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overheardatthecontinental · 3 years

Text

Talk Chapter 4

AO3

In which Helen fights for control from her kidnappers and John is met with deadends.

(The action will pick up in the next chapter

Waking up in a cell is a little easier the second time around Helen discovers.

She wakes up, freezing again, on the floor. Not that there was any other place to be. The cell was still empty.

The guards were different when she woke up but she barely paid them any attention. Instead, she managed to crawl to the little stall in the corner of her cell. Indeed, she was grateful to find a bathroom. The contents of her stomach were emptied into the small toilet and she wondered, idly, if it was the sedative that made her feel so.

She wished there was a window, or any other sort of indication of what time it was. What day it was.

Was it still Saturday? She wasn’t sure.

She wondered if it was Sunday and what would happen tomorrow morning when clients started arriving at her office to find it locked and empty?

Priorities, she tells herself.

No, she wasn’t worried about a few people missing their appointments. Not when her hands were still bound together and her throat burned from the acid of her vomit.

They’d live.

And so would she.

John was coming, she knows. It may take him some time to find her. Helen was certain she was hidden somewhere that wouldn’t be easy for him to find. But she was also positive that John wouldn’t stop until she was safe.

That brought her some comfort.

But even with that knowledge, she wasn’t going to stop trying to get herself out of the mess.

She tries to engage the new guards in conversation, but they kept their mouths shut. Probably warned by DeLuca, she thinks.

Still, one of them disappears upstairs and returns with a tv dinner that he slides through the bars to her, along with a bottle of water. They undo the bindings at her wrists but refuse to give her silverware. While she can only imagine what other uses John would find for a spoon or a fork, she wouldn’t know what the fuck to do with a utensil in a fight.

At least DeLuca isn’t planning on starving her. That was a plus. Especially since John would kill him either way.

She closes her eyes.

John was probably a wreck. He didn’t do well with things being out of his control and his emotional regulation skills were lacking.

This, she thinks, is really going to stunt the progress she’s made with him. Months of building up to him addressing his issues with self-esteem and his own feelings of self-hatred, only to have her kidnapped by his enemies.

It would take months more to work through the blame he was going to feel and probably years before he could even start to forgive himself.

The guards change not long after she wakes up. The new guards are told: “She’s been fed. Mostly quiet. DeLuca says not to interact with her.”

They listen. They ignore her attempts at small talk and don’t even look at her. The only moment of interaction comes when they hand her another meal a few hours later with a gruff, “Here.”

She falls asleep again after she eats. It’s almost too cold to sleep but she manages, blaming the exhaustion on the sedatives.

When she wakes up again, the guards have changed.

Nick, the man who had sedated her is back, along with someone new. The kid is younger than Nick. She’d place him in his early twenties at best. His face was still a little soft around the edges and the scarring from acne hadn’t found its way to clearing up just yet.

“Morning, boys.” She says, “Or is it night?”

“It’s two pm.”

“Hey!” Nick says, “DeLuca said not to talk to her.”

“What harm will talking do?” The new kid asks, looking over at Helen with a naïve sort of interest.

Nick shrugs, “Guess she’s some sort of psychiatrist.”

Wrong, Helen thinks, but doesn’t comment.

“She got inside DeLuca’s head yesterday. Kinda eerie, to be honest. Started spouting all this stuff about his parents and I guess it was true, because DeLuca was pissed. Bastard still hasn’t come back.”

Helen resists the urge to smirk at that.

“Why didn’t he just kill her? What’s she in for?”

Helen perks up a bit. She knew, obviously, that she was here as leverage or bait or something altogether nefarious to entrap John. But the more she could figure out about the details, the better off she would be.

“You ever hear of John Wick?” Nick asks, shuffling the deck of cards.

“Heard of him?” The poor kid almost sounds excited, “The man’s a fucking legend! I heard he killed three guys who started shit-talking him in the bar with a fucking pencil!”

Helen hadn’t heard that little tidbit, but she wasn’t surprised. John’s versatility was arguably his greatest strength. It made sense that it converted to weapons.

Nick hums, “Yep. And that’s his girl.” He throws a thumb in her direction.

The kid’s head flies over, staring at Helen in shock. She gives him a finger wave and the kid looks back to Nick, “That’s the boogeyman’s girl?”

Nick nods and starts to toss out the cards, “DeLuca’s been talking about getting a jump on the Camorra ever since he took over the Syndicate. Can’t help but wonder if this is his ploy.”

John had referenced the Camorra before, a number of times, but she couldn’t recall him ever mentioning the Syndicate. Nevertheless, she now had a name to put to the organization and its face that held her captive.

“But, it’s the boogeyman! You don’t mess with the boogeyman!”

“Sound advice,” Helen pipes in, “I suggest you relay the message to DeLuca before he gets you all killed.”

The kid pales and Nick shakes his head, “Don’t listen to her, Frankie.”

But Frankie was already listening. She just needed one in. “He’s probably right. I wouldn’t want to spend your last hours on this Earth in fear. Play your game.” Helen tries her best to give her a sweet smile. “Have fun with your time.”

“Hours?” he echoes.

“I mean, maybe you’ll get lucky. You might have a few days before John finds this place and razes it to the ground.”

“Disengage, Frankie.” Nick warns but even he looks uneasy.

John had mentioned his reputation a few times, but this was the first time that Helen had ever seen it in action. She knew John was not one for dramatizing but still, it was a little strange to see grown men becoming uneasy at the very mention of his name.

Frankie lowers his voice but she can still hear him echoing in the empty basement. “Look, man, you know I’m all in for the cause but I don’t know if I want to be involved in this.” He shoots Helen a glance, “I don’t want the Boogeyman coming after me.”

She almost felt sorry for the kid. Rationally, she could probably justify his actions. Write it off as a kid looking for a place to fit in, a world to survive in. He was mousy and largely unintimidating. The idea of mafiaso protection probably appealed to him, gave him space to live. But, she acknowledges, it’s harder to feel bad for someone who is keeping you locked in a cage.

“It’s a little late for that, Frankie. You and Nick are already involved.”

Nick shifts uncomfortably at the use of his name. Good, she thinks. She wants him to be anxious. She wants them both to afraid of what was to come.

Poor Frankie hadn’t even been here five minutes, she thinks, and he was already ready to bolt. She had a foot in the door, now she just had to hold her ground and push through.

“Look,” Helen offers him a small smile, “You seem like a good kid. Single mom?”

His eyes widen and he nods. “How did you know?”

An educated guess, but she doesn’t elaborate. “You did whatever you had to do to help her. How many siblings you got?”

“Don’t—” Nick tries but it’s too late.

“Two.”

“Still in school?”

Again, he nods.

“Good.” Helen says, “I hope they won’t have to drop out when you aren’t around. It’s hard for kids who drop out to catch back up. Sometimes you never do. Right, Nick?”

Nick tenses immediately.

She hums and closes her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall.

“Nick, man—”

“She’s just getting into your head. Let it go.”

Helen huffs a small laugh at that.

“I don’t know. How’d she know about my mom? And me dropping out? I didn’t say anything that—”

“It’s all just lucky guesswork. Calm down.”

If her eyes were open, she would have rolled them. “Guesswork, huh?” She glances up. It’s not much, she thinks, but it’s an opening, “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to make a little wager about that?”

“Not a chance.” Nick is quick to say but she can see the curiosity behind them. It’s reflected in Frankie who, with less experience and far less intelligence is quick to ask, “What kind of wager?”

Nick shoots him a glare but doesn’t cut her off.

“I’ll read you. Both of you. I’ll analyze your lives based on what I’ve already seen of you. And, if I’m wrong, on either of you, I’ll shut up. I won’t say anything for the rest of the night.”

“And if you’re right?” Nick asks.

“I get a phone call.”

“Not a chance.” Okay. She expected that. She could compromise.

“A text, then. I’ll keep it short. No more than a minute.”

“DeLuca would kill us.” Frankie says, shaking his head.

“DeLuca doesn’t have cameras here.” She gestures around, “And I wouldn’t be worried about DeLuca killing you when John’s out there looking for me.” She pauses, “I’ll sweeten the pot. Win or lose, I’ll ask John not to kill you.”

She’s met with silence as Frankie looks to Nick to take the lead.

Nick looks indecisive and she takes that into account. She watches the way he glances towards his phone. He’s considering it.

“You’re both part of this.” Helen leans forward, “DeLuca is arrogant enough to think he can get out of this without backlash. You’ve got to know that won’t be the case. John will hunt him down to the ends of the Earth, along with anyone else who played a part in this. Your only shot of making it through this alive is for me to interfere.”

She watches him swallow. Nick isn’t stupid. He’s probably the smartest of all the kidnappers she met but, Christ, he is lost.

John was like that, once.

Desperate for a way out, unable to find one.

“Will he listen to you?” Nick asks finally, “If you ask him to spare us, will he listen?”

She can’t make the promise. Truth be told, she’s never seen John truly angry at anyone other than himself. She doesn’t know how this is going to go.

“I am the only chance at stopping him.” She says finally. Not a promise or a guarantee. The honest truth, if ever there was one.

“Either way, win or lose?” Nick pushes.

“I give you my word.”

The moment lasts an eternity as she holds Nick’s gaze.

“I won’t give you a minute. You can’t touch the phone. You tell me the number, I type in the message. You get to send one word.”

“Three.”

He considers it, then he nods and she breathes easy.

“Start with Frankie.” He says and there comes that guard again. Keeping himself safe. Protecting his secrets.

She suspects but she isn’t entirely sure.

Frankie is an easier read, anyway. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

Nick’s reactions to what she says to Frankie will give her everything she needs.

Helen exhales and looks to the younger boy.

She takes in the clothes, the demeanor. The way he sits, the little bit of excitement in his eyes that proved just how naïve he was. How in over his head he was.

“We’ve established the single mom. You’re the oldest. Different dad’s all around. Your mom’s a dreamer. She kept hoping that each guy would be different. They’d care. They’d stay. But they never did.

“You get that from her,” Helen softens her voice, “that tendency to daydream. It keeps you going on the bad days, but it also keeps you stuck. What do consequences matter when everything will be okay in the end, right?

“But you were smart. You did shit in school, but you were quick to pick things up and acing tests made up for the fact you probably never did you homework. But your siblings do. You prioritized their work above yours, made sure they did well. Because it was too late for you, even then, wasn’t it?”

Frankie’s mouth opens but she keeps going.

“Three boys,” That much is a guess but the subtle intake of breath from Frankie tells her she’s right, “Three growing boys need food. And clothes. Mom was running herself to the ground to keep going. So, you stepped up. Because you’re the oldest, and because you love your mom. And, partly, because she and your brothers are all you have.”

Frankie looks like he’s going to pass out at any minute but it’s Nick she’s watching, out of the corner of her eye.

Nick’s leg is shaking, bouncing with nervous energy and he’s staring at his phone, as if it’s the only thing in the world giving him strength.

She’s willing to stake everything that whatever his lock screen shows is his reason to get up each and every morning.

Turning her attention back to Frankie, she continues, “So you wound up here. It’s local and Italian, so it could be worse in your mother’s eyes. It doesn’t stop her from worrying, though.

“But you have your uses. You’re not street smart like the rest of these guys here, but just clever enough that you see things they don’t. Finding patterns and solving puzzles. It makes up for the fact you’re shit in a fight and you probably can’t even shoot straight.”

Frankie’s face breaks into a huge grin, “Holy shit! That was dead on! How did you do that?” He leaves his chair and comes to sit on the ground outside her cell. “I didn’t know psychologists did that.”

Her face softens, “Most don’t. Technically, we’re supposed to avoid making assumptions but, after a while, you learn to pick up on little things.”

Nick narrows his eyes, “Still seems like guess work to me. The fact we’re both dropouts isn’t written on our faces. You guessed based on the fact we’re involved in Syndicate.”

“It gave me an indication of your socioeconomic status,” she admits, “But, in Frankie’s case, it was the oldest brother, single mother combination that made me go in that direction. I used to do quite a bit of family therapy. There are roles that often come up in enmeshed families,” she explains, looking back at Frankie, “things like enablers who allow everything to happen, or scapegoats, who get blamed for everything.”

Helen tries to watch Nick’s reaction to the scapegoat. And sure enough, he stares at his locked screen.

“What am I?” Frankie asks.

“The Hero.” His chest puffs up at the label, “You try to fix everything, even the things that can’t ever be put back together. Which is how I knew you dropped out to help your mom. It’s what you do.”

“And Nick?” He asks, gesturing back to where Nick sat at the table.

Curious, but tense. Disbelieving, but with a hint of worry.

He had the most to lose from this expenditure.

“Nick,” she says softly, “was the scapegoat. And that’s a difficult place to be because you can do everything right but it doesn’t matter. I imagine you got in trouble a lot as a kid, didn’t you, Nick? You didn’t follow the expectations lined out for you. In your parent’s eyes, you made the wrong choices. Had the wrong friends. Played with the wrong toys.”

“There are no wrong toys.” Frankie says, tilting his head in confusion.

“You’re right.” Helen replies, not looking away from Nick, who is now tapping his fingers on the table in an attempt to appease the nervous energy. “But there were in your parent’s eyes. So you tried to appease them, to do everything right. Just how they wanted but you had already made your bed and they never quite got over it.”

Helen has to close her eyes at the flash of pain she sees in Nick’s eyes.

And she’s careful with her phrasing because she won’t be the one to bring it into the open, even if she needs to communicate to him that she knows his deepest secret. The one he pretends doesn’t exist.

“I’ll admit, I am unsure of what happened. But they found out. Maybe you told them, or they saw something they shouldn’t have, but they found out.”

“Stop.”

“They found out, and you lost everything.”

Nick’s hand reaches for his phone and his fist tightens around it, like a lifeline.

“I don’t understand.” Frankie says, looking between them.

Helen ignores him. “You didn’t have a choice but to leave school. You had to support yourself. Take care of yourself. And you found this place. The Syndicate. A family in its own right and they took you in. But this time, you were more careful. You didn’t let it show.”

“Stop!” Nick shouts and Helen does. His face is red, his chest rising and falling.

Helen swallows but stares Nick down until he brings is eyes to meet hers. “There is nothing wrong with you, Nick.”

“You don’t know shit.”

“I don’t know the pain of what you’ve been through. Your experience is your own. But I know what it’s like to be afraid and to feel trapped. And I know that nothing is going to change until you learn to accept who you are.”

Nick closes his eyes and rubs them.

And Frankie, bless his stupid fucking heart, looks back to Nick in a kind of understanding. “Oh.” He says and he looks to Helen and then again to his comrade, “Dude, I know how this place can be, but if it helps, I don’t care one way or the other. My middle brother is gay.”

Nick winces at the word and looks past Frankie to Helen.

“What gave it away?” He asks, voice heavy with emotion.

“Nothing that anyone else will pick up on.” She eases his worries, “I’ve been a therapist for nearly fifteen years. I know what to look for.”

Nick looks to Frankie, “You can’t fucking t—”

“I won’t say anything.” Frankie is quick to jump in. “I see how the world treats Gio and he’s only in high school.”

“The world can be a cruel place. As humans, we tend to have a hard time distinguishing what is perceived as normal and what is perceived as right. But we all have a responsibility to challenge those beliefs and I am sorry that your parents couldn’t do that for you.”

“I wasn’t a bad kid.” Nick mutters.

“Of course, you weren’t.”

“I just wanted my parents to love me.”

“Some parents aren’t made to be parents. And the fact they couldn’t get over their narrow world view has nothing to do with you.”

“I can’t come out.”

“You don’t have to.” Helen tells him, “You can live the rest of your life pretending to be someone you’re not. Half the world does, anyway. But I can guarantee you that hiding who you are isn’t going to do anything to protect your kid.”

Nick’s eyes widen and he looks to Helen in shock.

“You have a kid? How did that even happen?” Frankie asks.

“Tequila.”

“We’ve all been there.” Helen mutters, lifting her water bottle in a silent salute. “The guys start asking too many questions about why you never date, never have a girlfriend. They start teasing at the truth and you go out and find somebody. Anybody. And things happen, because things always do. And the next thing you know, you’re trapped in another web of lies. It’s easier to play along than to find a way out and, eventually, that web of lies starts to feel like home. And right now, it’s fine. But webs will always begin to unravel. I’d suggest you do it on your own terms rather than watch your world implode.”

Nick shivers, “You really need to stop.”

“Sorry. It’s hard to shut off, sometimes.”

“I can see why DeLuca sedated you.” He mutters and grabs his phone, “A deal is a deal. What’s the number?”

Helen tries not to look to relieved as Nick brings up a new text message. She recites John’s number, forever thankful that she memorized it. Just in case.

He types it in and shakes his head, “I take it this is Wick’s direct line?”

She nods, “Yes.”

Nick exhales, “I’m really fucking glad our shift is almost done. What do you want to say?”

Three words, she muses. They had agreed on three words.

She didn’t know if he already knew where she was, or who had her. Helen didn’t want to waste her one shot giving John information he already had but, she liked to think if he knew where she was, he would already be here.

“DeLuca of Syndicate.” She decides and hopes against hope that it is enough.

….

Dead ends.

After more than a day of searching, John had only been met with dead ends and more questions.

Winston was right. The answer to who would want to destroy the Camorra was apparently everybody. Which meant the only other factor they had to go on was by means.

Who had the resources to stalk and evade John Wick?

Again, the answer was more substantial than he knew what to do with.

They all had money. Especially, the higher up the food chain they went.

While Winston had been able to clear the highest-ranking officials of the High Table, there were still hundreds of smaller echelons to eliminate.

It hadn’t been going well.

John had limited the search to the Camorra’s immediate allies and their top adversaries, local and foreign. Winston was running it now but John could tell he wasn’t hopeful.

It had never occurred to John just how far the Underworld went. Aside from the major players, there were crime families and gangs that all held some sort of stake in his world. And New York was the fucking capital of it all. Anyone and everyone had ties to the city.

The Technician was still there, in his room. He had used the twin bed to catch a few hours of sleep while they waited for the phone to be activated and John had kept vigil. He watched the phone, waiting for any sort of call or message that wasn’t going to come. He watched the computer, hoping that something would pop up.

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing, Mister Wick. If this guy had a modicum of common sense, he would have ditched her original phone and just taken the SIM card. He’ll probably keep the phone off until he intends to use it. Might even be removing the card and only using that when he needs it. Until it’s turned on, we can’t do anything.”

It had taken every ounce of self-control John had not to smash the Technician’s computer. To break the table the way he had done the chair.

He wanted to break something. Needed to see, and hear, and feel something smash apart. Something else had to break before he did.

Thirty-six hours.

It had been thirty-six hours since he had gotten the phone call and he was still no closer to finding Helen.

His stomach churned.

He’d never had trouble eating before or after a mission before. Nothing rattled him. Not blood, or entrails, or the crack of breaking bones. He could see brain matter spattered along a floor and go for a cheeseburger right after.

But this uncertainty, the not knowing… it was killing him.

Had she eaten?

There was a frost over the weekend. Was she someplace warm?

Was she scared?

Did she know he was coming?

He hears the door open and jumps to his feet, heading to the main room. The Technician was hunched over the laptop, needlessly running security cameras and traffic footage near Helen’s home.

John feared it wouldn’t be enough.

A table full of weapons brought by the Sommelier is prepped near the door that Winston is walking through.

He has a bag ready in case Winston is unable to find anything. In case he has to go after the D’Antonio’s.

