#literally the scrap metal closet girl | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bluescarfvivi · 3 years

Text

A Taste of Christmas!

Merry Christmas @talifu!

I’m you’re Secret MSA Santa for @msaholidayspirits! You wanted some fluffy, slice-of-life, wholesome goodness with the team? I got you covered! This is the first year I decided going with a fic! Change it up a bit and try something new! I hope you enjoy it, and have a fantastic holiday season!!

Briiiing! Briiing!

Briiing! Briiing!

“Nggggh...just five more minutes...I gotta...take the potions...to the village elder…for exchange….exotic breads…”

“Vivi!”

Something warm and wet wiped across her cheeks instantly waking the bluenette up from her mumblings. “What!? What...I’m here. ‘M...here, I’m awake...” Somewhat. Her eyes held a stark heaviness, slowly blinking and shutting closed on occasion. “Wh...what’s so...you’re so loud...why..”

“You slept through your alarm Vivi! Three times!”

No answer.

“...you do understand what day it is, right?”

“Mmmis jus’...another...day off for me…” Vivi tossed onto her other side snaking an arm around a very blue, very worn stuffed turtle plush. “M’fine…”

Mystery sighed. Goodness this girl didn’t even realize why he provoked her. He jumped up on the bed, landing on top of the slow-breathing mound. Two paws massaged the sleeping creature beneath the sheets. “Vivi, it is Christmas. I believe you had plans with the others today involving-”

“HOLY SHIT, WAIT YOU’RE RIGHT!” Why didn’t it click?! It’s one of her favorite holidays! The sudden outburst sent the poor dog tumbling off the bed, but thankfully Mystery timed it so he landed on his feet. Vivi threw the covers off (poor Mystery couldn’t react in time when the sheets descended upon him) and ran to her closet. Most of her clothes lay haphazardly or shoved towards the sides in massive, dirty clumps. She saved a specific outfit just for today. After counting through several hangers, Vivi violently heaved the festive garment off its hanger. It looked as if Jolly Old Saint Nicholas literally used all his magic to make the most appropriately, most disgustingly festive, handknit outfit. Handknit too, and paired with bright dark green stockings.

“What time is it? What time is it!?” There wasn’t any time to check the clock, nor anytime to waste dawdling in the bathroom. A quick splash of soapy water on her face, a healthy dab of deodorant under her arms, and she called it clean. Now to slip on the dang outfit. She flipped the Christmas dress over her head struggling to shove the material past her chest. One little wiggle after another and the rest fell into place. Two arms through each sleeve, a simple fix near the hem, a onceover in the full body mirror and she looked set to jingle some bells!

“We still have plenty of time before your arrangement at the Kingsmens.” Mystery trotted in with a sheet in tow, and a Santa hat clutched in his mouth. “I doubt Arthur or Lance won’t you give you much trouble if you arrive just a few minutes late.”

“I still have to put everyone’s gifts in my bag.” Vivi scurried out of the bathroom back to her bedroom. Over on her desk were neatly wrapped gifts, decorated in various colors and tied together with small bows. Each color seemed to represent a certain person, some were rather small while a few took an extra coating of wrapping paper. She did her best! That’s what she figured. “Come on Mystery. Help me find my purse. I thought I had it on my chair!”

Mystery sighed. “Alright, just don’t get yourself too much in a tizzy.” It had to be somewhere in her room. He remembered seeing it draped on the back of her desk chair, but now it was covered in one of her bed blankets. He grabbed it with his mouth and pulled it off, with no sign of the item in question. Maybe it got lost in the sea of covers? He nosed into the pile, sticking his head further in until it swallowed him whole. A small lump moved around beneath the pile, and after a few moments his head poked out with a small, deep sea blue purse in his teeth. “Purse found!”

“Good good good!” Vivi swiped it out, tucking it over her right arm, while her left arm held a brightly colored, green and white paper bag full of her presents. She looked like a modern day Santa Claus in her outfit minus the blue boots. “No more wasting time. We gotta get over there or else lunch will get cold!” Her room may be in a tattered mess, but that would be a problem for future Vivi.

Her feet flew down the stairs taking two at a time, then jumped off right near the landing. A solid stance: give it an 8/10 since she did misstep. Her winter coat lay on the coat rack near the door, along with Mystery’s own doggie jacket and leash. She fixed up Mystery first, then pulled the jacket over her Christmas outfit. Everyone would get quite a festive surprise when she showed this off.

Double check everything. Purse. Gift. Outfit. Purse. Mystery. She couldn’t have forgotten Mystery of all people. Er well...scratch that one. “Let’s get going! I bet you Lance whipped up something yummy and delicious for us!”

“Hopefully I won’t have the intoxicating scent of haggis clogging my nostrils.” Mystery mused.

It wasn’t the best of days in Tempo. Cloudy and rather chilly. Even if the weather appeared gloomy, it couldn’t halt the joyous cheers and jolly greetings from the residents. Maybe the weather was holding out for something…

-----------

The local mechanic shop came into view. The bright, giant crowned wrench lit up just as usual decorated with garland. A little santa hat topped it all off. The windows were adorned with various strings of flashing colored lights, coupled with dripping icicle lights on the awning. Very festive and inviting.

“Wow, the icicle drips are new! I couldn’t even grab one of those for the book shop!” Vivi commented while watching the light show. “Duet had to order a set online but they didn’t come until a few days later. Chloe and I managed to hang them up before the store opened.”

“I’m sure all the little ones enjoyed the festive decorations you two put together.” Mystery nodded with a smile.

Vivi chuckled. “Alright! It’s time to get our Christmas on!” The duo stepped underneath the awning, and Vivi reached out rapping her hand against the wooden door. No answer, not even muffled voices beyond the doorway. They said they could come by anytime around noon. The bluenette double checked pulling out her cell phone. 12:20PM. Late but not ‘fashionably late’ in her eyes. Another knock still didn’t get them anywhere.

...until she heard a distance crashing sound.

“What the…” Vivi moved toward the closest window plastering her face against the glass. She peered inside seeing nothing out of the ordinary. The usual storefront was all she took in, albeit it’d been darkened due to the shop closure for the day. She scanned around the rows of hardware, the front desk, and locked on the low light coming from a doorway. That’s the store entrance to their home, but no signs of anyone. “I can’t see anyone near the back but...you heard that too, right?”

Mystery trotted over standing up on his back two legs so he could take a look inside. “I did...however with this low visibility and the nature of the crash I can’t judge whether it’s something we should be concerned about..”

“There is a side entrance. Let’s try knocking over there.”

This wasn’t the usual entrance for customers. It’s like a side-alley back door, where the employees could hang out during their break or needed to take out the trash. Piles of scrap metal and rusty materials lay against the brick walls, creaking here and there in the light breeze. Vivi stepped up the two stone stairs and knocked on his steel frame. “Arthur! Lance! It’s me and Mystery!” There wasn’t a response at first so she tried banging a little harder. “Guys? Is anyone-”

“VIVI!”

The door swung open catching Vivi and Mystery by complete surprise. She fumbled down the stairs catching herself on top of the squashed dog. Right in the entrance stood a familiar blonde mechanic. The smile on his square face could brighten any cloudy day. The greens and reds adorned on his sweater complimented the bright red nose taped over his own nose.

“Heeeeeey Vivi! Uh...sorry for scaring you there!” He offered her a helping hand. “I was about to catch you at the front, but then Lance told me he heard the knocks coming from the side.”

“That’s okay Artie.” Vivi sighed adjusting the bottom hem of her Christmas dress. “I wasn’t sure whether I should have gone the usual way or try my chances around here.”

“It’s noooo problem!” Arthur seemed very enthusiastic, and oddly cheery. Maybe it was the Christmas spirit...or he could be hiding whatever that faint trail of smoke billowing in the corner. Something seemed suspicious about that.

“Well...in any case, we’re sorry for coming here late. I overslept...a bit, but we’re here for a good lunch!”

“Yeeeeeah, so...about that.” Arthur chuckled nervously.

“Artie!” The familiar, Scottish drawl of the mechanic shop owner brightened the bluenette’s smile. A shorter man sauntered from behind the taller blonde rubbing a handkerchief over his thick beard. Lance wore a matching sweater, just like Arthur, with a Santa reindeer-horned hat on top. “Why are you letting this lass stand out in the freezing cold!? Bring her in! Come on, Vivi! We’re just about ready to eat!”

“Thank you Uncle Lance!” Vivi politely bowed, then skipped up the stairs past Arthur’s fumbling expression.

“Uuuuh Lance, are you sure you...really want to…”

“Ahhh don’tcha worry there, Artie. The fish may not have come out as perfect as planned, but that’s why we have a backup!” Lance laughed heartily.

“So that was the loud bang I heard, and why you looked in such a titz when you opened the back door.” Vivi commented adding a playful jab at his arm. It wasn’t a big deal or horrible outcome if something didn’t turn out right. Just take Vivi’s own cooking as an example! No one could ever trust what she brought to the table, and Vivi knew it very well.

“Heh heh...sorry about that.” Arthur shyly smiled and scratched one one his stripped sidebangs. “We really did want to make something special for the holiday, and just for you as well, but…”

Vivi stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder, accompanied with a small squeeze. “You don’t need to apologize for the flop. These things happen, and as long as I’m spending Christmas with my favorite people in the world I’m happy.” She smiled sweetly.

Arthur returned the smile with a goofy, toothy grin of his own. “Right...thanks Vi.” With that all cleared up, the blonde seemed to spring back to life. He hopped in front of the doorway leading inside the mechanic’s living quarters. His posture mimicked that of a fancy, snobby butler: puffed out chest, arms tight against his sides, his nose stuck in the air, and his hair slicked back. It sure got the giggles out of Vivi. “Now, madame and monsieur, I do hope you have prepared yourself for quite the luncheon.” His rigid left arm extended towards the door, carefully opening it until it stopped creaking. “Do have yourself a wonderful time~”

Vivi couldn’t stop giggling but played along with this silly act. She politely bowed to the ‘butler’ and curtsied her dress. “Oh thank you my good sir. How polite and...mannerly you are to such an exquisite lady such as myself.” Even Mystery played along bowing his head. The three joined in a fit of laughter before joining Lance’s round table.

It was a fantastic lunch: a healthy spread of sandwiches, various flavors of chips, and drinks galore. Galaham and Mystery were treated with scrumptious delights. Vivi may have slipped a few pieces of salami, ham, and of course...roasted chicken into his bowl. Arthur’s little ham-ham was treated to yogurt bites. The tiny hamster munched them all down, and then some. At one point he crawled up Arthur’s pant leg begging and scritching his sweater for more sweet treats. He couldn’t resist those beady, black eyes!

Jokes were thrown plenty around the table. Arthur stabbed two pickles on two separate forks and used those as tiny feet, while his giant head became the make-believe character’s body. Vivi snorted up a storm which resulted in spewing out fizzy soda through her nostrils. Absolutely gross, but hilarious nonetheless. After the clean up, Arthur brought out one of his prototype catapults. He played ‘fling the meat at the Mystery’ while Vivi offered to help Lance clean in the kitchen. All in all a successful afternoon at the Kingsmens!

A few hours passed, and once everything was set back to normal Vivi and Arthur grabbed their stuff. It wasn’t too late in the afternoon, but their next destination was a bit of a longer distance. Arthur offered to take the van instead of walking there, and when Vivi stepped outside after soaking in the cozy warmth she immediately agreed.

“I may be back late Lance, so don’t worry about leaving the back door unlocked.” Arthur patted the smaller man on the shoulder. “I got my keys so everything is fine.”

“Aye, alrighty then.” Lance nodded, and slapped Arthur on the back. Not too hard but enough force for Arthur to cough once. “Just don’t forget to get yer bum back here in the morning. We got the New Year’s stock coming in and you know how it be like around here right after Christmas.”

“Oh I know...I know very well.” Arthur shuddered. “Don’t worry, and I won’t go too crazy either.” He stepped outside the back door heading for the bright yellow van. Best to start up the old girl and get her warmed up.

Vivi took one of Lance’s hands firmly shaking it, then politely bowed once again. “It was a pleasure getting to spend the afternoon with you. I enjoyed the food and the good company. So did Mystery.” The dog chimed in with a playful bark. “Thank you so much for inviting me over.”

“Aaaaah you know we love having you around here.” Lance smiled warmly. “It warms my beating heart seeing you and Arthur so happy.” He jabbed her on the arm. “Now go and git! The Peppers are waiting for you!”

Vivi excitedly nodded. “Merry Christmas Lance!” She waved as the two ran out towards the van. The passenger door swung open, letting Vivi easily slide into the seat and Mystery hop into her lap. “Alright Artie! TO PARADISIO!”

“High ho Silver! Away we go!”

The van took off across the damp ground, smoothly transitioning to the pavement. It seemed like the clouds drew thicker, and darker too. Did the weather call for snow today?

-----

“Feliz Navidad!”

The joyous, festive greeting welcomed Arthur, Vivi, and Mystery upon their arrival at the local restaurant. The Peppers shut down for the day in observance, but for those lucky few who personally knew the family it meant the whole place for themselves. Garland adorned across the booth seats, white lights draped down from the ceiling, and on each table were candles of various reds and greens.

Even the Peppers went all out for the occasion, including their outfits. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper dressed in identical red and white attire complete with matching hats. Were they trying to play off Santa Claus and Mrs.? They looked adorable, but the ones who really stole the show were the little sisters. Green and white striped socks, dark green jackets with a buckle laced over the front, red mittens, and pointed green hats with glued on pointed elf ears!

“I see you two have quite the helpers on your hands.” Vivi giggled and leaned down admiring the girls’ outfits. Paprika gently pushed herself past Cayenne, who kept picking at a small hole in her left mitten.

“Mama picksed it out four usssh.” Every time her tongue clicked against her front teeth or she made certain hard sounds, a hissing whistle accompanied. It looked like little Paprika just recently lost a tooth! “I helped pick out thhhhhe mittens…”

“You did a great job helping out your mama.” Vivi smiled warmly. She patted Paprika on the head, careful not to let the hat fall off. Afterwards she stood back up looking around the empty restaurant. The majority of the Peppers were here to greet them, all except for one. “I thought we’d get to see all the family at the front door but….where’s-”

“MAMA!” A familiar, baritone voice echoed from the other end of the restaurant. The sounds of running sneakers squeaked on the linoleum flooring, and from the “OUT” door bursted a recognizable, purple-haired boy. “Mama, I just took the pork out of the oven, but I think it may have overcooked!”

Mrs. Pepper didn’t say a word, but the gleaned seen in her right eye said all. No one could get in her way. Her husband immediately stepped to the side allowing the woman her pathway towards the back kitchen. He followed her just a few feet behind. Lewis held the door open until they disappeared into the unknown. She knew what had to be done. No one else could bother her now. Which meant it was Lewis’ turn for his holiday greeting.

“Vivi! Arthur!” The larger, broad shouldered member spared no time taking each of his friends in a tight hug. He always gave the best, most squishy hugs! Vivi giggled while attempting her own hug back, but Arthur succumbed to the vice grip letting him shake the mechanic around like a rag doll. They shared their laughs then Lewis broke off, making Arthur gasp for more air. “It’s great having you guys over here again. Sorry I couldn’t swing by your place, Artie.”

