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sergeant-donny-donowitz · 4 years

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Making Friends: Basterds Imagine-Fem!Reader

Requested by @cass-danvers

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___________ It was a cool Sunday evening. The basterds marched into an A-list, luxurious club in the middle of Paris, in the middle of the nazi occupation. It was a bold move. Some may even say stupid. But it was necessary. Besides, they were the basterds. Bolder still was something they'd come to see in a few moments. It was you. You, in your long, glamorous red evening gown, with a slit down your leg, and black gloves half way up your arm. And bolder still, the bright spotlight shining directly onto you with a loud click, just as the band began to play. The basterds had never seen you before...but the light that flowed onto the crowd immediately around you was quite revealing. They'd seen every single one of those spectators before. They were all high ranking, high profile, high-on-their-kill-list nazis. All of them were targets the basterds had been pursuing from the moment they landed in France a year before. And there they were, all in one place. Donny instinctively reached for a pistol hidden in his coat, but Hugo signaled him off, shaking his head slightly. If Donny did what all the basterds wanted to do, none of them would make it out alive. Aldo looked around at the basterds, with stark eyes indicating one word they often did not listen to: "Wait." Since it was an order, they had to do just that, while clenching their fists and jaws seeing their prime targets slip through their fingers. In order to fit in, they ordered a round of drinks, and lit up some cigarettes. They had no choice but to listen...and watch... your performance. "When they had the earthquake in San Francisco, back in 19-6..." You were singing put the Blame on Mame. It wasn't quite what they expected to hear, but, they weren't exactly complaining. And yet...

Aldo leaned into the table, and muttered low enough so no outsiders could hear, "Look for anyone that might be Y/n L/n. Got it?" Aldo rolled his eyes, seeing Hirschberg's eyes were glued to the stage. "Got it, Hirschberg?" "Uh huh..." Aldo muttered, "Damn it, Hirschberg," and glanced at the stage... He wasn't disappointed. The light from the chandeliers reflected off your eyes, beaming flares of danger and daring as you sang and swayed with the band, walking out toward the crowd, "Put the blame on Mame, boys..." The basterds scanned the room, looking for anyone that looked like a Y/N L/N. "Mame did a dance called the hoochy coo-" Hirschberg's elbow rested on the table, and his chin dug into the palm of his hand as he sighed, "Hm...she really did." Smitty rolled his eyes, nudging Hirschberg out of his day dream. "Look for L/N." "I'm lookin'..." "Not at the right-" With that, the song ended, and the announcer spoke in French while the crowd called out for an encore. The one thing all the basterds were able to pick out, even though they didn't speak French, was two words: Y/N L/N. Donny laughed in disbelief, "No fucken' way..." "This is crazy..." Omar shook his head,, watching as you blew kisses out to the crowd with a wide smile. "She's crazy..." Wicki muttered, lighting a cigarette that rested between his lips.

Aldo shrugged, "Well shit..." He chuckled, and sighed, "Well best damn place to hide is right out in the open, some times." Hirschberg elbowed Smitty, remarking "Told ya I was lookin' the right fucken way." They sat through the encore, and the encore to the encore, and the roaring applause. They watched as you spent the night moving from enemy to enemy, spilling their drunken and careless secrets right into your ears. Eventually, the club was empty except for one of the bar tenders set to lock up, you, and a few disguised soldiers. "Des amis à vous?" He chuckled lightly as he wiped down a glass. "Friends of yours?" "J'espère" you sighed, as you took a drink for yourself, "Hopefully." The bartender, Marius, leaned over the counter and presented you with your purse. "Merci," you chuckled as you pulled out a folder. You made your way to the table in the back of the club where ten young men were sitting. You stopped at the edge of the table. Though the lights were fully on, there was still a sharp streak of intrigue and hazard cutting through your smile. You were one dangerous woman, any basterd could see that. You looked them over, barely half a moment studying each of their faces. You slid the folder onto the table, and it met the hands of the man at the very end of the table: Aldo Raine. A round of whiskey and packs of smokes were brought to the table as he briefly filed through the thick stack of bloodstained information. It was exactly what he was looking for...which was suspicious. Aldo sniffed some tobacco before looking up at you, "So uh, where does a pretty lil' parisian singer like you get information like this?" You spoke suddenly, in what could without a doubt be identified as a Brummie accent, "Get yourselves some friends, mate." Hirschberg smiled blankly with dreamy eyes as he nodded "So you're British..." Your accent changed suddenly, sounding like an equally dreamy California girl as you shrugged, "Depends who's asking." Aldo had his fair share of run ins with spies and double agents. He laughed, "Aw you tommy's don't know wh-" You suddenly mimicked his accent, "Tommy, huh? Ain't that nice." He was startled, but then smirked a little "Well I'll be damned..." You shrugged, now in your natural tone and accent, "Sometimes, darlings, the best informants are only great pretenders." Hirschberg could hardly contain his excitement, asking with a wide grin, "Who are you?" Smitty rolled his eyes, though he had to admit, "You do look familiar." "Oh," You shrugged, "I've been here and there." "Where?" Even Wicki was a little curious.

Seeing as you'd all be there for quite some time, a pot of coffee was brought over by Marius.

Hugo finally spoke up, "You make friends with the nazis?" "I make them think I do." You shrugged, taking a sip of coffee, with a sly grin. "Rub elbows with the higher-ups, get them piss-drunk. A few drinks loosens anyone up...And loose lips sink ships," you winked as you stirred your coffee. Something about the way you smirked told them you were one hell of a spy. You could tell your enemies the loveliest lies of all, and they'd believe you. You were dangerous... But to the basterds, you were now an ally and an advantage. Donny raised his eyebrow, remembering their briefing before finding you. It wasn't just a folder with names and rumors. You had indispensible, indisposable insight. This folder was only the tip of the iceberg. You had names, you knew faces, voices, wives, families, addresses, plans and plots, back alleys, back ups, and back stabbers, spies, and double-agents. You knew the worst of the worst, and they knew you. Just what the basterds needed. Not only that, but you were supposed to house the basterds in your apartment in the dead center of Paris while you helped them piece everything together and create a plan of attack. Donny asked, "They know where to find you?" "No one gets in without an invite. Every one of those damn animals stationed in France knows that," you smirked, "But, for the next few weeks, only you boys have an invite. No one gets in or out." The doorman, after all, was a friend of the resistance. He packed a gun. A knife. Not only that, he literally owed you his life. Marius vouched for that as you walked toward the stage. You'd left your keys backstage.

"So how do we know you won't double cross us?" Wicki wanted to trust someone, he really did... But that got harder to do as the war went on. You stopped by the stage, looking back at him, you lifted your leg onto the stage, your heel producing a powerful, echoing thud. The slit of your dress shifted, revealing a knife strapped to your thigh. "This knife belonged to-" you trailed off, knowing you'd never see his face again. You'd used that very knife to exact revenge on the nazi that took him from you. "Someone I used to know. Using it won't bring him back...but it does make the world a little brighter." Hirschberg sighed, resting his face on his palms, murmuring "Marry me..." You giggled, disappearing behind the stage's velvet curtains. You soon reappeared with the keys, then quietly led the basterds through Paris. Louis, the doorman, kind as ever, let you all in through a hidden back door. He familiarized himself with the basterds, taking note of their faces. They were the only ones to be allowed in to see you for the next few weeks. As the basterds followed you to the elevators, and you made sure no one saw them walking into your apartment. You quickly unlocked the door, and drew the curtains before turning on the lights, then welcomed them all in. For the next couple of weeks, this would be their headquarters. You showed them around. It was a big place. You had a few guest rooms, showers, and had stocked up the kitchen. The flat itself was about as luxurious as the club. "Nice place ya got here, kid." Donny smirked as he sat on the couch, which was the first couch he had sat on in well over a year. Aldo nodded, looking around, noting the thick walls and quiet area. "This'll do..." Wicki wasn't so sure. He stood behind you as you cleared things off the large dining room table, and began to set down files, maps, and photographs that they'd need for the mission. "The nazis know where you live, don't they? What if-" You shook your head. "I wouldn't bring you somewhere it was dangerous. Believe me, corporal. I want this war to end, too." You sighed, "Besides....it'd be rather ungentlemanly to just barge into a lady's home, knowing she lives alone. As a matter of fact, it's scandalous." "How can you be so sure?" You shrugged, as you organized some of the papers, "Would you rather these meeting be held somewhere more public?" Omar smirked, "She's got ya there, Wicki." You sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was just past 2:30 in the morning. You welcomed them to make themselves at home. They slept in a warm, quiet place for once. Though it was safer than what they were used to, there was still a lingering fear that any moment, the sound of marching boots would echo in the hallway leading to your front door. They were soldiers, far behind enemy lines. There was always a chance of something going wrong. You weren't a soldier, but you were in no less danger. It was Wednesday now. You spent the first few days going through files, showing them what information and photographs you had about their targets before even starting to come up with a plan of attack. It was now nearing midnight, and you noticed Aldo was tense, snapping a bit at his men. He wasn't uneasy because of the information you were giving them, in fact, the things you gave them gave him the most peace of mind he'd had since he left Tennessee. You slipped away for a moment, and found Utivich in the kitchen, eating a pastry you'd left out for them. You noticed he had a bit of a sweet tooth, and made a point of saving a few extra treats for him (because Donny tended to eat way more than his fair share). "So your lieutenant's a little-" "On edge?" Smitty chuckled a little with a sigh, "Aren't we all, miss?" "Y/n." You smiled kindly as you sat by him, handing him another pastry. He smiled with bright, grateful eyes, "Thanks, Y/n." You nodded once, and after a moment you asked, "He a smoker?" You hadn't seen Aldo light up a cigarette, and wondered if he'd gone through his ration...and subsequently gone through a bit of a withdrawal Smitty shook his head, "Snorter, though. Man loves his snuff." "Ah," you nodded, understanding as you made your way to a cabinet. You pulled out five tins of snuff, or so, and Smitty watched in awe. "I told you, make friends to survive this," you winked as you walked back out to the main room. The rest of the basterds were calling it a day, and finding a place around the radio to sit. Aldo was standing by the window, looking across the street. There was an operahouse and a theater there, which was going to play a part in the big plan. "No one's going to talk. You're not the first man anyone's seen on this balcony," You chuckled as you pulled him out to the balcony for a breath of fresh air. He looked up at the stars. The big black canvas with an infinite splatter of stars, reminding him of the southern night sky. He smiled softly. You slipped the tins into his hands, and he turned to you "What's this for?" You shrugged, "A little birdy..." You glanced out at the sky, and the Parisian skyline. Sure it was bright...but this night didn't hold a candle to what you knew before the war. You smiled softly, nostalgia clouding your eyes. It was a familiar feeling, and you saw it in Aldo's eyes, picturing a sky an ocean away. You left him there, knowing soldiers like Aldo had a lot to think about, and a world on their shoulders. So you sat with the others by the radio for a while, looking at them once in a while, wondering where they'd be a year from then. Maybe they'd be home by then... At least, you hoped they would be.

Later that night, you woke to the sound of footsteps. Your eyes shot open, fearing the worst, as you reached for your knife. You snuck to your doorway, ready for anything... Except for what you saw. Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz pacing around, murmuring things to himself every so often. "Hugo." Your voice was soft...and that's what startled him most. You motioned for him to come in. He hestitated for a moment. He spoke lowly, "Sie könnten die falsche Idee bekommen ..." 'They might get the wrong idea...' How he knew you could speak German, you didn't know. He lingered outside of your bedroom, and you giggled, rolling your eyes as you pulled him in, "Schlimmeres kann über Menschen wie uns gesagt werden." 'Worse things can be said about people like us." He smiled briefly, though it was dark, you couldn't see it. You flipped a dim lamp on, and shuffled through a hidden drawer, till you pulled out a key. You smiled, hoping he'd be a bit patient with your system. You opened a jewelry box...though there was no jewelry in it. Just cartridges and bullets for guns Hugo hadn't seen around. He was a little impressed, though he'd only admit it to you years later on a visit. You pulled out another key, then pulled out a box, and unlocked it. Hugo wasn't a nosy person. But...seeing the lengths at which you'd gone in such a short time during the war, he was a little curious at just how much information you had hidden away for the allies. In that box, no more than two feet across, he saw carefully folded notes, clipped to photographs, sketches, seeming to never end. In the blink of an eye, you snapped the box shut, and handed Hugo a folded, handwritten note and a photograph. His eyes narrowed, and his knuckles went white as his eyes locked onto the photograph. "So I was right..." You sighed as you sat on the bed, "You know him." Hugo looked up at you, and nodded slightly. You handed over the other scrap of paper. It contained an address, a phone number, and a few other details Hugo may have deemed useful. The nazi in the photograph was the one responsible for torturing Hugo when he was detained. That same nazi happened to be transferred to Paris just after Hugo's escape... and he happened to make his way into the club...regularly, every Friday and Saturday night. He often bragged about being the one to capture and torture the great Hugo Stiglitz, to your face... He slowly smiled again... He was going to sneak out, without a doubt. You saw him to the door, and winked, "Habe Spaß," 'Have fun.' It was now Friday afternoon, and you had to go to the club to perform for the evening.

The basterds were a little reluctant in letting you go. What if someone followed you? Or what if- You immediately shut down all worries and disguised suspicions. "It'd be far more suspicious if I didn't show up, since I've been there every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening for the past four years, with no exceptions. That's how I've made it this far." Aldo nodded, then said, "Omar. Why don't you go with Y/n?" Omar nodded, "Yes, sir," while Hirschberg muttered "Are you fucking kidding me?!" After you slipped into a long black dress, satin gloves, and shimmering heels, Hirschberg lingered by the door. "How do you do it?" "Do what?" You asked passively, as you slipped a deep red shade of red lipstick over your lips. "Do this job. Talk to them nazi fucks, and not blow their brains out?" Your heels clicked over the wooden floor was you down the hall, "I wouldn't get very far if I did, now would I?" "Huh..." He shrugged chuckling, "Maybe not in those shoes." "Mm," You smiled, resting your gloved palm against his cheek, remarking quietly with a smirk "Don't wait up." His heart melted, he sighed deeply with parted lips, watching you walk out the door. Omar walked out with you, and followed you to the club. Not closely enough for there to be questions, but close enough to get a good seat...for..."safety measures." The truth was, you reminded Omar of his kid sister. He got a letter, just before leaving England for France with the newly formed team of basterds, a year earlier. She'd gotten married, and Omar never forgave himself for having to miss it. She was so much like you, it kind of hurt him. He didn't know much about you, and frankly, he didn't bother asking. It was a dangerous thing to do in these times. But it broke his heart, knowing you probably had a family waiting for you to come home, somewhere in the world, just like he did. Still, he tended to keep distant from you. For a moment, toward the end of your performance, there was a glimmer of a tear in the corner of his eye. For a moment, as you sang on that stage, you smiled just like his sister did, and it broke his heart. It was three AM by the time you were both back at your apartment, and he didn't say much. You didn't ask what was wrong. You knew soldiers, and you knew better. Besides, he seemed tired, and headed to bed right away. He didn't seem to notice the figure looming over the table with all the plans and information charted out. "Wilhelm?" You called out quietly, in case a few basterds had fallen asleep nearby. You set down your keys, and slipped off your heels with a breath of relief, and walked over to him, looking down at the plans, "What did we miss?" He shook his head, "Nothing..." He spoke sincerely, but you noted a twinge of worry in his voice. "You need some rest," you sat, resting the side of your face against your palm, and your elbow on the table. He shook his head again, "No matter how much we plan..." "You're basterds," you smiled a little, not understanding yet. "It'll work. It has to work." He spoke suddenly, which wasn't something he did often. "There used to be more of us," he sank into a chair beside you. "I see..." you looked at him, "Maybe I will never understand what it is to be a basterd. But...I understand what it feels to be scared of losing everything." He only raised an eyebrow, as he turned to look at you. You weren't just a singing spy in over her head. You had a story, as detailed, and mysterious as any of the basterds. In that moment, when he looked in your eyes, he felt as though he'd known you, at some time. And yet, you seemed distant. You smiled, "So the only thing we can do is raise the stakes." "What do you mean?" You shrugged, "I can make a few calls....figuratively." "To?" "A few Soviets. Andrei, Mikhail, Yura, Irina. They're all snipers. I can get some resistance fighters in, some rebels, some double-agents. I know people on the inside, that can get in with no suspicions. No questions asked." He smiled a little, beginning to feel a little relieved."You've already called them." He was half asking, half confirming. You smiled with a nod, "I was going to mention it in the morning." "Mention it?" He chuckled a little, "You really are the greatest agent I've never heard of." You laughed softly, "Goodnight, Wilhelm." "Goodnight," he smiled, as he found a place to sleep in one of the guest rooms. You were only halfway down the hall, when you heard an odd sound. You slowly pushed open one of the doors, and found Donny sharpening his knives He hadn't noticed you walk in. "Keep it up, and you'll whittle it down to nothing." He smirked, and you asked "What's troubling you Sergeant?" You shrugged a little, "Didn't think that was a possibility." "And I didn't think you'd be as good of an agent as you are." "Hm," you laughed as you sat across from him, "No one ever suspects pretty ones like you and me." He'd been called every name you could think of, but pretty...well, that was not a common one. He put the knife down and you saw how tense he looked about the upcoming mission. By dawn, the basterds would be leaving. "What do you drink?" "Whatever you have, kid." You came back shortly with some whiskey, and your glasses clinked. For once, Donny was silent. But, he was calm now. You finished your drink, and said good night. But, before you slipped out the door, he said your name. You lingered by the doorway and he said, "Thanks kid. For everything." You smiled softly, "My pleasure." as you shut the door.

Though you weren't going with them, you found yourself as equally sleepless. If something went wrong, you knew you'd never forgive yourself. You'd hardly have time anyway. If something went wrong, you'd definitely be found out and executed. It wasn't long before you heard birds chirping outside. The basterds scrambled to get their things ready, go over the plan one last time, and say their thanks and goodbye. They slipped out the door silently, separately, and slowly, as to not alert any neighbors. The very last basterd to leave was Smitty. He lingered by the door, and seemed worried. "What's wrong?" "What if they find out about you?" You smiled softly, "Oh, don't you worry about me." "If they find this," he gestured to all the files you had laid out, "If they know you helped us...they'll kill you... Or worse. I mean, what if-" "Well," you sighed, as you lit a cigarette with a peaceful sigh, "That's just the way it goes, sometimes." You'd come to that conclusion the night before. "But," he shook his head, almost as though refusing to say goodbye. "Oh..." You hugged him "Don't you worry about me, love." You smirked a little, "I have friends that'll take care of me." "But...what...how can you be so sure? How can you be so calm?!" "Like I said before," you shrugged, "If you want to survive this war, make yourself some friends." He nodded, with a half-hearted smile as he left. Before you closed the door, he turned back and asked softly "Are we...friends?" "You know where to find me," you smiled, letting him know you were the kind of friend that would get them through the war. As a matter of fact, they'd meet other contacts, rebels, and informants over the next few years. And every once in a while...just when they least expected it, that new 'friend' would tell them you said hello. Far from the skyline of Paris, and any luxurious club, wandering the bloodstained wilderness, Aldo would always respond the same, but genuine way. He'd smile, and hold one of tin boxes of snuff you'd given him, and chuckle, "Well I'll be damned..." It wasn't until the war ended that you got to say hello yourself. It was a Saturday night. Paris was free. And it was your last night performing in that club. It was time you went home you thought... You looked out at the crowd, studying the faces of French, and other allied soldiers. You saw friends of yours, finally allowed to be at ease. You saw a face you hadn't seen since before the war. He'd written a review of a movie of yours, an undiscovered gem, he called it. His name was Archie Hicox. Lieutenant, now. And, you were thrilled to see a few more familiar faces by him. Bridget von Hammersmarck, of all people. And, of course, the basterds. You addressed the crowd, spoke in French, but didn't say goodbye. This was not a time to say goodbyes. All you said was that this next song was one near and dear to your heart. You sang Put the Blame on Mame, just as you had the night you met the basterds. You couldn’t stop smiling as you sang that old familiar song. That night, it felt as though you’d never sang it before. You felt free, you felt more alive than you had before. And seeing those basterds again did it. They couldn’t believe a spy with so much to lose like you could make it this far...but then again, basterds like them had made it to the end. In a way, they owed it to you. At the end of your performance, the loudest cheers and claps and demands for an encore came from a table of basterds. What are friends for, after all?

#Inglourious Basterds #aldo raine #aldo the apache #Donny Donowitz #the bear jew #smithson utivich #Omar Ulmer #gerold hirschberg #Hirschberg #hugo stiglitz #Wilhelm Wicki

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slowly-writing · 4 years

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Part Of the Family: Part 9

Avengers x Kid!Reader

Part 1 Part 10

Word Count: 1421

“Would you two stop being all cuddly over there? I’m trying to watch a movie here,” Clint says and you roll your eyes.

“I don’t see you yelling at Tony and Pepper! They’re just as cuddled up as we are!” You argue pulling MJ closer to you.

“They’re in a real relationship, you’re gross teenagers who won’t admit their feelings,” Clint says and you smirk.

