#his teammates? getting warmer but we're still not there! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

angstpancake · 1 year

Text

The Girl with the Silver Eyes

Despite the circumstances of the world she was born into- a dark world on the verge of war, where smaller, more honest souls were unwelcome- Ruby Rose didn't allow her light to be tainted by selfishness or malice.

She was born into a world that was overrun by monsters, whose master took her mother away from her and robbed her of a bond that every child deserves, that every child needs. She grew up in a cold home, one where her father clocked out of parenthood to wallow in grief, leaving her older sister to step up and take care of her. Eventually that home got a lot brighter and warmer as old wounds healed, but the scar it left behind meant that her father would never look at his daughter the same way again... because Ruby Rose was just like her mom.

And as everyone told her as such, she wanted to live up to that. She wanted to be the one everyone could count on, she wanted to be the inspiration, to be the hero she read about in books. She wanted to help people- enjoyed the romanticism of it. She thought, as she became fascinated with weapons and wanting to learn to fight grimm, "This is who I am."

She gets older, and starts to see the problems of the world. It's broken, shattered like the moon that rises every night. But she can fix it.

"Unfortunately the real world isn't the same as a fairytale."

"Well, that's why we're here. To make it better."

She tries her best. She tries so hard to prove herself. Stops a robbery, catches the eye of a professor from a prestigious academy. The same one her mom went to. Gets moved two years ahead because she has a lot of potential and- apparently- silver eyes, whatever that means. Gets made a team leader because... why? Learns briefly that she doesn't need to prove herself.

"I'm not trying to show off, I want you to know that I can do this."

"You're. Fine."

And then gets hit again that there are still expectations of her.

"That's just it - you've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!"

And she's right.

At Beacon, Ruby receives her first bit of... advice. "If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?" If she's not perfect, then people won't listen. People won't care. So she gets better. Tries her best to be perfect.

She never is.

She's never asked about why she wants to be a huntress, because apparently, she already knows. Who wants her reason, anyways? She's the leader. She doesn't talk, she listens, she adapts.

---

Her dream is collapsing around her. Her classmates are dying. Beacon is falling. She had time to stop it, but she didn't make it. Her semblance is literally to go fast and she can't even save her own friend. Penny Polendina is dead. But there’s no time. Pyrrha Nikos needs her. Ruby runs up the tower, but gets there just in time to see Cinder Fall strike an arrow in Pyrrha’s heart.

Not good enough. Again. Not perfect. Not enough. Never enough. Never.

From her grief, Ruby activates a power she never knew she had. She’s special just like her mom was, according to Qrow.

“If I’m so special, then I can help… right?”

Her team left her. Her sister is… a shell of her former self. She wants nothing to do with Ruby. And that's okay. She needs time. She’s just getting used to… things.

"You can do whatever you want. I'm going to lie here."

Weiss is gone. Blake left. She doesn’t know why. Ruby used to be part of a team. Part of something bigger. But now it's just her again.

Well… not entirely. JNR is still there for her. They were hurt by the Fall too. They want answers. They want to change the team name to RNJR (JNRR?). Ruby feels sick to her stomach. She’s filling in the spot of a teammate that she failed to save. She knows JNR doesn’t blame her but, it’s her fault Pyrrha Nikos is gone.

Eventually, her team comes back. It’s not the same. They’re back together, but they feel more distant than ever. It feels like they understand her even less than they did before.

It’s okay, though. She has to put her team first and herself second.

She finds out it's all been a lie. She finds out their goal has been impossible. Every person that's ever been a guide to her has given up, shattered whatever this is. She has to pick up the pieces. She has no idea how to put them back together.

She almost gives up. But she doesn’t. She fishes the lamp out of the well, beats the Apathy, and keeps moving forward.

Keep moving forward. Keep moving forward. Keep moving forward.

She finds out what having silver eyes means. It means carrying the light of the world, and using it against the grimm... as a weapon. It means being that light at the end of the tunnel. It means being a spark of hope.

She needs to channel hope and joy to use it. She never talks about how hard that is.

To be happy without trying.

By some miracle they make it to Atlas. By some miracle Penny Polendina is alive. And despite the shitty situation of politics and Ironwood not entirely being all trusting, everything is okay for a while.

Ruby's semblance evolves. She can now go so fast, that she breaks apart. She can pick people up when she breaks.

Salem shows up, and Ruby’s mask cracks. Only for a moment. Ironwood snaps. Salem is coming and they need help.

Despite her trying, nobody comes. Her plan fails. It doesn't work.

Ruby finds out what happened to her mom. No time to think about that. There's no time to think about what might've happened to Ruby if Tyrian had managed to capture her back in Anima. No time. Penny needs her. Penny wants her to kill her. Ruby can’t think about that either. Because if she thinks about any of that, she knows she’ll break.

Nothing is working anymore. She isn’t working.

Ambrosius warns them not to fall.

Ruby falls.

She finds out what happens to Penny, and Atlas. She faints in front of them. The facade is gone. She’s tired. She’s alone, and despite her team having said that they’re there for her in the past, all they ask is if she’s okay. She’s clearly not, so she doesn’t respond. Do they expect a different answer from her? Do they expect her to bounce back on her own? She supposes her mask has been so good that they do.

Weiss is seeking comfort from her. She tries. It comes out shallow and cold, and doesn’t seem to be helping. So Ruby stops. Weiss notices. Great job, Ruby. Now you’ve failed your partner.

How many more people are going to be hurt around her?

Maybe Cinder was right. Maybe it’d be better if she was never born.

#rwby ruby #rwby volume 9 spoilers #rwby volume 9 #rwby ruby rose #rwby ruby analysis #oops this got really long #this episode hurted

4 notes · View notes

mountswhore · 2 years

Note

I need some angsty Christian in my life so maybe one where you and Christian have been long distance since you’re studying in America and you find out he slept with someone else after a night out. Once you found out you immediately broke up with him and cut off all contact and that just killed him so the next opportunity he had he got on a flight to come see you and try to win you back

𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 — christian pulisic

summary: you're in NY for university, and christian cheats on you.

notes: requests are OPEN.

“How’s studying going?” Christian asked, staring at his phone screen as you walked around campus. You had called him as it was dark, and late, and you knew he’d be up. Honestly, you needed every reason to call him or talk to him, because being long-distance sucked.

“It’s going great,” you beamed, looking down at your phone and seeing him smiling. He looked cozy in bed, wearing the tracksuit you had bought him for his birthday last year. And he stared back at you, taking notice of your rosy cheeks and nose due to the cold New York weather, and he missed the sparkle only he could see in your eyes.

“Really? Because it doesn’t look like you’re doing much studying right now,” Christian laughed, earning a small giggle from you, “what are you doing, anyway? You’ve been outside for almost twenty minutes now.”

“I just came home from a coffee break with friends,” you told him, finally entering your dorm building and sighing in relief at the warmth, “and I'll have you know that I'm top of my class, and I'm ahead of my work."

"Yes you are, my smart girl. You'll never understand just how proud I am of you." His words were sweet, and true, and they had you feeling warmer inside than your dorm did.

Little did the both of you know, this was the last time you had spoken on a call. Christian had no idea of the night he was about to have, neither did you.

Night out tonight, I will call tomorrow, Christian texted, forgetting about his phone for the rest of the night. And you'd sent him a small heart in reply, getting back to reading through your notecards for an upcoming end of unit test.

Christian had no clue what tonight was celebrating, but he never turned down an invitation to party with his teammates and friends. Drinks were arriving at the table quicker than he could finish the last round, many people were coming up to the booth to chat to the boys surrounding him, and they were all having a genuinely good time. But Christian was stuck on you, he couldn't stop thinking about the distance.

You were thousands of miles from each other, and he hadn't been able to touch you, hold you, kiss you in months. The last time he'd seen you was when you'd come home for Christmas, and that wasn't nearly enough time with you.

It had been two hours, and Christian felt like a buzzkill. He felt as if he were bringing the mood down for everyone, moping around missing his girlfriend.

"Cheer up," a very clearly drunk Mason chirped, throwing his arm over Christian's shoulder, "come on, we're celebrating, having fun, Y/N would want you to have fun." And he was right, you would always encourage him to have fun, even when you were stuck in your dorm studying.

So Christian started to drink more, dance more, and he could barely make out who was who under the steaming lights. He could feel people dancing with him, holding him, and he'd finally let go. He didn't want to control his actions, think about anything, his mind was iced over and the alcohol was now taking the wheel.

You had woken up far too early, deciding to take a slow walk into the city to grab some coffee and breakfast before your exam this afternoon. It was still freezing, making you crave the material of Christian's hoodie, that was now wrapped around you as you left your building and walked through the chilly New York air.

You hadn't paid attention to your phone until you got back, and had only brushed off the constant buzzing as your Psychology group chat arranging a time to meet in the library to study, but once you were back in your dorm and packing your bag full of revision materials, you'd seen it was Ben.

You and Ben weren't close at all, but you often talked when you'd visit the training grounds to see Christian. You'd gotten his number as Christian had called you on his phone, and you'd only text in regards to Christian. So seeing 12 missed calls from Ben, was strange.

Ben: Y/N answer, please.

Ben: Please

Ben: It's important.

You were close to going into cardiac arrest, sitting at your desk as you shakily called Ben back. He'd answered immediately, sounding like he was about to throw up. What the fuck was going on?

"Y/N, listen, I need to talk to you," Ben spoke, his voice low and it only worried you more.

"Ben, what the fuck is going on? Is Christian okay?" You questioned, getting antsy now and no longer wanting to wait for Ben to just spill what had happened.

Ben sighed. "Last night, we all went out. I don't even know why, we were celebrating something. But Christian was sat like a grouch, refusing to have fun. I don't know what happened, but I disappeared to the toilets, and I came back to find him necking another girl."

Your sigh was shaky, you wanted to throw up. You couldn't say anything, despite the rush of thoughts in your head.

"I had to tell you, because I don't know if Christian will. Y/N, say something, please." Ben added, and you could hear the guilt dripping from his voice. But why would Ben be guilty? He wasn't an accomplice to Christian's affair.

"I have to go," you spoke, afraid to raise your voice above a whisper in fears of it breaking, "I have an exam in two hours."

Ben's heart clenched. He felt bad for telling you, especially before your exam, he knew how important your work was to you. It was all Christian spoke about, apart from how stunning you were. But he had to tell you, you had to know, he felt horrible about keeping it from you.

Your walk to the library was fast-paced, you had arrived ten minutes before your friends, leaving you to think about Christian and what he'd done. You couldn't understand it. He had never shown any disinterest in you, he was always the one to call and text you in the morning, he was always the one to call you his smart girl or tell you he was proud of you. It made no sense for him to just randomly cheat on you.

You had composed twenty different messages in the time you were waiting for your friends. And you'd settled on it the moment your friends came into view, this was it. No more thinking about Christian. You had given your friends a weak smile before greeting them, getting ready to revise for your exam in 90 minutes.

Christian had woken up to that message, and he was hunched over the side of the bed, rereading it. His heart heart as much as his head did now, he felt even more sick than he did yesterday, and now he had to get used to you being gone. He didn't want to, he could barely gather his memories of last night, and the hate he felt in his heart for himself had kept him in bed all day, like a magnet.

You left your exam in the late afternoon, declining the dinner invitation from your friends and deciding to have a quiet night in. And it took all of you not to call Christian, like you usually would after an exam, and tell him all about it. But you couldn't. He'd made his decision, and now you had to deal with the consequences.

You had gotten into bed, turning your laptop on and planning to watch Netflix, but it was forgotten quickly as you read the messages that came through to your phone. All from Christian.

C <3: I'm sorry

C <3: I'm so sorry, I don't have an excuse.

C <3: I don't remember last night at all, but I can't believe I've hurt you.

C <3: I love you, I need you. And I've ruined it.

C <3: I will get you back, I will. I will make this right, first plane to New York, and I'm on it.

#christian pulisic fluff #christian pulisic x reader #christian pulisic imagine #christian pulisic blurb #christian pulisic #christian pulisic fic #christian pulisic fanfic

301 notes · View notes

fukurodaze · 4 years

Note

hello! i am here to support all the new writers for the fandom! please feed us with more contents we're all so needy 😔 olrite so uhh can i please request a soft, like MEGASOFT scenario with post-timeskip Kageyama where he's just,,,, run straight up and LITERALLY PROPOSE to fem!s/o after winning a tournament or something... thank you in advance and wish for your blog's growth! (ʃƪ＾3＾）

off-court

pairing: timeskip!kageyama tobio x fem!reader genre: FLUFF! word count: 1.3k

lowercase intended. thank you so much anon for requesting! u are so sweet <3

you’re a bit startled when your boyfriend, kageyama tobio, kisses you hard as soon as he sees you off-court. his hands had grabbed yours as he quite literally ran your direction, his height towering over yours in a big gesture of love and affection.

his lips are familiar as ever, now softer than they were when he was nineteen ever since you made that stop at a drug store one day and bought him peppermint chapstick. tobio, the man who made it his life’s mission to “love you and never stop loving you”, gladly accepted most (almost all) the things you bought him, and began to use chapstick every day. god, you were thankful you could kiss him now without accidentally peeling the skin off of his lips.

he’s also so much more gentle than he used to be, the rush of infatuation and teenage hormones dissolving into what seemed to be romance and belonging. now, his lips kiss yours slowly. it’s the type of kiss that makes you melt all at once, making you feel light on your feet yet grounded in his arms at the same time.

when he pulls away, you’re almost out of breath and the lipstick you put on for today’s final match is ruined, but you’d rather have them red because he’s swollen them.

it’s like time stops, and his grip around you tightens.