“No..” He spat that out with a cough. “It’s...it’s all good, big guy. We had a...great lunch and I know...you always *COUGH* help out your folks here...”

“Veevee….veevee...veevee….” Belle snuck underneath Lewis’ legs and grabbed hold of a hand. “Come over and see what Santa left us!!”

“Yeah yeah!!” Joining behind Vivi was the troublemaker of the girls, Cayenne. “Santa left a HUUUUGE haul of gifts this year! He must have known I’ve been extra good.” The smaller girl gently pushed Vivi, and with Belle tugging the bluenette towards the tree what could she do. No way out of this now.

“Well I think the girls are going to kidnap me for a while. If you need me, I’ll be over in toyland.”

“No worries Viv!” Lewis chuckled waving her off. It’s heartwarming, as their older brother, how much the little ones enjoyed Vivi’s company. She held this welcoming air, always inviting others into her conversations or going out of her way to make a total stranger smile. Bless her little beating heart.

“...Hey big guy!” Arthur snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Helloooo, earth to Lewis? You still with me buddy or are you wandering off into space again?”

“Oh!” It took him a few blinks before his mind wandered back to Earth. “My bad, I was just...surprised the girls could take Vivi before even I had a chance to say Merry Christmas.”

“Well, you know it’s one of their favorite times of the year, including Vivi herself. Have you seen the outfit she planned? It’s like Christmas threw up all over her!” Not much of a complaint, but more of a blunt truth. Arthur loved her enthusiasm when it came to the holidays.

Lewis chuckled heartily. “That’s Vivi for you though. When it involves something she loves, or spreading some happiness in this quiet town she goes all out.” He placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder nudging his other arm playfully. “Come on, take your coat off and get warm. Papa made a special hot cocoa blend for today!”

“Two editions, to be precise!” Mr. Pepper piped up from the kitchen window. “We concocted two special recipes combining the sweetness and rich flavor of chocolate and added a little fiery kick to the batch.” As if he were waiting for this moment, Mr. Pepper brought out two crock pots setting them right below the window. “The one on the left is a chili spiced hot chocolate and the right one is a cinnamon spiced chocolate mix. Add some of our homemade, fluffy marshmallows to the mix and it’s pure delight!” Mrs. Pepper took that cue to slip a small bowl of square-shaped marshmallows on the window counter. Perfect timing!

“Hmmmm…” Arthur took a moment thinking it over and stroking his maroon goatee. Every time he tried something new here it either ended in his tongue bursting into flames or having a mellow, sweet filled experience. 50/50 shot. He’d bite the bullet. “I think I’ll take a stab at the cinnamon spiced one.” Again, right on cue, a Christmas cup skidded across the window counter. Mrs. Pepper nodded from behind, holding a large ladle on her shoulder then disappearing once again. No other comment from Arthur when he accepted the cup, then scooped about a half-cup worth. He picked a few marshmallows, letting them splash and soak up the hot, sweet liquid. A few ‘huffs’ across the surface and Arthur carefully sipped.

“They’ve been working on these recipes this past month.” Lewis poked in taking some of the chili based hot cocoa. “My sisters and I were the taste testers. I couldn’t tell you how many batches they worked through until they came up with a finalized product. It’s not the ABSOLUTE final yet, but they need others’ opinions. Our taste buds have gotten used to the flavors by now.”

“Oh..*cough* of course…” Arthur smiled with a nervous chuckle. It’d been one sip but he could feel the kick right in his throat. Delicious yes, but a wake-up call as well. “It’s….*cough*, it’s really good...I’m not dying from it I swear, it’s...really really good with the spice…”

Time must have passed quickly since their arrival. Mrs. Pepper returned to the front, with Mr. Pepper in tow, leading everyone to the back area of the restaurant. Right through the kitchen and pass the freezers, the Peppers prepared a section of their living quarters for dinner. Various side dishes spread across the table, trays of sliced meats (that pork did come out well) and of course, sweets of all kinds decked out on a table against the wall. That’s what Vivi looked forward to the most.

The company was lively and boisterous. The Pepper sisters could never sit still in their seats, so they slipped underneath the table at times playing ‘tag’ with Mystery. He kept an eye on them just in case they wound up in any trouble, or plotted causing any too. Such mischievous little girls. Vivi scarfed down everything on her plate, then seconds, and thirds, with a little bit of fourths. Didn’t she already have a big lunch today? How could she be so hungry?

It’s a mystery Lewis and Arthur never understood, nor did they bother figuring out.

Arthur talked up a storm about the shop and his new blueprints for the coming year. A working, mechanical arm was his biggest project to date, but it didn’t sound like it’d be easy. Lewis didn’t talk much but laughed and smiled along with the conversations. He enjoyed the warm atmosphere, being around the people he called his family, and having his close friends to spend it with too.

“Mama! Mama!” After the sweets were eaten and cleared (thanks to Vivi as well), the three little sisters ran into the backroom. Mystery came in tow with a snow covered snout. Paprika ran up to her mother climbing up and sitting in her lap. “Mama mama, itshh shhnowing outshide!”

Everyone scrambled outside. Arthur and Vivi threw their jackets on, Lewis put on a simple coat, and the sisters waltzed outside in their Christmas attire. Sure enough, flaky specks of snow dotted the now blackened night sky. The lights from downtown illuminated off the low hanging clouds making the entire town glow. Combine that with the spots of colored Christmas lights and it made everything look vibrant and colorful.

“It’s so pretty….” Vivi stared into the sky, eyes lighting up with their own natural glow. “Snow on Christmas Day...who would’ve thought-”

“INCOMING!!” The sentimental moment came to a screeching halt when a rogue snowball landed right in Vivi’s face. She heard Arthur snickering across the street, and three little squeaks too. So that’s how it would be, wouldn’t it?

Vivi shook her head, much like a dog, getting rid of the cold, wet snow. “I see you have declared war upon us!” She tucked an arm around Lewis and scooped Mystery into her other arm. “Well, if that’s how it shall be then we will not back down from this battle! Lewis, start piling up snow! Mystery, stand guard and use your small body as a distraction.”

“R-Roger, Captain Vivi!” He broke away and scrambled to start squishing snow into smaller balls. Mystery wiggled free and playfully barked at the girls. Vivi, however, took a chance and scooped up snow in her arms. If they were about to head into battle they would need a solid foundation to keep themselves safe.

“You’re going down Arthur!”

Back and forth with the playful, sassy talk. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper watched from the safety of the opened back door. It looked like the snow would continue through the night. The wind and chill could freeze anyone to the bone, unless you were as fired up as these kids.

Another successful Christmas spent together. What more could anyone here ask for, other than a warm fireplace once the snowballs ceased.

#Have a happy holiday!!#hope you enjoy the festive fun times!#msaholidayspirits2020 #mystery skulls animated #mystery skulls

24 notes · View notes

thekatthatbarks · 4 years

Note

9. Don’t let me break this, let me hold it lightly, give me arms to pray with, instead of ones that hold too tightly for narusaku or saisaku

Thank you for the prompt, Nostalgia! Hope you like it!

Things We Never Say

narusaku

ao3

Sakura had never been a soft woman. Maybe a soft girl – well, that had all been for show, hadn’t it? Her words had always been sharp even before her hand was steady with a kunai. She’d never been soft. She’d been caring and she hoped loving, but never soft.

She could still hear her mother’s voice sometimes, telling her she didn’t have to be such a rough woman. That she didn’t have to take after Tsunade in every sense of the woman. But Sakura had been all edges long before she’d even met her mentor. She’d only taught her how to sharpen them, to use them for her will. Assured her there was nothing wrong with her.

But sometimes, Sakura wished her hands weren’t so rough, so calloused. She knew exactly how hard to grab something for it to break. How easy things were to shatter with a flick of her fingers. She wished the calculations didn’t run through her head every time she reached out for something, for someone.

Sakura was a medic, a healer. But people never understood the hardness of that either. She wasn’t the medic who soothed crying children who’d fallen and scrapped their knees. She was a battle medic, dragging a bloodied body across the ground and yelling at them to hold on for her. Her teeth cut gauze and her hands forced bones back into place. She healed people but it was through blood and tears, muffled screams and dilated eyes.

The closest she ever got to the opposite was on a training field with her team, healing ribs she’d just broken and deep cuts. Sometimes she liked to think she was gentle there, but she knew she wasn’t. Her grips dug into skin and her tongue lashed out. They appreciated her all the same, loved her all the same. But sometimes... Sakura wished she knew how to be soft.

She wished she knew how to hold things lightly. There were some things she was terrified of breaking. Whether it be from an honest misstep or simply because she could.

***

Sakura hated herself sometimes, past mistakes haunting her and making her wonder if she’d already fucked up her life by the age of twenty-two.

She thought about Naruto, about Sasuke, about words she should’ve said and ones she should’ve kept to herself. She thought about how she’d chased after the wrong guy for years, about a manipulative confession she’d spilled out on to pure snow to taint it.

She buried her face into her knees as she hugged her legs tightly to her. The training ground was a wreck around her, the earth broken and raised, trees snapped with their carcasses dismembered across the field. Even all these years later, she could still hear his voice in her head, that knowing look in his eyes.

“Sakura, you don’t love me,” Sasuke told her quietly, poking the diamond seal on her forehead.

Sakura laughed, her chest tight. “Sasuke, don’t - I’ve always - “

He smiled at her; it was small but still there with a lace of affection on his lips. “Not like that. Stop pretending, Sakura. It hasn’t been me in a long time. Let it go.”

Sakura felt tears burning at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She denied it, her heart a heavy weight in her chest, and reached out for his sleeve. “Sasuke, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sasuke leaned closer towards her and told her in a soft voice, “Yes, you do.”

Then, he left.

Sakura was crying by the time Ino and them stumbled upon her. She didn’t look up when she felt them enter the field, nor when feet walked over to the tree she was sitting at. “Sakura?”

It was Ino’s voice and Sakura simply shook her head, refusing to look up. There was a silent moment and then Ino was telling her team, “I’ll catch up with you guys. Head over to the next field. Not like we can use this one anyway.” The guys were quiet as they left, not crowding her, or overwhelming her with words of comfort that she wouldn’t even hear.

Ino sat down beside her and then there was a hand on her back, rubbing up and down. They’d gotten over their stupid childhood rivalry years ago, but they were rarely soft with each other. It made Sakura’s throat feel like it was going to close and cut off the air to her lungs. Her voice was steady as it came out, but it wasn’t like it mattered, Ino wouldn’t be fooled. “Ino, go train with your team.”

Ino ignored her and leaned her head close to hers, asking her quietly, “Sakura, what’s wrong?”

Sakura’s hand went to her hair, twisting the strands around her fingers and pulling them painfully. She didn’t know why the question broke her, but it did, and her chest started to shake. The steady stream of tears down her face turned hot and Sakura felt like she couldn’t breathe. She was barely audible as she answered, “I’ve lost him.”

Ino was pulling her close and her face away from her knee as she tried to cajole her into her lap. “Oh, Sakura, no, you haven't.”

Sakura nodded and let Ino pull her into her arms. She pressed her face against Ino’s shoulder. “I have. I’ve just – I've ruined – I'm not enough. I don’t deserve him; I don’t deserve it.”

She continued to ramble as Ino shushed her, hands rubbing up and down her arms. She eventually got the words out because she was tired of people assuming. Tired of pitiful looks and sympathetic words that she deserved but not for the reason they thought. “It’s not about - “

“I know.”

Sakura relaxed at her voice, both wanting to explain and not to. She was glad the choice was taken from her. Ino knew, maybe she’d always known just like Sasuke had. Maybe Sakura was an idiot, and everyone knew, no one buying the act she’d put on.

Sakura felt broken when she asked her helplessly, “What do I do?”

“Try.”

***

Naruto looked at her tiredly when he opened the door, but he had a smile on his face that made her heart squeeze. “Sakura-chan? Something wrong?”

Sakura shook her head and raised an eyebrow at him. His clothes were disheveled and his hair was messier than usual. “Were you sleeping?”

He laughed and opened the door wider for her to come in. “Yeah. I went to bed late last night.”

Sakura stepped inside as she asked him, “Oh yeah? What were you doing?”

“Studying,” he said the word like it was bitter in his mouth and Sakura chuckled. She knew he hated it, that letters started to move around the longer he read. But he rarely complained about it outside of a joke. He’d always worked hard for his dreams and this wasn’t any different.

Naruto smiled at her and then glanced around his apartment. He leaned against the wall beside her, blocking her view of the mess of his room. Sakura rolled her eyes at him, like she didn’t already know. “Let me get changed and then I’ll take you to breakfast.”

He never phrased it like a date, he hadn’t in years and Sakura ignored that familiar pain in her chest.

Sakura caught his wrist before he could turn away. “Actually, I wanted to ask you about something first.”

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her. “Yeah?”

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, trying to think of how to phrase it without it sounding rude. “I was thinking, what if you got a new apartment?”

A mix of emotions clouded his eyes and he looked away from her and to his tiny apartment. “Sakura, I…”

“I don’t want you to think – I just feel like you deserve something a little bigger. I know you can afford it and – well, it’s okay if you don’t want to, I just thought – “

Naruto thankfully cut off her rambling with a nervous smile as his eyes went back to her. “Okay.”

Sakura looked at him in surprise. “Okay?”

He rubbed the back of his head with a shrug. “Yeah, about time I moved on, don’t you think?”

Sakura chuckled and waved a hand. “Well, yeah.” She watched his smile become more genuine for a moment and then asked him, “You’re sure? I don’t want you to feel like I pressured you.”

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes warm. “You didn’t, you were just looking out for me like you always do.”

Sakura smiled back but it felt strained and she was thankful when he turned towards his closet. Did she? She hoped she did, but she felt like she failed a lot of the times.

She wondered over to the small coffee pot Naruto had in his kitchen. He never drank coffee and Sakura liked to tease him he was just as insane as Lee if he could wake up early with so much energy. She wondered why he even kept it but shrugged it off as she made herself a cup.

Naruto came up behind her a moment later, a hand on her hip as he groaned. “I literally just told you we could go get breakfast.”

Sakura chuckled and turned towards him as she raised the cup to her mouth. “Just one cup before we go.”

Naruto rolled his eyes at her, but they were nothing but fond. “You’re an addict.”

“I am not.”

“Are too.”

Sakura laughed, something light dancing in his chest, and set the mug down in his sink. She conceded, “Maybe a little.”

Naruto laughed and it made her feel so warm, she bit back a smile as he slung an arm around her shoulders and led her out of the apartment.

***

Naruto looked terrified and he tried to cover it with a smile like always, which only made him look ridiculous and more than a little adorable. “It’s… it’s pretty big.”

Sakura leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. “It won’t feel so big after we get some furniture in here.”

That look in his eyes eased, and Sakura took it as a small victory.