“Leave my girlfriend and I alone and watch the movie, would ya?” you say and suddenly all attention is on you.

“Did you finally ask her out?” Tony says and you just roll your eyes.

“Yes, now you can stop teasing me all the time.”

“Oh, Jr, that’s never going away,” Clint says and you groan.

“I’m happy for you, sweetheart,” your mom says and you smile, before she turns her attention to MJ, “but if you ever hurt her-”

“Yes we know!” you cut her off, “I have a very scary family of superheroes and you all want to threaten her, but we’re going to skip that part because I love her and I refuse to let any of you psychos scare her off now.”

“I love you too,” she says and you smile down at her, kissing the top of her head. “And for the record, I will do everything I can not to hurt her.”

“Now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way, please pay attention to the movie,” you beg, knowing they’ll all find another tangent to go off on within the next five minutes.

xxxxx

“That’s it. I’m setting a new rule. You two are not allowed to be all gross and coupley anymore! You seriously need to get a room!” Peter says and you look around.

“Huh, that’s funny, I could’ve sworn this was MY BEDROOM! What are you even doing here?” You ask, refusing to remove your arms from around MJ’s waist, mainly out of spite.

“I was walking by and my eyes were assaulted! At least close the door,” Peter argues and you're about to throw a pillow at his head when your dad appears behind him.

“I know you’re not suggesting my 16 year old daughter spends her time with her girlfriend behind closed doors, Parker,” your dad says and you roll your eyes.

“The door is open dad, you are dismissed from your overprotectiveness. Peter, if you don’t wanna see it, stay away from my room. Don’t make me throw you out a window!” you yell, your dad chuckles and walks away, leaving the three of you to your bickering.

“Seriously, Parker. Are you jealous or something? Just because you haven’t asked Liz out yet-” MJ is cut off by Peter shooting a web at her face. You’re a step ahead of him and you block it with your shield that was sitting by your bed.

“You’re dead Parker,” his eyes go wide and he takes off but you’re right on his trail. MJ runs after the two of you as you chase each other around the tower. “Get back here!” you yell after him.

“Guys calm down! It’s not that big of a deal!” MJ yells after you. “No! Y/n put him down!”

“What’s going on out there?” Natasha asks and MJ slides to a stop in front of the kitchen door.

“Peter shot a web at me and now y/n’s yelling about throwing him out a window, I think I might be a little out of my element here. Superhero fights are a bit above my paygrade,” she says and Natasha just laughs.

“Have a seat, they’ll tire themselves out soon enough. Y/n always wanted siblings, she won’t admit it but she loves this kind of stuff with Peter,” she says and MJ shakes her head.

“Coulda fooled me.”

xxxxx

You’re on the couch with MJ when the team walks in, you immediately roll your eyes, knowing what’s about to happen.

“Leave room for Jesus, you two. This is a shared space. You heard the rule the kid made,” Clint says and you smirk.

“Don’t worry, people, I have a permit,” you say, handing a tiny piece of paper to the person closest to you, who happens to be Wanda.

“This just says ‘I do what I want’,” she says and you nod.

“Yep, now leave us alone,” you say and she rolls her eyes.

xxxxxx

“What are you two doing?” you ask, trying to hold back your laughter enough to get a few words out as you see Peter flailing around and Wanda trying her best to follow along.

“I’m teaching Wanda renegade!” Peter yells happily and it’s impossible not to double over laughing.

“He said it was an important part of American culture,” she says and you smile at her innocence.

“Come on y/n! This could go viral!” Peter says and you pause.

“I’ve got an idea.”

xxxxx

“Y/n, Peter, Wanda! Can you three come in here please?” You hear Tony call and the three of you jog into the living room where most of the team is standing.

“Uh oh. They assembled the Avengers, we’re in trouble now,” you whisper to Wanda who smacks your arm as you look at the adults staring at you.

“Why is there a video of the three teenage superheroes flailing their arms around circulating the internet?” your dad asks and you see Peter getting nervous. The poor kid has too much anxiety for his own good.

“It’s a dance thing. We thought it’d be cool to do it in our suits. It blew up pretty big too,” you say with a grin and Tony shakes his head.

“You can’t be doing stuff like this!” He says and you raise an eyebrow.

“Why not?” you ask and he sputters.

“Because it could expose your identities!”

“Everyone knows who Wanda and I are, and Pete was wearing his mask,” you say raising an eyebrow, “you’re just jealous we’re getting all the attention!”

“What-no- I’m not!” he sputters and you grin.

“We can teach you too. Imagine how much that’d blow up!” you turn to Wanda and Peter who are both grinning.

“No, y/n. We are not making a dance video-” your mom says and you cut her off.

“Yes we are!” you grin, clapping your hands, “everyone suit up, meet in the training room in 15!”

xxxxx

Hours later you, Wanda, and Peter collapse on the floor in exhaustion.

“Fighting off robots was easier,” Wanda sighs and you nod.

“Let’s never do that again,” Peter says.

“Agreed.” You and Wanda respond in unison. You groan as your phone rings, rolling over to grab it, you put it on speaker, too tired to move your arms enough to hold it to your ear.

“Hello?”

“Babe, are you aware that you just broke the internet?” MJ asks over the phone.

“We did?” you ask softly.

“A bunch of superheroes dancing in perfect sync like it’s nothing? Everyone loves it.”

“It was not nothing. I feel like I guest took down all of Hydra. I’m sleeping on the floor of the training room right now,” you groan as she laughs on the other end of the line.

“I’ll come save you,” she says and you smile.

“The door code is my birthday,” you say and she acknowledges you before cutting the line.

xxxxx

“You guys are a mess. Earth’s mightiest heroes taken down by a dance video? The world is in trouble,” MJ teases and you all groan.

“You try teaching a bunch of old people to dance.”

“I think y/n’s dad almost gave her back to hydra,” Wanda says and you nod.

“You should see the behind the scenes,” you say sliding her your phone.

“No, Clint you’re moving too fast!” Wanda yells.

“Dad, you’re going too slow, it's not 1940 anymore!” you argue and he rolls his eyes

“The old jokes are getting a little ridiculous, y/n,” he says and you roll your eyes this time.

Tony, apparently tired of the distractions, or maybe just wanting to start a fight, shoots a laser at you which you deflect with your shield, only for it to cut the cord of the punching bag. Wanda throws it with her powers before it can fall on top of Clint and it hits the weight rack. Peter catches the flying weights with his webs, knocking over the phone until all you can see is the ceiling.

“I told you all this was a bag idea,” your mom’s voice sounds from off camera.

tag list: @rvgrsbrns @rororo06 @freerebel @prizmix-and-friends

series tag list: @hannahsairwave @niquey-salvatore @ibe-anne

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sunshinexlollipops · 4 years

Note

ooh do you have time to share some headcanons for an acw modern au where arthur is an art professor and wolf is a new professor and they catch each other’s eye ...

Uh, YES I DO ANON.

OKay so I did start typing this earlier and my phone geeked and crashed tumblr so LETS TRY AND DO THIS AGAIN SHALL WE?

Arthur, as mentioned in the ask, is a popular art professor. Not only is he good at his job, he is known as the heartthrob of the school.

Most online reviews of his course not only compliment his class, but also his ass. And everything else ofc.

One review used the golden ratio about the proportions of his shoulders and hips and since then the staff jokingly calls Arthur “Ponyboy.”

One day, during a staff meeting, Dutch, the dean of the school, informs Arthur and his coworkers that they are getting a new Animal Sciences teacher.

Apart from needing space, the best open location for this new teacher is in the building beside Arthur.

It’s spacious, and Arthur asks why this new professor needs so much space (as he takes up a lot with kilns and other things like drying racks or weaving stations.)

Turns out this new professor has some animals that she is bringing, and so she needs the space for the pets she is bringing into her classroom. Which— oh. Okay.

Arthur doesn’t think anything more of it until the day the animal sciences teacher arrives.

He’s outside, having his class throw paint at canvases to create abstract outlines by using stencils to cover up areas. It’s messy.

Arthur is covered in paint, his denim jeans and shirt splattered all over, and because of the heat, he has some of his shirt’s top buttons undone on his chest, as well as his sleeves rolled up.

(One girl almost faints. Arthur fears heatstroke but in reality it’s Arthur who is too hot.)

Still, he’s in the process of throwing a balloon for a student with an arm cast when Wolf arrives.

Students notice her and they immediately go: wtf are all of our professors gonna be fucking hot or????

He doesn’t see her at first, but he notices that a woman dressed in blouse and fancy dress pants is looking at him.

She’s beautiful. So much so that Arthur drops a balloon without throwing it and gets even more paint all over himself.

The woman chuckles at him and says, “So is this the art course I keep hearing so much about?”

And Arthur be like:

Wolf goes to shake his hand, uncaring for the paint on his palm as she touches him, introducing herself.

She then points to her building and says, “I’m the new Animal Science teacher, the one taking over the neighboring building?”

And Arthur is just like oh yes right right, Dutch mentioned this.

He’s very awkward, flushed and stuttering and rubbing at his neck. But Wolf doesn’t react or judge his nerves.

She smiles at him and tells him “well, I’m getting a look at the place, and I’m moving most of the stuff in tomorrow...” and she pauses, looking Arthur over, “And you know, I think you’d be perfect for helping me, if you could.”

And Arthur’s thirst now be like:

Ofc he agrees to assist Wolf with her move, and she bids him goodbye.

While some are jealous, the students notice Arthur’s reaction and they are IMMEDIATELY invested.

Arthur tries to ignore them, but he can’t get helping Wolf out of his head.

The following day Arthur doesn’t exactly have classes. In fact, it’s supposed to be his day off, but your word is your word and it really isn’t a bad incentive to have someone like Wolf being the one you owe it to.

Still, when he shows up in a worn Johnny Cash shirt and jeans, Wolf is happy to see him.

She’s dressed in sweats and a v-neck and OOF she looks like art in anything.

“Oh thank god you’re here,” she says, “I have a ton of tanks to set up and I need the extra arms.”

“Tanks?” Arthur questions.

“Yes. I have a few animals that I brought here for my class. I have u-haul behind the building— I would be grateful if you helped me unload!”

Arthur, internally: there is another load I could give you but alas I am gentleman first and awkward man second.

Nevertheless, Arthur helps Wolf get her items. He see some vivariums and other enclosures, and he scowls at her supplies, not recognizing any of it for what it is.

“Uh, what’s all this stuff for?” he slides one tank that’s taller than it is wide onto a counter, and he looks inside, taking in the sight of the bromeliads and moss, “You grow plants?”

“That’s my crested gecko’s enclosure!” Wolf chirps, and to Arthur’s surprise, he finds Wolf coming close to him, their shoulders brushing as she unlocked her phone, showing the art professor her lock screen of some lizard, “This is her! This is D’or!”

“D-D’or?” Arthur fucking BUTCHERS the name and almost slaps himself in the face.

Wolf chuckles, “It’s French for golden. She was my first reptile, and she’s the reason I went into animal science as a profession.”

Arthur blinks, “... first reptile?”

“I own others. Another crestie, a leopard gecko, a beardie, a ball python—“

“A python???”

Wolf laughs, “scared of snakes?”

“N-No, just... ain’t big, is it?”

“No. It’s a boy, so he’s smaller. Just a regular too, nothing fancy. Didn’t want to risk getting a morph and end up with something akin to the spider wobble.”

Blinking, Arthur hums, “I’m gonna pretend I just understood what you said...”

“You’re cute,” Wolf tells him, and Arthur??

He be like:

“Come on, there’s a few more things to grab,” Wolf ushers them to the door, and Arthur just follows after her.

While offloading a few more tanks, Wolf makes small talk. She asks about Arthur and his course, and she seems interested.

“I took IB art in high school,” she mentions casually, “Just didn’t pursue anything with it.”

“Really?” Arthur asks, shocked.

“Yeah, animals are more of my thing... but you seem to really love it.”

“Yeah,” he hums, “I do...”

Arthur gets to tell Wolf about what his kids are currently studying— from watercolor techniques to pottery glazes and masking making in Africa.

Wolf seems genuinely interested as they finish emptying her u-haul, and as she closed the tailgate, she smiles at him.

“You know, I need to check your building out. See what you have going on over there. Sounds so cool!”

Arthur blushes, “Y-Yeah... I need to learn more about what you do. Not just for the sake of offerin’ up better conversation, just that... seems cool too.”

Wolf beams at him, “Well, you’re welcome any time... But, I couldn’t have gotten my room set up today without you. You’re a life saver!”

Arthur smirks, ducking his head, “I dunno ‘bout that...”

“Well, I owe you,” Wolf tilts her head at him, smiling ruefully, “What do you say about having dinner together?”

Arthur blinks. Dinner?

We hydratin’ now bitches—

“Oh... I’d... I’d love that.”

“Me too,” Wolf hums, “Do you have any classes later today?”

Shaking his head, Arthur replies, “No. it’s my off day.”

Lightly striking his bicep, Wolf gapes, “Arthur Morgan! Don’t tell me you came on your off day to help me out!”

“Well, when a pretty woman asks you for your help, you don’t say no.”

Wolf smiles with some heat his way, and she crosses her arms over her chest.

“Well, guess I owe you something more than just a dinner.”

Feeling brave, Arthur comes a step closer, “And what would that be, miss? Got another idea of a meal for me?”

“You ass!” Wolf playfully hits his bicep again, but they both laugh.

However... she doesn’t deny it.

“Well, since you’ve been so kind to me today, where would you like to go?”

Smiling, Arthur replies: “With you on my arm, sweetheart? Really don’t matter to me.”

They have dinner and maybe SOME OTHER THINGS and it quickly becomes known that the art and animal science professor have a thing.

Wolf heard about the Ponyboy nickname but Arthur cannot fess up to why it’s a thing. Karen, the business professor, tells her and Wolf can’t stop laughing.

At one point, Arthur uses D’or for a live reference in an art project.

Wolf also catches a wild corn snake that was enjoying the warmth of his kiln in his art room and helped to properly relocate it. (Arthur did not scream, he yelled, okay?)

Arthur may or may not have sketched Wolf a couple of times. (He has. They’re in his sketchbook at home.)

Wolf may or may not have gotten him the new set of paintbrushes he uses during lessons. (She totally did. He didn’t want to spend any of the class’ budget on himself.)

Either way, they’re a package deal, and everyone ships that shit like UPS baby. ;)

#luffy asks #acw #amidst a clash of worlds #acw headcanons #acw ask #wolf acw #arthur acw

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cruddyborderlandstheories · 5 years

Text

Moze Trailer! im so late oh god

tl;dr: again, like the Zane trailer, not much we haven’t seen before. some very beautiful looks at Promethea/Eden-6 and some shots of Pandora, but nothing significant lore-wise. im about to start Amara’s in a hot second so i'm at least not behind when Fl4k’s is dropped tomorrow later today and im screaming over their voice. oh also, there’s a hint at Moze having some sort of relationship with 2 dudes as she’s keeping a polaroid of them in her cockpit. dunno if dads/brothers/squadmates but they’re definitely there. they look to be playfully pushing her helmet over her face. i could be wrong, it’s kinda small.

i really like Promethea’s ‘night’ sky. the asteroid belt is really gorgeous

“Darziran (sp?) Bay” is by the Meridian Seaport im assuming? unless this is an inaccurate video..? sorta using a familiar area to keep us engaged?

im having flashbacks to So Happy Together. probably not the greatest time to get that song stuck in my head considering 66.67% of these pilots are gonna die. it’s not repeating because a part of moze’s soul died that day.

i do find it interesting vladof is fighting Maliwan. Add Maliwan onto Tediore and Dahl and damn Vladof no wonder you need the Iron Bear mechs you’re basically fighting on every front

idk why im just digging this turret’s design

anyone know what’s up with these doubled lights shots? we saw a lot of them in So Happy Together. y’all think they’re supposed to mean something? We’re just seeing from the view of the turret here so... i can’t imagine it does. also, let’s add Atlas to the possible list of corporations Vladof is fighting.

some pictures on the inside of Moze’s mech

the one on the right is IB, the one on the left I think is Moze when she is younger getting her helmet squished on her head. Which means those 2 dudes are possibly her dads? brothers? im not sure.

okay yeah Vladof and Atlas are against each other as well

god DAMN Vladof is just on a warpath

so idk if it was Moze specifically who shot that turret, but the camera did seem mighty focused on that mech while she was narrating

and considering the reason the turret collapses the building is because it malfunctions after being shot...

... do you think Moze blames herself for her squad’s death at all? i know she says it was a death trap, but... they were easily wiping the floor with those Maliwan soldiers. the only reason they appeared to have any trouble at all was because they went to the Promethea school of running away from things (eyyy).

also anyone else notice Moze’s trailer (not including end credits) is significantly longer than the other VHs so far? Her’s is 2 min 8 seconds, Zane’s is 1 min 6 seconds and Amara’s is 1 min 29 seconds. i wonder if Fl4k’s will be longer... I know Moze is gearbox’s baby, so I’m not surprised, but damn i didn’t realize just how much more content she received. Her trailer is also the only one with new info relating to backstory tied to it.

sorry i know this is an emotional moment and all, but where did this pilot go? moze said the rest of her squad was wiped out, so logically we should see a body

man it’d be fucked up if they got out and tried to crawl away before it exploded only to succumb to their wounds.

moze climbs out of iron bear from the back. i guess its big round front probably isn’t great for getting a foothold. tho i have to wonder how she climbed around the big cover in her way

~bubbly gum~ i hope she has an emote to blow bubbles or smth. altho do we know if there will be character specific emotes? also her dog tags are clipping through her chest

the embodiment of the =/ emoji

“all my friends are dead”

i like this shot. like that one art piece beverii did of my neighbor totoro except it was ‘my action skill, iron bear’. here’s a link to the tweet because you need to see it if you haven’t already

a ratch? on my good pandora??

also a new area to add to my collection of pandora shots of satellite dishes

i wish i was kidding

soon.

don’t worry, though, i also have a sub folder for every area on pandora with giant skeletons

they can share.

anyway

iron bear *probably* doesn’t have an AI but it definitely is acting remotely. it’s interesting, i know it’s able to function as a turret for a few seconds after the duration runs out then run into enemies and detonate, but it’s still cool to see it knows to specifically apply fire to the fire pit and not, like, moze, who is 2 feet away.

if anything it’s a dumb ai 🤔

i expect that Moze’s reaction to the burgers on promethea being made out of ratch meat won’t be such a big deal, then? because Zane and Amara were both pretty skeeved by it.

her eyes are glowing in this shot lol

Moze is Siren confirmed

this is interesting to me

looks like one of the indoor CoV areas

here maybe??

i find it interesting Maliwan is on Pandora here as well, like, this isn’t the CoV attacking Moze for hanging out in this base, and this shows Maliwan isn’t just on pandora in the drug-trippin trailer (because that can be excused)

seriously, Maliwan joining the cult or displacing them as the big bad is becoming more likely every day. personally, i’d love to hear Katagawa beg for us to save him.

moze fuckin gets around. im surprised she went to pandora, left, and then, apparently, came back for bl3. i hope her fast travel data saved.

also also

what are yOUUUUU are you another broken-down ship?? i wanna explore this so bad- it’s glowing and i LOVE when things glow

moze is mirrored in this scene. someone on reddit pointed out it was probably because they didn’t want her shoulder pad clipping through the ground. probably didn’t have time to make her take it off lol

i fuckin love these dudes

saurians? fucking AMAZING i love them 100%

this just in, moze sleeps like the dead. she looks so fuckin tired lol

immediately rolls back over onto casings

outstanding move

also we’ve had errors in every character trailer so far. are we supposed to be taking note or are they unintentional? hmmmmm

this is so fucking cool looking. i love that the gas giant has its own little moon up there.

elpis still not looking exploding-y. good for her.

has moze even fought 1 single bandit in this entire trailer? hmmmmmmm...

they’re even taking over the bandit technicals! this is a... hostile... takeover... god damn it

a better look at that picture! idk this looks like a fairly younger moze to me, but it could just be the pic quality and it’s some other person. maybe they were part of her squad.

ok this is gonna sound really weird, but the teeth don’t look like they’re in the borderlands style and it’s freakin me out. is that intentional? to make it not look like she has huge gaps in her teeth? hmmmmm

this fucking transition lol

she smile

alright im gonna yeet this into the void and then go do Amara’s so I’m not behind when Fl4k’s drops tomorrow

#borderlands #bl3 #borderlands 3 #moze

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turnupswritessometimes · 5 years

Text

Banana Fish - AshEiji - Skipping Stones - Ch8

Title: Skipping Stones

Part: 6/?

Word Count: 6564 (It’s two chapters put together.)

Description: A collection of oneshots filling in some scenes that probably didn't happen in between episodes/scenes, but that I like to think did because these boys need to talk to each other.

Edit: This fic is also available on A03 and ff.net under the same name. I would post a direct link but Tumblr then doesn’t put the post in searches so..

Ash had been surprised to see Bones and Kong heading out of the building. He stopped them, immediately asking why the hell they thought it was okay to leave Eiji alone.

