming at the corner of his eyes. Moving my hands to cup his face, I gently wiped them away with my thumbs as I agreed, "She doesn't."

"Serve her right if I never spoke to her again," he gave a tiny scowl.

Again, I nodded. "It would."

Now his green gaze locked on mine, squinting for a second before he puffed out a heavy, bitter sigh. "...but you think I should talk to her, don't you?"

My eyes lowered briefly and I pursed my lips to one side as I tried to choose my next words carefully. Then I looked back up at him, "I think… that you've had your turn to speak your mind, so maybe... it might be the right thing to do to give her a turn as well."

Lea merely made a noise of derision deep in his throat, glancing away.

I used the hold I still had on his face to gently make him look at me again. "I'm not saying you have to let her off the hook. Nor that you have to see her side of things. Nor even that you have to listen to her really. But I believe letting her speak and say whatever it is she was trying to tell you… maybe it could do some good. For both of you. And then... " I paused with a thoughtful frown. "...well, I'm actually not really sure what then, but... maybe the way forward will be clearer once you've both had a chance to talk. You'll never know until you try. And it's at least worth a try, isn't it?"

His expression softened somewhat, but not completely. "...how very logical, insightful and sensible of you, Doctor Phil."

I made a little snort at that. "Why, thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment." The words had no bite to them and were more so just tiredly teasing. He then fell silent for a moment, seemingly mulling over my advice while still holding me against him, his thumb absently rubbing up and down where it rested against the small of my back. Then his face pinched slightly and he harrumphed. "...she never even said she was sorry for what she did."

"Maybe she would have if you hadn't kept talking over her," I lightly pointed out with a wrinkle of my nose.

He hummed a weak, almost inaudible laugh at that. "There ya go with that logic again." He then heaved another sigh, "...I dunno… I guess maybe I can go back inside and…" he slowly closed his eyes and grimaced, as if even the very idea of his next words turned his stomach. "...give this a shot. Chances are good though it'll just end up being the sequel to the earlier shitshow," he rolled his eyes.

I tugged his head down and got on tiptoe, murmuring against his brow as I pressed my lips to it, "I'd expect nothing less."

As I lowered myself back down onto my heels, Lea brought a hand up to graze his knuckle tenderly along my cheek, giving me that soft look of his that still to this day caused my heart to flip-flop and made it hard to breathe. Then his fingers trailed past along my jawline to cup the back of my neck as he bent down to kiss me, slow and thorough, sending a heat through me that made me melt from the inside out. When he at last pulled away, his voice was husky against my lips as he said, "Thanks, El... for coming with me today. Having you here during… It makes everything a bit easier."

Face hot and feeling a bit breathless, I cleared my throat and smiled shyly. "Happy to, uh… to help… in whatever small way I can."

He grinned, his fingers toying with the tip of my braid as he gazed down at me for a second longer before he planted a quick peck to my lips. Then he was releasing me, taking hold of my hand instead and tangling our fingers together. Blowing out a breath that flapped his lips, he muttered, "Right. Back into the fray for round two now, ding-ding."

"Maybe try not going back into this expecting a fight?" I suggested as I felt a sudden buzz from my phone in my pocket. I went on as I fished it out to check my notifications, "Never know, it could possibly even-" The words however got strangled in my throat as my eyes widened, I nearly dropped my phone and I gasped out, "Baby!"

"Yes, Cuddlebug?" he cooed back.

I blinked at him. "Wha-? No, not you. I meant Rayne."

Lea looked positively scandalized. "You have other Babies besides me?" He clutched a hand to his chest, "The betrayal."

"No, I- That's not- She's not-" I stammered out before giving up with a groan of frustration and then shoved my phone up against his nose, reiterating more desperately, "Baby!"

His brow furrowed as he took it from me, eyes quickly scanning the open text message before both eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Holy shit, Raindrop's gone into labor?! I thought she wasn't s'posed to pop that kid out for another few weeks!"

"Well she's popping it out now!" My spine snapped straight as a thought struck me. "Like… now now! While she's there! And we're here! But we shouldn't be here! We should be there, not here! Definitely not here! We-"

"Shh, it'll be fine, I gotcha," he gently shushed me, one of his hands gripping my shoulder and the other coming up to rest his warm palm against the side of my face. "I'll put the fam drama on pause and we can hit the road ASAP."

