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caps-lockdown · 5 years

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Sweet on You pt 2

Hey everyone here is Part Two of my “Sweet on you” series. I’ve decided on 5 parts total but they’re gonna be big chapters so get ready. I would have posted this sooner but my mom got married yesterday and the last few days have been nothing short of hell. Enjoy!

Pairings: Steve Rogers x Female Reader

Summary: A morning meeting with The Avengers on your birthday after they return home from a mission in Miami.

Words: 2,694 (It’s only gonna get bigger from here but I’ll try to keep it as close to this length as possible in the future!)

Ratings: PG 13 (Language)

Warnings: Language. Otherwise all fluff and a little bit of self doubt.

Again no Beta so the mistakes are mine! Thanks for reading! Tag list is open just send me an ask or comment!

Part Two: Of Muffins and Toilet Paper

“Running late, running late! Excuse me! Please move!”

Your requests came out muffled snaps at the random coworkers strung about The Tower’s lobby. It was seven fifty in the morning and you were juggling three bags of freshly baked pastries, eight cups of hot beverages, and a clipboard with the meeting’s notes on it from Pepper. Your car keys were hanging out of your mouth as you raced to catch an elevator without spilling your drinks and giving yourself third degree burns.

“Thank you!” You managed to get out once the elevator closed and started climbing floors, your coworkers only smiling and nodding in understanding. You usually were never this behind. You had prepped your pastries the night before, chilling the batter so you just had to bake them this morning. You had your outfit picked out and knew how you would wear your hair and makeup.

All of that went out the window when Steve decided to call you at midnight and throw off your whole morning. God forbid the team cared about you.

Your heels clacked loudly across the hard floor as you made your way to the conference room, pushing open the large doors to find not a soul inside. Your eyes darted to the clock on the far right wall. Four minutes. You had four minutes.

Carefully setting the drinks down you hurried to take the assorted muffins out of their bags, thankful you had left out the serving dishes and napkins two days prior for easier set up. You had decided on just making muffins this morning, not getting much sleep and not wanting to deal with making scones.

“You got this Y/N.”

You repeated the mantra to yourself as you began setting the cups down in the correct seating order, taking a moment to giggle at the obnoxious plates you had picked out. “Birthday Princess” was written in giant pink and purple sparkly cursive on the plate, splattered with crown and heart graphics. You had seen them earlier in the week and simply couldn’t say no to them. Or the matching napkins.

You had just placed Steve’s simple two shot Americano at his seat when the doors opened to reveal Pepper in a hurried state, her protruding baby bump seemingly leading the way through the room. Your eyes shot to the clock. Eight am, on the dot. You smiled as she sighed blissfully into her cup of hot chocolate. The doors opened for the third time that morning and your head snapped to watch the arrival of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

The Avengers looked like half awake zombies as they slugged their way to the table. By the looks of it no one had been badly hurt during the drug bust. That was a plus. Thor had a black eye, Sam and Tony had a couple scratches. Nat had a cut on her bottom lip. Bucky and Bruce seemed totally fine as they groaned in appreciation at their coffee cups and pastries at the table, causing Thor to chuckle. You felt your breath hitch as the last member of the team made his way into the room, his eyes fixed on yours as he smiled wide.

Steve Rogers looked like an exhausted million bucks.

His beard had been shaved before he left for this mission, but you were more than happy to notice a layer of stubble coming in over his strong jaw line. He had a few thin scratches on his face that had already been tended to by the looks of it, which you were thankful for. He had his gray slacks on and dark blue button up shirt sleeves rolled up at the elbow. One of your many weaknesses. Especially when they had forearms like his.

He had stopped a few feet away from you and held his arms open wide, motioning you in with a nod and “come on then” hand gesture.

You didn’t need to be told twice.

Everyone laughed as you practically jumped into his arms, his large frame easily engulfing you in a huge bear hug. You didn’t suppress your own laughter as he made a show of picking you up at the waist and spinning you around for good measure. He smelled nothing short of intoxicating, his body pressed against yours as he squeezed you. You silently prayed to anyone that was listening that he wouldn’t let go.

But it was over of course too soon for your liking, and after a quick “thank you” Steve took his seat and you moved to stand beside Pepper. You couldn’t help but feel like he hadn’t wanted the embrace to end either. No, that would be absurd. You were you and he was…well he was perfect. No way would he return those feelings.

You composed yourself as the team all took turns grabbing pastries. Thor and Bucky wasting no time at all before stuffing their faces with cranberry orange muffins. Tony chuckled as he cracked open a simple blueberry one, Nat shaking her head and continuing to sip her coffee.

“So Y/N, how did you manage to pull all of this off? This muffin is amazing by the way.” Tony asked, crumbs falling out of his mouth and making you laugh.

“Well after my beauty sleep was rudely interrupted by some of the worst singing I’ve ever heard, I managed to repress the trauma long enough to fall back asleep for a couple more hours.” You noticed Bruce snort into his coffee cup.

“Well I know you’re not talking about me,” Bucky winked. “My singing was perfect.”

“Right,” You blinked at him, raising an eyebrow.

“ So should I tell my neighbors the barking dogs outside were merely backup singers?”

Steve’s loud laughter broke your eye contact as you looked over at the hysterical leader. He had his hand over his heart and his head was thrown back as the rest of the team joined in. His laugh was truly one of the best sounds you had ever heard, and you found yourself staring at him for longer than originally intended. Shaking yourself out of your creeper stare you picked up an apple muffin and held it up in a mock salute at Bucky, shaking your head as he feigned hurt feelings.

“So Y/N any big plans for today?” Nat asked, finally settling on taking one of the remaining blueberry muffins and putting it on her plate.

“Well now that I know you’re all back safe and sound and in one piece I was planning on going into a coma. Pepper here has been running me ragged.” You joked, noticing how Pepper’s arm shot out to playfully smack you.

“So you don’t have any plans tonight?” Sam piped up and you simply shrugged your shoulders, looking down at the table.

“Gotta have friends to have plans Sam. I just have you lot.”

“Says the girl that baked us muffins on her birthday. And brought us coffee!” Tony interjected, Bucky clucking his tongue in approval.

“Yea twenty bucks says she didn’t even get herself coffee this morning because she didn’t have enough room for it and our orders.”

You felt your face heat up in embarrassment as Sam’s statement rang out over the room. To be fair you had made your own coffee at your apartment that morning. You just hadn’t gotten to drink it. You continued to stare at the table and slightly shuffled your feet, feeling extremely self conscious of everyone’s eyes on you.

“Hey regardless if Y/N chose to get your stupid leaf water over her much deserved birthday caffeine you should be thanking her!” Nat shot out and the table grew quiet, having realized no one had thanked you yet.

“Oh shit. I’m sorry Y/N. Thank you for once again putting us above yourself and doing all of this for us. But it’s your birthday! We aren’t anything special.”

You brought your eyes up to look at Sam before scanning around the room, meeting everyone’s gazes as they broke into statements of gratitude. You blinked up at the ceiling before taking a breath, choosing your next words carefully.

“To me all of you are special. I don’t have any actual family anymore. I don’t have a lot to show for my first thirty years on this planet,“ Your eyes slowly made their way around the table, you managing a small and shy smile.

“But I have you all, and that makes all of it bearable.” You managed to get out, your voice coming out almost like a croak as you gazed at Steve, trying to keep your emotions at bay. He smiled warmly at you before Tony started to slow clap, everyone joining in while you rolled your eyes.

So much for nice moment.

Your gaze moved to see Pepper glaring at Tony, who apparently was clueless as to why. That was never good, and you had a feeling this meeting was about to take a turn.

“ As nice as that was Y/N, can I have your attention everyone? Just wanted a quick little meeting on this week.” Her tone was curt and the team noticed. The mood in the room changed as she took a small side step out of the podium.

“This morning all of you thankfully got back safely after taking down the Marques drug ring this past week in Miami. No casualties, and you managed to pull over thirty five men into custody including Aaron Marques and his brother Luis. Extremely well done everyone. This ring was a huge heavy hitter so be on the lookout for other rings trying to rise to power with both of the Marques behind bars.” She smiled at the team, purposely ignoring Tony.

“There are currently more arrest warrants being handed out by Miami PD but I’m glad you all didn’t forget your common sense,”

She gave a pointed look to Tony, who continued to look at her with a blank face.

“Unlike someone who forgot to get toilet paper for the house before he left.”

The look she gave Tony forced you to fake a cough to cover your laughter. Finally the heat was off of you from this past week and a half. Happy birthday indeed.

“Pep I told you I was busy with all of this mission detail…”

“You also forgot to put the crib together, help me pack the go bag for the hospital like you said you would, and…” There was a raging fire in Pepper’s eyes as she got closer to Tony’s seat, causing him to shrink into it with every step she took.

“You have the nerve to blame “mission detail”?!” She exaggerated quotation marks, earning a grimace from most of the team. Pepper had been nothing short of a train wreck this pregnancy. You knew you weren’t the only one excited it was almost over.

“You are unbelievable! I am having your child in less than three months and you can’t even be bothered to help with it!” She continued, letting out a huff and continuing to stare Tony down.

They wanted to keep the gender a surprise, but you were hoping on a child with the temperament of Tony. As weird as that sounded.

Everyone looked extremely uncomfortable as Tony fidgeted in his chair, the sound of the squeaking back support the only sound in the room as he contemplated his next move.

As someone who had been under fire from the woman in question while he was gone, you could understand how intimidating she was. The first time she yelled at you, you had accidentally changed the hand soap in the office bathroom from “Linen fresh” to “Berry Breeze” and apparently that was grounds for a mental breakdown.

You watched Tony gulp and reach out to hold her hands, never breaking eye contact with his very furious wife.

“Listen beautiful I’m so sorry and I’ll make it up to you tomorrow with a spa day and all the hot chocolate you and baby Stark want. I’ll put up the crib and pack the whatever bag and you can just go relax and talk crap to your friends about how I’m a terrible husband, alright?”

He brought his wife’s slightly swollen hands to his mouth and placed kisses on them, her resolve cracking and causing her to nod her head, tears welling in her eyes as she bent down to kiss him.

“Anyone else weirded the hell out by these mood swings?” Sam questioned, causing Pepper and Tony to laugh, the tension leaving the room.

“Well that’s pretty much all I had, I admit this pregnancy brain has me all kinds of moody. But I’ll let you know if we have any more developments in Miami. Now that Marquez is out, we have no doubt someone will try to rise and take over.”

You couldn’t help but feel like the meeting hadn’t really been a meeting. There hadn’t been any real details given and you had a strange suspicion that they were killing time. The team stood up and began helping you throw away trash and clear off the table.

“What’re you doing with those baked goods Y/N?” Bruce asked as you finished wiping the table down, eyeing the amount of crumbs on the floor.

“Oh I’ll take them down to damage control. They could use the pick me up after this week.” You smiled at him and he nodded, understanding the situation in Miami left a big mess to clean up. They would certainly have their hands full.

“Alright everyone this has been fun but I have to get back to my actual job now.” You headed towards the door and Steve rushed to your side to open it for you.