"Sorry, boss – you know we wouldn't," Bones said. "But, you know, he asked us to. Specifically."

"Said he's got a surprise for you," Kong shrugged.

Of course. Eiji had a surprise for Ash, so it didn't matter if he got killed or kidnapped. It didn't matter if anything happened to him, because he had a surprise planned for Ash. That boy was going to be the death of him.

"Next time, don't listen to him, okay?" Ash said, but he clapped them on the shoulder and wished them a safe journey home.

He had been out all day, getting various things done, and he felt the exhaustion in every part of him. He felt as though he had been melted by the summer sun and put back together. His legs ached and his head swam with the heat.

But at least he was outside of their apartment. He was almost home. And home meant Eiji.

Ash kicked the door open and back closed, throwing himself against it and sighing.

"It's too hot, Eiji," he dragged the words out as though he was melting.

"Really?" Eiji was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, a smug little grin on his face. Fuck, he looked so cool. As in, not sweating every part of himself off. "I've been cold – with the air con on."

Ash blew a raspberry at him, then smirked and rushed over to him.

"Isn't my loving boyfriend going to give me a welcome home hug?"

He moved fast – faster than Eiji could duck away from. In the next moment he was being pressed against Ash's shoulder with Ash's arms wrapped around him so tightly he could barely breathe. Not that breathing was an option, Ash stunk of sweat. His palms made Eiji's t-shirt damp.

"Ash – that's gross!" he tried to push away from him, but he was held tight. "You're gross, get off!"

Ash just laughed. He held Eiji for a moment more, pressing a damp kiss on his forehead and waiting until he looked up at Ash with a pout on his face. Then he released him.

"How much do you trust me?" Eiji asked.

Ash took a moment to reply, his eyes scanning Eiji's face intently. Those starry eyes and that little smile as he looked up at Ash. He had a surprise planned all right, and he was bursting at the seams to tell him. "More than anyone I've ever known."

"Is that really saying much?" Eiji muttered. He didn't seem to care about how much Ash stunk.

"Fair point," Ash shrugged. "But I do trust you. So much."

"Stay there-" Eiji turned, then turned back. "And close your eyes, okay?"

Ash laughed, but did so, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. He felt his heart pounding, his whole chest felt warm. Eiji had prepared a surprise for him. For Ash. Because he wanted to. Because he cared about Ash.

He didn't want this moment to end – the moment of not knowing what it was Eiji had gone to all that effort to. To take the risk of anything happening to him just for prepare something special – just for Ash and him. The thought was enough. He didn't need the surprise.

"Okay, here it is," Eiji said. Ash opened his eyes to find Eiji stood in front of him, grinning up at him. Eiji with a cupcake cradled in his hands. A vanilla cupcake with a single, blue candle in it. A candle that reflected in Eiji's huge dark eyes. "Happy birthday, Ash."

He froze for a moment, his eyes watching the candle flickering. His felt his heart skip a beat, like Eiji had reached right into his chest and squeezed it. After a moment, he forced himself to swallow and try and find some words.

"It's my birthday?" his voice was raspy. Eiji nodded, but his smile was faltering and he started to look nervous. That hadn't been what Ash had wanted, but he had to set his own mind straight first. "How did you know?"

"I asked Ibe-san – it was on your paperwork from – from prison," Eiji was starting to look worried now. "It is – is it okay? I figured you'd-"

"It's fine," Ash forced himself to move. It felt like he was made of lead. He forced himself to wrap his own hands around Eiji's. He went for a smile, but it didn't work. He ditched it. "It's just – I had no idea it was today."

"You forgot when your birthday was?" Eiji asked it so innocently and earnestly.

"I haven't been paying attention," Ash shrugged. He must have had a certain look on his face, because Eiji's eyes widened and Ash knew – he wasn't sure how but he knew, that Eiji understood everything that was going on.

"Well?" he said. "Blow your candle out and make a wish."

"Sure," Ash couldn't stop himself from smiling. It made him feel worlds away from Eiji – Eiji, who still made Birthday Wishes and thought about things like birthdays. It made him feel like a child again.

So he blow out the candle on the cupcake, and made his wish. It was a selfish one. One that he felt guilty making, because there were so many things that he should wish for – that would be of much more help than what he actually wished for.

But the things he should have wished for didn't include Eiji. And those things he could do himself, or die trying.

He would need a wish to keep Eiji by his side, as selfish as it was.

"What did you wish for?" Eiji murmured, with the kind of look in his eye that told Ash he knew – word for word.

"I'm not that familiar with wishes, but I know if you tell them they don't come true," Ash said. They were still holding the cupcake.

"That's a vicious lie spread by cowards," Eiji said.

"Mmm," Ash ruffled Eiji's hair. "Call me a coward, then. I ain't chancing it."

"Boo you."

"C'mon – split the cake in half and we'll share it."

It put a grin back on Eiji's face, and he darted back into the kitchen to get a knife. Ash watched him for a moment, feeling like he was about to burst, before he forced himself to head back to the sofa. He climbed over the back, falling onto the cushions with a thump. This was incredible. It was more than he ever thought would happen on his birthday – had he hadn't even been thinking about it. He covered his eyes, grinning to himself like a maniac. Eiji had got him a birthday cake.

Eiji flopped onto the sofa, the cupcake cut into two halves on two plates. He handed one to Ash, practically glowing. His cheeks seemed permanently pink these days and it suited him.

Ash took the cake, wishing his mouth behaved like his heart did instead of spewing nonsense like, "You didn't make it, did you?"

Eiji paused, a mouthful of cake hallway to his mouth. "Why?"

Ash shrugged. "Just wondering."

He received a glare and a light kick from Eiji for asking and found himself laughing. Laughing on his birthday. That was new.

"I – thought about telling Bones and Kong, maybe some of the other guys too, but I figured you weren't the guy for a big party to celebrate." Eiji said, his voice soft.

"You'd be right, I guess, I don't know," Ash sighed, leaning back against the sofa. It clung to his sweaty legs, but he felt so relieved just to be sitting that he didn't care. "I haven't had a big party for my birthday in a very long time. Surprised?"

"Right back at you, I guess – I haven't had a big party since I was small."

"You didn't have wild birthday parties in your teen years?" it was easy to tease Eiji, but it made him feel bad when Eiji laughed so openly.

"No way!" he said. "I mean – I had a few friends at school, I guess. The guys from high jump always went for karaoke or something, but they did that for everyone and I can't stand it. I didn't like it when my family made a fuss of me over my birthday," Eiji must have caught the look on Ash's face because he stopped. The words were on the tip of Ash's tongue – must be nice to have a family – he bit his lip to stop them from escaping. The subject was changed – maybe not expertly, but changed nonetheless. "Do you think if we went to the same high school – we'd be friends?"

Ash laughed. "And just how would a star athlete like you wind up being friends with the school's bad boy?"

"Oh, I'd probably get caught up in one of your wild schemes and end up in detention sat next to you. After a week or two, we'd be the best of friends."

"You've been watching too many American movies."

Eiji laughed. "Probably."

"Do they even have detention in Japan?"

"Nope. I'd have to go to school here for our romcom to play out."

"I wouldn't want you to go to school here," Ash let it hang in the air, his mind on the numbers of pupils that regularly flashed up on the news. "Surely there's a way for our romcom to play out in Japan."

"Unless you turn into the cat from the Chinese Zodiac every time you get hugged by the opposite sex?" Eiji asked, his mouth full of cake.

"What"

"Or maybe I break something and have to work at your club - and the bad boy thing is all an act for the Host Club?"

"Is that really what rom-coms are like in Japan?" Ash couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"No not really- but my sister liked that kind of stuff more."

"You're weird."

"Look who's talking!" Eiji still had a mouth full of cake. He looked like a chipmunk and it made Ash's heart flutter. It made him want to grin and act like everything was normal. It made him want to kiss Eiji's pink cheeks until they turned red.

But there was an elephant in the room, breathing down his neck. He couldn't do it, not with it's beady eyes on him.

"You don't have to avoid the subject," he said, slipping his legs from the sofa so that he was sat on it normally. So that he didn't have to look at Eiji.

"I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it," Eiji murmured, swallowing heavily.

"I need to - a little. As much as I can," Ash took a long breath, because he wasn't sure how easy it would be to take the next one. "I remember my birthdays when I was little - at least, I think I do - it kind of all blends into one. I remember Griffin grinning at me and handing me some home made present that I would carry around for weeks afterwards. I remember my dad sitting my down and presenting my birthday tea like it was a three course meal. It was scampi and chips. I guess I've always liked shrimp - prawns, whatever. He'd probably just shoved it in the oven but it was my birthday meal and that made it so damn special. It made everything else fade away - all that mess with my coach didn't matter because I was king of the house for a day."

"It must have been nice, at Cape Cod," Eiji's voice was still soft. He took all of this in his stride. "Did you go down to the beach?"

"It was too crowded. The best time to go to the beach was in the autumn - when the early evenings were still warm. It'd be empty but there'd be a load of stuff left behind - ghosts of the people who came. We'd go through it and make up stories of why they left it there," he waited a moment, glancing across at Eiji. He was resting his chin on his knees, his hands around his legs. "Did you go to the beach much?"

"A bit, yeah. The high jump guys wanted to stay the night one time. I chickened out and couldn't even get on the coach," Eiji laughed, and it was that shaky laugh that he used to have when he was nervous.

"Look how much you've changed," Ash rested his chin in his hand, looking over at him with a small smile on his face.

"Shut up." Eiji rolled his eyes, for a moment looking too much like Ash. It brought him back to what he had started talking about – the brief distraction hadn't shifted the stone in his stomach.

"It was different, of course, when I ran away. I don't know how long it as before I became aware of years again. I could barely separate out days. Hours and minutes seemed like things that could change at any moment - nights stretched into seconds before they would be back, like rabid dogs. I remember seeing a guys watch once - I'll spare you the details - but my eyes focused on that watch. The seconds seemed to tick by so slowly - like when you put the t.v on half speed or something - and then all of a sudden they sped up and they got quicker and quicker and - he was standing up. I kept seeing that clock face. It was weird. It was like waking up from a Nightmare because there was still a reality. Time still existed and there was a world beyond this. I feel like that clock was what kept me going. Time was still going. Whilst time was still going the police could find us."

Eiji was silent. He sounded heartbroken when he finally spoke. "They never did, did they?"

"Never put your faith in the police. It was at- he couldn't say it, not without stringing words that made him sick together - his that I had a window. And there were days and a clock and I could orientated myself. Prepare, count down, try and figure out how much time had passed. It was impossible - I couldn't even figure out how much I'd grown. I couldn't remember what I was like before. That boy with the scampi and chips dinner felt like someone I had made up to escape," Ash pushed the hair from his face and let it fall back. He took the moment to swallow. "I asked him one day. How old I was. He looked at me like i had told a joke and asked why I wanted to know. I don't know what I said. I guess it doesn't matter because he didn't tell me then anyway."

"That doesn't sound like you."

"My attitude came later, when-" Ash stopped. There was still a part Eiji didn't know. He wanted to keep that part to himself, as least for the moment. "When I was his favourite. It played out the same but I told him I wanted to know if I was legal yet."

"How did that work out for you?"

"The look I got for it," Ash hated the dry laugh that came out of his mouth – it made him sound like something he didn't want to be. But Eiji giggled a bit too and that made him feel better. "But it kept him away for a while."

"How old were you?"

"Fifteen," the answer was automatic. Ash could almost smell that room. It felt like he was back there, he could picture that day so clearly. He could continue – he could explain that the next year was the year he got that car. The car that he had wanted to hate – wanted to destroy – but could never bring himself to. He was bored of talking about himself – he wanted to talk about Eiji. It felt like he knew nothing about him. "You must have been going to high school at that age, huh?"

"Yeah," Eiji let the word trail away. "Hey, you haven't eaten your cake."

Ash took a mouthful of it, though his stomach was churning with old memories. The taste, at least, helped him to come back to the room he was in. Here with Eiji and everything was okay.

"You're trying to change the subject," he said.

"There's not a lot to tell, really," Eiji said. That was when Ash noticed. There was a sliver of frosting on the edge of Eiji's mouth. Instinctively he leant forward, his eyes focused on that instead of Eiji pausing. He wiped it away with his finger.

"Thanks," Eiji blinked at him, and then frowned when Ash licked the icing. "Hey, that was from mine."

"I'll compensate you," Ash said, and kissed the corner of Eiji's mouth. It made him smile, melting against Ash's touch. "Fair?"

"Mmm," Eiji paused, his eyes mostly closed. He kissed Ash again, long and slow and warm. "Now It is."

Ash kept his eyes closed, wrapping a lazy arm around Eiji's shoulders.

"Did it help?" Eiji asked, his fingers curling into the front of Ash's t-shirt. "To talk about it?"

"I guess so," Ash was focusing on a tiny freckle Eiji had by his ear, just underneath his cheekbone. It was adorable – and easier to focus on. "I mean, it still makes me feel sick."

"What can I do?" Eiji asked. His hand was hovering over the side of Ash's face, like he was too scared to touch him. Ash caught his fingers with his free hand, burying it into his own hair and lean-ing into it like a dog.

"I don't know," he said, his thumb rubbing circles into the back of Eiji's neck. "Don't apologize – that just makes me feel worse. But don't just say nothing – I don't know – you're good with it. You don't make a thing of it."

"I try not to," Eiji murmured, his fingers exploring Ash's hair. "But I don't know the right thing to say to make you feel better."

"Just keep doing what you're doing," Ash pulled Eiji closer, so that their noses bumped into each other's. "You're – incredible, Eiji."

He felt Eiji's hand drop from his hair to wrap around his neck, but he caught Eiji's mouth in his own before he buried himself against Ash. He held the kiss, feeling as though his lips were on fire at the feeling of it. He wanted to know Eiji's lips as well as he knew his own, to be able to conjure the feeling up in his mind even when Eiji was on the other side of the world.

Eiji's mouth was soft and he melted against Ash like hot wax.

"Thank you," Ash murmured, not bothering to pull his lips away. "For the best birthday ever."

"Oh, come on," Eiji's fingers fiddled with the hair at the nape of Ash's neck. He loved that feeling – he would never cut it. "It can't have been better than when you were little."

"Nah. Since Cape Cod – thinking about all of that-" he didn't have the words, suddenly there was a large lump in his throat that he couldn't shift.

"Yeah," because Eiji could just understand everything that he said – or didn't say. He pressed Ash to him, burying his face in Ash's hair.

"It's okay with you here," he said. Eiji smelt of home baking – of vanilla. He knew he probably still stunk of sweat.

"Good," Eiji pressed a kiss against Ash's cheek. "Happy birthday, Sweetie."

The pet name made Ash's stomach jump. Now he understood why it always made Eiji flush and grin like nothing else in the world mattered. None of those other birthdays had Eiji and that easily put it miles above the rest.

It was a happy birthday. A very happy birthday.

"Here," Max pushed an envelope across the table.

"What's this?" Ash toyed with the handle of his latte glass, not touching the slip of paper.

"I think you know," Max was smiling slightly.

"So you found out too, huh?" he raised an eyebrow, trying to look intimidating. He used to intimidate Max. Somehow he'd lost that, along the way.

"I was the one who told Eiji."

Ash grunted, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, sorry, did you have a bad time? Should I not have told him?"

He took a sip of his latte instead, glancing away from Max – back to the collection of cakes behind the glass of the counter. He felt warm and hated how he didn't really mind Max seeing it.

"That's what I thought – open your present," Max tapped the envelope.

Ash raised an eyebrow. He wasn't amused and for once he wanted Max to know that truth as he pulled the envelope towards him. "You shouldn't have."

"I know."

"I'm serious, Lobo, I don't - I don't do birthdays. It doesn't matter and I'd rather you spend the money on, I don't know, feeding yourself, rather than wasting money on stuff I don't need." He said, but his fingers moved on their own as they prized the envelope open. It was like there was a magic pull to the envelope.

"Since when have you called me Lobo?" Max leant backwards, sipping from his coffee. He had practically downed it, and it was his second. He was watching Ash with a strangely smug expression on his face.

"Since when have you got me birthday presents?" Ash replied.

"That's what dads do, kiddo."

Ash pulled the card out of the envelope. It even had 'son' written on it in huge, pop-lettering and a character Ash recognised from T.V. He raised an eyebrow at Max.

"He reminds me of you," Max was smiling. "Your presents inside."

Ash flicked the card open, keeping his face impassive, but his heart was racing. There wasn't any writing inside, just an arrow pointing to the 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' that the card had already printed inside it. A gift card had been tucked in for River Island, the receipt wrapped around it like wrapping paper.

He couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. He had been expecting something a bit more exciting.

Which made him feel like a child. Eighteen year olds got stuff like this on their birthday and were happy about it.

What had he been expecting anyway?

"It's so you can buy jeans without holes in them for a change," Max said.

"Hilarious," Ash rolled his eyes, but there was still that warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest. Max had gotten him a present. Because he had wanted to.

"Aren't you going to say thanks?"

"Should I give you a kiss on the cheek to say thanks, dad?"

Max frowned. "You're not funny."

"Neither are you," Ash said. He paused, tapping his latte glass with his nail, because there was suddenly something in the air. "Was that awkward?"

"Only because…" Max trailed off, his eyes on the card instead of Ash.

"It's me?" Ash finished.

"Well, yeah," Max absentmindedly scratched his ear. At Ash's sigh, he gave him a wry smile. "No offence, kid."

"I'm used to it," Ash muttered. He took a sip of his latte, tucking the voucher back into the card.

"What are we going to do with you?" Max's voice was still good humoured. It was good – he was getting the hang of this. His tone changed, however, when he continued, it became softer. It was more like he was talking to himself than Ash. "I said I'd protect you – when we first met."

Ash shrugged. "I said I'd kill you."

He forced a laugh because he didn't want to add that neither of them had kept up on their promise. Max had tried – he supposed, but he was starting to believe that he could never be protected. He was doomed, or cursed, or something.

But his laugh was infectious enough to get Max to laugh as well and suddenly the tension in the air was gone.

"So, come on, I'm dying to know – what did Eiji get you for your birthday?" Max asked, leaning across the table conspiratorially.

"Just a cake."

"You do anything special?"

"He said he didn't want to make it a thing."

"Were you safe?"

Ash choked on air. He had to take a moment, fighting back a cough and feeling his face burning. It wasn't like him – that was never something Ash Lynx was embarrassed about – but coming from Max – and about Eiji –

"We don't – he haven't-" Ash managed to take a full breath. "There's no need."

At least Max had the decency to look embarrassed that time. He still recovered too quickly for Ash's liking. "At least that's one discussion we don't have to have."

"About the birds and the bees? But I was so looking forward to watching you squirm," Ash had finished his latte. He swirled the coffee drags around the bottom of the cup. "I don't – I don't want this, with Eiji, to be like – I don't want him to think-"

To think what? Ash couldn't come up with an answer. He just let it hang there, in the silence. Everyone else seemed to be chatting about trivial things – they chatted about normal things like t.v and the news and funny anecdotes. No, Ash had to turn a normal conversation about his birthday around to his past. To dive into that conversation on a perfectly good, sunny afternoon.

"He wouldn't," Max seemed genuine. "Eiji's not like that and you know it. You kids have to go along at your own pace, anyway. I'm – I'm just happy that you're happy."

"What was that?"

"I said you're a punk."

"Yeah, and I'm gunna spend that voucher on some ripped jeans," Ash found his smirk coming back to him all too easily. Like nothing had ever happened. "Maybe I'll splatter paint all over them too."

"Of course, you would."

Ash grinned. He knew that somehow they had just said 'thank you' and 'your welcome.' It was weird that Max – Max Lobo of all people – seemed to understand just what he needed. He needed someone to tell him he was being irrational and then call him a punk. It made him feel like he was a normal teenager. He liked being normal. A normal teenager with a normal boyfriend.

At least, sat like this, and spinning the gift card between his fingers, he could pretend.

Maybe that would be enough.

Ash was getting used to this. He was getting used to dragging a grinning Eiji out to places whenever he started looking peaky. He was constantly aware of how difficult it must be to be stuck inside all day, taking pictures of creeps and hiding behind the curtains. Bones and Kong could be good company, he guessed. But still, it was better to take Eiji to wherever he had just thought of, so that he wasn't trapped inside. Especially when it was still warm and Central Park was still green. He had known one of the carriage drivers there – he was an expert at matching his accents to tourists in an effort to get them to chose him. But for Ash Lynx – they rode for free, and Ash could point out double the landmarks. Sure, they were gang shooting landmarks, but it still counted.

Eiji was starting to suit Ash's baseball jackets and skinny jeans, looking like a native instead of a tourist. The only downside was that he was hiding those starry eyes behind his sunglasses, so that when Ash looked at him, he just saw himself mirrored. He wasn't interested in looking at himself.

It felt like they were catching up for lost time – lost years of teenage romance. Summer Loving, Ash supposed. The thought always made him smirk. He could definitely rock the Danny Zuko look – and Eiji – Eiji would look adorable in white slacks and a yellow shirt –

Or sewn into his pants. Ash didn't mind either way.