"...really?" I asked slowly, uncertainly. "...that would be okay?"

He gave a soft snerk and shrugged. "It's waited twenty years already, I think it'll be fine waiting a lil bit longer. 'Sides, it's not every day our friends are having a baby, we should be there."

I turned my head slightly, giving him some side-eye. "And I'm sure this in no way is you hopping on the first excuse you could get to procrastinate sorting things out with your mother like a mature adult."

"Nah, that's just a bonus!" he chuckled.

I fought a tiny grin. But then it swiftly faded, a crease forming between my eyebrows now as something else occurred to me. "But we're so far away… it took us most of the day to get here!"

"The way I drive, we'll be back in half that," he wickedly smirked, digging the car keys out of his pocket, tossing them up into the air and catching them with a wink. "Just leave it to me! Now c'mon, babydoll, let's say our hasta la vistas then make like a piñata and beat it!"

With that, he took my hand in his again, opened the sliding glass door and we hurried inside.

Author's Note:  We've had plenty of Elsa's fam drama by now, figured it was high time for some of Lea's fam drama too xD Plus we all know our fave Fire Boi can have a bit of a temper even if he doesn't let it loose often, so it was fun to finally have a excuse to REALLY show that side of him in this fic! Luckily our ICE Queen was around to COOL our FIRE boi's HOT temper... hehehehehe xD Anyhoo, I knew for a while that I wanted to do a chapter with Lea's mom and her new family, but I was mega stumped on which characters would play the parts. For the longest time, I wasn't sure if I was gonna include any of the FFXV cast in my story (except for the brief reference to Meteor Publishing and Vyv allllllll the way back in chapter 2 as to where Rayne works and who her boss is respectively) but then when this idea came up, it really was too perfect! Aranea is just the right amount of sass and kickass that could totes be a perfect fit for Lea's and Saïx's mom! She even TALKS a lot like Lea with similar speech mannerisms and everything, or so you'll notice if you rewatch her video game cutscenes (as I have multiple times while writing this chapter now lol!). The main struggle was that she has a tendency to be quite flirty in the video game, but seeing as how 4 of the 5 men in this chapter were her SONS, couldn't really have her doing that except for with Iggy xD Hopefully I still managed to capture her personality well enough! And of course, including 3 of the 4 Chocobros was a pleasure to write! Plus, I got to squeeze in SO MANY FFXV references this chapter, it felt ridiculous after a while, but I couldn't help myself xD And bonus: in case it wasn't clear in that one quick sentence that was tossed out, turns out Reno was Lea's biological dad! Which sucks a lil cuz that means Reno is deceased in this AU and I hate to do that to another one of my fave redheads... but ah well! Who knows, maybe he only faked his death all those years ago and he's still out there alive and kicking and wreaking havoc xD

Teeny fun facts: I wrote that Lea's new step dad was an orthodontist waaaaaaay back in ch15 before I even knew Iggy was gonna be his step dad, so when I was rereading that for this chapter, I was all "shiiiit, I can't make Iggy an orthodontist, ew!" xD Optometrist didn't seem THAT much better, but hey, at least the dude wears glasses - that's all ya need to become a licensed optometrist, right? xP At least the whole orthodontist-optometrist thing made for a pretty decent running gag this chapter haha! Also, the telescope was based off a real telescope model I found after some googling, just the original brand was named after some sort of constellation, I forget what (...Orion? maybe?). So I changed THAT to one of the constellations from KH3: Ultros! ...because it was the best sounding one for a telescope - sorry, no Cactuar brand telescopes in this story xP

No clues or hint word/phrase this time for what the next one-shot is gonna be about - given the kinda sorta cliffhanger I left his chapter off on, you can probably guess what blessed event is gonna happen next time xD Don't worry, I'll try to throw in a couple of surprises for you still that you hopefully won't see coming!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

#kingdom hearts #frozen #elsa #axel #fanfiction #lea #fanfic #kingdom hearts fanfiction #frozen fanfiction #kh fanfiction #kh fanfic #frozen fanfic #kingdom hearts fanfic #axelsa #fluff #romcom #slow burn #KH3 #my writing #ice cream and fire oven pizza #rare pair #crossover pairing #humor #snark #fake dating au

[honeysuckle-writings]

DANGANRONPA AUTUMN WEEK 2020

DAY 2 : HOLIDAY AND TOGETHER

AU: Post Game Simulation V3

lmao i rushed this because i wanted to add so much so its messy and im sorry

It had been a couple of months since a small group of school kids with extraordinary talents had been forced to endure a traumatic life changing event. Slaughtering each other left and right and having to kick start survival senses just to make it through. Even if it was all virtual, the pain of dying and the pain of betrayal was all real for each of them. Although through the misery of a killing game, these kids found a bond between them all, having learned all of the best and worst parts of each other.