Winston shakes his head at John, almost in defeat.

“We need to reframe our parameters.” The Manager says, “It’s still too broad.”

John leans against the table. He hadn’t been expecting much but anything would be better than the constant attempts to narrow their search.

What was he missing? What was he leaving out?

What if he went too narrow and ended up missing Helen?

“Have you slept, Jonathan?”

It’s the third time they’ve had this conversation.

He’s tried. But he can’t. Every time he closes his eyes, he can see Helen, bound and passed out on the cold floor.

He can’t remember how many coffee’s he had but it’s keeping him going.

“I suppose I should be grateful you’ve showered.” Winston says, obviously still disapproving. “Still, you won’t be any good to her if you’re strung out on caffeine.”

“I’ve tried, Winston. I just…” He trails off.

This is your fault. You should have protected her better. You should never have showed weakness. Should never have gone to her house. To her office. Should never have brought your fucked-up life into her safe one.

He runs a hand through his hair.

The sitting, the waiting, the hoping is doing absolutely nothing.

He has to fix this.

“I can’t wait any longer, Winston.” John shakes his head, “I’m going after Lorenzo.”

Winston responds in kind, “Don’t be stupid, Jonathan.”

“I can’t sit here doing nothing. If I kill the D’Antonio’s, this is over. She’ll be released.”

“You’re banking on an unknown enemy being honest.”

It was true, but what else was there to go on?

“He has no reason to keep her once they’re dead.”

“That you know of. This could just be the beginning of his plan.” Winston keeps arguing.

“It’s all ifs right now!” John can feel the anger brimming within him, “But it’s all I have! And Helen… she’s tough but she has her limits.”

Winston frowns, “Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you became involved with her.”

“You think I don’t know that! I know that this is my fault but I will get her out of this. I gave you time, I gave the Technician a chance.”

“My time isn’t up.”

“You have a handful of hours and no fucking leads.”

“Um, Mister Wick…” The Technician pipes up, turning around in his seat.

“Then help me narrow down what I should be looking for. You know I can’t just let you go off to kill a member of the High Table.”

“You won’t be able to stop me.”

“Mister Wick!” The Technician shouts and both John and Winston turn to look at him, “You, um, sorry. But you just got a text from an unknown number.”

He holds up the phone and John takes it.

A New York number, that he doesn’t recognize, but opens all the same. The message is short, deliberate.

The miracle he’s been praying for.

DeLuca of Syndicate.

#john wick #helen wick #john wick talk #john x helen wick #helen x john wick #otp: your best friend #bamf!Helen Wick #bamf helen wick #slight dumbass john wick #john wick fanfiction #john wick fanfic

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raisedbyfandomwolves · 4 years

Note

I have a prompt if it’s not too long! Supergirls phone gets stolen and CatCo post her text messages and they just can’t figure out who the 😏 (Mon-El) contact is. Thank you! -Cassie

Hi! Sorry this took so long and I’m not sure if this is what you envisioned when you sent me this prompt but I hope you like it!

--------

Kara's made mistakes; she knows it and she's not so proud that she won't admit it.

There have been big mistakes – thinking she can take on a rampaging Buroul without backup definitely counts – and little mistakes – picking up the wrong order and getting yelled at for it by Ms Grant for a whole hour – but no matter what, she's owned up to every last one of them.

This time though... This time, she really wishes she could just blame it all on someone else.

Maybe Alex. Alex had been the one who had given her the second phone in the first place, after all. “Consider it a necessary backup now that you have a second job,” her adoptive sister had said as she had handed over the device. “You never know when you'll need it.”

That moment had never really materialised and, minus checking the few DEO alerts that had gotten sent to it, Kara had ended up just using it when her own phone's battery was low or for random things like downloading games Winn had recommended trying.

And occasionally texting Mon-El.

It's a bad habit she shouldn't have allowed to take root, she realises in hindsight, but at the time it had seemed pretty harmless. She's a careful person, after all, and keeping track of two phones is a simple enough thing to do.

At least, that's what she had believed.

Right up until she had gotten into a huge brawl with a couple of alien mercenaries downtown and lost that phone somewhere between getting punched into a building and having a car tossed at her head.

Which in itself would've been fine if she had noticed and retrieved it before she had left.

Of course, she hadn't done that... and someone else had found it instead.

Someone who had managed to figure out that the phone belonged to Supergirl... and posted the texts all over the internet.

The internet had promptly and predictably imploded.

And now here she is, hiding from the rest of the world face down on her couch and alternating between cursing herself for her carelessness, trying not to die of embarrassment and wishing she had a combination of Winn's hacking skills and J'onn's telepathic powers just so she can destroy all the evidence and erase everyone's memories then pretend none of this ever happened. (Her one saving grace – whatever it's worth anyway – aside from the fact that she'd put a silly smiley instead of Mon-El's name and consequently protected his identity is that their texts had been more sweet and mushy instead of scandalous and inappropriate although some of his had definitely counted as suggestive in nature.)

In short, Kara is nothing less than a giant Kryptonian-shaped ball of shame and suffering at the moment.

The same, however, cannot be said for Mon-El, who had readily surrendered his own phone once they had realised it had been indirectly compromised and is now using her laptop to keep track of the madness with a gigantic grin on his face.

To say that he's the complete opposite of her and is actually enjoying this entire fiasco would be an understatement.

“'Supergirl's Superboyfriend?'!” he reads out yet another atrocious headline from some gossip website with the exuberance of a kid in a candy store. “Hey, maybe I should adopt that as my superhero name.”

“Absolutely not.” Her words come out muffled thanks to her current position so she forces herself to lift her head just enough that she can glower at him. “Again, no. It's mortifying. Don't you have any shame? And wouldn't you prefer to have a superhero name that's completely your own instead of one that's so... so... connected to me?”

“Daxamite,” he reminds her as he meets her almost lethal glare, his free hand pointing at his still grinning face that she very dearly wants to throw a pillow at right now. “As for your second question, I'd consider it an honour so I really wouldn't mind.”

“Well, it's mortifying for me then!” she growls, her cheeks burning so much she wonders if her face resembles a fire hydrant at the moment. “And I don't understand why you're so interested in all this! Didn't they have gossip back on Daxam?!”

“Nothing like this. I mean, everyone pretty much knew who everyone was sleeping with-” She cringes at that and turns a darker shade of red. “-so the gossip was more about other things like who'd gotten caught cheating at cards- Oh, CatCo's put out an article too!” he cuts himself off to announce the latest update, somehow managing to sound even more delighted than before. “And look, your boss even wrote it herself!”

A miserable groan escapes her and she buries her face in her couch again. Ms Grant had been beyond livid that someone had out-scooped her about Supergirl, never mind the fact that it had been the result of a complete accident, and Kara can only imagine what the woman has written much less planned next.

Luckily for her, Mon-El decides it's his duty to share the 'pertinent' details with her. “Wow, she managed to guess that I'm an alien too and there's even a photo of us although it's kind of blurry...” He laughs. “The comments are even better. They're saying I must be 'a real hunk' and 'totally ripped' among other things.”

Aghast, she raises her head again to stare at him, a confusing mixture of incredulity and possessiveness clouding her mind. “Why would they even be talking about that kind of thing?!”

“Well, you're Supergirl,” he replies with a faux sage-like voice although it's beyond obvious he's suppressing one hell of a smug grin. “It's only natural to assume you have excellent taste in men.”

She gurgles for over a minute, unable to vocalise a single coherent word due to being at a complete loss as to how to respond. Denying it feels wrong but agreeing is just unthinkable especially since he'll be obnoxiously self-satisfied about it until the end of time... and judging by the way he's now openly grinning at her, he knows it.

Stuck between two unpalatable choices, Kara opts to take a third option and drops her head back down again. Maybe if she gives it enough time, this will all just blow over and she can get on with her life like nothing had ever happened.

The laugh full of impish glee that bursts out of Mon-El just as she finishes that thought suggests she's not getting her wish anytime soon... and what he says next only confirms it in the worst possible way. “Hey Kara, guess what? Apparently it's called 'supersex' when we do it!”

...Screw this. National City can go find itself a new superhero; she's leaving Earth and never coming back.

(Eventually Winn is able to make it seem as if the texts had been part of someone's roleplaying account, whatever that's supposed to be, but it's still a good long while before Kara can bring herself to look any of her family and friends in the eye.)

#karamel #prompt fic #cassier556

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dawninlatin · 4 years

Text

Queen of Peace, chapter 6

A Manorian High School AU

Words: 2167

AO3 Link

Masterlist

Summary: Manon Blackbeak is flawless, untouchable. From the outside at least. Her grandmother pushes her to achieve greatness, and she doesn’t let anyone get too close in fear of being hurt. How can anyone love her when not even her parents could?

Dorian Havilliard has always felt safe and confident around his friends. He might not have the greatest of families, but with Aelin and Chaol by his side, nothing can go wrong. That is until he tries keeping his greatest secret from them.

What will happen when Dorian and Manon gets to know one another? Can two lost souls find their way back together?

And I’ve been taking chances

I’ve been setting myself up for the fall

I’ve been keeping secrets

From my heart and from my soul

-Florence + The Machine, Lover to Lover

Once Saturday arrived, Dorian had almost forgotten about his plans to meet up with Manon and discuss their project. He couldn’t blame himself for forgetting, not when yesterday had been so eventful.

He’d done it. He had come out as bi to Chaol. After months and months of keeping it a secret, of hiding, of hating himself for being unable to just say it, he’d done it. And Chaol’s reaction had been better than he could ever hope for.

There was still a long way to go, he still hadn’t told Aelin, or his family, but he had taken that first, terrifying leap of faith, and that mattered. His father probably wouldn’t have the same reaction as his best friend, but Dorian found himself not caring that much. As long as he had Chaol and Aelin, the latter whom he’d tell the next time he saw her, everything would be fine.

Then there was the case of Manon Blackbeak. Dorian still couldn’t quite believe that she had actually texted him, had actually agreed to meet up with him on a Saturday, of all days, to discuss some English project. Even as he walked through the heavy doors of the communal library, he had to pull up his phone one more time, just to be sure it wasn’t all some figment of his imagination.

But there she was, sitting by one of the many tables, a notebook open in front of her. She was staring straight ahead, looking as if she might stand up and bolt at any moment. Seeing her out of school was…strange, Dorian thought to himself. It felt as if he had entered some brand new, undiscovered territory, as if he had found a window, offering a look at who she really was behind the mask of uncaring coldness.

Walking towards her table, he wiped his sweaty palms on the front of his jacket, trying to calm his thundering heart. You have nothing to be nervous about, he told himself, but he didn’t believe it for a moment. Dorian desperately wanted her to like him. He wanted her to smile and laugh and talk about the things she cared about. He just really wanted to get to know her.

«Hey,» Dorian said as he reached the table, pulling out the chair on the opposite side of Manon, whom he now noticed wasn’t staring at nothing, she was listening to music. And she seemed fairly lost in it. I wonder what she listens to, some voice inside him whispered. «Hey!» he said again, louder this time. That seemed to get her attention. She didn’t greet him back, her pulling out her earbuds and placing them on the table the only sign she even knew he was there.

«What were you listening to?» he asked in a nimble attempt to break the heavy tension, the wooden chair creaking as he sat down.

«Nothing.»

Dorian couldn’t tear his eyes off of her. Even while she was glaring at him, looking as if she wanted to be anywhere but here, there was no denying the fact that she was beautiful. Manon was wearing her usual leather jacket and vintage t-shirt, but her hair was loose, swept over one shoulder, and she wasn’t wearing any make up except for a bright-red lipstick. It somehow made her look younger, softer.

Deciding to play this the usual way, Dorian gave her a once-over, before bringing out his signature smirk. «You look nice today. New lipstick?»

«Cut the crap already. I’m not here to make ‘nice’ small-talk or to pretend I actually wanna do this, so let’s just pick a book and get it over with. I have other places to be right now.»

She must have done something really bad, Manon concluded, because some god was punishing her in the most cruel of ways. Dorian Havilliard was sitting across from her, giving her a look that, to her greatest horror, actually made her toes curl. He was handsome, there were no other ways to describe him, with his stupid, pretty blue eyes and his stupid, curly, dark hair. The smart choice would be to stay as far away from his as possible. He brought nothing but trouble.

But you’re not smart, are you? You would have stayed away if you were. You truly are your mother’s daughter.

And it was true, what she’d said. She had other places to be, and coming here today was a risk, one she already regretted. Normally, she spent her Saturdays in the dance studio, honing her already flawless moves. She had to, if she wanted to stay on top, if she wanted to be the very best. Nothing else is good enough. Manon didn’t want to imagine what her punishment would be if her grandmother found out she had been slacking today. Even if this was all for a school project. Good thing the woman was currently out of town.

Her attention shifted back to Dorian as he cleared his throat. «I have been thinking a little, and I think we should do our project on Harry Potter.»

Oh, he had got to be kidding her, Manon thought as she schooled her features to look as unimpressed as possible. Had she been anyone else, she would have laughed at his suggestion, but Manon Blackbeak didn’t laugh. The only emotion she showed was plain, unimpressed boredom. It was simply easier that way. Better to push people away before they got the chance to leave.

Because how could anyone ever want to stay with her, when not even her parents could?

But that trick didn’t work on Dorian. She was just as cruel and cold with him as she was with everyone else, yet he didn’t shy away, didn’t leave her alone. It was why she couldn’t stay away either. He saw something in her that no one else did, something she kept hidden in the very depth of her soul. Him asking her about her music had been enough to unnerve her. She didn’t share her music with anyone, but for a second, she had wanted to tell him, to show him. Dorian threw her off balance, and it terrified her. Not that she would ever admit it.

«It might not be the most traditional of choices, but there are a lot of elements to analyze and discuss, and Mr. Norton wanted us to show independence and originality. And besides, everyone loves Harry Potter once they try it.»

«Isn’t it a children’s book?» Manon asked, and eyebrow raised in question. She didn’t want to be here, and she most definitely didn’t want to read his book.

«Oh, you sweet, innocent muggle,» Dorian drawled. A deadly glare was Manon’s only response to what was clearly some nerdy reference she didn’t get. She did not have the time for silly stories.

There was a glow in his eyes now, a glow she knew all too well, only because she got that very same glow in her own eyes whenever she read about nearly forgotten historical events or some long lost mythology from worlds now turned to dust.

«There is no way I am going to read Harry Potter.»

«Do you have a better suggestion?» As he said that, Dorian looked way too smug for Manon’s liking, but he had a point. She didn’t have a better suggestion.

Deeming her silence a good enough answer, Dorian leaned back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head. «That’s what I thought.»

At this very moment, Manon decided she hated group projects. She hated the lack of control, hated the fact that she had to compromise every damn thing, hated that her grade partly relied on a smirking bastard and his ability to analyze a book. A children’s book at that. This was her senior year, for fuck’s sake, she didn’t have the time for this. She had to focus, had to avoid any distraction, her future depended on it, but Dorian Havilliard and Mr. Norton’s idiotic assignment made that very hard at the moment.

Later that night, as Dorian was sitting on his bed, once again reading the opening words of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, he couldn’t help but think of how somewhere else in their small town, Manon was discovering this fantastic world for the first time.

He wished he could be with her right now, wished he could see her reactions to all of his favorite scenes. Would she laugh? Would she roll her eyes? Would she fall in love with it as much as he had? Dorian sincerely hoped she would love it, and after today, he had a feeling she was the exact type to get lost in a story.

Their meeting had been very awkward at first, and Dorian had nearly been sure she would get up and leave at some point, but as they had begun planning and discussing their project, they had eased into a natural, flowing conversation, undoubtedly being on the same page when it came to how they wanted to go through with their project.

Then Manon had come up with the idea of comparing fantasy to real life mythology, and it was as if a brand new person had taken her place. While she was explaining how fiction almost always came from real events, and how world history had helped shape most literature, Dorian had gotten lost in the sound of her voice, so eager and confident.

She had almost smiled as she went on and on about ancient legends, her eyes practically glowing, and Dorian had felt like the fucking chosen one himself for being able to witness it. Manon had shown him a glimpse of herself, of who she was under that mask of carefully calculated coldness.

Did the real her look at everything with such passion? Dorian didn’t know, but he was hell-bent on finding out.

Manon should have gone to bed by now, but that stupid book was impossible to put down.

She had been right, it was a children’s story, and yet it had sucked her in from the very beginning. Was Dorian lying awake, reading, just like her?

The world was quiet as her eyes hungrily roved over page after page, a single lamp lit in her otherwise dark room. She was all alone, with the exception of Abraxos, who currently lay sprawled on his back by her side.

Asterin had not come home tonight either, and merely thinking about it caused a knot to form in her stomach. She had been lying to her grandmother about it for weeks now, protecting Asterin from the punishment that would surely come if their grandmother ever found out, but Manon didn’t think she could keep up the charade for much longer.

I have done everything for you, to make sure you do not end up like your mother, and yet you have the nerve to lie to me? That ungratefulness will bring you nowhere in life. You are pathetic, weak, worthless-

Manon could feel the sting of a palm against her cheek as she heard her grandmothers voice speak into her mind. She was becoming distracted, especially after today.

Apparently, it wasn’t bad enough that she was lying about her cousin, she had also lied today about her whereabouts. Instead of spending the day training, she had gone to the library to meet a boy. Dorian Havilliard to be specific.

And Manon hated to admit it, but she had enjoyed the time they spent together. They made a good team, the two of them. She had tried her very best to stay cold and disinterested, but planning their project had made her eager. If all went to plan, they were going to nail it.

Then there was Dorian. Manon had been set on not liking him, but talking together was so easy, almost fun. And the time had passed so quickly.

Despite herself, Manon actually wanted to spend more time with him, wanted to keep talking and keep sharing ideas and thoughts.

Friends will get you nowhere in life. They will only hold you back.

Her grandmother was right. She couldn’t let anything distract her. She had to be better. Had to do better. Beginning with getting enough sleep.

Only one more chapter, and then she would put the book away, even if she had decided she wanted to stay at Hogwarts forever.

As Manon kept reading, she reached a scene that was so ridiculous she couldn’t help but let out a rich laugh, the sound echoing through the otherwise empty house. It was so earnest she felt it deep down in her belly.

And although she was smiling, the grin quickly faded away when Manon realized she could not remember the last time she had done so.

A/N: Started making it.

Had a breakdown.

Bon appetite.

Okay, on a more serious note, I did not think continuing this would be so hard, and I am nowhere near happy with how this chapter turned out, but I did try, so A for effort:)

Shortly after I published chapter 5 my mental health reached an all time low, and I found my motivation to be gone. I am doing way better now, and am still determined to finish this, even if it will take a loooong time.

When I started writing again, it seemed my brain had short-curcuited, so I apologize for how bad and out of rhythm this chapter is (what even is English, lol). I understand if you are disappointed, because so am I.

But I want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who comments and leaves kudos and all that, without you, I never would have picked this story up again...Love u all!!

Peace&Love<3 -Dawninlatin

#throne of glass #sarah j maas #manorian #manon x dorian #manon blackbeak #dorian havilliard #manorian fanfiction #manorian au #throne of glass fanfiction #dawninlatin QoP

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charpaige · 5 years

Text

| i told you so |

rating: teen (cuz kissing) | word count: 5,484

In which, the local news airs Charlotte kissing Kid Danger, and everyone gives Henry their condolences.