“You’ll help me, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

***

Naruto’s body covered hers as a paper bomb went off and Sakura felt like her right ear was shot, only able to hear a ringing and her heart pounding in her veins. Naruto pulled back after a few seconds, his eyes searching around them before looking down at her. He glared at her and Sakura watched his mouth as he yelled, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Before she could respond, he was leaning back, his hand going to her left leg. Sakura saw the shimmer of metal to her left and then fisted her hands in Naruto’s vest before throwing him to her side, her arm stretching out to pin him down across his chest. A blade flew by, just inches above her breasts a second later.

Sakura looked in the direction it had came from and slammed her hand against the ground, creating a faulter that made someone curse in the distance. She was moving to her feet in an instant, gritting her teeth at the agonizing pain in her leg. Naruto’s hand grabbed her to jerk her back to him as he stood up. “Sakura, your leg is broken – “

“Get off me, Naruto!” Sakura ripped her arm away, her eyes hard when she glanced at him. He had an angry set to his lips and Sakura ignored the aching in her chest. She tried to sound less angry and added, “I’ll be fine.”

“Sakura – “

“Guys, now is really not the time,” Kakashi’s voice cut Naruto’s reply off, panting just beside them. He glanced at Sakura after throwing a large shuriken to his right. “Sakura, can you keep going?”

“From here.” Sakura crouched down, mindful of her leg and scanned the field for the nearest enemy. She wasn’t a long-range fighter, but she could make it work.

Naruto cursed behind her but moved back into the fray.

***

“You don’t even have enough chakra to heal it.” Naruto let out a frustrated sigh as he wrapped Sakura’s leg.

She winced and held back the gasp of pain in her mouth as he tightened the bindings. She let out a breath after a moment. “Naruto, I’ll have enough in the morning.”

Naruto’s eyes went to hers and Sakura hated the guilt that gathered in her stomach at making him so upset. But she didn’t regret any of it. She couldn’t. She could’ve broken both her legs and she wouldn’t have regretted it.

He waved a hand at himself. “Sakura, you know I heal faster – “

Sakura felt her jaw lock. “My leg being broken is not comparable to your whole left side being crushed, so you can stop that shit right now.”

Naruto huffed and looked down at her leg. He was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then stood up. He muscles were still tense, his voice shaking with either anger or fear she couldn’t tell – probably a mixture of both. “I don’t want you taking any hits for me, Sakura!”

“Well, I don’t care!”

“Don’t do it again.” She could hear the plea in his voice, the way his eyes begged her to agree. For them to stop fighting.

But she couldn’t make that promise.

“I won’t promise you anything.”

“Sakura – “

“Naruto, you’re not going to convince me to not try and protect you when I can. Do you have any idea how much you mean to me? I would give – “

“Don’t.” Naruto’s voice raised and he pointed a finger at her. His voice was definitely shaking now. “Don’t finish that sentence.”

Sakura felt her own chest shaking as she stared up at him. She fought for some steadiness to her voice as she spoke, “Naruto – “

He walked out of her tent and the silence that followed was louder than their voices had been.

***

Sakura didn’t leave her tent the rest of the evening, having been excused from taking a watch considering her leg was broken. Kakashi took some pity on her later and brought her some fish that Sai had cooked them. He didn’t say anything, but his hand on her shoulder had given her some comfort.

Sakura hadn’t cried more than a few tears after Naruto walked out, swiping angrily at her face with her hands and willing herself to calm down. Her thoughts were filled with him as she laid there, though, glaring at the flimsy walls of her tent. She was both relieved and annoyed when he slipped back inside hours later.

He was quiet as he walked over to her and sat down beside her. He kept his eyes on the pile of bloody medical supplies Sakura hadn’t had the energy to clean up yet. She watched him silently for a moment and then found it in herself to sit up, it was awkward and she had to take a deep breath when her leg protested even the slightest movement.

Naruto’s eyes went to her leg, the bandages barely visible at the edge of her blanket, and he told her in a low voice, “I don’t want to fight with you, Sakura.”

Sakura felt something loosen in her chest, but she still had a bitter taste in her mouth. “I don’t want to fight with you either, Naruto.”

“You just – “ Naruto leaned his forehead in his hand, propping his elbow up on his knee, and let out a breath. “You scare the hell out of me sometimes.”

“I don’t think you’re being very fair.” Sakura tore her eyes away from his face. Her voice was almost soft, but really, she was only tired. “I had to watch you repeatedly tell Sasuke you would die for him, by him if it meant saving him. And you can’t accept the fact that I would sacrifice myself for you?”

Naruto sighed, his voice thick. He wouldn’t look at her either, closing his eyes as he rubbed his forehead. “I don’t want you to do that.”

Sakura felt a humorless laugh leave her as her eyes started to burn. “Well, I don’t want you to either, but you can’t tell me you would never consider it, can you?”

Naruto didn’t reply and it was answer enough. Sakura looked over at him and he turned his head to meet her eyes. Sakura felt something twist inside her as his expression broke. His hands were on her face a second later, his thumbs stroking across her skin as he gave her a heartbreaking smile. “Oh, Sakura-chan, please don’t cry.”

Sakura blinked at him confused as her heart went out of rhythm. She leaned back and brought a hand up to her face, then looked down at her wet fingertips. Since when had she been crying? She felt herself mumble with a small chuckle, “Sorry.”

Naruto sighed, his arms moving down to her arms as his head fell to her shoulder. Sakura leaned her head against his, her fingers coming up to comb through his hair. They were quiet, not saying anything else and Sakura closed her eyes at some point. Time seemed to slow down as her fingers went through his hair, Naruto’s breath ghosting her neck, his thumbs stroking across her skin soothingly.

Kakashi eventually peaked his head in for Naruto to switch out with him for watch. Naruto gave her a small smile and then left without another word.

He slept in her tent that night and Sakura’s fingers itched to reach out for him. She felt like the only reason she didn’t was the pain she felt anytime she shifted her hips. She wondered if her leg hadn’t been broken if she would’ve had enough self-control to not crawl into his arms.

***

Sakura opened her door to find Naruto with a bag hanging from his shoulders and a nervous smile. She felt herself smile as she leaned against the doorway. “What’s up, Naruto?”

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and asked her with a shy smile, “Would you mind helping me study?”

Sakura felt her heart swell in her chest and moved away from the doorway. Naruto followed her inside, kicking his shoes off. Sakura told him, “I don’t know how much help I will be. Not really my area. I only know some things from being around Tsunade-shishou whenever I help out around her office and I’m sure you already know more than that.”

Naruto shrugged, his smile so warm when he looked at her. “You just being nearby will help.”

Sakura snorted as her stomach flipped. She turned towards her kitchen. “Tea?”

“Sure,” Naruto said and then went to her living room. Sakura could hear him setting himself up on her couch, spreading out his books across her coffee table. It gave her a fuzzy feeling seeing him so comfortable in her home, his things laid out next to hers. She then felt ridiculous and knocked the thought away with reddening cheeks.

Sakura made them tea, adding milk and sugar to Naruto’s the way he liked. She was about to leave the kitchen when she decided to grab the plate of lemon squares she’d made earlier, wondering if Naruto had eaten yet.

She made space on the table in front of him to lay down the tea and plate, then sat on the other end. Naruto grabbed his mug and turned to lean back against the armrest, propping his feet up in her lap. “Thanks, Sakura-chan.”

Sakura hummed in response and curled herself up in the corner as Naruto read over a book. Sakura grabbed a magazine from her side table and looked over it while she waited for Naruto to need her. He was sighing moments later, tugging on his hair in frustration. She could see him mouthing the words to himself repeatedly and held back a laugh.

She set her magazine down and let her hand fall to Naruto’s calf. “Naruto?”

Naruto glanced up at her in question and she told him, “What about reading it out loud? Maybe it’ll help, like you’re trying to explain it to me.”

Naruto smiled and sunk further down into the couch, making himself comfortable. “Alright. It’s mainly just memorization. Tsunade-baachan keeps reminding me that knowing all the history of the lords is just as important as the laws.” He gave her a warning look and added with a teasing grin, “I will most definitely bore you.”

Sakura laughed and shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

Sakura leaned her head against the couch, one hand on her mug and the other stroking over the skin of Naruto’s ankle, and listened to his history lesson. She loved how animated he could get, glancing down to read, then looking at her with a grin and waving his hands around as he told her all the stupid drama of their fire lords. Sakura felt warm watching him, knowing he enjoyed this a lot more than he let on.

He waggled a finger at her and told her in a conspiring voice, “But what the book doesn’t tell you is the illegitimate son came back and he – “

He definitely could never bore her.

He snacked on the lemon squares as he talked and at some point, Sakura reached out for one herself. She took a bite and then twisted her lips as she swallowed. Naruto paused in his story watching her grimace. She raised an eyebrow at him, then glanced down at her failure of a baking adventure. “Naruto, these are so sour. How the hell are you eating them?”

Naruto shrugged with a soft look in his eyes as he grabbed another one. He looked back down to his book as he told her, “I like your cooking, Sakura-chan.”

Sakura rolled her eyes at him with an affectionate smile. Her chest felt incredibly tight when he finished the plate.

Sakura fell asleep at some point, probably around when Naruto switched to laws and codes – that stuff was drier than her medical terminology books – and she only realized it when she felt herself being lifted from the couch. She was about to open her eyes when her mind reminded her it was only Naruto and she relaxed into his arms. She turned her face into his chest, vaguely hearing a soft chuckle in her half-asleep state.

He laid her down in her bed and pulled the covers over her. She turned on her side and nuzzled her face into her pillow, quickly going back to sleep.

She imagined him kissing the seal on her forehead before he slipped back out of the room.

***

Sakura never said it, but she hated it when Naruto went on diplomatic missions. She’d gotten too used to always having him within her reach. They were usually in the village at the same time, maybe not always free for each other, but if she needed him, she could find him. Though their team sometimes went out on individual missions and with other shinobi, they were together more often than not.

She hated him being away, but she never thought she needed to worry about him when he left.

“One fight and you managed to screw up your arm?” Sakura raised an eyebrow at him as she tinkered with the prosthetic. Her chest was shaking but it wasn’t with worry. Different scenarios were playing over in her head like a living nightmare. What if his arm had stopped working completely? What if the enemy had been a little more skilled than some low rate bandits? What if it had been on higher ranked mission? What if –

Naruto chuckled and she could feel his eyes on her. “Sakura-chan, it wasn’t even that bad. I probably hit a nerve in it or some kind of weak spot. It wasn’t like I couldn’t use it, it just hurt.”

There wasn’t supposed to be any weak points.

How had she managed to fail even at this?

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek as she jerked his arm this way and that. “I’ll send for Tsunade-shishou to look at it. I must’ve messed up somewhere.”

Naruto sighed. “No, you didn’t. You said so yourself when you made it, this is a prototype. There’s bound to be hang ups like this.”

Sakura ignored him, refusing to agree or even look at him as she worked.

She was wrapping it in new bandages, hoping they would hold it together better and protect any weak points. A medic had come in earlier and told them, Tsunade was too busy at the moment to come by. Sakura made a mental note to badger her about it later in case she forgot. Maybe she could –

Naruto let out a soft laugh and told her in a quiet voice, “You’re weird, you know that, Sakura?”

Sakura looked at him for the first time in thirty minutes, thrown off by the statement. She couldn’t even muster up any annoyance. “What?”

Naruto had that look in his eyes and Sakura instantly regretted even glancing at him. It was probably barely noticeable to other people, such a subtle change. But Sakura had known Naruto for years and could tell when he was about to tell someone he knew all the walls they put up. She hated it – at least when it was directed at her.

Naruto looked down at the hand she had on his arm, his voice softer than before. “You never seem to have any trouble being rough with me. You’ll beat me into the ground during training. Throw my body a dozen meters away out of some crossfire. Even here, you’re not very gentle.”

Sakura could fee something rising in her throat, a bitter emotion that she swallowed down. Her pulse was increasing, and she tried to not think about how it throbbed in the bottom of her throat.

Her voice wasn’t even close to being as soft as his and she prompted him irritably – defensively, “Yeah, so what?”

Naruto met her eyes again and the concern there felt like a blade to her throat. “But sometimes you look at me like – like you’re afraid you’ll break me.”

Sakura felt her breath hitch in her chest and she stubbornly looked away from him, to the too white sheets on the hospital bed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Sakura.”

Sakura ignored him and dropped her hand from his arm, but he only reached back out for it and held it tightly. He was still sore, so she knew it must’ve hurt and it was such a bittersweet feeling that he did it anyways, not even wincing.

“Sakura, please look at me.”

Sakura obeyed more because of the tug on her heart than the one on her hand. Naruto’s smile was so kind, so loving and warm. He told her barely above a whisper, “You’re not going to break me.”

Sakura’s nerves were on edge and her heart was pounding painfully against her ribcage. She could hear it in her ears. It was so loud, and she couldn’t think straight. Her eyes fell away from his to the hand he had gripping hers. She more watched than felt his thumb rubbing soothing circles into her skin.

“I – “ Sakura lost her nerve before she could even find it and pulled away from him. Naruto stood up from the bed as she stepped back, and she turned quickly towards the door. “I can’t – I can’t right now.”

The door closing behind her made her flinch, but she didn’t hesitate before turning down the hall. She’d worked in the hospital for so long, it was easy to move around all the busy bodies even with her thoughts in complete tangles. She heard a door open behind her and really it could’ve been any door, but she quickened her pace and turned around a corner.

He’d chased after her, because of course he had. She hadn’t made it hard for him to find her either, secluding herself in her office and breaking into a sob as soon as she sat down in her chair.

She heard him come in, how he closed and locked the door behind him with a soft click. She didn’t look up from where she had buried her face in her arms. He walked quietly over to her and she felt the air change near her as he knelt beside her chair. He laid a hand on her arm but didn’t pull on her.

“Sakura, talk to me.”

Sakura shook her head like a stubborn child, imagining the way he would look down to the side as he thought of a different route. His voice sounded so heavy, but it didn’t waver, every word well thought out and honest. “Sakura, you’re not going to break me. You never have. I don’t know what’s going on in your head. But I don’t want you to ever feel like you need to hold yourself back, not with me and especially not for me. I can handle whatever you want to give me.”

Sakura’s lungs wrenched the air back from her throat as she tried to breathe, and she moved an arm to wrap around her chest to ease the pain. She was so tired of it all, she wanted to give in. Better or worse. She was tired of feeling like she was balancing on the edge of a blade.

She swallowed thickly and tried to get the words out, her forehead still pressed against her arm.

“I love you.”

Naruto stilled. She didn’t have to look at him to know he had; she could feel it. Some tension eased along her ribs and she continued, desperate for more relief, “I’ve been in love with you for what feels like my whole life.”

Naruto’s hand moved to her elbow and with a gentle yank, she was out of her chair and into his arms. He caught her easily, his arms wrapping around her as he fell back to the wall behind him. She could feel the mesh of his shirt, realizing he hadn’t even bothered to grab his jacket before running after her. Sakura settled herself into his lap as she grabbed his face, meeting his eyes. They were wide as they looked back at her, such a beautiful blue. Sakura felt like she was almost on the verge of begging.