After they woke up, they had made an oath to always keep in touch and check in on each other no matter where their future paths may take them. So far, that vow had stood strong. As the seasons changed and the healing continued, they made time for each other. 

The air outside grew colder and colder until dew from the day began to frost as the sun disappeared in the horizon. Kaede Akamatsu and Shuichi Saihara walked down a long asphalt paved driveway towards a large white home that reminded the both of them of a mansion from movies. Complete with carved pillars and a green garden outside with flowers that popped against the white and cream of the structure. The grass around the property looked like it was just as green as golf fields.

Kaede held a tub of cookies in her mittened hands while Shuichi carefully walked a pitcher of apple cider he had homemade with Kaede not too long before their departure. 

“I knew Kirumi was well off with her talent but jeez!” Kaede’s bright voice cut through the cold.

“I’m not r-really surprised.” Shuichi responded, shivering and stuttering.

Kirumi Tojo had decided that they should meet up for the holidays and have themselves a “Friendsgiving.” She informed everyone that she would be making the main dishes but if anyone had anything else they specifically wanted, she would welcome the aid.

“I’m so excited to see everyone! They’re all getting a big hug whether they like it or not!” Kaede always spoke with such determination and confidence and luckily that same attitude had slowly begun to rub off on Shuichi.

“I’m s-sure they’d l-love that.” Shuichi turned to look at her and smile before glancing back towards the front door.

As they had gotten closer, they noticed a fall wreath hanging on the front door. Yellows, browns, and oranges littered the leaves and flowers that circled it. As they stepped on to the small stairs that lead to the porch, they saw a couple of the flower picks had fallen off; hot glue bubbles still on the ends. Shuichi determined that this must be a homemade wreath. 

Kirumi would not have let her creations fall apart like that. So they wondered just who would have taken part in the decorations. 

Kaede reached out her hand and softly knocked on the wooden door. It only took a moment before an excited Angie swung the door open.

“Ah! Atua told me that it was you two!” She tilted her head from side to side.

“Don’t listen to her. She looked outside the window and noticed Kaede walking up!” Tenko shouted behind her. In her hands was a banner with many fall colors. 

“Nyehh…” A small voice beside Tenko mumbled. “Tenko, I can’t put that above the window. I’m too short. I have to save my magic for dinner.” 

“Don’t worry Himiko! I will get it and all you have to do is hold the end and look pretty!” Tenko grabbed Himiko’s hand and pulled her off towards a grand window facing the front of the house.

Angie bounced on the soles of her feet before moving out of the way to let Shuichi and Kaede through. “Now we are just waiting on Gonta! I hope he did not get lost! Atua would be very upset if he did not make it in time for the turkey!”

“Oh I’m sure he will get here! We just have to be patient.” Kaede nodded and then walked further into the house to find the dining room. Shuichi shut the front door behind him and trailed after her.

As they passed through the living room, more and more familiar faces appeared. On the large sectional sat Tsumugi, Hoshi, and Korekiyo. The three of them were facing towards the TV that was mounted on top of the fireplace in the middle of the wall. Korekiyo, sat criss cross on an arm rest of the sofa, kept his attention on a small book that he had brought with him. Tsumugi and Hoshi sat on the cushions, their attention on the TV that had the Netflix menu on it.

“Tsumugi. It’s Thanksgiving. Can we not use my account to watch your trashy cartoons please?” Hoshi’s calm deep voice questioned her. He leaned back and adjusted the candy cigarette in his mouth, something he always kept to curb his previous addiction.

“Not all of it is trashy! I can find some very sweet slice of life animes! Like Ouran! Or Fruits Basket!”

“I don’t care what’s in the basket. I just don’t want it in my watch history.” Hoshi pulled his beanie over his eyes and sighed.