“marry me.”

it comes naturally to your ears.

“yes.”

wait, what?

“wait what?” you look around, finding the rest of the team still reuniting with their friends and family after winning the finals. you’re still processing the words you had just heard when your boyfriend, now twenty six, takes you by the hand into the locker room - or, in front of it.

as you’re awkwardly standing by the doorway of the locker room, you see people pass by you, giving slightly confused looks, probably recognising you as ali roma’s setter’s girlfriend. getting slightly worried for your boyfriend, you call from the outside, “tobio, you alright?”

you only hear a rustling from inside. eyebrows furrowed, you sneak closer, standing directly in front of the door, suddenly hearing no sound at all with your ear pressed against the closed door.

yet tobio swings the door wide open. he seems to have had a strong sense of determination, because his face looks the way it does when he’s about to serve the volleyball. then again, it would mean he sees you like he sees a volleyball (a love of his life) and you think you wouldn’t mind being compared to a volleyball.

you accidentally trip over the speed of the door swinging open, with tobio’s arm just catching onto yours, helping you up. he takes you to a secluded corner of the gymnasium - which, by the way, is huge - and squeezes your hand warmly every step of the way there.

when he finally stops the both of you somewhere quite far from centre court, you reach a hand up to brush his hair up. he’s not sweaty anymore, so his hair doesn’t stick to itself like it usually does when you do it after matches, but you hadn’t had the chance to do so today, seeing as he’d practically crashed his lips into yours at first sight. tobio doesn’t complain about your hand through his hair though, he likes the routine. he kisses your forehead once. you feel loved.

“i actually have this,” tobio pulls out from his jacket a black velvet box. you saw little glimpses of it when he had pulled you through the halls of the gym.

now tobio grips the box with both of his large hands, opening it daintily to reveal a ring. it’s simple; much simpler than the ones you’ve seen on his teammates’ significant others’ fingers, yet the sight of it alone makes tears bubble up in the corners of your eyes, overflowing until they reach your neck.

you look at the ring, just a silver band with a diamond embedded into the centre of it, and you think you can’t stop crying. one look into his eyes, usually focused and blue, and you’re almost sobbing. tobio lets you take your time as he kisses your tears away, wiping them with his and your thumbs as well.

it’s a silent action; you nodding, mouthing a euphoric “yes”, him slipping the ring onto your finger, holding both of your hands in his, pecking them softly as to handle you with care. he whispers, “i love you.”

you engulf him in a hug that’s warmer than his body after a match, this moment of intimacy more intimate than the first time you woke up next to him. you’ve been with this man since he was nineteen, damn it. you were there at his first olympics match in rio, and then again at his second in tokyo. it had been waves of long-distance relationships and back-and-forth visits to sendai until he announced that he was going overseas to play in ali roma. it was only then that you decided to pack your bags and meet him in italy, the two of you having decided to navigate life together in a new country with a new language.

in this hug, in his little embrace, you remember it all. you remember the uncertainty of your boyfriend on the other side of the world, and recently, the uncertainty of your life in italy. you remember the fight you had with him last year, in the midst of all the restless estrangement, and how you ended up staying at a friend’s for an entire week. you even considered if it was worth it at one point, but now that he’s in your arms, a beautiful ring on your finger, you might as well slap yourself for even thinking it.

tobio pulls you up to kiss him once more, his smile felt into the kiss and on your lips. and it’s everything, like, everything, that’s poured into this one kiss because his team has placed first in the league this year and now that victory ran through his veins, he couldn’t wait to propose to you - literally.

truth is, tobio’s had this ring since the tokyo olympics, when he was twenty four. he questioned it on the first day when you woke up earlier than him despite the jet lag, and he really knew it when he called you after you left a pair of shoes and a toothbrush at his apartment at the end of your visit, your reply to his words only “i’ll come back anyway”. now you know you’ll always come back, because when has there ever been a time you didn’t want to? you sigh into the kiss.

one of tobio’s teammates gently interrupt your moment, telling him the team still wants to take pictures. tobio lightly snickers, your cheeks slightly red at the embarrassment, but his teammate catches sight of the bling on your hand and gives you a toothy smile.

“you too, y/n,” his teammate says, letting tobio take you by the hand once more, the metal band on your finger lightly grazing the side of his finger.

so your fiancé, kageyama tobio, squeezes your hand once more as you two walk through the halls of the gymnasium to centre court. your eyes are confused - do you longingly stare at tobio, the ring, or look where you’re going? it’s a fascinating feeling, you think, and now you’re starting to think of the future. kageyama f/n? kageyama l/n f/n? you’ll go over it later.

the two of you reach centre court fast enough, and when you do, tobio’s arm wraps around your waist. he gives you a look before he gives everyone else a look, his teammates and their families and friends coming to congratulate the two of you when you show them the back of your hand, diamond ring on display. a bashful laugh escapes your lips.

your heart swells with something that’s more than pride or joy or excitement. it’s a familiar swell, and so far, you’ve known it to be love.

276 notes · View notes

kaizokuwritings · 3 years

Text

HOME IS WHEREVER YOU ARE

ㅤ╰ a gift for @issatheartist

CHARACTERS 𖦹 trafalgar law x mirahaki (OC)

SYNOPSIS 𖦹 Law and Mirahaki enjoying the evening together after a long day of travel and work. It's a chilly night and they can't help but be close to each other.

A.N 𖦹 this is a scenario that i offer to you, Issa, because i love your OC and it allows me to change my horizon a bit. i was really inspired so i hope i respected your character's personality and that you will like this scenario. please let me know if there is anything you don't like or that you want to see changed. <3

C.W | T.W 𖦹 fluff.

W.C 𖦹 1k

Mirahaki wiped the beads osweat that appeared on her forehead as she reached the beach. She happily welcomed the refreshing sea breeze that gently lifted her hair, totally refreshing her face. She enjoyed the softness of the sand under her bare feet, and Mirahaki congratulated herself for removing her shoes. The young pirate took a deep breath as she felt her muscles slowly relax.

It had been a particularly difficult day. It was a while since the Heart Pirates had stopped at an island and the crew's mental state was taking a hit. On top of that, there were the usual duties on the submarine and Mirahaki hadn't given herself a single break between training and her assigned duties. But when Law finally decided to land on a small "quiet" island of the Grand Line, the young woman was delighted with the news. She just imagined herself sitting on a beach watching the night gain ground on the sun and the sight she was looking at right now was just what she expected.

The sound of the waves' undertow accompanied perfectly the sunset whose last rays came to illuminate one last time Mirahaki's face. This balance between the light of the sun and the brightness of the stars and the moon was absolutely fascinating and the pirate almost missed the sound of footsteps on the sand that was heading towards her. Fortunately, her observation haki was not affected by her contemplation and she did not need to turn around to know who was coming.

Her captain stopped at her side in respectful silence and joined Mirahaki in this farewell of light. But soon his eyes drifted towards the silhouette of the young woman. He caressed the features of her face, appreciating as always the heterochromy of her look and as his eyes rambled a little lower, he noticed that Mirahaki's palm was bandaged. Feeling his gaze on her hand, she quickly justified herself “I did that to myself in training, nothing serious.”

Despite this, Law placed a warm hand, with harmonious and dexterous fingers on Mirahaki's bandaged wound. He quickly inspected the bandage before raising his expert eyes to his teammate's face. "That's good, you're able to heal your own wounds now." A light laugh escaped the woman's lips. “Hey yeah, I can steal your work soon.” Dimples grew on the captain's face, accentuating a mischievous smile. “Try it, just to see.”

Mirahaki's eyes met Law's and she bit her lip. The peaceful atmosphere took on a warmer, more romantic quality that unnerved Mirahaki.

But Law had been acting strangely with her for a while. He is most of the time distant but recently, he could spend a long time looking at her, often in the eyes and these silent exchanges were confusing Mirahaki at the same time as making her heart beat faster. He also tries to spend more time in her company, often joining her in the evenings to discuss quietly, hear her advice or just relax.

Law is an attractive, powerful and intelligent man. But also often distant, even with his crew. The fact that he's getting close to her touches her and confuses her at the same time. The idea that he could be interested in her in any way other than friendship seemed... a little absurd. But the facts were there, and the idea of being close to Law in a romantic way was a pleasing idea to Mirahaki's heart, considering its giddy pace when Law was near her.

So she didn't try to look away when Law plunged his malicious gaze into hers. His eyes detailed the amazing colors of each of her irises, enjoying their difference and making her already beautiful face even more magnificent. His hand still on top of Mirahaki's moved slightly and he gently intertwined his fingers with hers, careful not to rekindle any pain. The young woman couldn't help but enjoy the innocent and pure touch. It was the first time he had engaged in such a contact of their skin and Mirahaki tightened his hand against hers in return to let her know that she liked it.

They stood face to face for a moment. Would it be a few seconds or a few minutes? It didn't matter, because the bond between them was now beyond time and would never be impacted by any temporality. The sun had set a while ago and it was now the stars that took on the role of lighting them up.

Perhaps it was the darkness that reinforced this impression, but Law became even more aware of the fatigue that had settled on the young woman's beautiful face. He sometimes felt angry at himself for being so demanding of her and the rest of the crew. His deep voice brought them both back to reality. “I'm sorry to be so demanding, I know that maybe you would like to settle down, have a home and a quiet life —” “Law, home is wherever you are,” the young woman cut him off, “I don't care if I'm tired, that's part of a pirate's life. And I chose it, as did all the people who are with you. We're here because we want to be. Never doubt that.”

Law closed his eyes as he enjoyed her words and voice. He would probably never recover from the way she soothed him. Her Olympian calm and self-control was sometimes unnerving but also a good boost to his mind. He never fully learned to open up to others and rely on anyone but himself, but Mirahaki's presence was holy water to his demons, and filled more and more of the emptiness that had spread in his heart.

He took a deep breath before putting an arm around his teammate's neck, bringing her closer to him, providing the perfect warmth to counteract the freshness of the evening. A blush settled on Mirahaki's cheeks as she returned the embrace by putting an arm around Law's body, and they watched the reflections of the night on the waves that gently washed up near them.

𖦹 ︳𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑/𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑔 !

#one piece #one piece writing #one piece reader insert #one piece x reader #one piece imagines #one piece imagine #one piece oc #mirahaki／law #🂱. mirahaki #for issa <3 #trafalgar d. water law #trafalgar law #law imagine #trafalgar law imagine #trafalgar law writing #☁︎. ONE PIECE OC

36 notes · View notes

aricazorel · 3 years

Text

"Are you jealous?" "No...Maybe." suggested by @russian-dumpling

pairing: Kaidan Alenko x Rebecca Shepard; set during ME1; word count: 1759

Noveria was cold. There was no doubt about that. It was a planet full of constant snowstorms. Nearly an ice planet.

Just like Hoth, Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko thought, unable to help the Star Wars reference. He glanced up at the thick transparent steel windows above that kept the raging winter storm out and the heat in. At least it was warmer than the Rebel Base…

“Hey, Alenko! You still with us?” Shepard’s voice called from beside him.

He glanced over at his CO noting that Ashley and Garrus had disappeared. “Don't you mean you, ma'am?”

“Oh for crying out loud! Don't ma’am me when we're alone,” she chided, a hand on her hip.

“We're still on the job, Commander.”

“Kaidan, is there a reason you're always so formal?”

“Habit it, ma'am, and it keeps me out of trouble.”

“Trouble? You, Alenko? Never.”

The Lieutenant snorted. “You don't know everything about me, Shepard.”

“Not yet,” the red head smirked with a wink.

***

While waiting to meet up with Gianna Parasini, Shepard unsurprisingly had elected to visit a few of the shops for tech and weapons mods. In truth it was the weapons mods that the Commander was really interested in. She only mentioned the tech mods to entice the Sentinel to tag along. In reality she didn't need to bribe him with anything other than herself.

He knew shortly after the Eden Prime mission that he was in trouble. Romantic entanglements with anyone he served with had always been a no no in his book. Falling for a superior officer was definitely not something he had ever seen himself doing. Yet there it was or rather she was standing outside yet another shop staring at the display in the window.

The Lieutenant was definitely in trouble.

He'd once told her he liked adventurous women. Kaidan would be lying to himself he didn't admit that Shepard fit that description to a tee. And that taste in the opposite sex is what would land him in trouble by the end of their current mission. Especially if the glances she was throwing over her shoulder towards him were any indication of things to come.

And there it was. The flirting grin she'd shoot him when she thought no one was looking. Of course Ashley had caught glimpses of it and teased the fire out of him about it. Despite his misgivings about the feelings he knew he was developing for his CO, Kaidan returned the smile as she motioned for him to join her at the display window. And of course he did.