“You believe me, don’t you?” Sakura took a deep breath when her heart started to stutter. “Please, Naruto, I – “

He kissed her and it both stole her breath away as it gave her lungs some relief. It was rough, hard and intense, and ended shortly after it began. Naruto’s eyes were filled with something bright when they broke apart, his breathing off. One of his hands moved to her face, his smile as warm as the laugh that escaped him. “I believe you, Sakura. Why would you – I’ve been in love with you for as long as I’ve known you. You know that. Why didn’t you ever – “

Sakura’s head fell to his shoulder as her arms wrapped around his neck. Her heart was hammering in her chest, barely soothed by the hands on her. “I didn’t know if you still did.”

Naruto sighed and tightened his arms around her waist to hold her close. He leaned his head against hers. “Sakura, I never stopped.”

Sakura tried to even out her breathing as her grip on him tightened. He asked her softly, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I did and you didn’t believe me.” Her voice sounded so small and as soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to drag them back.

There was a pause and then he said, “That… that was – “

Sakura leaned back to look at him, a familiar pain in her chest. “Manipulative, I know, but I wasn’t lying. I shouldn’t have – I should have waited. I – I had known you might figure out why I was telling you then but the instant disbelief on your face. I – Naruto, I’m – “

Naruto raised his hand to slide through her hair and to the back of her head, bringing her forward until their foreheads were touching. He was smiling at her, his eyes serious as they held hers. “Sakura, I forgave you for that a long time ago.”

Sakura closed her eyes as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Her throat was thick as she said, “I hurt you.”

She was relieved when he didn’t deny it and told her, “You didn’t mean to and I got over it, Sakura. I love you, that has never changed.”

Sakura felt some of that pain leave her, his words chipping away at some of the guilt that had cemented itself between the spaces of her ribs. There was still a thread of fear around her heart, though. “I don’t want to ever hurt you.”

Naruto chuckled and it filled her lungs with warmth. “I think that’s kind of inevitable, Sakura. We’re going to mess up sometimes. You’re going to hurt me and I’m going to hurt you. But we’re going to get through it.”

Sakura felt herself smile and opened her eyes to see that soft smile of his. “Yeah?”

He nodded and told her against her lips, “Yeah.”

Sakura felt like she might fall apart from the way he kissed her, how tender is was, how full it made her feel. When he sighed between kisses, she thought she might actually melt into his arms. “I love you so much.”

***

“Popsicles?” Sakura raised an eyebrow at him as they walked. She hadn’t questioned it when they were on their way to the cemetery and Naruto wanted to stop at the store for something. She was a little surprised, though, when he came out with a couple popsicles.

Naruto had a small smile on his face, slipping his hand into hers as they left the convenience store. He glanced up at the sky as he swung the bag idly in his left hand. “He always used to split them with me. I don’t know.” He shrugged and glanced at her with a sad chuckle. “I do this every year.”

Sakura had always gone with Naruto to visit Jiraiya, but she was now realizing there was a separate visit where he went by himself. It made her heart ache that he seemed to want to change that. She smiled at him and then held out a hand. “Let me see one.”

Naruto let go of her hand to pull one out and handed it to her. Sakura unwrapped it and reached over to drop the trash in the bag. She broke the pair in half and gave him the other. Naruto’s eyes glossed over as his fingers grabbed the stick, but no tears fell. He let the bag slide to his elbow as he moved the popsicle to his other hand so he could reach out for her. He didn’t say anything as his arm wrapped around her waist, but Sakura could feel the sentiment from the kiss he pressed into her cheek.

***

When Naruto asked her to move in with him it had been during a fight. It was a stupid fight and Sakura still thought that if she hadn’t been so overworked at the hospital, she wouldn’t have even started it.

But she was so annoyed at how she could never find anything in his fridge.

“It’s ridiculous!” Sakura slammed the fridge door after not being able to find a carton of eggs. She was amazed at how much he could pack into the damn thing.

Naruto rubbed at his temples from the kitchen table he’d been sitting at, reading over some proposal for Tsunade. He sighed. “No, it isn’t, Sakura-chan, you just have to look.”

Sakura just wanted to make him something to eat. She barely saw him with everything Tsunade was starting to pile on him as she got ready to retire. “It’s disgusting. It’s a mess. You never clean it out. I found milk in here that expired a month ago – “

Naruto rolled his eyes at her and waved his hand as he stood up, stepping towards her. “I just forgot to throw it out – “

Forgot? He just forgot to throw it out? Sakura turned on him with a glare and crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you ever going to grow up?”

Naruto huffed and pointed a finger at her, some agitation slipping into his voice. “Hey! That’s not – look I’ve just been – “

Sakura looked back to the fridge and waved a hand. “I mean look at this, Naruto. I can’t even – “

Naruto looked at her exasperated and held out his hands. “You don’t even live here! Why does it bother you so much?”

Sakura felt something clawing at her throat and reminded herself to calm down. She sighed. “I know I don’t live here. That’s not the –“

Naruto continued talking like she hadn’t even spoken. “But you’re here all the time, anyway. You usually sleep here. I cook you breakfast in the morning before your shifts at the hospital. All your clothes are here – “

Sakura rolled her eyes and started to mumble, “All of my clothes are not – “

“Your stuff is mixed with my stuff. I was halfway out of the village last week when I realized I accidently grabbed your pack. There’s pink hair on the couch and in the shower drain. And you’re here, complaining about my fridge, so why don’t you just move in already?” Naruto finished with a breath as he looked at her.

Sakura’s eyes widened and she felt her arms fall to her sides. “What?”

His chest was rising and falling beneath his shirt as he breathed. She watched as a grin grew on his face and he repeated, “Move in with me.”

Sakura fought back a laugh, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. She raised an eyebrow. “That’s how you want to ask me?”

Naruto chuckled and reached out for her hips. Sakura went willingly as he pulled her towards him as he sat on the edge of the table. He kissed her, his hands sneaking under her shirt. He whispered near her ear, “Move in with me and you can complain about the fridge as much as you like.”

Naruto was so ridiculous, and she loved him so much.

Sakura laughed, her arms moving to loop around his neck. She kissed him with a sigh. “I know that doesn’t mean you’ll start keeping it clean.”

He shrugged and kissed her cheek, before pulling back to meet her eyes. She was weak for the tenderness there. “I’ll try.”

“Okay.”

***

Sakura was laughing as he pulled on her hand. “Naruto – “

He had that wide smile on his face and jerked his head. “Come on already.”

Sakura rolled her eyes at him but couldn’t fight the smile on her face, not that she wanted to. She felt giggles in her lungs as she told him, “People do this with their kids, not their – “

He scoffed. “I don’t care.”

Sakura chuckled but stopped arguing for show and slipped her legs over his shoulders. He held on to her hands as he stood up, then dropped one once they were steady. Sakura felt some of her laughter subside as she interlaced their fingers together. She teased him, “You’re ridiculous.”

He sighed happily as he started to walk, and Sakura had to admit she always liked how fun he was. “You love me.”

“I do.” Sakura smiled, something she would never even playfully argue about. She stroked a finger lovingly along his wedding band, her heart beating happily in her chest. Naruto squeezed her hand back and then brought her hand to his mouth for a kiss.

They turned around a corner and Naruto looked over at couple civilians giving them fond looks. He waved at them, making his hat hitting her stomach. Sakura chuckled. “Naruto, your hat is too big for me to sit on your shoulders like this.”

Naruto took the hat off and held it up to her. “Then, you wear it.”

“I am not wearing the Hokage’s hat.” She laughed even as her fingers reached out for it.

She could tell by his voice that he was rolling his eyes at her, wiggling the hat. “It’s fine, Sakura-sama.”

Sakura felt more than a little silly but slipped the hat on to her head. It swallowed her, but she figured the weight of it would keep it from falling off. She leaned forward to kiss the top of his head. “I hate when people call me that. I’m not the Hokage.”

Naruto laughed and told her, “Kakashi told me my mom used to say the same thing when people did it to her. I think you’re going to have to get used to it.”

Sakura gave him a dramatic sigh, but her smile was soft as she said, “I guess so.”

#6.8k #narusaku #kat writes #romance #light angst #pining #fluff #anostalgicsoul

46 notes · View notes

lyrazehedgieboiii · 4 years

Text

Insecurities

Hey guys! SO, I decided to make a one-shot on how Amy’s feeling very stressed, and her feelings on top of that make it harder for her to be happy. How will Sonic feel once he finds out? Let’s GO!!!!

Amy was sitting at Tails’s house, listening to Tails identify his newest invention, and was smiling, as if she were listening, but the only thing she was listening to was her thoughts.

‘Ugh, don’t you have better things to do, Pinky?” her thoughts kept focusing on when she’d get to go. She started going to far in thinking and ended up hurting her own feelings. ‘Yeesh, you’re so weak, no wonder no one likes you.’ Amy widened her eyes, realizing that everyone had their eyes on her.

“Uhm, why is everybody staring at me?” Amy asked, not liking the sudden attention.

“We were asking if we could have dinner at your place?” Sticks said.

“OH. Uhh...o-of course! I’ll go home and start. What does everyone want?”

“CHILI DOGS.” Sonic yelled, kneeling down, begging Amy to make them.

“Eh, I’m fine with whatever you make, Amy.” Sticks said. Amy smiled, not sure whether to take that as a compliment. Amy looked at Tails.

“Cookies for dessert, Tails?” Amy asked, smirking.

“You know me, Amy! You’re chocolate chip cookies are the best things that ever happened to me!” Amy felt tears coming, this was too much for her to take. She ran towards Tails and hugged him, and then hugged Sticks, and Sonic, lingering a bit during his turn. As she was about to turn to Knuckles, Rouge slammed the door open, and bent down to control her breathing.

“Eggman’s...*pant*...attacking...the *pant* village.” Sonic immediately got up, still a bit giddy from Amy’s unexpected sign of affection, and sped off. Rouge, flew by Amy as they all ran. “What’s up with Blue Boy today? He seemed a little excited, did you kiss him?” Rouge asked the petite pink girl.

“OH NO, no, no, No, no, NO Rouge! I just gave him a hug.” Amy exclaimed while blushing.

“But you wish you could more, right?” Rouge said, nudging her elbow at Amy. Amy turned red, trying to hide the fact her heart was hammering. The team made it to the battle scene, finding Eggman in his Eggmobile waiting to introduce his newest robot.

“OH Ho, ho, ho, this robot is sure to get rid of that pesky blue rat!” Eggman laughed evilly, while the villagers just rolled their eyes and watched the fight.

“You keep calling him a ‘pesky blue rat,’ just call him something else! Maybe...,” Lyra stared off into space for a few moments. “DEFORMED PINEAPPLE!” Amy was the only one that giggled. Sonic glared at her. Amy just smirked at him, and sent a blowing kiss. Sonic went giddy and red again.

“Ok, let’s take this from the top. OHOHOHO, THIS ROBOT IS SURE TO GET RID OF YOU, YOU DEFORMED BLUE PINEAPPLE!” Eggman shifted to the side, to reveal a 20 foot tall robot, with lasers, missiles, and shooters on its arms, legs, and head. Everyone went straight for it, Sonic being in the lead. The missiles fired, but were quickly dodged. Then the lasers started firing, and that started to get tough. Along with the crabbots and beebots in the background, it was gonna put up a lot of effort. Knuckles and Tails got blasted away leaving Shadow, Rouge, Amy, Silver, Sonic, and Lyra left. Suddenly a missile was fired, and pushed Rouge aside before exploding. It didn’t cause too much damage to her, but she fell to the ground, caught by Knuckles.

“Come on Hedgie Squad, we can do this!” Lyra said, stabbing the beebots with her scythe.

“Don’t call us that ever again.” Shadow muttered, running towards the back of the robot. That wasn’t a very smart idea, because there were lasers and missiles at the back too. Shadow got blasted, and that only enraged him. He ran faster, but got shot by a laser. He gave up, needing a break. Lyra gave up too, because she just felt lazy. She was cautious though, she didn’t feel like this would end well. Silver, Sonic, and Amy were left. Silver got annoyed with all the unnecessary scrap metal zooming around them and picked them up with his powers, and pushed them all together, and threw them to the side.

While he was doing that, he didn’t notice that Sonic was warning him to get out of the way, and Sonic pushed him, but they both got shot by the laser.

Eggman chuckles. “Looks like Sonic’s whiny little girlfriend is left. Well, that’ll be easy, since she’s so weak and pathetic anyways. I mean come on! The pink brat can easily be thrown off with a laser, or her hurt feelings.” Lyra and Rouge widened their eyes. That wasn’t a good idea...

Amy fell to her knees. She let out a loud sob. She recited every cruel thing that’s ever been told to her. ‘Weak and pathetic.’ ‘Pink brat.’ ‘Those people aren’t your friends, they just feel sorry for you.’ Everyone looked at Amy with surprise. They didn’t know that Amy was getting bullied. Amy stood up, feeling her heart burn with that same weird feeling she had earlier. She couldn’t identify what it was...

Until Sonic muttered.

“Rage.”

Amy’s eyes went dark, along with her quills, and her outfit changed, which surprised Sonic. He was the same when he was in his dark form, he never got a change of wardrobe. Amy however, did. Her dress turned into a dark red halter top, with a high-low skirt, with the back ending just a little below her knees. Her quills became longer, and a blackish aura tinted her vibe.

“I’m sorry Dr. Eggman, what did you say?” Amy asked, floating towards the eggmobile.

“Uh...I’m sorry?” Amy leaned back, and the aura only seemed to deepen.

“YOU LIE! Pathetic old man!” Amy shot some of her negative energy at him, and he disappears into the sky. She summoned her hammer, and it evolved to about 10 feet, and she smashed the robot. It fell back, and then Amy pounded its head.

“Amy?” Amy’s pupils came back, and she looked scared. She turned back to her normal form, and ran off crying. Lyra held Sonic from catching up to her.

“Give her a few minutes, bro. Then go.”

Meanwhile, Amy was in her room sobbing, her thoughts keeping her up in a bubble. She didn’t know how it started, but wanted it to stop. She couldn’t help how she felt, but it only hurt her more. She heard a knock on the door, but ignored it. She heard the door open, and she dashed into her closet, and hid under the clothes.

“Ames, I know you’re in the closet, open up!” Sonic yelled from the other side.

“And what if I were changing?” Amy asked, in quite a harsh tone. “I-I’m so sorry, Sonic. I-I don’t k-know what’s happening to me!” Amy let out a sob.

“Amy. Just open the door and talk to me. Please.” Amy thought that his tone was a bit strange. It almost sounded as if he were...begging her to open the door. She got up, and slowly opened the door. “Thank Chaos, I thought you’d never come out.” Sonic wrapped his arms around Amy, and sat on her bed with him. “Now, tell Doctor Sonic what’s wrong.” Amy put her head on his lap, and he stroked her quills.

“Well, it started a few months ago. I was walking through the village, going to a local mall, and I heard some teens talking trash about m-me. You know how I am when that happens, right?” Sonic nodded. He knew what it was like under the wrath of Amy Rose. “I hit th-them with my hammer, and they literally started crying. Those weird feelings kept my brain occupied for some reason.”

“Don’t worry, Amy. Just be ha-” Sonic was cut off by Amy’s growl.

“Don’t tell me to be happy, Sonic the Hedgehog, don’t you think I already tried that?!” Amy sobbed. Sonic hated the fact that she was depressed. He would do anything to see her smile. He pulled her up, and hugged her.