Shuichi had to bite his lip so that he didn’t outwardly laugh at the quick witted response. Kaede didn’t want to get involved in that argument and moved forward into the hallway.

“You little fucker!” A shrill voice stopped them in their tracks.

“Get your short ass back here!” 

A small figure zoomed out of a room and into the hallway. Of course Kokichi had gotten himself into trouble already. 

“It’s your fault your hair is so long! Maybe you should cut it or something? I hear being bald is totally in right now!” Kokichi giggled and raised a finger to his lips, a signature move as he teased.

Iruma followed into the hallway, holding strands of her hair. “You better open your tiny little mouth and get to eating this shit out. I am not about to let it dry and ruin my beautiful blonde hair!”

“Don’t you know how to use a hairbrush? Or do you not know hygiene either?”

“That’s it. Say you’re fucking prayers!” Iruma lunged forward but a hand covered with rings wrapped around her forearm. 

“Iruma. It’s just jello. It won’t ruin anything.” Rantaro came into view. He let go of her and folded his arms across his chest. “And Kokichi. This is a special time. Don’t waste food by throwing it at people. We’re literally trying to celebrate being thankful.”

Kokichi sighed loudly and slumped his shoulders. “Fine.” He drug the word out in annoyance. “I’ll just go steal the remote from the weeb or something then.” He turned on his heel and pushed past Shuichi and Kaede down into the living room.

“Hey guys. Sorry about that.” Rantaro’s previous firm attitude fell and the normal carefree one appeared. “Guess I gotta keep a better eye on him while we are here.” He put a hand behind his neck and looked down at their hands. “Oh yeah Kirumi is in the dining room now looking to place the food. So go right ahead.” He moved out of the way and followed Kokichi’s path.

Iruma had been messing with the strands of hair, trying to pick the food out. “He’s lucky that Rantaro was here to protect him. Again. One day I’m gunna beat the shit out of that little twink.”

“Ah I think he’s just, just trying to g-get a rise out of you.” Shuichi offered.

“I don’t want that kind of rise for me!” Iruma smarted off, making Shuichi shut his mouth quickly.

“Okay!” Kaede interrupted. “We’re going to go set these down then!” She wanted to cut it off before it got anymore vulgar. Shuichi nodded and the two of them started towards the kitchen.

“I’d close my eyes before walking through there.” Iruma warned.

“Why? Is the food cooking in there just that appetizing? Will we want to eat it the minute we see it?” Kaede’s eyes widened with joy.

Iruma blushed brightly. “Uh. No!” She struggled to find words. “Worse! Actually just go see for yourself. Embarrass him more while you’re at it!” She let out a boisterous laugh before turning her heel to another room down the hallway that had to be a bathroom.

Shuichi and Kaede exchanged looks before walking into the kitchen, slightly afraid of what they might find. What they didn’t expect was the see Kaito and Maki in the middle of the room. Kaito leaning on a cabinet with something in his hand in front of Maki, keeping her in place.

“How many times do I have to tell you? Wrong holiday.”

“Isn’t it close enough though?” Kaito’s voice pleaded. “Come on. It’s tradition.”

“Yes. For Christmas.” Maki sounded like she was way past done with the conversation. 

“So you admit that you’ll kiss me under the mistletoe at Christmas.” Kaito smirked and looked down at her with his “famous smolder.”

“I am not admitting anything. I am stating a fact Kaito.” Maki’s face flushed and she reached up to play with the hair that had fallen in front of her shoulders. 

That’s why Iruma had mentioned embarrassing someone. Kaito had mistletoe and had been trying to get Maki under it.

“Sidekick help me out.” Shuichi didn’t think Kaito had noticed him.

“I uh, uhm. Well.” Shuichi stumbled on his words.

“See? He agrees with me!” Kaito said matter of factly. 

“He just stuttered like always.” Maki glared.

“Yeah and I can understand his language!” Kaito leaned back offended. “Don’t hurt his feelings like that!”

“Why don’t you get him under that first then.” Maki challenged. 

“I will! Get over here sidekick!” Kaito stomped his foot down and motioned for Shuichi to come forward. 

Shuichi panicked slightly and shook his head. “Actually Kaito uh, actually I n-need to take this to Kirumi. You just, uhm, just keep trying.” He struggled to appease the taller male in front of him. He ducked his head nervously and turned into the grandiose dining room, Kaede giggling behind him.