As the Lieutenant walked over to her, Shepard motioned to a cluster of omni tool mods and one very specific omni tool. His eyes lit up as she casually mentioned, “I can open a line of credit with this store. You know. Get the license for the Normandy’s requisition officer so we can access their inventory anytime we want.”

“Really? Alenko asked excitedly as he looked from the Logic Arrest omni tool to Shepard.

With the amused look on her face he couldn't be sure if she were serious or not. Remembering himself he said, “I shouldn't ask you to use Alliance resources or your Specter status just to get me a new ‘tool.”

“But you didn't ask, Kaidan. I offered,” she corrected as she entered the shop. “Besides they have weapons mods too.”

Alenko cocked an eyebrow as he followed. She was his CO, a fellow officer, a friend. Yet he couldn't help but think she might harbor some feelings beyond all of that for him just as he did for her. Should he say anything? Should he let her make the first move? Should he see how things played out?

He sighed as he watched a salesman approach Shepherd with a broad grin. There were regs against fraternization. They were on a mission to stop a rogue Specter and his synthetic army. There was no place for romance, yet his feelings remained.

In an effort to distract himself, he focused his attention on the Logic Arrest Shepard had pointed out. In truth he did need a new omni tool, especially with the current mission. A part of him however couldn't shake the feeling that if he had said yes just a few minutes ago he'd already have a new ‘tool instead of looking at it in the display.

Kaidan let out a low growl. He should be able to focus on things without his thoughts circling back to Shepard. On a mission, in combat, doing his duties. Those instances were too problematic to allow that. The only acceptable exception was if Shepard was in danger.

But his down time? Sure she was nice to look at, athletic, red hair, nice smile, gorgeous eyes, great personality, honest, compassionate, amazing sense of humor, humble, firm. Anyone would be lucky to be the focus of her attention. Yet in the reflection of the display glass he saw her glancing at him as the salesman went on about various mods for her weapons the other man had were noticed Specter issue.

Apparently her status as a Specter had made the rounds rather quickly. Of course salesman wanted to land a large purchase from her then. Either way the Lieutenant could have sworn he saw the Commander wink at him in the reflection before she turned her attention back to the very friendly salesman.

“I can see the Specters have outfitted their newest agent with the latest weapons. Of course you can never go wrong with modifications,” the blond-haired man said smoothly. “Surely having the best mods on the market would help keep your lovely self safe.

“They certainly wouldn't hurt,” Shepard replied an even tone.

“Well, what is your primary weapon?” the man asked. “Maybe your favorite?”

“Those are two different things,” Shepard smirked with her arms folded across her chest.

“Really? For most customers those are one in the same,” the blond man muttered.

“I'm not most customers,” the Commander assured him confidently.

“I see,” the salesman muttered as he opened his ‘tool, showing the inventory available. “Perhaps something for your assault rifle first. We can't have our first human Specter being mowed down by rogue Geth. Protection is everything especially for a beautiful woman such as yourself.”

Kaidan rolled his eyes at the man's blatant attempt to flirt with the Commander in order to make a sale. Fundamentally the Lieutenant knew why the other man was doing it but that didn't deter the desire to tell the man off for disrespecting his CO. If he was totally honest with himself he had to admit that it wasn't just the man's lack of professionalism that bothered him.

He shifted, resisting the urge to go to Shepard’s aid. If she needed help, she would say so.

“I have plenty of protection already,” Shepard said as she gestured towards him. “My Lieutenant over there is an accomplished soldier and biotic. He's covered my six more times than I can count.”

Kaidan knew he was smirking as he caught her eye in the reflection once again. Whether she had intended to or not she had just padded his ego though he would never admit that. “Biotics will only get you so far,” the salesman muttered, his mood souring much to Alenko's delight.

“Oh but you haven't seen the Lieutenant train with his biotics,” Shepard mused with a big grin. “It's …quite the sight.”

Kaidan knew he was blushing as the salesman said, “I can provide you with top-of-the-line weapons mods. I'm afraid I am not licensed for biotic amps.”

Shepard made a noise of acknowledgement before she said, “You know what? I think I'll take that Logic Arrest in the window…and any mod you have for it.”

“Oh well, what about the weapons mods? Surely you need –“

“I already have the most advanced. Me being a Specter and all. But my Lieutenant needs the best omni tool available,” she insisted as she turned to Kaidan.

“I understand but you are his superior. Doesn't that mean –“

“If you can't sell me what I want, I am sure another shop can,” the Commander interrupted as she walked over to the Lieutenant.

“No. No. I can accommodate that,” the salesman said conceding that his sale to the first human Specter would not be as large as he originally thought.

Kaidan couldn't help the shit-eating grin as the salesman was forced to wait on him instead of Shepard.

***

Half an hour later Kaidan sat on the retaining wall of one of the many reflection pools near the shopping promenade as he fiddled with his new omni tool. They were waiting for Ashley and Garrus to rendezvous with them before taking the next step of their mission. For whatever reason, the Commander had spent her time watching him program his preferences into the new Logic Arrest.

He did his level best to ignore the attention until she said lightly, “Are you jealous?”

The Lieutenant paused in his motions as conflicting emotions demanded his answer one way or another. “No …maybe.”

She crossed her arms as she asked in surprise, “Really, Lieutenant? Of a weapons mod salesman?”

Kaidan knew he was blushing as he glanced at the nearby fountain. Was he that obvious? Was she going to give him a dressing down or just tease the crap out of him? Maybe even enlisting the help of Ashley and Joker?

“Hey, Kaidan?” Shepherds voice call to him as he felt a light pressure on his forearm from her hand. The use of his first caught his attention more than her touch.

He glanced back at her, seeing a tender smile. “I can promise you there is nothing to be jealous of. All my attention is on a certain L2 biotic. You might know him.”

Kaidan smiled as he replied, “Yes ma'am.”

Shepard opened her mouth to say something else when she heard Ashley and Garrus call out to them. She shrugged at him as she turned to greet them but not before she winked at the Lieutenant.

He watched as she walked over to their teammates as he finished setting up his tool. Any doubt he had about being more than comrades-in-arms or friends had evaporated. He was more certain than ever that things between them were more complicated than the mission parameters allowed.

But he didn't care. He was definitely in trouble, but he found himself not giving a damn about that either.

He liked adventurous women, and Shepard was definitely that. And so much more.

#trilogyappreciationweek #mass effect #kaidan alenko #rebecca shepard #f!shenko #femshep

25 notes · View notes

hecallsmehischild · 2 years

Text

TITLE: HIT AND RUN

FANDOM: MYSTERY SKULLS ANIMATED

RATING: T

SYNOPSIS: Mystery Skulls Animated secret santa oneshot. It was supposed to be a calm, relaxing, fun game night. No ghosts, no cryptids, no hot leads. Just friendly competition and fresh pizza. But the pizza delivery person claims to have hit something weird on the way over, and it's impossible to say no to Vivi once she gets going.

Note: @msaholidayspirits 2021 Secret Santa gift for @titenoute! Featuring Titenoute's MSA OC Fiona! A fic of firsts: First time I've written an MSA fic with someone else's OC, first 3rd person non-specific POV I've tried in ages, and first time I've written solely pre-cave material. I had a couple mini-comics, sketches, and a profile to go off of for the OC Fiona. Fingers crossed that I landed somewhere close to an accurate portrayal and also that the literary police don't ram down my door. Pre-Cave gang gains a new friend, Merry Christmas! Cover photo by 5demayo at morguefile.

.......................................................................................................

"Artie, standing by the door and staring at it isn't going to make the food arrive faster."

"Prove it."

"And saying 'prove it' about every statement you don't like won't make it untrue."

"Prove it."

Lewis sighed, folding his hands behind his head and leaning back on Vivi's worn, puffy sofa. "Somebody's been in a real mood since he lost his queen."

"Prove it."

A wooden pawn bounced off the back of Arthur's head. He finally turned away from the door and locked glares with Vivi. She occupied the other end of the sofa and was bent over a well-polished wooden chess board. She pointed a captured bishop at him. "Hey, we all know you're hungry. We're hungry too. Food is on. The. Way. So get your butt back over here, it's your turn."

Arthur bent down and grabbed the pawn off the floor. He tossed it back at her and swivelled back around to face the door. Under the coffee table, Mystery snorted, then stretched out his forepaws and yawned.

Vivi's scowl deepened. "In about thirty seconds, I'll switch from Chess to Munchkin. Make game night last ALL night long."

Lewis rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest, Vee. He'll come around when he's not so hangry."

"Prove—"

"Arthur, swear to gods, I will cram a load of ever-loving proof up your—"

DING DONG

Arthur seized the doorknob, a gleeful grin on his face. He flung the door open. "About time! Can't wait for…" he trailed off. Behind him, Vivi and Lewis rose to their feet.

At their door stood a young woman in a Topolini's Pizza uniform, holding the expected pizza-warmer. Except it only held one box, not three. There were tooth marks on the edge of the battered box, and the delivery person was pretty tattered too. Her right cheek looked like it had been dragged along gravel, and the clothing tears all along her right side bore that out. Even the lime green helmet she wore was scuffed on the right side.

A stiff breeze passed her, entering the house. Mystery lifted his head, scenting the air. He crept out from under the coffee table, tail slung low and a growl in his throat.

The delivery person tried to smile, but the smile twisted as Mystery bared his teeth. She stumbled back a couple steps, then glanced over her shoulder. She shivered. Lifting her chin, she stepped forward–grimacing as she came down on her right foot–and faced Arthur squarely.

"T-Topolini's delivery. Did I make it in thirty?"

............................................................................................

Nobody mourned the jumbled remains of what had once been a beautiful oyster and anchovy pizza pie more than Arthur. Truthfully, nobody else mourned that one at all. Still, he had the grace to set the issue aside nearly as quick as his teammates. Vivi and Lewis had convinced the young woman—Fiona, or so her nameplate read—to come in and lie down on the couch. Mystery paced nearby, muzzled by Vivi's stern warnings to behave himself.

Vivi squatted next to the couch, carefully tweezing pieces of gravel out of Fiona's cheek. She brushed Fiona's bangs out of the way. "That's some nasty spill you took. Bike?"

"Vespa."

Lewis frowned. "High speed tumble down the road? Is anything broken? Should we call someone for you? What hurts?"

Fiona winced. "Face… right now. Ankle when I walk. Hard to tell. Can't really feel much."

"Shock, probably. What happened?"

"I hit something," she mumbled. "Something big. I flew off. When I sat up, it was going after the deliveries."

Vivi's eyes sparkled. "A 'something big,' eh? What kind of something do you think it was?"

"Not sure. It's dark out there. Nasty looking teeth. Like… small moose size? Or a big horse? I got in a right hook at its head and ran off with a box." She indicated the abandoned pizza box on the ground with the shredded corner. "Thought I could at least get one back. So much for that."

Lewis used his foot to nudge the box under the coffee table, out of sight. "Then what happened?"

Fiona winced as Vivi swabbed her face with rubbing alcohol. "Ow. Ow. Running. Getting away. Knocking on your door."

Arthur's head jerked up. "You went on foot? Your Vespa's wrecked?"

Her eyes widened. "Is… it? I don't know… I punched the thing and ran. Didn't check the Vespa. It was laughing… not like an animal. Like a person. Really freaked me out. Wasn't thinking."

Arthur stared at her. "Why would you punch something like that?!"

Vivi's grin stretched from ear to ear. "Probably gave it a nasty shock. Good for you. Don't you carry mace, though?"

Fiona's head wobbled back and forth, and she fumbled for her pocket. "I keep forgetting. Always swing first. Then run. Then remember there's mace." She pulled it out with a grimace.

Arthur shook his head. "Yeah, well, probably best to wait 'til morning to get your Vespa picked up and taken to a shop. If you wait that long then whatever you hit will have left the area."

"Which is exactly why we have to get back there right now!" Vivi grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol and splashed it onto a washcloth. She pressed it into Fiona's hand and stood. "Something's off about this. Big as a moose? We don't have any wild animals like that in our area."

"Small moose," Fiona corrected.

"Still. And it laughed? Last I checked, all our hyenas are in the zoo. And Mystery's been on edge ever since she came in." She glanced at Fiona. "Sorry about that, by the way. He's very friendly. I bet it's the smell of whatever you hit that's got him all riled up. He's good about sensing weird stuff."

Fiona eyed Mystery, who sat back on his hindquarters. He stared back.

"Your dog has little spectacles. Why?"

His fur bristled from neck to tail and his lip kept lifting up over his teeth.

Vivi shrugged. "That's a mystery unto itself. He's been with my family forever and he's always worn them. Nobody knows why."

Fiona shook her head, refocusing. "You said weird stuff, what do you mean by 'weird stuff'?"

"Cryptids! Ghosts! Small-scale possession cases. Unexplained phenomena to be banished or witnessed. We look into all that. Speaking of, Lewis? Would you get our gear together? Night kit, too. Point is, Fiona, this is a hot trail and it's worth checking out. Plus we could retrieve your Vespa. There's room in the van if we all squeeze a bit."