Ash didn't mind how cliché they were being – apparently, Eiji didn't either. Ice cream, the boat lake in Central Park, Coney Island – though Eiji was nowhere near as scared of the rides as Ash thought he would be, ice skating and so many dinners out. Even if Ash had to wear glasses and Eiji was glancing over his shoulder every five minutes. When they were with each other, Ash could kid himself that it was normal. That they were just two teenagers enjoying a Summer break together. That Banana Fish and everything else was just a tv show. Not related to them and not important.

And it helped that Eiji was getting ridiculously comfortable around Ash. Maybe not in public – outside the apartment they were both wary of it. There was always the risk Arthur – or one of Arthur's guys would spot them. As soon as they knew Eiji was with Ash he'd had a huge target on his back – as opposed to the sizeable one he had now. So they were careful.

But in the apartment, Eiji brushed against Ash almost every time they passed, like a cat rubbing against his legs. He was liberal with his kisses now, attacking Ash's temple or cheek whenever he felt like it. Whenever there was a moment that they were just relaxing together.

It made Ash feel braver too. It made him feel like he wouldn't break Eiji – that he could push a little further. Because that was the way he knew – he understood physical affection more than telling Eiji how he felt. It was easier to show him. Kissing him was the only way he could show Eiji how much Ash's heart belonged to his. How it swelled and backflipped and somersaulted whenever he looked at him.

"You know," he murmured, his mouth against Eiji's jaw. They were on his bed, the smell of the Summer sun still clinging to them, its warmth still trapped against Eiji's skin. Eiji could be a tiny sun. His skin was doing that thing in the afternoon light where it glowed gold. "I don't usually have someone sat on my lap."

Eiji was quiet, his fingers tracing through Ash's hair. He had a habit of playing with the too long bits at the nape of his neck. "Do you want to sit on my lap?"

"Mm," he took Eiji's lip in his mouth, playing with it for a moment with his teeth and feeling Eiji sighed against him. He relaxed, his whole body weight on Ash. He was heavier than he looked. It was a good weight. It was good, having his hands on Eiji's back to support him. He pulled away, slowly – because 'mm' wasn't a proper answer. His eyelashes flicked as he looked up at those dark eyes. "There's always next time."

"I like the sound of that," Eiji murmured. He kissed Ash again, his mouth ever so slightly open. It sent a thrill through Ash and he trailed his hands down Eiji's back. He knelt upwards slightly to accommodate Ash's hands and grinned when Ash cupped his butt. No doubt he was thinking of that first kiss – when he had felt Eiji freeze and could practically hear the other boy's heart racing. When he had been thinking of the message in pill, but also when he'd seen the opportunity to kiss Eiji. It had meant to be just the once. How lucky he was that it was just the first in a string of many.

Eiji was still kissing him, his hands firm and sure on the back of Ash's head, his lips teasing Ash's open. Ash's stomach fluttered – yes, he was ready for this.

But then his stomach dropped and turned. He couldn't even say why, but he just knew he suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. Ash stopped. His hands fell down.

"Stop." He whispered.

Eiji did. Immediately he pulled away, his hands on Ash's shoulders. He blinked at him, his face flushed. No doubt he was blaming himself.

"I can't," Ash said, and found that he couldn't explain himself. "I'm-"

"It's fine," he couldn't bear to see him apologising. He slipped off of Ash's lap and sat next to him in the bed, instead. His hands finding Ash's and holding them tightly. "It's okay."

"You must hate this," Ash's throat felt dry, his hands as heavy as lead in Eiji's grip.

"No," Eiji squeezed his fingers as though he was trying to draw warmth back into Ash. "No, honestly."

Ash raised his eyebrows, attempting to untangle himself but with no success. The sick feeling was starting to retreat, as quickly as it had welled up inside him. He focused on trying to breathe.

"What happened?" Eiji asked.

Ash shrugged. "I – I just – I can't."

"What do you need?"

He could have burst into tears.

Instead, he murmured. "Air."

It felt as though his pummelled heart was trapped in his throat. Eiji kept hold of one of his hands as he stepped around the bed to the window, until only the tips of their fingers were connected. But he still managed to hold on, cracking the window open without opening the drapes, so that they drifted lazily into the room like ghosts.

Ash stayed quiet. It felt as though he had been locked inside a suit that look liked himself. He could see, but everything looked dull and he could hear, but everything sounded far away. There was just old memories forcing him back into himself.

But there was still Eiji's fingers against his. And they were warm.

He sat back down next to Ash without a word. They could hear the buzz of Bones and Kong's voices in the other room.

"Are you angry?" Ash whispered, because the silence was felt awkward.

"What? No – never!" Eiji turned to him, his eyes wide. "I didn't know if it was a talking thing? Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I don't know," Ash admitted. He seemed to be saying that a lot more to Eiji now and he didn't feel as bad about it. It didn't make him feel like a failure or a fraud for admitting it – for not being the ultra-confident Ash Lynx. Without that persona – he didn't want to think about who he was – who he really was underneath. But that seemed to be the person that Eiji wanted to know. "I don't – I just, don't want this to be – I don't to turn you into me. And I know – that it's different, that it's completely different – but I can't – it can't be like those times."

Eiji was looking at him with such a strange expression. It was like he was the only thing Eiji could see – like something special. Not something broken. He was looking at him with those soft brown eyes, like the eyes of a deer.

"Oh, Ash," he sounded for all the world like he was melting. "I need to hug you – is that okay?"

Ash nodded, and he was surprised that Eiji actually waited for him too. But then he was all wrapped up in Eiji's arms and Eiji's face was buried in his shoulder and his hair was tickling Ash's nose and was in his mouth-

And Eiji was shaking.

"Shit - are you okay?" Ash's hands were hovering over Eiji's back, scared to hold him. "Are you crying?"

"Because this must be so hard - and you're trying so hard and you're - you're just so - so sweet! You shouldn't be thinking about me - you should be thinking of you! If you're okay - not me!" Eiji's voice was muffled and he began to hiccup halfway through. It scared Ash - really scared him - sent a wave of cold right through his core. He had never seen Eiji cry. With everything that had happened - Eiji hadn't cried.

But he was now. He was crying because of Ash. Because Ash finally put his finger on the fear that had been gnawing inside him since that first kiss with Eiji. The feeling that, no matter what he did, he would end up showing who he used to be to him.

Eiji was crying because Ash was scared and that was more chilling than anything else in the world.

He pressed his face back into Eiji's hair - vanilla and cheap aftershave - wrapping his arms around him because he needed a moment. He needed something to hold on to - just for a moment.

Then - "look at me, Eiji," in a tiny, soft voice. But at least he sounded calm as his finger found Eiji's chin and nudged it up to face him. There was still a tear rolling down Eiji's cheek, catching the sun as it fell, like a spark of light escaping from him. "You – just caring about me – that's better than I ever expected-"

"You're making it worse!" Eiji wiped larger tears away with the heel of his hand.

"Well then what can I say?!" Ash heard his voice cracking as it rose.

"I don't know!" Eiji's voice rose to match Ash's. They both gave a breathless, nonsensical laugh, before Eiji was hugging Ash again. He was so warm. "Just – oh God, Ash – just it's okay. It's okay. You more than deserve this and you more than deserve to feel whatever way you want. I told you before, I'll follow your lead, alright? Whatever you're comfortable with."

Ash closed his eyes, concentrating on the feeling of being held by Eiji. Like this, it was like Eiji was his whole world. He'd be perfectly happy to stay here, in Eiji's arms, forever.

"You're incredible," he whispered, revelling in the feeling of holding Eiji in his arms. He was so solid – so there.

There was someone that cared.

And apparently he deserved that.

#banana fish #bf #asheiji #banana fish fanfiction #fanfiction #anime #anime fanfiction #turnupswrites #ash lynx #eiji okumura #aslan jade callenreese

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xpegasusuniverse · 5 years

Text

Dekusquad Goes to Jollibee

This was inspired by @maidsonas ’s Half-Filipino!Deku headcanons.

---

It was Friday, and as the school day at UA High wound to a close, Class 1-A was busy packing up their things and getting ready to head home.

“Don’t forget, you all have a paper on Hero Law due Monday morning,” Aizawa said as gathered up his sleeping bag. “If you haven’t already, make sure you get started on it tonight. I don’t want you up all night on Sunday trying to finish it.” Before the students could say a word, Aizawa walked out the door.

After their teacher left, Izuku pulled out his phone and brought up a specific webpage, a huge smile on his face.

“Midoriya, are you ready to go?” a voice asked.

Izuku looked up to see Iida and Uraraka standing over his desk.

“Yeah, we don’t want to miss the train, Deku,” Uraraka said anxiously.

“Oh, actually, I wasn’t going to head straight home today,” Izuku said as he put away his phone. “You guys can head to the train stations without me.” His friends looked at Izuku quizzically but said nothing.

“If you say so, Uraraka and I will head out,” Iida said and then turned around.

Uraraka gave a wave and started walking towards the door with Iida.

“Wait,” Izuku said, stopping his friends in their tracks. They turned around and saw Izuku with a slight blush on his face. “Actually, would you guys like to go with me?”

“Uh, go where?” Uraraka asked.

Izuku rubbed the back of his head. “It’s this new restaurant I want to try, I read about it online, and I was planning on going today. You don’t have to come; I just thought I’d ask.”

“Of course I want to come, Deku,” Uraraka said with a smile. “To be honest, I’m starving after Hero training; I could use a bite to eat.”

“It sounds like a wonderful idea,” Iida said. “I just need to contact my mother and tell her I’ll be getting home later than normal.”

“Awesome!” Izuku exclaimed. He grabbed his bag and stood up. “I’m really excited to go; I’m so glad you can come with me.”

“So, where are we going?” A cool voice asked.

The three friends turned their heads to see Todoroki standing a few feet away.

“Uh…what?” Uraraka said.

“You said you were all going out to get food and I want to come with you,” Todoroki said bluntly.

“Um, sure, you can come, Todoroki,” Izuku said. “The more, the merrier.”

“Would it be alright if I came too, ribbit?” a new voice said.

The four turned to Tsuyu standing a couple of feet away, a curious look on her face.

“I guess it’s fine,” Izuku said. “Any reason why?”

“I’m just hungry, and food always tastes better when you’re with friends, ribbit,” Tsuyu said.

“Alright then,” Izuku exclaimed. “Let’s get going!”

As the five teens walked out of the school, a thought occurred to Todoroki. “Iida, where exactly are we going?”

The blue haired teen rubbed his chin and thought. “Now that you mention it, I don’t know. We forgot to ask Midoriya what this restaurant is.”

---

“We’re here!” Izuku shouted, practically vibrating with excitement.

Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki, and Tsuyu stood behind their friend giving him odd looks. The five UA students found themselves in front of a fast food restaurant with a bright exterior and a sign that said ‘Jollibee’ in chubby white lettering. Next to the door was a statue of a cartoon styled red bee wearing a vest, gloves, yellows shoes, and a chef’s hat.

“What is this place?” Todoroki asked.

“How do you say that?” Uraraka said. “Jole-ib-ee, Jalw-eeb-eh?”

“It’s pronounced Jolly-Bee, you know, like a jolly bee,” Izuku explained. “Come on, let’s go in.” He opened the doors and walked in, his friends right behind him. The interior had bright red and yellow walls, red chairs, and white tables. White counters lined the floor to ceiling window wall with yellow stools to sit on.

“What are we waiting for, let’s order our food,” Izuku said before practically sprinting to the register.

“Hey, Deku, wait for us,” Uraraka said. She, Todoroki, and Tsuyu followed after the green haired boy.

Iida was about to do the same, but then he noticed something. He stopped and looked around the restaurant, it was packed, and almost every seat was taken. And almost every customer appeared to be Filipino. In fact, he and his friends appeared to be the only Japanese people in the establishment.

‘Strange,’ Iida thought. Before he could further contemplate this, he noticed Uraraka waving him over so they could place their orders.

“Oh man, it all looks so good,” Izuku said, practically drooling as he looked over the menu. “I don’t know what I’m gonna get.”

“I know what you mean,” Uraraka said. “I’m not sure if I want a burger or chicken or-” She cut herself off, her eyes wide with shock. “Deku, look!” She exclaimed grabbing Izuku by the shoulder. “They have red been pies! We have to get those.”

“Oh, that’s new,” Izuku said.

Iida raised an eyebrow at his statement. ‘New? This restaurant just opened.’ He shook his head and decided to save his questions for later.

“You can order whatever you desire; I’ll gladly pay,” Iida.

“Are you sure?” Tsuyu said. “Even if it is fast food, that’ll still be a lot of money.”

“Please, allow me to pay. I don’t want you all fretting about the price; this is supposed to be a nice day out.” Iida smiled. “Besides, as Midoriya and Uraraka have stated before, I’m a ‘rich kid’ so it’s honestly no trouble.”

“Awesome!” Izuku and Uraraka exclaimed.

“Thanks, Iida,” Tsuyu said.

“Thank, you,” Todoroki said.

They turned to the cashier, whom Iida noticed was also Filipino. She smiled at the group and said “Hello, welcome to Jollibee. What can we get for you today?”

“Hi there, I’d like an Aloha Burger with garlic fries and a large drink, please,” Izuku said. “Oh, and a Halo-Halo for dessert.”

“Can I get the Fiesta Noodles with a drink, and a red been pie,” Uraraka said.

“I think I’ll just get the hotdog and a drink,” Todoroki said.

Tsuyu hummed to herself for a moment as she looked over the menu. “I’ll get the spaghetti with a side of corn and a medium drink. I’d also like an Ube Pearl Cooler, ribbit.”

“That all sounds excellent,” Iida said before turning to the cashier. “I would like the Burger Steak with rice and a drink please.”

“Alright, will that be all for you kids today?” the cashier said.

“Oh, Iida,” Izuku exclaimed. “We didn’t get any fried chicken.”

“Peg pardon?”

“Jollibee’s fried chicken is amazing; we can’t just come here and not get any. We should get a bucket to share.”

Iida raised an eyebrow at his friend’s statement. ‘How does he know that?’

“I’d love to try the chicken,” Uraraka said, licking her lips. “Should we get the regular or spicy?”

“I don’t like spicy food, ribbit,” Tsuyu said. “Can we get the regular?”

“But their spicy chicken is amazing,” Izuku said.

“Why don’t we just get both?” Todoroki said. “That way everyone’s happy.”

“I don’t know,” Iida said contemplatively. “Normally I’d be against such excessive eating and spending.” After a moment he smiled. “But since today is a special day I’ll allow.” He turned back to the cashier. “We’d also like two buckets of chicken, one regular and one spicy.”

“Excellent, you total today comes to 7,106 Yen,” the cashier said. Iida handed her his debit card, and she then reached over and grabbed a buzzer and handed it to Iida along with the card. “Your food will be ready shortly. Have a jolly day.”

After some searching, the five friends found a table and sat down to wait for their order. “I’m so excited,” Izuku said. “I don’t know what I want to eat more, the fried chicken or the burger.”

“Hey, Deku,” Uraraka said. “What exactly is an Aloha Burger?”

“It’s awesome!” Izuku exclaimed, his eyes practically sparkling. “It’s a burger with lettuce, tomato, cheese, honey mustard, lots of bacon, and a slice of grilled pineapple.” He licked his lips as he envisioned the burger in his mind.

“Wow that does sound good,” Uraraka said. “I kind of wish I ordered that instead.”

“I’m sure you’ll love the Fiesta Noodles,” Izuku said. “Everything here is awesome.”

“Excuse me, Midoriya,” Iida said. “But may I ask you a question?”

Izuku looked up at his friend and blinked in surprise. “Uh, sure. What is it, Iida?”

“Well, even though this restaurant just opened, you already appear to be very familiar with it, I’m curious as to how?” Iida asked. Izuku’s body went stiff.

“Now that I think about it, you seemed to really know your way around the menu when you ordered your food,” Tsuyu said, placing her pointer finger on her chin.

“And you were raving about their fried chicken even though this is your first time here,” Todoroki.

“Oh yeah,” Uraraka exclaimed. “And you said that the Anko Pie was new, but this place only just opened.”

Izuku let out a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. “Well, the thing is, this isn’t my first time at a Jollibee.”

His four friends looked at him in confusion, wondering what exactly he was talking about.

“You see, Jollibee isn’t just this place, it’s a really popular chain of restaurants,” Izuku said.

“If they’re so popular, how come I’ve never heard of them?” Todoroki asked.

“That’s because this is their first Japanese location,” Izuku explained. “Jollibee is actually a Filipino fast food chain, and they’re really popular over there.”

“Ah, I see,” Todoroki said as he looked around. “That explains why all the staff and customers are Filipino.”

“Hold on,” Uraraka said. “If it’s a Filipino chain, then why do you know about it, Deku?”

“Uhm, I’ve been to the Philippines before. A lot of times,” Izuku said.

“Oh, your family likes to vacation in the Philippines?” Iida asked.

“Not exactly,” Izuku said. “I’m actually half-Filipino on my dad’s side, so I’ve got a lot of family over there.”

His friends stared at him for a moment, their eyes wide as they tried to process what they’d just heard.

“Wait, what,” Uraraka said. “You are. How come you never said anything before?”

“I don’t know; it just didn’t seem important,” Izuku said.

“Hold on, I think I remember you told us your dad’s name was Hisashi,” Tsuyu said. “That doesn’t sound like a Filipino name.”

“It’s not actually,” Izuku said. “But there’s a reason. You see, my lola and lolo moved to Japan after they got married, and when they had my dad, they decided to give him a Japanese name.”

“Uh, Deku, what’s a lola?” Uraraka asked.

“Oh, lola and lolo is Filipino for grandma and grandpa,” Izuku explained. “That’s what I call them, and I call my mom’s parent grandma and grandpa.”

“Do they live close by?” Tsuyu asked.

“No,” Izuku said. “Lola and lolo moved back to the Philippines after they retired, and that was when I was pretty young.”

“So, have you been to the Philippines a lot?” Iida asked.

“Loads of times. Every time we visit my mom and I stop at the Jollibee’s at the airport, the manager even knows me by name.” Izuku smiled as he recalled the memory.

“Can you speak Filipinese?” Uraraka asked.

Izuku laughed. “The language is called Filipino, and yes, I can. I’m bilingual.”

“Woah, that’s so cool,” Uraraka said. “I wish I could speak two languages.”

“Oh that’s nothing, you should see my lola,” Izuku said. “She can speak five languages; Filipino, English, Spanish, Japanese, and Malay.”

“Remarkable,” Iida said. “To be able to speak such a multitude of languages is an incredible achievement. Your lola sound like a wonderful person.”

Izuku blushed.

“Midoriya,” Todoroki said, catching the green haired boy’s attention. “Did you not tell us about this because you were afraid?”

The table went dead silent at Todoroki’s question. Iida, Uraraka, and Tsuyu gaped at the bicolored teen in disbelief. Izuku, on the other hand, went completely rigged.

“Todoroki!” Iida yelled. “That kind of question is highly inappropriate. You should apologize to Midoriya at once.”

“Iida, wait,” Izuku said, holding up his hands in a placating motion. “It’s fine, Todoroki’s always been pretty blunt, and it’s an honest question.” He sighed. “And to be honest, yeah. I’ve always been a little apprehensive about telling people I’m biracial. When I told my kindergarten class I was half-Filipino I got teased a lot for it and went on until elementary school. It stopped when I got to middle school, but I was afraid it might happen again.”

“Oh, Deku,” Uraraka said as she reached over to grip Izuku’s hand. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. I can’t they would say stuff like.”

“People can be jerks,” Tsuyu said with a small scowl. “I bet they didn’t even try to get to know the real you.”

“Your former classmates’ behavior was absolutely deplorable,” Iida proclaimed. “No one should ever be belittled because of their heritage.”

Todoroki nodded at Iida’s statement. “If anyone tries that again just let me know.”

Izuku stared at his friends in stunned silence, overwhelmed by their kind words. “Oh, you guys,” Izuku said with a massive smile on his face. “Thank you all so much. No one’s ever said that to me before; you’re the greatest friends anyone could ask for.”

Suddenly, their buzzer started vibrating and flashing red. “Oh, that’s our food,” Iida said and got up. A minute later he came back with a tray piled high with a mountain.

“Wow this looks awesome,” Uraraka said as she opened the box containing her Fiesta Noodles. “And look at these tiny little shrimp, they’re almost too cute to eat. Almost.”

Todoroki eyed his hotdog suspiciously. “Why does my hotdog have cheese on it, and what’s with the mustard?”

“It’s not mustard, it’s cheese sauce,” Izuku explained.

“Just give it a try, Todoroki,” Tsuyu said. “This spaghetti’s got sliced up hotdog and ham in it, but I’m willing to try it.”

“Alright everyone, let’s dig in,” Iida said.

“Thank you for the meal!” they said together before digging in.

“Oh my gosh, this tastes so good,” Uraraka said with a look of bliss on her face. “This sauce is awesome!” She happily slurped up another forkful of noodles with a smile.