The room had a yellow mood lighting with a large table in the middle. A white lace table runner down the middle with some plates already sat at the chairs. At the end of the table they found that they had finally met their goal. Kirumi and Kiibo stood down at the end. In Kiibo’s hands were two sets of plates that Kirumi would reach for as she set the table.

“Oh hello Kaede. Shuichi. It’s so wonderful to see you.” Kirumi’s pleasant tone was a nice change from the chaos they had just previously endured. 

“Kirumi is letting me learn how to properly set tables!” Kiibo seemed genuinely excited to be able to help out. 

“That’s wonderful Kiibo!” Kaede looked for a place to set her tin of cookies and gestured for Shuichi to do the same with the pitcher.

“We just have a couple of plates left to set and then everyone can come and eat.” Kirumi gently placed some utensils down into a designed napkin.

“I do not believe Gonta has arrived yet. I am hoping he will be here soon.” Kiibo pointed out and frowned in concern.

“Gonta will make it in time. It’s part of being a gentleman.” Kirumi pointed out and placed her hands in front of her on her skirt. Kiibo took the last set of plates and placed them on the placemat along with the proper utensils.

“I think we are ready now.” Kiibo nodded.

“Alright. Well why don’t the three of you pick your seats while I go and inform the others.” Kirumi seemed to glide as she exited the dining room.

It wasn’t long before the empty spaces were filled with bodies chattering with each other. Kirumi was back and forth putting the main courses on the table. Angie sprung into the dining room with a large figure behind her.

“Look everyone! Gonta made it! Atua helped guide him to us! How divine!” She collapsed her hands together before sitting down next to Himiko. Everyone lifted their heads and greeted him with delight.

“Gonta very sorry everyone! Gonta not sure what to bring as gift but finally found amazing thing!” Gonta held up a wrapped present and smiled wide.

“Gonta why did you bring a gift?” Kokichi questioned.

“Well Gonta just do what Miss Kirumi tell him. It Friendsgiving. So Gonta bring something to give friends!”

Kokichi began to laugh loudly. “Gonta you are so gullible! It’s a play on Thanksgiving! It doesn't mean giving to friends!”

“Oh!” Gonta’s face fell. “Gonta so sorry everyone! Just wanted to do the gentlemanly thing.”

“You did.” Kirumi walked back in for the final time and took the gift from Gonta. “I will go ahead and open it. Alright?” She peeled the wrapping paper away to reveal a diorama of different beetle types. Something used for educational purposes in the classroom. “This is wonderful, Gonta. I am sure we will learn a lot from this. Go ahead and have a seat.”

Gonta nodded before sitting down next to Kokichi and unfolding a napkin to put in his lap.

With such varying personalities, the chances of them all being friends under normal circumstances was low. However, they were all grateful for the friendships they had gained and found within each other. Kirumi cut into the turkey and served a piece to each person. Everyone  was just happy to forget about their lives for a while. Despite everything that happened, this holiday was panning out to be one of the best ones they’ve had.

#i dont re read anything either #you get what you get #danganronpa autumn week 2020 #dr autumn week 2020 #drv3

[strangerstuffandthingsimagines]

Degenerate Beauty Queen (Robin x Fem!Reader)

Summary: An old friend of Steve’s ends up having more in common with Robin than she thought.

  Strolling into Scoops Ahoy with torn black tights, a red kilt with a safety pin lamely fastened at the slit, and the sleeves of your white uniform blouse rolled up to your elbows, you scanned the store for Harrington only to be met with disappointment as he was nowhere to be seen. 

Being back in Hawkins was the last place you wanted to be, but anywhere was better than Lady Loretta’s Boarding School, which you had spent the past year at. It had been your parent’s idea in “getting your life back on track” after stealing and crashing a Hawkin’s police car into the quarry, and “beating Tommy H to a pulp”.

Finally, the line fizzled leaving you and the girl behind the counter in peace. Sweet was a simple word to describe this stranger, but nothing about her was simple in the slightest. For the first time since last October when Nancy Wheeler had rejected you on the porch of Tina Young’s house, you felt something that wasn’t anger or guilt - you weren’t quite sure what exactly it was that stirred in your chest, but it excited you as much as it scared you.