"Absolutely not!" Arthur threw up his hands. "Vee, you promised! No ghosts on game night!"

Vivi's eyes twinkled. "This doesn't sound like a ghost, Artie. Sounds more like a cryptid. Maybe an undead, if we're lucky. Not a ghost."

"You know what I mean!"

"And when's the last time we had a lead this hot? Arthur, it's been weeks since anyone contacted us for a case. We aren't making enough money to upgrade gear. How are we going to get in the big leagues if we stick to shooing out local poltergeists?"

"If this is about money, who's paying us to take this case?" Arthur challenged.

Lewis cleared his throat, "It probably left some physical evidence on the Vespa. Hair, blood, claw chips. There's always reward money for that kind of evidence."

"So we should wait until it's gone for sure!" Arthur insisted. "We'll still get paid."

"And let the elements spoil all the good samples?" Vivi shot back. "Stop being such a soggy leaf."

"Hey! I am a crunchy leaf, thankyouverymuch, I just want to stay in my tree tonight!"

Lewis coughed. "Crunchy leaves are usually found on the ground, Artie."

"Prove—"

"Hey, who says you all get the money?" Fiona objected, struggling to sit up. "If it's on my Vespa after I hit the thing, then I should get the reward. I'll need plenty of money for repairs."

Lewis and Vivi turned to Arthur at the same time. Arthur folded his arms. "Don't even. She's right. Do you have any idea what a good quality regulator costs on a Vespa? Or a wheel rim replacement? Really, no telling what could be broken until I get a look at it. Don't give me that look! You want to trade my labor for access to the case? Well I'm not paying out of pocket for parts, that's for sure. Plus she's not even part of the team! I do that for OUR van."

"Artie…" Vivi bit her lip, staring mournfully at him.

Arthur groaned. "Don't do the thing, Vee."

"Please?" She clasped her hands together. "Pretty please? Pretty please with syrup on top?"

Arthur turned to Lewis for help, but Lewis just grinned at him.

"Pretty please with syrup and oysters on top?" Vivi pressed.

Clearly this wasn't about money for the team.

"Pretty please with syrup and oysters and scallops on top?"

Arthur ran a hand through his hair a couple of times, then pointed at Fiona. "We'll go out and get your Vespa and collect any samples. The reward money goes to you, the credit goes to us. BUT. Your Vespa goes to Kingsmen Mechanics, and I'll fix it right for a fair price. Deal?"

Fiona's eyebrows shot up. "Sure. Deal."

Vivi whooped. "Hot chili churros!" She seized a leash and clipped it on Mystery's collar. She headed for the door, calling over her shoulder, "Artie, can you give her a hand up? Lewis and I will get our stuff out to the van and we'll be off before you can say–Mystery!"

The door had barely cracked open before Mystery bolted, his leash slipping through Vivi's fingers. "Mystery! Where the flying fir cones are you going?! Mystery!" she hollered, running after him.

"Vee!" Lewis scooped up the gear and followed her out. "Wait! You'll never catch him on foot! At least take the van!"

Arthur gripped his hair with one hand. "'Just another game night,' she says. 'No weird happenings, I swear it, Artie,' she says. Gah. Listen–Fiona, right?–this is already falling apart, how about you wait here while we deal with the… with the…" He gestured at the door. "Whatever it is."

Fiona stared at the door, now hanging wide open. It was a new moon night and the house lights stopped abruptly at the end of the street. Beyond that was a pitch black eternity that she could just see Vivi vanishing into. The sound of an engine spluttering to life snapped her to attention. Arthur already had a foot out the door.

"Hold up, hold up. I need a hand." She grunted, easing herself upright.

Arthur paused at the threshold. "You sure? Are you good with weird stuff?"

"No. I hate ghosts. Cried when my friend tried to summon Bloody Mary in the bathroom mirror." She held a hand out. "Also, I punched that mirror when it shifted by itself. Safety in numbers, yeah?"

Arthur hesitated, then hurried over and pulled her arm across his shoulders, hauling her up. "Alright, but hurry. No telling what kind of weird we're dealing with tonight, and we're already separated."

.........................................................................................

By the time Arthur and Fiona made it to the van, Lewis was frantic. He barely waited for them to load into the backseat, and he didn't wait for them to buckle up before gunning the engine and tearing down the road. "How far away was the crash?" he asked as they hurtled into the darkness.

"Don't know!" Fiona snapped, struggling with the seatbelt. "I wasn't really paying attention when I was running for my life. It couldn't have been too far, though, I was getting close to your place before I hit the thing."

"Headlights!" Arthur yelled, grabbing the driver's seat-rest.

Lewis fumbled with the headlights, flipping them on. They flash-lit Vivi in the middle of the road, wrestling with Mystery on the far end of his leash. Lewis jerked the wheel and braked hard, screeching past them as the back end of the van slid around. Arthur and Fiona shrieked in unison as the left side of the van rose up a little bit, then settled back to the ground with a thump.

The van had barely re-grounded itself before Lewis vaulted out of the driver's seat. "You okay? Why didn't you wait? Are you hurt?"

"Fine!" Vivi gasped. "Just… can't…" she nearly came off her feet as Mystery lunged forward. He strained at the end of his tether, snapping his teeth at the road ahead. He wasn't barking.

Fiona rubbed her eyes, staring at the dog. The headlights were at a weird angle to the dog, that was why his eyes looked red. Right?

Lewis seized the leash and hauled back, bringing Mystery up on his hind legs. "What were you thinking, Vee? You can't just run off like that! And you, Mystery! Knock it off! Bad dog!"

Mystery snarled once, a quiet sound, and kept pulling as hard as he could. Fiona tilted her head, brushing hair away from her ears. "Um. Hey, guys?"

Vivi wheezed at Lewis. "I had… had to catch…"

"Don't go running after a dog on your own two feet! This was luck, but you could have run into something nasty. Or gotten hit," Lewis scolded.

Fiona poked her head out the window. "Guys."

"Come on, let's load into the van." Lewis grunted, pulling Mystery back a step at a time. "I've got your bat and most of the gear. We should stay in the van until we know what's got him… acting like this. Whoah!" He stumbled forward a step. "How–?"

"Guys!" Fiona yelled. "Shut up! Listen!"

Silence. For a moment, there was only the sound of Mystery's nails scrabbling on the road.

Then a quavery voice called, "A… Aaaartieeee? Thur?"

Arthur went very still. All eyes locked on Vivi, who stared off into the darkness. It was her voice everyone heard, drifting up the road, but her lips weren't moving.

"Ar…thurrrrr. Heeellllp. It huuuuurts."

Vivi exhaled slowly, then straightened. "That's no animal." She turned and strode over to the van. Arthur grabbed a large, metal baseball bat and poked it out the open driver's door. She grabbed it and cocked it back on her shoulder as Arthur slid up into the driver's seat and buckled himself in.

"Whoah!" Fiona protested, "What happened to 'everyone get in the van and see what we're up against'?"

"It's already here," Vivi answered, grimly. "And it's using a classic psychic lure."

"Psychic lure?" Fiona echoed. "The hell is that?"

The not-Vivi voice whimpered a little, throwing in a choked sob. "Lew…isss…? Helllllp…"

"Surface level scrape of the brain for information," Arthur answered, checking the mirrors. "Got it from one of us. Pulled Vivi's voice, her name, and the fact that any of us would go in guns blazing for each other. It's a trick generally used by malevolent or predator types to lure victims. Can't let it run around town doing that to people who don't know about this stuff. That, or it might try to track us down later. Gotta deal with it now."

Lewis sighed. "Artie's got the van, Vivi's got the bat. So…?"

Vivi clapped him on the shoulder. "Yep. You've got the short straw this time. But you've got Mystery, too."

"Great. Alright, then. Fiona, you'd be doing us a favor if you'd grab a camera or something–anything from the bag that you recognize, really–and start recording."

Wide-eyed, Fiona pulled her phone from her pocket and clicked on the camera. "What are you going to do?"

Lewis grimaced, struggling with the leash. "Bait it. That's the short straw job. Just have to–!"

In between Lewis taking a step, Mystery lunged again, his eyes blazing bright. Lewis toppled to the ground and the leash ripped out of his hand. Mystery tore off down the road, howling.

"Mys…tree?" The imposter wobbled. "Goo-boy. Good… aaaeeeeEEYEYEYEEEEE!"

Vivi took off after him. "Go, go, go!" she yelled. "Light it up!"

"Brace yourself," Arthur muttered, shifting into drive. A blood-curdling screech filled the air. Fiona slipped into the front passenger seat and buckled in. Arthur turned on the high-beams and pulled forward, keeping pace with Vivi and Lewis as they ran.

It wasn't too far before the beams caught a flash of fur. It vanished for a second, then reappeared as the van pulled closer. Arthur stopped the car a good ways off. "Get me a clear shot!" he shouted as Lewis and Vivi ran past.

Whatever the thing was, it was twisting and turning so fast that it was difficult to make out head or limb type. Sometimes it was up on two legs, sometimes down on four. It kept turning in a circle, screeching and shaking its head. A whip-like tail lashed every time it turned and its screech never stopped. Fiona caught sight of long, curved tusks and a gaping maw. Mystery hung just below the jaw, his teeth fastened on the thing's neck. The creature shook its head and Mystery's body snapped back and forth, but he refused to let go.

Vivi rushed in and brought her bat down on the thing's forehead with a crack. The screech wobbled as the creature stumbled back. Arthur pulled the van forward just enough to keep it lit up. Lewis dodged flailing limbs and seized Mystery, yanking him off. There was another terrible shriek from the monster as Mystery came free with a bloody chunk in his mouth. The creature lurched toward Lewis, but Vivi smashed it across the snout with her bat. A tusk went flying and it crumpled to the ground, wailing in Arthur's voice. Vivi faltered.

"No you don't," Arthur growled. He leaned back and shouted, "Get clear!"

As Vivi and Lewis pulled back, Arthur slammed the gas pedal. The van squealed as the wheels spun madly for a moment, then hurled the van forward. It was a short distance at that speed, and the van struck just as the creature found its feet.

Fiona lurched into the airbag. It slammed her back into her seat. Glass shattered, metal twisted, and something heavy tumbled over the top of the van.

....................................................................................

"Hey! Fiona? Fiona. Fiona! C'mon."

Fiona's eyelids slid open, her eyes unfocused and wandering. Vivi snapped her fingers in front of Fiona's face. "Hey! You woke up, great. Next step is saying something. Preferably, 'I'm okay, Vivi, no need to panic.' That would be fantastic."

Fiona blinked. "Woke. Up?"

"Ah, well. Can't be choosy with a blackout. Yeah, you were unconscious when we pulled you out of the van."

"Van." Fiona struggled to sit up.

Vivi held her down by her shoulders. "Whoah, whoah. Take it slow. You've been in two wrecks tonight. We found your Vespa. Frankly, I'm… a little scared to show it to Artie."

Fiona groaned. "I saved up over a year for that. What did I…" She bolted up, shoving Vivi's hands off. "What did I hit? What did we… where is it?"

"Hey, it's okay. We got it. It's pretty injured, so we hog-tied it. Lewis made a few phone calls, so we should be getting help soon. Probably some media attention, too, if he played it right."

Fiona stared at her. "You. Hog-tied. A monster."

"A crocotta." Vivi straightened her sweater, a crooked smile on her face. "A live one at that. Biggest team haul yet."

"How d'you know ropes will hold it?"

"Ropes, duct-tape, and Mystery standing guard." Lewis walked over and squatted by them. "It is really weird to see that huge thing cringe every time Mystery growls. Guess he established who's alpha. Do you want to see it?"

Fiona shook her head hard, then groaned, pressing the heel of her hand to her eye.

"Easy." Arthur muttered from off to her right. "You might be concussed. Slow movements. Don't sleep."

Fiona turned her head. Arthur was stretched out on the ground. Blood trickled from a cut on his forehead, but he grinned over at her.

"Don't blame you. I don't want to see it again either. Nightmare fuel, that thing." Arthur shivered. "I hate knowing what's out there."

Vivi frowned. "Aww, Artie, but knowing exactly what it is makes it less scary!"

"No, Vee, knowing that my nightmares have real fur and claws and teeth to walk this world with makes life more scary."

"C'mon, Artie. It's not even that smart. The brain scrape is weird, but it's just an extra evolutionary edge on what's basically animal-level intelligence."

"Fantastic. A large, hungry animal that steals personal info to lure people into the dark for a dinner date. And since it got this extra edge for better survival and reproduction, it's probably not the only one out there. Yeah, I feel way better, Vee."

"Either way," Lewis cut in, "We took this one out of the game. And we might be putting ourselves on the map with this find. That being said, we wanted to re-negotiate with you, Fiona."

She squinted up at him. "Ehhh?"

"Well, you did hit the crocotta first, but we took it down. We also messed up the van pretty bad doing it. It isn't the first time somebody's pulled the hit-and-run move to help the team, but this time the damage is worse than usual."

"My baby," Arthur moaned. "How bad is she?"