“Aww thanks Rogers. How sweet.” You patted his arm before walking into the hallway, your heels clicking across the floor again as you made your way to the elevator. You were quick to hide your blush as he waved you on, saddened you wouldn’t be able to spend more time with him right now. You caught a glimpse of him and Bucky standing just outside the room as the elevator door closed.

~~~~~~~~

“So when ya gonna ask Y/N out?” Bucky clapped Steve on the shoulder while giving him a knowing look.

“You think she has any idea?” Steve continued to stare straight ahead down the hall, the smell of your perfume still swimming in his senses.

“Not with how close you play things to the chest Steve. You should tell her soon though before Sam gets any stupid ideas and ruins it.”

“I was talking about the surprise party. My feelings aren’t any of your business.” The Captain gave a side glance to Bucky before continuing to stare at the elevator it descended floors, the numbers changing as you made your way down the building.

“Of course they are Steve! Everyone knows you have a soft spot for her. Just ask her out for coffee like a normal human being already! It isn’t that hard. Women like her don’t stay single for long and as soon as Y/N wants to start looking for someone, you better hope you’ve already told her how you feel.”

“But when will it ever be a good time? Who knows when our next mission will happen. What if I tell her and she doesn’t return my feelings?” Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair, avoiding looking at his best friend.

He couldn’t think of anything worse than being turned down by the only woman who seemed to see him as something more than “Captain America”. And then he would have to see her at work all the time after that. No thank you.

“Oh Stevie,” Bucky chuckled, shaking his head and patting his shoulder in reassurance.

“You have tonight at her surprise party. Just come out and tell her already buddy. Besides, I bet fifty bucks against Tony who is pretty adamant that she’s not team Cap.” Bucky winked at his longtime friend before heading down the hall, Steve still watching the elevator door.

Maybe, just maybe, you were sweet on him too.

Tag List: @kaytizzle and @cuffski

#steve rodgers x reader #fanfic #the avengers #captain america

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breanime · 5 years

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This Is My Idea

My first Logan fic! I’ve been wanting to write for him for the longest, but I didn’t have any ideas for him until @sssilverssserpent came into my inbox with an idea to have a fic based on the Swan Princess’ “This Is My Idea” song (which I LOVE). Thanks again, @sssilverssserpent! I hope you like this.

*gif not mine*

You put your chin in your hand as the car rolled on. You were on your way to spend yet another summer with Logan Delos. You weren’t looking forward to it. You never did. Every June, July, August, and September you and Logan were forced to spend time with each other. Your parents had basically promised you to him, and vise versa, from the time you were in the womb. The Delos family was second to none as far as financial strength and power, and your family was neck-to-neck with them, which is why it was decided—completely without your permission—that you and Logan should marry and combine your families’ wealth. It made great financial sense, but there was a problem.

You couldn’t stand Logan Delos, and he couldn’t stand you right back.

“Straighten up please, Y/N,” your father said from beside you. The driver, used to your quiet tantrums, didn’t even glance back at you. “And fix your face, you’re too pretty to be scowling like that.”

You scowled harder and hunched over more. “How many more times are we going to have to do this?” You asked, arms crossed around your chest. “No matter what you or the Delos family say, Logan and I will never like each other. All this is a waste of time.”

“Logan likes you,” your father said, trying to sound cheery, “He’s always liked you. He liked you from the moment you met.” He smiled over at you, but his smile dropped at your arctic glare. “Really, Y/N, you might have been too young to remember—”

“—Oh, I remember,” you interrupted, “I couldn’t forget that first summer if I wanted to.”

Your Mommy was pulling at your hair, making your head move this way and that with every tug on your pigtails. She had made you put on your poofiest dress—the one with all the bows and lace that you were supposed to save for a special occasion. You asked Mommy if you could put on some make-up so you could be pretty like she was, but she said no. Then you asked for some chocolate, and she really said no.

“You can’t get anything on this dress,” she had said, bending down until she was eye-to-eye with you, “We want Logan to see how pretty you are, don’t we?”

“But you always say I’m pretty,” you titled your head, “Why do I need to wear my poofy dress to be even more pretty?”

“Prettier, dear,” your father corrected you. He was standing stiffly in his three-piece suit. His face was serious, and he was tapping his foot. Even you knew he only did that when he was nervous.

“Remember, baby,” your Mommy smiled her pretty smile at you, “It’s very important that you make friends with Logan. Mommy and Daddy have a lot riding on this.”

You pouted, but settled for a regular frown when Mommy gave you a look. You were so tired of hearing about Logan, Logan, Logan. He was all Mommy talked about: Logan is such a good boy, Logan knows how to speak two languages (so what?! You knew how to speak THREE!), Logan is so handsome and such a charming young man—blah blah blah. You were pretty sure your first word had been “Delos”, that’s how much they talked about him. You didn’t even want to be his friend. Boys were gross, and they never even knew how to do a somersault even though they always said they did. Plus, Logan and his family had to stay at your house for the whole summer—which meant you had to ‘play nice’ and dress up all summer long! You wanted to spend the summer catching frogs and learning how to speak Italian—a stinky, dirty boy would get in the way of all that.

Your Mommy grabbed your hand as a sleek, black car drove up your driveway. Your father’s foot was tap-tap-tapping very loudly now. You broke into a smile—just like Mommy taught you—and awaited the stinky, dirty, gross boy.

What you got was…

…a very pretty boy. Logan was the same height as you, with big brown eyes and fluffy brown hair. He was wearing a blue suit, and you liked the little blue and yellow napkin thing he had in his pocket. He was kind of skinny, and you thought maybe he could use some chocolate, but you had to admit: he looked like one of your dolls. You decided that he was weak, and that you would probably have to help toughen him up. It was hard being pretty, you knew from experience.

Logan’s Mommy was holding a baby (his sister Juliet, you had been told (and told and told)), and his Daddy was standing behind Logan with his hand hovering over the back of his son’s head. It was almost like he wanted to run away. Your parents busied themselves saying hi while you and Logan summer each other up. You offered up a real smile this time, teeth and everything. He probably wanted to be there just as much as you did—which was not at all. Maybe you could be friends.

Logan sneered at you. Your smile dropped.

“Say hello, Logan,” his father instructed. His father’s voice was deep and weird.

Your Mommy pushed you forward, and you immediately missed having her hand in yours. “Y/N,” she prompted.

“Hello Logan,” you said, exactly as you’d rehearsed, “My name is Y/N Y/LN. So happy you could come.”

Logan made a face, and his father not-so-subtlety pinched the back of his neck. He cleared his throat and stood up tall. You stood up more as well. Now you were both tall. “So happy to be here,” he said, he looked you up and down, “Nice to meet you, Y/N.”

You didn’t like the way he looked at you, but your parents were already ushering them inside and pointing servants to get their bags. Your Mommies were cooing at the baby, and your dads were talking about ‘figures’ and ‘projections’, so you and Logan were left together.

“So what do you do around here for fun?” Logan asked you. He was leaning against a pillar with his arms over his chest. He looked so conceited.

“I like to swim,” you offered. He made another face. Geez. “There’s also, um, a lot of cool animals around here and…”

“So nothing,” he scoffed, “there’s nothing around here to do.”

You frowned over at him. “Well,” you said, taking a breath, “I was going to learn Italian this summer,” you smiled sweetly, “but you still haven’t learned French yet, so I guess you can’t do that, huh?”

Logan pushed off of the pillar. He was grinning, but his eyes looked mean. “Guess I was too busy not being afraid of what’s under the bed,” he put his hands on his hips, “like a baby.”

Your mouth fell open—that was a secret between you and Mommy and the child-eating monster under your bed! How did he know about that?! “I am NOT a baby!”

“Well only babies are scared of monsters and the dark.”

“I’m not scared of the dark!”

“Y/N,” your Mommy hissed, poking her head from around the corner, “I hope you’re playing nice!”

You turned to her with a big smile on your face. Logan did the same. “We are,” you sang back.

“We’re being very nice,” Logan chimed in.

Your Mommy smiled at him—at him!—before going back into the foyer with Mrs. Delos. Logan was glaring at you when you turned back to him. A whole summer with him? If you were lucky, you’d get chicken pox and he’d have to go home.

“If I’m lucky,” Logan muttered beside you, “I’ll get chicken pox.”

Your mouth fell open again.

“And then he was always trying to pick fights with me,” you complained to your father.

He sighed, putting his hand over his nose in silent frustration. “Now that’s just a lie, Y/N. You were the one always picking fights with him.”

Your father and Logan’s father had been in the garden, looking at the yearly gross reports. Your mothers were having iced tea and planning Juliet’s first birthday. You and Logan were playing by the stairs…kind of.

Logan had been with your family for weeks now, and you had decided that you simply did not and would not like him. He called you a baby and made fun of your frogs, and he refused to go swimming with you. He also liked pushing you when no one was looking. He had pushed you into the wall earlier as you walked behind your parents to the garden. He’d laughed so hard when you scrapped your elbow on the concrete wall. But you waited, bidding your time until you could get your revenge.

“The children seem to get along quite nicely,” Mrs. Delos was saying, placing her glass on the table. Behind her, you had tripped Logan as he was going down the steps.

“If this arrangement sticks,” your father had replied, “we’ll join our two companies.” Logan was calling you an ugly slug from the bottom of the stairs as you laughed your head off.

“That’s the point,” Mr. Delos agreed, clinking a glass with your father. Logan called you a swamp person, so you dove off the steps and tackled him on the ground.

“It’s such good parenting, really,” your mother added with a smile. You pummeled Logan with your fists. He put his arms above him, protecting his stupid, conceited face.

“And politics,” Mr. Delos grinned. Logan kicked you off of him, and you landed on the ground with a huff.

“I’m so happy we all agree,” Mrs. Delos said, hoisting Juliet up on her shoulder. Juliet giggled when she saw Logan grab a fistful of dirt and throw it at you.

“I think it’s safe to say,” your father said, taking his amber colored glass in his head, “that we have a deal.” You picked up your own handful of dirt and flung it at Logan.

“Logan’s quite a catch,” Mrs. Delos went on, “this is certainly my idea of a match!”

“I don’t recall Logan picking that particular fight,” your father said, a sage grin on his face.

“I didn’t know you saw that,” you said, surprised out of your funk, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

He shrugged. “Kids will be kids,” he answered, “Besides, I knew you’d warm up to one another in no time.”

It was summer again, which meant you had to go see Logan. Your parents had agreed to travel to the Delos’ home this time, and your father was in a real hurry to get there.

“Come on, Y/N,” he said from the bottom of the stairs, “We can’t keep Logan waiting!”

You huffed, pulling at your braids. “But Dad, I haven’t packed or washed my hair, and I get seasick—”

“—You’ve had an entire year to pack,” your mother snapped from inside the car. She was wearing sunglasses even though the sun was barely even up yet. “And we’re going via cruise, not steamboat. Get moving, young lady!”

When you got to Logan’s house, after the initial awkwardness of your forced hellos, he told you how his parents had acted earlier that day.

“My mom kept coming into my room and asking if I was going to be ‘respectful’”, he complained, “all she said all week was ‘she’ll be arriving soon, she’ll be arriving soon’. Ugh.”

“What did you say?” You asked. If there was one thing you and Logan bonded over through the years, it was your parents’ mutual ability to not give a crap about either of your feelings.

“I said if she made me kiss your hand again, I was gonna be sick,” he said back, grinning at you.

You punched him in the arm. “Jerk.”

That summer, you spent a lot of time with Logan, Juliet, and their little friend William. William was okay. He was kind of mousy, but Juliet liked him. You still weren’t too sure about him. He was nice, but he did everything Logan told him to do. Plus, he let Logan call him Billy and William hated being called Billy. Still, he was a nice buffer between you and the Delos siblings; Juliet was a nice kid, but she thought her brother could do no wrong and she always picked his sides in fights, even when he said girls were stupid. You, Logan, William, and Juliet were supposed to be playing cowboys in Logan’s ridiculous(ly cool) treehouse, but they kept trying to run off without you.

“Girls can be damsels or saloon girls,” Logan yelled back at you as he slid down the bannister, “that’s it!”

“And Juliet is already the damsel,” William added, sliding—a bit wobbly—behind him.

“Hey, wait up!” You hopped on the bannister and followed them down. “I want to be a cowgirl and arrest bandits!”

Logan was helping William (who’d fallen on the floor) up, “How about you just play in the dirt and leave us alone?” He sneered before running off.

“Quick—put on some speed!” William cried as he ran off after him.

Not to be deterred, you followed them all the way through the house and into the backyard. Logan scurried up the ladder to the treehouse with ease, poking his head out to help pull William up. Juliet was at the bottom of the treehouse, dutifully waiting to be rescued. “This really isn’t fair!” You called up, stomping your foot.

“We really don’t care!” Logan yelled back. “Do we, Billy?”

“No, we don’t,” William agreed quickly, “and anyway, you need to learn to read, Y/N! Girls are never cowboys in any of the books!”

“William, you’re still reading at a 5th grade level,” Juliet said, crossing her arms, “Maybe Y/N can be a bandit?”

“No!” Logan said, glaring down at his sister. “I get to pick the rules, and I said she has to be a damsel or a saloon girl so I can rescue her!”

“I want to be a cowgirl!” You screamed.

Juliet moved to an adjacent tree so she could see everyone better. “Well,” she reasoned, “It’s Logan’s treehouse. He gets to pick the teams…”

“No, it isn’t fair!” You said again. “I don’t want to be a damsel or a saloon girl! Do you even know what a saloon girl does?”

“Well I’m gonna rescue you before you have to do any of that,” Logan said, as if it were obvious, “so either get rescued or get lost!”

You clenched your fists. “Boys, it’s all or none!” You declared. Either everyone would be cowboys or the whole damn lot of you would be damsels. Logan laughed loudly at that, and you felt your blood boil. Seeing red, you stomped over to the base of the treehouse and kicked the beam holding the bulk of it up.

You barely had time to scream before the whole thing came down, covering you, William, and Logan in cuts and bruises when the dust settled.

Hours later, after being yelled at by both your fathers, William had been sent home and a crying Juliet to her nanny. You and Logan had been confined to the sitting room and told not to move. You had your arm in a sling, a black eye, and bruises all over you. Logan had a matching sling and black eye, plus a bandage wrapped around his head. He had been surprisingly quiet the whole time you’d been getting yelled at; the Logan you knew always had a quip or something sarcastic to say, even to his father. But this time he had sat silently beside you, stewing, without saying a word. You were sitting next to him on the couch, and every time you glanced over at him, he looked more and more upset. He was staring straight ahead with his jaw clenched and fists balled up at his sides. You bit your lip. Logan was a jerk, but… You probably shouldn’t have ruined his treehouse. You knew how much it meant to him. You cleared your throat.

“I’m sorry about your treehouse,” you ducked your head and tried to look at him from the corner of your eye, “That was… I shouldn’t have done that…” You looked up. He was facing you now. You sat up straight and looked him in the eye. “I’m sorry.”

“It was my fault, too,” he said, eyes darting from you to the floor and back, “I was being a jerk.” He grinned. “You’d make a pretty badass cowgirl, Y/N.”

You both broke into hushed giggled at his use of a curse word.

“Hey, Y/N,” he said, looking over at you with serious eyes, “I really am sorry. You’re a guest here, and I should be more…”

“Don’t be weird,” you interrupted with a grin, waving your good hand dismissively, “It was more fun when you were being a jerk.”

He laughed. “You’re weird,” he said back, “especially if this is your idea of fun.”

You put your injured arm up, still laughing. “This is not my idea of fun!”

That had been the last time you and Logan had been physical towards each other. You were both growing up, and your parents started to be very strict on the way you touched each other. Soon, your wrestling days were over, and you had been given clear instructions from your father to ‘act like a lady’ whenever you saw Logan.

“Really, Y/N,” your father said, “do you really expect me to believe that you don’t like Logan at all? Not even as a friend?”

You turned so you were looking out the window. You didn’t want to lie to your dad, but you didn’t want to answer him either. Truth be told, you actually did consider Logan a friend. You’d known him for years, and he was really the only person in the world who you could share your experiences with.

“My Dad called me the ‘black sheep’ at his board meeting the other day.” Logan was lying on his back on the couch, tossing a football up and down. You were standing in front of the fireplace looking at all the new pictures they’d put up since last summer. There were none with the whole family, only one with Mrs. Delos and the kids, most of the photos were of Logan and Juliet. There was a picture of you, Logan, and Juliet from last summer. Logan had finally told you why he hated swimming—his Dad threw him in the water until he was forced to float—so you took it upon yourself to teach both Delos kids how to swim. Your parents allowed it as long as Juliet and William were there to chaperone, but Logan didn’t like having so many eyes on him. So you usually sent Juliet on an errand that wouldn’t collide with your parents’ location while Logan order William away, and you gave Logan one-on-one lessons. It had been…surprisingly fun.

“Your dad’s a prick,” you said without turning. Logan knew how you felt about his father.

He chuckled. “Yeah,” he agreed, “He also said I’m a ‘wee cheeky cunt’.”

“Is that an insult or a compliment from him?” You asked, turning to face him.

Logan shrugged, catching the football in his hands. He’d never try out for a team—because he ‘didn’t play well with others’ (his words, not yours)—but Logan was surprisingly athletic. He’d gotten lean over the years, and you couldn’t help but notice how strong he seemed, how confident. It had been an act when you were younger, but the charm and charisma were parts of his personality now. “Your mom still sleeping with the maintenance guy?”

“The term you’re looking for is ‘pool guy’, and yes.” You answered, coming to sit next to him on the couch. He sat up to make room for you. You sighed. “It’s so obvious, I don’t know how my dad doesn’t see it.”

“He probably doesn’t want to see it,” Logan said simply, “I mean, what’s he gonna do? Divorce her? Then he’d have to pay alimony and child support and all this,” he gestured between the two of you, “would have been for nothing.”

“Who cares,” you shook your head, “It would be one thing if they were like…in an open relationship, or something, but she’s doing this behind his back. I don’t care how much money is involved, I’d never let someone treat me like that.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled, “you’d probably tie my balls to some jumper cables if I ever cheated on you.”

“Naw,” you pushed his shoulder with yours, “you’d probably like that. I’d just cut ‘em off.”

“Mm,” Logan licked his lips and you felt a strange tingle go through you, “I don’t know what I’d do if you cheated on me.” His dark eyes glimmered as he stared over at you.

You laughed nervously. Where had this tension come from? “Who would I cheat on you with? William?”

Logan chuckled. “Billy couldn’t handle you.”

“And you could?” You asked. You froze. You didn’t know why you said that.

Logan surveyed you, his eyes looking you up and down as if he were trying to study you. Finally, he looked back at your face, a stiff smile on his face. “Better than the waitstaff here.” His smile turned sour. “Like mother, like daughter, huh?”

Your eyes widened. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you flirting with every swinging dick that comes through these doors,’ he sneered, “A year ago you were trying to make me play dress up and now all you want is for the help to dress you down.”

You blinked. Where had this come from? Yes, you spoke to the waitstaff, but you were just being polite. Even though your families were equally wealthy, the Delos family had a lot more servants than yours did. Besides, how else were you to pass the time when Logan and William were whispering and giggling and wouldn’t let you in on the secret? Plus, Juliet had asked you to teach her how to flirt, so who better to practice on then the staff? They were there all day anyway. “What—”

“—I liked you better when you would just cheat at cards,” he said. He was smiling, but it was his mad smile, his I-don’t-wanna-share-my-toys smile.

Oh. Ohhh. You sat back, eyes never leaving his face. “Logan,” you said slowly, “do you think I’m cheating on you with the waitstaff?” You watched Logan’s eyes widen, and his cheeks redden. He licked his lips again, eyes darting around the room. “Oh my God,” you cried between laughter, “you’re jealous! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I’m not jealous,” he muttered.

You wiped at your eyes. What an idiot. “You really are a wee cheeky cunt,” you giggled, “you know that?”

Logan had smiled at you then, a real, genuine Logan smile. “Yeah,” he chuckled lightly, “yeah, I know that.”

“I guess,” you said slowly, answering your father, “we’re kind of friends. He’s not… the worst.”

Your father chuckled. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I’m sure that was hard for you.” He patted you on the head, and you couldn’t help but giggle. “Remember the summer when you were both 16?” He asked. “I would have paid good money to hear you say Logan’s not the worst.”

You felt your cheeks heat up at the memory. You definitely remembered that summer.

Logan had been acting differently. He was avoiding you—he ran out of a room if you were the only one in it, he hid behind William like a human shield, and he kept your conversations short and surface-level. You asked Juliet what his problem was, but she didn’t seem to know, either.

Truth be told, you were acting a little differently too. You didn’t mean to, it was just… Logan was kind of… dreamy? Like, his stupid brown eyes were so pretty and warm, and his dumb smile was literally breathtaking and… It was just hormones. It didn’t mean anything. You had been kissed by a boy (Ryan from 3rd period) and gone on a few dates (which had been caused Logan to not talk to you for a week, for some reason) and now you were just… A tad bit boy-crazy… Except you weren’t. You didn’t feel any kind of tingles or nervousness around William or any of the apparently tempting waitstaff. It was just Logan. He had gotten—impossibly—even taller than he’d been the last time you saw him, and his slender figure was… Not God-like, but… God-adjacent? Godly? Either way, you made a pact with yourself to not be weird. He was just Logan, after all. You were even getting used to him being weird around you, so much so that you were actually surprised to see him sitting in front of the door to your room.