Tsuyu speared of a piece of hotdog with her forkful spaghetti and brought it to her mouth. “Huh, that’s weird,” she said with an unreadable expression. “This spaghetti tastes kind of sweet.”

“That’s the banana ketchup,” Izuku explained after swallowing a bite of his burger. “It’s a sauce made from mashed bananas and spices; people like to mix it with the marinara sauce in the Philippines. Filipino style spaghetti is kind of an acquired taste.”

“Well I like, ribbit,” Tsuyu said cheerfully. “It’s different from the pasta I make for younger siblings; maybe I’ll bring them some, ribbit.”

“And I am quite enjoying this burger steak,” Iida said. “The gravy is delectable, and the meat is very tender.” He scooped some rice and a bite of burger into his mouth.

“I’m really glad you’re all enjoying it,” Izuku said. “What about you, Todoroki, do you like the hotdog?”

The bicolored teen was currently chewing on a piece of said hotdog and simply shrugged before swallowing. “I don’t know, I don’t dislike it, but I wouldn’t order it again.”

“Oh well, guess they can’t all be winners,” Izuku said with a sigh. “Why don’t you try the chicken?”

“Okay,” Todoroki said, putting down his hotdog. He reached over and grabbed a piece of regular chicken and brought it to his mouth. He took a small bite and chewed slowly. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he started devouring the fried chicken in his hand. He licked his lips and said “That’s good,” before reaching over for another.

“Todoroki, make sure you leave some for the rest of us,” Tsuyu said with a pout.

Todoroki made an indiscernible noise with his mouth full of food.

Izuku let out a small laugh. “Why don’t you try the spicy chicken next, Todoroki, so Tsuyu can try some?”

As the afternoon went on, not a single scrap of food remained on their table, save for Todoroki’s half-eaten hotdog. The five friends sat contently around their table, stuffed to burst with Jollibee’s food.

“Oh man, those noodles were amazing,” Uraraka said as she patted her stomach. “And that red been pie was so good, I want to eat another, but I’m too full.”

“You think you’re full, look at me,” Izuku said. “I barely managed to finish my Hola-Hola, I don’t think I have enough room for dinner.”

“Say, Midoriya, what is a Hola-Hola?” Tsuyu asked. “It looked really good.”

“It’s shaved ice and evaporated milk layered with sweet gelatin and fruit topped off with ice cream and a piece of flan,” Izuku explained contently. “It’s the best.”

“That’s sound delicious,” Tsuyu said. “I’d love to try it, ribbit.”

“Hold on, I think we’ve had more than enough to eat today,” Iida said sternly. “As heroes in training, we shouldn’t gorge ourselves on fast food.”

“Well, we could always just come back here next week,” Todoroki said. “I’d like to try the noodles Uraraka got.”

“That’s a great idea,” Uraraka exclaimed. “How about we do this every week, every Friday after school.”

“That sounds awesome,” Izuku replied.

“I’d like that, ribbit,” Tsuyu said.

“I think that would be an excellent idea,” Iida said. “It would be a terrific bonding experience for all of us.”

“And we’d get to eat more fried chicken,” Todoroki said bluntly.

Iida nodded. “That as well.”

And so, the five friends left the restaurant with smiles on their faces, looking forward to the days ahead.

---

I hope you liked it Fran!

#my hero academia #boku no hero academia #mha #bnha #fanfiction #fanfic

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weakeninghope · 6 years

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Kiss me (whispering words of love) chapter 2

Pairing: Ash Lynx/Eiji Okumura

Rating: Teen

AO3 link here

Summary: Eiji and Ash meet to talk about Eiji's pictures and end up talking about everything but Eiji's pictures.Or: their first "date-not-a-date"

Notes: "It'll be up this week" I said, replying a comment todayhahahello I'm back! your local authour is way too anxious and is in love with this project and wants to write as much as possible about it! I'm really excited about sharing it with you guys and I really want to thank you for your support in last chapter, I'm really glad you like this idea <3 and stay tuned, there next open mic night is next chapter! We'll have another round of Sing vs The Stool, make your bets.See you next chapter <3Song referenced is Light your heart up by Aimee Blackschleger! (or Mako's theme from Kill la Kill) I think it really suits Eiji

new chapter under the cut!

Despite having come home late that night -for a good reason though- Eiji woke up at 8AM. He had been taking a lot of naps frequently, going to sleep at 4AM and waking up at noon; but that time he woke up instantly, Ash being the first thing in his mind. That night, he dreamed about his song. He dreamed about the two of them, together, holding each other in a secret place only they knew about.

Get a grip on yourself, Eiji.

Has he texted me yet? Eiji thought as he grabbed his phone from the nightstand, since he was still in the bed.

He hadn't. The last message was from Eiji himself, a reply to Ash's “see you tomorrow at 5PM, Mr.Photographer, don't forget the camera ;)”. It took Eiji a few minutes to prepare himself to write an answer. He had imagined Ash winking and his mind had crashed like his old computer would do every time he wanted to use it. In the end, he settled for a “I sure won't, Mr Fancy Singer.”.

Seconds after hitting the “send” button Eiji had already felt embarrassed. Was that too bold? Ash hadn't answered what if he was angry or if that was a joke and he wasn't interested in meeting Eiji at all? What if-

Ibe's coughs broke the turmoil in Eiji's mind. He was still pretty sick and even though he slept well through the night, he woke up a few times, feeling congested and with a runny nose. Eiji didn't mind taking care of him but the other way around; he liked being useful to his boss and most importantly, his friend.

Ibe had helped him to cope with his feelings. Ibe brought him there.

It was thanks to Ibe that he was going to have a d- to meet with Ash that afternoon.

“Ei-chan, I see you're up.” Ibe-san said in between a few dry coughs. “How was yesterday night?”

“It was nice” Eiji said as he got out of bed, stretched his arms and then yawned a little. “But we can talk about it later, I'll change your towel for now and make breakfast, you just rest, okay?” Eiji gently told his boss as he approached him and replaced the old towel with a new, fresh one. The cool feeling of the towel would make Ibe-san's burning forehead feel better.

“I'd like to see the pictures you've taken.” Ibe-san said, gently smiling at Eiji. A snort escaped the Japanese's lips when he remembered Cain the pop-star, the shorty rivaling a stool, the glaring snake and...

Ash.

He blushed when he came to his mind. He looked at the time. 8:30 in the morning. Still no response.

“What's so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing. It was just a particularly special night. I'll tell you when you're better, now rest.”

After that, Ibe-san complied and didn't say anything else as Eiji went to the kitchen to start preparing some Japanase food they both loved for breakfast. He decided to stick with some natto, but he also cooked a porridge for Ibe-san to eat. He made extra natto for himself, he loved it way too much, and it was healthier than all the greasy American food they sold there.

The morning went by slowly for Eiji, since he was checking the phone every 5 minutes to see if Ash had replied, even if he had the sound on and would notice if someone talked to him anyway.

Until a few hours later, when Eiji was getting ready to cook lunch, he heard the phone.

It was a text from Ash.

Eiji's heart was beating fast in his chest, and it did even more when he read the text.

“Sorry, I crashed into the bed and I've just woken up. See you in a few hours.” it said. Eiji exhaled a sigh of relief. He wasn't angry after all, his anxiety disappeared with one simple text.

Eiji carefully typed his reply “At least you're up now, don't be late!! :D” Eiji wondered if the emoji was too stupid but he would come off as rude or too demanding without it, he just hoped for Ash not to think something weird-

“I certainly won't” was Ash's replying text.

Why was he so smooth even by text? How was Eiji supposed to compete with that?

Never mind. He had to make lunch, to eat, to dress up and to mentally prepare himself about meeting Ash. He felt like a middle-schooler thinking about their first crush.

Okay maybe when he met Ash and when he heard him the world stopped and his heart was beating fast and for a few seconds he couldn't even take a picture because he wanted this memory to be his and his alone and wanted to capture it with his eyes instead of using the camera and-

Okay, he totally had a crush on Ash, but that was okay, people have crushes, it doesn't have to be mutual.

But what if it was mutual?

Eiji combusted again, and time flied until he had to dress himself up for the meeting. He told Ibe-san he was off to show some pictures to one of the singers (which was half true, but he hoped that Ash said that as an excuse to meet him).then grabbed the camera and left the apartment, the cafe was around the corner so he was sure he wouldn't be late.

The Japanese dressed himself up as he usually did, nothing fancy, he didn't want a lit sign in his forehead saying “I'm trying to impress my crush”, but he dressed up pretty okay so he figured out nothing would happen if he didn't choose any special clothing.

He regretted his choices later when he saw Ash. When Eiji arrived, the blond was already there. Ash was sitting at the background of the establishment, and there were only 4 people, so they were pretty much alone. He was wearing a plaid, green shirt which was a little bit oversized, but you could see his lean, noticeable collarbones, a pair of slightly ripped jeans and red Converse-like shoes.

There he was, dressed up like a street kid and looking handsome as hell.

Ash made a sign with his hand as Eiji got closer to the table and then he said “Here, Eiji.” soothingly.

Wait. How did he even know his name?

“Hello, singer who apparently knows my name even though I didn't tell you.” Eiji replied.

“Shorter told me. We're friends, in fact, I sang yesterday because he was pretty insistent about my good singing voice.”

“Well, he is right” More than right

“So you liked my performance?” Ash asked in a sing-song tone. “You asked me that yesterday.” Eiji said, but he didn't mind answering Ash's question again because even if asked a million times, he would always say the same “I loved it.”

“That's good to know.” Ash said “But you didn't throw money in the hat” Ash finished in a fake retort.

Shoot! The hat! In those kind of events, there's always this “pass the hat” thing where you throw donations for the singers if you liked their performance, but Eiji was way too distracted and ended up forgetting about it...

“You're right, I'm so sorry! I was so distracted with taking the pictures that the idea didn't even cross my mind... I can make it up to you by treating you to what you want to drink or eat here, though.” Eiji apologized.

“Well, if you insist, Eiji.” Eiji gulped at how his name sounded in Ash's voice “I won't refuse your offer” He said.

“So what brought you here?” He continued.

“Well... I don't know if Shorter told you, but my boss is sick and I came here in his stead to take the job. Even though I didn't manage it as I thought I would. The kid battling a stool was... beyond my expectations” A muffled laughter accompanied Eiji's response.

“Oh, you mean Sing. It's the first time this place holds this kind of event but every time he comes here with his friends someone has to hold him from kicking the stools near the counter, I figured out this would happen.” Ash explained. God, his voice was amazing, it drew Eiji in, he couldn't stop listening, he couldn't stop staring at his deep, green eyes. He was thoroughly delighted.

“Like what you see?” Ash mockingly asked “Since you staring so much”

“Ah! Sorry, I spaced out hearing you talk... I really like your voice.” Oops. That slipped.

“You like it but you don't give a poor singer like me some money to pay for his expenses, so mean, Eiji...” Ash pouted. Even though Eiji knew it was a joke, Ash's pout was something he wanted to take a picture of. And he had the camera in his bag. God, that was so tempting.

“I told you I forgot!” Eiji half shouted, jockingly.

“Right, right. I know. So why photography?”

Ash looked genuinely interested about Eiji's job and the reasons behind it and Eiji couldn't believe himself. The conversation paused when Shorter came to take note of their orders; Ash ordered a cappuccino and Eiji ordered a green tea. Before leaving, Shorter gave Ash a pat on the back and whispered something to Ash's ear, so Eiji couldn't hear it, and Ash clicked his tongue.

“What was it?” Eiji asked “Do you have to talk to him about something important?” He asked, in spite of Shorter being in the counter already.

“Nah, he was just being a dick. Now tell me.” Ash insisted, a glint of excitement in his beautiful green eyes.

“I used to be a pole-vaulter in Japan but I got injured and everything was over in a second, so my boss took me here with him months ago because he saw I was feeling down. In fact, I got diagnosed with clinical depression after my injury. Pole-vaulting was the only thing I liked, I devoted my life to it, it was the only thing I was useful at and when I was pole-vaulting I felt... like I was flying.” Eiji rambled. Crap! What if Ash got bored?

“I see. I envy you if you know how to fly.”

“I don't anymore. I envy you because you made me fly with your voice. You got rid of my broken wings and I think... I'm stronger now” Eiji gently said. He trusted what he was saying. He meant it. He really meant it and would say it a million times if Ash needed to hear it.

“This wings thing sounds like a song line”

“How did you know it? It isn't even popular. Yes, it's from a song called Light your heart up, it cheered me up a lot when I felt down.”

“You know what?” They paused for a second, Shorter came with their orders and since they were too hot to drink, they continued their little talk “I completely understand what you feel. But I never had wings in the first place. I was born in a cage. My mother left when I was born, my father neglected both myself and my older brother, so when he turned 18, I began living with him. He's a novelist, but he's not having much luck right now with finding an editor so he pretty much does odd jobs, we live in a crappy apartment and I thought I could earn so money if I followed Shorter's idea. I rarely do what Shorter's advises me to, since inside his bald head -I know it surprised you, but yes, he's bald, he shaved his head- there's a lot of ridiculous ideas. But this one was good” Ash explained as one of his hands slipped across the table to clasp Eiji's. “Since I met you.”

Since I met you. Since I met you.

Eiji was left agape, but he intertwined his fingers with Ash's, and at that moment, he decided he wanted to desperately know more about him, he decided that he wanted to listen to his voice without this sad shift in it when he was talking about his past. He had suffered enough already.

“It must have been tough.”

“It was. It is. But I can't do much about it.”

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead”

“Is your real name Ash Lynx?”

“Oh, no. It's a nickname, I actually want to become a singer. I like music, I listen to almost every genre, I like the feeling it conveys and how it makes people feel.” Ash stated with a soft smile. His love for music could be perceived in what Eiji decided was a melody by itself.

“Before you ask me about it” Ash said “It's Aslan. Aslan Jade Callenreese.”

“It sounds like a meaningful name. I like it.”

“Aslan is for “day-break”, it means so in Hebrew, since I was born at dawn. Jade is for the color of my eyes. Nothing special” Ash deadpaned.

“It is more special than Eiji Okumura.” Eiji said, and he added something, feeling bold and rubbing his thumb over Ash- Aslan's hand “And it does you justice, since you're so bright.” However, Eiji couldn't contain the soft blush that appeared in his cheeks, so he turned his head to aside for the other boy not to notice.

“Oh” Aslan raised an eyebrow “Do I light your heart up?” He teasingly asked

“The important question here is if you want me to do so- of if I light yours up” Eiji let go. He didn't know if he wanted an answer. The possibility of a yes set his cheeks ablaze and his heart could be able to beat a mile a minute but the possibility of a no made him feel like something wasn't working; that his wings were, indeed, broken.

“Hey, I'm an amateur singer, not a lightning technician” Ash claimed with a laugh. Another soft sound Eiji would treasure forever.

“Now that you say so, I really worried about your sound technician yesterday, I thought the stool could have hit him”

“Yeah, we all thought so. Shorter too. He started calling him Bones since that moment; Shorter gives nicknames to everyone, you're probably the next in line.” Ash chided while throwing a menacing-not-menacing glare to Shorter, who didn't seem to notice.

“I see.”

“Eiji-”

Ash was interrupted by the loud ring of Eiji's phone. Carefully, he took it out of his bag and answered Ibe-san's phone call. Apparently they had ran out of meds and his fever had gotten a little bit worse and the cafe was already closing and-

Good lord for how many hours had they been talking? It seemed like 5 minutes! They had spent the whole afternoon talking and he discovered a lot of interesting facts about the boy; he was two years younger and was afraid of pumpkins -as ridiculous as it sounded- but that time 5 minutes-likeish was the best time of his last years even though he felt he didn't deserve such a talented angel because Eiji was mediocre and his photos weren't even cool-

“Ei-chan?” He heard Ibe-san weakly ask from the other line of the phone. He had spaced out again. It happened with a lot of frequency, he tended to get lost in his thoughts, intrusive thoughts mostly when something good was happening to him.

Snap out of it, Eiji. Blanca told you that the fact that you even make it out of bed every day is something to be proud of. There's always a path to keep walking on, and you're not alone this time.

“Yes, sorry. I'll be back in a second with what you asked me. Hang in there!” Eiji replied as he hung his phone in a rush.

When he was about to got up from the chair he noticed that he was still holding Aslan's hand and if he wanted to get up he had to let go.

Oh, he didn't want to lot go.

“Got to leave?” Aslan casually asked.

“Yeah. My boss's fever's gotten worse and I've got to go take care for him and Shorter's glaring at us like he wants to kick us out.”

“He's a jerk, don't mind it” Ash said as -unfortunately for Eiji- he let his hand go and got up.

“I'll walk you to the door”.

When they made it out of the cafe they were silent for a minute, neither nothing what to say or what to do. Everything had been so intense; Aslan really felt like Eiji had lit his heart up even if Eiji didn't know it, and Eiji felt so happy he could die.

Or maybe not, because he wanted to meet with Aslan again, so he talked to make up another excuse.

“In the end we spent all the time talking nonsense and I didn't show you the pictures I took of you. Want me to show them to you tomorrow?” Eiji shyly asked. Please say yes. Please say yes.

“Tomorrow is their day off” Aslan pointed at the cafe “But we can meet on Tuesday” He then told Eiji with a soft, gentle, warm smile, as warm as the sun in early autumn's day afternoon, even though they had spent the whole afternoon holed inside a cafe and it was pretty late at that moment.

“And we can keep texting” Eiji said. Ash eyed him curiously “That is, if you don't mind” Eiji said, lowering his head.

Suddenly, he felt Aslan's hand on his head, lifting it. Then his beautiful, soft hand, the ones which holded the mic with grace the night before, traveled around his face and ended up on his hand again.

“Your hand is warm, Eiji.” Aslan whispered. And okay, text me when you get home, so I know you got home safely” He said with a smirk even though he knew Eiji was, in fact, two years older than him and that he lived literally five minutes away from where they were standing.

“Fine, I will.”

And then he let Aslan's hand- he kept calling him Ash in his mind, but he hoped that he can start getting to know the person behind his singing, which was already amazing. He wondered if Aslan composed songs of his own, too.

After a quick walk, Eiji got home, and after a long hour of nursing Ibe-san and watching TV without any text message from Aslan, he received a message from him:

“We left a question unanswered. You light my heart up. Do I light yours?”

Eiji screamed.

Of fucking course the answer was the biggest yes in his entire life.

#writing #myfic #fanfic #bananafish #chapter2 #coffeeshopau #asheiji

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keep-your-feet · 3 years

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National Mental Health Awareness Week

This week 10th-16th May, is National Mental Health Week, and this last year and a half with the pandemic it has definitely taught us not to take small things for granted, shown us what truly matters in life and reminded us all to just take it slow, have some you time and ask for help if you need. I also feel like there's been so much help, advice and support around to help people cope throughout too, which is fantastic. And it's been so great to know/see that we’re/ I'm not alone with all these weird and stressful un explainable feelings and that they're normal, and we're all feeling them together.

But there’s still more we need to do...

On the Mind website it states that:

1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England [1].

1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England [2].

Specific diagnoses, in any given week in England [2]:

Mixed anxiety and depression: 8 in 100 people

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD): 6 in 100 people

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): 4 in 100 people

Depression: 3 in 100 people

Phobias: 2 in 100 people

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): 1 in 100 people

Panic disorder: fewer than 1 in 100 people.

Understandably, it's lot easier for some more than others to reach out, get help and connect the dots to why and how they're feeling a certain way. Which is why mental health support is and always will be so very important. And – more important than ever – that the stigma behind it is removed - people need to be able to reach out without fear of being judged, or looked down upon.

A few years ago now I broke down during a presentation at work - I had a full on melt down - uncontrollable breathing, IBS, cold sweats, a temperature, ‘messy’ crying - the works! and it was impossible to hide it from my work colleagues. Luckily, for me, the presentation was about how to be ‘calm, cool and collected’ when presenting - ironic - so the lecturer stepped in and calmed me down, and we had a great talk about what it was that I was struggling with, and that was the first time my anxieties had become ‘public’ knowledge within the work place.

My work colleagues were ever so supportive, and looking back now, I don’t really think anything ‘changed’ from professional aspect on their end. For me however - it changed everything. That training literally changed my life. It gave me more confidence, I felt like I understood myself better and I wasn’t ‘hiding’ behind this fake persona - I was free.

Events over this last year however, has had a detrimental effect on my anxiety issues, to the point where it started to effect my work, and my job responsibilities so I had to speak up to my manager. I’m not going to lie - this was difficult, as it stems from a very personal place. But a lot of work places have a ‘mental health work scheme’ meaning that once they’re aware of any issues they have to take them seriously, show compassion and offer you support and understanding where possible. They can't just fire you on the spot!

Yes, I have, however heard of a few occasions (across various workforces not singling out mine) where once the company knows about any stress/anxiety issues they may try to ‘wrap you up in cotton wool’ so to speak - and treat you differently - either consciously or sub consciously. And dependant on your role, this could hold you back and lead to missed opportunities - which is why I believe a lot of people suffer in silence.

This is what needs to change, the stigma behind mental health, and how people re act to it, and treat you differently afterwards. As people need to feel like they can speak up - and get help without the fear of it effecting their career or friendships as even the mildest of conditions, if left untreated can escalate and get a lot worse.