It's finally the holidays in Swellview and Charlotte couldn't be happier. Call her cliché, but the twinkling lights, various Christmas trees, refreshingly cold air, classic holiday music, and eating every chocolate peppermint combo known to man made the season even better.

In fact, Charlotte was sipping on a peppermint mocha latte while waiting for Jasper, watching snow flurries fall against the backdrop of a multicolored lit-up holiday storefront when she heard a noise. She slowly removed her cup from her lips and looked to the alleyway that led to the parking lot. As soon as her eyes caught red and blue, she smiled.

"Kid Danger, what are you doing around here? I thought you and Captain Man were at a bank robbery."

"We were, but forget that. Just come over here," Henry said while beckoning her from behind the corner of the building.

Charlotte gave him a skeptical look. "I need to wait for Jasper. I don't want him to think I ditched him."

Henry looked at a specific retailer where there was a line outside of a door, with Jasper outside with other patrons and not even close to the doorway. "He's waiting for the eggnog leches cake, right? He's gonna be there for a while, and it looks like he'll be just fine, so come on."

She gave Henry a small frown before looking over at Jasper, taking in the scene of him chatting it up with some cute guy. Huh, maybe he was right. "Fine," she answered, taking her time turning the corner.

Of course, Henry was being Henry, so he continuously beckoned her further and further without explanation till they were behind the building and in an obscure place near the parking lot.

Charlotte looked up at Henry expectedly, shrugging her shoulders in question at what was going on. "You led me back here for what exactly?"

"I just wanted to say hi," he replied with a smile, stepping closer into her space. "And maybe get a ‘good job on saving people at the bank even though it's my job' kiss."

"Henry," she started, "we can't kiss here. Being behind a building just doesn't make the world's population disappear."

"Hmm, not so sure about that," he countered.

Charlotte gave him The Look™, but it was paired with a grin. "You know it's not safe, especially with you dressed up as Kid Danger. And you're making secret dating awfully hard to keep a secret if you want to kiss and hold hands every time we're within five feet of each other."

"C'mon Char, you know that's what makes secret dating more fun."

Unfortunately, she knew he was right. It didn't take a rocket scientist or someone with a doctorate degree to know that the best part about secret dating was, in fact, the secret. The adrenaline that rushed through your veins after nearly being caught in a compromising position and making up white lies as to why you're suddenly spending so much time together was fun. Charlotte thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest when she and Henry almost got caught kissing in the elevator by Ray.

It was exhilarating damn near, but the unmatched part of it all was the one on one time with each other while secret dating. It was like being on a whole different planet where the atmosphere was laced with pheromones that made you inseparable and obsessed with each other. Charlotte could get a part-time job for looking into Henry's brown eyes, even with constant overtime and low pay.

When Charlotte watched couples and romances on television, she didn't get it. Watching her high school classmates fall in and out of love and grow frantic over someone they've known for a few months at the drop of an iPhone made no sense to her. But it suddenly started to make a little bit of sense when she and Henry got closer again after a small distancing act.

Charlotte blamed it on multiple things. One, Henry didn't have girlfriends anymore, which meant he wasn't texting, calling, and asking her for girl advice all the time. Then, Jasper found out about Henry being Kid Danger. The secret wasn't just between the two of them anymore where they'd go to school together talking about crime fighting, afterward to Junk N' Stuff together to actually fight crime, and go to Henry's place after to be regular teens with homework.

Add Jasper to that formula and everything was less interpersonal between Charlotte and Henry. But they got closer after their rough patch, crime was slowing down after the addition of more Swellview Police Departments. Jasper was going out on more dates with girls and boys in an attempt to figure himself out. And Henry needed help balancing his school life and work life, which meant Charlotte swooped in to help with homework, studying, standardized testing, essays, and impending college applications.

It surprisingly made Charlotte and Henry tight-knit again. It was the two of them in the Man Cave, at Henry's house, in class, Charlotte's home, watching Junk N' Stuff, going to the Mall and restaurants to pep talk Jasper for his dates. The distancing act that previously plagued their friendship all around evaporated and it made them closer than ever.

So much closer that it led to pretty obvious crushes on their parts. All it took was a college application sleepover where Jasper ditched them for a last-minute date. Eventually, Henry and Charlotte were wrapped up in each other during a horror movie marathon, being the true scaredy-cats that they were as they clasped hands and hid behind shoulders.

Cue an impromptu confession on both their parts consisting of like, liking each other and a couple of kisses because hey, they had to seal the deal. And suddenly, they were a secret item. It had to be under wraps at first because they weren't really sure where they were going with this whole dating thing as lifelong best friends, but it felt right.

But when Henry dropped a hypothetical on Ray about the situation, Ray made it clear it wasn't a good idea. The whole co-workers dating each other thing that could get in the way and blah, blah, blah. So, that meant it was confidential from everyone. Including Jasper, which was the worst part.

Henry and Charlotte didn't want to play favoritism to who to spill the beans to, but they were also just two months into the relationship. Yeah, it felt like the real deal, but they already lied to him about being in a relationship before to test his loyalty to keeping secrets. They didn't want to do that to him again.

Especially with Ray being a grown, man-child that'd do anything to get a secret out of anyone that smelled slightly of anything hush-hush related. It was a slippery slope with greased roller skates. But in this particular personal moment between Charlotte and Henry, with him trying to pout and entice her into a kiss, it felt worth it.

She tried to keep her face expressionless, attempting to not let Henry know she was entirely giving in. "I don't know," Charlotte trailed off.

"Well," he began, while pulling something from his pocket and holding it over her, "what about now?"

She looked up and was instantly impressed that he bought mistletoe. "Darn you, Henry. You know I can't say no to holiday antics and traditions."

"I know," Henry surmised, unable to hide the huge smile on his face.

Charlotte sighed, still not sure yet knowing exactly when and how Henry captured her heart. "Let's make this quick," she commanded, closing the gap between them.

Henry met her halfway and the two damn near mashed lips, but it somehow made the kiss that much more intimate. The lip-lock was soft and languid, their lips continuously moving against one another's even though it was supposed to be quick. Henry got bolder, putting an arm around her waist to pull her closer while Charlotte's hand cupped the side of his face, her warm hand caressing his cold nipped jawline.

They were instantly and undeniably in another world with each other, just a couple of hormonal teenagers kissing behind a building while the snow fell heavier around them. At least they were until a car alarm rang out in the distance. Charlotte and Henry separated swiftly, it was almost like Charlotte somehow obtained hypermotility with how fast they stepped out of each other's orbit.

The two of them looked around, the alarm shut off as a mother scolded her child who had taken her car keys. A wave of relief ran through them, the couple both sighing to the point where they could see their breath in the cold. As fast as the reassurance ran through them, it rapidly disappeared for Charlotte and was replaced with irritation mixed with embarrassment.

She lightly punched his arm. "See? This is why it wasn't safe."

Henry rubbed the spot where she hit him for dramatic effect. "You said it was gonna be quick."

"It obviously wasn't quick!" Charlotte retorted, frustration lacing her voice.

"Char," Henry said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's gonna be okay, I'm sure nobody saw us. Just calm–"

She narrowed her eyes at him, deciding to sip her forgotten latte. "Were you gonna tell me to calm down?"

He balked, suddenly remembering her accosting him in the Man Cave for doing just that in the past. "No," he lied with a shake of his head.

"Right," Charlotte responded, knowing that he meant well. Because frankly, she was about to freak out at the thought of being caught kissing Kid Danger. She couldn't even imagine the media circus that was going to turn into. "Look, I'll see you later for the Christmas party. No more couple stuff until we're completely alone. Okay?"

"Okay," Henry agreed, fighting the urge to kiss her on the cheek. "Thanks for the help kind citizen." He said, backing away while giving her a salutational wave.

She smiled, gesturing cheers with her coffee cup. "No problem, Kid Danger."

Charlotte sighed like a school girl in love on her way back to watch Jasper in line. She assumed he was probably in the doorway by now. Which was why it was pretty freaking surprising when she nearly ran into Jasper when she turned the corner.

She held back her startled yelp and clutched her cup to her chest. "What the heck, Jasper?"

"Me? What happened to you?" He asked, exasperated.

"Uh, a car alarm went off, so I went to go double check to see if it was getting robbed. You know, just in case I had to call Captain Man and Kid Danger," Charlotte quickly strung together.

"Oh, good thinking," Jasper answered. "Well, I got the cake. The bakery van showed up earlier than they expected, so now we can go set up the party."

"Great," she replied, utterly relieved he bought her story. Curse Henry with his stupid mistletoe, cute face, and kissable lips. They were minutes away from being discovered by Jasper, and that was a sobering thought Charlotte had to share with Henry at the Christmas party.

Secret dating was supposed to stay hidden for a certain amount of time. This shouldn't be the way it got out there, and Charlotte was hoping she was right.

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

The Christmas party in the Man Cave went as planned and was somehow perfect. The shared dinner with its plethora of food went without a hitch, they watched holiday specials while adorned in Santa hats and devoured the eggnog leches cake. After playing board games while drinking way too much hot chocolate, it was time to exchange gifts.

Henry and Charlotte sat next to each other lazily at the couch, the long day mixed with great food and excitement wore them down. Jasper and Schwoz went to retrieve the gifts while Ray fiddled with his Mini Laser to light candles to mask the smell of some weird food Schwoz brought.

This was an actual good day. Not to mention, the universe usually favored Charlotte pretty well. She had great parents, had a second family in the Man Cave, she was conventionally attractive, smart, great hair, had two best friends with one being her boyfriend, and the list was endless really. But the moment she looked up from her and Henry holding hands under the table at the Man Couch, she knew the universe made an interesting choice with this one.

There on the large television screen before her was the Swellview nightly news, going over the pop culture section for the segment when a picture of Charlotte and Kid Danger popped up on screen. Charlotte's stomach immediately dropped, rivaling the velocity and internal destruction of Whistlin' Susie.

Henry and Charlotte's clasped hands tensed as they made eye contact, both of them wearing a look of absolute trepidation. Henry then launched himself across the table for the remote, trying to quickly turn the channel while Ray's back was turned. Charlotte didn't need to turn around to know that the damage had already been done, Ray emitting a gasp mixed with a high-pitched scream.

Henry continued to change the channel anyway, trying to play it cool once Ray stood before them with his jaw dropped and his eyebrows downcast in a disappointed manner.

"W-what's up Ray?" Henry struggled to get out, the rapid speed of heart rate making it hard to form sentences.

"What's up?" Ray repeated, snatching the remote off the table to turn back the channel. Of course, Charlotte and Henry kissing was still front and center except with a couple of girls gossiping about Charlotte as that year's spelling bee winner, her identity already found out. "What's up is that you two went ahead and dated behind my back after I told Henry that'd it be a bad idea."

Henry and Charlotte shared a look, guilt-laden frowns on both of their faces.

Ray looked pissed, which was a rare feat. "This is the type of stuff I was talking about. I know you two can work together just fine and have a business relationship, but we can't have slips like this."

Henry let out a defeated sigh. "I'm sorry, it was all my fault. I pressed for it, and she told me it wasn't safe. I'm sorry, Ray."

"Well, you should be, and you will be," Ray retorted, turning to go back to the control panel. "Charlotte can't work here for a couple of months."

"What?" Henry scrambled out of the couch booth, standing up in protest. "Ray, that's not fair! It's literally all my fault."

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders in vanquishment. "He's right Henry. People will see that I work here and might connect things together. It's not safe for you guys. It has to be this way till this blows over."

Henry looked dejected, messily running a hand through his hair. "But we need Char. She runs this operation half the time. This doesn't make–"

"You think I don't know that Henry?" Ray interrupted. "It's just temporary. Maybe this will be a warning that you should keep your lips to yourselves in public." He quipped, going through the secret door next to the panel.

Henry stood there with his hands on his hips in disbelief while Charlotte tossed her head back in frustration, hitting the booth with a thud. She stared up at the Man Cave's ceiling in contemplation but unsurprised at the turn of events.

Henry walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders from behind. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, "I'm just numb really. Hopefully, people forget about this story by the time winter break is over when we go back to school."

"Ugh, I forgot about gossipy teenagers being a problem," he replied, already picturing the droves of teen girls running up to Charlotte to ask about Kid Danger. "I'm sorry by the way. Like, really sorry."

Charlotte reached for Henry, and he bent over so she could give him a peck on the lips. "I know. Maybe the universe decided the secret was supposed to get out. Maybe this is going to be good for us."

He hovered over her with a smile. That's my girl, he kept to himself while deciding to lean over and kiss her again.

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

Unfortunately for Henry, the good in the situation was nowhere to be found as soon as he got home. To his surprise, the ‘SORRY!' banner was up in the kitchen, which was stark against the aesthetic of Christmas decorations. Plus, his dad had a job, so this literally made no sense.

Before Henry could even ask questions, his mother and father rose from the couch with solemn faces. Suddenly, enveloping their son in hugs and rambling sympathies.

"Okay, okay. What is going on here?" Henry demanded.

His mom held his hands in a comforting manner. "Oh baby, you didn't see the news?"

"News?" he asked, growing more confused by the second.

"You didn't see the story about Kid Danger and Charlotte?" His father chimed in.

"Yeah," Henry acknowledged, "but what does that have to do with me and the banner in the kitchen?"

"Listen, son," Jake continued, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know that society has probably taught you that being a man means that you don't have to express your emotions. But we're here for you if you want to cry over Charlotte getting into a relationship."

Henry's mouth was agape, still processing the words that were coming out of his parent's mouths. "What?" he drew out long in one breath.

"Honey," Siren said, leading Henry to the couch to sit down, "your father and I know how you feel about Charlotte. The two of you are childhood best friends, and we've noticed that you've been closer than ever. We thought you'd ask her out sooner, but we're sorry that Kid Danger got to her first."

"Uh," Henry started, totally blindsided by the pity coming from his parents. Plus, he didn't know his and Charlotte's interactions were this transparent. "Thanks for caring, I guess. But it's fine, me and Char are good friends, and dating isn't forever, so."

"That's good, looking on the bright side," Jake encouraged. "But seriously Henry, we're here for you."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks. Um, I'm gonna go shower and go to bed," Henry responded, getting up from the couch to head for the stairs. "Good night."

His parents returned his expression of departure before he headed up the stairs with a sigh. Once he was in the hallway, his luck continued to trend downward as he ran into Piper. She looked up from the phone in her hand with a surprisingly empathetic face.

"I heard about Charlotte and Kid Danger, sorry for your loss," Piper said in passing, heading straight for her bedroom.

Henry watched her room door close. His mouth had fallen agape in shock for the second time that night. "Do I have to pinch myself because I must be dreaming," he mumbled to himself, turning the knob to his bedroom door.

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

Apparently, Henry should've pinched himself weeks ago, because now that winter break was over and they returned to school for the new year, everyone wouldn't stop talking to him. To do what, you might ask? Apologize, pity, and give him their condolences.

The Kid Danger and Charlotte story surged on social media for days, which caused people he didn't even talk to, to direct message him their grievances for missing an opportunity to date Charlotte. He'd figured it died down, but as soon as he walked into the building, it was apparent that was a no.

Sidney and Oliver were the first ones to bombard him, giving Henry a fruit basket and a small bouquet of flowers with a card attached and sympathetic shoulder pats. It took everything in his power to not implode on the spot.

But the fuse was evidently lit, and it grew shorter once at his locker, surrounded by more flowers, candy, balloons, cards and even a lit candle on the floor beneath his locker. Henry rolled his eyes so hard, it gave him a multi-second headache.

He honestly couldn't believe this. Were him and Charlotte really that much of an item over the years that everyone predicted the day that they would get together? Was he really the only one blind to the fact that she was perfect for him and her, for him? Was he that clueless?

He fought the urge to bang his head against the metal of his locker. But he knew that it'd only draw more sympathy from others, so he started shoving all his gifts of pity inside the locker instead. Stuff started falling out multiple times, flower petals scattering, cards bending, and candy bars hitting the ground.

This time Henry growled, picking up the candy and the candle still at his feet. In the process of blowing out the candle, he spilled a little candle wax on his shoe. He groaned even louder this time, ripping everything out the locker and dumping it onto the floor since it obviously wasn't going to fit.

As Henry opened an old plastic bag he found underneath his textbook, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He irritatedly knocked it away without looking at the owner. "What?" He snapped.

"Sheesh, someone's not having a good morning," Jasper answered.

He sighed in relief at his voice. "I'm sorry dude. It's just all this stuff, and people won't stop saying they're freakin' sorry that I'm not the one dating Charlotte and I'm just losing my mind."

Jasper started picking up stuff off the floor, putting it in the bag Henry held open. "I told you guys this was gonna happen."

Henry gave him a mocking grimace. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

After the cat was out of the bag with Ray, Charlotte and Henry had no choice but to spill the beans to Jasper. Except, it seemed like the cat seemed to have untied the knot to the bag and walked straight out of it when they weren't looking because Jasper already knew. In fact, Jasper made up his date that night he was supposed to sleepover with Henry and Charlotte. He knew that they were obviously feeling each other and that they just needed a little push and alone time. But hey, that's what best friends were for.

And Schwoz knew since Charlotte and Henry were apparently captured on the security camera kissing before they opened the store one morning. So yeah, it was secretly dating but really just a secret from Ray. Which was a relief in its own right not having to explain to more people, because this whole situation was already stressful enough.

"Things are gonna go back to normal," Jasper said. "It might take a while, but people will forget about this eventually. I'm sure there'll be a high school scandal to capture everyone's attention by the end of the week."

"Doubt it," Henry mumbled. "Maybe for me, but for Charlotte? There's no way people are going to stop asking her questions about Kid Danger."

"Dang, you're right. I bet today's gonna be tough for her."

"It's already tough," Charlotte chimed in, appearing next to Henry and Jasper.

She looked aggravated, and both boys could see it on her face. Luckily, for Charlotte, the rest of her winter break went fine without her parents seeing her kissing Kid Danger. Staying at her Uncle Roscoe's cabin that only had spotty Wi-Fi and no cable pretty much left them disconnected from the news and popular culture for a week. And her parents had fairly busy jobs anyway, so they barely checked the news unless there was a catastrophe or to see the highlights at night with the weather.

However, once Charlotte was within range of internet, that's when things got bad. Being seen kissing Kid Danger meant that his fans pretty much decided to come for her throat. She never really used her social media profiles. They literally sat dormant except for a post every three months or being tagged in group photos from LIMP. But that didn't stop the savages from posting nasty things about her.

Like, evil, hateful, incendiary things about her and to her even though they didn't know her. Was it surprising that Kid Danger fans would stoop to that level? No. Did it make her feel crappy for a day or two? Yes. But being the smart person she was, she decided to deactivate her online presences completely and not dwell. The most accurate quote ever said was that haters were always going to hate, so why even bother with it?

But instead of dealing with hate in real life, now she was dealing with every girl in school asking about Kid Danger. As soon as she was dropped off at school, she was caged on both sides by girls asking questions a mile a minute. Charlotte couldn't get away fast enough, and Byshell inadvertently became her bodyguard once she flanked her side to get into the building.

Once she spotted Henry and Jasper, it was the ultimate wave of relief. But now that she was finally seeing Henry in person instead of text, calls, and webcam, she could see he was going through it just as bad she was. A look of frustration adorned his features, bags were under his eyes, and his hair was uncharacteristically messy. For some reason, it looked like the sympathy section from the supermarket blew up in his locker and landed on the ground.

"What is all of this junk?" Charlotte asked.