You had been out shopping with Juliet and come home pretty late. Your mother—fresh off her guilt at being caught with the pool boy by your dad—had given you her black card, and you and Juliet went wild. There had been a few cute boys at the mall, and a few even approached you, but… They didn’t have that spark, that charm, that natural swag that Logan had. Compared to him, any other guy was just…boring. Still, you were surprised to see him sitting in front of your room, and that surprise turned to concern when you saw that he had been drinking.

“Hey,” he said, voice hoarse. He had a bottle in between his legs.

You frowned. Logan drank to excess, but he hardly ever drank when you were there. He’d sneak some wine or take a shot before going out, but he never got drunk. “Hey,” you said slowly, “You okay?”

“’M drunk.”

“Yeah,” you moved the bags in your arms, “What’s wrong? You get in a fight with your dad?”

He gave a humorless laugh. “I’m always in a fight with my dad,” he looked at the bounty in your arms, “You and Juliet have fun?”

“Mm hmm,” you answered, “spent a lot of my mom’s guilt money.”

He chuckled. “Good.” Logan licked his lips. “You need help with those?” He motioned to your bags with the bottle.

“Yeah, sure,” you watched as Logan struggled to get up, wobble a bit, and then take an armful of bags. You let him into your room. This wasn’t the first time he’d been in your bedroom before, but now there was…tension there. You helped him put the bags on your bed. “Thanks.”

“Mm hmm.” He was staring at your bed.

You took the bottle out of Logan’s hands and took a swig. You made a face. “This tastes like shit.”

Logan turned to you, a laugh on his lips. “You’re drinking it wrong.”

You brought the bottle to your lips and took another swig. You scrunched up your face and Logan laughed again. You smiled as you turned back to him. His eyes were a little red, and a little sad, but he was so…so Logan. He was so familiar and yet so new to you, and you had to admit, standing with him in your room, with no one there to distract either of you, it was nice. You licked your lips, tasting the bitter alcohol still on them. You took a breath and looked Logan in the eyes. “Do you…Do you want a taste?”

He nodded.

You leaned in and pressed your lips against Logan’s. He sighed against you and wrapped an arm around your waist. He put his hand on your face, angling you so he could deepen the kiss. It was perfect. He was perfect. You thought your face would break with how big you were smiling when you pulled apart. Logan’s hand was still on your face, caressing your cheek. His eyes looked sad.

“I slept with someone,” he announced, “I slept with a few someones.”

You froze, processing his words. Your first reaction was a logical one: sure, you two were promised to each other and all, but it’s not like he was your boyfriend. And you weren’t his girlfriend. You went on dates before—but you told him about them in advance and usually spent the whole date texting him updates. You knew Logan went out with other people; he told you he was bi years ago, but he had never slept with anyone before…or at least he hadn’t told you if he did. Not until now. But the other part of you, the emotional part, was…upset. He freaked out on you years ago over some perceived playful flirting, but he was running around slamming his dick into everything? You took a step back.

“Y/N,” he stammered, “Y/N, it didn’t mean anything, it was just, I just… It was only… Only a few times, I swear—”

“—Get out,” you said, finally finding your voice.

“Y/N, sweetheart—”

“—Get out of my room, Logan!” You pushed him in the chest. He didn’t even budge. You pushed him again. “Get out!” Another push. “Get out, get out, get out!”

Logan allowed you to push him to the door, but he held his hands out and stopped before you could get him fully out of the room. “Y/N, I’m really sorry,” his eyes were watering up, “I swear, it didn’t mean anything, I don’t care about any of those people, I’m not—”

“—I don’t want to hear it!” You cut him off. “I can’t—I can’t believe you, how… Why?” You shook your head, forcing yourself not to cry. Logan Delos did not get to see you cry. “What, did you just want to see if you could add me to your list?”

“No! No, of course not, Y/N,” he stammered back, tripping over his feet when you gave him one last push, “I swear, those people didn’t mean anything to me! You’re the only one I—”

“—don’t you dare even try to finish that sentence,” you hissed, eyes narrowed as you glared up at him, “I can’t believe I ever thought…” You closed your eyes, refusing to even put that thought out there. When you opened them again, Logan was staring down at you sadly. “I don’t want to see your face for the rest of this trip,” you said, and you meant it, “I swear, if I have to spend even a second alone with you…”

“Y/N, please,” his voice was barely above a whisper.

“Fuck off, Logan.” You slammed the door in his face.

That had been the last summer the two of you had been forced to spend together. You told your parents that you were absolutely done with it and instead wanted to spend your summers taking extra classes and hanging out with your friends. Your mother had wanted to argue, but your father stood up for you. You still heard from Logan, your parents made both of you send letters and he called you every now and then, but your correspondences were brief. The last time you actually spoke to Logan, he had told you that he was suspicious about William’s intentions with his sister, and you had actually had a pretty lengthy conversation about it.

Now, you were on your way to see the Delos family again and you were pretty nervous. You had a feeling that your father knew that all your huffing and puffing and eye-rolling was all an act, but he let you get on with your theatrics nonetheless. Your mother was staying home with a hangover, but she had told you to “be nice” to Logan before you left. Be nice. To that over-confident, smug, conceited asshole? You were big enough to admit that a lot of your resentment towards Logan was probably some form of…jealous, or something, but the fact remained that he was an immature jerk who you were totally over.

The rest of the ride was quiet, and you reflected on your relationship with Logan. You thought about the first time you met, all the times you fought and argued as children, the smug grin on his face when he insulted you in Italian—he was so annoying! But you also remembered his serious face when you skinned your knee when you were nine, and how he bandaged it himself. You remembered his smile, his laugh, the way his hand felt on your back, and his lips… How soft they were when you kissed him. You leaned against the car window and sighed. You maybe, possibly, kind of had feelings for Logan. But it was useless. His guiding star was his dick, and you knew him well enough to know that he was not the monogamous type. He never was and he never would be.

Juliet was waiting for you when you pulled up. You grinned at the sight of her; she truly was a Delos: effortlessly beautiful. She ran up to you and tackled you in a hug. “Logan’s gonna be so happy to see you!” She cheered. You opened your mouth to retort, but she had already moved away to greet your dad. “My father and Logan are still at the office,” she informed you brightly, “but Mom and I are here, come in, come in!”

You took a breath as you followed Juliet into the house. You were both relived and disappointed that you wouldn’t be seeing Logan, but you swallowed your contradictory emotions down and enjoyed your time with your old friend. At some point, Mr. Delos sent a car to bring your father to his office, Mrs. Delos took some Quaaludes and wandered off, and Juliet snuck away to see William. You had been left in their house before, so it wasn’t a big deal. You busied yourself with reading by the pool until someone came home. You were just getting into your book when you heard the door slide open. You looked up lazily.

Logan was standing, one hand on the door, the other in his pants’ pocket, staring over at you. He looked good. Like, really good. He was wearing a suit, a dark blue one, just like he was the day you first met. His thick hair was pulled back and swaying slightly in the wind. He gave you a wave. “Hey.”

“Hey,” you said back, sitting up in your seat. You hadn’t seen him in so long; he had an air about him… like he had grown up since you last saw him. You stood up and took a step towards him.

Logan took a few steps towards you as well. “Y/N.” He sounded short of breath. “You…” He licked his lips. “You look good.”

Your feet were moving without your consent. “I… I thought you were with your father.”

He smiled, and you swear you felt your knees buckle. “I ditched him as soon as I heard you were in town.” He took his hand out of his pocket and gestured to the side table. “Wanna… Can we sit?” He asked.

You nodded, grateful to be sitting down again. You couldn’t trust your traitorous knees.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, his dark eyes scanned over you, “I, uh… Heard that you were considering moving out this way. For school,” he clarified.

You nodded, not surprised that your parents (father, probably) kept him posted on your college plans. “I’ve sent a few applications out,” you said easily, “and I’ve heard back from a few of them.”

“Of course you have,” he grinned, “They’d be crazy not to want you.” His eyes shone. “I want you.”

You stared at him. “That’s not funny, Logan.”

“I’m not joking.” He linked his hands together and leaned forward, eyes never leaving yours. “You know, all these years knowing you, I… I’ve always thought you were the best. I mean, I liked you from the first time you gave me shit for not speaking Italian,” he smiled, “I don’t know when seeing each other stopped being a chore and started being something I looked forward to every year, but it did.” He took a breath. “And I know that I don’t deserve you, I never did, but, Y/N, I want you to know that before… those other people…it really didn’t mean anything, and I’m sorry.”

You bit your lip. “You don’t have to apologize, Logan,” you said after a moment, “I don’t… I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at you,” you faked a laugh, “I mean, it’s not like you’re my boyfriend or anything, I have no claim on you. I mean, we only had one kiss, so there’s no need to be sorry.”

“But that’s the thing,” he said back, “I want you to have a claim. You’re the only person I’ve ever really cared about and that kiss… Y/N, that kiss… means everything to me. You see the real me, you know who I am, and you call me out on my shit, and…” He ducked his head down before looking back up at you. “I think I’m in love with you. I know I love you, but… But I think I’m in love with you,” he laughed bitterly, “And I know that. I’ve known that since we were 16, but I was too much of a pussy to admit it…”

“Logan,” you felt breathless, “what are you saying?”

He put a hand through his hair. “I’m saying that I love you. And that I want you and want to be with you.” He flattened his hand on the table. “You’re the only one I want to be with. You’re the one I’ve been dreaming of my whole life, and,” he swallowed, “I know I’m a mess, and a dick, and a jerk, but… I’ve grown up,” he met your eyes, “and I want to show you that I’m serious about you. About us. If you’ll let me…”

Your heart felt like it was going to explode. Here was Logan, bearing his heart to you, basically begging you to give him a chance. How could you say no? Logan had been, for as long as you could remember, your perfect idea of love. “I won’t just stand by and let you do whatever you want,” you said, “I love you, but I won’t tolerate any of the drinking or drugs or fooling around.”

Logan’s eyes lit up. “You love me?”

You tried to bite down your smile. “Everything I just said, and that’s what you focus in on?”

He stared at over at you, a myriad of emotions in his deep, dark eyes. “Say it again.” He commanded.

“You first.”

He grinned. “I love you, Y/N. And I want to kiss you.”

You grinned back. “So do it.”

That was all you had to say. Logan was up out of his seat and crouched down in front of you in seconds. He kissed you hard, and you smiled into the kiss. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and brought him closer, licking your way into his mouth. He deepened the kiss, and you moaned into him, reveling in the feel of him in your arms. Finally, you both had to pull back to breath. You wore matching smiles on your face.

“So,” he kissed you as he spoke, “I know…you aren’t… living on campus, are you?”

You shook your head, pressing little pecks on his waiting lips. “No,” you answered, drinking in his brilliant smile, “I was going to…get an apartment.”

“Need a roommate?”

You laughed, pulling back enough so your lips were no longer connected. “You want to move into a one-room apartment with your girlfriend?” You asked.

“Hell yeah, I do,” he grinned back, “I hear it’s good practice to live with your future wife before the big day.”

You giggled, pulling his face back to yours and kissing him. “I guess it’s not a bad idea.”

He kissed you back. “This,” he said, sounding happier than you had ever heard him, “is exactly my idea of love.”

************************************************************************************

How’d it turn out? Please leave me some feedback, I NEED it to survive.

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#logan delos #logan x reader #westworld

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lovemesomesurveys · 4 years

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Would/Do you like having brown eyes? Meh. I wish I had blue or green, honestly. Do you spend a lot of time on the internet? I sure do. Could you live without the internet? Well yeah, but I wouldn’t enjoy it. Have you bought anyone a Christmas gift? Yes, many. I love buying gifts for my family. Do you have a Christmas tree in your house now? I have a mini one in my room. I said I was going to put my decorations away this year (they were up all year last year), but I have yet to do so. :X

How do you feel when someone hates on Apple? I’m an Apple gal, so. Do you have an Iphone? If so, which one? Yeah, an iPhone XR. Favorite flavor of jello? I don’t like jello. I see. Do you have long toes? No. What is one of your favorite compliments to recieve? I don’t receive compliments all that often, so any is nice. Even though I’m awkward af. Do you compliment other random people? No. Could you see yourself buying a truck as your go to vehicle? No. What kind of car do you want? Something less than $100,000. I don’t know. I don’t even drive, so. What kind of gift would you appreciate for your birthday? I appreciate any gift I receive. Can you type fast? Yes. Can you type without looking at the letters? Yep. Did you take typing classes? Yeah, my freshman year in high school. It was required. What do you use Facebook for? That’s about as social as it gets for me, ha. Even though I don’t interact much with anyone apart from liking or reacting in some way to posts. I at least can see what others are up to. What do you look like in your profile picture? On Facebook? It’s a photo of my mom, brother, and I at Disneyland. I’m wearing a pistachio green Disneyland hoodie, a rose gold Disney hat, and my hair is in a low side pony tail. Do you love cartoons? I like the ones from my childhood. Name a band that you like. There’s several, but fine I’lll name 2 that instantly came to mind: Linkin Park and Coldplay. Name a genre of music you don't like? EDM, techno, clubhouse music. What genre of music do you listen to around the house? My main Spotify playlist has a shitload of songs of various genres. You think it's wrong to tell a person ____. Anything mean and hurtful. What kind of compliments have you given? Uhhh usually about something they’re wearing or an accessory they have. Would you rather give or receive? Give. Do you paint your own nails? It’s been a few years since I’ve painted my nails. Do you like acrylic nails? I’ve never had them. What is your favorite red lipstick? I don’t have a favorite. Red lipstick is nice, but I haven’t worn any lipstick in such a long time. What are your favorite colors to wear? I wear a lot of black, but I like some pops of color. What colors do you NOT wear? Brown and neon. Where do you shop for most of clothes? Hot Topic, BoxLunch, and Kohl’s. What are you favorite clothing stores/shops? ^^^ What kind of shoes do you like? Adidas. Describe your style in one word. Comfy casual, ha. Describe your current personality in one or two words. Awkward. What is your opinion on weed? I think it has a lot of benefits. Are you afraid of child birth/pregnancy? Child birth sounds rather unpleasant. What are you favorite bottoms to wear? Leggings. They’re all I wear. Do you like dresses? I haven’t worn a dress in years. Would you rather be called a geek, a nerd or a dork? I’m all of those. Do you eat cake with a spoon or a fork? Usually a fork, but a spoon works as well. What age will you be next? 31. Did you graduate high school? Yes. Do you make youtube videos? If so, leave your URL. No. Do you flat iron your hair? I haven't in years. What physical features do you wish you had? ( name 2 ). Nice teeth/smile and blue or green eyes. Would you ever get plastic cosmetic surgery? If it were for reconstructive purposes. Ever broken a bone? Yeah. What are you favorite youtube videos to watch? Lots of ASMR, but also some vloggers and lifestyle/entertainment videos. What is your favorite sex position? ;) I wouldn’t know. What color will you paint your nails next? I don’t plan on painting my nails anytime soon. It’s been years since the last time. What is one of your favorite Disney movies? Alice in Wonderland. If you could meet a real life Disney character who would it be? Haha I get so excited meeting the characters at Disneyland. I’m such a kid. And a dork. Are you afraid of ghosts/hauntings? Well, there are evil spirits and that’s scary. Do you like to play computer games a lot? I like playing the Sims. I go through periods where I’m obsessed and play all the time and then not play for a long time. I last played over a year ago. Are you a sore loser? No. What is your favorite game to play with family/friends? I love board games. What is your beer of choice? I don’t drink anymore, but I was never fond of beer. What do you plan to buy next? Food. Do you like shopping? Yeah. Online shopping, especially. What is one of your favorite things to do on the weekend? I don’t do anything different. Here, I'm giving you $500 dollars to one store, where would you spend it? Hmmm. I’d have to think about it. Would you look good in a Beetle car? I wouldn’t want one. Do you play slug bug? I did when I was a kid. You know, it’s been forever since I’ve seen one. I feel like I saw them all the time and then they just disappeared. What kind of computer are on? MacBook Air. You are attracted to ___. Alexander Skarsgard. Do you like glitter? It’s pretty, but also a huge pain. Have you ever owned a Ouija board? Noooo. I don’t mess with stuff like that. Do you like to text? Over talking on the phone, yeah. I’m not a big texter, though. If you had to be an animal for Halloween, what would it be? A cat. Do you have more dry skin or oily skin? Dry. What kind of shampoo do you use? Be specific. It’s a salon shampoo for red dyed hair. Do you have acne? I get a couple pimples once in awhile. I used to get it a lot when I was a teenager and in my early 20s. You're glad that you don't ___. have school anymore. You're glad that you do ___. have my family. Your favorite cuss word? I don’t have a favorite. Are you obsessed with any superheros? I love Marvel films. Do you read comic books? No. Do you like the Sunday paper and why or why not? I used to when I was a kid cause I liked reading the comics. I haven’t read an actual newspaper in yearssss. I mostly read the news online, but I also watch it on TV. Do you have cable? Yeah. What's a show you wish that was still on air? True Blood. Do you listen to the radio at all? I haven’t in quite a long time. My parents and brother play their Spotify in their cars (and I’m in their cars). Do you like hip hop? Yeah. Do you like pretzels? Soft pretzels with cheese are good. Do you like snow? Yesss. What's your favorite thing about your favorite season? Name the season. I love fall and winter. Everything about it is lovely. Name something that starts with the first letter of your first name. Snacks. Name something that starts with the first letter of your middle name? I don’t wanna. And your lastname. Fruit. Do you have pets? If so, what and what are their names? Yes, I have a 3 year old German Shepherd/Lab mix named Princess Leia. Are you a religious person? Yes. Do you like pina coladas? I’ve never had one. Do you like coconut scents? Yeah. What is your favorite Bath and Body Works candles? Their autumnal ones. Would you spend 20 dollars on a candle? Nooo. What is the goriest thing you've seen in real life? Roadkill. Do you look in the mirror a lot? Nooo. I avoid it as much as possible. When I do, I keep it short. What brand of toothpaste do you use? Sensodyne. What is a dessert that you DON'T like? Pie or pudding. And one that you love? Cheesecake, cupcakes, brownies, donuts, and muffins. Twilight or Harry Potter? I liked both. Would you rather be a vampire or a mermaid? Vampire I guess. Do you have a favorite number? 8. Had a crush on somebody that every1 around u thought was ugly? I mean, I’ve found people attractive that my friends didn’t and vice versa. We all have different tastes. Are you happy with your physical features? No. P.E or Math? Ew, neither. Math or Science? Neither. Creative Writing or Art? Creative writing. When you doodle, what are you usually doodling? Usually hearts and random words in cursive. What is something that you like that is really cheap in price? Ramen? Haha. Like the packs you get at the grocery store for less than a dollar. What is something that you like that is kind of expensive? Apple products. Those aren’t kind of expensive, they’re hella expensive. What do you do when someone is really rude to you in public? I wouldn’t do anything towards them, I’d just talk a lot of crap later ha. Do you argue with your significant other a lot? I’m single. Have you ever had a really painful breakup? Yes. Which is better smoking or vaping? Neither. Do you write in print or cursive? Print. Do you have neat handwriting? No. My handwriting is awful. What do you like to write with? Pens. Do you keep a journal/diary? This is it. Do you eat salads? What do you like in your salad? If you do. If not, what is 1+1? I like them, but it’s honestly been a few years since I’ve had one. Anyway, I just like lettuce, spinach, shredded cheese, olives, croutons, green onions, carrots, and hard boiled eggs with ranch on top. Back when I could eat spicy food I would add pepperoncinis and/or cayenne pepper. If you HAD to change your eyecolor, what would you change it to? Blue or green. What is one of your favorite colors? Rose gold. Do you prefer to be pale or tan? Don't say in between. I’m very pale due to anemia, malnutrition, and I like never go out in the sun. I wish I were tan. I used to be. Favorite thing to do on your phone? YouTube, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Kindle, and play some games. What magazines do you like? I don’t read any. What is your favorite book? I couldn’t possibly choose just one. What is your favorite thing about Christmas? Everything. I love Christmastime. I'm giving a ticket to wherever you want, where would you go? Oh man. I’d really think about that before making a choice. Here's $5, what do you do with it? Put it towards food later. Cool. Cool. Favorite flavor of Ice Cream? Strawberry. Least favorite flavor of ice cream? Chocolate. Do you prefer white or black electronics? Uhhh depends. What is your favorite deodorant? I use Secret. Are you a good kisser ( make out )? Probably not. I’d be very rusty now....it’s been a long time. A stranger comes up to you and gives you a big hug, what do you do? Uh, I’d quickly back away and be extremely uncomfortable. I’d be like wtf? That would catch me completely off guard. Do your eyes tear up when you're nervous? Sometimes. Have you ever gotten the shakes in public? Yes. What do you like to order from Starbucks? Usually a caramel macchiato or a white chocolate mocha, but I do enjoy some of their seasonal drinks. Vanilla or Chocolate? Vanilla. Apples or Bananas? Bananas. Fruit or Veggies? I don’t eat much of either one. :X Water or Milk? Water. Regular Milk or Chocolate Milk? Ew. Would you milk a cow given the chance? No. What kind of underwear do you like? Hipster/hip huggers whatever you wanna call ‘em. Where do you shop for your underwear? A few different places. Chicken or Fish? Chicken. I hate seafood. Firm pillow or soft pillow? Soft, but firm. What are you wearing when you go to sleep? Leggings and an oversized shirt. That’s all I wear now all the time. Do you take any meds? If so which and why? Pain medication.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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hypnocutiegypsy · 4 years