“Hey.” you breathed, picking at the polish on your nails as you eyed the cute, freckle-faced girl. “Is Harrington here?”

Ever so slightly the girl’s lips parted and her brows raised as she stared in awe at you, completely taken by the way the collar of your blouse had flipped up and the buttons were undone just low enough to draw the eye, but high enough not to reveal anything you didn’t want to be seen.

“Huh?” she swallowed roughly, straightening up in her spot. “You want hazelnut ice cream?”

“No, I want Harrington,” you smirked, truly soaking up the attention her eyes were giving you. “Cute outfit by the way. Is Harrington dressed like that too?”

Oh, the woes of a cute girl lusting after Steve Harrington and not even glancing her way - a feat Robin knew far too well since the godforsaken incident of Tammy Thompson in sophomore year.

“Harrington, you’ve got a visitor!” Robin called, stepping away from the counters as her gaze dropped to the graffitied toes of her converse shoes. 

“Who?” he asked, sliding open the window that separated the back room from the storefront. His eyes widened in surprise before his jaw nearly dropped on the floor. “y/n? You’re back!”

Strutting around the counter and hopping over the small gate that separated the patrons from the employees. You walked passed Robin and allowed your Strawberry mist to overwhelm her senses. She watched almost sadly as you and Steve just stood before one another, neither saying a word. Robin wondered if you’d kiss him tenderly, and what your lip gloss would taste like on the tip of his tongue.

In one swift movement, your arm wrapped around his neck as you tugged him toward you - trapping Steve Harrington in a headlock.

“Why the fuck didn’t you write to me in the last three months?” you growled, albeit playfully, as you rubbed your knuckles against his head. “You little shit! I was bored out of my mind!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he panted, which led you to free him from your grip. “Shit, have you been lifting weights or something? I got busy doing this shitty job, just ask Robin.”

“Uhh-” Robin stammered as you turned your attention over to her with an amused look playing on your lips. “Uh yeah, yeah our boss is shit. He leaves us in charge while he’s out of town. Wh-which is like every week.”

“Alright, I’ll let it slide.” you gave in, settling against the back counter as you hoisted yourself up and onto it. “Only because of Robin.” you smiled, shooting a little wink her way.

“So you two aren’t…?” Robin trailed off, her lips parting to show the whites of her teeth as she looked at the two of you - It could’ve been a trick of the eye, but you swore she had blushed in your presence.

“Oh, God! No, no, Stevie and I are just friends by circumstance,” you explained, exchanging grossed out looks between you and Steve. “We hated each other for months.”

“It’s true.” Steve shrugged, pursing his lips to the side as he nodded, sitting opposite of you on the other counter. “That is very true.”

“What was the circumstance?” Robin quirked a brow, amused by how two completely different people managed to become friends.

“We liked the same person.” You sang nonchalantly, swing your feet two and fro. Robin’s brows furrowed as she let your words process, trying to figure out if she had heard you correctly. “Then that person broke our hearts and the rest is history. Right my boy?”

“Yes, she’s the ol’ ball and chain, that’ll probably drag me down to the bottom of the quarry someday.” Steve sighed, locking your foot between his ankles to stop your fidgeting. 

“Oh.” was all Robin could manage.

There was a silence in the air, settling amongst the three of you for far too long.

“Ugh!” you craned your neck back with a groan. “We gotta do something, I need to go get drunk and out of this god-awful uniform.”

“Well I can’t, I’m closing tonight, all by myself.” he pouted with a pleading look in his eyes. “Wanna stay here for another six hours and keep me company after Robin leaves at five?”

��As thrilling as that sounds, and believe me I’m enthralled by the idea, I better get home before my parent’s figure out I didn’t go to my nan’s house straight away from the train station.” You sighed theatrically as you slid off the counter. “Call me, Harrington. I missed your dumbass.”

Just as you exited the threshold of the store, you spun around one last time, offering a military salute his way - It had become a one side joke between the two of you, as Steve had been convinced you were sent to military school for the first month of your stay. 

And just like that, you walked out of the store, leaving Robin weak in the knees and Steve with a sore scalp and messy hair.

     Robin tiredly trecked through the mall shamelessly in her sailor costume as her shift had come to a close. She’d be lying just a bit if she didn’t feel bad about abandoning Steve for the rest of the night, but alas she had already done her eight hours, and his hell had only just begun. 