"Just lie back and think of the new wax job you'll give her when she's all straightened out," Vivi soothed.

Fiona glanced back at Lewis. "So…?"

"So, capturing a living specimen is probably going to rake in enough money to fix your Vespa and the van. The fixed Vespa is all you're after, right? Unless you want to get into the ghost-busting, cryptid-hunting business with us."

She shuddered. "No. No thank you. I just want my wheels back."

"Happy to help," Arthur croaked. "But we'll need the funds, too, if the van is as bad as they're refusing to describe to me. Revised offer: Let us take the money and the credit, and I'll fix your ride. Parts, labor, and paint job. All of it. I'll even throw in a few upgrades."

That did sound like a good deal. Still…

"Throw in a one-year warranty on your work and we'll call it a deal."

Arthur sighed. "This is the problem with trading labor. Fine. One-year warranty, but you cover pizza for two months of game nights."

Fiona thought about it for a minute. With her employee discount, she could swing three pizzas a few times a month for a bit. "Deal."

Vivi cleared her throat. "You sure you don't want to join the best up-and-coming paranormal investigation team? We're still trying to grow and we could use an extra set of fists, or a hand to hold the camera."

"No," Fiona said, flatly. She paused, then shrugged a shoulder, wincing. "I'm not into that stuff. I am into games, though."

The grin on Vivi's face would have put the Grinch to shame. "And just what kind of games do you play?"

#msaholidayspirits2021 #mystery skulls animated #msa #mystery skulls #msa fanfiction #mystery skulls fanfiction #mystery skulls oc #titenoute

5 notes · View notes

liibrii · 3 years

Text

Chapter 1: Still the same

Ojiro Aran x fem!reader

Synopsis: In Aran's eyes you've always been someone he could lean onto. Before you lost touch after graduating that was. Now that you've found a way back into his life, cracking under the weight of the world, he's determined to be there for you as you were for him. It really is only the question of time before he falls in love with you again but he soon starts to realise he might not know you all that well to begin with...

Genre: hurt/comfort, angst, slow burn, friends to lovers

Warnings: timeskip spoilers, internalised guilt and shame, intrusive thoughts, self doubt, depression, anxiety, swearing, use of alcohol

wc: 3.1k

a/n: if you wanna be tagged lemme know. as always feedback is greatly appreciated! a big thanks to @rosecaffelatte for the help with header and dividers!

“I dig the new look. But why just the beard, why not grow some nice moustache too? You could twirl them during matches. Like some super volleyball villain.“

Aran's coffee goes down the wrong pipe. “Is that how ya see me?” he asks during coughs.

Years later and your laughter still sounds the same. Warmth spreading through him is still the same. It's been a few months since you moved to Tokyo to finish your degree. “Better late than never, right?“ you told him the first time you got coffee together. An unfamiliar bitterness laced your voice then.

“Me? No. But the opponent might.“ You add some sugar to your cup before making a sip. Aran remembers seeing your favourite drink on the menu and wonders why you ordered something else. Maybe you just don't like it anymore. It has been some time since he last saw you.

Almost four years to be exact. Has it really been that long? He remembers the reunion as if it happened yesterday and graduation only a day before.

“We're graduating in a few days so I made you all a little something.“ You pulled neatly wrapped gifts from your bag. “Don't look so suspicious.“Seeing team's faces made you scrunch up your nose. “It's just a framed picture.“

You made one for everyone, even the first years who were merely bench warmers. It's the picture of the entire team taken after you returned from your last nationals. Aran remembers vividly how insistent you were on hanging team banner in the background. 'We don't need memories.' “But I sure do,“ you joked.

There's a hand written message on the back side. A different note for every single member.

“Take that 'Tsumu!“ shouted Osamu back then and pushed his frame under Atsumu's nose, “Look here, 'Don't tell 'Tsumu but yer my favourite twin!'“

Atsumu sneered at his brother: “What're ya talkin' about? 'Tsum-Tsum yer on the way of becomin' the best setter the world has ever known. And don't tell 'Samu but yer my favourite twin!' Take that ya pig!“

Aran laughed with the rest of the team. How typical that you would play twins against each other to create chaos. 'Aran,' his note read, 'don't forget to stretch properly after practice! And please, never sprain your ankle during matches. World doesn't have to know all your socks have holes in them.'

The first time he noticed your absence in his life was only months after graduating. The volleyball club manager who yelled at the cheering squad in front of the entire gymnasium for making a first year cry during a practice match. Fearless.

You were there when he needed someone to lean onto. With a snack and a sports drink, staying late just to make sure he didn't go overboard with practice. A light slap on his shoulders when he was wallowing in self doubt. On the days it got especially bad you pulled a pack of ritz crackers from your secret stash of snacks and bought him a drink on the way home. Sometimes you'd sit on the stone fence by the crossroad where your path home diverged, gossiping for hours about your classmates and teachers. Aran found it so easy to tell you all the trouble weighing on his mind. Be it about school or volleyball, you listened. Even when he knew he was talking nonsense, even when he knew his worries were just unfounded doubts you listened.

“Better to try and fail than to never try at all,“ you once told him.

Aran's lips curved into a small smile. “Where did ya read that? Some ancient philosopher?“

“No, it's a song.“ You pulled out your phone from the pocket and offered him a headphone. “Wanna listen to it?“

It really was no surprise he fell in love with you.

But he never spoke of how his breath caught in his throat, how his heart pounded whenever you were around. How could he when he had always known that look of pure love and adoration in your eyes would never be meant for him?

How could it be when you were so obviously in love with Kita?

No matter how much his heart ached for you he had to admit you and Kita were a match made in heaven. Years later and he still remembers the pictures in your room, you and Kita aged five or so holding hands, bruised knees and dirty cheeks, you and Kita on your first day of elementary school, you and Kita graduating Middle school. You and Kita joining volleyball club together. You and Kita locking pinkies on the way home. You and Kita. Always you and Kita.

He was so jealous back then. It drained so much of his energy trying to prevent the sneering beast from taking over. So much suppressed emotions trying to protect the friendship he to this day holds so dear. But no matter what he did he couldn't prevent his insides clenching every time you took Kita's hand. Well, why did he even expect you'd chose anyone but him? You've known him your entire life. Kita was your best friend from before either of you even knew what that meant. He understood you better than anyone. Why would you ever choose anyone but him?

For years you were happy and for years Aran believed he had moved on. Once in passing Kita even bashfully mentioned marriage. Aran congratulated his friend, even looked at engagement rings with him. That night he cam home and collapsed on the bed dazed from emotions erupting back to the surface. In his lonely, empty apartment he cried his eyes out. Never before had he been so angry at himself. He believed he was over you. And with one single sentence from Kita vines carrying your name sprouted thorns and pierced his heart.

He was a terrible friend, wasn't he? Perhaps this was his punishment for wishing you were in his arms instead. You are happy, right? So why can't that be enough? Even if it's with someone else, if he really loved you then knowing you are happy should be all that matters, right?

You were happy. Until you weren't. Aran was never glad to learn you and Kita broke up. But he wasn't sad either.

“I always thought ya and Shinsuke were gonna be it.“

Warm sunlight dances over your face. You stare out the window, the gaze of your eyes sorrowful. Aran doesn't remember ever seeing you sad. You've always been the happy one, the one capable of lifting others' spirits no matter how bad it was.

You stir your drink. “I thought so too.“ When you lean back your eyes still search for something in the street. “But that's how it goes you know, sooner or later you realise you've been wrong. One way or another.“

You're trying to sound carefree and Aran's heart cracks a little. Why are you trying so hard to conceal the pain? Don't you trust him?

You are still his friend. He's starting to think that maybe... Maybe he isn't yours anymore. He shouldn't have brought up Kita. Idiot.

“Our semi-final match is next week. Ya comin'?“

Before you answer a small voice chimes in. “Uhm, excuse me? Ojiro-san?“ The boy's eyes sparkle with excitement as he asks for an autograph and a picture and Aran's more than happy to oblige. Two other kids show up and then their parents and some of the guests who had been throwing glances at your table for some time. Aran takes his time taking pictures and exchanging pleasantries. Meeting fans is the one aspect of being a renown athlete he likes.

When he turns back at you there's a fond smile on your face. “Remember those times when you thought you had no future in volleyball because you didn't get invited to youth training camp?“ Your voice softens. “Look at you now. Ojiro Aran, outside hitter of Japan's National Team.“

The light trace of pride in your voice makes his face heat up. “I was lucky to have friends who believed in me.“

“True. I better get going, my shift stars in an hour.“ You stand up and collect your things. “Talk to you later!“

What little of time you spent together always seemed to fly past too rapidly. Aran watches through the window as you hurry down the street. His coffee has gotten cold.

His spike wins them the semi-finals. In the eruption of cheering he can't hear your voice but he does see you bouncing on your heels right beside his family. You're wearing his jersey. Not a replica, it's the same jersey he wore the last season. You jumped from happiness when you opened the present. One more for your small collection of former teammates' jerseys.

Aran beams and waves in your direction. If he could he'd run over to hug and spin you around just like he used to do back in high school but he's called away. By the time interviews are over you're long gone. A part of him really hoped you would wait for him. Just like you did back in high school. All there is is a message telling him he was amazing and you're proud of him. His heart swells and for the rest of the day nothing can wipe the wide grin off of his face.

At the after party alcohol runs in rivers. Since there's no practice scheduled for tomorrow his teammates go wild. Aran downs his fifth or sixth shot having lost count a while ago. He's warm and giddy, from the victory, the alcohol, the girl on his lap running her hands up and down his chest. What was her name again? She pulls him to the dance floor, her hair is the same colour as yours and her body feels so nice against his... She looks at him funny when he calls her your name. He gets lost in the blasting music and dim lights, the haze of all the drinks and the arm around his waist.

The sound of the alarm clock might as well be a sack of rocks someone dumped on his head. Even still half asleep the blunt throbbing in his head is becoming unbearable. He wraps himself tighter with the thin blanket. Futon beneath shifts as someone climbs over him.

Or perhaps he's just dreaming.

When the second alarm rings Aran's eyes begrudgingly flutter open. He struggles to pick up the phone trying to hit that snooze button. He rubs the sleep off his eyes. That's not his phone.

The alarm is still ringing. Oh, he's going to have one hell of a headache today. His fingers shake when he finally finds the 'stop' button. For a few moments he lies motionless though the pounding of his heart rings in his ears. Last night is a haze of disconnected voices and pictures. The futon beneath him is too small to be his and he doesn't recognise the pattern of the sheets either. He probably slept with some girl from the party. Better get up and get the awkward 'morning after' conversation over with.

Sitting up he discovers all his clothes are still on. The room doesn't look familiar, yet the smell... There's something homey and intoxicating about it.

Standing up is a feat on its own. He's dizzy from the sleep and the alcohol and has to grab the edge of the desk to steady himself. He closes his eyes and waits for dizziness to pass. In the weak morning sunlight sipping through the window he notices books and pencils strewn all over. There's a framed picture on the window ledge. It takes a moment for him to recognise it.

Last year of high school, the last trip to the beach you made together. Akagi is giving you a piggy-back ride, Omimi holds both of your popsicles with a fond look on his face. Aran stands beside him, carrying the inflatable ring you guys later accidentally popped on a rock, and on the edge of the group is Kita. His face is covered with a post-it note.

Sudden sickness twists his stomach and it's not just too much alcohol to blame. He slides open the door and looks around before walking down a short hallway to the kitchen. You're just packing your bag. “Look who woke up from his beauty sleep. Want some breakfast?“

“Bathroom,“ is all he manages to utter.

“Last door on the right.“

He finds it not a moment too early. How embarrassing, to be throwing up at your place. He feels your hands rub soothing circles on his back as he leans over the toilet. Once his stomach settles down you hand him a glass of water and some headache medicine. His head is spinning. When he finally collects himself enough to stand up on his own you hand him a new toothbrush. “I gotta go in a few minutes. Professor doesn't like us being late.“

“What happened?“ His voice is hoarse.

“You had a drink too much Mr. Lightweight,“ you say with a loop sided grin. “A girl form the party called me in the middle of the night asking for someone to pick you up. It's a good thing she did cause everyone was so drunk they couldn't stand straight. You guys really did take celebrating to a whole new level. I did take you to your place but when we got there your keys were gone. So might want to look into that. Also I'm pretty sure I strained a muscle dragging you up the stairs.“ You glimpse over to the clock on the wall. “Listen, I really have to go. My roommate'll be home all day so you can stay if you want. And when you get hungry just take something from the fridge. You gonna be alright?“

Aran nods. Fuck, even that hurts. “Need to sleep it off,“ he mumbles.

You give him one more pat on the back before you leave. He struggles for a while trying to unscrew the tube of toothpaste. Never before has brushing teeth posed such a challenge. He washes his face with ice cold water that does nothing to improve the headache or his mood.

He collapses back on your futon. So, this is your room then. It's nothing like the one he remembers from back home. The Vabo-chan plushie team gifted you for your birthday lies on the pillow. It still holds the ball Omimi made at the last moment, not that he was the one given this task in the first place. It was meant as a joke yet you brought it with you to Tokyo. Aran snuggles it, noticing how pale and worn out it's becoming. He drifts back to sleep, thinking he should tell the others you still have it. They'll be glad to hear it.