“I want you to be happy, so what can I do?” Sonic pulled back just a little, to tuck a loose quill out of her face.

“Well, you can kiss me, take me out on a date, marry me, have about seven children, I don’t mind more. You can-” This time, Sonic was the one to cut off Amy. However, it wasn’t with a comment. It was with a kiss. Amy immediately kissed back. Sonic used tongue in this kiss, and that excited specific parts of Amy’s body.

“Sorry Ames. Only one at a time, you’re only 16! Chaos.” Amy pouted. “Okay, two things.You are officially now my girlfriend.” Amy smiled, and squeezed the living daylights out of her new-found boyfriend.

Sonic wrapped Amy’s hair around in his finger. “I see your quills are still long from that, incident.” Amy giggled a little.

“I don’t think I want to cut it.”

“And I don’t mind that at all. But, next time, can’t you tell us what’s eating you.”

“Why do I have to acknowledge that you’re eating me?” Amy joked. Yes, she intended the joke to sound a bit...dirty.

“Oh my CHAOS, Amy! Way to get a man’s hormonal drive up to 130%!” Sonic said, putting his hand to his heart, acting all dramatic.

“Wow. How was it so easy to confess to me?” Amy asked, while smirking.

“I never confessed! But here it is! I...I-I l-love...you...” Sonic barely said it all out. Kind of hard to explain feelings when you’re ego is the size of an Olympic Swimming Pool. His ego would probably die there, anyways.

“IT’S ABOUT TIME, GOD, I THOUGHT AMY WOULD END UP WITH SOMEONE ELSE!” The couple turned around, to find the whole team standing at the door. Lyra was recording with a camcorder, a digital camera, and her phone. She even set up a tripod. Knuckles was the one who yelled, just wanted to let you know. Suddenly, Sonic felt warmth on his ear.

“I love you too. Good job on recognizing your feelings for once.” Amy winked at him and left the room.

WOW WAS THIS LATE. Sorry for posting this a bit late. I started this on Wednesday, but somehow completed this Sunday night. It’s weird because I usually spend fifteen minutes writing a oneshot, but writing this was a bit difficult, because I’m not one to insult Amy Rose. I LOVE HER TOO MUCH SHE’S MY FAVORITE SONIC CHARACTER!!!!!!!!!! I’m very tired because my bed is so fricking hard.

#insecure #sonamy boom #sonamy #sonamy fanfiction #lyra ze hedgie boiii #oneshot #sonamy love #romance #secure #rouge the bat #best friends are the best #besties #this was very late #baby im sorry #posted late #not edited well

40 notes · View notes

quarterfromcanon · 5 years

Text

Breathless

Heather & Valencia - Femslash February - Day 19 - Rosé [3,673 words]

They were nearly finished with their first glasses when Valencia circled to the topic of the wedding preparations that took over Heather’s house.

“So how's it going?”

“All over the place. And also nowhere. It’s an avalanche of crap. There’s rare proof of results. I’m kinda worried about her.” Heather swirled the rosé and watched it settle back into stillness. “The venue’s hella pretty so I get wanting to have it there, but like, I’m reasonably sure moving things up this soon is a bad idea in all caps.”

“What she needs is a guidebook,” Valencia declared. “I had an entire binder.”

“Rebecca’s latest reference is some D.I.Y. wedding from Canada.” Heather polished off the remainder of her drink.

Valencia scoffed in dismissal. “Even those require more work than people realize.”

“That’s what I said!”

“Plus, if the user who posted isn’t from anywhere near your hometown, then you can’t count on their resources to be applicable to you,” Valencia expounded. “Hell, if they’re from another country then I’m sure it’s even worse. They’ll have access to different shops and venues, not to mention the help of their families and friends. You can’t copy and paste their circumstances. It won’t come out the same. Guaranteed.”

“You gave all that a lot of thought,” Heather remarked.

“After a decade and a half with Josh, it was way more than thought. I had every piece in place except for the groom.” Valencia downed her wine and set it on a coaster. She shrugged. “Turns out, he didn’t paste so well, either. I still have the binder, though.”

“Really? You didn’t, like, burn it or throw it in the dumpster so you wouldn’t have to look at it again?”

“I was tempted,” Valencia conceded. “My hand was literally over the trash more than once, but I always kept myself from dropping the book. I did a lot of work rounding all that up, damn it. Why waste years of effort and attention to detail? Something useful ought to come out of what I went through. He could change my reality, but I didn’t want to let him take my dreams.”

“Good for you.” Heather raised her empty glass in approval.

“Can I show you everything?”

Heather freed her hands and adjusted her cardigan. “What’s that?”

“The binder,” Valencia clarified. “It’s still in my bedroom. Would you mind looking through it with me?”

Heather’s pulse quickened. The subject matter and the woman who wanted to discuss it struck her as a dangerous combination in light of recent overnight scenes from her subconscious. This was exactly what almost convinced her not to knock on Valencia’s door, but there was no retreat now. She could see how badly Valencia wanted to share what she had made. Heather didn’t have the will to deny her that wish. She traced the stem of the wine glass. “Yeah, we can do that. I’m game.”

Valencia disappeared through the open doorway. Heather accompanied her but stopped near the threshold. Valencia was already on her hands and knees beside the bed, rummaging underneath it. She faced opposite from the door and Heather was momentarily transfixed by the curve of her friend’s jeans.

She averted her gaze, but the places it landed after that were not especially helpful distractions. Valencia’s mattress looked comfortable and warm in the patch of sunlight pouring through the shades. The picture they took together on Labor Day was at the edge of Valencia’s nightstand. Its presence made Heather’s heart skip a beat. She raced through a surprising number of thoughts in the span of seconds -- why that particular photo received a place of honor, why it was kept within view of where Valencia slept, what she might think or feel while looking at it -- but then Valencia’s words interrupted Heather’s reverie.

“Sorry,” Valencia apologized with a grunt. “It went too far last time. I shoved it against the wall.”

Heather blinked a very different mental picture from her mind and focused on the out-of-reach binder. “Do you want some help?”

“Yeah, go for it.” Valencia moved out of the way. She gestured for Heather to give it her best shot.

Heather joined Valencia on the floor and dropped onto her stomach. She crawled under the bed with her head tilted to the side and tried to extend her arm far enough to catch the spine of the binder between her fingers. Her duster caught on the metal of the frame. She had to pry herself from its clutches. Heather exhaled her vexation. “Hang on.”

She scooted in reverse, shed the cardigan, then resumed her pursuit of the elusive item.

“Almost... got it...”

“Girl, your entire back is out right now.”

Heather paused and realized she could feel the air of the room against a rather significant amount of skin. “I’ll get it in a minute.”

“It’s all right. I can fix that for you,” Valencia offered.

“I’ll be done in like two se--”

Heather’s eyes widened as Valencia’s fingers curled beside her rib cage to slide the shirt down where it belonged. When Valencia’s knuckles brushed her waist, Heather twitched involuntarily and bashed her ear against the underside of the bed. She hissed with a wince.

“Shit.”

“Are you okay?”

Heather pressed her palm against the injured side of her head. “Yeah, I’m fine. I think I just figured something out, though.”

“What?”

Heather reemerged. She flipped to a seated position. “I’ve been coming at this from the wrong direction.” She propped herself up with her hands flat against the floor and put her legs under the mattress. Heather inched forward to gingerly search with the toes of her boots until they tapped against the binder. “Uh-huh. This’ll do the trick. Wait for it.”

Her shirt crept up her stomach as she strained to gain purchase. She couldn’t be certain because it was so fleeting, but Heather thought she saw Valencia’s gaze linger over her abs.

“Got it!” she announced. “So, now I’m just gonna...”

Heather crab-walked with the binder between her feet and finally brought it out of the shadows.

“Yay!” Valencia clapped. She hefted the tome into her arms. THE WEDDING BOOK was emblazoned across the front. She sat beside Heather and they leaned against the wall next to her closet. “Are you ready for this?”

Heather patted her thighs. “Put it here.”

They shared the weight of the book, half across Heather’s leg and the other on Valencia’s.

“Wow, it’s really heavy.” Heather lifted and lowered her kneecaps several times. “I could get a good workout with this. You weren’t kidding about having everything. I think you might be, like, the Tolstoy of wedding planners. That’s how many pages this thing has.”

Valencia laughed. “Well, I do like to be thorough.”

Heather licked her lips. She broke eye contact to look down at the first sheet. “Oh my god. Is that a table of contents? Wait, wait. Let me check the back. Yep, there’s an index, too. It’s a legit numbered and annotated book.”

Valencia elbowed her. She arched an eyebrow. “Are you finished commenting on my formatting?”

Heather hid a smile. “Take it away, Tolkien.”

Valencia rolled her eyes but her lips turned slightly at the corners. “So, the first few scans are actually before wedding prep begins. Layouts for engagement announcements, good locations for the accompanying photo shoot, recommended nearby photographers with their contact information, outfit inspo, and so on.”

Heather nodded and tried to concentrate on the assembled elements, but she was repeatedly drawn back to the person who had put it all together. Valencia spoke with obvious authority on the event. Bright enthusiasm came through in her voice. Her hands slid lovingly over every accumulated image and article of information. Heather herself had never so much as considered a style of dress, so she admittedly could not relate to the extensive construction of the fantasy. She hadn’t ruminated on post-nuptial domesticity, either, unless she counted the fictional scenario from her sleep that night during the Santa Ana winds (which she had been actively blocking out of her memory ever since). All that considered, however, the longing behind Valencia’s features caused a sympathetic pang in Heather just the same.

Even though Valencia was over Josh, the fact remained that she wanted this. The gown, the veil, the ceremony and tradition of it, the gathering of loved ones, a devoted partner to share her life with -- it all brought her such audible and visible joy to imagine. Heather frowned. As they neared the end of the binder, she leaned her head against Valencia’s shoulder. The statement got caught in her mouth, slamming against deliberate resistance and uncertain implications, but the truth was more important than her insecurity. “I really hope you get your dream someday, V.”

Valencia rested her cheek against Heather’s hair. “Thank you.” They remained that way for a brief while. Then Valencia closed the book with a resigned sigh. “Now that I’m looking at it with a new perspective, I think I’d probably scrap most of this. The vendor cards can stay, but the rest of it? Too much was for someone who’s not a factor anymore. Josh’s parents, his friends, his sisters... I knew they’d all be there determined to hate me, so the reception was where I was hoping to turn things around. It probably wouldn’t change their opinions much, but at least they’d be having a good time and not glaring from their tables. They’d end the night with fond memories, if nothing else. I’ll admit, the wedding itself was mostly for me, but you know what? I’m not a factor anymore, either. Or, at least, who I used to be isn’t. I’m... different. But maybe that’s not so bad.”

She looked down at Heather, who lifted her head and froze when they locked eyes. Valencia studied her vulnerable expression and became suddenly apologetic.

“I’m sorry. I completely dampened the mood. I was supposed to be helping you get away from weddings, not bringing them to you. Can I get you more wine?”

Heather concealed her disappointment with a forced smile. “Sure. That sounds great.”

“Awesome. Come on.” Valencia departed in the direction of their abandoned glasses. Heather uncomfortably shifted to cross her thighs. She took a deep breath and stood to follow her host. Though it happened without a conscious decision, Heather’s head turned for a parting glance at the bed before she left the room. She internally berated herself for that.

___

“Your ear is bleeding.”

“Huh?”

“Right there.”

Valencia tried to point but her depth perception was no longer trustworthy. Her finger sank deep into Heather’s curls.

Heather snickered. “Missed.”

Valencia snorted. “Yeah, a little bit. It really is bloody, though, but like... dry.”

“Probably from your bed.” Heather took another drink.

“Aww! Is that what happened? Well, let me at least get some Neosporin for that.” Valencia shuffled toward the bathroom.

“Dude, you can’t even poke my ear right. How are you gonna put medicine on it?”

“Very carefully.”

They giggled. Heather leaned against the counter while she awaited her companion’s return. Valencia came back a couple of minutes later with an excessive dollop of the ointment on one fingertip and a circular bandage on the other.

“Okay. This is going to be interesting. Don’t move.”

Heather swept her hair aside before she complied. Valencia rested the edge of her palm against Heather’s cheekbone to keep it steady. Her eyes squinted in concentration. A pink hint of tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth. Heather’s shoulders began to shake with suppressed laughter. Valencia gave her a teasing shove with the other hand.

“That counts as moving.”

Heather tried without success to look serious. “Sorry.”

Valencia shifted her palm in a motion reminiscent of the hand on a clock, advancing by degrees, until at last her finger came into contact with the area of injury. “Hah! Nailed it.”

“Cool. I’ve gotta say, though, I’m not at all optimistic about that bandage.” Heather cast a wary glance at the plastic.

“Yeah, me either,” Valencia agreed. “Wish me luck.”

“You? I’m the one who’s gonna end up with adhesive in my hair.”

“Fair point. Good luck to you, too.”

“Comforting. I feel so much better about letting you do this.”

Valencia’s brows drew together. “Shh... You’re distracting the healer and she’s got a very important job to do. This is life or death stuff.”

Heather pantomimed zipping her lips.

“That’s better.”

It took several attempts including a couple of near-accidents involving stray strands, but then Valencia cupped Heather’s ear with both her hands and somehow managed to fold the bandage across the top.

“Ta-da!”

“Brilliant work, doc.” Heather plucked a sunflower out of the vase on the counter. She passed it to Valencia. “Job well done.”

Valencia blushed. She accepted the flower and put it immediately back in the water with the rest. “I’m very respected in my field.”

Heather inclined her head solemnly. They lapsed into silence, but then Heather tapped both hands against her denim shorts. “I should probably go home. I can’t avoid it forever.”

“You’re not going to drive, are you?”

“No, no. I walked. I’ll just head back the same way.” Heather ducked into Valencia’s bedroom to retrieve her cardigan off the floor.

“By yourself?”

“That’s how I traveled, yeah.” Heather clumsily shoved her arms into the sleeves.

“Not this time. I’m going with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. Let me get my jacket.” Valencia grabbed the article of clothing in question and, with some difficulty, added it to her ensemble. She pocketed the key ring and tapped her fingers against her sides. “Off we go.”

___

Valencia wasn’t sure at what point during their stroll Heather talked her into taking the long way around or why she agreed to it, but eventually she realized they were in a part of West Covina she didn’t typically frequent.

“Where are we right now?”

“Getting close to my homework spot.” Heather walked up to a sign and pointed. “The Municipal Park.” They rounded the curve of the sidewalk. Heather gaped in amazement. “V, look! It’s empty. This never happens in the middle of the day.”

She walked across the vacant earth in long strides. Valencia followed at a distance. “Where are you going?”

“On a nostalgia trip. C’mon.” Heather approached the jungle gym.

“What does that even mean?” Valencia watched while Heather reached overhead to grasp the first beam of the monkey bars. “Are you sure this thing is made for adults?”

“Technically, no, but the metal portions will still support my weight.” Heather bent her legs at the knees to verify. “And I am gonna make good use of that sturdiness.”