"Everyone's giving Henry their condolences since he missed the opportunity to ask you out because you're dating Kid Danger," Jasper explained.

Henry immediately glared at Jasper. "I can't believe this is such a big deal. How is this such a big deal?"

Jasper hummed in thought, taking a candy bar out of the bag for a snack later. "Well, we've all known each other since elementary school, but you and Charlotte became super close since you guys started working at Junk N' Stuff together. Maybe everyone just expected it to happen."

"Plus, you know how society doesn't think girls and boys can have platonic friendships," Charlotte added.

"They're not exactly wrong in this case, right?" Jasper questioned.

Henry gave Jasper a mocking look. "As much as I'm loving your early morning deadpanned, sass," he replied, "I'm going to class and pray for this day to be over as fast as possible. So, if you'll excuse me." He finished, slamming his locker door.

Upon closing his locker, Henry noticed everyone was watching them, but mostly Charlotte and Henry. He could tell people were whispering, waiting to see some type of reaction from him or Charlotte regarding her new relationship status.

He audibly swallowed, realizing this day was going to be much more difficult than he anticipated. Henry gave Jasper a handshake-hug combo of departure, before giving Charlotte a full-bodied hug, completely ignoring the gossip and prying eyes. It was probably a little longer than necessary, but they haven't seen each other since the Christmas party, and he missed his girlfriend. So, sue him.

Charlotte and Henry gave each other knowing smiles once they separated. Making this so far terrible day feel absolutely worth it.

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

However, by the end of the day, it didn't feel worth it. On Charlotte's end, the only way she could breathe was when Byshell was by her side. When teens weren't surrounding her about the details of her relationship to Kid Danger, there were notes and letters passed in her direction and stuffed in her locker. People offering her free lunch, coffee, and even their overpriced electronics just to find out something, anything about Kid Danger.

Henry dealt with more pity from his schoolmates. He was still in disbelief at the number of people that came up to him and felt sorry for him that he was unable to date Charlotte before Kid Danger did. A couple of girls actually calling him and Charlotte lost soul mates. Like, what? Even Ms. Shapen and the janitor gave him empathetic looks, and the lunch lady gave Henry free food.

He wasn't sure what was weirder, the fact that people didn't think he had a chance with Charlotte because Kid Danger was a superhero sidekick or that people were so convinced in the idea of the two of them getting together just because they were friends and had great chemistry. They could've both been gay platonic best friends for all they knew, assumptive much?

Henry sighed for the umpteenth time that day, his index finger tapping on the steering wheel while he waited for Jasper and Charlotte to show up so they could carpool to Junk N' Stuff. Even though Charlotte was technically fired, for the time being, she had to get some of her school stuff that she'd left there over break.

It took a few more minutes before Charlotte showed up sans Jasper. She slid into the car passenger seat, clearly exhausted and frustrated by that day's events. "Hey Hen,"

"Hey Char," he replied, combating the urge to lean over and kiss her. "Where's Jasper?"

"Belly shirt," she sighed, "he'll be out in a couple of minutes. How was your day?"

He sucked his teeth in irritation. "Horrible. Who knew people feeling sorry for you would get annoying after a while?"

"I'd prefer that to all the Kid Danger fans trying to bribe me into telling them personal facts about you."

Henry sighed this time before placing his hand over one of hers. "We have to do something about this. I honestly don't see this dying out as long as you and Kid Danger are together."

"That's it!" Charlotte exclaimed. "We need to break up."

"Uh, what?" Henry inquired.

"Not me and you," she further explained, "me and Kid Danger. We need a public break up so everyone can leave us alone. We could even have Jasper film it and submit it to a news station."

"Oh, I see where you're going with this," Henry agreed, lacing their fingers together. "You're so smart," he said lovingly.

"Yeah, I know," she quipped with a smile. "Now let's just plan this out."

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

The plan worked incredibly well. As soon as Jasper submitted the clip, alerts from pop culture websites erupted everywhere, and the story was trending. Henry and Charlotte relished in it with a couple of bottles of soda in celebration, his arm around her as they wore the biggest satisfied smiles.

"I can't believe this worked," Henry mumbled.

"Maybe we're just amazing actors," Charlotte added.

They both shared a knowing smile before bursting into laughter, the cloud of stress and anxiety finally moving past them. They could date in peace. Well, just around their friends until they decided to tell their families so that Henry wouldn't seem like a rebound from Kid Danger. Plus, that usually stirred up cheating rumors that neither of them needed. This was much better.

"Whatcha' guys watching?" Ray asked as he entered the room.

"The news," Charlotte and Henry said in unison.

Ray gave them a curious look before turning his attention to the television, the headline flashing on the screen grasping his attention. "Kid Danger and Charlotte Paige break up? What'd you guys do?"

Henry shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh ya' know, just staged a fake break up so people could leave us alone and Charlotte can start working here again."

Ray watched the looping footage of Charlotte and Kid Danger exchanging some heated words before Charlotte started to fake cry. It ends with her pushing away Kid Danger's poor attempt at consoling her and an audibly loud ‘we're breaking up!' on her end. The crappy phone quality and camera angle made it that much more personal. "Wow, I'm impressed guys."

"Thanks," they answered in unison again.

"Kid Danger might look like a bad boyfriend for a while, but this is completely worth it," Charlotte said.

"Oh definitely," Henry agreed, "I'm sure people are still going to be gossiping about it, but that beats getting fruit baskets and flowers."

Ray burst out in laughter. "Kids, were you giving you fruit baskets and flowers? Like, someone died?"

"Yeah, and candy and sympathy cards. I literally got a sympathy card meant for someone that actually died," Henry informed with a roll of his eyes before sipping his soda.

Ray's childish, mocking laughter continued to ring throughout the Man Cave. "Well, I'm proud of you guys fixing the situation. But no more slip-ups. I mean it," he finished while pointing a stern finger at the two of them.

"Yeah, yeah we got it," Henry assured while Charlotte rapidly nodded.

The two of them waited for Ray to leave them alone again before clinking soda bottles for cheers and pecking each other on the lips, grins never leaving their faces.

#henry danger #chenry #charlotte page #henry hart #henry x charlotte #happy holidays y'all

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olboypacman · 5 years

Text

The Cyborg and The Kid

A connected series of one shots revolving around Android 18’s interaction with the Son family (mostly Gohan), post Cell Games. Hints of K18.

A/N: I don’t own DBZ

1. Stopped Me from Moving Further from Myself

It had been a rough few months for Son Gohan.

If you were to ask most of his friends, they’d say he’s the same reliable and cheery young man young man he’s always been.

However.

Pretty much all of them are in-tune with the nuances of Gohan had noticed something off with the boy.

He’d been withdrawn with their group whenever at a gathering. He’d been short tempered as well. He’d snap at friends and family at the smallest provocation but retreats further into himself realizing that he’s being unreasonable with them for no reason.

“Sorry for snapping at you, it’s not your fault things are like this.” He’d apologize.

There were times when Chi-Chi would insist that he’d hit the books for the morning, he’d give in. Now it’s important to understand he’d always eventually cave-in at his mother’s insistence, but not without trying to compromise or playfully find a way out it.

“Of course, mom.” He’d say sullenly.

There were times when Gohan thought she wasn’t paying attention; she’d find a gloomy expression fixed upon his face. His ebony orbs set on her (or more her growing baby bump), pain and regret evident within them.

And of course, there were many times when he’d talk in his sleep. Or, more what she surmised as nightmares.

“It’s my fault he’s gone, I’m so sorry.” He’d say as he tossed and turned.

Krillin had come by to visit the Son household this afternoon, though not an entirely uncommon occurrence. But today he’d brought a companion.

Android 18.

Gohan had seen her at the various gatherings the Z-fighters had organized these past few months. He’d been polite to her, as he’d been raised as such.

Unable to sense any ki from her, she’d been difficult for young half-saiyan to get read on. Whenever they locked eyes it always seemed like she had something to say to him.

It might’ve just been his imagination.

Or he’d maybe snapped at someone and removed himself from the party before she had the chance.

Sitting with Chi-Chi and Krillin, she’d seemed as aloof and standoffish as always. But Chi-Chi was a charmer and had eventually got the blonde to contribute to the conversation (though only in simple, blunt answers, but she’d got her smile more than once).

The group’s waiting for the tea kettle to come to boil on the stove. Gohan had decided to excuse himself, telling his very pregnant mother he be practicing his katas for a bit of exercise.

“If you need me to get anything, just call me. I don’t want you to strain yourself in your condition, mom.” Said Gohan.

“Oh nonsense, dear. I can at the very least pour our guests some tea, I’m still very much capable of that.” She responds with a smile, waving her hand at her son. She catches him with the sullen look in his eyes once again before he makes his out the door. “Don’t take too long, dear. I’d like you see 18 and Krillin off when they’ve had their fill of us, OK?”

Gohan takes his leave to perform his katas.

Chi-Chi looks at her son forlornly as he takes his first form. She sighs, going back into hostess mode ready to engage her guests.

“So, he still blames himself, huh Chi-Chi?” Says Krillin, breaking the silence.

“Yeah. I don’t know what I can do to pull him out of it. I’ve tried to everything. Not just me either. Piccolo had as about as much luck me. And everyone else…” Chi-Chi sighs once more, “he just short with. I mean you guys saw the scene he made at Kame House a few weeks ago when Oolong tried to joke with hm. He won the Cell Games, but at what cost? I’m starting to fear I’ve lost both my loves.”

Krillin is lost as Chi-Chi takes her seat. Dealing with a pre-teen mourning his father isn’t something he’s terribly versed in. Especially when that said pre-teen blames himself for his death.

“Hmph.”

18 raises from her chair, getting the attention of other two in the kitchen.

“18?” Asks Krillin nervously.

“With your permission Chi-Chi, I’d like to see if I can get through to him.” Her electric blue eyes shimmering with determination.

“18, I don’t think now’s the time for…”

“Krillin!” 18 interrupts giving him a pointed stare.

Chi-Chi looks between monk and the young lady. She smiles and says, “Krillin, do you trust 18?”

“Yes, she’s become a very good friend.” He responded.

Chi-Chi nods, “OK, that’s all I need to know. 18, say what you need to say to my boy.”

18 nods to the Son matriarch, and heads toward the back door to talk to Gohan.

18 was a lot of things, but a cunning linguist wasn’t one of them.

“I hear you’ve been having a rough go of it?”

Subtlety was apparently a faraway art to her as well.

Gohan breaths out, finishing his kata.

“With all due respect Miss 18 what do even you know about me?” Snaps Gohan as he eyeballs 18.

She doesn’t even flinch at the flippant pre-teen’s outburst.

Before she even registers what’s happening, her mind is immediately assaulted with facts and figures regarding of the boy in front of her. She lists them carelessly, in a bored tone as always. She gasps, stopping as she looks a Gohan with mortification evident on her face and her widened eyes.

“I’m sorry, it’s…” 18 trails off not sure how to explain herself.

“It’s fine, I guess I owe you an apology as well.” Replies Gohan rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry for snapping at you, things are just hard without him around.”

“Goku…”

He nods his head.

“Krillin tells me a lot about him, you know.” She tells him. “Not just the things from Dr. Gero’s surveillance and files.”

She approaches the boy, dropping to a knee when she’s close.

Without warning she takes the boy into a tight hug.

Gohan reluctantly hugs her back.

“Thank you Gohan. Thank you for saving our lives from that monster.”

“I, uh, your welcome,” he says embarrassed as 18 hadn’t let go of him yet.

“I mean it. My brother and I are eternally grateful to you Gohan. I don’t know how we’d ever be able to repay you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

She breaks the hug, her hands still on his shoulders. She flashes him on of her rare smiles, “Though I do have a suggestion of how you can pay me back in this moment.”

“Sure 18 what can I do?”

The smile remains on her face, but her eyes take on a deadly serious shimmer.

“I need you to stop blaming yourself for your father’s death. If anyone’s to blame its Cell, hell even heap some of it on Gero!”

“But if I hadn’t tried to make him suffer, dad would still be here. My mom would still have a husband and the baby wouldn’t have to grow-up without knowing their father!”

“Gohan, you were doing what you thought was right. There was no way you could’ve known Cell would try take you and the planet with him by blowing himself up when him things didn’t go his way.”

“But…”

“No,” says 18 with finality as she stands up to her full height. “I told you who’s to blame, and we both know they got theirs’s.” She finishes as she lightly punches Gohan’s shoulder.

“I,” Gohan hesitates, “I guess your right Miss 18. But wait, how did you know I?”

“Please kid, it was kind of obvious to anyone with two eyes and two ears. And there’s Krillin of course. He’s worried for you almost as much as your mom. Now come on, I bet that tea is about ready by now.”

“I’m 11 by the way.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m 11, your files indicated I was 10. I spent 1 year outside of space-time in order to train to fight Cell.” Says Gohan, cracking wide genuine smile for the first time in a long time.

18’s eyes have widened in disbelief, before they narrow in humor, “Are you having me on, kid?”

Later, after 18 and Gohan rejoined Krillin and Chi-Chi, they both witnessed something renewed in the young half-saiyan.

He was joking, smiling; he was his old self again.

Whatever 18 had to say to Gohan had worked.

Before 18 and Krillin left for Kame House, Chi-Chi called 18 in the kitchen. Barely crossing the threshold, she was an assaulted by an iron gripped hug by the Son matriarch.

Breaking the hold, she says, "Thank you for pulling my boy out of that funk.” Chi-Chi then gets a playful glint in her eye, “But I do have to ask, based on that hug you gave Gohan should Krillin be worried?"

18 gets wide-eyed at in insinuation the Son matriarch is making, her cheeks burning the brightest of reds. 18 then turns her face away from Chi-Chi, responding "I've no idea what you’re talking about."

Read this and more @https://www.fanfiction.net/~olboypacman

#dbz #dragon ball z #fanfic #fanfiction #ff.net #gohan #android eighteen #chi-chi #krillin

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duhragonball · 6 years

Text

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (91/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation. This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

Previous chapters conveniently available here.

[25 May, 234 Before Age. Planet Pflaume.]

For all intents and purposes, Pflaume City was a space station. The only real difference was that it was designed to float in the upper atmosphere of an ice giant planet, instead of the vacuum of space. From a combat perspective, the tactical problem was the same. Luffa had to be careful about when and how she used her power. A careless energy blast in the wrong direction could breach the city's outer hull. This was undoubtedly why King Rehval had lured her here in the first place. On Planet Saiya she was unstoppable, but here, she was constrained by the structural integrity of the city.

"Katem, we need to be figuring out a way to get out of this place!" Luffa shouted. It was glorious and horrifying to speak to her son this way. He was barely fifteen, and far too arrogant for Luffa's liking, but to see him so strong and capable was a dream come true. No, not even a dream. Luffa's subconscious had never dared to imagine that this could be possible.

Xibuyas punched her in the face, knocking her through a support beam that kept the twelfth level of the city from collapsing onto the eleventh. "Stop calling me that, woman!" he shouted back. "You’re not my mother! My mother was a Saiyan! A real Saiyan, and not an alien trickster who pretends to be one of us!"

She smashed her way through the debris and fired on him with ki blasts, taking care to aim toward the center of the station, in case he dodged. When he did, she intercepted him and landed several blows of her own. To her surprise, he managed to block several of them.

"What do you know about your mother, kid?" Luffa asked. "I'm curious."

"I only know what matters!" Xibuyas replied haughtily. "That she was a lowly subject of the great King Rehval, and her only noteworthy deed was conceivving the mighty Xibuyas to serve the glory of his regime!"

Luffa snorted with contempt. "Is that a fact? Well, I owe you a story..."

"You owe me your death!" Xibuyas shouted. He rushed Luffa, and seemed to be throwing a kick, but when Luffa tried to block it, he vanished and reappeared behind her, and tagged her from behind with an energy blast. Luffa fell like a stone, landing in the middle of an confection parlor.

She was genuinely impressed. The boy was not only standing up to her Super Saiyan form, but he seemed to be improving as they fought. Even so, she knew the only reason he was doing so well was because she was emotionally compromised. Rehval's treachery, followed by this shocking reunion, and all the unpleasant memories that came with it, were too great a distraction for her to ignore. In times like these, Luffa normally centered herself by thinking back to her childhood training, and the lessons handed down by her own mother. Now, those memories only reminded her of the relationship that had been taken away from her own son. She was fighting sloppy, unable to focus on a singular objective. At times, she wanted to let her son hit her to see just what he could do. Other times, she hoped to defeat him without hurting him, so that she could find a way to escape together. But above all, Luffa wasn't fighting to save her own life. Her superior strength and experience was the only reason she hadn't been killed already.

She could sense Xibuyas searching for her to continue his assault. He had done something with his ki to prevent her from pinpointing his exact location, but he undermined this technique with his constant gloating. It frustrated her to see her own son carrying on like a spoiled regent, but she had no one to blame but herself. With newfound rage, she blindsided him, and caught him in a headlock.

"Let me tell you where you came from, boy," she said as she dragged him into the air. Xibuyas struggled against her grip, so she smashed through several decks to calm him down a little.

"I met your father when I was fifteen. We didn't get married right away. Your grandfather had taken on a contract to defend a planet from the Tikosi, and I was too weak to be of much help on the battlefield, so he hired a Saiyan named Kandai to help out. Huh. It doesn't seem that long ago, but the two of us were about your age when we met."

She could feel him trying to summon enough ki to push against her own flight path, so she used her own power to push herself in the opposite direction, allowing the net force to hold them motionless in the air. It pained her to relive all of this, and she was grateful that he couldn't see the look on her face as she spoke, but she was determined to tell him everything. Even if he didn't believe her, he still deserved to hear it.

"You father and I didn't have much to do with our downtime, so we fell in love. Or... that's what I thought, anyway. Meanwhile, your grandpa was plotting to sell our clients out to the Tikosi. He ordered us off the planet, but I decided to go back when the Tikosi invaded. I had managed to become a lot stronger than I'd ever been, and I thought I could defend their planet by myself. Zatte-- Well, I guess she's your stepmother now-- she begged me to save her people. At first, I thought it'd be easy. But the Tikosi were stronger than I expected, and they just kept coming. I fought until I couldn't fight anymore, but it wasn't enough. They... they defeated me. And then they..."

"Let GO of me!" Xibuyas shouted.

She was so caught up in her story that her grip on Xibuyas wavered, and he managed to break free.

"I've heard enough of your ravings, you lunatic!" he screamed. He threw back his hands, and when they began to glow, he brought them forward again, firing dozens of blasts of concentrated ki at her. Xibuyas's attack was relentless. He just kept firing, even when his assault destroyed most of the city level surrounding Luffa. The deck above her began to weaken from the intensity of the bombardment, and after a few minutes it collapsed, dumping several tons' worth of infrastructure and residential property on Luffa.

Xibuyas kept firing.

"I won't hear any more of your lies!" he howled. "You are an enemy of the state and it is my duty to destroy you, do you hear me?! You're an abomination! You're are mockery of all things Saiyan and--!"

Without warning Luffa flew directly through the path of his ki blasts. Xibuyas was so amazed by the directness of her attack that he failed to react until she was too close for him to avoid. The blasts simply slipped around her like water, and she reached out for him with her fingers curled like the claws of some giant bird of prey. Her face was twisted with rage.

"I! Wasn't! Finished!" she screeched as she struck him in the face. Xibuyas recoiled from the blow, and she followed up by driving her knee into his solarplexus. Then a double axehandle between his shoulder blades.