No matter how hard Aran tries to pay you back the money for the taxi ride from the party you refuse. The only payment you're prepared to accept is a trip to the seaside. The moment you see the endless blue water you run closer, discarding your shoes on the beach. Seeing you splash around in the shallow water makes him laugh.

He lays out the blanket and watches over you. It's good seeing the exhaustion on your face being washed away. Even if you didn't complain at all and said nothing he could tell balancing college and work is taking its toll. Despite smiling and appearing as carefree as always you seem tired. Aran is starting to fear you'll break under the weight of whatever it is you refuse to tell him.

He lays back on his bag, basking in the warm sun. Soon he dozes off. Once he wakes up you're laying beside him and scribbling in the margins of an article you have to read for an upcoming lecture. He lets you work and simply enjoys your presence. He missed hanging out with you, even if you don't do anything special he's just glad to have you around.

As evening falls he draps his jacket on your shoulders. You always loved stealing – not stealing he corrects himself, borrowing- you always loved borrowing jackets and hoodies.

“Hey Aran? Can... Can I tell you something?“ You hide your face beneath the hood of his jacket.

“'Course ya can.“

“Remember the old maple tree by the crossroad?“

Aran thinks for a moment. “Ya mean the one Suna dared ya to climb and ya fell down from?“

“That one yeah.“ A shadow of a smile flies over your lips at the memory.

“Everyone thought Oomi-sensei would throw ya outta the club. Shouldda seen the second year's faces when they thought we'll lose our precious manager.“

“A few months ago I walked past it. Thought about climbing it.“

“Lemme guess, ya couldn't? College life sucked all the strength from yer arms? Told ya ya should exercise more.“

“I was scared.“ You take a deep breath. “I climbed that tree a thousand times before. And now I'm too scared to even touch the lowest branch.“ You fidget with the hem of his jacket. “It scared me so much you know, not noticing how much I've changed.“

“Ya haven't changed that much.“

You look at him. “Haven't I?“

“No.“ Lies. A part of him knows it's lies. “Yer still the same. Our precious manager.“ He playfully pokes your shoulder. Yeah, you're still the same. You're still the you he remembers. “Yer my friend. Fearless. Always there to kick some sense into me.“ You're still the same girl he fell in love with all those years ago. “Yer one of my best friends. Nothin's gonna change that. Besides-“

“I hated you.“

Seagulls' calls. Waves crashing on the shore. People chatting in the distance. “Well, hate might be a bit too strong...“ You pull your knees to your chest and hug them, your eyes fixed on the waning light on the horizon. “I was so envious of you, you know? Of all of you... You, Akagi, Omiren,... You all knew what you wanted, you going pro, them going to college, and Shin... Even back in school I was the odd one out. I couldn't admit to myself that I envied you. Now I know it was wrong. So fucking childish. But that's how I felt.“ You can't bear to look him in the eye. “Sometimes I still feel like the one who has no idea what to do with her life...“

A lump forms in Aran's throat. He had no idea. Too blinded by your light, too engrossed in his own feelings to notice what was happening underneath your carefree facade.

“Knowing that tell me,“ you glance at him and tears in your eyes glimmer in the last beams of the setting sun, “can really nothing change our friendship?“

Ch. 2: Tattered

#ojiro aran #ojiro aran x reader #ojiro aran imagine #ojiro aran angst #aran x reader #ojiro aran x y/n #hq #haikyuu x reader #inarizaki x reader #inarizaki angst #all that is gold #libri scribbles

46 notes · View notes

hettiesworld · 4 years

Text

War and Peace (and Love)

Pairing: Sergeant William (Will) James x OC

Summary: Corporal Joslyn Woods has been transferred to the Delta Camp and she has to work with the bomb disposal unit, consisting of Specialist Eldridge, Sergeant Sanborn and Sergeant James. She is the first female to be put on a bomb disposal unit in Iraq and her duty is to keep James safe from snipers and gunmen, willing to attack James.

During the 365 days of being with them, Woods develops feelings for James after the ‘loss’ of the kid who sold DVDs to James, also known as Beckham. She is there to comfort him and support him throughout the rest of the days.

Warning(s): Spoilers for the movie, angst, strong language, mature themes.

A/n: This is finally the second chapter of this series! Can’t wait for you guys to read it! Some of the gifs are not mine. Credit to the owners.

Chapter 2:

363 days left in Iraq.

There was a car left in the town centre with a bomb in it. It was in front of a United Nations building. Joslyn, Sanborn, Eldridge and their leader, Sergeant James arrived at their location.

All of the citizens were being evacuated as Joslyn helped James into the bomb disposal suit. She didn’t want to but Sanborn and Eldridge were too busy, doing their own thing. Joslyn was trying to make herself busy putting James’s suit on.

“I’m too old for this shit.” James muttered to himself. Joslyn didn’t reply, still making herself busy with his suit. She picked up his helmet, giving it to him and letting him attach it onto himself. She picked up her gun and slung it on her back.

“What? No words of encouragement?” James shouted after her as she had her back towards him. Joslyn rolled her eyes and shouted back, “Don’t die!”

James rolled his eyes and walked toward the car, which suddenly became engulfed in flames. James walked back and got out a fire extinguisher from the humvee. He then walked back to put out the fire and began to examine the car while Eldridge, Sanborn and Joslyn took up their positions as lookouts.

James opened the trunk and found several of the same type of artillery shells he'd seen the day before.

The desert of Israel was covered in rolling hills. Wind stirred up the wispy sand and the sun’s never ending rays beaten down on him mercilessly. Salty sweat rolled off James’s nose and stung his eyes. The suit was overwhelmingly hot and sticky. After a few moments, he takes his bomb suit off completely, knowing it won't protect him.

“What are you fuckin’ doing?” Joslyn demanded. She was the nearest lookout to James as he finally took off the helmet. “And don’t tell me it’s because of the hot weather!”

James, once again, rolled his eyes and conceded, “There's enough bang in there to send us all to Jesus. I'm gonna die, I wanna die comfortable.”

Joslyn looked over to the car and a bomb canister that James uncovered, which was poking out of the driver’s side of the car. There was enough explosive in the car to kill everyone nearby, including her teammates, even if they took cover. She sighed and said to Sanborn over the comms, “James is taking off his bomb suit.”

“What? Why?”

“I saw. There are a lot of canisters there to blow us up or something. I don’t know. Ask James or something.”

James disarmed the shells and began to search the car for the triggering device, a process that took several minutes. At one point, Sanborn tried to talk to him through a headset.

But all he did was tell him to fuck off.

So, he pulled it off and threw it aside.

A few more very tense minutes passed as James searched the car. Sanborn and Eldridge noticed several groups of Iraqis watching them from rooftops and from a minaret. They also saw a man filming the incident with a video camera. At the car, James finally found the triggering device and detached it.

“You done?” Joslyn asked him.

James replied with a thumb up but quickly turned into a middle finger.

When he returned to the Hummer, he lit a cigarette and was promptly hit in the face by Sanborn.

“You could’ve gotten us killed, you fucker. Don’t do it again.”

He was angry that James, yet again, refused to acknowledge him or any questions he had. James appeared strangely unoffended, nor was he angry at Sanborn.

Joslyn strutted up to him, taking the cigarette out of his hand and stubbed it out. “No.”

“What the fuck?” James snapped, crossing his arms at Joslyn.

“They’re bad for you.” She claimed, also taking his whole box of the deadly things and putting them in her pocket.

“And why do you care?”

“I’m responsible for your health and safety. That means you need to stop smoking.”

“You’re not my mom!” Accused James, pointing a finger at her. Joslyn sighed and put down his finger with her hand.

“Yeah? Well, it’s my duty to not get you killed. Whether you like it or not. And by the way, I don’t like this either. So, we both have to suck up and get on with it. Okay?” Joslyn walked off.

Before James could stop her, a colonel on the scene approached James and was clearly impressed with James’s steady nerves and ability to handle such a crisis.

Back at the base perimeter, Sergeant James confronted Beckham, who sells pirated DVDs to the soldiers.

“I want my five bucks back, buddy.”

“Five dollars for what, man? You crazy now?”

“Yeah. The DVD you sold me was crap.”

“You crazy, man. That's impossible. It's Hollywood special effects.”

“No. It was shaky. It was out of focus, buddy.”

“What, you want donkey porn?”

“It's crap.”

“Girls on dog? Gay sex, man? Anything you want, you get. I hook you up, man.”

Joslyn was also at the base perimeter, looking over at Beckham and James. She then realised why they hated each other so much.

It’s because they had a crush on each other. Maybe?

He was handsome from the depth of his eyes to the gentle expressions of his voice.

“I'm gonna buy another DVD, okay? But... if it's shaky - look at me - or out of focus, or any way not 100%, I'm gonna chop off your goddamn head with a dull knife. How do you feel about... I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding.”

James handed over some money and continued saying to Beckham, “Here. You're a good kid.”

James was amused as he hugged the kid’s head. “You're a good kid, aren't ya?”

He told Beckham he could keep the money if he was able to block a shot at the makeshift goal area which was set up.

The man looked like he played soccer for his entire life. Under that uniform was a lithe body that knew how to play and his face backed that up. Within his light tanned face are eyes that twinkle. In just moments of Beckham trying to hustle James further, he broke into a boyish grin.

Beckham blocked the shot and James agreed to buy another movie from him, mildly threatening him if it's defective.

After the team went out to the desert to detonate some of the explosives they've collected on missions (and James recklessly leaving his gloves at the blast zone), she did say to Sanborn that he should stop acting so childish to the idea of blowing James up. She would have agreed to that idea, but not after James’s interaction with Beckham earlier.

The incident with the Brits and the snipers in the middle of the desert seemed to form a stronger bond between Joslyn and her teammates. Having found that they can actually work well together as a team, they celebrate at James' housing unit.

They took turns pounding each other in the chest and drinking. Joslyn, on the other hand, was sitting in a nearby chair (which was quite comfortable). She rolled her eyes at her teammates’ antics.

By then, they were discussing why James seems to be such a maverick teammate and how he got into their line of work, James shows them a box of parts he's collected from nearly every bomb he's disarmed.

“This box is full of stuff that almost killed me.”

Sanborn saw a picture in James’s box that he got out. “Who’s that?” Sanborn pointed at the photo. James took it out and looked at it.

“That's my son. He's ' tough little bastard. Nothin' like me.”

“You mean to tell me you married?”

“Well, you know, I had a girlfriend and, uh, she got pregnant, so we got married, and we got divorced... or, you know, I thought we got divorced. I mean, she's still living in the house and she says we're still together, so I... I don't know --”

James paused and got out an engagement ring.

“-- what does that make her? I don't know.”

“Dumb... for still being with your ass.” Sanborn replied, chuckling at him.

James kicked at Sanborn. “Hey! She ain't fucking dumb, all right? She left me, that’s all. We’re not together anymore.”

That’s when it hit Joslyn. It hit her hard.

Her ex boyfriend’s words, in her head, were like nails and hammers breaking her heart apart, all over again. Her heartbreak was grief that came in waves, gruelling, stealing appetite and sleep alike. It was a shard in her guts that never left, though perhaps in time the edges will dull.

After Sanborn and Eldridge left, Joslyn kept sitting in the chair.

“You still here?” James pondered, as he closed the door and made his way towards his bed, putting the box back under it.

“Yeah…” Joslyn replied, knees up to her face, hugging herself close.

“You okay?” James pondered again, walking over to Joslyn, sitting next to her.

She shrugged her shoulders.

“I guess I wasn’t expecting --”

Her bottom lip quivered, the same as a baby pushed past endurance. Her eyes became glacier blue under the sheen of water, constant.

She then started to cry.

“Hey. Hey. Why are you crying?” James asked her, knowing what to do straightaway.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, gently rubbing her arm. Despite the heaviness in her stomach, it fluttered at the feeling of her body pressed against his. She sunk into the warmth of his side, appreciative of the simple gesture. His touch made the room warmer somehow.

“I don’t know. I guess your story about your ex-wife and your son reminded me of my ex-boyfriend.”

His fingers were long and slender, easily rubbing her arm, as if casual wind fluttering across the surface of sand and shifting it into motion so easily. Unlike others' his fingers were thin and frail, shaped by prominent phalange bones and knotted where the joints curled around the ends of each long and short bone in his hands. There was no muscle tone or fat definition and his skin was only the layer of dust so fine over the polished white underneath.

“I’m sorry.”

Joslyn bit her lip, eyes everywhere but on James. Then he moved closer with those eyes that look so deeply into her own.

They both knew it was coming.

James held her gently, cupping her face with one hand, also wiping her tears with his thumb. He leaned down and softly kissed the tender area at the base of her neck. Joslyn’s body went rigid with surprise as trembles shook her body and the euphoric warmth blossomed within her once more. Joslyn was breathless with delight as he showered her with gentle, soft kisses, each with its own flicker of warmth. Joslyn gazed up at him, thrilled beyond words to be the recipient of his affection. He drew back again and spent a moment studying her face.