My work place have been nothing but supportive. In fact this year - They’ve gone above and beyond for online learning aids, support, information and even hired an in house ‘councillor’ to help and support us.

My only worry is that I feel that some people/places see it as ‘counselling will fix the issue’ and you’ll be back to coping again in a few weeks - which I’ve learnt for me it’s not the case. There’s a lot more bigger darker issues going on which I need time to explore, uncover and understand before I can even start to over come them. It’s not a quick fix. It's a journey, a lifestyle change and it’s going to take time.

I never really knew or realised I had mild anxiety until a few years ago - to be honest, I never even really knew what is was. But looking back over certain events throughout the years - I can recognise that this is something I have had all along - I’ve just had good days, weeks, months or even years - separating each occasion and then BAM all of a sudden it's just too much and I break down.

Seeking help was one of the best things I did - as it was exhausting trying to ‘council yourself’ and now I find it easier to recognise my ‘triggers’ and understand my emotions a bit better. For example I know can get over passionate to the point that I have panic attacks if I can’t do or achieve something I want - but then other times I can’t even manage to care enough to get out of bed. And today I burst out into tears because I had one too many emails.But all of this is ‘normal’ whatever normal is? and I feel that if more and more people ‘come out’ about their issues, more and more people can see that they’re not alone in what and how they’re feeling. It’s all natural, normal feelings, some people just react, deal and cope differently to others.

And that’s why I started “Keep your Feet” to help show and share how I feel, so people know they're not alone. It’s ok to speak out, and it’s ok to ask for support and to talk about your feelings.

Let’s try and stop this stigma together - and let’s try and be there for our friends - so reach out to someone today, just to check in, and make sure they're doing ok. After all - I know first hand how easy it is to say “i’m ok” and hide behind a fake smile when truth is you’re actually breaking down on the inside, and I am and will be forever grateful for those friends that noticed and reached out when I needed it the most. 💛

#mildanxiety #anxitey #mentalhelath #mentalhealthweek #keepyourfeet

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wildgrave · 7 years

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what do u love about ur friends

idk which one of ya sneaky bastards sent this but i’m not gonna complain b/c i will take any possible opportunity to gush about my friends.

update: this got entirely out of hand and i just wrote about like... everyone i talk to. if u talk just ctrl + f ur name (but don’t feel bad if you’re not in here b/c i’m doing this off the top of my head and can’t remember everyone!! also a lot of these are hs friends who don’t have tumblrs but u asked anon so)

i honestly love them all for different reasons tho!! i’m not going to tag everyone but: thanh is great for a straightforward answer & we have the same awful sense of humor which is basically 8 years of memes to reference (also she says no romo a lot which i find rly funny for some reason??). hannah is super loving and supportive and always looking out for me. jessie is wry and clever and honestly has every reason to get annoyed at me 24/7 but somehow doesn’t. whitten i talk to every day and is super rational about my problems which is helpful when i need solutions (also dank memes). gaby is great b/c we both have a lot of the same interests (feminism, art, fashion, shit-talking ppl, etc) and gets riled up about my problems which is great when i need someone to get angry with. colette also gets angry, usually angrier than me, about my problems and is the best person to offer to beat boys up (b/c i know if she gets drunk enough she will fight anyone). kathleen is great b/c we always end up doing something ridiculous and it’s fun and makes a good story. brooke is the fucking funniest person i have ever met and thinks she’s punk rock but is secretly boujee as fuck. amber also thinks she’s punk rock, but has the softest, purest heart of gold of anyone i’ve ever met (also she comes up with the most ridiculously hilarious ways to proposition me). claire and i can talk about absolutely anything and send each other close ups of pimples but also take nudes of eachother and honestly if thats not true friendship then what is?? sofie is honestly brilliant and always has clever comments to make and i’m lowkey in love with her to this day and i mean, if you’re not a little in love with your friends wyd?? mila is so sweet and i can have fun with her doing anything, like we don’t even need to go anywhere we can just have philosophical talks on my bed and it’s chill. sammy and i have only chilled irl once but she’s really quiet and nice but occasionally makes rly snarky comments about straight ppl which are hilarious. lucy is never on skype but when she is we have a fuckin field day and she’s so petty but like... in a funny way? i’ve only hung out with andie once (which i’m trying to change before she goes back to vegas) but she’s so into musical theatre and i love reading her tweets about it b/c i love how passionate she is! dylan makes awful decisions on the daily like... blowjob competition? rly dyn? and it’s so funny to hear about and he gives ridiculous but funny advice and is super australian and always says “bruv” which is super funny to me. jenna i’m p sure is going to be running the world in two years (also holy shit she’s graduating college?? my bb girl is growing up :’)). adja is so funny b/c i thought she was super by the rules in hs but now she’s a wild child. aidan (as in the senior in hs, not the one my age) sends me #relatable memes and even tho we don’t talk often it gets deep as shit when we do (but i lowkey don’t trust him b/c of his opinions of iron fist smh). allie is in my race & ethnicity class and is just nice all around and we DM eachother on twitter sometimes like ‘what was that awful presentation in class’). nick from polisci is so knowledgeable about politics but makes the issues funny w/o being offensive and shannon (also from polisci) dresses rly cute and we have fun conversations & the three of us have a funny group chat for our presentation. quinn is such a wannabe edgelord but is honestly so pure and a good friend. asmaa is the sweetest possible person and we always tease quinn together. ricky continously gives me a hard time about everything but in a funny way and patiently explains WoW lore to me. JT is also fun to play WoW with and makes me feel like a baby b/c he’s and old man. rebecca’s steadfast belief in drarry makes me smile and i love her writing. harri is one of my many wives and her snapchats are amazing (as are her boobs). kinzie i rarely talk to but i can still hit up sometimes like whats up bitch today i had sex while listening to wtnv. cassie, becca, and eleanor are all rly cool and super pretty and nice to chill with and i love their art and photography and general personalities. georgie gave me the sweetest poem and letter last summer when i was feeling down and we have similar aspirations and i’d love to work with her in my career sometime! marko and henry are married istg but anyway marko is such a genuine, honest person and henry is an amazing writer and i loved english with him and it’d make me happy if we were closer. lena is my protege and i am an awful mentor b/c i never see her since i graduated but she is my child. layla is the baddest bitch i have ever met, her nails are always amazing and we can be catty together and blast nicki minaj. sarah is so funny b/c everyone thinks she’s reserved and studious and stuff (and she kinda is) but once you get to know her she is the sassiest person you will ever meet. my sister and i fight sometimes over me stealing her clothes constantly but we bond over how our parents drive us up the wall and also she cooks a lot which means i can steal food. the entire volstovic cycle fandom (dani, scarlett, anna, crystal, etc) are all amazing creators of things and honestly an inspiration. rimsha is the hardest working person i have ever met and i love hearing about her succeed. brady is my fellow gay (tho tbh 90% of the ppl on this list are gay b/c we flock together) and i love him for his snarkiness. all the boys i sat at lunch with in high school (garrison, rex, arun, etc) are such memes but i didn’t realize how cool they were until we graduated and now i’m like, damn i should’ve paid them more attention even tho i saw them every day. my boyfriend is my friend and he’s the most politically active person i have ever met, and he’s such a dweeb, and he makes me smile whenever we’re together (even when i’m trying to be angry at him). feihong acts like a fuckboy but is pretty dang cool if i’m being honest; he’s rly dedicated to what he does. carly and i don’t talk but i appreciate her paintings and selfies and funny tweets from afar. morgan and i were at a fidlar concert once together and we both couldn’t survive the mosh pit (also her instagram captions are fuckin hilarious am i right or am i right?). kelly is a goddamn klepto but we always have fun together drinking coffee and talking about pens and i love and support her art and she does the same for mine. charlotte is chill and i miss just hanging out in her basement b/c she’s such a gemini but in a good way. the ppl i sit with on campus (sumaiya, alex, zuri, etc) are always having interesting convos and share food and it’s a good time. my cousin and her husband (nat and ron) are the most punk ppl in their 30s and they introduced me to the punk scene and i miss them b/c they moved back to kansas. shakey’s photography on insta makes me feel pensive and i want to go to philly just to meet her. miki i’m not super tight with but her writing is a+ and makes me cry and i love rping with her. rina is such a cool mutual and her art is dope. lea is also a cool chic and i love her hair and want her to bake my wedding cake. mousse is so nice to everyone. ellie and i only talk like twice a year at family parties but we can always dive back in and pick up where we left off. the ppl i party w (other aidan, jakob, justin, etc) are dumbasses (i use that term endearingly) but i’m 98% sure they’ve all carried me to the toilet when i’ve been puking my guts out at a party. marley was that friend that ended up going to yale and no one was surprised so i admire her success but also she was always kind to me and always asked how i was doing with my mental illnesses. renee and maria and i bonded over ib art and sga and generally being over-worked by our sponsor. alanna was another one of my proteges who i need to keep up with better b/c she’s badass and funny and has the best eyebrows ever. i don’t talk to sidney anymore but we went thru so much together and supported eachother a lot a few years ago and i still love em for that. eddie is such a dweeb, everytime i see him (which is a surprising amount considering he lives in miami) we act like nothing has changed and go at eachothers throats. rachel m & galen have both grown so so much since i met them and i’m proud of them. rachel s is so fun to talk about hoe things with and laugh at eachother. marco has the best finsta of anyone ever. danny and i talk over snapchat every so often (like every month or so) and we have the weirdest convos like?? let’s name your imaginary lizard. zamzam (from my creative writing class last semester) was super fun to hang out with when she came over and actually everyone in that class (xander, leah, olivia, will, etc) were excellent writers and hilarious and we all bonded. victor is such a bro honestly he’s funny and is very attentive (actually listens) and is fun sober or not. sandra i’ve known since i was a baby and never really talked to until recently but she’s so nice to talk to about small things. alyssa i stalk obsessively on goodreads b/c who else can read that much, istg girl you’re a cyborg (but like a pretty one). rp buds that i haven’t mentioned so far (mario, mackenzie, etc) i value a lot for their companionship and writing. there are tons of ppl from hs that i wish i had gotten to know better when i was there (julia, drea, tina, both erins, bridget, etc).

and yeah there are more ppl but those are mostly ppl i talk to at parties or dm occasionally or wish i was friends with but admire from afar. anyway. this got long. I JUST LOVE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!

#Anonymous

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eyez-ff-blog · 7 years

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○○ eyez | twenty-five

September 4, 2016

It was another long night in the studio—Jermaine was coming around to tying the rest of his album together, and Beija was working double time between helping him and Courtney, whose EP’s release was seemingly around the corner. And to add to that, the new group that Beija had discovered had been working hard to develop their sound in preparation for their showcase that was coming up as well. Needless to say, work was a never ending process. But in the meantime, J was making good use of at least one half of the new group.

Zeus Pierre and Whitney Bristol were probably unlike what anyone in Dreamville had seen before, but their come up was impressive. Zeus had left his home at about 16 and began to try to spark a producing career that had spanned throughout the Miami area. He was the definition of a struggle, living out of cars and hustling in the streets just to afford studio time to make music. It wasn’t until he met Whitney some years later that the two began to come together and create the enigma now known as ‘Twisted Elegance;’ while Zeus dealt with the production aspects, Whitney was behind the vocals and songwriting. She frankly sounded like any other alternative pop princess, but it was Zeus’s instrumentals and keen ear for music that made her sound like nothing the label had heard before. When Beija brought attention to them, the rest of the group could agree that they were needed.

And Jermaine was already making fair use of Zeus, as they continued to work hard on the current track that flowed through the studio’s speakers. The instrumental was cryptic and melancholy, and Jermaine spent hours writing until he found a proper flow to go along with it. Now they were working, and Beija was busy with her own work. At least, until she got a text from Jermaine’s mother:

“Not feeling well? What do you mean?”

Beija read the text before she sat her head down against the back of the couch, and she texted back quickly. “Not sure. Stomach’s been kicking my butt. But anyway, we’re coming down for Thanksgiving! Make sure the turkey is nice and ready for me...and you and Zach, I guess,” She glanced up at Jermaine, who was in the booth.

“Of course. Not sure what to even make for J. Maybe some chicken,” Beija chuckled to herself before she closed her laptop for the moment being, and sat it by her feet before she began to text back.

“Your son is spoiled. I don’t know why you even deal,” Beija sent the text off before she crossed her legs, glancing up as Whitney had moved to sit next to her. Immediately, she felt this sense of tension.

Whitney was a beautiful woman, and one of few that actually made Beija feel a little jealous and almost insecure. They were about the same height but of course, Whitney was smaller aside from what little behind she did have and her cleavage. Her hair was a sandy blonde, her skin was a tanned olive, and whether or not her lips were born or bought, they were a nice shape. Her hazel eyes seemed to top the entire ensemble, and her damn near ‘too cool’ attitude seemed to make her a hit with men. But luckily for her, she was already spoken for by Zeus himself, who didn’t seem to play about anyone getting too friendly with her.

While Whitney was as cool as ice, Zeus was the fire that complimented and sometimes clashed with her. He not only acted like a total go-getter, he looked the part. Beija wasn’t entirely sure if he had his whole body tattooed but it seemed fairly close. His style was starkly contrasted from the rest of the men at the label—he was definitely into street style and fashion in general, but had a weirdly creative twist to everything that adorned his body, down to the wild colors that sometimes went into his hair. He was mid-skinned—brighter than most of the guys but darker than Jermaine—with big brown eyes and a chiseled jaw that made him oddly photogenic. His smile and boyish dimples added some hypocritical charm to his whole ruffian image, and if one looked close enough they’d notice the freckles to match.

The two of them looked like the essence of Miami—full of life and colorful, yet sophisticated and almost lavish. They were definitely oddballs amongst the aesthetics of the label, but they shared the passion and the love for music and that in itself was good enough for them to be let on. But as cool as they were, Beija couldn’t get over Whitney’s beauty. She wasn’t sure if it was jealousy or just admiration but every time Whitney was around, she felt this need to be extra observant.

“Okay, so check this out Bei—I wrote some lyrics for the project we were starting on,” Whitney smiled as she passed Beija her notebook, and B looked through the notes as she felt her phone vibrate again. She checked her phone and noted the text from J’s mom: “Same reason why you do. He’s lovable despite his quirks! You’ll come to accept it like I have,” Beija smirked a bit before she glanced back over the lyrics that Whitney had written.

“This is actually really nice. I know this will sound good when you put this with some of Z’s tracks,” Beija passed the notebook back.

“I think this will work,” The women looked up at Zeus, before he spoke into the mic. “Yo, J—come listen to this,” Jermaine came out of the booth and Zeus pressed play on the switchboard.

The track was raw at best—at the moment it was just Jermaine’s vocals going with the track, and Beija raised her eyebrows as she listened to the moody material. The cross between insight, depression, loneliness, and despondence seemed to paint a mental picture throughout the fairly short piece.

“This shit is so heavy,” Whitney said before she shook her head. “For it to be two minutes, that’s crazy deep,” She said.

“I could have gone for at least seven if you’d let me,” Jermaine laughed before he shook hands with Zeus. “But you, man! That track is fuckin’ amazing,” He said.

“Thank you, thank you,” Zeus said, and Beija smiled a bit before she looked back at her phone, sending the text back: “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. But I’m definitely about to try to take something for this stomach. Get some sleep, mommy!”

“I will. Love you! Send J my best,” It was the last text J’s mom would send for the evening, and Beija sat her phone down before she stood up. “Going to the bathroom,” She announced.

“For like the 17th time, huh? You got the shits?” J teased.

“Wow, how about you kiss my ass?” Beija laughed on the way out of the studio. She headed down the hallway before she walked into the women’s bathroom.

She felt the churning of her stomach as soon as she walked into the space, and she hurried into the nearest stall before she leaned down and lowered herself towards the ground. She gripped the sides of the toilet bowl and as if on cue, began to vomit. She heaved heavily once all the putrid contents were spilled, and she wiped her mouth before she frowned, grabbing some toilet paper to clean up the spare mess on the toilet seat. She flushed and walked out of the stall, washing her hands before she went out to the hallway before she went to get some water. She sipped from the fountain to wash out her mouth, and she sighed as she leaned against the wall, sighing as she closed her eyes. “This is no time to be getting a fucking virus,” She mumbled to herself.

The Next Morning

“Thank you so much for coming to the doctor with me, Nic,” Beija sighed as she leaned against the window of Nicole’s car, the two women driving through the crowded New York streets to reach the doctor’s office. Nicole was pretty much her ‘last’ line of defense when she couldn’t reach Jermaine or Ibrahim, and considering that they were both working for the day, Nicole was next on the list to accompany her.

“No problem, B. I hate the doctor too. Thankfully I was off of work today,” Nicole said before she turned onto another street.

Beija had met Nicole during Jermaine’s 30th, and when the women met they seemed to hit it off fine. Nicole was very impartial to things that didn’t have to do with her or her husband Ib, so it was easy for she and Beija to get along despite the fact that Nicole was also close to Melissa at the time. When all of the drama went down between Jermaine and Melissa it was Beija’s assumption that Nicole would pick Mel’s side, and she was surprised to see that Nicole still lent a hand to her when she could. More than likely she did as a favor to Ib and J, but she still appreciated it.

“I just need something for this stomach. I’m so damn tired of vomiting all the time—I barely eat like I used to and it’s annoying. I’m already tired of soup and shit,” She chuckled.

“Oh I can’t even imagine that,” Nicole laughed softly before she slowed down, pulling up to the parking garage that was adjacent to the doctor’s office. Once she parked the car, the women headed to the main building. Once they got to the proper office, Beija went to sign in and paid the co-pay before waiting on her turn to go in.

Beija’s name was soon called, and she headed inside with the nurse before taking the usual height and weight, along with her blood pressure, reflexes and other things. She was sat in an office, and she waited for a moment before the door opened again and the doctor entered.

“Good morning Ms. Demarco,” The doctor was a short and portly white woman with long blonde hair and rosy cheeks. She looked very jolly, and it was a stark contrast to how tired Beija felt. “I’m Dr. Young. So, what’s going on?” She asked.

“Vomiting. All the time,” Beija complained. “I’m tired almost all the time, too. I’m not sure what it is,” She said.

“Hm, okay,” Dr. Young sat in front of Beija and wrote down some things in her file. “I need to know, do you smoke or drink?” She asked.

“I haven’t smoked in months. I drank maybe some months back as well. It’s not often,” Beija said, and the doctor nodded as she wrote more information down.

“Also, when was your last period?” Dr. Young asked.

“Shoot...in July or so? But I’m used to that—my period is irregular. Sometimes I can go months without it,” Beija explained.

“Oh, that’s not abnormal; some women do have that irregular pattern. But I’d like to take some urine and blood samples if you don’t mind,” Dr. Young said, and Beija nodded.

B did as she was instructed—first, she went to do the urine sample, then was led to another area to get some blood drawn. She returned to the doctor’s room and waited. Some minutes turned into 10, then 20...she was growing impatient and kind of nervous. She wasn’t sure what they were going to come back and say to her. But about 45 minutes passed when Dr. Young returned, and Beija sat up in her seat.

“Beija, I want to talk to you about something...we found what the cause may be,” Dr. Young announced.

“Okay? What is it?”

Beija’s apartment was abnormally quiet. Every room seemed to be untouched and unused to the naked eye. A book was shifted here, a pot was moved there, but everything seemed pristine and placid. All except the bathroom. Beija sat by the side of her bath tub as she gazed blankly at the scattered pregnancy tests that strewn about the floor. There had to be at least five of them—all were opened and used. Five tests sat on top of the toilet.

Positive. Positive. Positive. Positive. Positive.

Beija slowly sat up before she began to clean the bathroom, leaving the tests on top of the toilet before she walked out of the bathroom, leaving the tests to sit on top of the toilet. She walked into the living room and sat down, taking out her phone before she scrolled through her contacts. Finding the right number, she sped dialed before awaiting the answer she needed.

“Hey hey. What’s up?” She heard J’s chipper tone, and she felt her mouth begin to dry. “Beija? You okay?” He caught onto her silence quickly.

“Yeah—I just uh...come over. I need to talk to you,” Beija instructed.

“I’m in the middle of workin’ right now, baby. Did something happen? What’s wrong?” J’s voice held a bit of concern, but nothing he was saying was what she wanted to hear at the moment.

“What I have to tell you can’t be said over the phone, Jermaine. Please, just come see me,” She pleaded.

“Alright, alright. I’m on my way,” He hung up right after, and she sat back against the couch, quietly contemplating on what she would say once he got there. Two words were all that needed to be said, but there was so much she needed to think about beyond that. There was a game plan that needed to be implemented, so many things that she’d have to change. This wasn’t an accident or a circumstance—it was for a reason. Everything that had to do with her and Jermaine was for a reason. Now, it was time for them to prepare. She thought about it up until she heard Jermaine let himself into her apartment. “Baby? Where are you?”

“I’m in here,” She called, and she looked up, seeing J enter the living room before he sat down his bag that he had with him. “Sorry I called you from work. I just needed to be face to face with you,” She said.