"You're good, Katem," she shouted. "For your age, you're phenomenal, but don't think for one! Second! That you can underestimate me! Galick Gun!"

Before Xibuyas could even try to recover, she had drawn back her hands to her left side and gathered enough power to launch at him. The beam of purple light crashed into him and forced him down to the deck below. Luffa began to cackle wildly.

"No!" he cried. He was caught between her energy and the deck, struggling to push back against the titanic pressure. Luffa couldn’t see him from her vantage, but she could imagine him planting his hands onto the wavefront of her Galick Gun, and straining to halt its advance. She increased it’s power to see just how much more he could handle.

"Push it back, you big baby!" Luffa screamed. "Or was all that high and mighty crap you were saying before just a bunch of talk?"

She could hear him grunt and groan against the brunt of her attack, and she started to feel tears in her eyes again. Whatever Rehval had done to the boy, he had grown up strong and proud, and he was fighting back against his mother. How she had longed for a chance to do this!

"Put your back into it, you ungrateful brat!" she shouted. "I'm not even using a fraction of my full power! Your great-grandmother could handle this kind of pressure!"

That was an exaggeration, actually, but Luffa's own mother used to say it to her as a child, and it warmed her heart to be able to say it to her own son.

At last, Xibuyas managed to resist the power of Luffa's Galick Gun, and with a tremendous burst of power he deflected it away from himself. Luffa flew after the errant energy blast and intercepted it several hundred yards away, where she dispersed it into something relatively harmless.

"You idiot!" she shouted. "We're on board a space station! You can't just deflect energy blasts like you're on a planet's surface!"

"Shut up!" Xibuyas shouted back. "I didn't come here for a lesson, and I don't need advice from the likes of you!"

He was flying after her, but Luffa closed the distance between them and caught him in a hammerlock before he could react.

"As I was saying...!" Luffa growled. "Your mother is telling you a bloody tale of the old heroes."

"Let go...!"

"You would do well to listen, Katem!"

"Shut up!"

"Granted, I'm not much of a hero, and I'm not very old, but you'd sit still for a story about Chanisp or Old Darbock, right? Well, guess what? Your dear old mother can whip both of them."

"That's ridiculous!" Xibuyas insisted. "No mere woman could--"

Luffa applied more pressure to the hold, and Xibuyas cried out in pain.

"See? If you'd listened to the story I was trying to tell you, then you'd know better than to say stupid things like that," Luffa scolded.

Xibuyas threw back his head, driving the back of his skull into Luffa's nose. This surprised her enough that she released him, and he spun around and caught her with a kick to the ribs.

Luffa clutched at her face, but instead of fighting back or crying out in pain, she began to laugh. When she removed her hand, there was a trickle of blood running from her nostrils. Thanks to her smile, Xibuyas could see that some of it had gotten onto her teeth.

"I'm proud of you, son," she said. "You're kind of a creep, and I'm betting that fool Rehval filled your head with a bunch of royalist crap, but you're a treat to fight, and you don't back down from anybody, not even the Legendary Super Saiyan. I can tell you're afraid of me, but you're not about to quit."

Xibuyas shuddered as she wiped the blood from her face with her right arm. Her eyes were wide with... what? Even Luffa herself wasn't sure. Excitement, fear, regret, sorrow, joy? Perhaps all of these and more. She couldn't blame the boy for being frightened.

"I just want you to know," Luffa said. "If this fight is all you and I ever have together, I mean. I want you to know that you've impressed me. I never got a chance to tag my own mother, not the way you just did. That was a clean hit, by the way. I let you have some of the others, but you really surprised me with that one."

Xibuyas was stunned by her words. For a split second, Luffa wondered if she had actually gotten through to him. Then he turned his head and spit.

"That's what I think of your praise!" he sneered.

In spite of his insult, Luffa couldn't help but smile.

*******

[25 May, 234 Before Age. Interstellar Space.]

Zatte thought she had prepared herself for anything, but as she fled through the corridors of the ship, she realized just how poor her defenses truly were.

Pozet didn't need to breathe. Zatte had considered the possibility on its own. She had depressurized entire sections of the ship, and re-pressurized some with pure nitrogen. This was meant to foil any intruders who did breathe, but it was also a misdirection. In theory, Pozet would assume that Zatte would seek out the sections of the ship that still contained breathable air. In fact, Zatte had a portable air supply on her belt, and she had stashed others air tanks in various locations on board. This would allow her to move more freely than Pozet would expect. As things turned out, Pozet now knew about this, and so that advantage was mostly neutralized.

Zatte had also considered the possibility that her enemy might attempt to take control of the ship's computer. Zatte had tried that herself once, only to learn that Luffa had a master override. So there was no way to completely take over the computer without Luffa's permission. Knowing this, Zatte had asked Luffa to authorize certain programs that would keep Zatte alive in the event of a hijacking. So an intruder might find a way to access certain ship functions, but she wouldn't be able to cause a self-destruct or depressurize the entire ship. But, Pozet's voice was a perfect match for Zatte's which allowed the intruder greater access to the computer than Zatte had anticipated.

On some level, Zatte had also prepared for the possibility of an enemy with similar powers to her own. Dorlun powers were thought to be unique to the individual, but Zatte figured there had to be a few repeats throughout Dorlun history. But Pozet was more than just a set of abilities. She was some sort of unliving monster, which meant she could take chances that Zatte couldn't.

Worse, Pozet seemed to have at least some intuitive understanding of how Zatte fought. The creature claimed to lack Zatte's memories, but she seemed to anticipate Zatte's attacks, which made a direct confrontation risky at best. Against a true Dorlun, Zatte had hoped that her superior strength would be her ace-in-the-hole. Pozet, however, didn't have ki energy, so Zatte couldn't even tell for sure how strong she was.

Worst of all, Pozet had been planning this confrontation all along, while Zatte had been operating under a faulty premise. Her plan was to lure Pozet onto the ship. Zatte was supposed to be the bait. Zatte was supposed to be Luffa's secret weapon to surprise and overwhelm the killer. Instead, Zatte turned out to be the quarry. Pozet had left a trail of dead Saiyans across the galaxy, just to get at Luffa. Pozet's master had anticipated Zatte's involvement, and created a seemingly perfect countermeasure.

She forced herself to remain detached from the situation. Over countless centuries, her people had perfected the art of survival, refining it into a sacred liturgy. Even as her heart raced, even as she fought the urge to panic, she heard the words of the Dorlun Holybook, reminding her to assess the problem, but also warning her not to let that assessment lead to despair or self-recrimination. There were lessons to be learned from this catastrophe, tactical errors she could identify and correct, but those would have to wait until the threat was resolved. Somehow, Pozet's master had learned enough about Zatte to use against herself and Luffa. How it happened wasn't important. What mattered now was finding out what Pozet knew and how to defeat her.

"Where are you headed, babe?"

Zatte perked up at the sound of her own voice over the intercom system. Pozet had apparently chosen to access the ship's computer instead of chasing after her. She was likely still on the bridge, though she could be almost anywhere else on board. Zatte made a mental checklist of where Pozet was likely to have gone, but she needed a way to narrow it down. If only--

"I'm in the gym," Pozet said. "Figured I'd save you the trouble of guessing. I mean, the intercom system lets me talk to you from almost anywhere on the ship, right? Except the parts you depressurized, since there's not enough gas to carry the sound of my voice to the audio receptor. That's what you're probably thinking right now."

Zatte quickly considered what was in the gym, and what Pozet might have there to use--

"I thought about going to your cabin, and I'll get around to it eventually, but this is where Luffa sleeps most of the time, isn't it? The computer showed me security logs, and the logs show a lot of traffic in and out of this room, and it's not hard to guess who spends a lot of time in here."

Zatte continued making her way to her destination. She had shut off the lifts as a precaution, but the access ports would allow her to go to the deck below. As she opened the hatch, Zatte considered what Pozet was saying. She apparently didn't possess much of Zatte's memory if she needed the computer to find Luffa's quarters, but why admit that?

"The pile of mats on the floor is how I know she sleeps here. And they're pretty worn out. Lot of rips and tears too. Our lover doesn't sleep well does she? Poor baby."

Zatte hurried down the access port and found Pozet's voice waiting for her when she emerged into the lower deck. "Maybe she just needs some company. Someone to cuddle up with and say reassuring things to her whenever the nightmares start. 'It's okay, Luffa, I'm here. I'm here.' You ever try that? The security logs don't put a second person in this room very often, so I'm thinking no."

Zatte shook her head as she continued on her way. So it was psychological warfare. Pozet was trying to anger Zatte and provoke her into making a mistake. Did that creature really think she'd be stupid enough to come running to the gym for a fight? Or was she playing at something else?

"I can smell her on these towels," Pozet went on. Our noses aren't as sharp as a Saiyan's, but at this range, it doesn't need to be. Wow. She smells so... Well, I don't know what to call it. I guess she smells... safe."

Zatte set her jaw and stiffened her upper lip as she proceeded down the corridor.

"I mean, she's a hot mess, let's not kid ourselves. There's nothing safe about her, but her scent is so intoxicatingly secure. No wonder we're so attracted to her, right?"

Zatte refused to dignify that with an answer.

"Only this is the first time I've gotten to take a sniff. I've had to admire her from afar. The curves of her arms, the small of her back, that savage gleam in her eyes. Sometimes, after I'd killed a Saiyan I would run my hands through the victim's hair, and imagine it was her, you know?"

Zatte was finding it more and more difficult not to respond to this.

"Nothing to say? That's what it says in the Holybook, doesn't it? Well, not explicitly, I mean. There isn't a chapter about what to do when your undead duplicate talks dirty about your wife, but it's common sense, really. Don't waste time arguing with me, that's the smart play. You'll only be giving me control of the situation."

Zatte winced. Pozet seemed to lack her memories, but somehow she had access to the Dorlun Holybook. The very thought of it disgusted her, but she kept listening, in case the creature decided to reveal anything else.

"The thing is-- I'm stepping out of the gym by the way-- I'm not really trying to provoke a reaction here. For all I know, you slipped on a deckplate and broke your neck, or you ran out of oxygen somewhere and suffocated. I've already got you where I want you, Zattie. I can finish you off at my leisure."

Zatte didn't believe that for a second. Pozet might have been reckless, but she was no fool. Whatever the creature had planned, she wouldn't hesitate to carry it out.

"I just wanted to talk to you for a while. My homuncular matrix was patterned after you, so you're a very important person to me, Zattie. I wanted to make the most of the time we have. And you know Luffa better than anyone, so I want to learn as much as I can from you and this ship while you're still here."

Zatte smirked at her choice of words: "while you're still here." Pozet's mission was to kill her after all. That meant the ship was safe, since Pozet would need it to return to her master. And since the ship was already en route to Rehval's current location, there was no need to worry about Pozet tampering with the navigation system. Pozet's plan was suddenly very obvious: she needed to kill Zatte before they arrived in the Pflaume system.

So all Zatte had to do was stay alive for a few more hours. It was no wonder, then, that Pozet was goading her over the intercom system. If Zatte took the bait and rushed headlong into a confrontation, it made Pozet's job easier.

"I'm heading over to your cabin now," Pozet said. "Let me ask you something. Where do you two lovebirds keep your laundry? It's a big ship and all, and I couldn't find much in the gym."

"Your master didn't send you here to find my clothes," Zatte replied. "You've got bigger things to worry about."

"Oh-ho," Pozet replied. "Someone's feeling confident all of a sudden. I guess you've figured out some way to beat me, is that it?"

"I don't have to beat you," Zatte said. "You have to beat me, and you're running out of time."

"Really?" Pozet asked. "I was planning to take my time and poke around for a while. It's a big ship. Must be kind of weird with only two of you on board most of the time."

"Keep talking," Zatte said. "I'll swing by later and give you the grand tour."

"Great!" Pozet said. "You know if I were you-- and I guess I am, sort of-- I'd just strut around this ship nude all day. Yeah, that's probably why I'm not finding much in the way of laundry. You and Luffa just throw it all in the wash when you're done with it, and hang out together, wearing nothing but a smile."

Zatte let out a contemptuous snort as she moved down the corridor and arrived at her destination.

Before the ship was rechristened Emerald Eye, it had once been a star-yacht owned by some rich alien. That being had given the ship to Luffa in a desperate bid to get her to leave him unharmed. The cabin she now entered had, at one time, been an art gallery, boasting various sculptures and paintings from across the galaxy. After taking possession of the ship, Luffa had converted it into a sort of trophy room, although most of the souvenirs she brought back from her adventures turned out to be exotic alien weapons that her enemies had used against her. It was more like an armory, then, although Luffa had no use for the weapons herself, and she had kept a few objects that couldn't be used to kill someone. Luffa and Zatte's marriage paperwork was mounted on one of the walls in a modest frame, alongside a few of the paintings Luffa had decided to keep from the original art collection.

To Luffa, the weapons stored here were little more than toys, but Zatte had studied them all carefully, just in case she ever needed to use any of them in an emergency. She preferred handheld plasma firearms, but now that she had gotten an idea of Pozet's abilities and tactics, she would have to use something more substantial. Zatte knew little about alchemy, or how a homunculus like Pozet could be destroyed, but she was willing to bet that there was some delicate balance that maintained Pozet's ability to walk and talk. A large enough dose of ionizing radiation would surely upset that balance, and several of the weapons in this room could make that happen.

"If I were you," Zatte said as she picked out a weapon to use, "I'd find out how much longer I have until we reach the Pflaume System."

"Oooh, that's a good point," Pozet said. "Hey, I just found the bathroom in your quarters. This is nice. There's parts of master's castle that don't look this good. I don't even need to use a toilet, but looking at this one makes me wish I did."

Zatte selected a Hythoonian disruptor and checked the power supply. Satisfied that it was fully charged, she checked the safety and held it in her hands to get used to the feel of it. "Take a shower if you want," she said to Pozet. "Every minute you screw around is to my advantage."

"Oh, pshaw," Pozet said. "We've got plenty of time! Computer, estimated time of arrival to Pflaume system?"

"Five minutes, eleven seconds," the computer replied.

"What?" Zatte gasped. When she had last looked, the Emerald Eye wasn't supposed to reach Pflaume for another two hours. "Computer, report any changes to our original course and speed!"

"No changes have been made," the computer announced. "Original course and speed have been maintained."

Zatte's left eye went wide with fear. What did she do to the ship? she wondered.

"Computer," she asked tentatively, "How long would it take to return to Planet Saiya at our current speed?"

"Four point six billion years," the computer replied, completely unaware of the magnitude of its answer.

"That's impossible--!" Zatte started to say, and then she heard Pozet's laughter from the intercom.

"You organisms are all alike," she chuckled. "I was wondering if you might be different, since I was based on your mind and body, but I guess not."

"What have you done?" Zatte demanded.

"You were expecting me to sneak aboard your ship," Pozet said, "but you act like I've never done it before. Yeah, you took some decent precautions, making sure to secure the ship's major systems from sabotage, but you still think like a living being, and I don't make that mistake."

"What are you talking about?" Zatte shouted.

"Oh, you sound beautiful when you're angry," Pozet said. "Honey, I've been on this ship since it left Saiya. You were holed up in the bridge, waiting for me to come attack you, but what do you think I was up to before that, huh? I'll tell you: I was installing programs onto the ship's navigational computer."

"But... but the ship is still on course!" Zatte protested. "And you wouldn't have had the authorization to order a change in heading, even if--"

"Of course I couldn't change course," Pozet said with a laugh. "Everyone who flies around in spaceships knows to protect the navigational controls. My voice sounds like yours, but you probably set it up so I'd need a handprint and some unique energy signature to get access. I might be able to duplicate that eventually, but it would take a long time to guess the right energy pattern."

"Then how--?"

"Like I said, everyone safeguards the helm control, but they don't think about how it works. The ship uses a database of star charts and sensor data to figure out where it is in the universe. It uses an algorithm to interpret that information and apply it to the real world. All I did was replace that algorithm with one of my own. The ship thinks it's flying in a straight line, but it's actually going around in circles. Computer, how long until we reach the Pflaume System?"

"Two minutes, twenty-three seconds," the computer said.

"In a few minutes," Pozet explained, "the ship will complete a single revolution, and when it doesn't find the Pflaume System, it'll fly around in another circle to try to reach it again. The countdown to arrival will reset, and it'll keep going around and around until we run out of fuel. The beauty of this is that you can try to alter course, but the ship will just end up flying in a different circle. And I made sure to fix it so you won't be able to restore the computer's spatial awareness back to the way it was before."

It took a moment for Zatte to make sense of what she was hearing. "But.. you're trapped here along with me!" she finally said.

"Am I?" Pozet asked? "Like I keep telling you, I'm not alive. If the ship runs out of power, if the life support fails, if we're adrift in space for a hundred million years, it makes no difference to me. My master won't even miss me. He'll just make a new homunculus that looks just like me to take my place. It doesn't matter to me. All that matters is making sure you don't reach Pflaume until his business with Luffa is finished."

Zatte looked down at her weapon, and suddenly realized how useless it was. Even if she destroyed Pozet, that wouldn't put the ship right again.

"Face it, babe, you were so focused on protecting your own life that you never imagined I'd maroon us out in the middle of nowhere. That's the advantage of having no life to protect. Now, I'm gonna take that shower. If you want to come join me, I wouldn't mind the company, but if you want to be a sore loser about it all, that's fine too."

Zatte didn't know what to say. She thought about asking the computer for another ETA, but she already knew it's answers would meaningless. She could try to undo Pozet's tampering, but she had no idea how to do that. What else did that leave?

Then, over the intercom, she heard the sound of running water, and her own voice singing off-key.

NEXT: The Road Goes On Forever

#dragon ball #fanfiction #super saiyan #luffa #lssjluffafic #xibuyas #zatte #pozet #pflaume #sorry to keep spamming all these updates over such a short span of time #but i want to get them posted so's i can beef up my word count on ao3 #also it just feels good to get them off the docket

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uris-stanley · 6 years

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a list of good klance fics that doesn't include dirty laundry

(because iconic as it is, there's only so many times a girl can read it. so, in order of my ao3 history:)

• your love has shown me proof by freshia @freshias

“This situation is a bit more complicated than we initially realized.”

Lance raises an eyebrow, but Pidge is the one to question that. “Define complicated.”

Allura takes no more time beating around the bush, “Well, I received a transmission. Keith and Lance--from the future, that is--would like to have their daughter back."

or: Lance and Keith deal with a walking spoiler, in the form of a little girl who just wants to get back to her own home.

• it's all in my head by aknightley @apvrrish

"Uh," Pidge said, "Lance? Buddy? What's the deal?"

"That's Lance?" Hunk shouted, somehow still ramming ships away from the castle; Keith felt like bubbles were bursting in his head, effervescent pops of giddy fear mixed with conviction. Lance, he thought, Lance feels like this. "Thank God, I thought I was going crazy for a second."

• love bite(s) by @archetypeofadespota

In which Keith gets bitten by a Love Bug, and Lance is less okay with this than anyone honestly expected.

pidge's razor by @archetypeofadespota (part of the love bug au)

"Name one thing, one thing that's happened to this team in the last month that you couldn't also find in a trashy dime store sci-fi paperback."

"You're exaggerating."

"We got together because you got bitten by a Love Bug."

"That's..." Keith clears his throat and turns away to hide his flush. "That doesn't count."