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Robin began frantically sifting through the keys on her keyring for the one that fit her bike lock, though it was no use. Beneath her breath she let out a string of curses, trying to think back to where it could have possibly fallen off.

“Looking for this, birdie?” 

Spinning around on her heels, still crouched by the bike rack, Robin was surprised to see you leaning against the pillar of the mall’s entrance. With a cigarette between your lips and the missing key held out like an offering, you watched her like a cat would a mouse. The evening sun glowed behind you like a halo, and the smoke from your lit cigarette melded into the blinding light.

“You dropped it on your way out, I thought I’d meet you out here to give them back,” you admitted almost nervously as if you had completely read her wrong earlier in the ice cream parlour. As you closed the space between the two of you, Robin got to her feet despite her legs turning to absolute jelly whenever you were around.

“I could be wrong,” She quirked a bow as she brushed her palms against the navy fabric of her shorts. “But I feel like you were waiting for me.”

“And if I was?” you asked lowly, not taking your eyes off of Robin as you brought the cigarette to your glossy lips. 

“Well, then, I would dare to ask why?” Robin challenged, an amused grin pulling at the corner of her lips as her fingertips brushed against your palm, taking the key back from your clutches. “Or is it just my lucky day?”

“Look’s like your luck just ran out, birdie.” Inching closer and closer, the toes of your black lacquer shoes nearly touched that of her sneakers, only did you look away when your gaze dropped to the back tire of her bicycle.

“Huh?” she breathed, hypnotized by the shapes your lips made when you called her ‘birdie’.

“Your bikes gotta flat,” you repeated, pointing your long, black painted fingernail toward the issue at hand. The gold bangles that clinked together around your wrist may have irritated Robin had it been adorned by anyone else, but from coming from you it was simply beautiful. 

“Aw shit!” she seethed, kneeling back down to take a closer look. “Some asshole slashed my tire.”

“Can you still walk it? I have a spare tire you could use…” you offered, a sympathetic look washing over your features. “My house isn’t too far from here, and I never ride my bike.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, not wanting to be a nuisance. “I can pay you for the tire.”

“No, I don’t want your money.” you sighed, plucking the key back from her hand, and began away at the bike lock. 

You didn’t want money, you just didn’t want to be alone.

     Walking down Cornwall Street, the two of you slowly walked in silence save for the squeak of her flat tire. Over and over again, you replayed the scene in your head, looking, searching and wondering “had there been something there?”

Had Robin simply humouring you in a friendly way, or had it been an undertow of flirting, the kind that couldn’t outright be shown in a town like Hawkins.

While you worried yourself sick about the details of your earlier interaction, Robin was left awestruck by the fact that she was walking alongside the most beautiful girl she had ever laid eyes on. You had spent more time looking at her than any girl had before, even in the presence of Steve “The Hair” Harrington. A roll of thunder had startled both of you out of your intrusive thoughts, resulting in your hand tightly gripping her wrist as she clung to the handlebars of her bike. 

“Sorry.” you murmured, quickly letting go. “Stupid thunder made me jump.”

“No, no that’s…cool.” she nodded, trying as hard as she could to remember the feeling of your skin on her’s. The cold drops of rain offered relief from the warmth of her burning cheeks, perhaps the perfect interruption.

“C’mon, we can wait out the storm at my house. Yeah?” you said, nodding toward the last house on the left.

The two of you giggled like maniacs, getting drenched by the summer storm as you ran down the street. 

     Abandoning the squeaky bike in your driveway, Robin followed closely behind, nearly dripping over the sopping wet shoelaces of her sneakers that had come undone. As the hem of your skirt bounced with every step, Robin felt as though this had all been some sort of daydream. That if she truly opened her eyes, she’d be back in the ice cream parlour and still be hypnotized by your strawberry mist. 

“Hurry! I’m freezing.” You let out a strained laugh, as you lifted the heavy glass of your bedroom window. “Thank God I live in a bungalow, otherwise we’d be scaling the side of a two-story house-” pursing your lips to the side, you looked over your shoulder playfully. “I’m sure Steve has told you about his Wheeler house escapades.”

“I can’t believe that dingus was the hot shot of the school. I swear every girl liked him.” she rolled her eyes, glancing away from your bum as you hoisted yourself through the window, leaving your skirt to lift. 