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Nano 2019 Day One

a 45 min word sprint that i hacked out before bed. be gentle for you tread on my dreamz! :D

Day: Nov. 3. 2019

Time: 1:19 am

Wordcount: 559

Wordcount Goal: 10,000

Ahumai stared longingly at the extravagant bed of his suite. Piled with pillows and soft silken sheets, it beckoned to him shimmering in the moonlight of the porthole overhead. The walls swayed again. Or was it the floors? Ahumai’s belly lurched sickeningly and he let loose a low moan. A small pillow rolled onto the floor from the bed, mocking him. He lowered himself to the cold wooden floor slowly and curled on his side. What a sorry sight; the Prince of Oshani seasick. Who would have thought? The boy was practically a fish himself, having learned to swim almost straight from the womb.

It had been hours since they cast off from the royal port of Dascus and the sun had long set. The horizon had all but disappeared and he found himself disoriented as he seemingly floated in a black, star speckled abyss. First his head began to swirl, then his stomach protested. And soon he’d bashfully retreated to his rooms, a sour burp lodged in his throat. A soft knock sounded at the door.

“Go away!” groaned Ahumai. A strong wave of nausea washed over him as he raised his voice.

“It’s Goshen, your highness. I’m coming in.”

As much as he didn’t want to be seen like this, he was glad it was only Goshen. His friend peeked in and then let loose an exasperated sigh.

“Oh, my Goddess, Ahu. The bed is right there!” he said mostly to himself. He let himself in and locked the door behind him much to Ahumai’s relief.

“Don’t let them see me like this, Goshen.”

“Oh, hush. Why the floor, Ahu? Come on. Up with you.”

He tried to pull the prince up, but a strong gag made him recoil. Instead, Goshen fetched an empty bucket from beside a nearby table and sat next to the moaning crumpled royal pile.

“There, there…” Goshen patted his head haphazardly, trying not to rouse him too much. Wary of being retched upon.

“Why am I doing this, Goshen? Why did I get on the Goddess-forsaken boat?” he mumbled. Weariness was overtaking him. He wanted so badly to get into the comfortable bed. But he was afraid to move.

“You’re being an obedient son. And you’re being a Grande Ambassador. Remember, you wanted to leave early. We wouldn’t even be here for another six months, if you hadn’t insisted on seeing to diplomatic relations yourself. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to either. And needless to say, if I know, so does your mother. This idea of yours is stupid.”

“Thank you for your support.”

“I’m serious, Ahu-” Goshen’s voice dropped to a whisper, “-running away? What are you ten years old again? There’s nowhere to go! It’s a foreign country and you’ll stick out like a fish on land. I think you should actually attend the Princess’ birthday celebration. It will throw the Queen Mother off your scent at least.”

“I’d planned on going,” wheezed the prince. “If only you’d have listened…”

“Okay. I’m listening.”

Goshen set the bucket down with a clatter and stared down at the prince. Ahumai moved at a snail’s pace rotating to face him, and Goshen muscled back a smile at his struggle.

“Go ahead and laugh. The Prince of Seas is seasick, and rolling like sea slug across his own floor…”

***

Shout out to all my peeps. I love you and am so happy to be welcomed back into your welcoming um bosom. :D

@sincerestaffect, @zekethegm, @my-words-are-light,

#she's at it again #hypnowrites #nano2k19 #goddess #ahumai #goshen #mahboys

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leviosarpg · 5 years

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Congratulations, GRACIE! You have been accepted for the role of VENUS ROWLE! Gracie, this app was p h e n o m e n a l. Venus is a character that’s rather hard to capture, simply because I think it’s so easy to veer away from her dark side, but you charged straight ahead and managed to illuminate the cruel ugliness of Venus so perfectly, my stomach is still churning from the sample app (in the best possible way). “The world won’t be kind to girls like me, why shouldn’t I treat it the same?” Gracie, this line was utter perfection and somehow manages to sum up Venus’s character flawlessly, explain her motivations, and provide such a wonderful insight into her mind. Venus is a taker, but more importantly, she’s someone with the ability to take what she wants, something this app highlighted effortlessly. I can’t wait to have Leviosa’s diamond on the dash!

Your faceclaim change to: Eliza Scanlen has been accepted. Don’t forget to send in your account to the main and complete the items listed on the CHECKLIST!

THE PLAYER

name/age/pronouns/timezone: Gracie/24/she her/ est

THE CHARACTER

desired role: Venus Rowle- I love the poisonous princess, the girl who is not in danger; but is the danger. Sickly sweet honey words laced with venom, smiled sharp enough to cut. The little girl who got everything she could possibly want, but took more. She’s coming for the crown, she’s coming for things she doesn’t even want - just because she doesn’t want someone else to have it.

gender/pronouns: cisfemale, she/her

extracurriculars: the harbingers, the slug club

para sample: (tw dubious con - kinda, tw self harm, tw underage? ) not exactly sure how to tag it but better safe than sorry!

He was seventeen, she was fifteen. All golden curls and a high babied voice, Venus Rowle never learned the word no. He was some minor pureblood heir, a Crabbe or some other. But he was beautiful, and she loved the way it felt to have his eyes follow her through the halls. Her friends noticed, and asked her in somewhat awed whispers in the back of charms.

“I am sure I don’t know what you mean.” Her eyes flashed more blue than green, and her smile was triumphant, barely concealed behind a modesty they all knew she didn’t have.

At her father’s Yuletide Party, Venus ignored him outright, dancing with nearly everyone else but him. His eyes never left her twirling golden figure, and she felt the jealousy burning in his gaze, reveling in this as if he were worshipping at her feet like the goddess of her namesake. Venus always knew how to play the game, had felt the heated gaze of men ever since she was 12 and she’d left her sister and childish shape for the curves of a woman. They liked the chase she learned. She learned to laugh and toss her head back joyously, how to place a delicate hand on her cheek, to absentmindedly play with a curl and draw their eyes to her neck like. She could fake demure and purity and goodness and all those other things men think they want.

And so, when she sensed the Crabbe heir was about to admit defeat, she caught his eye, smiled softly, and quickly looked away with a slight flush rising to her cheeks. He followed her into the library like she knew he would, a lovesick puppy leaning in to tuck a stray lock behind her ear. She resisted at first, the way they always wanted young girls to, but gave in to his kisses eventually. Men liked to think they were in charge, that they were the hunter and Venus was the doe eyed prey, quivering in his crosshairs. Men were easy.

After she let him worship the porcelain curves of her body, he buttoned up the back of her velvet dress, kissing her neck and whispering that one word they all wanted to hear. Love. She smiled with venom, and sent him back to the party first while she adjusted her hair in the mirror. Venus felt empty, unsatisfied. The next three nights of the holiday celebration, she ignored him outright. She was so easily bored, and he’d proved to be nothing more interesting than a pretty face and practiced lips.

He told her he’d ask his father for her hand, and she laughed.

On New Years Eve, he no longer followed her with those desperate puppy dog eyes. She saw him across the ballroom, whispering now in the ear of some much plainer girl, Venus thought unkindly. Her eyes flashed red. She didn’t want him, the idea of marriage was laughable to someone so young and burning. But she certainly didn’t want to be so easily replaced. Venus Rowle was the end all be all, not someone you got over in a matter of weeks.

On New Years Day she walked sobbing into her father study, peeling up a long sleeve to show a ring of purple bruises around one delicate wrist. A sleepless night spent in dedication to her plot added to her overall look of fear and shame. She said no, Venus told her parents in between tears, and he’d been so angry she would not go off with him alone and she’d told him and told him it was inappropriate but he gripped her wrist tighter and tighter almost pulling her away from the party so that she had to wrench herself from his grasp to remain pure. She’d found the bruises that morning, she sniffed for effect, and had been so ashamed and not wanted to bring harm to the family name but so afraid. Her mother stroked her hair to quiet the sobs, and, after delicately confirming her virtue was still intact, her father grabbed his cloak and stormed out the front door.

The Crabbe boy was quickly and quietly sent to America, his father bowing to the weight and power of the Rowle name. No one outside of her family ever knew, and he suffered with the unearned reputation of a brute. He wrote to her once, and she set it on fire without even reading it.

Venus might have been named for the goddess of love, but the Latin root should never be forgotten. Venenum, or rather, poison.

OTHERS & EXTRA (OPTIONAL)

May I pretty please change her face to Eliza Scanlen? Thank you!

Venus sometimes resents her sister, particularly on their birthday, a time she feels should be only dedicated to her. She was thrilled when they were sorted into different houses - the sorting ceremony the only time Diana has ever come first, D before V alphabetically.

Diana is too soft, this world will eat her alive, Venus fears. She cannot hide behind books forever, and Venus justifies her cruelty through love. Someone has to toughen up the younger Rowle, why not her own twin, someone who wouldn’t truly hurt her.

Venus has never been as clever as her sister, her marks always lower but really she had never cared that much. Did it matter what one knew of goblin rebellions or how many runes one could translate?

Her magic is surprisingly powerful, though her knowledge is limited. It comes from the violence in her blood, the fire burning in the hollow place in her chest that should hold a heart.

She is utterly cruel, a true Mean Girl, but with the charm and grace of her breeding and blood status. Words like poison laced barbs wrapped in velvet. She can tell you to go fuck yourself in a way that will make you truly want to.

She has almost no real friends, having begun to lose the girls of her childhood to competition or some sort of morality. She sometimes fears that if she truly needed someone, no one would answer the call. In these moments she reaches out to her sister, bothering her in the library and laying her golden head on Diana’s shoulder until she promises to always love Venus.

She isn’t sure when she first noticed Silvanus, likely when she caught the lovesick glint in her sister’s eyes. Venus has never been one to share and has always wanted what others have. He was beautiful and seemed almost kind. He’d be quite fun to ruin, she thinks.

Diary entries - I am obviously willing and happy to change all of the below especially with regards to other characters! Just some early thoughts

January 23

I was in the library last night copying Diana’s History of Magic essay - bored out of my mind. I have no desire to read or write anymore about goblin rebellions or giant wars or any other horrible creature who has been a threat to wizard kind. Sometimes I think we all might be better off if they were simply gone. But that is not a thing one says out loud, and so I will whisper it to you my dearest pages.

Anyway, I was bemoaning to myself the waste of time it is to read about things others have done instead of doing them myself when Riddle & Lestrange came over to sit at my table. Always a pleasant interruption, although I confess any sort of interruption was highly welcome, I had seen the two of them glancing over from across the room. I know how to attract attention, it is as natural as breathing. They came sooner than I’d thought - I am getting quite good.

They are beautiful boys, both tall and dark and brooding. Exactly the type of boy who my mother would say was up to no good. But Lestrange has the name and family wealth, and Riddle - well no one really knows all that much about him but he is brilliant, perhaps the most talented I have ever seen. And his charisma could charm even my overprotective and suspicious parents.

But, my dear friend, they were not interested in any sort of fun distractions. No - they had a proposal (no not that kind either - as if). Grindelwald, they say, wouldn’t dare come to England. They say he’s afraid of Dumbledore. But his ideas need a place to cultivate and take root here, so why not Hogwarts? I raised one eyebrow, perfectly poised on the line between disinterested and inviting. And so they said more. Riddle had ideas, plans to expand and go further. We were the next generation of leaders, were we not? Those not bogged down in the mess made from Grindelwald and the muggles and the destruction of everything good in the world. We should lead wizarding kind into the new world.

And, I’ll confess, I was terribly interested. The path my parents have painted for Diana & I seems dreadfully boring - marry some man and lose myself and my name to him, lose my body and my beauty to his children, become so consumed with the lives of messy tiny humans and give and give until who I am - Venus Manon Rowle - no longer exists. I will not be some empty shell belonging entirely to others. They spoke of power and change, and I held on to my air of aloofness as long as I could. But it was too perfect, and I gave over to the glamour of his vision quickly. They need my name and my charm, and (it was quite amusing to watch Lestrange struggle to find a tactful way to say so) my bite. I know I can be quite cruel, Diana has been more than happy to point it out to me. But being kind is boring, soft is weakness. The world won’t be kind to girls like me, why shouldn’t I treat it the same?

We stayed for another hour until the library matron threatened to call the caretaker or tell Slug we were out of bed after hours. But the plans and dreams continued in the common room late into the night. Lestrange is driven and controlling, Riddle has a charm and vision - they both match me in the ability to easily draw people in. Although, I might be a bit ahead of them in that case, having the name Riddle does not and being a fair bit more attractive than Lestrange. Most importantly - it is not just talk. You know how talk without action drives me mad. No, there are plans, and some have even already been enacted. Now I couldn’t possibly tell you the details even if I wanted to, having been sworn to secrecy, but Riddle himself has directly acted.

It was such a glorious night that I even woke up burning despite how little sleep I had gotten. I will tell you more later, I have to finish that stupid essay.

Love - V

PS. How terrible would it be for me to just accidentally forget to give Diana’s hers back and turn it in with my name instead? Binns would hardly notice. And Dee always forgives me.

June 22

Remember when I told you a few months ago that Freya was acting strangely? It has only gotten worse. I am practically seething with rage. Last night was daddy’s summer solstice gala, and Freya didn’t even say hello to me when she arrived. I was willing to look it over because she was with her family. But even later when she came around to speak with Giselle and I, something was off. I know how to read people, and I grew up with this girl - I know her every tick and every expression almost as much as I know my own sister’s. She is hiding something and I must find out what it is.

I tried to ask Giselle if she noticed anything wrong, but she seemed preoccupied as well. Am I the only one who knows how to have any fun? Giselle I am less worried about. She has always tried to compete with me, and it is healthy and natural for competition to develop between girls like us. She makes me sharper and I force her to rise up to my level. It is good for both of us I think, as long as I am always on top. Besides, I know her secrets and she knows enough of mine. I do love her dearly, but I would not hesitate to destroy her if necessary.

Mother says they are all jealous of me, but it has to be more than that - especially with Freya. I feared secretly from the moment she was sorted away from us all those years ago that we might lose her. I have made an effort, I constantly seek to include her in everything. And yet still, she is pulling away. Perhaps I will have to come up with some creative way to get her to confess what she is hiding.

And now, dear diary, please allow me a moment of weakness, a moment of insecurity. What if I lose them? And what if I never really had them to begin with? Sometimes I fear that they don’t actually love me, they might love the opportunities I can give them with my name. Or maybe they are afraid of me and play nice so they don’t end up on my bad side. Am I unlovable? Oh no Venus, you say, everyone loves you - look how many admires you have, how you can catch the attention of everyone in a room. No - they love who they think I am, the pretty mask I put on to hide the fact that I am all sharp edges and hot rage. But still, I would rather be loved and noticed for something, rather than hiding in the corners. Alright - I am done acting weak now.

Speaking of corners, I suppose I will always have my dear sweet Diana. My second, my shadow, my sister, my twin. She resists the type of criticism and growth I try and teach her, but she must take some of it in stride. I don’t much like sharing the spotlight, so I am happy that she is so reserved. Still, it would be good for Di to have some actual fun for one. To leave the library and step out from behind her books. I love her, dearly, and I only want the best for her. I confess, I may not be the best at showing her exactly how much she means to me. We are cruel to each other in the way only sisters can be, but I do believe she would die for me. And I know I would kill for her.

I will stop filling you with my melancholia now - V

#hp rp #hp rpg #lsrpg #literate rp #literate rpg #accepted #venus

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sassysweetcollegegirls · 6 years

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I’ll Love you No Matter What pt3

Breakfast was Lance’s second favorite meal of the day. Second because it required him to get up and there were never any Lucky Charm’s or just straight pancakes anymore. Hunk always did his absolute best to make breakfast as close to the stuff at home as possible. Of course it was always a little off but Lance still appreciated it for all it was worth.

The door slid open and Lance takes a solid wiff of what Lance thought was waffle and eggy type.

“HUNK MY MAN. What is on the menu today?” Lance walked toward the kitchen which was literally Hunks Natural habit. Hunk stood in his usual attire his apron tied around his waist a whisk in hand a look of pure concentration on his face.

“Take one more step McClain and you will be served last.” Hunk threatened drawing the whisk up and pointing at him a yellowish goop dripping from the end.

“Woah buddy what’s with the whisk of death?” Lance wasn’t used to Hunk being so well threatening in the morning usually he was humming and swaying offering Lance the opportunity to taste his creations.

Hunk rubbed his face and set the whisk in the bowl. “I was up all morning.” His body turning soft exhausted

“Hunk your up every morning.” Lance grabbed his friends shoulders and started rubbing large circles

“I was up earlier Lance. SOMEONE on this ship was pounding on doors and running and Lions it was a mess.” Hunk waived off Lances touch and went back to his cooking,” Some of us sleep ya know.”

“Maybe we can get the Gremlin to look at the feed from the cameras she never sle—-Aaaaahhhh!” As if brought on by the pure image of her in Lances brain Pidge showed up,” CAN YOU STOP DOING THAT?” Lance shrieked putting a hand to his heart and feigning fainting.

“You realize I have no idea what your talking about right?” She yawned and rover who was snuggled into her arms blipped awkwardly. Her hair was a casual disarray and she still wore the sweats she had been put to bed in,” Also I do sleep. You all just haven’t figured out the cycles yet.”

“Thus you are a Gremlin.” Lance grumbled and she slugged him lightly letting rover go. He began to flutter busily about the room as Hunk began tidying up the kitchen, “ what am I supposed to be doing?”

“Checking the feed for who was waking Hunk up with all the yelling and running in the halls this morning. “ Lance clarified stretching he had managed to dress. Pidge was always the last of them to dress. Shiro had stopped commenting on it a long time ago and Lance had just become so accustomed to her ducking out to get dressed after breakfast it was routine now.

Hunk was busy and he looked focused so he pushed Pidge out to the dining portion of the kitchen and gathered plates on his way.

“Did you hear the yelling and running?” Lance asked?

“Me? No. I was sleeping.” Pidge said stretching her belly showing a little the skin smooth. Lance looked toward the ceiling giving her a moment of privacy. Lance had sisters back home and they had drilled into him time and time again how important the female body was. How precious it was and that you only shared it with those precious or those of the same sex.

“Give me some plates we don’t want Hunk to see us slacking. He’s in a mood.” Pidge said taking the plates from Lances chest and making a neat stack. “ I’ll do the left you do the right.”

“ I’ll bet mines prettier than yours.”

“Your dreaming again Loverboy.”

“I WILL OWN THIS PLATE SETTING COMPETITION GUNDERSON.”

“YOUR ON.”

“I swear to god if either of you break my tableware your getting fed last.” Hunk grumbled as he brought spoons and forks out to the table and rover floated out behind him with a napkin.

The room became a flurry of limbs and plates and napkins and happy sounds that meant fun. Lance was folding corners and dancing, and Pidge was trying to make the perfect angles. While hunk slid steaming plates full of food in the center rolling his eyes at the antics and slapping trying fingers out of the way.

Coran was the first to join them. He had his tablet pressed to his nose reading an article in something Lance figured was probably was Altean. He almost tripped over Rover but Lance caught him with one arm his body was heavier than he expected.

“Coran what do you eat?” Lance teased setting the older man upright.

“I eat my normal squares plus Grandpa Wembeldons additional recommended portions!! If we’re going to complain about size my dear boy aren’t you a string?” He responded quickly straighting and fixing his coat.

“I am a Normal growing boy for your information!” Lance huffed turning.

The door opened and Allura stepped in. She was radiant beautiful and glowing in ways that reminded Lance of his sisters and of his mother. His heart puttered a little thinking about Allura and his family meeting (so maybe that crush wasn’t so over yet) and Pidge snickered next to him reminding him to be human.

“Good Morning Princess!” Lance choked out as she smiled and pressed her hand to Corans shoulder.

“Coran, now is not the time to be critiquing the physique of our Paladins. Have you found anything of importance?”

“As it so happens no. I was looking for brain fuel hopping it would get the old gears cranking.” Coran offered pointing to Hunks beautiful breakfast array.

“Good Morning Lonce. Pidge I hope you slept well? “ Allura greets as everyone begins taking seats at the table trying to relax and Hunk comes out to sit.

“I for one did not sleep this morning. Was anyone else woken up by the running and screaming? Or was that just me?” Hunk heaps his plate full of egg type things and passes the plate to Coran who calmly takes a scoop and passes the plate to Allura who seem to be sharing a look.

Lance watches but doesn’t comment and instead looks to where Keith usually sits across from him,” Hey where’s Keith? He never misses breakfast.” He comments calmly. His mind goes to Keith last night how he had laughed and smiled and had been gentle and carefree and it had felt so much like home it made Lance ache long after he left and he wanted to go back to Keith. Even if it was just to sit on the floor and poke his face while he slept. (That’s fucking weird Lance friends don’t do shit like that).