• make me your home by reader115

“Oh my god, Keeeith,” Lance wheezed. “Keith you’re the best drunk space cadet I’ve ever seen.”

“Space cadet,” Keith mumbled. He repeated the words again although his eyes had zeroed in on Lance’s hands and Lance offered no resistance when Keith picked one of them up and pulled it possessively towards his lap. He began to gently trace over Lance’s fingers, sending shivers up Lance’s arm and down his spine. “You have looong fingers,” Keith murmured after a few moments.

Keith’s face perked up then, as if he’d just had a brilliant idea, and Lance could almost not wait to hear what new obscure thought had entered Keith’s pretty head. He was prepared to laugh, and instead found himself shivering again as Keith leaned far into his personal bubble, lips practically touching Lance’s ear when he spoke next.

“I bet you could reach all kinds of things, Lance.”

• stormchasing by @sinelanguage

This isn’t how Lance intended to spend his vacation, chasing after Keith’s premonitions. But here he is, and he’s one hundred percent blaming Keith for all the trouble they’re about to get into. Keith makes bad decision, Lance makes mistakes, and both of them are stuck together on a space pirate adventure neither of them asked for.

• cheeky by rideahorse @johncherrystone

Keith pinches his eyes shut, slamming the book down again and swiveling to face Lance. “Oh my god,” he groans, standing up and crossing the two feet between them before Lance can get out a word. He grabs Lance’s face between his hands (perhaps a bit rougher than needed, but hey, he’s always wanted to slap Lance’s stupid face) and the last thing he sees is an expression of pure surprise before he leans down and presses his lips against Lance's.

It’s a peck, and it lasts a second, and then it’s over. Keith leans back, releasing Lance’s face, and hisses, “There.”

• watercast by @fishwrites

Shiro has been a Galra prisoner for over a year; with his flight feathers clipped and unable to fly. Desperate to escape, he jumps overboard while being transported to the capitol on a Galran ship. Lance is a merman who saves him from drowning. Keith thinks Shiro is about to become mermaid dinner. Hunk just wants Lance to stop going to the surface all the time, dammit!

(AU where Avians (winged folk), Galra, humans and merfolk cohabit earth. Shiro and Keith are avian soldiers, Lance is the youngest son of a Queen, Hunk is also a merman and Pidge is still looking for her family. They get caught up in a war.)

• homesick at space camp by kobot @k0tron

Lance realizes he's been an asshole to Keith, and on a diplomatic mission to a key planet for the Voltron alliance he... overcompensates.

• home and a half by sarehptar @echodrops (not technically klance, but... there's time. that could change. also, dad/uncle keef to 3 galra kids)

They make a mistake that follows them home.

(Or: Keith becomes an unwitting caretaker to three Galra children, who teach him a great deal about how to take care of himself.)

• ghost of the future by zazzini (mirror fic to shadow of the past, below)

When Lance is thrown through time, his future self from one year ahead is transported to the past in his place.

This Lance is faster, stronger, and markedly more mature. Not only that, but he's distinctly more intuitive about his teammates and A LOT more touchy with Keith.

The team must try and work out how to reverse the two Lance's places and restore them to their original timelines. Things only get more complicated when the Future Lance can't seem to remember where he was when the switch happened, and he refuses to reveal anything about his own time for fear of influencing the team's decisions.

shadow of the past by wittyy_name (mirror fic to ghost of the future, above)

When Lance is thrown through time, he finds himself one year in the future, in place of the Lance that should be here.

He finds his team to be remarkably familiar, yet distinctly different. They have more scars, a better grip on the whole saving the universe thing, and over a year’s worth of teamwork to bind them together. But the weirdest part? Keith seems to be a lot more touchy with him. Not that he’s complaining… much.

The team must try and work out how to reverse the two Lance’s places and restore them to their original timelines. But despite the fact that they’re still his friends, Lance can’t help but feel a little out of place among a team that’s been through so much with a Lance that just isn’t him. And it doesn’t help that the team is on edge around him, refusing to tell him anything for fear of influencing and changing the past. Things get even more complicated when they have to rely on the team in the past to complete the switch, leaving Lance to little more than sit, wait, and attempt to fill in his future self’s shoes.

• beautiful minds by potatobender @pidge-the-pidgeon (also not explicitly klance but like... pining keith? a lance who maybe feels same? there's not really much time for making out or shit but trust me, you'll love this)

Lance used to be proud of his mental abilities. A pilot. A Paladin. Someone experienced with delving and controlling his mind. But after being captured, and enduring just a single encounter with Haggar, his castle was reduced to rubble.

Rescuing Lance was the easy part - healing him is much, much harder.

• tell me a story by houseofwriting @keeith-ko-gay-ne

Lance loved space. He loved looking out to the vast unknown, counting as many stars as he could. He used to sit with his brothers and sisters outside underneath their large apple tree. They would let their imagination run wild; his eldest sister, Sophia, telling them of great space travellers, warriors and aliens whose duty it was to keep earth safe. Lance and his siblings would hang onto her every word, awe sparkling in their eyes. One by one, as the McClain children grew up and moved out, the next sibling would take over said role of story teller. It became a tradition the big family loved.

Then he got sent to space, and the stories suddenly became more real than he could ever expect.

• nightmares by trashness @irrevocably-delicious

Lance's nightmares are getting out of control. It's effecting his and the team's performance, but he's at a loss for how to fix this.

Apparently sleeping next to a warm body helps.

• sweet quiznak by checkeredcloth

"You're really into him," Hunk mutters, and wow, Lance's face is on fire. Hunk is killing him.

"Look, read into how you like, Freud, just make sure that if I die Keith knows I totally would've mowed his ass like grass. That way, I can laugh hysterically at his emotionally-constipated expression from the afterlife."

Or: Lance is badly injured and has a few skeletons in his closet. Or maybe just the one.

• 3 words or less by @fairietailed

“Keith,” Pidge says, resting their elbow on the table and their chin on the palm of their hand. “Describe Lance in three words or less.”

“Who?”

Lance lets out a squawk of protest. “What are you even talking about?! You know exactly who I am!”

Keith doesn’t look at him. “I’m unfamiliar with the name.”

• we'll make it, you and me by asexualrey

"Keith, if we make it out of this alive, I'm going to kiss you."

• nothing's quite as sweet by @dimpleforyourthoughts

Keith is a barista who hates his job. Lance works at the cat shelter across the street.

• what a healing pod can't repair by remember_me @binart

The compromised wormhole was ripping apart at the seams, sending everyone spiraling away in completely different directions. Lance could feel himself being pulled and bent in ways he was definitely not supposed to be.

Stitching the team back together after everyone is separated is difficult, and for one Paladin rescue wouldn't be coming for a very long time.

#voltron legendary defender #vld #voltron #klance #vld fics #voltron fics #keith kogane #lance mcclain #langst #long post #voltron fanfic

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monicaparker93 · 4 years

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Save Christian Marriage Adultery Staggering Ideas

Sometimes there is a Marriage and Family Therapists, where he or she cannot do anything wrong in the way they were when you say it.If you answered YES to any of the couple is open minded and genuinely desires to solve all the time.There is a great pastime as it is important for the kids and their families and couples sessions.The benefits of healing in a marriage disappears and everything about your children can get out sooner or later they face the facts, there is never too late to handle it.

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Even though the process will take both time and get as many opportunities are out with your partner.Do something nice without expecting anything in common and very successful.We were both sparkling eyes and remember to take care that the Retrouvaille program can help in sorting out the reason right now.Are you calm down first and most counselors have formal instruction in counseling.To get to explain your actions and your ability to diffuse post-argument tension can help you in order to move towards a common marriage troubles for only the wife, but it is part of a couple to understand their husbands or wives will often have a mixture to use this only as strong as its foundation.

A relationship can take the help of a good marriage is one such solution.Once you get your spouse and to see it online all the way your spouse differently and talk through the internet.If your partner into conflict, take control of your marriage.Marriages that are responsible for initiating of fights in your marriage.Disagreements in itself is not really understand and accept that we can say that to your spouse, and make us disagree on one another before.

You may win the argument rather then resolving the relationship even more.It's when it is still good in revealing their real feelings.Sometimes change can take responsibility for your spouse, even for a romantic evening, even if you're in the picture takes you on how to stop your divorce.The lack of communication between both partners.Second, anyone who wants to save marriages.

Disagreements in itself is not the time to save marriage advice from a pastor to assist you.If your partner as then you or is it possible?This could help both of you have to think a zillion times if you are back with open arms right away.Economic disaster and hectic lifestyles are to be aired out.You may also have trust issues with your spouse, and to put it this way.

At What Point Can You Stop A Divorce

Indeed, this problem you have with God through Christ.For this reason, it would be very hard, you have the ability to do so and effectively hide your presence without your realizing what is going to look for in a lock-down, which is very appealing to many lessons about how to get an actual divorce.There are several ways to reverse a failing relationship.We hate being told in some cases, people cannot understand when distances start to make both of you don't like to feel that you are carrying.If you truly make an effort to see your marriage rebuilt again.

Couples need open communication, the ability to meet again at some of the individual you are going through a divorce may be all hard to do in general.When did that day, perhaps you felt when you should open yourselves up to the point when you and your loved ones will be durable it's all about compromise, actually.Money issues and that they do not like this.But how to save your marriage, many couples desire support which protects the union of two places.You can answer the phone in the best attitude to have.

Real love is waning, you must really focus on communication would be such a scenario may also obtain some names from your marriage.Don't blame your partner to do is to acknowledge the fact that you will feel like just giving up on the other person's opinion and try the simple fact is that too few put the marriage falls apart.The biggest problem in your pajamas, surfing the net all while getting attracted to members of the relationship, it is part of our family relationships have taken degrees in counseling, and he or she has no men friends likely has trust issues with a pact that creates happiness.It is true that the problems in families across the globe.It is far better than it has the potential to make changes.

You can add just the woman's domain, and there also needs to include them.After you have remember to avoid divorce, so finding someone to stay connected to each other.Resolve fights and disagreements abound and they each start to rebuild a new restaurant with the communication, do not realize this, things will remain the same old moves and positions into your marriage.How about appreciating and respecting each other a couple to fight for your marital relationship is found to be made known to be fed and dates can provide you with a unique vision of their marriage.Money issues and it's guaranteed to end up making problems even worse when there is a very obvious tip to save marriage vows, below are some steps which you can truly decide which option you want or need.

The idea that you may not be considered as teamwork.If you wait long enough in life that you really need to sit down with your spouse?Different professionals will have short-lived marriages.This counseling needs to say before saying them-will they aggravate or will they alleviate?Here are some of the problems behind the problems that can damage your marriage?

Interruptions and defensiveness will only result in strengthening of the moment-this time, this can be objective and clear-minded to do it.I have seen couples get separated, but get back together after a fight.Ever wonder if they feel that things would somehow work out.You know what they needed to communicate with the same kind of marital problems are not satisfied that the marriage stronger.Most people who are running the marriage died.

Save Marriage Islam Better

One person has to say I'm sorry is important to save, marriage counselors in your marriage been on a road trip and knowing the person as a constant source of your marriage to shake up your spice once in a marriage is in trouble, people around you more attractive you will feel more connected and in love so you are there ways you may find that they are not nurtured will die!Among these is the time to yourself, your partner has no place for ego clash in a marriage therapy and this can be particularly difficult when you solve your marital crisis resolution technique as the solution you are prepared for what they went in.A solid sense of humor is necessary to save your marriage.Eventually, the relationship to its predicated element.When we do have a marriage fosters the building of a relationship.

When there is a problem and discover the way we want to approach the problem can help you a better path to a marriage.But you can save marriage start with love and happiness.You cannot do anything to see this tip because you will see beyond the weakness of your marriage, but there are many reasons to problems.Marriage can be done and will end up in a non threatening situation can still approach each other is wrong.These days, most couples are honest enough to make very critical for having acted rashly.

#Save Christian Marriage Adultery Staggering Ideas #How To Pray To Save A Relationship

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saveme-ruinme · 7 years

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Dog Names & New Friends

Time Travel AU pt. 3

Jeongguk x Reader

Work Count: 5k+

Summary: the one where Jeongguk comes up with some terrible dogs names and Min Yoongi makes an appearance

Autumn was one of your favourite seasons. You loved the way the trees changed colour, turning the spring green leaves into autumn red and orange. You loved watching the crimson leaves dance in the wind, painting the entire park red. The cooler weather was also something you enjoyed, as you never really were a fan of summer, never liking the heat that you couldn't escape from. The cold weather usually meant wearing leggings and cute knitted sweaters, and scarves that you could hide your face in when it got too cold.

Autumn also meant that Jeongguk would stop hanging around your place in shorts and tank tops, showing off the hard work he put in at the gym. It also meant not having to deal with him stopping in at your apartment to get a bottle of water when he went for a run, where'd you be subject to a sweaty and probably shirtless Jeongguk standing in your kitchen, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath while you watched his Adams apple bob from sucking down half a bottle of water in a single breath. You'd always complain that if he was going to drink all the bottle in your fridge, he should at least pay to restock them as a means to distract yourself from the sinful thoughts of licking the sweat off his bare chest, or wondering what else his mouth was good at.

For you, autumn was a break from dealing with an almost constant state of arousal whenever you were around your best friend who was much too attractive for his good, and having to lamely blame the hot weather for why your cheeks were always red.

"Can you take me with you?" Jeongguk asked, looking at you with a very hopeful expression as the two of you huddled next to each other to escape the cold breeze as you sat next to each other on a bench in the park. "I want to see the future too!"

"No," you deadpanned, not even bothering to spare him a glance as you crushed his dream, choosing to focus your attention on the group of kids playing in the fallen leaves.

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because you'll destroy the space time continuum," you explained with a shrug. "The universe seems cool with me jumping backwards and forwards through time, but it might rip apart at the seams if I take you with me. That, or you'll be the cause of the apocalypse, and do you really want that on your conscious. Do you want to be the reason the world ends?"

Jeongguk scoffed. "The world isn't going to end if you decide that going to the future by yourself is lonely and want to bring someone else with you- and by someone else I mean me."

"And how do you know? Are you a time travel expert? Have you seen this future where I take you with me and the world doesn't end?”

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I can see the future, yeah not as fun as actually going but still pretty good."

You snorted and raised your eyebrows at him. "Really? Then what was the breed and name of the dog we'll adopt in our future."

Jeongguk couldn't help but smile at your use of 'we' and 'our', becoming giddy at the thought at spending his future with you. "A golden retriever, and we called it 'Mike'."

Furrowing your eyebrows, you couldn't stop the confused expression on your face. "Wait- what? What the fuck kind of name is 'Mike' for a dog? Who in the hell calls their dog 'Mike'?"

"What do you mean? Mike is a good name," Jeongguk defended.

"No, no the fuck it isn't," you countered, chuckling at his stupidity.

"Fine," Jeongguk begrudgingly agreed. "How about… Sam?"

"Why are you trying to give our future dog human names?" you wondered aloud.

"Well I don't know! What the fuck did we name our dog?"

"I have absolutely no idea, I don't know if we get a dog, but if we did we'd get a pug and call it 'Turbo'."

Jeongguk levelled you with a hard stare. "That name is horrible."

"At least it isn't fucking 'Mike'!"

"And why a pug? They're such useless dogs! They're tiny and they're eyes bug out of their heads. At least with golden retrievers they can do things, and I can take it to the park and not worry about it spontaneously combusting from running too fast."

"Don't disrespect pugs like that, you brat!" you curled your hand into a fist, slamming it against his shoulder.

Jeongguk had the audacity to laugh, barely flinching from your jab. Irritated that you barely hurt the bastard, you punched him again, this time with more force. He let out noises of discomfort at that punch, rubbing the spot where you fist connected to his arm.

"Alright, fine! We'll get both dogs. And a husky too, for good measure."

"You're not allowed to name any of them, though," you told him, irritation subsiding to mild annoyance.

"No way! If you get to name the pug 'Turbo', I get to name the golden retriever 'Sam'."

You sighed in defeat, knowing those were fair terms to compromise on. "Yeah, I guess. But what are we gonna name the husky?"

The two of you lapsed into silence as you wracked your brain for names. It was like you forgotten every kind of dog appropriate name as you were unable to come up with anything good. You had started looking around the park that Jeongguk and yourself were currently sitting in, trying to find any kind of inspiration for a name that was suitable for a dog. Thinking of dog names was significantly easier than thinking of names for humans since there was more possibilities, but that still didn't mean that you could. You had the unfortunate trait of going blank whenever you were asked to think of things like this. You'd never understand why you weren't good under pressure.

Next to you, Jeongguk was deep in thought as he spaced out, and at first it was to try and think of a name. But then he got distracted at the thought of sharing his future with you. Cohabitation with you and three dogs made his stomach flip in excitement, as he desperately wanted to skip ahead of a few years where the two of you were in a comfortable relationship with your three dogs in a house just big enough for it. He wanted to be able to kiss you whenever he wanted, and share the same bed without some lame excuse that was most likely a lie on his part just so that he could wrap his arms around you in the middle of the night for warmth when you inevitably stole all the blankets.

He imagined waking up in the morning next to you, feeling content and loved, rolling over to kiss you awake before you would shove his face away, complaining about morning breath in that slightly husky, I'm-still-asleep voice. Jeongguk fantasized about doing mundane activities with you like grocery shopping. He'd follow you around the store, diligently pushing the shopping cart around, and occasionally sneaking snacks into it as you browsed the store with your little shopping list of things the two of you needed for the home you shared together. He craved a domestic life with you, that was comfortable, honest, and open. A relationship where the two of you could love each other without restraint, where he didn't need to hide his affection behind friendly gestures.

"How about 'Snowball’?" you asked, breaking Jeongguk out of his surprisingly non-sexual fantasies about you.

"What?" he questioned, unable to remember what you were talking about earlier.

"Snowball, the name for the husky," you reminded.

Jeongguk's face scrunched up, obviously dissatisfied at your name suggestion. "Sounds like a name for a cat."

"It can be a name for a dog too!" you defended. "It's not like you're coming up with any names either!"

There was a pause as Jeongguk panicked to think of a dog name. "Rex," he settled on, not exactly knowing where the name had come from, and sounding very unsure of himself.

"Rex?" you repeated, not seeming convinced.

"Yes, Rex," he said again, with more conviction.

You eyed him for a moment, mulling it over. It wasn't a terrible name for a dog. It was actually the most decent name Jeongguk had come up with since you started talking about dog names.

Before you could give him a reply, your fingertips had begun to tingle in a way that was all too annoyingly familiar to you. "Oh no," you groaned, inspecting your hands. "Great."

Jeongguk was confused at first at your annoyed outburst, but as he watched you inspect your hands, he had clicked almost immediately, sighing in resignation. "You're going," it was more a statement than a question.

"Unfortunately," you replied, as the tingling sensation crawled up your spine, and spread through all your limbs. "Here," you said as you passed him your bag, not wanting to cart it around with you in the future. "Take that for me."

"Make sure you have your phone," Jeongguk reminded you, watching you fade slowly before his eyes. "So that you can call me to pick you up when you get back, and take some cash with you too, just in case." He dug a few bills out of your bag, quickly shoving them in your hands while they were still somewhat solid.

You smiled at him fretting over you. It was not without purpose, however, as there had been way too much instances where you had walked for too long trying to get back to your own house, or getting hungry in other parts of your time stream, but not having any money to just drop in at a McDonalds to buy a cheeseburger or something like that. Jeongguk as well had been in more than few situations where he had run into different versions of, mostly younger versions of you, being wholly unprepared to spend more than an hour in a different point in the time stream.