She shucked her outermost garment again, but tied the sleeves around herself to keep track of it. Valencia stepped back so she had room to move. The crossing was more complicated since Heather could not easily judge the span of each transition, but her arms seemed up to the challenge of bearing her body aloft for a longer stretch of time. Valencia watched Heather’s biceps shift beneath her skin before she had to suppress a shiver.

Heather misjudged the next switch and whacked her knuckles against the bar. “Ah, fuck, that hit a vein.” She dropped lightly to the ground. “What did you do on the playground when you were little?”

Valencia counted activities on her fingers as she tried to remember. “Jump rope, hopscotch, four square... Oh, and one year our classroom got a couple of Skip-Its. The teacher had to schedule out turns to prevent fistfights.”

Heather’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, Skip-Its. I completely forgot about those things. So fun, but the counter hitting your ankle hurt like hell.”

Valencia nodded and chuckled. “So many bruises.”

“What about the stuff they’ve got here?” Heather prompted. “What would kid Valencia have ended up doing in this park?”

Valencia noticed the ladder to the lookout. “Well, I used to hang upside down sometimes. My legs were always stronger than my arms.”

“Do it.”

Valencia headed toward the bars without further consideration. “This is a terrible idea. You are a bad influence.”

“When I’ve been indulging in substances? Sometimes. But I’m a good spotter. I’ll stand directly in front of you. Try it.” Heather planted her feet firmly and waited.

Valencia ascended a few rungs, locked her calves across the other side, and started to lean backward. “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.” They both winced as she uncurled her spine with great caution, but then her back straightened and she dangled vertically above the ground. “Wait. Nope, nope, nope. The world’s not supposed to start moving without me. Catch!”

Heather flinched when Valencia’s legs kicked past her face, but she dove forward quickly enough to secure a supporting grip against Valencia’s middle. Valencia felt Heather’s fingers graze just below her chest and her stomach clenched. She adjusted her jacket and cleared her throat, but she couldn’t step away from the embrace until the vertigo subsided. “Thanks,” she murmured once her surroundings returned to normal.

“Told you I’d be ready.” Heather hooked her thumbs through her belt loops. She wandered toward the swing set. “Did you ever play Spider?”

Valencia tilted her head. “Did I pretend to be a spider? Was that a thing?”

Heather regarded her with amusement. “No, dude. On the swings. I’ll show you.” She cautiously lowered herself onto a seat. “Now you climb on, and one of your legs goes on either side of me.”

Valencia’s eyebrows lifted. Sweat prickled over her pores. “You want me to what now?”

“It’s tricky even when you’re sober but it’s fun, I swear. I can help you get started.” Heather crooked a finger and beckoned. “Please? With one person it’s just, like, regular swinging.”

Valencia bit her lip. “Okay, but don’t you dare drop me.”

“Cross my heart and, well, hopefully none of the other stuff. I’m only twenty-six.” She tapped the chains on the swing. “Hold onto these while you put the first leg through. It keeps you steady. Kinda. Also, lead with your left. That way, the dominant leg is still supporting you.”

Valencia adhered to the instructions. She still swayed dangerously, but Heather was able to stabilize the shaking of the swing enough to restore balance. The second leg-up was even more hazardous. Valencia yelped and threw herself forward with the motion of the kick. Heather’s feet slipped from the dirt. They had to hold onto each other to keep from tumbling backward as the swing careened in no particular direction. Heather’s forehead touched Valencia’s clavicle. Valencia panted with relief that they had survived the takeoff and tried to ignore the way Heather’s proximity tingled at every point of contact. She gave her friend a subtle push.

“What happens now?”

“The next part doesn’t exactly look like the real thing because actual spiders don’t move like that, but it’s the only way to get the swing going, so that’s how it works. You alternate leg movements. Like, I hold mine out while you curl yours under, then you extend yours while I pull mine back. Get it?”

She demonstrated both. Valencia peered cautiously over the side to watch. “Yeah, I’m good. Full speed ahead.”

Heather grinned. She began the process, and Valencia followed her lead. The swing started to move in a recognizable arc.

“It’s working!” Valencia cried excitedly.

“Yep. Ready to kick it up a notch?” Heather’s smile became an adventurous smirk.

Valencia felt butterflies, which she willfully attributed to the rush of their successful endeavor. “Always.”

They picked up momentum, shouting and laughing harder the higher they soared. Valencia leaned away a bit more than she intended. Fear swooped into her gut when her torso pitched backward. Her co-pilot’s arm was around Valencia’s waist before she even had the chance to explain her panic. Heather held fast and eased the swing’s tempo back to something slow and easy. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

When they were nearly to a stop, Heather’s grip returned to the chain links. Their fingers accidentally overlapped, yet she did not adjust her hands to remedy that. Valencia became acutely aware of how little distance stretched between them. Heather’s eyes met hers, but Valencia had to look away. Her gaze fell instead to Heather’s mouth. Unbidden, the Santa Ana dream she’d vocally dismissed at the time resurfaced.

Would Heather’s lips be as soft and sure against her own as she had unintentionally imagined? Could they fit together that perfectly, tangled into one form until nothing else mattered?

Was it her skewed perception, or was Heather angling closer?

Valencia forgot to breathe. Intense heat built between her thighs. Her heartbeat accelerated so frantically that she couldn’t perceive any other sound.

“I’m glad you taught me that,” she blurted. Valencia’s face burned at the evident strain in her tone. Although she did not know if the undercurrent had been one-sided, a small part of her hated that she had been the one to break their connection.

Heather blinked. “Yeah, it’s a classic.”

Valencia tried in vain to disengage without aid, but in the end it was impossible to get back on her feet without Heather. The lack of personal space seemed altered somehow, awkward and fumbling. When they were both standing once more, Heather untied her cardigan and pulled it onto her torso. She strode beyond the park perimeter. Valencia hastened her steps to match the pace.

The pair returned to the cement path, walking without talking. Valencia’s insides felt leaden and they twisted with compunction. Her feet were equally under strain, so heavy in the state of remorse that she tripped over a break in the blocks. “Sorry,” Valencia mumbled after Heather turned to check on her. “I’m still a little unsteady, I guess.”

Heather modified her speed until they traveled side-by-side. She offered a reassuring nudge that lifted Valencia’s spirits in an instant. “It’s okay.” Heather’s smile was affectionate and patient. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”

#H+V FF #CEG Writing by Me #Helencia #Heather x Valencia #🎶 It's come to this like I knew it would...🎶#Over 3000 words. Considering this is the 2.12 ficlet I can't say I didn't anticipate it. But good golly.#I got to the end of the Heather perspective portion and still had ALL of Valencia's left to go and was like #'Yep. This is gonna be the one. The record breaker. NO SLEEP TONIGHT.'#My poor children. I mess with you more than the Santa Ana winds and I'd say I'm sorry but as the song goes #🎶 I just want to see what will happen... 🎶

7 notes · View notes

tony-luvv · 6 years

Text

May 5 - No Pants Day

Warning: Cross-Dressing, Acceptance, Temptation, Bucky x Tony

Ao3 Link and Fanfiction.net Link

Tony waited for this day all year. May 5th, the day he could walk around without pants. Now for most, people would assume he walked around in his boxer briefs or something. Well...not quite. May 5th could fall on any day of the week really but most years he wasn’t so lucky to get this special day on the weekend. So a few years ago, he’d taken to wearing dresses and skirts. Technically they weren’t pants, nothing hugging between his legs. So if he was called to the office or into a meeting, he’d wear a business skirt or dress.

It certainly shocked the hell out of the board the first time he’d done it but at this point they were somewhat used to it.

Anyway, this year, May 5th was a Saturday, and yes, he was home all day...but this year he also had roommates. So a cute skirt it is!

Throwing open the doors to his closet he strode to the back where his special outfits were located. Tony has always enjoyed dressing up, so after awhile he’d taken to collecting all types of clothes and coming up with reasons to wear them. Today is a nice day, weather warming up which meant he didn’t need heavy clothing. He went with a black flared skater skirt that rested right at his belly button. The skirt stopped just shy of mid-thigh and looked good on him. He looked over his collection of tops and spotted one of his favorite band logos. A matching black tank crop-top had AC/DC printed across the chest. He threw it on and some black boots as a final touch before going to stand in front of the mirror.

Looking at his reflection he couldn’t help but pout, “What do you think FRIDAY? I feel like i’m missing something...” He spun back and forth, loving the way the skirt twisted to catch up with him.

“Maybe an accessory or two Boss, I’d say a black choker would really throw the look together.”

“Such fashion taste, have you’ve been talking to Jan again?”

“Only a little.” Tony laughed, he was so proud of his girl. Doing as suggested he grabbed a leather choker and attached it. Once it was on he went back to his accessories when he spotted them. Circular sunglasses, dark grey lens with gold outlining. Around the lens the metal frame stuck out a little with a small leaf pattern engraved along the side. He put them on.

“Okay FRIDAY, you think I’m ready now?”

He stood there in his little punk outfit, posing and modeling for the mirror and FRIDAY’s cameras.

“Magnificent Boss.”

“Well baby girl, don’t wait up.”

Leaving his room he made for the common area, it was coffee time.

When he walked in, jaws dropped. Surprisingly Thor was the first to recover, “What are you wearing Anthony?”

Of course Natasha was the only one that didn’t react like the boys did, instead she hid her snickers behind her tea cup. “Yeah Stark, where are your pants?” Tony glared at her through his shades, she knew damn well why. She was with him this same time last year!

“You know why Natashalie.” He pouted and then went to make a cup of his life juice.

That got Clint going though, he hated being left out. “Know what? Care to fill the rest of us in?”

“Well if you must know bird brain, it’s National No Pants Day.”

“So you wear women’s clothing instead?” Poor Steve, cursed to forever be confused by the 21st century.

“Well I can’t walk around in my underwear in public so I assumed the same with my new roommates. This is the next best thing.” The coffee pot dinged so he turned to make himself busy. He faintly heard Thor ask Natasha something before as they left the common floor.

In fact, he was so immersed in making his coffee he completely missed Bucky entering the room. The ex-assassin was sort of, maybe, his boyfriend. He wasn’t completely sure since they’ve only been on two dates but that was semantics. James entered the room, spotting Tony at the same moment Clint and Steve spotted him, it seemed like everyone froze (except Tony who was oblivious to the whole encounter). Bucky’s eyes greedily took in his outfit, hungry eyes trialing over his body and the skin exposed. When his smile turned shark like and predatory, the two blondes took off running. Fleeing the scene as fast as they could before they witness something they weren’t prepared to see.

The sound of scrapping chairs and running feet had Tony cluing back into his surroundings. He turned to see Clint and Steve retreating backs and then nearly bumped into Bucky who was standing right behind him.

“James!” He jumped, almost dropping his coffee mug. It was only Bucky’s fast reflexes that saved his favorite mug from a terrible demise. “Hi, um, g-good morning.”

James leaned in, morning voice deep and sexy, “Mornin’ doll. Wha’s got you all dressed up an’ pretty?” He’s cheeks warmed under Bucky’s heated stare.

“Oh, it’s a – well today’s…no pants day.” He kept looking down, unable to look his crush, man – person in the face. Embarrassment making him nervous and fidgety.

James stepped even closer, – how was that even possible, he was already so close! – right into his space and his metal arm curled around his exposed waist. The cool metal chilled his skin causing goosebumps to rise and make him shiver. “You look gorgeous like that baby doll. Is this the only time you wear skirts or will this become a regular thing?” Tony was freaking out, did James really like it or did he want Tony to stop? He was going to tell him, stuttering like the mess he is and tell him not often but James beat him to the punch. Leaning in close, mouth to his ear, “I really hope this becomes a regular thing.”

“I have more!” He froze, shocked that he just said that. Bucky froze too but for the only reason Tony wasn’t thinking of. While every negative response filtered through Tony's mind, James was trying his best not to pop a boner at all the sexy little outfits he imagined Tony could be hiding from him.

“Will you show me?” Tony jerked back to look up at James, eyes locking with Bucky’s grey-blue ones over the rims of his sunglasses. It was crazy, he’d only know the Winter Soldier for a few months and dated him a week or two but something about this man stole all his words. He swallowed the ball of nerves in his throat and nodded, making Bucky smile. The taller man leaned down, flesh hand tilting his head up and kissed him sweetly. “Lead the way doll.”

God he loved those lips, he pushed up for another kiss. Just a press of lips that made him smile. Then he grabbed the flesh hand off his face and used it to drag the other man to the elevator.

When they got upstairs Tony led him to his bedroom and to his walk in closet where he’d been not even an hour ago. “It’s all right here.” James didn’t let go of his hand but he did look over his wardrobe. Eyes scanning different dresses and skirts, matching tops to go along and…shoes.

“You have heels too?” Tony flushed again at the incredulity in Bucky’s voice. James quickly noticed and turned to him, squeezing his hand, “Hey, I was just surprised, I didn’t mean to sound rude or anything. Okay?” He even crouched down a little to get Tony to look at him.

He smiled and James smiled back, “Okay.”

“Will you model some for me?”

“Sure.”

Tony went about changing, he had a lounge chair in there so he made sure James was settled before he started. Modelling shows for his friends was pretty common occurrence for Tony so he actually had one of those wooden folded panels to change behind while James waited. He’s extremely grateful he got it now, otherwise he doesn’t think he’d be able to handle James watching him.

For his first outfit he put on thin strap gladiator sandal heels and a white long sleeve pencil dress. He flattened out the dress taking in a deep breath before moving around the barrier. His hands gripped the edges of his sleeves nervously as he walked closer to Bucky.

“What do you think?” Carefully, he spun around, letting James see every side of him.

“Whoa, damn Tony I think I have a new kink…” He stared, drinking in the sight Tony presented. The white hugging him beautifully and curved around his ass. It took all of Bucky’s self-control to stay in that chair and not jump Tony’s bones. The white looked good on him, making his tan skin stand out against the clean white fabric. Fuck his legs looked so fucking juicy– “Did you shave your legs?”

“Oh, well I did it once a long time ago. Haven’t stopped doing it since.” Tony leaned back a little, looking down his body at his hairless legs, “Is it too weird?”

“Honey I was born during the depression, died in a world war, spent years as a mindless puppet of a Nazi terrorist group and currently work part time as a super hero with the coolest metal arm in history. Nothing is weird anymore. If you like it than I like it.”

Tony had stood there listening to James, arms crossed as he nervously bit his lip. But by the end, he was smiling brightly down at the other man. Unable to help himself, he walked over, standing next to the lounge chair he leaned down to kiss this perfect man. Bucky’s hand came out, rubbing and caressing the back of his thigh. He leaned back, enough to look James in the eye when he whispered, “Thank you.”

After a few more shared kisses Tony went back to changing outfits. His next dress was a grey slash neck knitted dress and grey low top converse sneakers. With a little more confidence he came around the divide strutting. Making a show of swinging his hips and circling the room.

James squirmed in his seat, “Damn I’m going to have to start calling you kitten.”

Tony grinned, walking over to James he dropped down to his knees before the man and ran one hand up his leg. As best as he could, he looked up under his lashes and squeezed the calve in his hand, “Meow.”