“It’s alright, B. It gotta be important for you to ask me to come so...what’s up?” He asked before he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Nicole took me to the doctor this morning,” She began, and he nodded a bit. “They told me I was pregnant, J,” She said, and she noted the look on his face when she said it. It was almost like when she met him—she couldn’t tell what he was thinking by just looking into his eyes. However, since he had been being more open with her and it was becoming easier to read Jermaine, this sudden expression of enigmatic nature threw her off and almost frightened her. She was afraid that maybe he’d reject her and whatever was growing within.

“You serious? You...you for real? You pregnant?” J seemed to be in disbelief.

“I took five home tests just to be sure...or maybe out of madness. They all say the same thing,” She pointed towards her bathroom.

Jermaine walked through her bedroom and disappeared into the bathroom while Beija sat quietly on the couch, awaiting whatever would come about next. She was for some reason so frightened and near sadness that the angst only brought upon more fear. She looked down at her lap as she kept thinking to herself. This had become so much more real now that she was sharing the news with him, and she could only hope that he wouldn’t leave her to deal with it alone. She didn’t consciously intend to assume the worst of Jermaine’s reaction, but her pessimistic thoughts were already making home within her mind.

She finally heard some footsteps as they approached her, and she dug her nails into the material of her sweatpants before she looked up at Jermaine. His face was completely blank with emotions, but she noted the tears slowly rolling down his face. “You...you having my baby,” He mumbled.

“...I am,” She confirmed, and she watched as he walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her. She reached over and wiped his face. “I’m having your baby. And I’m so scared,” She finally expressed, and she sighed as she felt her eyes begin to water. “I’m scared, J.”

She closed her eyes as she felt him grip her face, and her tears finally escaped her as he kissed her softly. B sniffed softly as she felt his lips travel all over her face, and she opened her eyes when his forehead pressed against hers. “Me too. But...we here. And we’re gonna deal with it,” He mumbled as he wiped away her tears.

“But what if...what if I’m not a good mom? I can’t afford that—I can’t,” B painfully croaked as her tears continued. The thought became more cemented in her mind and she found herself trembling as her fears came tumbling out of her mouth. “And then this pregnancy; what if something happens to me or to the baby? What are we gonna do?” She whimpered.

“Hey, hey...shh,” J kissed the side of her face as he hugged her gently, and she softly sobbed as she hid her face into his shoulder. “You’re gonna be the best mom. You’ve got a great example for a good mom back home,” She heard him say. “And we will make sure you’re healthy the whole way through. You’re not alone in this...I’m here with you, baby. I’m here,” She felt him rub her back and she closed her eyes as she sniffed softly.

“Promise you’ll be here, Lamarr,” She whispered. “Please...please don’t leave me,” She held onto the back of his shirt as they embraced. “Don’t leave us.”

“I’m here...I’m gonna be here. I promise. I’m not leaving you or my seed,” She nuzzled her face into his neck, and she heard him sniff as he rubbed her back slowly. “I’m not gonna leave you. You have my word, Imani,” He said.

She closed her eyes as she felt him gently pick her up off of the couch and carry her towards the bed. He laid her down and he took off his shoes and shirt before getting into bed next to her. As soon as he got in, Beija moved closer to him and she laid her head against his chest. She felt his hand on her stomach and instead of being amused and slightly insecure as she usually did when he rubbed her stomach, she felt protected. She placed her hand over his, and their fingers laced.

It wasn’t as if her and Jermaine’s relationship never felt real. She was very much in love, and he showed the same passion as she did. The two seemed to click in almost every way and even on days that they clashed, it was barely close to causing damage beyond repair. There were the pressures of being in the semi-public eye, and the occasional rumor or tabloid that still remained from the divorce drama, but for the most part they endured it together, side by side. But this made everything feel even more real than it ever did before. Beija was going to be a mother, and now the ‘forever’ she envisioned with Jermaine became more than just a dream or a wish. No matter how they ended up, they would be tethered to one another for life. A little one would be calling the two of them ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy,’ and B could only hope that she could carry her load. She had no doubt that Jermaine would step to the plate and be a good father, but he couldn’t do it alone. B had to be present and accounted for as well, and she held so many doubts. But so far, her faith in J and the love they shared had brought them here to this very moment. All she could do was pray about it, and let her faith continue to carry her. The little hope that did reside within was in well belief that her faith wouldn’t destroy her or what she had built with the man she loved—that alone would keep her holding on, for now.

#j cole fanfic #j cole fanfiction #j. cole fanfic #j. cole fanfiction #j. cole ff

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joiminer · 7 years

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Yeah I said it, now what? I was the portal that dopeness chose to enter this world and I ain’t ashamed to say so. Lol. No, but for real. Have you ever looked at your child and been like, “you’ve been here before,” or “if you’re this dope, then I must be like the supreme Goddess of dopeness because I actually grew you,” or “you’re going to be the most awesome adult ever”? I do it every day, with both of my girls. But my oldest, my first born, my Mango, she’s BY FAR, the most awesome person I’ve met… and that says a lot because I know a LOT of super awesome people! I mean, like famous and almost famous, and even local celebrity type people. But my daughter is one of my favorite people in the world to be around, hands down.

My baby ain’t a baby no more.

The funny thing is that this is the time when most mothers are wanting to strangle their teens. I invite mine into my room, we sit up and listen to music and write and talk for hours, she tells me almost everything and I am SO open with her, too. My momma told me recently that I was so lucky because by 15, she was ready to buy my headstone and dig me a hole. I was a mess. And I’ll admit it. Then, she did the worst thing a Southern mother can do to her child… she cursed me. Told me that Phoenix was gonna be the one to get her payback for her. Like, really momma? Dang. Lol. So, I’m just telling y’all right now, ten years from now, don’t be coming back over here looking for another “my teenager is dope” post. It’ll probably be more like, “5 ways to maintain your sanity when raising a diva who can’t even drive…” Lol. But I digress. Back to the one I got it right with the first time.

I know… I know, y’all probably think that I’m biased because she’s my daughter. Well, let me nip that in the bud. I’m gonna give you just the 3 MAIN reasons that my 15-year-old is dope and I bet you’ll be agreeing with me by the end of this post.

Reason #1:

She’s an artist

Her wall of drawings

More drawings and paintings

Ok, let me clarify. I’m a poet/novelist/publisher/editor. I can do ANYTHING that involves words. But Mango… she can do that and then some. Like, she’s a writer/poet/photographer/videographer/editor/painter/graphics designer. Yes, she does all of those things. And does them all WELL. She writes better than I do, and I ain’t even jealous. I mean, we want our children to be better than us, right? She’s on my mixtape as a poet. She hosted the open mic at my Sowing Seeds event back in August featuring world-renown Poet Sunni Patterson, the only teen in a room full of adults and she kilt that shit! Yeah, I said kilt. Lol. She’s reclusive in real life but a powerhouse onstage, man… for real.

She’s a 9th Grader at Ramsay IB High School, and was voted VP of her school’s Creative Writing group. She wrote an essay to get them funding for their newsletter. She wrote a poem about me, comparing me to a flower in a vase whose nourishing water was her own tears. Yeah… that one there, gets me every time. She got her first poem published in the 8th Grade. (Thanks DISCO.) She’s writing her first novel.

I mean, I could go on and on with this one alone. But I’ll just share the song that we did together for my upcoming mixtape, also featuring my sister Poetic Puff, as evidence. Ya know, so you don’t think I’m making it all up. Lol.

Mind of Mango is a private exclusive, only being shared here. Enjoy! (Feel free to download.)

Reason #2

She fed the homeless for her birthday

I’ll forever remember this as one of the many moments that meant so much to me. My daughter came to me and told me that she wanted to feed the homeless people around her school (5 Points South in Birmingham) for her birthday. Now, most teenagers want their learner’s permit. They want a part-time job. They want gifts, but she wanted to feed others. She was going to use her allowance to do it, but, come on… what mother wouldn’t want to make this wish come true for her child?

Mango, the mastermind

The bags

Inviting people over to take the bags

I have no idea what I’m saying here. Lol.

Well, it snowed on her birthday, January 7th. That was dope because she loves the snow and y’all know we barely get that mess here in Alabama. But the next weekend, we were up at 7 in the morning. Well, they were, I was asleep but they came and got me and were dressed and excited. By 9am, we had bought Wal-Mart out of all of their toothbrush travel packs, bought a couple cases of water, juice, oranges, boxes of chips, granola, gloves and skulleys. So… a Facebook post, that got the help of several of my dear friends and fans of both myself and my baby girl, and a couple hundred dollars later, we were ready to feed the homeless.

That face is priceless!

“You’re gonna let ME put this on your hands. Lol.

Phoenix was the official hand sanitizer distributor, happy to help her big sister make her dream come true. My dear friends AJ and Rob (soon-to-be Mrs. And Mr. Danner III) and their children came up from Prattville with more water (and fussed me out for not asking them to help more). Poet Brint Story and the beautiful Jasmine Enriquez were also there to help distribute the food and supplies. It was a MONUMENTAL day, man. Like, worth every dollar, second, and smile. Check out the slideshow below. Photos courtesy of Mr. Danner.

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Still not convinced of her dopeness yet??? No worries, there’s more. Lol.

Reason #3

She pitched and landed her own teen open mic to give herself and her peers a judgment free zone of expression

Mango is an artist, beyond the shadow of a doubt. But, as you can see, she’s also a very caring person. She approached me last year, after she hosted the open mic at my event, and said that she wanted to create one of her own for the teens in the area. She said she feels like they have nowhere that they can express themselves and their voices be heard. Of course, as always, I was all for it. She wanted to start in the Spring and have it at Avondale Park.

Well, the way the Universe is set-up, things happened a little differently than planned. In November, I spoke to the students at Putnam Middle School at the invitation of my dear poet friend, Mojo Mama. There, I met Liz Hughey, who owns DISCO (Desert Island Supply Company). I thanked her for having me, and told her that they’d published my daughter’s first poem. She asked who my daughter was. I told her Mango Miner. She nodded, smiled, and said, “that makes sense.” That, by far, is one of the most flattering compliments that I’ve received to date. Lol. I told her about Mango’s desire to start a teen open mic and she was all ears.

The next morning, I received an email offering the venue to Dira for her open mic. I just want you to read that part again… I’ll wait.

Ok, now I’ll proceed. Now, because I’m a teacher and mother first, I didn’t take it upon myself to do anything else but thank Mrs. Liz and tell Mango about the opportunity. Then, I emailed Mango a pitch that I’d done in the past and she emulated it and… her first teen open mic is on Friday, February 17, 2017. I did nothing. She did it all. On her own, with a little coaching from her entrepreneur mom. Even now, the meetings, the planning, the FB Fan Page, the promotions. All her. She’s fifteen. Hell, when I was 15, I was still trying to figure out why boys were so stupid. (Still haven’t figured that one out by the way. So, anyone with the answer, please feel free to share.)

But it gets better. (I feel like I’m on an infomercial… “But wait, there’s more.” Lol.)

Soooo, she wanted to call it “Mic Check.” But there’s already a popular event here by that name hosted by an awesome married couple, G.I. Magus and Jacqueline Jones. So, on the pitch, by the name of the event, I told her to put “TBD” and explained to her that it meant To Be Determined. Well, she chose to keep that name because she said that, as teens maturing into adults, their lives, their destinies, their everything is still being determined. Pretty cool, huh? (I will take a moment to say that she was heartbroken that “Mic Check” was taken, but she respected the reason that she couldn’t use it. She’s a better bad news taker than most adults I know. Lolbvs.)

I reached out to a few friends and they agreed to sponsor the event through the provision of chaperones every 1st and 3rd Friday night. She was excited about the sponsorships, but livid with me for bringing adults into the mix. See, Mango wants her event to be “by teens for teens.” Of course, all of my adult friends want to come show support, but she ain’t having it. Like, she even told me I could just drop her off. *insert hurt face with pearls clutched here*

Nahhhh, not for real, I don’t even wear pearls, but I was kinda hurt. But then, she explained it to me… she said, and I quote, “Umi, people, especially teens who are unsure of themselves, are less likely to open up and be true to themselves when they are in the presence of someone that they feel is superior to them.” Well… what could I say after that but, “ok, what time do I need to drop you off”?

So, as any proud mom would do, I’m blogging and posting all over social media about my daughter’s first ever artistic endeavor. That’s she’s doing with little to no assistance from grown-ups. Well, her dad did design the flyer… and I coached her… a little… and adults are providing the venue, but you know what the hell I’m trying to say. Sheesh!

Bragging Rights

See, I have an issue with bragging on myself, but I have no qualms whatsoever when it comes to bragging on my children. You know why? Because they are my Magnum Opuses. They are the greatest achievements I will ever have in my life and, books and performances and accolades aside… THEY are my legacy.

Now, are you ready to admit my teenager is doper than yours yet? If not, ‘tis cool. I wouldn’t expect a good parent like you to sell your baby short like that anyway. But… you’ve gotta admit, she is REALLY dope. Grown-ups wanna be her… Hell, I wanna be her! I WAS her one year for Halloween, actually. I told her that on my birthday, I could be anyone or anything I wanted to be (yes, I’m a spook baby), but I chose to be her. That did wonders on her self-esteem, man. She even styled me to make sure I got her swag right… do people still say swag? I can’t even keep up with the slanguage nowadays.

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Always

All

Smiles when we’re together!

Joi Miner as Mango Miner

Mango Miner

But I will say that when it comes to dope teens doing dope things, I truly believe I have the dopest of the dope.

3 Reasons Why My Teenager is Doper Than Yours! Yeah I said it, now what? I was the portal that dopeness chose to enter this world and I ain’t ashamed to say so.

0 notes

eyez-ff-blog · 7 years

Text

○○ eyez | twenty-three

July 3, 2016

“United Airlines would like to welcome you to Houston, Texas...” The pilot spoke over the intercom as the plane had slowed to a crawl as it traveled to reach the designated gate. The announcement interrupted Beija’s movie, and she glanced up as she began to prepare to exit the plane. She looked over at Jermaine who opted for the window seat—he was barely waking up from his in-air nap.

Once the vehicle came to a complete stop, the couple began to grab their carry-on bags and was off the plane quickly. They approached baggage claim, and as Jermaine grabbed their bags, she looked around for the area they needed to get to in order to get a rental car. “Hm... I think it’s this way,” She pointed, and she headed off towards the rental car kiosks with Jermaine following close behind.

Agreeing on renting a simple SUV, they made the lengthy trip from North Houston to the Southwestern side of town, the sights looking more and more familiar to Beija and bringing her a sense of pure nostalgia. She hadn’t been home to truly enjoy her time since during the Forest Hills Drive Tour, so to be able to come out of leisure and not business was bound to be a memorable experience, especially considering that she was about to introduce J to her family. He would be the first guy she had ever brought home and though she constantly tried to convince Jermaine to keep his cool, she herself was anxious. Her parents were very hard to please and her brothers were extremely protective; she just hoped everyone could get along.

She continued to drive as Jermaine sat in the passenger seat, fiddling with his phone. Beija had found another potential artist—two, to be exact. “So what did you think of the group I found? One guy, one girl; they’re pretty good. Kinda how Gnarls Barkley was,” She explained as she turned into her old neighborhood.

“They’re kinda dope. Dude’s got production skills out of this world...got ol’ girl sounding cosmic,” J laughed softly. “I’mma forward this to Ib and see what he thinks about it,” He decided.

“Cool. I’ve got some more people I saw if that doesn’t work out, but I think if we branch out with our artists then we can really expand the brand,” She explained, and she glanced over to see Jermaine watching her, a slick smirk etched upon his features. “What?” She laughed.

“I kinda like when you talk business,” He said before he let out a small chuckle. “It’s sexy,” He added.

“Boy, bye. Don’t be trying to talk slick right now,” She chuckled before she turned down the street, stopping in front of the fourth house on the right. “Well, here we are! What do you think?” She asked.

She watched as J peered up at the large home, and he nodded slowly. “Wow,” He mumbled before he nodded. “I see you, big baller. This a nice place,” He smiled.

“Ha, not big baller. But it’s home,” She shut off the engine before she climbed out of the car. She unlocked the trunk so she could get some of the bags. She peeked from behind her car when she heard the door open, and she squealed. “Marquis!”

The man had to have been in his early twenties and at least six feet. Much like his older sister, his skin was dark and smooth, and he had a broad smile that seemingly could charm a nun into sin. His hair was the only bright thing on his body; the shortened dreads that sat on the top of them were a bright brown mixed with the dark brown he was born with. “BB!” He scooped her into her arms, and the two laughed as they hugged. “Welcome home, sis. How was the flight?” He asked.

“Everything was smooth,” She said as he took some of the bags. “Everyone’s inside?” She asked, and he nodded.

“Uh-huh—ready to see you,” He glanced up before he chuckled at the sight of Jermaine. “I honestly thought everyone was lying when they said this was your dude; what’s up, man?” The two shook hands.

“How you doing,” J greeted politely before he chuckled and looked between the two siblings. “Ain’t no way you could deny that’s your brother, B. Y’all look just alike,” He observed.

“Don’t get it twisted—I’m the most attractive of us,” Marquis joked before he took the bags from J’s hands. “Don’t worry, I got it,” He insisted.

The couple followed Marquis inside the house, and Beija smiled at the familiarity of the home—pictures of her family were pretty much everywhere and aside from some décor changes, it felt like home and all the love that came with it. This used to be a much more somber place after Rashaad had been murdered but with time, the family had found their way back to the way they used to be, even if it was just for a moment.

“Auntie!” Beija looked down to see a flurry of black hair as the young girl ran over to her, hugging her legs. Alonzo’s daughter was the only niece that Beija had for the moment, but she was someone that Beija loved almost like her own kid.

“Hi babe!” She picked the girl up and hugged her tightly before kissing her cheek. “I missed you,” She declared, noticing the girl staring over at Jermaine, who was silently surveying the house himself. “You wanna introduce yourself?” She chuckled as she bumped J’s hip, making him pay attention. “This is my niece, Logan. Lo, this is my boyfriend Jermaine,” She said.

“Hi,” Logan smiled before she hid her face within Beija’s shoulder, peeking up at the man as B let out a small chuckle.

“Hey, babygirl. It’s nice to meet you,” J smiled before he held out his hand, and Logan took it before shaking it lightly.

“He’s pretty, auntie,” Logan whispered to B, who laughed a bit as she ventured further into the house, heading into the living room.

“Hi guys!” She announced her arrival, and she was soon met with hugs and affection from her family. The house was full of people—not only were her parents present, but her brothers and their spouses as well. She made her rounds with greeting everyone until she finally got to her parents. “Hey mama, hey daddy,” She hugged them both as she spoke.

“You’re getting more hair every time I see you,” Alisha shook her head as she ran a hand over the younger woman’s unruly curls.

“That’s your genes, you know you two grow hair like it’s nothing,” Mekhi said as he glanced over Beija’s shoulder. “So, you gonna introduce your friend?” He asked.

“Oh Lord, don’t start no mess Khi,” Alisha chuckled as Beija shook her head, walking over to Jermaine, who seemed to be a bit more reserved than usual.

“Baby, stop being nervous,” B took his hand, and he nodded as they walked over to her parents. “Guys, this is my boyfriend, Jermaine. J, this is my mother and father,” She introduced.

“How you doing,” J reached to shake both of her parents’ hands, nodding respectfully. “You have a lovely home,” He mumbled.

“Well thank you, Jermaine! It’s so nice to meet you; Beija talks about you all the time,” Alisha chuckled, making B glare at her.

“Mama,” She complained. “Quit all that, now...”

“I’m just saying, it’s nice to see you all in love,” Alisha seemed to be beaming at the thought, but Mekhi didn’t look too thrilled. “I hope you guys are hungry, though—I made some dinner and it’s in the kitchen,” She explained.

“I am kind of hungry. You wanna go eat, baby?” J looked down at Beija before she nodded, and he followed her towards the kitchen. “Yo, your pops is not feeling me at all,” He mumbled to her, and she glanced up at him with a pout.

“I know it seems that way—just give him some time, okay?” She said, and he nodded as she reached up and brushed her hand against his hair. “No worries,” She promised.

As they entered the kitchen, J began to look through the pots and pans filled with food, licking over his lips slowly. “This smells so damn good,” He sighed. “I ain’t realize how hungry I was,” He said to himself.

“You’re gonna love it. My mama really tears shit up in the kitchen,” She said as she began to make plates for the both of them.

“I can’t even believe this,” The familiar voice of her second oldest brother rang in Beija’s ears, and she chuckled as she felt him hug her side. “My little sister out here making plates. The world must be ending, Kieran teased, and she shook her head slowly.

“Hush. You said you’d never let a girl settle you down, and here you are coming up on your third wedding anniversary,” She teased.

“Uh-huh, whatever,” Kieran nodded at Jermaine before shaking his head. “What’s good, man? You not overwhelmed by all the people, huh?” He asked.

“Oh, nah! Nah, it’s all good,” J said, and Kieran nodded slowly.