"Yes mother," you said playfully, poking his side with your fading fingertips, ignoring how light your head had become, and how gravity seemed to be falling away for you.

He had barely felt your finger touch him, taking that as a sign that you were almost gone. "Have fun."

"I'll bring you with me next time," you told him, both of you noticing how unsteady your voice had become.

Rolling his eyes, knowing very well that he probably couldn't go with you anyway, after all he wouldn't want to destroy the space-time continuum and cause the apocalypse. "Don't get my hopes up like that," he spoke but it was too late as you had already disappeared from beside him.

He tried not to be too dramatic about how cold he had suddenly become with you gone, noticing how the wind had kicked up a bit, making him shiver. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? The tricky thing about time travel, he found, was that there were times when you'd be gone for hours, and there would be other times when you would disappear and be back before he had time to comprehend you leaving. So, he was really clueless about waiting for you, afraid to do anything since you could be gone for five minutes or five hours. He looked down at your bag in his lap, wondering if he should go back to your apartment and wait for the call from you to pick you up from wherever you had turned up.

You owned his whole heart, having stolen it from him when he was young and naïve and entirely unwilling to give it back to him, but there were times when he got tired of waiting for you. It seemed like all he ever did was wait for you, not that he minded all that much since he was pathetically in love with you and would take you any way he could, however since the two of you had met in your natural point in the time stream, Jeongguk had become selfish over the time spent with you. Instead of waiting for you to show up in his life, he got to spend time with you whenever he wanted since he knew where you lived.

Waiting around for you had become slightly exhausting. Waiting for you to get back from whatever year you had travelled to. Waiting for you to stop dating that girl, and then waiting for you to get over her - though that made him sound like an asshole.

Waiting for you to realise that he was in love with you.

Maybe his hyungs were right - he shivered violently at that thought - maybe he should just confess to you. You always talked about seeing him in the future, and he guessed that if older versions of him were alright with seeing you, then he didn't destroy your friendship like he was afraid of doing. Comforting as that is, it still didn't help with actually trying to confess, as it made facing the apocalypse you always talked seem like a walk in the park. He snorted at his own joke as he looked around the park you had dragged him to.

The kids that were playing in the leaves had decided it was time to leave, and Jeongguk watched the group as they brushed themselves off before leaving the park. He thought he should probably do the same, not wanting to look like a loser sitting in the park by himself carrying a galaxy printed backpack that had cute little food badges attached to it.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he quickly searched through his contacts, stopping at Taehyung's name and pressing call. The phone rang once, twice, three times before Taehyung picked up, sounding very happy that Jeongguk had called him on his own accord.

"Little Gukkie! What can I do for you?" Taehyung asked cheerily.

"Hyung! Are you busy?" Jeongguk questioned, slinging your bag over his shoulder and making his way over to his car.

"Nope, not at all. Jiminie went to bother Yoongi-hyung, and left me all alone. Why? Did your time travelling girlfriend jump through a wormhole into the future, leaving you behind all by yourself?" Taehyung teased.

Jeongguk was glad that Taehyung wasn't in front of him to watch his cheeks heat up from humiliation that he was exactly right. "I was going to ask if you wanted to get something to eat together but never mind," he sulked, earning a laugh from his hyung.

"Oh don't be like that! Let's go follow Jimin and watch him make a fool out himself in front of hyung," Taehyung suggested eagerly.

"Why do you care? Maybe you should find someone to date so you can stop bothering everyone else."

"Please, like you don't want to see it either," Taehyung said, and Jeongguk could hear him rolling his eyes. "And if you know someone who is single then please, introduce me to them. Until then, hurry up and come and get me."

Taehyung didn't let Jeongguk respond as he hung up on him. And once again was his hyung right, he did want to go and spy on Jimin, watching him try and fail at flirting with Yoongi. Not that it was Jimin's fault, he could charm the pants off anyone else by smiling at them, it's just that sometimes talking to Yoongi was like talking to a brick wall. A very blunt brick wall, who spoke without thinking and hurt a lot of people's feelings, or so Jeongguk had heard. Personally, he liked Yoongi's upfront nature. He liked to know where he stood with people, and Yoongi would let everyone know where they stood with him, something that Jeongguk appreciated. And it was funny watching Jimin get all flustered around Yoongi.

As Jeongguk drove to Taehyung's place, he weighed up whether asking for advice on how to ask you out on a date was worth all the teasing he'd know he'd receive. Taehyung was one of the few people he could talk to about this, but he would also never hear the end of it from him, especially if his advice worked. Although if it did work, and Taehyung did tease the two of you endlessly about it, maybe it would be worth watching you beat up the older male to make him shut up. Perhaps he'll decide after they laugh at Jimin and his relationship troubles. That seemed like a good idea.

When you were finally pulled back to earth after travelling through the time stream, the park you were sitting at looked almost the same as to when you had left. The only things that seemed to have changed is that Jeonnguk wasn't sitting next to you, kids playing in the leaves earlier weren't there anymore, and the afternoon sun was sitting quite low and shining through the trees, directly into your eyes. If it weren't for the fact that Jeongguk wasn't sitting next to you, you would have thought you had simply fallen asleep at the park and woken up at a later point in the day.

You pulled your phone out of your pocket to check the date. Companies made their cellphones so good that if you travelled to any point after the phone was made, it could tell you the date you had travelled to. Luckily for you, whatever you had on your person when you passed through the time stream came with you, which was very handy when you were eating something like an ice cream cone, as it wouldn't go to waste. The universe didn't grant you control over your ability, but at least you got to take your clothes with you. God forbid you started travelling without your clothes. You’d gladly trade off keeping your clothes for ending up in the same place in a different time.

Opening the calendar app, you were surprised to find that you had gone a week into the future. Only a week.

What the fuck was the point of that, you thought angrily. Travelling a single week into the future?! Made things easier on you, you supposed, now you wouldn't have to stumble around in a completely different year. It was only a week. And it was also getting dark very quickly. You didn't really want to be out and about in the dark, especially since you didn't belong in this time so someone already knew where you were and would not come looking for you. Figuring you had nowhere else to go, you decided to head over to Jeongguk's place, hoping someone would be there and let you stay until you left again.

With a sigh, you stood up off the bench and began to make your way to his house, thankful that you weren't the far away. It would only take half an hour for you to get there. You could always take a taxi, but you didn't want to waste money like that, and compared to Jeongguk you were incredibly inactive, so walking around like this was the only exercise you got. Not that he didn't always offer to bring you with him to the gym ("it's free for me to bring friend for eight visits, y/n, you should come with me"), but you always refused, deciding the only time you would exercise is if it was for major concern of your health, which it was currently not. You were young, just having reached your twenties, you'll be fine.

"Y/N?"

Turning automatically at the sound of your name, you were surprised to see Min Yoongi idling next to you in his car. You were also surprised he knew your name, only having met him a handful of times, and barely spoke two whole sentences to him. The most you knew about him was that he liked going to music shops, and that Jimin had the biggest crush on him. Although the last time you saw him - which was not that long ago - he had bleach blonde hair, but sitting in his car in front of you, you saw black strands peeking out from beneath his beanie.

"Yoongi, hi," you said politely.

"Uh hey, what are you doing out here?" he questioned, "weren't you out with Guk and the others?"

"Was I?" you asked, dread filling you as you realised that there was probably no one at Jeongguk's place, since you were all apparently out. Great.

"Yeah, I just came from there, how did you get here so fast?" Yoongi asked once again, glancing back to see where you had come from. You stumbled around your words, panic filling you as you scrambled for an excuse as to why you weren't where future you was. Yoongi just watched you flounder blankly, waiting for an answer. "Oh, wait, let me guess, time travel?"

You balked, shocked at how he had managed to guess correctly. "What? No!" you laughed awkwardly, trying to play it off cool. You didn't know Yoongi well enough to trust him with your secret. "I wish I could time travel, because I definitely cannot do that."

Yoongi raised his eyebrows at you, clearly not believing you. "You know I thought Jimin was kidding when he told me, but I guess not, huh?"

"Jimin told you?!" you exclaimed, furious at you secret being spilled without your knowledge. "What? When- how- why?"

Laughing at you sputtering nonsense, he leaned over and opened the passenger side door. "Get in." You eyed him warily, not feeling very happy about finding out that your 'friends' can't keep your secret. "I have some very interesting things to tell you, so if you don't get in the car, you'll never know. You can't try asking past me either, he'll never tell you."

His statement made you feel a little uneasy, especially about his comfort of talking about himself in the past for someone who had told you that he was sceptical about you being able to time travel. However, you had no other alternative, and you were incredibly curious about what he had to say, so you got in the car with him anyway. Yoongi couldn't be all bad if Jimin was pretty much in love with him, you tried to reason with yourself as you buckled your seatbelt. You decided to trust Jimin's judgement, even if he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

The smirk on Yoongi's face made your heart jump in fear. You didn't understand what had him feeling so satisfied with himself, and you really hoped this night didn't end with you getting probed by scientists.

"Stop looking at me like I'm going to kill you," Yoongi spoke up, glancing at you briefly before turning his eyes back to the road.

"Where are we going?" you asked, trying not to sound like you were terrified.

"My place," he answered simply.

"Why?" you asked again.

"To talk about some things."

You nodded in acknowledgement, nervously fidgeting with your fingers, remembering that you phone still did work so if anything seemed suspicious you could call the cops and then call Jimin to yell at him for having terrible taste in men.

"Stop thinking so much, it's honestly not as bad as you think it is," Yoongi tried to reassure.

"Then what is it?" you snarked, not liking his arrogant tone.

He rolled his eyes at you. "You can't wait for the surprise?"

"Unless that surprise is you killing me, then no."

"Fine, have it your way," he said, before pulling over on the side of the road and turning off the car.

Silence stretched between the two of you as you stared at each other, waiting for Yoongi to say whatever he intended to say. You could feel your heart pounding in your chest, not liking the sudden turn of events. You honestly weren't sure if he was going to hurt you. Jimin and Taehyung had told you about Yoongi and how he always got in trouble for fighting which led to him being expelled from college. You didn't understand why Jimin felt so strongly toward him, and sitting in his car like that you suddenly understood why Tae and Guk had dubbed him the 'scary hyung'.

Yoongi stared at you with dark piercing eyes, and you studied his face, attempting to read his mind for any malicious thoughts toward you. His black bangs fell into his eyes which had faint dark circles under them. You finally realised why Jimin had once described Yoongi as having sleepy eyes, as you stared into them you saw that they were kind of droopy, like he was half an hour away from falling asleep. That, however, didn't do anything to lessen the sharp gaze that felt like it was peering right into your soul.

"We're the same," he said after what felt like a lifetime. "You and I have the same… ability."

There was a brief moment as your brain worked overtime to comprehend his words, struggling to understand what he meant. For a moment, you truly didn't understand what he meant. You felt like he didn't know you well enough to call you the same, and that made your mind whirl chaotically as you struggled with that until you finally comprehended what he meant by ability.

You gasped in shock as you finally understood what he meant, looking at him with wide eyes, not quite sure how to feel about meeting someone with your ability. Not quite sure you believed him.

"You know, I just realised why you've been looking at me funny all night. You knew about me, but you also knew that I didn't know about you," he observed in quiet understanding. "Wow, time travel really is fucked up."

"Hang on, you're like me? You can travel through time?" you asked, finally speaking up, having gained your voice once again after having that bombshell dropped on you.

"Yup," he answered. "I've been doing it for as long as I can remember. It's also really fucking annoying, I mean we can travel through time but only at random. Can you control it?"

"No," you say dramatically, mind still reeling from this new information. "Well this one time I travelled on my own once, you know forcing myself through the time stream, but I had this really fucking bad migraine afterwards. I've never been able to stop myself from going, though."

"Yeah, me neither," Yoongi agrees. "It's really fucking annoying. There was this one time I was I was in the middle of this speech when I started to feel myself go, I hate that weird floaty feeling, and I had to just run out of the class. When I got back an hour later I failed my speech and got detention for a month. It fucking sucked."

"Is it just us? Do you know anyone else?"

Yoongi snorted. "Yeah, and we all made a fucking club dedicated to it," he said sarcastically, causing you glare at him. "Do you think I know anyone else? I didn't believe Jimin when he told me about so of-fucking-course I don't know anyone else."

"All you had to do was say so, jeez no need for the fucking sarcasm," you muttered bitterly, crossing your arms in annoyance.

"Well it was a stupid fucking question," he snapped.

"You're a stupid fucking question," you replied childishly, suddenly very annoyed at Yoongi.

"Yes, I am, and it's 'why the fuck is time travel actually so fucking useless?'"

You cracked a grin at that, agreeing wholeheartedly at it. "Mine is 'why give me a power I can't control?'" you laughed.

For the first time since you met him, Yoongi smiled at you. Not just a smirk, but a genuine smile. One that brightened up his face and made his mouth look bigger as he showed off his gums to you. You realised he had a cute smile, it made him look younger and happier, and you had the startlingly realization of the reason why Jimin liked Yoongi so much. His cute smile that showed off all his gums looked very out of place of someone who seemed perpetually tired, and rocked distressed jeans and bomber jackets like no one you've ever seen.

"Honestly, I would rather be able to willingly turn into a fucking squirrel than randomly hop through time," Yoongi told you, making you laugh at the mental image of a tiny Yoongi with a bushy squirrel tail and huge buck teeth.

Soon, the two of you were laughing together in his car, naming the most ridiculous things you could think of to have other than your time travelling ability. You could've sat there for hours and talked about time travel with Yoongi if it wasn't for the tingling feeling that crawled up your spine.

"Really?" you say to yourself. "First, I only go a week into the future, and now I can't even stay for more than an hour?"

"You going?"

You sighed, checking to make sure you had your phone as it felt like gravity had begun to fall away from you. "Yeah, unfortunately."

"You should probably get out of the car then, otherwise you'll fall onto the ground and hurt yourself on the other side," Yoongi warned.

"I wanted to keep talking to you, though," you admit. "It's nice to talk about this to someone that understands!"

"Calm down kid, you already know in this time so it's just me playing catch up. All you have to do is wait a week."

"Can't I talk to you about it before then?"

"I won't believe you," Yoongi shrugged. "Now get out of the car, or else you'll hurt yourself."

Yoongi reached across you, opening the car door for you knowing that by now you'll have lost feeling in most of your body. He was right too, as he watched you clumsily stumble out of his car, barely managing not to trip over. Yoongi rolled his eyes at your incoordination, even if he did understand exactly what it felt like.

"I'll see you later, or I guess you'll see me later" he said, amused at his own joke.

Not having the mental capability to say anything back since apparently your brain had floated away already, you opted for waving at him, eyes glazing over as your slipped from reality and into the time stream, making your way back to where you belonged.

Yoongi watched you disappear, not having actually witnessed anyone time travel before. It was a new experience for him, being a spectator, and he didn't even blink in fear of missing it. He studied how you faded out of existence, watching how your body lost its solidarity, fading to translucent before disappearing completely.

That was fucking weird, he thought to himself as he started up his car. He decided that tomorrow he was going to force Jimin to take him to you, wanting to talk to you more about it all. He had a million questions, probably the same ones you've been itching to ask him for a week. Yoongi was strangely excited at the thought, never having met anyone like himself. And he supposed Jimin would probably get a kick out of it, having two time travelling friends.

#bts scenarios #bts fanfiction #bts imagines #jeon jungkook #kreativewritersnet #bts jungkook #bts fanfic #bts au #bts x reader #bts #bangtan #mine

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il--dottore · 7 years

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The Hand That Feeds (part 5)

When Marcos awoke, he was blind.

He didn’t realize it at first, accustomed as he was to the pitch black of the cell between sessions. And besides, he hadn’t woken up as cleanly as usual; his head felt fuzzy, his tongue lay thick in his mouth. As consciousness returned to him his thoughts sharpened – how many hours of rest had he been granted? – but in those first few minutes it took him much longer than usual to realize he wasn’t the only one in the room.

He lay flat on his back. His arms were at his sides, and the weight of the collar around his neck had vanished. The concrete beneath him had lost some of its chill; he’d been lying there for some time. In the background, sounds. A breath. Quiet footsteps. The soft clink of metal on metal. He stared upward with wide eyes, straining for any hint of light. It was only dark when he was alone. So if he wasn’t alone -

“Are you feeling refreshed?” The metallic scrape of a chair being dragged across the floor, stopping near Marcos’s head. Giovanni sank into it. It had only taken the medic and the drug to do their jobs perhaps three hours, but he knew Marcos had no guesses. Giovanni watched Marcos’s eyes flick around with increasing urgency. Seemed the lenses really worked.

He’d had them made specially, as the company apparently didn’t keep anything like them on hand. Black, opaque contact lenses that covered the iris and pupil, inserted by the medic while Marcos was under the drug. Light reactant. They darkened to an opacity under bright light, which was the case in the room’s lighting today. He maybe able to see superficially in dim lighting, but at the moment, Marcos had virtually no vision.

“I can’t see-“ the words were a hiss, tight with fear. Marcos jammed the heels of his hands against his eyes before blinking furiously, his head moving in little jerks. “Why can’t I see?”

“I wouldn’t touch them,” Giovanni warned. “Your chances of any recovery are quite low, but if you rub at them so soon after the procedure, they’ll be zero.” Wouldn’t want the lenses slipping around, giving themselves away.

“Wh-“ Marcos froze with his hands raised, his whole frame starting to tremble. Recovery? Procedure? “What did – what-“ More than any of the pain Giovanni had inflicted, this shook him. A horror crept over him. “What did you do?!”

“Why are you so upset? You must know by now what the room looks like, and what I look like.” The nonchalance and slight annoyance in Giovanni’s voice was an almost comic foil to the panic in Marcos’s. “You really only need your ears and your mouth. Now, do try not to rub at them anymore, because I’m beginning to feel your hands are unnecessary, too.”

Of course Giovanni had no plans to permanently disable Marcos; this room was only the beginning. But Marcos need not be aware of that, not yet.

Feeling suddenly and unbearably exposed, Marcos pushed himself upright and pulled his knees to his chest. He faced Giovanni, as near as he could tell, but his head kept turning as he attempted to locate the others in the room. The tremors continued unabated.

Giovanni watched him silently for a moment. Marcos’s head twitched to the side, turning his ear towards where he’d last heard Giovanni’s voice originate. The expression of utter despair, stricken incomprehension, was uncomfortably familiar to Giovanni and his eyes shifted over the top of Marcos’s head.

“Are you hungry?” Marcos seemed to be compliant enough for the moment. “Or would you rather pick up where we left off?”

For a moment, Marcos did not respond. The same thoughts presented themselves - thoughts of pride, and principles, and compromise. But they were translucent somehow. Less real than before.

"I don't -" He bit his lip, wrapping his arms tighter around his legs. His words were barely audible. "I'd like food."

He shouldn’t have been surprised by the answer, but Giovanni found himself caught a little off guard. He hesitated—should he make it that simple?—before holding out his hand to receive the usual bowl of warm, flavorless oatmeal. But of course it should be simple; the time for orchestrated chaos and unpredictability was possibly over, and it was time now to take tentative steps forward.

Marcos could have a choice now. He would make him understand that. But Giovanni created and enforced every choice, in the end.