Bucky’s entire body twitched and Tony jumped back laughing, “That wasn’t very nice kitten.” James was definitely pouting at him.

“I’m sorry but you literally set yourself up for that one.”

“Yeah, yeah, next please.”

For his next outfit he grabbed a floral fit and flare dress. The front covered his chest and sat higher, leaving little spaghetti straps to cover his shoulders and leave a lot of his back exposed. Like all the other dresses it stopped mid-thigh but this one held a cute white flowers over a dark purple background. He put heels on again, white ankle strap and open toed heels that went perfectly.

When he finished dressing he moved to the mirror instead of Bucky, twisting and turning like he did in his skirt this morning. James joined him at the mirror. “You really do look beautiful doll.” Tony blushed, loving how James complimented him. It made something warm flutter in his chest every time he spoke. Tony turned around, facing James head on. Blush be damned, “I love you.” Bucky looked at him, eyes wide in surprise and Tony found himself fumbling to explain, “I know we’ve barely dated and that things can’t be easy for you after everything but I really mean it. I love you James.”

A big solid body pushed him back into the cold surface of the mirror and kissed him. Lips angel soft and tongue sinful as hell as it devoured him, “God you are so beautiful and I love you too Tony. I love you so much.”

#luvvswrittng #luvv's holiday saga #may #winteriron #cross-dressing #tony in a dress #fluff

108 notes · View notes

riverdaleroundup · 7 years

Text

Riverdale Roundup: Episode 2x03 “ The Watcher in the Woods”

Are you ready? ooohh ooohh ohh- I know you see me standing here-- okay i'm already off topic.

Okay so here I am. Fresh off watching the new episode of riverdale and I thought I would share my thoughts with you because my life is empty and I need something to fill my time. This is my creative outlet. Welcome to your tape? More like welcome to my blog.

Okay so we start this week's episode and Kevin is running in the woods like a thot looking for some good old gay lovin and he starts macking on this guy and i'm like who is that? Was that Dilton doiley? It kind of looked like him but a bitch is not sure. I mean what are the odds that the gun happy leader of riverdale’s finest boy scout troop is also a first rate closet case?

BANG BANG gun shots! Kevin runs over and Midge is like freaking the fuck out. Okay is it just me or does she kind of look like Carly Rae Jepsen in a bad wig? Praise the lord that Moose is alive. I was so sad when I thought he was dead. He's my guy. He shielded that crazy bitch from harm with his beautiful over sized body.

Now let's talk south side high: What the fuck is with this place? So there's security and metal detectors but the kid's can do straight up drugs in the hallway? I get that jingle jangle or whatever it's called basically just looks like pixie sticks but still. Also how convenient that there just happens to be a rival gang that no one has ever heard of before. Everyone was so damn concerned that the Serpents were doing all this evil shit around town but not one single person was like huh maybe it's this other gang that has strong ties to drugs and are in general just sketchy af. Also there's no wifi in the classrooms and no doors on the bathroom stalls? That sounds like my literally hell.

So this Toni Topaz gal is some artsy photographer how perfect for the revival of the red and black or the black and red or whatever it is. How convenient. People on Instagram are all like " omg she's going to break up bughead" and i'm like hmmmmm that sounds like it could be kind of true but also kind of fake. It just seems like such an obvious route to go with. Like oh wow Jughead is friends with a girl so clearly they’re going to fuck. It's TBD. But also like isn't she supposed to be sexually fluid or some shit like that? Like is she going to go after Betty? Who's to say?

Also Jughead just casually getting beat up by the other gang and then telling Betty that he crashed his motorcycle. Okay for one thing Jughead you are 15. You can't just drive around sans license. I get that your girlfriend's GBF's daddy is head bitch in charge of the riverdale police but still, your family is already in deep shit with the law. I mean i don't get how his mother wasn't charged with reckless abandonment for picking the child she liked better and fleeing the state. Also I feel like there is a clear distinction between the scraps you would get from from falling off your bike and the bruises you get from being beaten up by a rival gang member. Betty is no dumb bitch. Also why was Toni just casually in the trailer with them? Like are they all BFFs now? Are they going to adopt some other south side street rat and become the new core four?

On another note FREAKING CHARLES PERCY IS THE SOUTH SIDE HIGH ENGLISH TEACHER!!!!!!!!!! He faked his death at Seattle Grace Mercy West in order to move to whatever east coast state this is and work in an underprivileged high school? I like wasn't paying attention when he was first on the screen so I only heard his voice and i looked up and i was like omg that's one of those residents that died who I totes forgot about.

Also we finally see the return of pregnant Polly. Who delivers one of the most iconic lines of the episode " I am an unwed mother carrying my cousins babies. I am the poster child for sin" like it's so weird to hear her say her cousin. Like they acknowledge that its incest and that Polly and Jason are related but hearing her say that I was like YIKES! Also she " called the farm" how fake does that sound? Like what kind of farm just operates as a wayward home for pregnant runaways? No farm Iwant to go to that's for sure.

Okay back to my boy Moose for a hot second. I love him. I love him so much. And he LOVES Kevin and i'm like Kevin be with him. Kevin you don't need to go sulking in the woods for a hook up. Moose is right there in all his bi sexual closeted cuteness asking you to love him. When he was like " you can come back and we could like hang out and like talk" and i'm like go to him Kevin.

Next subject on the docket is Veronica and her Daddy. Someone needs to keep a count of how many times she says Daddy in a single episode. I'm sure by the end of the season the number will be well into the thousands. Okay so she wants to have her friends over to watch " the matchlorette" like okay CW why don't you buy the rights to say normal words. This is a popular ass show I know you have the money.

" Matchlorette"

"American Excess"

" Vanity Flare"

WE SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU WRITERS! YOU'RE NOT CLEVER.

So Daddy gives baby 15 year old Archie some fancy ass Rum and is like fight this killer with violence. What's your MO Mark? Also i H8 Hermione so much right now. She's such a Psycho and not in a hot way. Also Veronica drinking a mimosa at breakfast like it's nothing. You are 15! Which is basically 14 which is basically 12. Shut up you're like 12. So Veronica is going to join the shady ass family business and get her hands dirty. Like okay V. Lets see how that goes.

Okay so like does Alice has her finger on the pulse of riverdale current events? The killer is so hip to the town that he's like i'll send her this creepy letter and all my evidence knowing that she's such a stone cold bish that she'll publish it no matter what Sheriff Keller or the Mayor says.

J'adore how Cheryl was being so very me and just eavesdropping on all of Betty and Kevin's conversations. Then she was just like " I'm here to fuck shit up" and stands by smiling while watching their friendship burn in front of her. Also her comment about dark betty was iconic.

Okay now the meat and potatoes. The red circle? Really Archie? We get it you have red hair. When they were all shirtless at end with the red hoods I was like okay wow this is happening. Also how very Liam Neeson was that ending part when he got really close to the camera and was like " we will find you and we will end you" and I was like Archie you are 15. I don't know how I feel about the new Reggie yet. He's very active in these episodes now. Okay also what was that BS with Ethel and the van? Was she just being a paranoid bish? For one when there's a murderer on the loose don't walk alone at night. Two: black hood is after sinners and Ethel seems like she goes to church on sundays and has never even said the word shit. She wears headbands with bows on them for Christ sake.

Catch my thoughts next Thursday,

#riverdale #the cw #the cw riverdale #bughead #betty cooper #veronica lodge #archie andrews #jughead jones #jughead #varchie #betty x jughead #veronica x archie #cheryl blossom #toni topaz

7 notes · View notes

starspangledspanks · 5 years

Text

Blindsided By Fate

Hey y'all! So once again I've decided to scrap my previous story and start all over. This will be a multi chapter fic so please bear with my busy schedule as i try to write as much as I can in a timely manner. Please leave reviews and tell me how you like it and if you think I should be going in a different direction!

As always the ONLY CHARACTER THAT IS MINE IS CLEARLY OBVIOUS AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY AFFILIATION WITH MARVEL OR ANY OF THEIR CREATIVE GENIUS! All of their characters are theirs and I do not claim any as my own. Marvel you are dank af and I love you ok? Ok, ENJOY!

If you asked Palmer Knight if she was nervous on her first day that would be the understatement of the literal century. Ever since the battle of New York the Avengers had been front page news and slapped on every billboard in the city. Posters hung on buildings walls of the heroes in all their glory. You couldn't walk down a single road without seeing something related to the muscle bound heroes.

Kids ran around neighborhoods dressed as Thor, carrying around hammers they had stolen from their dads tool shed. Little boys drew circles on their chests to simulate Tony Stark, and little girls cut their hair short in hopes of looking anything like Natasha Romanoff. the world was a changing place. Heroes were either idolized or they were they were sentenced by the government to be pets to their own games. Sent to do the dirty work of those who wanted nothing more than to play with the stability of other countries.

This was Palmer's main objective. To infiltrate the Avengers and gain their trust. She was sure they would see right through her; see right through the games she was playing. But The Red Room does not care if their agents are caught. Does not care if they are killed doing what they are told.

"What should one wear the first day of spying" She muttered to herself, staring into the closet at her less than pleasant hotel room. You'd think with the funding her superiors were getting the could at least afford better than a dingy two star the less she was motivated to complete her objective. She pulled on a rather form fitting blank tank dress and leopard pumps. Her tan was glowing, and her bright blue eyes shined through an impeccably applied smokey eye. Yes, she knew she was rather dressed up. But this was Manhattan, and this was the first time she would be meeting Tony Stark. Shmoozing him would be a breeze.

Finding her Uber she hopped in and was whisked away into the hustle and bustle of New York; Stark towering appearing magnificently before her like a beacon to the people of the city. More of a dark hole to her though.

Climbing out and thanking her driver she made her way into the lobby and to the front desk where an attractive young receptionist stood typing away.

"How may I help you today?" he asked with a dazzling smile.

"I am here to meet with Mr. Stark. He should be expecting me. My name is Palmer Casey." Like she would give them her whole real name. Even telling them her first name was Palmer was a risk, but she loved her name too much to be called anything else.

"Ah yes here you are. Mr. Stark is currently in his work shop, if you'd like to wait I can have him meet you in his office when he's through?""No that's ok. Just point me in that direction please." She replied.

"Please take elevator one. It's his personal one. Go to level 19 and you should fine him there."

"Thank you!" She made her way to the correct elevator and tapped the shiny button. The ride was short and she was there in seconds.

The lift opened and Palmer was hit with the smell of oil and an overwhelming wave of testosterone. Heavy metal music blasted from the ceilings and tools were spread about. It reminded her of her fathers old car shop in Colorado. The light cover of grease that manages to get on everything that's transferred from fingertip to surface, the organized yet chaotic mess of wires and metal. It was all just a fond memory to her nowadays.

As she studied the shop her eyes laid rest on a man hunched over the engine of a 1953 Jaguar. You knew the car well as it was your dads very favorite.

"Need some help?" You sounded startled the man under the hood. He jumped at your voice and turned to you with a less than pleased look.

"The only thing your gonna help me with is sending me to an early heart attack."

"I didn't mean to startle you Mr. Stark. I'm Palmer Casey we had a meeting today."

"Oh yes." He said making his way over. The glimmer of his arc reactor peaking through the thin grey tank top. Stark was handsome, you couldn't deny that. Small, yet, handsome.

"Somehow I pictured your typical super hero nerd coming to fawn over "The Avengers"." He air quoted. "Usually most people who apply for this job can't actually provide me with any useful service."

"I can assure you I'm quite qualified Mr. Stark. I have a 4.2 GPA from Harvard, I speak 9 different languages, I have a masters degree in Thermonuclear fusion, and I have a pilots license."

"The last one seemed a little bit forced after thermonuclear fusion." Tony chuckled. "So why do you want to be my assistant? Seems like you're just a bit over qualified?"

"Honestly? This is a good way to get my foot in the door. You know people and I can learn things from you I couldn't learn at the University from those fuddy dutty professors." she said.

"That is true. You don't seem like the star struck kids I usually get in here... Alright, I'll give you a shot. This is a big job. You'll be working for the entire team not just me. I'm throwing a party two nights from now, that'll be your first test. You come as my guest and I'll introduce you to everyone. If you seem like a good match you can stay." he said.

"And what's the dress code for this event?"

"I like you kid. You ask the right questions. Think classy club mixer. Not too fancy, but I'll kick you out if you wear jeans" he laughed.

"Specific. But, do-able. I will see you in two days Mr. Stark" she shook his hand and made her way back to the elevator.

She had two days to prepare for what you could say was the most important party of her life. Meeting The Avengers one by one would have been tough enough, let alone all at once. She would have the eyes and ears of the worlds elite spies and supers all on her and this was not the time to screw up.

She thought little about her past life. The young, weak girl who grew up constantly bullied and tormented for the way she was. She was gone, and this new confident facade would help her pull off admittedly the biggest infiltration her organization or SHIELD has ever seen.

She entered her dingy hotel room ready to look over her case files for the millionth time. Laying on the dusty sheets, which she assumed hadn't been used in weeks, she opened the folders that contained every piece of information they could gather about the heroes. She had shortened the information to easy to remember tid bits.

Bruce Banner: genius, softy, shy, turns into a giant green muscle monster. Easy.

Thor: god, handsome as hell, controls lightening, funny.

Tony Stark: well, genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist.

Natasha Romanoff: traitor, can not be trusted, biggest threat to the mission and the organization.

Bucky Barnes: winter soldier, literally has a metal arm, total bad ass.

Sam Wilson: fly's around, super cool suit, do not under estimate him.

Steve Rogers: Americas golden boy, leader, old.

She was confident she could make this work. She was trained years for this, and in two days, she would be put to the test.

#steve x reader #steverogers #captain america #fanfic #fanfiction

0 notes

wait-what-no-way · 7 years

Text

Interview with LADY ECHO

“Born in South Miami during the mid-1980’s, Emerald (also known as Echo or Lady Echo) grew up as the youngest and only daughter in a family of three boys. As a young girl, her favorite activity was riding on the back pegs of her oldest brother’s bike while being taught how to read the signatures of Graffiti artists from around their neighborhood. By 1994, Emerald had a “tag” and was learning how to use spray paint. In 1999, she began pursuing Graffiti and Art as a passion. She attended a pre-college program at Pratt Institute in New York City (just before 9/11) during the summer of 2001, receiving only a month of formal training in painting, drawing and art history. She has continued painting ever since. Many of Emerald’s works can be found interacting in public spaces throughout the United States and Europe, or rolling along freight lines from the United States to Mexico and Canada.” (Emeraldartstudio.com)

So since your last interview in 2008, how has life been?

Life has been real! Lots of ups and downs in the past eight years. My best friend OiL died the year following that interview... I went into a bad depression. Poke BS, the only person in NYC who looked out for me at that time, died 8 months later. My older brother died a year and half after that.

In a span of 2 years, my protectors, the men who (although would give me so much shit in between us) wouldn’t let anyone fuck with me, were taken before I could realize how valuable they were. I spent the next several years in a bad place. It took a lot to figure out how to be happy again. I’m still kinda traumatized, I panic that the people I care about are going to die all the time. I panic that I’m going to die all the time – which is why I am constantly producing as much as I can. I don’t really party anymore, I don’t drink anymore, I don’t socialize very often, I stay in and I work on my legacy. I feel immense pressure to create while I still can. I feel immense pressure to leave things on good terms with people I care about as much as I can. I know how fragile life is, I’ve learned that even the strongest bonds are temporary, and I no longer take it for granted.