“Good. Don’t be too worried about our dad or Alonzo...they kinda mean but it’s a front. Just show you a stand-up guy, and you’ll be straight,” Kieran chuckled before he nodded. “Hell, you already kinda made it. Beija don’t bring dudes home so you gotta be special,” He revealed.

“Hey, I’m honored,” J chuckled before the two shook hands again. “Alright...that’s two of three brothers who seem to fuck with me,” He said to Beija once Kieran was out of earshot. “And your mama seems hella nice too. I’m still convinced your pops hate me,” He shook his head.

“Oh hush. Daddy’s just protective, and Alonzo is pretty much his junior—they’ll be fine though, because when they see how cool you are, they’ll like you,” B leaned up and kissed his cheek before passing him his plate. “There should be drinks in the fridge, go help yourself.”

After the two ate and got comfortable, everyone sat in the living room to talk and reminisce about the past and share old stories, from how Alonzo met his wife Chantel back in high school, or the time that Marquis vomited on himself out of nerves during his first school play. But the ‘elephant’ in the room eventually had to be addressed—everyone wanted to know Jermaine and Beija’s story.

“So how did you guys meet? I remember you telling me that you were working for Dreamville back in 2014,” Naomi, Kieran’s wife, began the conversation.

“Oh, well,” Beija chuckled as she kept close to Jermaine. “I had been working there for like seven months—our cousin Natasha was cool with J’s friend Ibrahim, who hired me,” She began.

“Then we met the night of my album release for Forest Hills Drive,” Jermaine added in the details. “We just clicked. We had cool conversations and everything,” He explained.

“Aw, that’s so cool—but what happened with your wife?” Marquis’s girlfriend Trisha was a lover of gossip and drama, and it was certain that she knew and told everyone about Beija’s odd situation. “Like, how did this all come about?” She asked.

Beija rolled her eyes slightly, but listened closely to Jermaine as he spoke. “You mean, my ex-wife. But at the time, I was focused on being faithful to her. Beija has always been my friend before anything but I just...fell in love with her. So I told the truth and I ended my marriage so that I wouldn’t live a lie,” His attempt to smooth the situation over seemed to work, but only briefly—

“So what exactly is your intentions with my sister?” Alonzo was probably the most intimidating looking of the Demarco brothers. Unlike Marquis’s short dreads or Kieran’s wavy fade, the oldest brother had long dreads that nearly hung down to the middle of his back. His skin was a combination of his mother and father, making him a bit brighter than the rest of his siblings. But it was his piercing brown eyes—there were something about them that seemed to have potential to dig into anyone’s soul. “I mean, it must be serious considering she even brought you home,” He said.

“Be nice, Alonzo,” Chantel warned.

“Nah, he’s good. He’s just worried about his family,” J nodded respectfully before he sat back, wrapping an arm around Beija’s shoulders. “I have no ill intent with Beija—despite how messy things got between me and my ex-wife with everything, I love this woman right here,” He nodded his head towards B as he spoke. “Somewhere in the near future you’re gonna have a brother-in-law, and a niece or nephew for Logan to play with. That’s not even to be questioned,” B couldn’t help but to admire the confidence that Jermaine had as he spoke of her and the intentions he had for their relationship. It was oddly the most attractive thing she could witness, and it only made her even prouder to have him around.

“Hm. We’ll see,” Alonzo decided to get off of the subject, but B could see that he was unconvinced. Mekhi, on the other hand, just watched Jermaine with no words said.

After some more conversation and reminiscing, everyone retreated upstairs to prepare for bed. Beija was the last to shower, and as she entered her old bedroom she could hear Jermaine’s snickering as he laid in the bed. She realized what he was doing, and her face grew hot—he was reading her diary. “Jermaine Lamarr Cole. What the fuck?” She scolded as she shut the door behind her.

“Wait...wait,” He began to laugh. “Okay, so this must have been during college...2009 it says,” He cleared his throat. “Dear diary—my homegirl Lauren introduced me to this new artist; J. Cole,” He began to laugh as Beija sat down on the bed, crossing her arms as she huffed. “This dude is so talented. His mixtape just came out and it’s the best shit I’ve heard yet. Lights Please is everything,” He smiled as he continued to read. “Nah, nah, this my favorite part; He is so FINE. In all capital letters,” He laughed.

“I’m so glad you think this shit is funny,” Beija felt so embarrassed about him reading her old diaries; she was soon to be a college sophomore and was still going to community college in Houston when she had first heard of Jermaine, and before she knew not to be such a groupie, she was pretty much ‘in love’ with the man.

“His rhymes are out of control, and he’s just so beautiful. Pretty ass eyes and everything—we’re supposed to be seeing him in concert soon, I can’t wait to go,” He closed the diary before he laughed heartily, and Beija rolled her eyes as she rubbed her face. “This is honestly...the cutest shit I ever read. I would have never expected for you to be all googly eyed for my ass. How old were you at the time, 18?” He asked.

“19. And was such a little kid! I can’t believe I said all that,” She chuckled a little bit before she shook her head.

“Aye, but it’s kinda...cool, you know? Kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy,” He chuckled softly to himself before he shook his head, seeing some of the doodles she made. “Mrs. Jermaine Cole. This is so fucking cute,” He snickered.

“Ugh, shut up!” She grabbed the diary and sat it on the bedside table. “You make me so...ugh,” She laughed as he pulled her on top of him, shaking her head slowly.

“I make you what, huh?” He grinned, his hands running up and down her back slowly. “Tell me,” He coaxed.

“You make me sick. I hate your guts,” She hid her face in his chest, still feeling the heat within her cheeks.

“You lying. You love me, and my fine ass,” He chuckled softly before he began to rub her back slowly. “You just like to act like you don’t,” He added.

“Yeah, yeah,” She glanced up at him as he gave her a closed smile. “I liked the way you handled yourself today. I know it’ll take some time but you fit in just fine with my family,” She said.

“It got easier as I went along—but your oldest brother tough, boy,” He shook his head slowly. “But I knew what to do, just tell the truth,” He shrugged.

“Oh? Well, I like the sound of that. But you sounded so damn smooth and confident...it was honestly the sexiest thing I have ever seen,” B felt her face blushing as she spoke.

“Oh yeah? You like when I talk my shit, huh,” His tone lowered a bit as he slightly bit into his bottom lip, and she nodded as she felt his hands slide over her behind. “I know you do, cocky ass. You like that arrogant shit,” He teased.

“Not arrogance. I just like a person that knows what they want. I love the certainty you hold...you just know what you want and you go for it. That is attractive,” She said as she gently ran her hand over his beard slowly. “And then you can back up what you say...that’s the best part.”

“Hm. I like that about you too. It’s what attracted me to you at first—you had your shit together and you made it seem effortless. But then again you just amazing,” He smiled a bit as he continued to massage her ass slowly.

“You gonna get enough of gassing me,” She mumbled as she felt herself relaxing against his body. Something about the way he kept feeling on her made her feel completely weakened.

“I’mma gas you. You mine, I can do that,” He said, and she bit her lip as she tightened her thighs against his body.

“I’m yours?” She smiled a bit as she ran her hands up his arms slowly.

“You know you are. Don’t play,” He playfully taunted before he leaned down and pecked her lips.

Beija smiled softly before she stared up at J for a moment, leaning up and kissing his cheek before she stood up to go and turn off the light before the door opened to the bedroom—it was Mekhi, dressed in his night clothes. “I’m about to go to sleep; I just wanted to say goodnight,” He said.

“Oh, okay. I was about to sleep, too; goodnight daddy,” Beija hugged him tightly before he kissed her forehead. “Love you,” She smiled.

He gave her a soft smile before he nodded. “I love you too,” He answered before he glanced over at Jermaine, staring for a moment. “Goodnight, Jermaine,” He said.

“Goodnight Mr. Demarco,” J nodded before Mekhi closed the door, and he let out a soft breath. “He gonna kill me, I know it,” He said, and Beija laughed softly as she turned off the light in her room, then quietly locked the door.

“He’s not. He’s a nice guy, just protective,” She walked over to the bed as Jermaine got out of it, and they pulled back the covers so that the two of them could get under them. Once they were able to get under them, Beija scooted close and wrapped a leg around his own as she always did. “Tomorrow will be better. Just take time to talk to him and then go from there,” She mumbled.

“Okay,” She heard him say before she leaned into his neck, slowly nuzzling her face against the warmth of his skin. “I love you, babygirl,” He mumbled.

“I love you too, baby,” She smiled softly as her hand slowly slipped past the band of his sweatpants and boxers, wrapping her hand around his dormant length before she slowly began to run her fingers along the shaft.

“Wh...what you doing?” A chuckle laced J’s question as he reached to turn on the lamp sitting on the bedside table. She chuckled softly as she continued to stroke him, feeling his muscle slowly but surely stiffen. “In your parents’ house, baby? C’mon...I’m not trying to get killed,” He mumbled, and she smiled softly before kissing the side of his lips.

“Then stay quiet. You can do that, huh?” She taunted before her lips pressed against his, softly kissing him before she pulled away from his mouth and hearing the slightly altered breathing that left him.

She couldn’t help but to smile at the way he reacted to her touch, and for a moment she felt powerful. She could still remember the night they first gave their bodies to one another, and every time she was reminded of the hold Jermaine had on her. She would never tell him how he often left her longing for him to touch her and kiss her in places she didn’t allow many to reach. He navigated her in ways that seemed like he had studied her, and at this point he was the only person that could make her fall apart at the seams when it came to sexual tension. But for once, she wanted to be the one to tear him to shreds and see what would truly make him tick. She wasn’t sure where her need for him even came from, but she knew that she would find a way to make it enjoyable for them both.

Her lips moved from his mouth down to his neck, where she reveled in his warmth, the scent of his skin nearly sending chills down her spine. Her mouth delivered soft kisses against whatever spot she could find, being careful to leave no marks behind. She could feel his throat muscles shift from him swallowing a wad of air, and she closed her eyes as she slowly lifted her body from his, moving her hand from inside of his sweats in order to lift his tank top off and over his head. She leaned down and kissed him slowly, delighted in his engagement as his hands wrapped around her waist. She moved downward and allowed her lips to explore his skin, her eyes closing blissfully as her nails slowly raked down his bare chest. She heard a small groan escape his mouth and the once tiny throbbing between her thighs seemed to evolve and becoming more profound—she wanted him so much.

“You playing a dangerous game, B,” She heard him mumble as her tongue slowly slid down his stomach, stopping just shy of his happy trail. She heard him quietly curse as his body slightly shook. “If we fuck up the sheets from you trying to be cute, you gotta take the fall,” He quietly complained. She giggled softly as she kissed along his hips until she got to her destination, slowly lowering the hem of his sweatpants.

“You won’t even give a fuck once you get into my mouth,” It was the last thing she said before she slowly pulled his length from out of his sweatpants, looking at how hard he became. Gripping near the top of him, she ran her thumb over his tip, watching the small amount of precum seep from his slit. Pulling her hand away, she took a simple suck of her thumb, her eyelids slowly lowering at the slightly sweetened flavor of the secretion. She started with familiar movements, using her hands to gently massage him as her tongue slowly swiped across the tip. She heard him breathing deeply as he tried to stay still in his spot, and it only served to motivate her to go further.

Allowing her hands to part from his girth, she placed the tip of her tongue along the right side of his tip, dragging it down and across to the left side of him, then trailing her tongue up, the complete action in the motion of an ‘8,’ before she gave him one lone suck, making sure to keep her lips tightly pressed around him to give him a tight squeeze with her mouth. She continued the motion until he was fully erect, then she wrapped her mouth around his tip. She pressed her hands against the mattress as she began to bob her head slowly, making sure to get every last inch of him into her mouth. She slowly began to rotate her head in order to fully stimulate him, a soft gag escaping her every time the tip of his tongue pressed against the back of her throat. Her saliva slowly seeped from her mouth, and she pulled away slowly, moaning gently as she rubbed her lips against the tip of him, watching his facial expressions as he danced between shock, awe and admiration.

“You’re so fucking nasty,” He mumbled as she slowly stroked him, and she licked her lips slowly before she shook her head. She slowly ran her tongue across the tip of him as she held her gaze, silently challenging him to make the next move. She was gently moved off of him, and she rolled onto her back to await his next move. She watched as he moved on top of her, slipping off her shorts and underwear before he looked down, slowly running his fingers between her folds. She smiled softly at the reaction to her already wet and warm center. He sucked her juices off of her fingers, and she watched as he aligned himself with her and slowly made his way inside.

Her walls slowly expanded to fit around him, and she let out a soft whimper—she still wasn’t quite used to him. A small moan escaped her as he began to roll his hips slowly, dragging his length in and out of her to allow her time to relax. “Shit...” She mumbled as he lifted her legs up, holding them up at her knees as he began to rock in and out of her, picking up speed once her body was completely relaxed. She looked up at his face, noting the look of concentration and passion that seemed to be written all over his face. Every part of her seemed to be touched by him and she couldn’t help but to make out quiet moans of bliss. The bed began to squeak quietly due to his force, and he stopped abruptly before he pulled out. “J, no,” She whined softly.

“On the floor,” He mumbled before he helped her onto the floor. He grabbed one of her pillows and passed it to her to allow her to have some comfort, and he moved her onto her side. He lifted one of her legs and rested it on his chest before he slipped back inside her. With nothing to give away what they were doing, he began to thrust into her with force, causing her head to bury into the pillow, letting out a series of moans and whimpers. “Mm, fuck. This what you wanted? Wanted me to fuck the shit outta you?” He taunted arrogantly, and her walls squeezed him in response. She was completely undone by the grit in his tone and the rough manner he was handling her. She knew it was payback for how she was doing him before, but she didn’t mind.

She reached for Jermaine’s hand and guided it from the leg he was holding down to her clit, pressing his fingers against the sensitive nub. She felt him begin to rub around her clit in slow and firm circles, and she gasped before she squeezed her eyes shut, her legs trembling when he invaded her deepest spot. “Don’t move, don’t move,” She mumbled before she began to slowly rotate her hips, her eyes rolling back as she felt her walls clamp down against him. She let out a quivering breath, hearing the soft moans coming from her man as she felt her orgasm overtake her. She whimpered quietly as she felt him pull out of her, and she gasped when she felt his hand slide into her hair and pulled her from the pillow.

He pulled her over to his erect shaft, and she stared at the way it was glazed with her creamy juices. She leaned in and slowly began to suck it off, glancing up at him before their eyes met. He smirked, and she felt a sudden ache of need between her legs. She pulled back from him and licked her lips as he laid down where she previously sat. She began to straddle him, and he gripped her hip to keep her from moving. “Turn around,” He instructed, and she nodded briefly before she turned away from him, slowly mounting herself onto him. She began to swivel her hips slowly, softly moaning as she tilted her head back. She felt his hands on her hips as she continued to ride him, making sure not to move too swiftly. She wanted to be able to feel him completely, and because she was in a positon of temporary power, she wanted to stretch the opportunity out. “Gotdamn it, Beija,” She heard him mumble, and she continued to rock and roll her hips, enjoying the feeling of him being inside her.

She felt one of his hands slip up her hips and under her shirt, pulling her back slowly until her back was against his chest. She slowly moved her legs to that they were in a similar laying position, and she watched as Jermaine lifted his legs up to where his knees were bent. Lifting up his pelvis, he began to rock up inside her, forcing her to open up a bit as he caught her in a brand new position. She let out a soft whimper as he began to thrust up into her roughly, and sighed as one of his hands took grip of her breast, holding it tightly as he stroked into her with what strength he had, the other hand wrapping around her neck tightly as he continued his assault on her insides. “Hard...er...” She could barely get the words out, and eventually she felt his hand slide up her neck until his index and middle fingers were jammed into her mouth to keep her from making too much noise.

His lips pressed against the side of her face as he continued to jam himself within the tightness of her canal, and she closed her eyes at the sounds of his soft groans. She couldn’t think straight—everything about him in the moment was feeding into her desire, and though she didn’t want to admit it, she was in love with the way he controlled her in bed. His tongue softly glided against the side of her face and a small giggle escaped her mouth even as he continued to rock into her. His other hand moved from her breast down towards her clit, rubbing it quickly to coincide with his fearsome and deep strokes. Another muffled whine escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, shuddering as she could hear his ragged breath in her ear. But suddenly, she was guided off of him and pulled up towards his face, her new seat quickly becoming his mouth. His tongue hungrily lapped at the sweetness that dripped from her sensitive middle, and she covered her mouth to keep from screaming as her hips began to swivel against his mouth. She shuddered as she felt his tongue invade her, and she began to ride his tongue slowly as she reached back and slid her hand into his dreads, holding them tightly as continued to ride his face with ease.

But the moment of rest was fleeting, and as quick as she felt she was on his face, she was moved back towards his throbbing rod, and he was back to pounding within her, relentless within his actions as he held her down to prevent any movement. She trembled as she let out another soft whine, squeezing her eyes shut as he grabbed her by the hair and forced her mouth to his. The kiss was passionate and raunchy, their tongues slowly swirling in the midst of her remaining essence as he continued to guide himself in and out of her, not letting up even as her walls began to start with its own acute spasms. “I... J, I can’t...” She gasped as she felt a sudden fullness that needed to be released. The overlapping sensations became too much to bear, and her body went rigid as she felt her orgasm rip through her body, her juices squirting out of her and forcing her lover to pull out. She quivered heavily as she bit her lip, her juices spilling out onto the wooden floor below them. She took a staggered breath as she was slowly pulled off of him, biting her lip at the feeling of emptiness that remained.

She moved long enough for him to stand to his feet, and she was pulled up with him until he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her off of the ground. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, and he slowly walked to the wall, placing her against it before he slid back inside her, slowly bending his knees as he rocked himself in and out of her. His hands planted against the wall as he leaned in, placing soft yet sloppy kisses against her mouth, grunting softly as he began to slowly gain speed inside of her. She let out a small moan as she tried her best not to make any noise, but with the way he was angling himself inside her, the collision of their bodies was inevitable. He groaned softly as his hands moved to hers, moving them to hang over her head as he pressed his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes as he continued his work.

“J... daddy, please,” The words slipped past her lips with ease, and her face flushed as she closed her eyes, hissing lowly as she continued to feel him. She trembled as she struggled to keep herself up against the wall, letting out a soft whine as she felt her eyes begin to water at the endless combination of pleasure and welcomed pain.

“What?” His voice was so roughened by his heightened libido that it came out as a growl, and her body trembled in response. “Please what?” He asked, and she found herself unable to answer. He pulled himself out of her before peeling her from the wall, and he bent her over the side of the bed. “I’mma give your ass something to beg for. Ass up,” He smacked her ass cheek roughly, and she whimpered as she placed an arch in her back, pushing herself up into the position he wanted her in. She laid her head against the bed as she felt him grip her wrists, pulling them behind her back before she felt him invade her again. She cooed softly as she closed her eyes, slowly winding her hips against him as he guided himself in and out of her. “Just like that, baby. Fuck me back,” He quietly instructed.

The feeling was addicting. Even with her body being exhausted already from the rigorous activity she found herself wanting more and more of him. She could still feel the imprint of every touch he made against her skin, and she was nearly haunted by her own need for him. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt some tears sneak out of her eyes, slightly clenching her jaw as she tried her hardest not to speak too loudly. “Jer...maine...” She struggled to speak, whimpering as she felt his tongue slither up her spine until his body was completely on top of hers once again. He pressed his body down so hard against her that it was impossible for her to move, and his hands moved to her shoulders, holding them tightly as he began to buck into her with as much speed and force that he could muster. Her body continued to jerk from under him, and she let out a soft sob, her words completely leaving her conscious thought. A feeling like this didn’t have words to accompany it.

“Cum one more time for me,” He panted into her ear, and she could feel him twitching intensely from within her. “Cum with daddy,” He begged, and she nodded quickly as she felt him bury himself deep inside her, not moving anymore as she felt him tensing up. She continued to rock her hips, squeezing her walls around him to further coax him to orgasm, and her eyes rolled back as she closed her eyes, the sudden and bursting warmth of his orgasm filling her up gradually. Her orgasm came shortly after, and she let out a quiet squeal before she blinked away the unshed tears that threatened to fall. She opened her eyes fully to try to focus her vision, and she felt him pull out of her but not move from his spot behind her. Feeling his lips against her shoulder, she blushed softly at his sudden gentleness that followed the storm he had brought upon her. He eventually pulled away before he attempted to clean himself up, and she stood up to her feet, slowly walking over towards her shorts which were discarded in the corner of the room.

Her thighs were burning and the throbbing between her legs were now out of exhaustion instead of need—despite how tired she felt, she seemed to be glowing as she slipped her shorts back on, and went out into the hallway to retrieve three bath towels from the linen closet. She returned to the room, and began to clean up the mess she made on the floor. She passed one of the towels to Jermaine for him to clean himself, and she did the same for herself with the last towel. They fully redressed and returned to the bed, and she scooted close to his body once again.

“You feel better now?” He asked, and she nodded briefly before she laid her head on his chest. Soon, the lamp was turned off and they were back in the darkness. Sleep took very little time to overtake her, her exhaustion and his body heat just enough to sedate her.

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