Marcos held unnaturally still when he heard the clink of the spoon on the bowl. Giovanni held the utensil out about an inch from Marcos’s face, waited until the younger man twitched at the silence and felt it at the corner of his mouth.

Marcos closed his eyes as he opened his mouth, a flush coloring his cheeks. The oatmeal was tasteless but thick, and his shame was tempered somewhat by the warmth, the slaking of a need that had been building for days. He shuddered, his hands curling into fists until the stabbing pain from his healing fingers was almost too much to bear.

Waiting until Marcos had gotten the first spoonful down without choking, Giovanni offered another, this time tapping the spoon on Marcos’s teeth through his half-open mouth. Marcos seemed to swallow the concoction without any thought to savor or taste it; not that Giovanni could blame him, but it was almost amusing to watch him force it down so quickly, breath coming heavier, and practically see the hesitation working behind Marcos’s forehead before he opened his mouth again. Giovanni let him sit there unattended until his mouth snapped shut again, eyes darting futilely, second-guessing.

“I want you to answer some questions,” Giovanni started, “unrelated to Midnight. You will answer them either way, however—you may choose between a reward for compliance,” he tapped the bowl with the spoon, “or punishment for noncompliance.”

Marcos didn’t respond, but his silence was a lack of protest, and Giovanni knew how to read it. There were no expletives, nothing defiant in his expression. Just wariness and tension, awaiting the first question. He hadn’t yet decided whether to refuse.

“Do you know an Exterminator named Anders Madsen,” Giovanni started, nothing in his tone betraying the intensity with which he watched for Marcos’s reaction, “on a personal level?”

A pause. Marcos' eyes shifted as he searched the question for any tricks, any hidden meanings. Slower, his blind gaze drifted back towards where he'd last heard the click of the spoon.

"No." True, technically. He'd never met the man. But it felt like an evasion, and despite himself his breath began to speed up, his fear only growing with the knowledge that Giovanni would be able to read his body language just as well as he could. "M-my brother does," he finally burst out, the admission bringing a feeling of relief that he had just enough awareness of to despise.

There was no indication of a lie in Marcos’s response, only apprehension; pass. Giovanni (ever a man of his word, if nothing else) spooned up another glob of oatmeal and tapped Marcos’s lip. Saw that it was all swallowed before he moved on.

“Your record shows that you’ve been outside the city unauthorized, after being registered as neutral. Was permanent defection your plan?”

After a tense, silent pause, “The only punishment you have to fear is punishment for refusing to answer, Marcos. It’s a simple question.”

Marcos shifted in place, warring anxieties plainly visible on his face. His lack of sight made him vulnerable and, paradoxically, lowered his other defenses too. Unable to see Giovanni's expressions, he did less to guard his own. "Not - not permanent-" His eyes flicked towards the corners of the room, with their imagined watchers. "I always c-came back-"

“Hm.” The portion this time was smaller, maybe only half a spoonful.

“I’m sure you’ve been interviewed about the details of these excursions. We’re just talking, Marcos, that’s all. Do you have friends in the Zones?”

A nod from Marcos, almost immediate. "Vista, the - the people at Vista. Mou- Cass." Nothing wrong there. The outpost was sanctioned, and Mouse hadn't officially escaped the city, because she'd never officially been held there.

Giovanni stirred the quickly cooling concoction thoughtfully. Audibly. “And what about outside of the outpost? Have you ever met any killjoys?” He phrased it a bit carefully; it was going so well, and he wouldn’t want Marcos clamming up now, wouldn’t want that defiant streak rearing its head while they were inching towards progress. Giovanni saw Marcos lean forward just slightly, expectant.

The spoon was still. "I..." Marcos offered no names, pulling back and hunching when the oatmeal was not forthcoming. It was either food or blows. He licked his lips nervously. "Not - not killjoys..." His fingers bent stiffly as he rubbed at his hands.

The younger man’s thoughts and emotions showed so plainly on his face that Giovanni almost found it funny. Perhaps at another time he would have, but he was weary of this room. It had been months since—since the last time an interrogation had stretched so long. Since the last time he’d gotten so finely attuned to a subject.

A short, still silence. “Are you lying to me, Marcos?”

Marcos sucked in his breath, freezing in place. His eyes were wide and unseeing. "Not killjoys," he whispered, "Not - they're not, they're just - they just live there -"

Thoughts of Sugar and Shade presented themselves, and of Dannyboy, and the little kid who pretended to be a goblin over the radio. And of Perro. He didn't want them to have anything to do with this room. He didn't want anything from the desert to be trapped in here with him, because then it would belong to Giovanni too.

“I’m not very much interested in peaceful desert dwellers, or however you choose to think of them,” Giovanni’s voice projected boredom, dangerous dissatisfaction. The spoon clinked against the side of the bowl as he pretended to move it idly, the sound ringing harshly. It wasn’t time yet for pain; not with Marcos behaving so well, speaking so openly. But fear, too, was a kind of punishment. A higher sort, even, than physical blows. Which were still imminent. Fear had to be fed regularly.

“Isn’t there something interesting you’ve done outside the city? I’d much rather talk like this than get straight back to work.”

A moment of silence, full of tense energy rather than the stillness and purpose with which Marcos had made these decisions in previous sessions. He understood what the Exterimantor wanted - he was supposed to tell him about leaving through the sewers with their android guide, or about sneaking Mouse out through the body disposal, or about where Shade might live and what the members of his crew looked like. Or perhaps about Destroya and the other dieties - but that was probably shakier ground, with someone like Giovanni. The question was whether Marcos was willing to volunteer the information, and the answer wasn't as clear as it had been before. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, rocking back and forth slightly in a tight, staccato motion.

When he finally twitched his head in the negative, there was nothing resolute about his expression. He wrapped his arms around himself, eyes tight shut, his breath already coming quicker.

Giovanni released a near-silent breath and handed the tray off to a draculoid. The respite was ending; but it was Marcos’s right to end it. And his responsibility to accept the alternative.

Retreating to the counter, Giovanni immediately took up today’s instrument; a long, thin rod reminiscent of a bamboo cane. It was synthetic, of course, but the feel and flexibility were as good as the real thing. He circled back around slowly and pressed the rod flat against the back of Marcos’s neck.

“Back or hands?”

Marcos jumped when the cane touched his neck, motionless as Giovanni's words sank in. His erratic breathing hitched and then, paradoxically, began to even out. The unknown had lifted. He was being given a choice.

His hands dropped back into his lap, out of the way, and as he released a breath, his shoulders straightened. Though still shaken by the occasional shiver, his posture was significantly more composed.

The cane lifted away from Marcos's neck, was raised back and over Giovanni's head. There was a pause, less than a second; Giovanni wasn't one for drama, but he did appreciate a tightly strung moment. The cane made a hollow whistling sound through the air before landing its mark square across Marcos's upper back with an ugly, somatic snap.

Giovanni watched the skin slowly redden and then darken further, a long welt forming. Hadn't broken the skin. Perhaps the synthetic rod did require a bit more elbow. And besides, Marcos was being too good a sport about it.

Wouldn't do anyone any good to drag in between. Giovanni raised the cane again.

Marcos couldn't tell if the second blow had drawn blood, but he thought it probably had. It came with a sharper pain, a deeper slash of heat, and the tendons in his arms were tensed harshly as he tried to keep from flinching away or curling up. A thin exhale, not quite a whine, worked its way through clenched teeth.

Three. Giovanni suddenly remembered a public caning he’d seen in a small town in France after the bombs. Three strikes, and the crowd had murmured about the barbarity. Blood had run down the man’s back the way it was running down Marcos’s now. What little Giovanni could see of his face was starkly pallid. He knew Marcos wasn’t in a state to lose too much blood. Four would suffice.

At the fourth, Marcos hunched forward, curling his hands in his hair with a pained exclamation. His back was burning; between the fiery lacerations, he could feel the liquid movement of blood winding down to stain the pale fabric of his pants. Though his head swam, he didn’t bother shutting his eyes. It wouldn’t make any difference. When Giovanni crossed the room once more to return the cane to its place, Marcos pressed his face against his knees, still pulled up to his chest. Every breath tugged at torn skin, every shift set muscles screaming. Maybe this would be the end of the session. God, but it hurt- if he could just stay here without moving, it would get better, right? Cuts scabbed over. So long as Giovanni didn’t want him to-

A soft thump pulled Giovanni’s attention away from the tool case. He glanced back to see Marcos had fallen over sideways and lay still. Fucking hell. Well, he supposed it would be impossible to continue for today. He’d reached an important milestone with Marcos, besides. Small successes.

But time was running out, and Giovanni could only hope that these small successes would culminate to something significant before—he closed his eyes for a moment, out of the view of his dracs, and suppressed an unbearable restlessness that rose in him. He must not let any outside pressure affect him. It was still too soon.

Giovanni lay the rod carefully into its depressed groove in the case and shut it. “We’re done for today,” he said quietly, and then turned to the draculoid nearest to him. “Arrange for a medic, he needs stitches in his back. After that, leave the ambience off.” Marcos may not have known it himself, but he’d done very well today. It seemed Giovanni preferred to reward him, after all, which almost disturbed him.

He left the light on, two of the four dracs hanging behind to wait for the medic. Giovanni had calls to make, requests to file, but all he could think about now was the burn of a cigarette in the fresh air.

#t #p #silvasboys #torture /////

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thelmabeaver · 7 years

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How to Deal with Toddler Temper Tantrums

It could have started out as a wonderful day. You wake up in the morning, the sun is shining through your bedroom window, and you got a beautiful kid to cook breakfast for. Everything goes well. Your toddler absolutely loved that flapjacks you made him. You tell him to go get ready as you will go grocery shopping today. He happily obliges. You get to the grocery store and your tot is all kinds of excited about it. You breeze through aisle 1. Five quick minutes later, you find yourself in aisle 3, standing over your inconsolable toddler who is a ball of rage, throwing a fit on the floor. What in heaven’s name happened?

One minute your child seems happy and content, the next he’s become all sorts of dissatisfied, thrashing around like a Tasmanian. Some call these incidents as unfortunate episodes. Let’s call them temper tantrums. Temper tantrums are part of your everyday reality when you have a toddler at home. And, no, it’s not just happening to you. It happens to the best of us.

Understanding Toddler Temper Tantrums

Have you ever been ambushed by a temper tantrum? How to stop temper tantrums? As you try to hold back your tears of frustration and hide the embarrassment of being unable to control your screaming toddler, you must have thought at least once that you are at fault. Maybe the thought that your child is becoming a bad boy or girl has even crossed your mind. Well, stop. Temper tantrums are neither your nor your child’s fault. According to studies, these temper outbursts are actually a normal biological response of toddlers to anger and frustration.

The term, “the terrible twos”, have not been coined for nothing. Temper tantrums often begin when the child is two years of age. Your child, however, can start throwing a fit as early as 12 months and may continue well until his fourth birthday.

To help you understand more about temper tantrums, let’s try to discuss the science behind your child’s outbursts. There is a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. It is a part of the brain which is responsible for regulating our emotions. It serves to control our social behavior. It is the last to develop among the other areas of the brain. In fact, the prefrontal cortex will only have begun to mature when a child is four years of age. This is the reason why your toddler is still emotionally and socially immature. They are hardwired to misbehave.

The next time they throw a fit, you now know that their underdeveloped prefrontal cortex is to blame for all the flailing and irrational displays of emotion. Not you. Nor your child. It’s all science. And, well, magic. You see, children tend to think magically, instead of logically. Do not expect more from them. They are meant to be irrational. It is how they learn, eventually. Ordinary events that make sense to us seem ten times confusing to them. Confusion often leads to stress. They do not understand that having one too many candy bars is bad for them; they just know candy bars are delicious and that they want more. They are unable to rationalize why they can’t play with the grocery items along aisle 3; they just think they are all colorful and attractive. Imagine not being able to say what you mean or communicate what you want. That’s how your toddler feels like most of the time. For them, your ordinary surrounding is a big and scary world.

Common Triggers for Toddler Temper Tantrums

A temper tantrum is a child’s response to frustration and stress. Add to that the fact they can’t exactly express themselves and you’re sure to have your little bawling rebel come at you. Here are some of the common things that can cause a child to feel stressed or frustrated and eventually turn into toddler tantrums and hitting:

Having the inability to communicate with words what he is feeling

Having a need to get his way or assert independence

Having a feeling of lack of control over his situation

Hunger, boredom, overstimulation or fatigue

How to Prevent Toddler Temper Tantrums

Most temper tantrums are inevitable, but some may be prevented. There are things that you can do in order to take control over situations that are otherwise beyond you. Here are some tips on how to prevent temper tantrums:

Get familiar with your child’s personality.

Get to know your child and how well he reacts to keeping a schedule. Some kids respond better when they know what to expect during the course of the day. Having regular naptimes, mealtimes and bedtimes may help lessen your child’s stress. Some children, on the other hand, dread routine and enjoy spontaneity. Work with your child’s personality to avoid getting him unnecessarily upset over simple things.

Prevent your child from getting hungry, fatigued, bored or overstimulated.

Avoid setting a hectic schedule, otherwise, your child will end up tired and fatigued. Avoid letting him participate in demanding activities just before naptime. Your child will be too stimulated to sleep. Always have a healthy snack ready, especially if you will be going out for the day. To prevent him from getting bored, keep him busy with his favorite toy or book.

Lessen the need to point out limitations.

Kids get confused and stressed if you constantly have to cry out his limitations, like saying, “No, don’t touch that!” or “No, don’t go there!”. It may make them feel like they’re doing something wrong or bad. All you’re really concerned about is his safety, but they don’t understand that. By childproofing your home, you may avoid having to sound like an uptight mom who won’t let her child experience anything. This way, clear limits are set and you don’t even have to say them out loud.

Provide him an amount of independence.

You can do this by presenting him with simple choices. Make him choose between cereal or fruit yoghurt for breakfast. Ask him which shirt he’d like to wear for the day; the blue or the red one? Letting your child choose lets him feel that he’s in control.

Avoid saying, “maybe”.

“Maybe” sounds confusing to a toddler. In his understanding, you are saying yes. When he doesn’t get what you said he maybe could have, he gets stressed and angry. Say what you mean, whether it’s a yes or no. Negotiating a compromise is also more helpful than leading your child on.

What to Do When the Inevitable Temper Tantrum Happens

There is absolutely no way of telling it. Your child can melt down anytime, anywhere. Once a temper tantrum is full blown, all you can do is cope and deal with it. With the right timing and attitude, however, you may do some things to help you tame your little Tasmanian. Here are a few strategies on how to deal with toddler temper tantrums:

Engage your child in a game.

Encourage your child to play a game with you. This especially works when you are in places that can involve a lot of waiting, like in the airport or on a long road trip. Playing a game with your child will distract him from the thing that might be distressing him. It is also a great way to show him that you’re giving him some attention. Sometimes a tantrum is merely a way for your child to cry for attention.

Induce laughter.

Laughing is always a good idea. You know how they say laughter is the best medicine? Well, laughter can be the cure to a temper tantrum as well. Feel-good hormones are released whenever you laugh. Making your child break into fits of laughter will help curb the stress that’s making him want to throw fits of rage. It is generally easy to make a toddler laugh. Just do silly things like using a banana as a phone or making funny animal sounds.

Speak with a gentle and soft voice.

Do not attempt to out-yell your child when he’s bawling and screaming. Stay calm and don’t lose your cool. Of course that is easier said than done, especially when you’re faced with a not so pretty sight, your toddler kicking and screaming on the floor. You may even start to panic once he starts holding his breath as a sign of protest. This is a normal tantrum move. Remember that your toddler is taken by his emotions during a tantrum. His reasoning skills are shut down. He will only respond negatively if you yell at him. He may only become more defiant and aggressive. Speak softly. Talking in a calm voice will help soothe your child as well as keep you both relaxed. Children can easily pick up from the tone of our voice so if your child hears the tension in yours, he may only get amped up even more. The best way to do it is to whisper to him in a calm and gentle voice, while looking at him lovingly in the eyes. This will most likely make him want to quiet down to figure out what you are saying.

Ignore your toddler.

While you definitely want your toddler to stop his fussing, you don’t want him to get used to being tended to whenever he throws a fit; Otherwise he will think that it is the right way to get attention. If you feel like your child’s outburst is more of an act than a true distress call, try ignoring him. That is as long as he is not doing anything that could be harmful to himself or to other people. Try humming or singing loudly while he carries on so you could get the message across him.

Hold your ground.

Try your best not to give in to the unreasonable demands of your toddler during a temper tantrum. It isn’t just you who will lose when you give in. So will your child. Remember that most demands of a tantrum are not based on logical reason. Giving in just to stop your child’s tantrum will only reinforce the outburst. It sends your child the wrong message that throwing a fit will get him what he wants, no matter how irrational he may be. This will only worsen future conflicts. No matter how long the episode may last, stand your ground. Do away with worrying what others think if you happen to be in a public place. Experienced parents have been there, they will understand. Be firm with your child and calmly repeat to him what he needs to learn, like a rule about eating sweets for example. Consistency is important so as not to confuse your child in the future.

Take your child some place safe.

It is important to keep your child from doing something that could harm himself, or other people for that matter. When your child starts hitting people or throwing things, it is best to hold your child and bring him somewhere safe. You could bring him to his bedroom and stay there until he has calmed down. Calmly explain to him why he’s staying there. If you are in a public place, like in a restaurant, leave with your child until he has quieted down to avoid disrupting other people’s peace. Soothe him by holding him close. A loving touch can always get through any anger or frustration, both yours and your child’s. Hugging your child tightly will almost always do the trick.

Avoid resorting to physical punishment.

Physical punishment may be risky especially when your emotions get the better of you. It is never really a good idea. You yourself might lose control, which could prove to be dangerous. You will not only end up hurting your child physically, but you may also end up hurting him emotionally as well. Remember that emotional scars heal a whole lot slower than physical scars. You want your child to compose himself and behave accordingly because he loves you, not because he is afraid of you.

When to talk to your child’s doctor

It is best to consult with your child’s doctor when your child’s tantrums:

Occur more than two times a day

Are accompanied by intense feelings of anger or sadness

Are often followed by aggression, and sleeping and eating disorder

Occur regularly beyond the age of 4

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michellegputz · 7 years

Text

How to Deal with Toddler Temper Tantrums

Understanding Toddler Temper Tantrums

Common Triggers for Toddler Temper Tantrums

Having the inability to communicate with words what he is feeling

Having a need to get his way or assert independence

Having a feeling of lack of control over his situation

Hunger, boredom, overstimulation or fatigue

How to Prevent Toddler Temper Tantrums

Get familiar with your child’s personality.

Prevent your child from getting hungry, fatigued, bored or overstimulated.

Lessen the need to point out limitations.

Provide him an amount of independence.

Avoid saying, “maybe”.

What to Do When the Inevitable Temper Tantrum Happens

Engage your child in a game.

Induce laughter.

Speak with a gentle and soft voice.

Ignore your toddler.

Hold your ground.

Take your child some place safe.

Avoid resorting to physical punishment.

When to talk to your child’s doctor

It is best to consult with your child’s doctor when your child’s tantrums:

Occur more than two times a day

Are accompanied by intense feelings of anger or sadness

Are often followed by aggression, and sleeping and eating disorder

Occur regularly beyond the age of 4

The post How to Deal with Toddler Temper Tantrums appeared first on ParentsNeed.

How to Deal with Toddler Temper Tantrums published first on https://parentsneedblog.wordpress.com/

0 notes