Also, since my last interview, Nekst - arguably one of the strongest American bombers in our current generation of Graffiti, passed away. Iz the Wiz passed away. Sace passed away. Countless other Graffiti writers have also died. Does this mean we, as Graffiti writers, are a culture of troubled people who will die young in higher percentages? I’m not sure but I’m well aware of the possibility.

Aside from that - technology has changed at a super rapid rate in the past 8 years. Smart phones became a thing, pay phones went extinct, social media emerged, instagram replaced Flickr (for me), information is being shared and spread at rates faster than ever before in our civilization, food (and nearly anything) can now be ordered through an app on your phone. It’s an interesting time to be alive!

When did you start writing?

I learned about Graffiti as an 8 year-old in the early 90’s - and even had a tag, E.C.K., but didn’t actually start seriously writing until 1999.

How many trains do you think you’ve painted since you started?

I honestly have no idea how many.. It’s gotta be in the hundreds, maybe even a thousand or more? It takes a lot of cars before you actually make a dent. I hope one day my panels get a catalogue raisonne like fancy artists do with their art works.

What was your first train painting experience like?

Clumsy and inexperienced! Growing up in Miami, I spent most of my life in sandals. My dumb ass walked into the freight yard with flip-flops and busted my big toe on a pile of rocks within 45 seconds of being in there.. My foot bled the entire time I painted, but I finished my piece - on a Chessie System coal car. I still have a scar from that day.

Some writers love painting trains more than walls. What about you?

I prefer trains. I love smooth metal on clean trains but also love working on the rough, rusted surfaces of freights. Trains come more naturally to me than a clean wall. A panel that will end up moving with a train is more forgiving and less intimidating for me than a flat wall that will blatantly showcase any mistakes I make.

As an artist, what’s your favorite medium to use other than spray paint?

Stainless steel. I love welding and if you weld it properly, stainless steel will produce a rainbow of colors from the oxidation of the metal.

I also like epoxy resin, it allows me to make sculptures out of objects like used spray cans.

What was the most thrilling experience you’ve ever had while you were out painting?

Hmmm. Graffiti is always kind of a thrill for me, regardless of how big, little or insignificant what I’m doing is.. There are different kinds of thrills for me with painting - some are fun, but some are hectic. Seeing my work running years later is a thrill for me. Discovering new mediums and new instruments is a thrill. Recently doing fire extinguisher tags thrilled the shit out of me - like, had me smiling all night and doing a little back-it-up dance kinda thrill.

Guess the most direct answer: I haven’t had a most thrilling experience yet, cuz I never know what to expect, the thrills just keep coming :)

What type of music do you enjoy listening to while you’re painting a canvas or any type of work outside of the streets?

I listen to music literally all day (if I’m not listening to the news), it helps me work and it just feels necessary. I’m probably more into music than I am into art - even though I’ve never made music or ever had an interest in trying.

I listen to all kinds of music: Rap, Hiphop, Soul, R&B, Folk, Metal, Alternative, Jazz, Pop, Electronic, etc, etc, etc. Obscure stuff as well as super mainstream. Just depends on my mood or the feeling I need or want at the time. Music gives me a physical reaction, so certain songs feel better than others and sometimes I overdo songs that make me feel really good - to the point they no longer feel good and I can’t stand to hear them ever again.

My favorite song, since 1992, is “Minds is Playing Tricks on Me” by Gheto Boys - The melody really spoke to me as a kid and it can still give me chills if the mood is right. Since then, my other favorite is “In a Sentimental Mood” by John Coltrane.

My favorite albums of all time are “Live and Dangerous” by Thin Lizzy, “Ready to Die” by Notorious BIG, “Table Scraps” by MHZ (Megahertz), “Give Up” by The Postal Service.

I was going to start listing artists that I like but it would take forever. Instead, if people are interested in my music taste, they can check out the playlists on my youtube channel: youtube.com/c/emeraldartstudio. So far I’ve made 3 lists: Dance party station, Rap station and Soul station. I listen to these playlists all the time and I add to them whenever I have a free moment.

What’s your favorite aspect of Graffiti? Is it piecing, hand-styles, throw-ups, or everything?

My favorite aspect of Graffiti is that one can never run out of surfaces on which to get up or instruments to do it with. I love tagging, I love throwups and I enjoy piecing too. It’s all fun to me, but some endeavors require more work than others. Tags and throwups are quick but require more strategy than a piece sometimes, even though a piece can be grueling effort-wise.

I prefer to paint super readable spots that will be seen in motion, whether the surface is moving (train, truck etc.) or the viewers are moving (trainline spot, highway spot, etc).

What’s you biggest motivator/ inspiration that drives you everyday to be creative? That skirt you made the line of drips on was rad as hell.

My biggest motivator is death. Like I mentioned before, since so many people close to me have died unexpectedly, I have a panic inside of me that I’m gonna die very soon. I’m extremely concerned with my legacy and I think the work I leave behind is what matters.

As for inspiration - I’m just a creative person. My mind searches for that “new new” all the time. I like to experiment and try stuff that I’ve never seen, I like to put new spins on traditional things. Monotony exasperates me, I can’t even walk down my own street the same way more than a few times. I’m constantly exploring. I like to go where I’ve never been. I like to have fun and be silly, even if I’m alone, there’s never a boring day.

Glad you like the skirt with ink drips! It was a spin on an idea I had for photoshoot with black drips on skin, combined with my obsession for edding ink + the recurring theme of edding ink in my artwork. I wanted something funky to wear out that night and nothing in my closet was cool enough so somehow I had the idea of dripping black ink on my white skirt and took the risk. The dried ink was smudging at first so I sprayed it with rusto clear coat to seal it. The ink stained the vegan leather of the skirt, but the sexy surface black ended up cracking off by the end of the night. It was a one-time item, but very fun to rock!

What’s the coolest place you’ve ever had the opportunity to paint in? (State, country, abandon spots wise.)

Hmmm… I think one of the coolest places to paint that I’ve come across is an abandoned factory in New Jersey - I have bad memory for some details so I can’t remember who took me to find it (maybe Tacoe). The factory had several floors, lots of walls, and old locker rooms for the workers, with a lot of stuff still in the lockers (including old porn magazines which I know I have photos of somewhere). For a while after we found it, I was the only person painting there along with whoever I selected from NYC to join me. I think I had like 5-6 pieces in there in the course of a few months. It was super cool to have an entire building painted with Graffiti that I basically got to curate.

Aside from that, I’ve had the opportunity to paint a freight spot that’s near the ocean. I’m a big fan of ocean, and a big fan of freights, so getting to combine the two is almost surreal. Imagine finishing an end to end, high as hell on paint fumes, looking up at the bright moon and stars, hearing ocean waves crashing as the moonlight melts onto your piece. It’s like a dream.

What’s the creepiest thing you’ve ever experienced in an abandoned spot?

Never really had too many creepy things happen while painting, but the creepiest thing that’s ever happened in my life was on a “work” road trip with detour to the Grand Canyon. I was travelling with a friend, we were staying close to the monument the night before and had planned to visit in the morning. We requested a room with two beds, but when we got to the room there was only one bed.. We soon discovered there was a door in the room which led to another room which had its own bed and bathroom. We assumed they either gave us the suite on purpose without saying so or that it was an accident, but we decided to use the second room either way.

I locked the manual door latch (which prevents the door from being opened even if someone has a key) and proceeded to wash my face and get ready for bed. B was in the room next to me and spoke to me thru the connecting door, told me he had to grab his shorts from the car so he could shower and would be right back. I was in the bathroom and heard a door slam closed.

When I finished I walked out, I heard B’s shower going next door but noticed the door latch on my door (in the second kinda sketch room) was open - which I thought was weird cuz B could have walked out of his own room - especially since we didn’t even know if we should be in the second room and he saw me make a point to latch the door when we first walked in.

I relatched the door and waited in B’s room watching tv. When B got out of the shower, I asked him if we could use his door only to go in and out of the room so that the door of the second room I was in would stay locked. I explained that when I got out of the bathroom my door latch was open and I was concerned someone could just walk in if they had the key.

“Emerald, but I didn’t go out of the door of that room. I went out of this door. Yours should have stayed locked, I didn’t unlock it.”

I looked at him in shock. “Are you fucking with me right now?”

“No, I swear.”

We both walked back into the second room and the door latch (which I had JUST reclosed) was open again. This time there was no possible way that B had opened it. We closed it again and watched to see if it was faulty and might open on its own. It didn’t. I got chills up my arms and tears started streaming down my face. B was in shock too, he didn’t know how to handle me crying but I could tell he believed I wasn’t fucking with the door latch either.

I ended up grabbing all my shit out of the second room and slept in the same bed as my homie that night. We both agreed it was probably a ghost and that the motel we were staying at had probably been built on some ancient Native American burial ground or something. I still get tears when I think of it. Creepiest shit ever.

This is probably a difficult question to ask, but what’s the most monumental piece you’ve ever done?

Hmmmm… I hope I haven’t done it yet! I hope I still outdo everything I’ve ever done. I don’t want to be stagnant. I don’t want my highest achievement to be in the past, I want it to happen as often as possible.

Most people probably wouldn’t know you have a dog unless they follow you on Instagram or actually know you. (Who, by the way is very cute.) What made you decide to get a dog and how has she changed your life

I’ve wanted a dog for a while and circumstances finally aligned for it to happen.

Also, after so many super disappointing experiences with disloyal people, I figured adopting a dog would be a safer bet than trying to connect with another person who betrays me. I rescued a pitbull mix and she’s changed my life in a lot of ways - it’s like having a kid, I take care of her before I take care of myself. She’s so smart and makes me laugh all the time with the things she does. She’s really strong and fast, but is the sweetest little thing ever + possibly a winner for the world’s best snuggler award.

I can’t imagine living without her but have already prepared myself for the fact that dogs have 13-15 yr lifespans. I get mixed emotions sometimes when I watch her sleep - relief and shock that they almost killed her at a shelter and then kinda sad knowing I’m probably gonna outlive her and that there will be no other creature just like her. Aside from that and all the work involved, having a dog is the coolest thing ever!

What do your parents know about your Graffiti lifestyle?

My dad died when I was a kid, so I was raised by my mom and brothers. Yes, they know about it - in general, not necessarily all the details of what the lifestyle involves but they know I’m a writer.

When I was a kid, in the early 90s, my oldest brother wrote Graffiti and my mom was cool with it. She was cool with all his Graffiti friends hanging at our house, she even had her own tag, “Mom1” and would ask them to put her up + she would get excited when she saw them up on the highways or tags on toll booths etc.

When was 15 and started writing, and my mom found flicks, I got in so much trouble! It was OK for her son, but not for her daughter. I had to change my tag so my mom didn’t know what I wrote and I didn’t take photos of my Graffiti for the rest of the time I lived at home. During that time she found out (through one of my oldest brother’s friends) that I changed my tag to Echo but since she never caught me with photos, she could never prove any of the stuff she saw was done by me.

I moved out of her house before I graduated high school and after that she couldn’t tell me what to do so eventually I decided to be super open with her about what I was doing. In her attempts to finally have a close relationship with me, she was all of a sudden cool with it.

I remember when I lived in New Jersey at one point, she said she wanted to visit and do what I do - so I asked her if she was down to do backjumps on some subway trains and she said yes! I refused to take her but she insisted she wanted to spray. She’s never actually painted with me or really even made efforts to follow my work, but I have sent her flicks before and she has told me that she looks for “Echo” or “OiL” whenever she sees a train passing. She met OiL a few times and tells me that she remembers him fondly.

My oldest brother, who put me onto Graffiti to begin with, has reprimanded me a few times for writing on shit. Even so, I think he digs that I’ve gone so far with it and I think he respects my choices. I know he’s proud of me even if he doesn’t really think Graffiti is smart for me to do.

My older brother who passed way (I have three older brothers btw), never really liked it. He didn’t like that I would be out late at night with guys, didn’t like that I was going into train yards (with guys) and didn’t trust any of my guys friends - he was convinced my friends were going to sexually assault me or had already been trying to rape me in my sleep when I was on Graffiti roadtrips, etc.. On the other hand, he was also so amazed that I could get away with so much - like, statistically, he couldn’t believe how many times I had painted illegally and not gotten in trouble. I remember one night after telling him about a super-close call while painting in NYC, he was super stoned, got some sort of epiphany from my story, and explained to me, “The key to getting away with anything... is a girl.... All you need is a girl and you can get away with anything.”

What spots have you hit that you may have risked your life painting?

Ugh - recently did some seriously sketchy shit about 23 feet high on a ladder. The person I was painting with, who had just caught a fire extinguisher tag on the rooftop of a building - with security guard not far from us on the ground level - insisted that he could not bring the extinguisher down with him and that I needed to climb up and get it.

The logic of why he wouldn’t be able to climb down with the extinguisher and why I was able to do it made no sense to me - but I needed him to shut up and get down, so I climbed up to get it.

The extension ladder was lifted to the max and still had a grip of space before the roof so he had to hand the extinguisher down to me from several feet above, and there was no chance of placing it into my hand - he was gonna have to drop it down (even tho there’s no logical or realistic way I could have grabbed it from the bottom). (As I’m typing this, I still don’t know how I agreed to do this). With one hand holding the ladder, I reached up above my head to have him drop a huge (way bigger than normal size) fire extinguisher into my small lady hand. I obviously couldn’t hold it and somehow (without falling off the ladder) repositioned the fire extinguisher mid-air, slid the bottom between my chest and the ladder and hugged it with my free arm and began to climb down. The entire time I was climbing down he kept going on: “Holy shit, you’re such a fucking gangster… You’re a fucking G.” I was shaking and my heart was racing from the adrenaline but I made it down safely and we didn’t get caught by the security guard. Definitely never doing that ever again.

New rule: You climb up with it, you climb down with it. Fuck that.

My final question… Are you a pizza or pasta gal?

Is both an option? I eat pizza and pasta more than once a week. If it’s a nice Italian restaurant I’m getting some form of pasta, but if it’s not boushie spot then I’ll go for the greasy pizza. Favorites: Joe’s Pizza on Carmine in Manhattan, Garage Pizza on Sunset in LA (yes, there’s decent pizza in LA!) and La Pizza on la Croisette in Cannes.

Thank you for all of your time Echo!

Thanks for the interview! Super cool to follow-up with the same website 8 years later. I don’t do many interviews so these will be valuable one day :)

For those interested:

ECHO’s website: Emeraldartstudio.com

Instagram: @Emeraldartstudio

Facebook.com/Emeraldartstudio

OiL’s instagram: @crudeoilforever - All original flicks, no tributes!

Echo’s interview with Bombing Science in November 2008: http://www.bombingscience.com/echo-interview/

#ECHO #ECHOiL #Graffiti #LAGraffiti #LosAngelesGraffiti #California #CaliforniaGraffiti #LadyLiberty #Interviews #WritersInk

0 notes