“Or Shiro!” Pidge remarks looking at his designated place next to her. He seemed to be the only one capable of making her actually eat anything and not start a food fight.

“I’m right here Pidge, Lance please tell me she has at least scooped something onto the plate.” Shiro said he was standing in the door his arms crossed his eyes open a smile on his face and he looked like he was gunna head down the stairs but something was stopping him.

“Have you seen Keith?” Lance asked and he realized he couldn’t help but be hopeful. He wanted to know if he’d washed the face mask off properly or if he’d left green goo in his hair.

Shiro smiles and looked behind him and whispered something and then he looked at the group,” okay let’s do this. Everyone close their eyes.”

Everyone let out a collective groan but obeyed and Lance heard Shiro shuffle quickly into his place next to Pidge. “When I say three everyone open okay?”

“What the hell is this Shiro?” Pidge whispers angrily

“One”

“I’m confused is this someone’s birthday, whose birthday is it?” Hunks asking almost panicked

“Two”

“I’m so excited! There won’t just be two of us anymore!!!” Allura sang and there was a groan from somewhere near the door.

“Three”

Lance is slow to open because he is looking at Shiro first because this was all Shiro’s idea of course. Shiro of course has this wide smile plastered on his face and he’s holding Pidge by the shoulders. Pidge’s eyes are bigger than blues noes and Lance turns to look at the door because the room has wrapped itself in silence.

Standing in the door is probably the most beautiful girl Lance has ever seen. Her hair is jet black and laid gently down her back, she has this porcelain skin that makes him think of dolls. She’s lean but she’s fit Lance doesn’t think she would have any problem lifting against him in a contest. She looks so uncomfortable though in a short yellow dress that’s scooped showing just a bit of her clevage and a lot of legs and (are those Keith’s boots?) and violet eyes that dart around the room uncertain. She tries to hide in her bangs, Lance wants to plead with her to come out and not hide the pretty sharp angles of her face. She’s rubbing her arms like she’s cold and half crossed half not like she’s not sure where to put them her hands are tiny (are those Keith’s gloves?) and Lance wants to draw them into his and blow hot air onto them and warm them up.

“Keith it’s alright it’s just breakfast.” Shiro states as he pushes Pidge into a normal not so shocked kind of state.

“THATS KEITH?!?” Pidge shouts her hands slamming on the table and standing

“KEITH?!?” Hunk drops his fork and looks at Coran for confirmation.

Lance is oblivious he’s stuck on the cherry lips and the violet of her eyes. Would a girl like that even look at a string bean like him?

Allura is smiling,” Keith your stunning now please can you just come sit down for breakfast? And we will explain everything. Yes?”

Then she starts moving her gates a little clumsy like she’s never walked in a dress before and Lance has this urge to rush forward and carry her down the two short steps and too the table. He looks around panicked as to where she’s going to sit. The only open spot is Keith’s (Keith won’t care this one time right?) And he rushes out of his chair to go pull out hers carefully his face red and everyone looks at him funny including her.

But damned Lance if he isn’t chivalrous. Keith takes a moment to stop and look at him. Her hair is so silky up close Lance holds his breath as she slides into the chair in front of him and then he pushes her in to the table stairing at the crown of her head biting his cheek. He carefully seats himself across from her again and everyone looks at him,” What?” Lance asks.

No one says anything and Keith’s cheeks turn pinker and Hunk chokes on a bite of his breakfast at the site. He’d at least tried to return to normality. Everyone waits and Shiro clears his throat,” as you can see Keith has joined us for breakfast....” Shiro is going on about how some kind of tattoo and blah blah blah and Lance is just oblivious.

He’s watching Keith pick apart egg type things with a fork. She has one hand cupped around her cheek and the other on the fork and she’s aggressive like they’ve done a sin and they need to pay for it. Her eyes are sad like they’ve been forgotten somewhere and placed in her perfect little head just for Lance to find. Then they turn to Lance and Lance swallows.

“If a turtle doesn’t have a shell is he homeless or naked?” Lance manages his mouth is dry and his palms are sweaty but those eyes look right into his.

“Lance what the hell are you talking about?” Keith asks, and her voice is like liquid honey that Lance never knew he needed. It’s so smooth and it just drips with sarcasm and so many things Lance can’t even wrap his mind around it hurts.

He leans over to Pidge,” How does she know my name?” he asks but his eyes never leave Keith who hasn’t stopped looking at him.

“Oh. my. god. Lance No. “ Pidge smacks her palm to her face and then wraps her arm around his neck and points at Keith.

“You know that guy you mock?”

“You mean Keith?”

“Mullet, grumpy, throws knives and flies the Red Lion?”

“Don’t tell me this is his sister?”

Pidge smacks him upside the head and points at Keith again,” That’s Him.”

There is silence at the table and Lance looks at the Violet eyed angel across the table and then he peeks under the table. No one stops him. They just let him for a moment look at the legs so slender and perfect and not hairy and not encased in super tight jeans but still wearing Keith’s boots.

He returns tableside to look at Keith who is sitting with the cute little pout across her lips an eyebrow raised in question.

“What?” Lance says and Keith rolls her eyes in the most attractive way possible.

“I told you this was fucking stupid.” The honey voice claims looking to Shiro who is trying not to lose his cool.

“Lonce were you not paying attention?” Allura asked and Lance looks toward her and for some reason she doesn’t look so pretty next to Keith. She’s pretty but she makes him think of moms and soap and laundry and he’s not sure what that means yet.

“I was...”

“No he wasn’t” the honey voice of Keith again. “He was to busy staring. I TOLD YOU TO LET ME STAY IN SHIROS HOODIE BUT NO. I had to wear this stupid...” She grips at the dress angrily as if she can tear it but then she realizes that people are watching and she just sulks deeper into the chair.

“Take my sweatshirt.” Lance offers before he’s even sure what the hell hes doing. He’s got the green thing off and he’s offering it to Keith across the table.

Keith looks at it and snatches it angrily and throws it on zipping it all the way up. She pulls the hood up and then looks at Lance crossing her arms.

“Lance you do realize that is Keith right?” Pidge asks him turning lance to face her.

“Keith is a She now?”

“Yes” everyone at the table goes at once. Everyone but Keith who looks like she would rather hide in a hole than be at this discussion.

Lance takes a moment to think about the girl across from him. The salty behavior the hardcore additidude and the eyes the gloves the boots, the outbursts. It all makes sense. It doesn’t stop what comes out of his mouth though ,” About that turtle.”

“ Lance.” Shiro’s warning voice is present but Keith is chuckling and she’s covering her mouth with one of his sleeves. And it’s the most beautiful thing Lance has ever heard.

Everyone has stopped to watch Keith now who seems to be trapped in fits of laughter that don’t really make sense in the seriousness of all this. “ Freaking Lance is, asking me about Turtles after we tell him I lost my penis.”

“This is serious business Keith. IS he NAKED or HOMELESS?”

Theres a collective groan around the table and Keith just continues laughing and It’s a beautiful thing. It’s airy and soft and full of shit that makes Lance feel like he’s not even real.

“You two are officially the worst at dealing with news.” Hunk groaned pushing his now empty plate toward the center.

“I want everyone to agree that this isn’t going to move the team backwards. Until we find a solution Keith will be stuck like this. So Keith, do you prefer us to call you by female or male pronouns?” Shiro asked trying to calm everyone again and find a solution.

Keith suddenly in the spotlight for a reason other than sharing it with Lance began blushing. “ I feel like me. I know I have boobs and stuff but I feel Like Keith...So can we just do Keith? and whatever works from there?” There was a softness to the tone of her voice that everyone had to lean forward for.

“Fair enough.” Pidge claimed swiping her plate and Shiro’s despite the dirty look Shiro passed her.

“Everyone meet on the training deck in Half an hour.” Allura Sang walking backwards out the door.

“ LANCE it’s your turn to help with clean up.” Hunk said which meant he wanted to talk to Lance.

“Keith, I wanna go to your closet and see if I can help you find comfortable stuff to wear. You look like your miserable in that.” Pidge said as she went to Keith and Keith looked grateful from his place in Lance’s hood the ends of his hair poking out cutely.

“You'd do that for me?” Keith asked the honey voice soft.

“Yeah I’ll show you how to fix clothes so they fit you.” And then the two of them were gone leaving Hunk and Lance and Shiro who seemed to be looking at Lance puzzled.

“What?” Lance asked

Shiro just smiled and rubbed the back of his head before heading outside. Hunk handed Lance a pile of plates,” Dude the staring was weird.” Hunk murmured

“Do you know how pretty Keith is?” Lance hissed,” I looked at Allura and I thought about Laundry soap! Who does that?”

“Uhhh- You?”

“Right but Keith,his skin is like smooth and it looks soft, do you think it’s soft Hunk?”

“ Dude this is gunna be hard for you isn’t it?”

“Definatly.”

“I’m gunna need the first aid kit?”

“For sure.”

Hunk just sighs and Lance hands him another dish to be magically washed by the machine that washes dishes one by one. He’s got his head in the clouds thinking about violet eyes and long black hair in a bright yellow dress.

#klance #klangst #comedy #takashi shirogane #hunk garrett #pidge gunderson #keith kogane #lance mcclain #Allura #voltron coran #keiths a girl #pinning keith #pinning #shennanigans #terrible jokes

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thequeenxofhearts · 6 years

Text

Sleepover Stories | Scooby Doo One Shots

Sleepover Stories

The Home of the Rogers’ Family

Shaggy, Scooby, Fred, Daphne and Velma laid on the floor in the living room, watching Treasure Planet.

Sugie and Mrs Rogers were in the kitchen making a cake for Grandma Rogers, who’s Birthday was the next day.

Mr Rogers was folding towels in the laundry room, which was adjoined to the kitchen. Then the washing machine went off, and the lights went off. “Oh, darn, Nigel.” Mrs Rogers called.

“Powers out.” Mr Rogers said. “Don’t worry, I’ve got my flashlight.” Fred said, pulling a small flashlight out of the pocket of his pyjamas. “Me too.” Velma said.

“Ahh, we were just getting to a good part.” Shaggy whined. “Reah.” Scooby sighed.

Mr Rogers stepped into the living room and looked out the window. “Looks like the whole street’s in a blackout.” He said, looking up and down the street, all the other houses were dark, and the street was only lit by the street lamps, which were powered by the darkness.

“What about Grandma’s cake?” Sugie asked. “Don’t worry, we’ve only put the flour and the sugar in, we’ll cover it up and finish it when the power comes back on.” Mrs Rogers said, reassuringly.

“Like, what do we do now dad?” Shaggy asked. “Wait until the power comes back on.” Mr Rogers said. “Rit in rhe rark?” Scooby asked. “Yes, sit in the dark, Scoob.” Mr Rogers said.

“Hey, why don’t we tell ghost stories?” Fred suggested. “Oh, Freddie, yours are boring.” Daphne said. “They are not!” Fred said. “How about I tell you a story?” Mr Rogers said.

“Yeah!” Sugie exclaimed. “Oh no, stories about fairy princesses!” Shaggy exclaimed.

“Oh no, Shaggy. This is a different story.” Mr Rogers said, “It’s a true story.” He said, mysteriously.

“Sit down Sugie, Jenny.” Mr Rogers said, letting his wife take the arm chair, Sugie sat on the floor and curled up next to Scooby, and Mr Rogers sat on the floor.

“Jumping jellybeans! I forgot how low down the floor is.” Mr Rogers exclaimed, Mrs Rogers tried to hide her laughter, but the children and Scooby couldn’t.

“Now, like I said, this is a true story. So, I don’t want you kids getting scared.” Mr Rogers said. “My dad accidentally let Dorothy and I watch The Ring, nothing can scare me as much as that did.” Daphne said.

“Ah well, the difference between the Ring and this story is, this one is real.” Mr Rogers said.

“There is an island called Peculiar Island.” Mr Rogers began, Mrs Rogers ran her hand through her hair, the children giggled.

“The island is hidden by ordinary people by a thick layer of fog which drives people away, and darkness surrounds the island. But the island itself is very sunny and warm.”

“Like Themysceria?” Daphne asked. “Sort of, but instead of being home to all women, it’s home to Pirates who sailed on a ship in the cove, Plant People who lived deep in the forest, Fairies who lived in the trees, Mole People and Trolls who lived deep in the Underground.” Mr Rogers said.

“I told you Mole People were real!” Fred exclaimed as he elbowed Daphne, who rolled her eyes.

“The island was gifted, every twenty years, one could make a wish from the basin in the castle of Nero the Very First. The castle was on the top of a high hill. The islanders tried to keep to themselves as best they could, but the Fairies and the Plant People argued, and the Trolls and the Mole People argued.” Mr Rogers said.

“Why did they hate each other?” Sugie asked.

“The Mole People and the Trolls lived in the Underground together and fought over which part of the Underground was who’s. The Battle of the Great Underground between the Mole People and the Trolls did not solve any issues because the Trolls accused the Mole People of cheating. And the Fairies sometimes flew into the ear of a Tree person instead of a tree in which the Fairies lived.” Mr Rogers said, Sugie giggled at the thought of a Fairy living in a tree, like Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

“Like, what about the Pirates, dad?” Shaggy asked.

“Nobody liked pirates, especially not the pirates of Peculiar Island.” Mr Rogers began, sounding dark, Fred snuggled closer to Daphne and Sugie, Shaggy and Scooby snuggled closer together, Velma was intrigued and listened to Mr Rogers.

“The Captain was mean, they called him Captain Gold Finger, his real name was Stanley, but he was called Gold Finger because of the gold finger on his right hand.”

“Why does he have a gold finger?” Velma asked. “Well, thirty years ago, before Stanley became Captain Gold Finger, he and two other pirates were in a battle to gain rights to a ship, the Cookie Cruiser. The battle was a battle of Bravery, one of the pirates ran naked through the town of Moustache, in the snow, and the other smiled for a whole day. But Stanley, cut off his ring finger on the right hand, not only to prove his bravery but to prove in loyal to the Cookie Cruiser, without a ring finger he would not marry, devoting his life to be a pirate.”

“That must have hurt.” Sugie said, sympathetically. “Indeed.” Mr Rogers said. “Anyway, after Stanley won the ship be began hiring for a pirate crew, and one of the pirates was Pirate Metal, who made a gold finger for Stanley, making him Captain Gold Finger.” Mr Rogers said.

“How did he make the gold finger?” Sugie asked. “From the golden puddles in the Gold Field.” Mr Rogers said, in a “where else would you get gold from” tone.

“So, the wish.” Mr Rogers continued with the story, “Someone had to make a wish at the Castle of Nero the Very First, before the day ended or the wish would be lost for another twenty years.”

“What did the islanders wish for?” Daphne asked. “Funny you ask, because the wishes are ridiculous.” He began to smile. “The Fairies wished for a home away from the Plant People, the Mole People wished they had full control of the Underground and the Trolls would be their servants, the Trolls wished they had full control of the Underground and the Mole People were their servants. The Plant People wished for control of the island and the Pirates wished for all the golden coins and jewels in the world, and to have a better ship that the Cookie Cruiser.

“The day to wish had finally arrived and the islanders were determind to get their wish; Captain Gold Finger and his first mate Jimmy climbed onto a lifeboat and sailed to shore, leaving the rest of the pirates to drink all the rum, “Drink as much as you want me, for we will make the wish and have all the golden coins in the world and we can have more rum!’ Captain Gold Finger exclaimed.” Mr Rogers said, putting on his best pirate voice. “The Fairies were sending two of their strongest and fastest flyers, Artemis and Peter, ‘We’ll get the wish and have a better home.’ Peter said to the crowd of cheering Fairies.” Mr Rogers said, making his voice high like a fairy, Mrs Rogers couldn’t hold her laughter, the kids and Scooby laughed too.

“Daddy should have gone as a fairy for Halloween.” Sugie laughed, Mrs Rogers laughed at the thought of her husband dressed a fairy princess, like in the stories he told Sugie at bedtime.

“The Plant People had selected Cameron Cactus and Vincent Vine were sure to make it to the Castle of Nero the Very First before the others, they could travel through the trees and they reached the bottom of the high hill before any of the others.

“But the Mole People and the Trolls also had an advantage, Manny and Mumford of the Mole People, and Sludge and Slime of the Trolls travelled in the Underground, fortunately for everyone else the Trolls were easily distracted, especially by food, worms, slugs and snails were their favourite, as well as cockroaches and ants, and there were many of those in the Underground. The Mole People took their chance and snuck past the Trolls who had lost all interest in the wish and were now looking for food.

“’Look what I found!’ Sludge exclaimed, holding out a hand full of worms, ‘Wormies!’ Slime exclaimed. The Mole People were way ahead of the Trolls now, but they couldn’t travel through the Underground, they climbed out of the ground and were right at the bottom of hill, and they began to climb, catching up with the Plant People and the Fairies.”

“Where are the Pirates?” Shaggy asked. “Captain Gold Finger and First Mate Jimmy reached the bottom of the hill as the Mole People had started climbing.” Mr Rogers said, then he gasped. “Finally, they reached the top of the hill and saw the castle in the distance.”

“What did the castle look like?” Daphne asked, eagerly. “Yeah, what does it look like?” Sugie asked, just as excitedly. “Well, the Castle was built by Nero the Very First, so it was hundreds of years old, all that was left was castle ruins but, the basin could be seen surrounded by the ruins.” Mr Rogers said.

“’We were here first!’ Artemis exclaimed, ‘So we get to make the wish!’ Peter exclaimed. ‘You did not get here first!’ Cameron Cactus exclaimed, ‘We were!’ Vincent Vine shouted. ‘I think you’ll find Captain Gold Finger and I were here first.’ First Mate Jimmy said. ‘No, we was!’ Mumford shouted. ‘Where are the Trolls?’ Cameron Cactus asked. ‘Dunno’ Mumford said. ‘It doesn’t matter because we we’re here first!’ Peter shouted. ‘Yes you were.’ A loud voice boomed.” Mr Rogers stopped when the lights and the TV came back on.

“Oh, powers back on.” He said, “You kids can finish watching Treasure Planet.”

“No!” They all exclaimed, Sugie got up and turned the TV off and then the lights. “We want to know how it ends!” Daphne exclaimed.

“Did the fairies get their wish?” Sugie asked. “Who was the voice?” Fred asked. “Rhat happened ro rth Rolls?” Scooby asked.

“Alright, alright, settle down.” Mrs Rogers said.

“A man appeared in front of them, ‘My name is Odin, I am the one who gave that basin to Nero the Very First.’ He said pointing to the basin.” Mr Rogers continued with the story. “Odin doesn’t sound very happy.” Daphne said. “No, he doesn’t.” Fred said.

“’Who got here first?’ Cameron Cactus asked, ‘Who gets to make the wish?’ Vincent Vine asked. ‘We got here first!’ Artemis exclaimed. ‘Nobody gets to make the wish.’ Odin said, ‘It was just a rumour Nero the Very First made up to watch people argue over a wish.’ He said.” Mr Rogers said. “What?” Everyone exclaimed.

‘I let the men drink the rum for nothin’!’ Captain Gold Finger exclaimed.” Mr Rogers put his pirate voice back on.

“The wish wasn’t real?” Daphne asked. “No, it was just a joke.” Mr Rogers said. “But the fairies still don’t have anywhere to live.” Sugie exclaimed, “And the pirates don’t have any rum left.” Shaggy said.

“But the Trolls were successful.” Velma added. “They stayed behind and ate worms and slugs, so they should surely give them full control of the Underground, because they were smart enough to stay behind and find food, and not be tricked into travelling over the island for a fake wish.” Velma said.

“Alright, so happy ending for the Trolls.” Mr Rogers smiled, “They have full control of the underground.”

“Good story dad.” Shaggy smiled. “Mommy let’s finish the cake!” Sugie exclaimed, as she walked towards the kitchen, Shaggy put the TV back on, “Dad, watch Treasure Planet with us, we can start it from the beginning.” Shaggy said, insistently.

Mr Rogers, who couldn’t get up off the floor, laid on his stomach next to Scooby. “So, what’s this movie about?” He asked. “Aliens and Pirate ships.” Fred exclaimed.

“You’ll like it dad, if I like you’ll like it.” Shaggy said, smiling to his dad, who had just told one of the funniest stories he had ever heard.

The End

#young scooby gang #scooby doo #fred jones #shaggy rogers #daphne blake #velma dinkley #sugie rogers #pirates #fairies #mole people #trolls #plant people #fanfic #scooby doo fanfic

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jjgrace42 · 2 years

Text

Samsaric - Chapter 2

Read on AO3

First Chapter — Previous Chapter — Next Chapter

Fugacious

[Fugacious—adj. 1: lasting but a short time; fleeting 2: As in botany, falling or fading early]

“Read it again!” Naruto snuggled up against me, his orange blanket held tightly around his shoulders.

I giggled and flipped back to the first page of The Slug Princess. “You sure, Nato?”

“Yep!” He moved so that he was leaning against my leg, resting his chin on his thigh. “Read.”

I ruffled his hair. “Alright, alright. Now, let’s see.”

“Mirai-chan, Naruto-chan, I’m pleased to see that you two are growing up well.”

Naruto squeaked in surprise and scrambled behind me. I blinked and looked up. I squinted curiously. “Hokage?” I asked.

He chuckled and moved forward, kneeling in front of us. He looked more tired than he had the last time he’d visited. “Hai, that’s me. You’re a smart one, aren’t you.” Then he cleared his throat. “I’ve got two surprises for you, today. First, your presents. Happy birthday.” He held out two neatly wrapped presents. Like before, I took mine and then turned to watch Naruto.

“Look! Look, Rai!” Naruto waved around the awful nightcap he’d received. Excitedly, he pulled it on over the goggles sitting on his forehead.

I giggled. “That’s great!” Then I turned to my own present and carefully tore away the wrapping paper. I was slower in opening my package, wondering if the Hokage had really gotten me a nightcap. My fears were unfounded, however, when I opened the box to find . . . a beanie? I shrugged, not about to complain. It was black with the Konoha symbol delicately embroidered in white on the edge. I pulled it on, though it was big, and grinned up at the man. “Arigato!”

He smiled again, in that old man way that remind me of my—Sophie’s—grandpa. “I’m glad you two like them.”

“What the other thing?” I asked curiously.

“The two of you are older now, and I believe it’s time for you to spend time with children your age.”

Naruto lit up. “Friends?”

I frowned, knowing exactly what he meant. “You wanna put us in the orphanage.”

He blinked, obviously not having expected that leap of logic. “Hai. I brought two bags for your things to be packed in.” He set two knapsacks in front of us.

Naruto’s eyes widened and became watery. “But I no wanna leave.”

I hugged Naruto tightly, knowing we couldn’t exactly argue with the Hokage. Then I thought about it. After all, the orphanage was run by civilians. And civilians in the anime were never exactly friendly towards Naruto at this point in time because of the Kyuubi and—

My train of thought crashed as I realized something I should have probably realized a while ago.

I was Uzumaki Mirai, Uzumaki Naruto’s twin sister. That meant that his parents were my parents. That meant that my parents were Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. And that also meant that I had no idea how the Kyuubi sealing had gone. Was Naruto even a jinchuuriki? Was I a jinchuuriki?