“Thank you," he said in barely more than a whisper.

"For what?" She replied.

"For being you." His voice wavered, exhilarated from the tension between them.

Joslyn felt her blush deepen under his scrutiny. James gazed at her lovingly, his eyes softening with tenderness before sparking with something else. He tilted her head to the side and kissed her, his lips demanding. Joslyn felt a smoldering heat deep within her as James’s grip tightened, crushing her body to his, gentle yet firm. He slanted her head further, deepening the kiss.

He grabbed her by the waist, pulling her up close against his chest. His hand gently glided through her hair, as he looked at her in a way he had never looked at a girl before. Her eyes were candles in that night, their light a spark of passion... desire. As a small but teasing smile crept upon her face, goosebumps lined her skin, not the kind that one got in the cold, but the kind one gets when nothing else matters except right here, right now.

--------------------

Taglist:

@ilovebrandt @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123 @sarabeth72 @archerybitch68 @dreamlesswonder86 @carissime72 @yavanna80 @optimistic-dinosaur-nacho @axelwolf8109 @fizzytaurus @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory

#william james x oc #the hurt locker #nbarnes #masterlist #jeremy renner

14 notes · View notes

heart-eyes-kippen · 5 years

Text

The pride hoodies

Hi! Here's another fluffy confession fic for anyone trying to cope with all of the angst lately (me! it's me!)

Summary: TJ and Cyrus wear matching pride hoodies to school. TJ has an annoying teammate. Drama (and fluff) ensues.

You can read it on AO3 here

[Fic is under the break]

Cyrus was walking through the mall with TJ when he saw them - the most adorable hoodies he had ever laid his eyes upon. Okay, so maybe they weren't the most adorable, but they were definitely up there if you asked him.

It was a warm Thursday afternoon and they were wandering aimlessly between shops, pointing out things they liked but never actually committing to buying anything. It was somewhat of a tradition for them, and Cyrus appreciated every moment he got to spend talking with TJ, but the hoodies had definitely stolen his attention away in that moment.

Cyrus couldn't drag his eyes away from the window display as they walked past, the world moving a little slower as he took in every detail he possibly could. He knew he was probably being slightly dramatic, but in that moment he really couldn't care less. They were ridiculously cute, and he didn't think he had ever wanted an article of clothing so much in his life.

TJ, who had a casual arm thrown over Cyrus' shoulders, picked up on his distraction almost immediately. He was always particularly sensitive to changes in Cyrus’ demeanour, no matter how small, and it was a curse as much as it was a blessing.

A knowing smile came to his lips. “Whatcha lookin' at?"

Cyrus was jolted out of his trance.

"Nothing," he responded, maybe a little too quickly because it had TJ raising an amused eyebrow.

He stopped walking then, and Cyrus glanced about nervously at the swarms of people surrounding them as TJ pulled him aside, paying no mind to the annoyed glances they were receiving. He could feel his face heating up slightly at the attention - the mall suddenly felt a whole lot more overwhelming, with all of its bright flashing signs and bustling sounds.

"TJ," he mumbled half-heartedly, fixing him with a glare. There wasn't any heat behind it though, and it had TJ smiling as he nodded his head towards the shop display.

"They're cute," he commented.

Cyrus bit his lip. "I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted, grabbing TJ's hand and tugging him lightly in the opposite direction. "let's keep walking."

TJ gently pulled his hand back, folding his arms with an amused smile. "Oh come on, you clearly want one. Let's go inside and I'll get you one."

Cyrus nearly gasped. "I'm not letting you do that!"

"And why not?"

He glanced about the mall again, feeling his face grow even warmer. "Because."

TJ rolled his eyes and placed a light hand on Cyrus' back, steering him through the glass doors of the small clothing store.

"As your friend I'm obligated to buy you cute hoodies,” he declared, smiling even wider when Cyrus rolled his eyes.

"I really don't think that's a thing."

"It is now."

Cyrus stopped arguing after that, partially because the thought of TJ wanting to buy him a hoodie was heart-melting and partially because yeah, okay - the they were in fact very cute.

TJ dragged him through the first few isles, glancing back occasionally to make sure he hadn't lost the boy somehow. The store's walls were painted a pastel pink, with fairy lights strung along the displays and retro looking chairs sat outside the changing rooms at the back. There were a few other people browsing, and a very bored looking cashier tapping away at his phone. They arrived at the racks behind the window display, TJ shooting him an amused look as he rushed forward.

"They're even cuter up close!" Cyrus gushed, only to clap a hand over his mouth when he caught sight of the smirk on TJ's face.

"I knew it."

"Shut up," he responded playfully.

TJ just smiled and ushered him forward. "Well go on then, try one on."

Cyrus hesitantly reached out to grab a hoodie, taking a few moments to examine it. It was the nicest pastel pink he had ever seen, with adorable little pride flags printed on the front. It was the type of thing he usually only saw online, so the fact that it was being displayed at a storefront amazed him. He supposed TJ was right - really, he was legally obligated to buy anything with a rainbow flag on it.

He carefully took it off its hanger and slipped it over his head, wriggling into it for a few moments.

"Taa-daa!" he announced once he had succeeded, flashing a pair of jazz hands. The sleeves were slightly long on him though, so only the tips of his fingers were visible.

TJ grinned. "Now that's a look. There's no way we're walking out of here without one for you."

Cyrus smiled bashfully at that.

"What about you?" he asked quickly, attempting to deflect the focus.

He winced as soon as the words had left his mouth and scolded himself internally for the suggestion.

There was no way TJ would want to wear a pride jumper of all things. Not to mention that it would mean the possibility of them accidentally wearing it at the same time - that would be catastrophic.

TJ just smiled though, taking the boy completely by surprise. "Yeah, actually. That'd be cool."

"Really?" Cyrus asked, not even bothering to hide his shock. "Isn't it a little too...you know..."

"A little too what?"

"Nothing," he assured, trailing off for a moment out of embarrassment. "It's just...what if we accidentally wear it at the same time?"

TJ frowned. "What would be so wrong with that?"

"Nothing! I guess I just thought you wouldn't want that. We might, you know...look like a pair of dorks."

TJ looked visibly taken aback by that, clearly not expecting the words from him of all people. The momentary hurt that flashed across his face made Cyrus regret speaking at all. He looked like a wounded puppy at that moment, and it was the very last expression he ever wanted to see on TJ's face.

"Is that what you think?" the boy asked, his voice soft.

"Of course not!" Cyrus quickly attempted to back-track. "I'd totally love to be...hoodie buddies? Oh god, that sounds lame-"

"Why don't we be hoodie buddies tomorrow then?"

Cyrus was almost fully certain he felt his heart melt into a puddle right then and there. TJ actually wanted to wear matching pride hoodies?

"Uh - sure! Totally!"

TJ smiled and shifted his gaze back towards the rack, sifting through a few of the sizes. He pulled one out after a few moments, draping it over his arm.

"Okay - take yours off and I'll pay."

"I can pay for mine-"

"No way, Cy. I was the one who suggested coming in here."

Cyrus just folded his arms, a stubborn pout forming on his face. "I was the one staring in the first place," he retorted.

"Yeah - without the intention of buying."

"But..." Cyrus trailed off as he pulled the jacket over his head, shaking his head slightly.

The athlete just rolled his eyes and plucked the hoodie out of his arms. "They're half-price, anyway. I'm buying them."

Cyrus couldn't help but smile fondly, relenting with a small sigh and watching as TJ marched up to the counter, carrying both of their hoodies.

He had officially come to the conclusion that TJ was trying to kill him. Seriously - matching pride jumpers? He could practically feel himself swooning.

After a minute or so, TJ was bounding back towards him, a large paper bag swinging by his side.

"Done! Let's go!"

TJ wrapped his free arm around Cyrus' shoulders as they left the store, and the boy found himself wondering if there would ever be a time when the action didn't make his heart flutter.

"So...are we still doing tomorrow?" TJ asked him, looking hesitant all of a sudden.

"We're still doing tomorrow." he confirmed, smiling softly and giving the boy a playful nudge.

Cyrus was in crisis mode on the walk to school the following day. Funnily enough, the chaotic swirl of storm clouds looming in the sky above him very much reflected how he felt at that moment. He was panicked beyond belief, and it was only worsening by the second.

Cyrus paused in his tracks for a moment, taking deep, purposeful breathes - he could already feel his forehead becoming damp with sweat, and his thinking was becoming more and more irrational.

TJ wouldn't even be wearing his jumper. Words were one thing, but actually wearing a pride jumper to school? That was another thing entirely, and he'd probably realised overnight what a mistake it was.

Before he could get any more stressed out, he lifted the stupid pride hoodie over his head and stuffed it forcefully into the front pocket of his bag.

Along with the hoodie, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He walked through the school gates with a slight spring in his step, knowing there was no chance of humiliation when he inevitably saw TJ without his jumper.

He crossed the basketball court and entered the school building, humming quietly to himself as he approached his locker and began to unlock it.

"Hey - underdog!"

His face paled slightly. He whirled around, fully prepared to apologise for ever suggesting the idea, but the words died on his lips when his eyes landed on the boy.

"...Oh."

TJ was wearing the hoodie. TJ was actually wearing the hoodie.

The athlete frowned. "Where's your hoodie?"

Cyrus desperately tried to push away the memory of him asking Jonah a very similar question.

"It's uh...it's in my bag. I didn't think you would wear yours."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, it's middle school...I didn't think you'd want to risk looking like..."

"Looking like what?"

He shifted nervously, a blush beginning to climb from the base of his neck up to his face. "A pair of dorks," he finished flatly.

There was a surprisingly bright smile on TJ's lips now. "I'm pretty sure we're already dorks without the hoodies, and - for the record - we're definitely the cutest pair of dorks I know."

A slow smile spread across Cyrus' face as he reached down to pull the hoodie out of his bag and slip it over his head. He spent a few moments wriggling into it, then he launched himself at TJ and hugged him as tightly as he could.

"You're the best," he mumbled.

TJ staggered back slightly, but he quickly steadied himself with a fond smile and wrapped his arms around Cyrus.

"I think you're the best actually," TJ corrected, his words slightly muffled. by Cyrus’ hair.

The other boy was beaming as he pulled away. "Totally not true...but thanks."

TJ opened his mouth to say something then, but someone beat him to it.

"Hey guys - nice hoodies!"

Cyrus immediately separated himself from TJ at the sound of Jonah's voice, his expression nervous.

"Thanks...they're not too dorky for you, are they?"

He honestly didn't know where the remark had come from, but he regretted it almost instantly. His tone sounded bitter even to him, and it clearly seemed to shock Jonah if his wide eyes were anything to go by.

TJ looked between the two boys in confusion, before realisation swept over his face. He turned to Jonah, his gaze accusatory. "Did you say something to him?"

Cyrus bit his lip and rested a placating hand on TJ's shoulder.

"It's fine TJ," he mumbled. "It was a while ago and I'm over it now, I don't even know why I-"

"No. I shouldn't have said it."

They both turned their gaze towards Jonah, so stunned that the words to respond had escaped them both.

"I know it was a while ago, but I clearly hurt your feelings. I didn't mean to make you feel self-conscious, but...that's what I did. I'm sorry."

Cyrus paused for a few moments, still processing, then he stepped forward with a smile and pulled the boy into a hug.

"It's okay," he assured.

Jonah hesitantly returned the smile as they pulled away. "So...wanna hang later?"

"Yeah! That'd be great. Meet at The Spoon after school?"

"Sure thing. I'll see you later, Cy."

Cyrus watched him walk away for a moment before turning to TJ, practically giddy with excitement. "He apologised for something! Wait until Andi hears about this."

TJ tried to match his enthusiasm, but he fell short drastically.

"That's great!" he responded, but everything about the words seemed half-hearted.

Cyrus frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he said quickly. "Lets just go. You have English first, right?"

"Yeah...but are you sure you're okay?"

TJ's gaze flickered down to the ground for a brief moment, and he gave the boy a jerky nod.

Cyrus raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Okay," he agreed, turning to walk away. "Let's go then."

He began to leave then, but TJ reached out and gently grabbed his hand. Cyrus barely managed to conceal a smile at the action - walking away tended to do the trick.

TJ lowered his gaze to the floor, his cheeks a light shade of red and his hands fiddling nervously with the hem of his hoodie. He glanced wearily around at the nearby students.

"Do you still like him?" he asked, the words so quiet that Cyrus had to lean in slightly to catch them.

It took him a few moments to register who TJ was referring to, but when he did his mouth fell open in shock.

TJ almost seemed...no. There was no way.

"No," he responded quickly, shocked that anyone could still think he liked Jonah. "I haven't for a while."

"Oh."

Cyrus' eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "...How did you find out about that?"

"I didn't really find out per se, I just kind of..."

"Figured?" Cyrus finished, a smile on his lips.

"Yeah," he breathed. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Cyrus assured, stepping forward and placing a careful hand on his arm.

He hesitated for a moment before adding "is there anything you wanted to tell me?"

TJ vehemently shook his head, a light blush staining his cheeks again. "Nope! I was just...wondering."