“He’s not so bad once you get to know him. He’s just a dork with a lot of hair.” you laughed, reaching through the threshold to grab onto her forearms and help her through. “Watch you’re head, God only knows how many times I’ve smashed my skull on it.”

There was something about sneaking a girl into your bedroom the left a giddy feeling in your stomach, and you swore you never wanted the feeling to fade. You were careful not to make too much noise - not that it mattered, it wasn’t like your parents were home to hear - you were simply a creature of habit, through and through. 

“Sorry if it’s kind of a mess, I haven’t been here in months.” You admitted, though there wasn’t much of a mess to complain about.

Your eyes followed Robin as she looked at the polaroids tapped to your vanity, and the cracked picture frames that sat on top of your dresser. A rather grumpy looking girl wearing a dress with far too many ruffles and purple eyeshadow with sparkles that could be practically seen from Saturn seemed to catch her interest. 

“Is this you?” she grinned, shocked to see you dressed so glamorously

“Unfortunately. That was from freshman year spring fling. I was supposed to go with Nancy and Barb but um, I don’t know, they kind of bailed on me last minute.” you cringed, reaching up into your closet, and pulling out a pile of clothes. “You’re gonna catch a cold if you stay in those wet clothes. Let me get you a tee and some shorts.”

“Oh, okay.” she swallowed roughly, glancing down to the black lace bra that seemed quite apparent beneath the wet, white blouse. Fumbling to catch the oversized “Hawkin’s athletics” shirt and loosely fitted shorts, Robin stumbled over her words as she tried to thank you.

As Robin excused herself to change in the small, connected washroom, you flopped backwards and hummed with content, practically sinking into your mattress - never again would you have to lay on the stiff cots at Lady Loretta’s Boarding School. Shimmying out of your skirt and tights, and undoing the buttons of your shirt before slipping into your favourite sleep shirt.

“You should’ve been in band, you would’ve fit right in-” Robin had quite literally been a loss for words, unable to finish her thought as the mere sight of you in your long shirt, taking a swig from the flask you had left in your bedside table, and your hair damp with rain.

“Hmm?” you hummed, gently wiping your mouth with the back of your wrist. Looking down at your flask, then back to Robin, you held it toward her. “Want some?”

Now Robin wasn’t much of a drinker, not much of a drinker at all really, but the more she sipped and the more you laughed at her jokes, she began to understand the appeal. The more she drank, the less she worried about the little anxieties that had plagued.

     By the time the flask was finished, you were both tipsy, curled onto your sides nearly nose to nose beneath the purple covers of your bedspread and the storm raged on - the rain pelted against your window almost violently, and yet it was so soothing you could’ve fallen asleep.

“They were always closer in our little trio, Nancy and Barb, I mean.” You whispered with half-lidded eyes, gently tracing shapes on the fabric of your pillow. “I always wanted just a sliver of Nancy’s attention. But her attention went from Barb to Steve, and then Steve to Jonathan…but never to me…never like that.”

Robin remained quiet for the first time since the brandy had set into her system, no longer giggling at everything, no longer as tipsy as she swore she was.

“And then you looked at me in that stupid sailor outfit, and for the first time,” your voice wavered, blinking away the hot tears that had begun to well in your eyes. “For the first time, I felt something. I felt something that wasn’t anger or-or rejection. I looked at you and I knew you were looking at me the same way.”

Clenching your teeth together, you stared in horror as Robin failed to say anything at all. Your heart stopped, you were certain it had. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m drunk and-” your words became muffled as soft, supple lips pressed into yours. 

Hesitantly at first, then hungry and frantic all at once, Robin kissed you as if it were the first and last time she’d get the chance. The palms of her hands were a bit clammy as they cupped at your cheeks and neck, but you didn’t mind, not in the slightest. The blood drained from your knuckles as you took a fistful of her shirt, almost afraid of the feeling that built in your chest.

Finally pulling back to breathe, Robin found herself unable to open her eyes, in fear that this had all just been a pretty dream - but it hadn’t. You still laid in front of her with a dreamy look plastered on your face, and your lipgloss had tasted like raspberry on her mouth.

#stranger things #stranger things 3 #stranger things imagines #robin x reader #maya hawke #robin stranger things #robin stranger things imagine #robin x you #stranger things fan fic #scoops ahoy #maya hawke x reader