It took me a moment to return to reality, and I realized that Naruto was hitting the Hokage with question after question about being a shinobi while the old man himself threw me curious looks. I cleared my throat. “Ne, Nato, Oyaji is real busy. We should let ‘im go?” I blinked at the man.

The Kami no Shinobi watched me for a moment before begrudging me a nod. “I suppose. I hope you two make plenty of friends. Mokin and Uma will take you to the orphanage when you’re all packed.” He patted me on the head and left.

Mokin cleared his throat and moved forward, picking up one of the bags and folding up my blanket, putting it neatly away. I watched as Uma did the same with Naruto’s things. Finally, I held out my book to Mokin as Naruto clung to me, sniffling. “Where’s ‘Nu-niisan?”

“He’s out on a mission,” Mokin said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

I nodded, frowning. Then I lifted my arms and he picked me up. Uma did the same with Naruto.

And then we left the only home I’d known in this life.

The moment we arrived at the orphanage was the moment I confirmed the hospital’s suspicions that I was a chakra sensor. They were all civilians—children, for the most part—and their reserves were obviously small, but my untrained senses felt like they were being pricked by dozens of tiny, melting needles.

Not exactly pleasant.

The ANBU dropped us off at the entrance and I offered them a sad wave before they disappeared, knowing that it was probably the last time I would see Uma and Mokin for years. Then my attention turned to the building and yard in front of us. Or, more specifically, the Matron standing in the doorway and scowling at us. “Inside,” she snapped.

I didn’t like her.

My protective instinct—the same one that had been my constant companion in my old life—surged and I gripped Naruto’s hand tightly, leading him inside and adjusting my position so I was always between him and the woman. She eyed us, her gaze harsh, before grinding out directions to our room. Curiously, when we reached it we discovered that it was completely separate and secluded from the other orphans. Imagine that.

“Ne, Rai?”

I hummed in response, glancing back at him.

“Jiji said we gonna live here?”

I nodded and took his bag from him, moving over to the dresser. “Hai.” It didn’t take long to put our things away, then I got a good look at the room. It was pretty bare—two beds, a small dresser, two nightstands, and a door that I, upon further investigation, discovered led to our own personal bathroom. I couldn’t help but marvel at how obvious it was that the Matron wanted us far and away from her other charges.

“Dinner!” the Matron yelled, and I winced at her loud voice.

Naruto perked up. “Food.”

I nodded, my nerves still on edge from the chakra scratching against my skin. But I reached out and took his hand. “Hungry, Nato?”

“You bet, dattebayo!”

He took off running, dragging me behind him, and I couldn’t help but stare at him. Dattebayo? I giggled at that, but then stumbled to a stop when we suddenly found the entrance to the cafeteria blocked by the Matron.

She glared down at us, hands on her hips. “Listen you two. I’m not happy to have you here, but I gotta make do with what I’ve got. So here’s the deal—one toe out of line, and I’ll chop your entire foot off. Got it?”

Naruto whimpered and I stepped in front of him. “Hai,” I said confidently, glaring up at her.

“Good.” Then she shoved a plate in each of ours hands. “Eat up.”

She pushed us both inside the cafeteria and we stumbled to the closest table. The kids all eyed us curiously as we sat down, but didn’t greet us. I looked down at the food on our plates and scowled. Burnt bread? Cold chicken? How heartless did you have to be to intentionally serve that type of food to children?

Naruto poked at his food before cautiously biting into the meat. “Rai, it’s not very good.”

I took a bite of the cold chicken and winced. “I know. But we have to eat, don’t we?”

— — — — —

So apparently reincarnation can severely screw up someone’s sleep schedule. Though I supposed reincarnation wasn’t completely to blame for it—Naruto was actually the main reason for the change. I found myself never sleeping in later than seven, which was a strange and foreign feeling, but that was really only a small adjustment in my sleeping habits. The other differences were so much more obviously off that I didn’t even notice my new early-riser habits for months. No, instead my attention was focused on the fact that I never got to sleep sooner than midnight, and I always woke at least twice throughout the night.

Naruto was prone to nightmares, not to mention that he was afraid of the dark.

But no matter how often he kept me awake and disrupted my sleep, I didn’t blame him. I couldn’t. How could anyone look at those teary, baby blue eyes and blame him? Well, most of the Village could, but that was beside the point.

The day had been pretty normal, by our standards. We’d been banned from breakfast, barely given lunch, smacked around by the orphanage workers, and teased mercilessly by most of our fellow orphans. By the time dinner came around, Naruto had a large bruise on his face that I knew would be gone the next morning and I’d gotten in trouble for assaulting the woman that had dared to lay a hand on my brother. I was assigned dishes duty, but it was worth it when I saw the way my victim’s left eye had swollen shut.

Naruto, I knew, was waiting back at our room for me, banned from dinner as per usual. So naturally I took advantage of the fact that I’d been let into the kitchen, never mind that it was because I’d been told to scrub plates until my knuckles bled, though I did that too. As the dirty dishes moved along, I snatched unfinished food off of them. A untouched roll here, a cold chicken leg there, and soon I had enough food to make up for the starvation both of us had been put through that day.

I squeaked out a farewell to the workers left in the room, who responded with glares and muttered curses, before scampering away. It was dark outside, and I knew it was well past our official bedtime. When I opened the door to our room, it creaked and alerted Naruto to my presence. He was crouched on his bed, cradling his lit candle close to keep out the dark in our window-less room. Sometime I would have to find a lightbulb to replace our shattered one.

“Hey, Nato.” I offered up a grin and shut the door tightly. “Sorry that it took me so long, but I got us somethin’.”

He blinked, shuffling aside so I could join him on his small bed. “What?”

I reached into my pockets and pulled out my prizes—two rolls, a chicken leg, and a half-eaten baked potato. “Hungry?” I asked.

In response, he snatched up one of the rolls and shoved it in his mouth. I took the potato and watched as he devoured the food, eating my own meal slowly. He ate the rest of the bread and hesitated over the chicken. “Rai?”

“Eat.”

As he shrugged and began tearing into the chicken, I frowned at the splotchy purple and yellow marring his jawline. The poor light from the low-burning candle only made it look worse and I clenched my fists. He blinked, dropping the bone on the floor and licking his fingers. “Rai?”

“Don’t wor—”

The candle sputtered and died.

Naruto’s reaction was both instant and expected. With a shriek of fear, the little boy threw himself at me, knocking the candle over in the process. Hot wax spilled across my skin and I resisted a hiss as I felt the burn. But I held Naruto tight in my chubby kid arms and kicked the candle away with my foot. “Hey, Nato, I’m right here.”

“Know that,” he muttered. But as the wind outside blew harshly against the building, whistling through the walls, he pressed against me and clutched my shirt desperately. “Scared.”

“I know. And that’s okay. It’s okay to be scared, sometimes.” I began running my hands through his golden hair, staring into the black around us. Unlike him, I enjoyed the dark. I always had in my last life. It was warm, comforting, and nothing that I thought to be afraid of.

“R-rai?”

“Yes?”

“Sing?”

I was still surprised every time he asked me to. The songs I sang to him were from my old life, and they didn’t ever sound quite right when I translated them to Japanese. But Naruto never seemed to care. “An old one or a new one?”

He thought about it for a moment, leaning against me. I was struck by how light he was. Yes, he was a just a toddler. But even toddlers had some weight. “New.”

I thought through all the possible songs in my head and settled against the wall so I could hold him firmly. “Alright, let me think for a sec.” Most of the songs I knew weren’t ones that would typically be sung to a three year old, but I didn’t really care. I knew them well and they seemed to satisfy Naruto, and that was enough.

“Weep for yourself, my man,

You'll never be what is in your heart

Weep, little lion man,

You're not as brave as you were at the start

Rate yourself and rake yourself

Take all the courage you have left

And waste it on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head.”

I could feel Naruto shifting in my arms and I softened my voice as I continued, not wanting to wake him up if he was falling asleep.

“But it was not your fault but mine

And it was your heart on the line

I really—”

I caught myself and quickly censored the song for his innocent ears.

“—messed it up this time

Didn’t I, my dear?

Didn’t I?

Tremble for yourself, my man,

You know that you have seen this all before

Tremble, little lion man,

You'll never settle any of your scores

Your grace is wasted in your face,

Your boldness stands alone among the wreck

Now learn from your mother or else spend your days biting your own neck.”

I rubbed circles on his back with my chubby hands, listening as his breathing evened out.

“But it was not your fault but mine

And it was your heart on the line

I really messed it up this time

Didn’t I, my dear?

Didn’t I, my dear?”

It was silent after I finished and I wondered if by some miracle he’d actually gone to sleep quickly for once. But I was wrong.

“That’s a sad song,” he whispered.

“It is, isn’t it?” I hummed momentarily in response. Maybe I should stay away from the darker ones. “Alright, I’ll sing one more, okay?”

“‘kay.”

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star.”

That one was safe, right?

— — — — —

Two months after we arrived at the orphanage, I had finally gotten up the courage to address my epiphany from our birthday. So while Naruto was asleep, I sat up and tried to meditate. I’d never done it before, though sitting still hadn’t really ever been a problem for me. I closed my eyes, rested my hands on my crossed legs, and tried to figure out how in the world I could get inside my own head.

When I blinked again, I wasn’t staring out at my room. Instead, I was . . . in ANBU Headquarters again? Curiously, I got to my feet—I was still in my child body—and glanced around. It was dark and even though this was the room Naruto and I had grown up in, it was empty. No cribs, no toys, no chairs. Ignoring the chill that sent up my spine, I walked out, noting that there were no actual doors. Once in the hall, I glanced both ways in an attempt to figure out where to go.

The sound of voices caught my attention. More than that, it was the sound of English. My head snapped up and I stared at the smoke drifting above my head, listening to the noise. None of it was distinguishable, but it was painfully real and . . . nostalgic. I reached up, straining on my toes, and brushed my fingers through the mist.

Instantly, I jerked back as the rush of memories and emotions shocked my system. Trembling and with sobs choked back, I forced myself to turn away. Far down the hallway, past door after door, I could see a warm glow. I set my sights on it and began to walk. It took longer than it should have, and I wondered if time was different in my mind. But finally I reached what should have been the ANBU prison—a place I’d stumbled upon once and then never again. But instead of various individual cells, it consisted of one huge wall of bars. And behind that, well . . . .

I’d be lying if I said the Kyuubi wasn’t daunting.

I’d never seen a living creature so huge before, not to mention that he radiated power that stung my sensing abilities. But then I frowned, noting the way his fur was darker than I had expected. I thought the Kyuubi was more orange. Hadn’t . . . .

Oh.

Well, that was interesting development. I had the Kyuubi’s Yin side, then? The part Minato had originally sealed inside himself? Did Naruto have the Yang half? That certainly presented dozens of different opportunities, if that was what had actually happened.

I was snapped out of my musings when I realized that the fox, even curled up as he was, was staring at me with a slitted, red eye. I blinked. “Oh, you’re awake.” It only occurred to me after I said it that there might have been better openings. But I shrugged and dismissed that thought. First impressions weren’t going to do anything here because I knew he’d already formed his opinion of me—I was human, so therefore I was a flesh bag that was far below him and was doing him absolutely no favors by keeping him locked up. My best shot would be perseverance. That could work, though. I was stubborn.

The fox rumbled, the sound low and gravelly, and pushed himself up. He towered over me, the immense size difference intimidating even when we were separated by prison bars. His claws clicked against the stone floor and he stared down at me, eyes narrowed. “Human,” he growled, confirming my thoughts about his pre-made perception of me. “I did not expect a brat to find me so quickly.”

“I’m not a normal brat,” I said, shrugging. “I figure I better introduce myself, ne? I’m Uzumaki Mirai. My brother is Uzumaki Naruto, and we’re both gonna go to the Academy in a few years. I wanna be an ANBU. I like stories and chocolate, and I dislike disloyalty and people who are too blind to face reality. My hobbies are reading, writing, dancing, and training, though right now all I’m really doin’ is stretches since I don’t know much else.” I beamed up at him. “I hope that the two of us can become friends. Your turn!”

The suspicion never left his face, and now it twisted into a look of clear distaste. “Just what do you think you’re doing, brat? I could rip you apart in a moment.”

I shrugged, taking in the fact that he seemed more tired than I expected. Maybe the sealing took a lot out of him—I was sure it wasn’t exactly invigorating to be torn in two. “Well, we’re stuck together. I don’t really want you inside of me, and you don’t really want to be here, but neither of us have a choice. For me to get rid of you, I’d have to die or something, and I don’t wanna do that. And if you got out, you’d be attacked by every shinobi in Konoha. Good luck avoiding getting sealed again.”

He huffed sharply. “You know more than a parasite your size should.”

I smiled, hoping it came across as clever. Given my childish features, I probably failed. “Hmm, I guess I should start over, ne? Yeah, I’m Uzumaki Mirai. But before that, I was Sophie Cooper, a sixteen-year-old who only knew about this entire world as a story.” I smirked up at him, knowing my chubby cheeks probably ruined that too. “I know some things that are gonna happen. Me being here screws stuff up anyway. I say go big or go home. What do you say, huh?”

“I’m not sure what you’re asking for.” The red in his gaze suddenly seemed much more menacing. “Nor what you’re offering in return.”

“Well, lets put it this way.” I held up my hand. “I would get friendship from you, someone that I can talk to without having to worry about you blabbing to anyone.” I folded one finger down. “I would get to use your chakra when the time comes. I could train with it, learn how to use it so that we could work as a team. That will help me in everything I want to achieve—both being an ANBU and protecting those precious to me.” Another finger down. “You would have to tell me stories, because you’re old and all that crap and I bet you know a lot of stories. I freakin’ love stories.” I pushed down another finger.

The Kyuubi looked ready to protest, but I locked my gaze on him and continued.

“I’d have someone who would know the truth about me—the whole truth, reincarnation and everything—and who could help me make the hard decisions when the time comes.” Another finger. “And I need to be strong if I’m going to achieve my goals, and not just strong with your chakra. I need you to teach me.” The last finger.

“I see . . . . These are your demands, but what are you offering me, flesh bag?”

“Friendship,” I said simply, to start with. “A certain amount of freedom. Like I said, I can’t let you out since that would screw both of us over, but I’m sure we can figure out some way to let you see a little bit of what’s going on outside. I’m giving you opportunity to help me dismember those who get in my way and try to hurt those precious to me.” I grinned. I’d always been . . . violent. Blood had never really bothered me, as long as there was some reason behind it beyond just wanting to hurt someone. What might have seemed wrong to others had always been a bit more . . . morally ambiguous to me. Oh, I could understand and pretend to hold the moral high ground—I had done it more than once in my past life—but when push came to shove, I always was a selfish, manipulative liar.

After all, I never said I was a good person.

“So you’ve got a little bit of danger, blood, and guts in there,” I said, shrugging. “And there’s something else.” I straightened, crossing my arms. “I know who the puppet-master is, the one sitting backstage and pulling all the strings.”

His lips curled back to expose his fangs. “Uchiha Madara.”

I nodded, not smiling. “Exactly. And if you agree to this deal, our goal is to kill him.”

He watched me carefully for a moment before nodding. “Very well, I accept this . . . deal of yours. And just where do you propose we start?”

I sat down, eying the tag on the bars. “I won’t take that off until I know I can trust you, and until I have enough trust from superior officers.”

He considered that for a moment. “Reasonable. I will hold you to that promise, fleshbag. I will avoid eating you for the time being.”

Shrugging, I accepted that. “Sounds legit.”

He settled back down on the ground, limbs sagging with clear exhaustion. Yes, it was obvious he was still healing from being sealed so violently. But he shot me a curious glance at the foreign word. “Lee-jit?” he asked, twisting it strangely.

I waved a dismissive hand. “Something from my past life. I mean that sounds sensible. Come my chunin promotion, I’ll remove the seal, which will allow us both more power and more freedom. But that’s far in the future. I’ll be twelve, thirteen, at the least when that happens.” I rested my hands in my lap and considered our options. “No, for now, we should focus on more pressing matters. I need training—I have no wish to graduate early, since that would distance me from Naruto too much, but I need to be strong. Eventually, I want to learn fuuinjutsu. I’ll need to befriend the important players, also, but making friends has never been trouble for me.”

He was still watching me, but said nothing.

“As for you, I’m still waiting for your introduction. I know your name, but it wouldn’t exactly be polite for me to use it until you tell me yourself.” I smiled. “Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams, whatever. Go!”

He eyed me for a moment before begrudgingly holding up his side of the agreement. “My name is Kurama, but don’t get all comfy using it. I don’t like you. I don’t like anything.”

“Aw, c’mon, you can do better than that!”

He glared at me. “I dislike humans, especially Uchiha Madara. I can’t exactly have hobbies when I’m sealed up in a despicable fleabag like you. And my dream is to tear that red-eyed coward apart.”

Well, this relationship was a work in progress, I supposed.

— — — — —

“Rai,” Naruto said quietly. “Why do the other kids hate us?”

I didn’t look up from the Japanese alphabet I was drawing in the dirt. “I wish I knew,” I responded absently.

He sighed heavily and then slumped against me, causing me to blur the lines I’d just drawn. I glanced at him and then wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Nato. But don’t worry, we’ll make some friends eventually.” I glanced out at the orphanage yard at the game of dodgeball a group of kids were organizing. I lit up. “Hey, why don’t we ask if we can play?” I jumped to my feet.

Naruto hesitantly stood up as well. “I dunno. What if they laugh?”

“It’ll be fine.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the group. “Can we play?”

The kids flinched away from us at the sound of my voice. One kid’s face twisted. She shoved the ball into young girl’s hands and the six-year-old marched right up to me. “Hell no, you little bitch! The Matron says you two are bad and that you gotta stay ‘way from us!”

“But—”

“We’re gonna go play somewhere else!” With that said, she spat at me and then led the group away. I rubbed my eyes, wincing.

“Um . . . . You can play with us,” a small voice said.

I blinked rapidly to clear the stinging in my eyes and narrowing in on the painful chakra signature of the child that had spoken. It was the girl who was still holding the ball, smiling shyly at us. For some odd reason, the rosy-cheeked brunette looked familiar. Behind her stood a nervous looking boy with his long hair pulled back into a braid. His chakra was far fainter than hers.

“Really?” Naruto asked, lighting up.

“Yeah, I mean . . . . We can’t play dodgeball with just us, but we can play foursquare.”

“Four . . . square?” my brother asked, squinting.

So that began an hour long game, and it was the first time I’d seem Naruto smile that widely since coming to the orphanage. When we were done, the four of us collapsed beneath the shade of one of the trees in the yard, breathing heavily. And then I decided to finally introduce myself. “I’m Uzumaki Mirai. This is my brother Naruto.”

The girl giggled. “I’m Tenten!”

The boy perked up. “I’m Rock Lee!”

I pulled up short, staring at them. What were the chances of—

“Dinner time!”

We all leapt to our feet and ran towards the front door. The Matron stopped us short and pointed at me and Naruto. “You two are on dishes duty.”

My eyes widened. “B-but we’re hungry!”

“Yeah! We wanna eat, dattebayo! You didn’t give us lunch.”

She crouched down to our level. “Dishes. Duty. Got it?” she growled lowly.

I gulped. “H-hai. We understand.” I grabbed Naruto’s hand and, ignoring the shocked looks on Tenten and Lee’s faces, dragged him inside.

— — — — —

“Watcha doin’?” Naruto asked me curiously, hanging backwards over the side of the bed.

I glanced back at him and giggled. “I’m writing.”

“Writing?” He frowned and turned onto his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows. “Like . . . how you’re teachin’ me to read?”

“Kinda. It’s like . . . reverse reading.”

He stared at me blankly.

I waved a hand at him and then turned back to the paper and pen I’d snuck out of the Matron’s room earlier that week. “Never mind.”

Someone knocked on the door and I froze. No one ever knocked on our door. That thought threw me into a panic and I shoved the paper and pen away under my bed, hoping not to be caught with it. “Yeah?” I called.

The door opened and I found myself looking up at a man I’d come to dislike steadily over the years. “Hokage-sama,” I murmured.

“Konichiwa.” He smiled. “I hear from the Matron that you two have been excellent.”

I held back a frown, but Naruto just looked confused.

The Hokage smiled. “Happy birthday, you two. I was thinking about taking you two out to eat, today. Where would you like to go?”

His question forced me to think of which restaurant was the least likely to spill poison into our food. Naruto was bouncing on his feet impatiently beside me with all the energy of an over-excited four-year-old. “Ne . . . . Can we get some ramen?”

And that was how Naruto and I went to Ichiraku’s for the first time.

I glanced across the menu, reading the options aloud as I went since Naruto could hardly read at his current age. When I finished, I glanced at him. “Well, Nato?”

“Miso,” he finally concluded, nodding.

“Salt for me, please.” I turned towards the man standing behind the counter before glancing towards the girl attending the cooking food on the stove. She stood atop a stool in order to reach it all properly and she couldn’t be older than six, but her identity was undeniable. Little Ayame, who when we’d first arrived had chirped about how pretty my hair was before scurrying away to make more noodles. She was adorable.

Teuchi nodded, offering both of us a bright smile as he moved away to complete our order. The Hokage turned to the two of us and produced two packages. “I see you still have my gifts from before,” he said, glancing at my beanie, “and so I spent some time trying to find other things you’d enjoy.”