It didn't take long for Cyrus to forget about TJ's odd behaviour as they headed to class, laughing and playfully bumping into one another as usual. If TJ's glances just happened to linger longer than they normally did, Cyrus didn't mention it.

“Okay guys, we get it, you’re wearing matching hoodies and it’s cute, now can you please stop taking photos of yourselves?”

Cyrus gave Buffy an accusatory look at that. “What do you mean? We’ve only been doing this for...” he trailed off as he glanced down at his watch, his eyes widening. “20 minutes! TJ - how have we been taking photos for 20 minutes?”

The boy just shrugged, clearly amused by the fact. “Snapchat filters are fun.”

“They are fun,” Cyrus agreed, pocketing his phone. “But we should probably start interacting with our friends.”

Andi laughed. “Oh, by all means - keep going! We’d love to hear more about how TJ looks ‘absolutely adorable’ with the dog filter, and how he should ‘definitely wear more lipstick if this filter is anything to go by’ and-“

“Okay, okay, I hear you,” Cyrus grumbled, a blush warming his face as he glanced over at TJ. “It’s all true though, just so you know.”

“I’ll look into the lipstick then,” the boy said with a laugh.

“Don’t,” Buffy advised him. “I’m pretty sure Cyrus would die on the spot.”

“Pfft wow okay, TJ is cute but he isn’t that cute,” Cyrus said.

TJ raised a hand to his chest, feigning offence. “What did you just say about me?”

“That you aren’t that cute,” the boy responded smugly.

TJ gasped. “Whatever happened to ‘wow TJ, you look so cute with that panda filter!’ and ‘oh my gosh TJ, this blue filter really brings out your eyes-‘“

“Okay, you definitely added that ‘really’ in there,” Cyrus teased.

“That doesn’t change the rest of the sentence!”

Cyrus and TJ rapidly fell into their own world as usual, all playful remarks, lingering looks and whispered jokes. Both Andi and Buffy found the duo nauseatingly sweet (and frustratingly oblivious) at times, but seeing Cyrus happy made almost anything worth it.

The bell rang not long after that, sounded sharply within the corridors and bringing with it murmured complaints about subjects.

TJ let out a heavy sigh. “I have maths next,” he despaired. “Then I have that basketball game so I won’t even be able to talk to you.”

Cyrus felt his heart flutter at those words.

“Wellll, if you get through both of those things then I’ll buy you a milkshake tomorrow.”

“...Does the milkshake come with a hug?”

“Duh.”

TJ smiled fondly. “How could I possibly say not to that, then?”

“I have no idea,” Cyrus said honestly, returning the smile as he gently tugged the boy to the side of the corridor.

Students were rushing past them now, and TJ watched in confusion as Cyrus produced a pen from his pocket and lifted the boy’s arm. It took him a minute or so, the drawing was slightly wobbly, but TJ’s smile still had the same level of adoration as it normally did whenever Cyrus drew on his arm.

“There - now you have a small milkshake on your arm that you can look at to get through maths.”

“What would I do without you?” TJ asked, only half-seriously.

“Well - you’d definitely be deprived of my questionable drawing abilities.”

“Your wonderful drawing abilities, you mean,” TJ corrected as they began walking again, their hands brushing slightly.

“...Sure,” Cyrus smiled. “We’ll stick with that.”

"Hey - Goodman!"

Cyrus looked over at the basketball player in confusion, before giving him a hesitant wave.

He was stood in the hall waiting for TJ to finish up in the change rooms, and he really didn't expect any of the other players to acknowledge him. Sure - he attended their games and he'd had the occasional small talk with some of them, but that was the extent of his relationship with the team. The dreary morning had given way to a rainy afternoon by now, and having a conversation with anyone but TJ after an exhausting week was admittedly the last thing on his mind.

The boy approached him, and Cyrus gave him a polite smile. He spent a few desperate moments trying to recall his name, but he came up blank.

"Nice hoodie," he commented. "TJ's wearing the same one, right?"

"Uh - thanks! And yeah...he is," Cyrus responded, wincing slightly and bracing himself for whatever comment was coming next.

"That's cute."

"...I guess, yeah."

"You do know why though, right?"

Cyrus gave him a blank look. "Why what?"

"I mean - you know why he's so down to wear the same hoodie as you, right?"

Cyrus felt his stomach turn uncomfortably at the words, not liking the implications he was already picking up in the slightest.

"Yeah - because we're friends."

The boy laughed. "Oh man, that's funny."

"...What's funny about it?"

The basketball player just chuckled and placed a hand on Cyrus' shoulder, shaking his head.

"Bro. It's because he likes you."

Cyrus' heart skipped a beat. He had expected something along those lines, but hearing the words aloud?

"I know he likes me," he replied quickly. "I like him too."

"I don't think you're getting it. TJ like likes you. As in - he wants to date you."

Cyrus just took a deep breath. This guy was obviously just messing around with his captain, he rationalised to himself.

"I really don't think so," he said with an uncomfortable laugh.

The boy scoffed. "Come on, man. Why else would he wanna wear matching jumpers? Only couples do that."

"Because we're friends. Just friends! That's it."

At that moment, he heard the hurried sounds of footsteps against the hard wood floor behind him, and his heart sank. He whirled around, only catching a glimpse of TJ as he pushed his way past the double doors and rushed down the corridor.

He didn't bother calling out for him - if TJ was upset, he definitely wouldn't listen. All he could do for a moment was stand there, his mind reeling with about a billion different thoughts.

He turned to the basketball player with a sarcastic smile. "Nice chat," he remarked, before running out after the boy to call his friends.

[6:36 pm]

Cyrus: TJ. Can we please talk?

Cyrus: It's been a few hours now and I'm worried.

[6:58 pm]

Cyrus: Please say something.

[7:08 pm]

Cyrus: Do I have to kick down your door? Because I will. Maybe.

Cyrus: At least send a fullstop or something to let me know you're safe?

[7:16 pm]

Cyrus: Are you mad? Did I do something?

Cyrus: Can we please talk about this?

[7:36 pm]

Cyrus: Okay. Nice talk.

"It's no use," he sighed, throwing himself onto the couch with a defeated sigh. "He hates me now."

Buffy collapsed down next to him, a sympathetic smile on her face. "He could never hate you, Cyrus. He's just being annoying right now."

Andi gently leant over to rest her head on his shoulder, wrapping a supportive arm around her friend. "He'll call soon, don't worry."

Cyrus bit his lip and looked down at Jonah, who was sat on the floor in front of them.

"I'm sorry I was too busy worrying for us to hang out. Could we try again over the weekend?"

The boy just smiled. "Of course we can! Don't worry about it, Cy."

"Thanks," he breathed out, sinking further down on the couch. It was still raining, and he found a strange sense of comfort in the fact that the weather seemed to be reflecting his mood. The grey sky outside was giving his living room a washed out appearance, and Buffy seemed to realise this because she got up suddenly and closed all the curtains, flicking on the warm lamps around the room one by one.

"I have all the episodes of Queer Eye downloaded on my laptop," she told Cyrus as she moved around the room. "How about we watch some?"

She smiled knowingly when he immediately perked up, straightening in his seat with an excited grin.

"Yeah! Let's do that."

"Great! I'll go get my-"

The words died on Buffy's lips when the sound of sharp knocking filled the living room.

Cyrus turned to Andi, who gave him an excited nod, then to Jonah, who gave him an encouraging thumbs-up, then to Buffy, who shook her hood in amusement and gave him a playful smack on the arm as she passed the couch.

"Go! And stall for a bit - we have to escape through the backdoor."

Cyrus nodded frantically and rushed through the living room, straightening his hair and his clothes as he went. He reached the front door and practically flung it open, realising too late that he probably looked slightly desperate.

"I'm so sorry if I did anything or if what that guy said upset you, I promise I don't believe him-“

TJ just surged forward and hugged the boy, who happily wrapped his arms around the athlete's neck and buried his face in the fabric of his hoodie. It was damp from the rain, but Cyrus couldn't care less in that moment.

"You have nothing to apologise for. I was the one being stupid."

"You're not stupid," came the muffled reply.

TJ smiled fondly, before stepping back with a small sigh. "I really am sorry if I made you worry."

"It's fine-"

"It's not though," he interrupted, shifting his gaze towards the ground. He hesitated for a moment, clearing thinking over something in his head.

"I was just scared," he added, his voice much softer now.

Cyrus felt his heart break at that. He barely resisted the urge to move forward and try to comfort the boy somehow.

"Scared of what?" he asked instead.

TJ returned his gaze to Cyrus. For a moment or two it looked as though he was searching for something - trying to psych himself up somehow.

"Scared that you might hate me," he explained after a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets. Cyrus recognised the action - TJ would usually did this to prevent himself from nervously fiddling with his clothes.

Cyrus frowned. "Why would I hate you? I could never hate you."

“You might after I tell you this," TJ said with a slight laugh.

"Try me," he responded, his voice sounding a lot more confident than he felt.

TJ took a small step forward, and Cyrus could say for certain that he had never felt his heart race quite so fast. The rain was still pouring down behind TJ, splashing loudly against his driveway, but somehow he wasn't focused on that. Not when TJ was right there, his breathes slightly ragged and his gaze hesitant as it met Cyrus’.

"Adam wasn't wrong," he breathed out. "I like you."

"...You do?"

"Yeah. Like - a lot," he said, visibly drawing back as though expecting some kind of outburst.

Cyrus was beaming at him now. He stepped forward slightly to close some of the distance between them. "Do you wanna know a secret?"

A hesitant smile began to tug at TJ's lips. "What is it?" he asked, visible hope on his face now.

"I like you a lot too."

He let out a sigh of relief and moved forward to engulf the boy in another hug. Cyrus wrapped his arms around TJ's neck for balance and stood up on his tippy-toes, placing a quick kiss on the athlete's cheek.

TJ's face visibly reddened at that, looking both giddy and amazed in the most adorable way possible. Cyrus felt warm wrapped up like this, despite the icy breeze that had accompanied the afternoon rain.

He caught sight of the smudged milkshake drawing on TJ’s arm as they pulled away, and he couldn’t help but smile.

He took both of TJ’s hands. “So...I was thinking,”

“About what?” the boy asked, glancing briefly down at their hands as if he couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

“I still owe you that milkshake, and the carnival is still in town tomorrow, so how about a milkshake-carnival date? We could get some take-out from the spoon in the morning and head to the carnival from there.”

TJ’s smile widened. “It’s a date.”

They remained like that for a few moments, completely caught up in one another, until a muffled yelp from Cyrus’ house alerted them to fact that they weren’t alone.

"You guys are complete liars!" Cyrus called over his shoulder.

TJ watched in bewilderment as Buffy, Andi and Jonah all emerged from around the corner, looking guiltily at the duo.

Jonah pointed an accusatory finger at the other two. "It was entirely their idea!"

"Hey - it was raining!" Andi defended.

Buffy threw them both an amused glance and rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to see if I needed to beat TJ up for hurting your feelings. Turns out I don't, because - as everyone has known for about 10 years now - you both like each other!"

Cyrus couldn't help but smile again at those words, while TJ just folded his arms and raised a challenging eyebrow.

"You think you could beat me in a fight, Driscoll?"

"Yeah, I do actually. Wanna go right now?"

"Sure. What kind of fight are we talking here?"

"Absolutely not," Cyrus interrupted, always the voice of reason. "We are not going to fight when my parents could come home at any second. In fact - we're not going to fight at all!"

TJ immediately nodded. "Yeah. What Cyrus said."

Buffy gave him an exasperated look, but she nodded along anyway. "Fine."

"Good! Now - who wants to watch Queer Eye?"

Everyone but TJ groaned.

"Cyrus, we've seen both seasons about a billion times," Buffy complained. "And you're not upset anymore, so don't you dare use that as an excuse."

"So? It never gets old!"

"It's very re-watchable," TJ agreed.

Cyrus beamed at him, turning to Buffy again with a smug smile. "See?"

"Yeah," she scoffed. "Because he's not biased at all."

He pointedly ignored the comment and took TJ's hand, pulling him inside and closing the front door behind him. He tugged him towards the living room after that, and the trio looked after them in mild disbelief.

"I'm pretty sure he's the biggest suck up ever," Buffy remarked.

Andi nodded in agreement. "Is this what we're going to have to live with?"

Jonah watched Cyrus and TJ for a moment, thinking back to how defensive TJ had been earlier that day at the notion of anyone hurting Cyrus' feelings. He couldn't help but smile.

"Eh, let 'em live. They clearly like each other a lot - it's cute if you ask me."

He walked into the living room after Cyrus and TJ, leaving Andi and Buffy to exchange a small smile.

"I guess he's right," Andi relented. "They are pretty cute."

Buffy nodded in agreement and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders as they made their way to the living room.

"As long as Cyrus is happy, then I'm happy."

#posted this on the wrong acc oops #aLSO I'M INDECISIVE SO I POSTED IT BOTH HERE AND ON AO3 #tyrus #tyrus fanfic #andi mack #cyrus goodman #tj kippen #tj x cyrus #my fics

243 notes · View notes