Like every time before, I waited for Naruto to open his first. He eagerly tore away at the wrappings, letting out a squeal of delight when he uncovered the frog wallet. Judging by the click of metal, it had money in it as well. Then he glanced towards the second object of the package and began gushing over the obnoxiously orange jacket. I raised an eyebrow, but didn’t interrupt him. Finally he paused in his babbling to turn his excited attention to me. “Your turn, Rai! Open!”

“Hai, hai,” I murmured, peeling away at my own gift. I blinked at the gifts inside. Like my brother, I’d received a wallet with some money. Unlike his, however, mine was not a frog. Actually, it wasn’t an animal at all. It seemed the Hokage had taken into account my advanced maturity and I’d been provided with a simple black and white striped wallet. It sat atop a hard-backed novel—oh, I’d forgotten how good it felt to hold a real story in my hands—and my gaze froze on the title. The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.

I flipped it open, skimming my gaze across the text. “Arigato,” I murmured.

“Yeah, thanks, Jiji, dattebayo!” And with that, he swiveled around and dug in to the food that had just been delivered. I watched his eyes widened as he seemed to realize that he’d just discovered the most delicious food ever. “This is the best thing ever, Rai! Eat it!”

And so I did. And I listened as Naruto gushed over his gifts and the ramen and asked about being a ninja. And I listened half-heartedly at the Hokage’s response—not all of it was a lie, exactly, but he left out the darker side of the life, the bloody side. And Naruto, being idealistic as he was, painted his image of the shinobi life as a heroic quest of sorts.

And I was ashamed when I found I didn’t have the resolve to break him of that illusion.

— — — — —

“You’re getting faster at entering your mindscape,” Kurama begrudgingly admitted, watching me through slitted eyes as I skipped into the room.

I beamed at him. “Arigato, Kyuubi! Ready to get to work?”

He made an odd rumbling sound. “What work?”

“Meditation. Chakra. Strengthening our relationship so we can talk when I’m not in my mindscape.” I stopped in front of the bars and crossed my arms “We have a deal, remember.”

He sighed heavily. “Fine. I’ll help you unlock your chakra.”

A grin cracked my face. “Thank you!” I dropped down and crossed my legs—criss-cross applesauce, a part of my mind giggled. “Alright, what do I do?”

He glared at me one more time before settling down on his paws again. “Close your eyes.”

I did so, drumming my hands on my knees for a moment before forcing myself to still.

“So I know that normally you can sense other people’s chakra. What’s going to happen is that you’re going to try to sense your own and you’re going to pull at it. You’ll have to do this either once a day for about a week, or for several hours at once—”

“Let’s just do it all at once!” I said, my eyes popping open.

He growled. “Eyes closed. Now this is how it’ll work. I’ll help guide your senses by having you focus yourself on my chakra as I try to filter more of it into your chakra. Once you have ahold of your chakra, not mine, you’ll pull it towards yourself as much as you can before you have to let it go. And then you’ll do it again. Do you understand?”

I grinned up at him. “Yeah! Hit me with your best—”

“Eyes closed!”

I squeaked, closing my eyes again. Then, at his direction, I focused in on the feel of his chakra. It was difficult to follow as it moved, but I kept working at it. Finally I managed to differentiate between his and mine. I grabbed ahold and pulled.

“Again.”

So I followed his instructions for hours before I could find and access my chakra in mere seconds without his help. I blinked the tiredness away from my eyes and grinned up at him. “Did I do it?”

He nodded. “Hai.”

I sighed in relief. “Thank . . . thank you. Man, I’m tired.”

He chuckled, and the sound was more ominous than I liked. “I’m afraid I didn’t mention . . . . Doing this all at once usually results in severe chakra exhaustion.”

I stared at him, anger welling up inside of me, also with resignation. I had known, after all, that this relationship would take some work. I tried to answer, the words forming in my mouth. But the world had started to spin around me and I slowly slumped down to the concrete, feeling the cold against my cheek. “Kyu . . . bi.”

I saw black.

— — — — —

My dream was interrupted by a strange beeping sound, like that of an alarm, or maybe of a bomb about to go off. I groaned and fireworks went off in my head, booming and ringing in my ears. It was a struggle to open my eyes with what felt like lead weighing them down, and the light in the room blinded me. I winced back, the pain in my head shrieking. Habitually, I reached out for Naruto’s chakra and relief settled inside me when I felt his wild energy beside me. I turned my head to the side and smiled, seeing Naruto’s bright and blurry figure curled into my side, fast asleep.

“N-nato?” I rasped, my throat raw and scratchy. I reached out and ruffled his golden hair. “Nato.”

He jerked, a whimper making its way out of his mouth. Then he moved and stared up at me blankly. It took a moment for my consciousness to register. Then his eyes welled up with tears and he threw himself at me. “Rai! You scared me so bad!”

I wrapped my arms around him, my muscles aching. I closed my eyes, thankful to block out the burning light. “Gomen, gomen.”

He shuddered and I heard a strangled sob. “D-don’t do that,” he said quietly. “P-please.”

I huddled over him and buried my face in his hair. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“The . . . the doctor said your cha-ka-ra got tired.” His little fingers dug painfully through the hospital gown and into my skin. He began to cry.

I tightened my hold on him. “I’m sorry.”

I listened to him and his tears until finally they subsided and he slumped tiredly onto me. I laced my fingers in his hair. I had someone to talk to.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in front of a familiar cage. “Kyuubi, we need to talk.”

The fox shifted and one eye opened to stare at me. “What do you want, human?”

I sat down and folded my legs under me. “I get that you don’t like me, and that’s fine. And technically, you didn’t break our deal by not telling me about the chakra exhaustion. However . . . .” I tapped my fingers on my knee as I thought. “Not communicating such things to me fully in the future will only hurt our hunt for Madara in the long run. I’m not asking you to like me, or even to trust me, but I am asking you to work with me. To do that, you need to share information like that, and you need to make sure you help me in my training and don’t hold me back, understand?”

“You’re quite loud for someone so weak,” he muttered.

“Kyuubi—”

“If I agree, will you shut up and leave?”

I snapped my mouth shut and eyed him for a moment. Then I nodded. “Yes.”

“Good. I agree. Now get out of here.”

I quirked an eyebrow and rose to my feet. “Alright. When I get out of the hospital, I’ll come back and we’ll get some more work done. Sound good?”

He grunted, his eyes closing.

“Right . . . .” And then I opened my eyes back in the real world, stinging light drilling into my head. I resisted the urge to scream and instead I squinted at the man sitting next to my bed. “Hokage-sama?”

He smiled. “Mirai-chan, I’m glad to see that you’re doing well. You were brought in yesterday with a serious case of chakra exhaustion.”

I nodded slowly, carding through Naruto’s hair and listening to his quiet breathing. “Okay.”

“Mirai-chan . . . . I am aware that you’re a very smart young girl, but normally children your age don’t use chakra yet. Can you tell me how you managed to use enough to reach chakra exhaustion?”

“Well,” I started hesitantly, making sure to up-play my innocent child act. It was even harder to do with the piercing light burning my eye sockets. “There’s kids at the orphanage who go to the Academy. And they don’t talk to me, but I saw ‘em practicing with chakra the other day and heard ‘em say how they learned to use it. So I tried it.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Well? Can you access your chakra now?”

“Uh . . . . I think so?”

“Show me.” He held out his hand, palm up. “Gather some chakra in your hand and expel it so I can see.”

I blinked at him, head aching, and wondered if I was going to end up in trouble. So I held up my hand and slowly reached for my chakra and pulled it towards my palm. Once I’d gathered enough, I carefully released it through my skin. It felt odd, almost like cold air. My eyes widened at the pale red glow that surrounded my fingers for just a moment be dissipating. I stared up at the Hokage, coils aching. “Was that . . . chakra?”

“Hai. Someday, you’ll learn to keep ahold of your chakra so that it’ll stay together in that glow. It’s excellent for practice.” He eyed me for a moment. “I’m sure you’ll master it in no time.” He rose to his feet. “You’re free to go back home. I do believe your friends Tenten and Lee are here to walk with you. And if I remember correctly, your clothes are on the counter in the bathroom.” He waved towards said room. Then he moved to the door. “I hope to see you again soon, Mirai-chan. I just hope that it’s not in a hospital next time.”

“Um, arigato, Hokage-sama.”

And then he left.

I was able to enjoy a total of three seconds of silence before the door banged open. “Mirai!” Lee and Tenten yelled, tumbling inside.

Naruto jerked awake and squeaked, toppling to the ground. I giggled and then pushed myself to the edge of the bed. “Hi, you two. I’ll get dressed and then we can go.”

I winced at the cold floor and then hurried to the bathroom. I could hear Lee desperately asking me to hurry up and Tenten making sure Naruto was okay. I wiggled into my mini-sized shinobi pants, my loose purple shirt, and the old, worn sneakers that were a size too big. Hand-me-downs from another kid at the orphanage. With that done, I turned to look in the mirror. My red hair was a mess and really needed to be cut. But the day the Matron trusted me with scissors would be the day the world ended. So instead I ran my hands through my locks to comb them and then tucked it all into my beanie.

I raced out into the room and then into the hall, yelling over my shoulder, “C’mon, slowpokes!”

The laughed and raced after me. On our way out of the hospital, Naruto and I received several angry glares from the staff, but none of them stopped us. We finally burst out into the air and I took a deep breath, trying not to wince at the loud chakra signatures. It was getting easier to be around them, and hopefully that meant that it would eventually be easy to not react to powerful jutsu.

“Let’s go to the park!” Tenten chirped, grinning.

I blinked at her. “Don’t we hafta go back to the orphanage?”

She shrugged. “We can go back before bedtime. I wanna play!” Then she held out a roll of bread. “Eat. I know you’re hungry.”

I took the roll and hesitated for only a second before devouring it. “Alright, let’s go! Where is it?”

Lee and Tenten took our hands and dragged us through the streets, babbling on and on about how much fun the park was. When we finally reached it, we were not disappointed. “Cool!” Naruto shouted, running instantly for the merry-go-round.

Unfortunately, the parents there weren’t as excited about it as we were.

A mother next to the jungle gym saw the whisker marks on our cheeks first and her lips curled into a snarl in response. She instantly moved forward. “Daichi! We’re going. I won’t have you playing with them.”

Naturally, that started a flood of other parents collecting their children and leaving until it was just the four of us left. At least that was what I thought until I saw a lonely kid over on the swings, watching us curiously. I grinned and bounded over to him. “Hiya! I’m Uzumaki Mirai. Do you want to play tag with us?”

He stared at us with big grey eyes, his messy black hair sticking up in odd ways. I couldn’t figure out why he seemed so familiar. He blinked for a moment before nodding and grinning. I awww’d internally at his cuteness.

“Sure! I’m Uchiha Sasuke! Konichiwa.” He hopped off the swing and offered us a shallow bow.

I blinked at him, and that was when I realized that there was still another person at the park. My gaze flicked up to the bench behind the swing set, and that was the first time I ever set eyes on Uchiha Itachi. He was still young, probably only ten, and his stress lines were just barely there. He didn’t seem to even notice us, instead reading a thick, worn book. But it was undeniably him.

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto! This is Tenten, and that’s Lee. I’m it!”

And with that cry, the four of us scattered. Laughing loudly, I dashed away and ran up the slide, hiding as I watched my brother chase Sasuke. Then I glanced towards Itachi, who’d set his book aside and was instead watching the game with seeming apathy.

“Sasuke’s it!” Naruto squealed, diving under the playground for protection as the Uchiha took off after Tenten. Once she was tagged, the little boy darted away and my friend turned towards my hiding spot.

“I’m gonna get you, Mirai!” Giggling, she raced up the slide.

I leapt to my feet and clambered up the side of the playground’s tower. She raced after me. “You can’t hide up there!”

And then I jumped.

Naruto suddenly screamed in terror, and I belatedly registered that doing something so reckless in front of him might not have been such a good idea. But I hadn’t been following Kakashi’s training for years for nothing. I tucked my head and hit the ground in a harmless roll before jumping to my feet. “You can’t get me, Tenten!”

“Whoa!” a voice interrupted the game. “How’d you do that?”

I turned to find Sasuke standing behind me, grinning. I giggled. “Practice!”

“I wanna try!” And with that, he took off for the tower.

Panic hit me hard. “Wait, Sasuke-kun! You’re gonna get hurt!”

The moment he reached the top of the tower, he leapt off and I whimpered, hiding my face. But after a few seconds, I didn’t hear anyone screaming. I lowered my hands slowly and looked up to see that Itachi had Sasuke snugly in his arms, seeming to be talking to him quietly. I scrambled towards them. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for him to try—”

“Think nothing of it,” Itachi said calmly. “Sasuke knows now not to attempt something he hasn’t trained for. Your form was excellent. Don’t apologize for it.”

I blinked up at him. “Er . . . . Okay . . . .” Then I regained my senses. “Oh!” I bowed hurriedly. “I’m Uzumaki Mirai.”

He inclined his head to me, still holding Sasuke. “Uchiha Itachi. Thank you for playing with my brother, but I’m afraid we should go now in order to be home for dinner in time.”

“Oh . . . . Uh, it was fun playing, Sasuke-kun! Hope we can do it again!”

Itachi set his brother down and the two left, Sasuke waving at us over his shoulder with a giant grin. I watched them go for a moment before turning to my friends and brother. “We should probably get back.”

Tenten sighed. “Fine . . . . But we’ve gotta come here again, sometime!”

I shrugged. “Maybe.” Then I grabbed Naruto’s hand. “Race ya back!”

— — — — —

Training my chakra was difficult to do, and the difficulty increased with my worry of returning to the hospital with chakra exhaustion. I might have had more chakra than most kids my age, but I was only a child. I had my limits.

I closed my eyes and focused on my steady breathing and listened to the flow of my chakra. I’d tried to find a way to describe it over the weeks, and the most I had come up with was comparing it to swallowing hot chocolate and feeling the heat reach through my body. Except it spread through more than my abdomen, and I could sense it more clearly, and it was more definitely not hot chocolate.

Stretch your coils, Kurama directed, leading me step by step through the process like he’d come to do habitually over the past several months. We both knew my mind would wander too far away otherwise. It would probably fall off a cliff or something stupid like that if we let it run away on its own.

So I listened and did so, pooling some of my energy near the base of my stomach. I let it lazily rotate clockwise for a moment before I pushed it downwards, pulsing the energy through my legs and stretching it outwards. Then I pulled, dragging it back upwards and spreading it out across my torso. I pressed it to its limits, as far as it could go without actually expelling it from my body, and then thrust my chakra down my arms. I curled it through my fingers and then back through my wrists and upward until it was all concentrated around my collarbone. I hissed at the way my underused coils protested and pushed my chakra up into my head, rotating it around my skull and then back down my spine.

Release.

I breathed a sigh of relief and let the energy dissipate in my stomach again. And then I moved on to the next stage, this time spreading my senses out and sifting through the chakra signatures I could feel. Naruto was always the easiest to find, and I latched on to his first. To my left, though I couldn’t discern how far away. It was quiet, circulating slowly. He was asleep, then. I smiled.

Focus.

Grunting at that, I reached for the chakra signatures throughout the rest of the orphanage. I could only recognize three of them by their feel—Tenten, Lee, and the Matron. Lee was the farthest away, since he shared a room with a couple other boys in a small room at the front of the orphanage. Tenten was a little closer, but her signal was hard to find beneath those of the fifteen girls she shared a room with.

Being an adult, the Matron was the easiest to find. Her chakra pool was still small, which was a given since she was a civilian. But it was the largest out of most everyone in the orphanage.

Chakra signatures each had a unique feel to identify them, but it was difficult to learn them—almost like you might be able to tell that something is cursive, but it takes a lot of practice to read what the cursive actually says. Lee’s chakra was the smallest out of his age group and the closest thing I had found to the feel of his signal was the smell of spices, like the spices one might have found in an Indian market. Tenten’s chakra, however, felt like autumn leaves. Or perhaps freshly baked cookies. Unlike Lee’s chakra—which was nice in a way, but always made me feel like sneezing—her chakra was inherently comforting.

My friends’ signatures were far more pleasant than the Matron’s. Hers was cold and brittle, like frozen peanut butter that had been left out too long. I couldn’t help but wrinkle my nose when I located her somewhere to my left, probably in her room near the back of the orphanage.

Practice the chakra light.

I opened my eyes, blinking at the darkened room. I adjusted the way I was sitting and began rubbing feeling back into my foot. That brought to a scowl to my face. Why was it so hard to hold a seiza? When I’d taken martial arts in my last life, I’d found it easy to hold the position for a full three-quarters of an hour during meetings. Now, it was difficult to hold it longer than a few minutes. Cursing my childish body, I settled down, my toes curling when they came into contact with the floor again. I cleared my throat as quietly as I could without waking Naruto and lifted my hand.

Drawing chakra to one spot was becoming easier and I’d learned to do it faster. However, I still lacked proper control over the release, hence the chakra burns on both my palms. I gritted my teeth as the energy collected beneath my hurt skin, stinging it. I kept a careful hold on it as I pushed it out of my body. A soft glow illuminated my hand and I reign in my control, counting.

3 . . . 4 . . . 5 . . . 6 . . .

The light began to shake and I took a deep breath to collect myself, not letting go.

17 . . . 18 . . . 19 . . . 20.

With a sigh of relief, I let the light go. That was a two second improvement on my last attempt, so at least I knew I was making progress. When do you think I can start training in tree-walking? I asked.

I heard him grunt in the back of my mind. When you can hold that light for thirty seconds.

Not too long, the—

Without trouble.

I sighed. It was annoying, but he had a point. If I moved on before I was at least adequate at the chakra light, then it would just come back to bite me in the end. With a sigh I pushed myself up and moved over to the dresser, digging around for the bandages Tenten had requested and snuck to me when the Matron wasn’t looking. I wrapped my hands and ripped the bandage with my teeth, tucking the ends snugly in place.

With that done, I hunted through our things and located our last match. Making a mental note to swipe more, I lit our candle. A loud snort interrupting me and I froze, my gaze flicking over to Naruto. He rubbed his nose and turned over in his bed, still fast asleep. I let out a sigh and picked up the candle holder and The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi. I settled on the floor in a seiza again and opened the book.

Teaching myself to read had started out as a difficult process, but, while it still had its rough spots, I was finding it easier and easier every day. Context clues, I had decided, were wonderful. Writing in Japanese was a different problem altogether, but I was advancing in that as well. I’d recently started teaching Naruto the alphabet, and I couldn’t help but envy how easily he was picking it up. But I supposed that the fact that he didn’t have to figure it all out on his own helped.

An hour later, I’d finally managed to finish the first chapter of the book—it was my third time through it, and I was already finding so many things I’d missed the first two times—and Naruto was beginning to stir. I got to my feet and blew out the candle before putting my book away. I rubbed the feeling back into my legs as I moved to the window and pulled open the curtains to let in the morning light.

“Rise and shine, Nato!”

He groaned, throwing a hand across his eyes. “Rai,” he whined. “I’m tired.”

I laughed and began going through my morning stretches and kata, the same routine Kakashi had taught to me so long ago. “I know, I know. But do you know, Nato?”

He paused for a moment before moving his hand and squinting at me. “Wha?”

“Do you know what today is?”

He blinked. “Uh, no.”

“It’s our birthday!” I grinned. Then I took a deep breath and reached for my toes. “We’re five!”

As I expected, he tumbled excitedly out of bed. “Happy birthday!” he cheered. Then he scrambled to join me in my stretches, something he’d started doing in the past couple of months. “Do ya think Jiji will be here?”

I shrugged. “Maybe.” I sank into my splits, something I was very proud of achieving. In my last life, I’d had the flexibility of an uncooked noodle. After a moment, I glanced to the side and saw Naruto struggling to do the same. I giggled. “Don’t push yourself too hard, Nato. You’ll get it eventually, but don’t try to hurt yourself.”

I led him through the rest of the routine and then sighed. “Alright. Let’s get dressed, okay?”

He followed me over to the dresser and took the clothes I gave him. “Do ya think we could go get ramen again?”

I glanced at him and headed towards the bathroom with my own clothes. “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Like usual, we were early to breakfast. Today, however, the Matron was nowhere to be seen, so we scurried into the line before she could come and kick us out. The staff barely gave us more than a glare before shoving plates into our hands and waving us away. We moved over to a table and ate quietly as we waited for Tenten and Lee.

Halfway through our meal, we were joined by an unwelcome guest.

I looked up at the Matron who had taken the seat next to me. “Hai?”

She watched us coldly before speaking in a low voice only we could. “Listen here, you monsters, the Hokage wants to see you today for lunch. So this is what you’re going to do. You’re going to finish eating and then you’re going to leave and go meet him at the Tower. Do you understand?”

“Hai.”

“But we don’t know where the Tower is, dattebayo!”

“Well, you’ll just have to look for it, won’t you?” she snarled. Then she shoved herself to her feet, the action knocking the table off-balance for a moment, and stomped off.

I hesitated and then set down my chopsticks, my appetite gone. Naruto seemed to have the same idea, because he shoved his plate aside. I sighed and stood up. “We should probably go ahead and go, huh?”

He nodded and, hand in hand, we left the orphanage to go search for the Tower. “Where we gonna look, dattebayo?”

I worried my lip and tapped my fingers on my thigh as I thought. “Well, it’s probably tall, right? So if we get up high, we can probably see it!” With that thought, I ran forward, dragging him behind me.

Together we scrambled up the side of the tallest nearby building. I squinted in what I vaguely remembered the general direction of the Tower. “Aha! There it is!”

Our goal in mind, we spent the next hour dodging other pedestrians and turning around after meeting dead ends before finally we reached the Tower. Before I could stop him, Naruto marched inside. “We’re here to see Jiji!”

The desk chunin inside all paused and stared. I hurried after him, wincing at all the chakra signatures. “Um, Hokage-sama asked to see us,” I murmured, bowing to everyone in the room. “Uzumaki Mirai. This is my brother, Naruto.”

One of the chunin seemed to know what we were talking about, because he cleared his throat and stood. “Ah, yes. Right this way.”

We followed the young shinobi up the stairs and I hesitated. “So, uh, what’s your name?” I asked him, tapping my thigh nervously.

He glanced down at me for a moment too long. And then he quite curtly said, “Kamano Saisu.”

I took the hint and snapped my mouth shut. I fell a bit behind and simply watched his long, sandy hair sway back and forth as he walked, studying the way it spiked up in odd places. He led us down a long, curved hallway and knocked on the ornate double doors. “Hokage-sama, the Uzumaki twins are here to see you.”

“Ah, do send them in!”

The chunin pushed open the door and motioned to us. Then he left down the hallway, not looking back even once. I stood still, staring into the office. The Hokage smiled at us, and I was barely able to see it over the stack of papers that reached up to his chin. Something pulled on my clothes and I looked back to find Naruto standing behind me, hands twisted into the hem of my shirt. I smiled at him and pried his fingers loose, slipping my hand into his.

“Come in, come in!”

I stepped forward, listening to Naruto shuffling his feet as he slowly followed. Once inside, I closed the door and turned to face the Hokage. “You wanted to see us?”

“Yes, yes. It is your birthday after all.” He turned away and opened one of his drawers. Then he withdrew two gift bags and set them on the edge of his desk. “These are for you two.”

As I moved forward to get them, Naruto asked, “Ne, Jiji, we gonna go get ramen again, dattebayo?”

The Hokage chuckled. “If that’s what you want to get for lunch, then of course. Does ramen sound good to you, Mirai-chan?”

I shot him an odd look. “Nato wants to go there,” I said, as if that answered his question. Then, ignoring the way the Hokage watched me curiously, I turned and pushed Naruto’s gift into his hands. “Open it.”

Grinning happily, he tore into the tissue paper with a vengeance. “Rai!” he cheered. “Look!” He pulled out a large coloring book and a box of crayons. I arched an eyebrow at the shinobi battle on the front cover, but decided his excitement was excuse enough. He dove back into the bag and pulled out a box of colored dominoes “Ooooooh! Lookie, Rai!” He shoved them towards me.

I giggled. “I see! I see!”

“Your turn!” He dumped his gifts back into the bag and cradled it to his chest as he watched me.

Like usual, I was less childish about opening my gift. I pulled the tissue paper aside and stared blankly at the gifts inside for a moment. “Kunai?” I asked curiously.

“Training kunai,” the Hokage corrected. “They’re metal, but they have blunt edges. They’re for practicing aim. You won’t be allowed live blades until you’re in the Academy next year, but I thought you would appreciate them.”

I nodded, thankful that I’d gotten something useful instead of a coloring book of my own. Setting the training braces of weapons aside, I reached and pulled out the second half of my gift. “A jump-rope?” Then a smile stretched across my face as the uses of a jump-rope in training set in. “Arigato, Oyaji.”

He smiled. “And I’ve got one other gift. After lunch, I’ll take both of you to the Village library and get you cards so that you can both check out books and enter the Academy student section.”

Naruto looked confused, cocking his head to the side. “Library?”

I lit up, straightening. “Academy student section? Books? Really?” I stared at him, starry eyed.

The old man chuckled. “Hai. Of course, ramen comes first. Are you two hungry?”

It wasn’t quite lunchtime yet, but neither of us had finished our breakfast. So in response to that, our stomachs growled loudly and I flushed. “Y-yeah.”

Laughing, he pushed himself to his feet. “Alright, let’s go ahead and go, then.”

I reached over for Naruto’s bag, which he’d somehow managed to tear in his excitement over his present. After transferring his gifts over to my bag, I stood as well. “‘kay!”

We followed him downstairs and then out onto the street. Naruto was still on a bit of the high from his gifts, and didn’t seem to even notice the poisonous glares shot in our direction as he skipped along beside us, humming. I laughed at his actions and then offered the offending civilians a blood-curdling scowl—or at least what I assumed was one. Given how chubby my five year old cheeks were, it wasn’t very scary.

“Ichiraku’s!” Naruto cheered, racing ahead. He leapt onto one of the stools. “Miso ramen!” he called out.

The Hokage and I reached him a moment later and I climbed onto one the chairs as well. “Salt ramen, please.”

Teuchi gave us one of those crinkly, old man smiles. “Ah, back after a long year away. Hello, you two.”

Naruto gaped up at him. “You ‘member?”

I muffled a snort. Of course Teuchi remembered. Not only were we the Kyuubi kids, but Naruto also ate enough ramen to feet thirty customers. As Teuchi moved away to help Ayame make the orders, the Hokage turned to me. “So, Mirai-chan, how is that chakra light coming?”

My lips tugged downward. “Working on it. I can hold it for twenty seconds, but it starts getting difficult to maintain at about thirteen.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Nevertheless, that’s impressive for a child your age with no outside training. You’re turning into a real prodigy, aren’t you?”

And then it hit me.

The chakra light, the kunai, the shuriken, the library. There was a reason I didn’t get regular toys like my brother, and it wasn’t because the Hokage knew I wouldn’t think them practical. He knew that Naruto didn’t care about the library, but he was giving us access to the Academy student section? He didn’t care about what I liked or what I enjoyed. He cared about the fact that I was a smart, talented jinchuuriki. He cared about the fact that I would be useful to the Village, and nothing more.

With that, my dislike of the man skyrocketed from minor to extreme. I understood that he was Hokage, and that the Village was what he dedicated his life to. But was I really nothing more than him than a tool?

I smiled, not letting my expression betray the angst turning over inside of me. “Arigato, Hokage-sama. I try my best.”

Naruto ruled the conversation after that, spending most of his time talking about the games we played with Tenten and Lee, and the time we’d gone to the park and met Uchiha Sasuke. I finished my bowl of salt ramen, but found my appetite curiously gone for the second time that day and didn’t order another one. When we were done, the Hokage paid the large tab Naruto had racked up and then ushered us out of the ramen stand. I noted the path we were taking and then stared up at the large, ornate building we’d stopped in front of. “The library?” I asked curiously.

In answer, the Hokage just led us inside. I gaped around at row upon row of bookshelves that stretched backwards towards the back wall. As he led us to the front desk, he said, “The first floor is civilian access. The second floor is Academy student access. Don’t worry about any floors above or below that, because you won’t be able to access those.” He stopped at the desk and smiled at the woman there. “This is the head librarian, Kobayashi Junko. Junko-san, we’re here to get these two Level 2 cards.”

The greying woman leaned across the desk to look down at us. I braced myself for the hate that was sure to flicker in her eyes, and pulled up short when her thin lips pulled into a smile. “Konichiwa. Book lovers, are you? I can appreciate that.” She bustled around behind her desk, scribbling on paper and shuffling through drawers. At one point, Naruto groaned and sat down, slumping against the desk. I took the time to turn and stare at the bookshelves. Books. Stories. I felt like the Grinch, the sight of my old friends making my heart swell to three times its size.

“And here we are. A card for Uzumaki Mirai, and a card for Uzumaki Naruto.”

Naruto took his card and squinted at it, turning it over curiously. I took my with reverence, staring in awe at the kanji freshly inked across the top of the thick plastic. Uzumaki Mirai, Level 2 clearance. The rest of the card consisted of a string of numbers and an expiration date. I turned it over and stared at the blank white before my gaze was drawn up to the top right corner, where a very small seal was drawn.

Before I could investigate it further, the Hokage spoke again. “You two can return here any time. For now, however, we should probably get you back home.”

He ushered us out of the building and I cast a longing glance back over my shoulder before shuffling after him. Naruto studied his card for another minute before shoving it towards me. I smiled at him and took it, placing both of our cards in my pocket.

I mentally began to plan out the rest of our day. It couldn’t really be any later that maybe two, which meant we had about three hours until dinner, and seven until lights out. Knowing Naruto, he’d want to spend some time with his new toys, which would give me an opportunity to find a way to set up a target so I could practice with my kunai and shuriken. After dinner, we could grab Tenten and Lee and play a game of tag or foursquare. Somewhere along the line, I could probably drop out and do some more mediation under that sakura tree in the front yard.

“And here we are. I do hope you two enjoy your gifts.” The Hokage patted each of us on the head and left. I watched him go for a moment, knowing it would probably be another year before I saw him. I really didn’t care. So I slipped my hand in Naruto’s and marched across the yard to the front door. It slammed open and the Matron stared down at us.

“You two are going to pack up and leave. If I so much as glimpse your sorry little snouts here again, I’ll break your legs. Understand?”

I blinked up at her. Well, so much for my afternoon plan.

— — — — —

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#Samsaric Fanfic #Uzumaki Mirai #Uzumaki Naruto #Hatake Kakashi #Sarutobi Hiruzen #ANBU #Fanfiction #Fanfic #Naruto Fanfiction #Naruto Fanfic

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callmeakumatized · 6 years

Text

My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend - Ch. 4

(( Puh-huh…this was NOT edited. Hehe. And there may be a little OOC Gabriel Agreste, but…oh well. (8 Enjoy! ))

Adrien seemed to be in a perpetual state of bad idea-making.

He could blame this on Plagg, on the bad luck brought on by wielding the Miraculous of Destruction. But Adrien knew better. This current situation was entirely his own fault.

In all respects, it was an ideal first date for this particular couple, Adrien thought. Sitting in a dark cinema for a few hours and then going home? Safe. Easy. Minimal. There was little cause for actual communication, and he could further practice his skin-to-skin abstinence. Since that day when he had – good gracious – accidentally kissed her on the cheek what was he thinking, Adrien had deemed it important to avoid any and all touching of Marinette's gosh darn dermis. The less-extreme part of him offered her a smile while shoving his hands as deep as his 3-inch pockets would allow. The more-extreme part of him took to hiding in empty closets on particularly tempting days.

So taking Marinette to the arcade? Out of the question. What if she suggestion a two-player game?

And a walk in the park? Way too risky – if their shoulders so much as brushed, Adrien would be a goner.

The cinema provided perfect cover in this way…as well as giving him a safe haven to watch Marinette a little more closely. Though his blue-haired classmate was still akin to shy stuttering around him, Adrien began to notice a rather Ladybug-esque smile when she thought he wasn't looking.

Or did she know he was looking and trying to not look like he was looking so she looked at him with that look and put all his looking like he wasn't looking to a pointless point?

Because that would also be a very Ladybug thing to do.

Adrien had still not solved his current conundrum. He should come clean, really. The thought had even crossed his mind to show up on her balcony the night before and whisk her away to their favorite spot and confess everything. But something still held him back. It was a feeling like jealousy, but it mixed with something like…self-satisfaction. Yeah, maybe Marinette was – gulp – dating both him and Chat without telling either one. And he did not like that or would approve of it if it was anyone else. But…it was him. She had fallen for both sides of him. And Adrien found that he liked the feeling of…one-upping himself? Maybe. Eventually he would confess. Or she would find out and it would all come crashing down stupendously – but Adrien wouldn't let him think about that right now.

Because right now he was leading Marinette Dupain-Cheng to his car. A very, very pretty and done-up Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Adrien had been around fashion and modeling his entire life. His days and weeks were spent around heavily made-up precocious boys and girls, men and women, with nary a hair out of place. Which was perhaps why Marinette's low-key make-up and natural-looking pink lips made his heart skip more than if she had painted herself with smoky eyes and red cheeks.

Seeing Ladybug wearing a dress was definitely playing a part in his rapidly beating heart as well.

He closed the car door after seeing Marinette snugly in the passenger seat before going around to the other side.

Now, Adrien did not gloat about his father's company, his money, or his empire. He did not take advantage of people, especially his father. But when his father had blatantly missed his 17th birthday by booking a trip halfway around the world, and didn't even notice until a month later, and then tried to get back into Adrien's good graces by buying him a car, who was Adrien to say no to his father's poor attempt at retribution? It was, truly, the best present his father had ever given him, though the blue scarf would always be a significant favorite of his. The freedom this vehicle afforded him was stilted; he was allowed out with in minimally, but, when he was allowed out this night, for a date, he could take the 98% of the time it had to sit prettily in the mansion's garage for these sparse moments. Alone. In a car. With Marinette. And not chaperoned.

It was this last thought that flooded Adrien's thoughts and flushed his cheeks as he slipped familiarly into the driver's seat (so he couldn't drive it that often, but that didn't mean he couldn't hang out in it every once in a while). When he glanced casually to Marinette while putting the key into the car, he couldn't stop the wide grin that spread onto his face at the saucer-sized eyes staring back at him.

"What?" he asked, tone light.

"Is this yours?" Marinette asked, voice just above a whisper.

In response, Adrien only revved the engine, grin turning sly. Marinette's cheeks flushed to a pink that matched the color of her dress perfectly.

"You know…." Adrien purred, and was satisfied by the wary look Marinette suddenly shot him…as if she knew what was coming. "I feel like there's a joke here, but I won't get into that. Car puns are so exhaust-ing."

And there it was. The Ladybug eyeroll.

The following hour was, as planned by Adrien, relatively uneventful. Adrien was polite, paid for the tickets, got them some popcorn (Marinette had insisted on buying her own Cookie Dough Bites, though they disappeared as soon as she had acquired the box), and led them to their seats in what he hoped was politeness and comfortable silence. Everything was going great. There was an armrest between them, and Adrien even leaned the other way for maximum no-touchy evasiveness. And the movie…

Adrien had done well, all things considering. It was a rom-com, picked by Marinette (and readily agreed to by Adrien, who had wanted to see this movie since it first came out), and had all the best parts to any classic: strong characters, secrets, mutual pining, and rain scenes. A cocktail of tear-jerking happiness, and Adrien had held it in. Until the main characters kissed for the first time.

Adrien sighed wistfully.

A moment later, Adrien whipped his head around at the sound of a snort. What he saw was a wide-eyes Marinette covering her mouth as if she had just been the one to laugh at him.

"Are you laughing at me?" Adrien leaned over to whisper to her, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth and chewing it disdainfully.

"I was just – I mean – I was…no?" Marinette…asked.

"And now you're lying to me."

"No! I mean, well…." Her voice trailed off, the fingers that had been covering her mouth dropping a little to tap on her chin as she turned away. A smile tugged at her lips and Adrien found himself swallowing hard at the sight. "I've never seen you like…this."

Adrien blinked. "Like what exactly?"

He might be thoroughly enjoying himself at the moment. And maybe forgetting about his no touch barrier. Especially when Marinette lifted her mirth-filled eyes up to look at him again.

"Such a hopeless romantic. I mean, I always could tell you were kind of…soft-hearted? But, I mean, you're really into this, right?" She gestured lightly to the screen.

"Well, yeah!" Adrien exclaimed. "Aren't you?"

"I mean, well, I like it, but I'm not um…enamored with it."

Adrien scoffed. "'Enamored', huh? Hmph. Well, I don't know about 'soft-hearted', but I'm certainly not heartless. Unlike some people."

"Rude!"

Adrien, who had turned his head to watch the female protagonist's interaction with her friend, turned back to see his date wearing a particularly cheeky smile on her face. He grinned back at her before she reached over the armrest and slugged him.

Adrien yelped before dissolving into giggles at how absolutely adorable Marinette was when she punched somebody. The sound caused a few other theater patrons below their top row seats to turn around in wonder. Thankfully, the movie had been out for a few weeks and the crowd was sparse. But Adrien couldn't stop. Suddenly all he could picture in his mind was a tiny Ladybug looking so Kawaii-cute while give someone an utter beat-down.

It didn't help when she hit him again, though, he noted, she was trying to laugh herself.

"Help! Help! I'm being oppressed!" Adrien cried out quietly.

"Oh my gosh," Marinette sighed, covering her face in renewed embarrassment. "Some prince you are! More like a royal pain!

Prince, huh? He could play to that angle.

"Well, it seemed like the role of 'bumbling knight in, well…somewhat shiny armor' role was already taken." Adrien looked pointedly up and down Marinette before waggling his eyebrows.

Marinette put a hand to her chest and gasped. "'Bumbling'?"

"Well, if the helmet fits…"

"Why did I agree to this abuse?"

"No one could guess. Yet agree to it you did."

"Hmph. Well, I do make a point to do at least one service project a week. I thought this was safe."

This time was Adrien's turn to fake looking affronted. "So a charity case now am I?"

"Well, if the glass slipper fits, Princess…."

"Did you just." Adrien shook his head before shoving more popcorn into his mouth and turning back to the movie. "See if I ever ask you out again."

Adrien would. He would ask her out every day for the rest of his life if she would let him. And when she started giggling at his comment, it only further cemented this fact.

The bantering was cut off when the music of the movie reached a crescendo. The incognito heroes were suddenly both "enamored" with the love story, hearts racing as the climax came and all resolutions reached. When the final kiss became a little…heated, Adrien saw Marinette turn her head away from the screen. He looked over to her and she looked up at him sheepishly.

"It's weird watching people kiss…" she said softly.

Adrien could only look at her for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

"What!?" Marinette replied to his reaction hotly. "A peck or maybe something a little more is fine, but they only put in all that…that making out stuff to get the people watching to want to do the same! And then they'll associate the movie with those good feelings, and…and…."

Marinette's voice faltered. Adrien didn't know why, but it could possibly be due to the fact that watching his secret girlfriend talking about wanting to make out may have caused his jaw to go slack and his eyes to stare back at her longingly. Maybe. After a heartbeat, Adrien whispered his inward thoughts.

"Is it working?"

Marinette was pink-cheeked again, and, although she looked as open-mouthed shocked as Adrien felt, she never dropped her gaze from his.

"Yes."

The credits were rolling. People were leaving, and Adrien Agreste was forgetting all his rules and thoughts that this might be a bad idea. Instead, he was brushing his ungloved fingers on His Lady's jawline, almost shuddering at the feel of her, before leaning down and catching her lips with his.

He had kissed her before, sure, but for some reason Adrien kissing Marinette felt different. It felt new.

The kiss was tentative, light touches on tingling lips. Adrien pulled away each time before going back in for another, reveling in how every caress felt like the first time, over and over again. Marinette didn't seem to mind. Something in Adrien's brain told him that he should possibly be concerned about that. But then he felt her fingers reaching out to touch his arm, gentling stroking from his wrist upward. The sensation did nothing to pull Adrien back to reality.

When the lights flicked on, Adrien pulled away from Marinette reluctantly.

"You're softer than I thought."

Adrien opened his eyes and saw Marinette staring at him, a blush as red as her suit, but a shy smile regardless. She coughed before standing up and stretching. Adrien followed suit. He held out an arm to motion Marinette to proceed toward the aisle ahead of him. Because he was gentleman.

"Oh, no," Marinette giggled. "Princesses first." Marinette then mimicked his own gesture. Adrien wasted no time in sticking his nose in the air and marching past her.

They continued bantering this way to the car, and after the silent drive to Marinette's house. By then, the sun had set, throwing darkness over the bakery. The lights from the park illuminated the sidewalk to the bakery, the light from inside the apartment doorway casting a warm glow over Marinette's features. Adrien, after opening Marinette's car and handing her out, had chosen to stay by the car. It was a wise choice – probably the smartest choice he had made that evening – but Adrien was regretting being so far away from Marinette when her eyes were shining in the window light. When she turned and saw him leaning on his car (okay, okay, posing against his car), Adrien noted the very knowing smile playing on her lips. And then she was inside the door. He watched her for as long as he could, and stayed there for a moment afterward.

All he could think about now was how good she felt. It was annoying, really, seeing how the date was supposed to be something more of a reconnaissance mission and nothing more, and it had definitely turned into something more. Adrien sighed. A light flicked on at the top of the building; Marinette must be in her room. Visiting her as Chat Noir was very tempting at the moment.

"Don't even think about it," a raspy voice said from his pocket.

"I, uh, don't know what you're talking about," Adrien pouted, kicking his toe against the ground and looking anywhere but at Plagg.

"Kid, you are already in a mess here. Chat Noir visiting Marinette will not make it better."

Adrien sighed again. "I know…I just want to go see Ladybug right now."

"You mean you want to mack on your girlfriend like you couldn't really do on your girlfriend because you're not sure if she actually knows she's your girlfriend. About right?"

The teenager shrugged. "More or less."

"And?"

Apparently Plagg could see the wheels turning in Adrien's head.

"And…remind her of who she's dealing with."

Chapter 3 FF.net Ao3

(( THANK YOU FOR READING THIS! And for all the feedback! EEEEEEEE. (8

So, I know I said every day, but…I didn't get home until almost midnight last night so I didn't see a reason to stay up late when it would just get posted today anyway, and I won't post tomorrow. I might – MIGHT – be able to squeeze in the next chapter tonight…but…probably not.

YOUR COMMENTS/REVIEWS HAVE MADE MY DAY. Thank you! n.n And Monday I will be replying to everything I can get my little fingers on. I really do this for you as much as I do it for me. I know these stories bring a smile to my bad days, and I always hope they can do the same for someone else. You guys are AWESOME. *hearts* ))

#miraculous ladybug #miraculousladybug #fanfic #ml fanfic #my girlfriend's boyfriend #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #adrienette #plagg

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