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skiesofrosie · 26 days

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Little Sunshine Fires: Chapter 1

Pairing: Benny DeMarco x OC [Marnie Cleven]

ch. after

Synopsis: Marnie requests a transfer to the 100th Bomb Group to stay close to her boxed in, reserved pilot of a brother, Buck Cleven. It's the last thing she expects, when she starts to anticipate another man's return to safety from the skies, nearly just as much.

Warning: historical inaccuracies, sad stuff to come

Welcome to my first ever fic on Tumblr, and really, everywhere. I have no strong argument as to why you should pay attention to my story, but I do hope that if you have any love for MOTA, MOTA OCs and specifically Benny DeMarco, you would give this long-winded meet cute a chance. It's just a little, fun project I've got going. <3 I fully intend to introduce Marnie individually, but I thought I'd give you a taste of her and Benny first. Enjoy! (and go easy on me T.T)

Disclaimer: none of these photos belong to me. :)

To say it is not ideal that he nearly runs her over with his bike on their first proper interaction, is quite the understatement. In fact, with her petite stature, doing so would have been the equivalent to a man getting squashed by a tank on the field–but let’s not even go there.

It’s a ritual to her everyday, circling the village block for exactly half an hour, enjoying the crispness of her white uniform before it inevitably becomes splotched with red. The stains Marnie returns to her cot with every night is a minuscule droplet in the face of a full-blown war, but despite that, she is only human. If she has the chance to hold onto even just a sliver of normalcy in a place where men dropping like flies all came with the territory, then she did so wrenchingly tight.

And she enjoys strolling through the village of Thorpe Abbots, savoring the slow pace of her breathing with a cigarette between her lips. It resembles one of those folktales her mother theatrically read to her in bed every night as a kid. Townhouses of pastel pinks, yellows and blues, green vines weaving in and out of their windows. Sometimes she would have a set of freshly baked cupcakes at the ready for the farm owner just a few blocks behind base, and count each and every peony she spots on her way back home. Thirty minutes, just thirty minutes basking in this quiet.

Marnie just doesn’t recall having to budget her time for a bicycle crash.

“Shift, fuck, watch out!” the rider yells, face scrunched up in panic. The clock was about to hit 0700, when Marnie was trekking the roads back to the hospital, ready to tackle the day shift. There was no mission in their docket today, but ever since the 100th had landed from their first, soldiers were kicking in and out of those double doors non-stop. Her eyes were locked downwards at nothing in particular; distracted by the thought of Dickie as she rounded the corner, the exposed flesh on his hands that required fresh bandages, and failed to account for the sound of rubber wheels scraping against the gravel.

The officer swerves his bike right–Marnie’s body managing to stall at the perfect moment–his dog only exacerbating the chaos by tugging ferociously on his leash. Rock against flesh, he lands straight on his right side, the clang of his bike ripping through the Sunday morning. One would think that is enough to make the soldiers pause in their ruckus, a group of men practically sunbathing in the weeds, right by his ill fate, but no. She spots Bucky in the crowd, lying with his hands behind his head, now turned to the scene, and he has the audacity to simply cackle at this man’s misfortune. A full-blown cackle. She would absolutely, even in a million years, not admit that she herself was holding back a chuckle.

“Egan,” he groans, pushing himself on his shoulders, and it springs Marnie into action. She runs to his side, about to crouch down. “If you keep shitting your pants over there, I’m gonna fuckin–”

“Oh, forget him and just let me look over you,” she says, cutting him off mid-threat. “God, I’m so sorry.”

His movements freeze, but he angles his head to get a better look at whoever the culprit is. She was expecting him to chew her out for her lack of paying attention, but instead, the second their eyes make contact, there’s an intensity that floods into his gaze. The furrow between his brow softens as a mild surprise–or at least, she thinks it's surprise–washes over his face, his lips falling apart and twitching, ever so slightly. He can hardly keep the red flush at bay. It seeps through his neck and dusts his cheeks, the bustle of the base fading into white noise.

“That good a view, DeMarco?” Bucky, the giant man-child, interrupts. “Got drool coming down your chin.” And suddenly, those eyes no longer reflect a sense of wonder–oh, she should’ve locked that image in her mind and tossed the key into the sea–but a tinge of annoyance sends creases to his forehead, as he scrambles to stand. His dog, one giant, white and silver furry pup, starts to nip at her feet as she begins to rise, and he paws at her knees when her fingers fiddle with his ears. In the corner of her eyes, Marnie catches his owner, she presumes, cracking a fond smile.

“The most beautiful I’ve seen,” she hears him say, only just stopping himself from tugging an obnoxious smirk on his lips, a twinkle of mischief written across his face. It takes everything in her to tamper down a cheeky grin, straining her neck that threatens to inch towards the man she now knows as DeMarco. “But if you will excuse me,” he says, running his fingers through his thick, dark brown hair, and grabbing the handles of his bike and the pup’s leash. “I’m–”

“Not going anywhere.” She finishes his words, the officer’s mouth clamping shut. She’s seen him around before, those chocolate brown eyes and that easygoing charm–he was Buck’s co-pilot when his fort touched down in East Anglia, arms cradling his incessantly howling husky onto tarmac. Our Baby, she remembers his plane being called.

Stalking up to the man ‘til they’re face-to-face, she realizes that with the heels on her shoes, she isn’t too much shorter than him. Her eyes flicker to the way he straightens his shoulders, catches the sharp intake of his breath, and wonders if this man will ever exhale again. Slipping a handkerchief out of her pocket, blood fuses with the yellow of her cloth as she dabs away at minor gash across his temples. He’s about to curse Bucky, and Thayer, and all the soldiers blowing wolf whistles into the air, none bothering to inform him of the distorted skin on his face. “Unless you’re looking for that to get infected,” she says, completely calm, ignoring their audience. “Then come with me, sir.”

A light chuckle bubble in his throat. “Right,” he says, tipping his head, and there it is once again–that unmistakable gaze. “Yes lieutenant. Lead the way.”

She nods, gesturing her fingers to the doors of the hospital, vastly ignoring the way she can feel his eyes trained on her back. She misses the way they’re stiffly glued to the almost black lengths of her hair, keeping them in place from doing a most-likely unacceptable scan up and down.

“Oh, and it’s captain,” she says, turning her head slightly, and his steps come to a halt. “Captain Marianne.”

The man in question happens to be big-hearted Bernard DeMarco.

“But call me Benny,” he’s quick to correct as she sits him down on the edge of a vacant bed. “I’d rather lose my title than answer to that.” She was about to say it suited him, but bites it back.

He’s a pilot from Philadelphia, she learns. An affinity for the outdoors since he was a child, he had longed to take control of the cockpit, and feel the kiss of the sunshine against his skin. There is just something about the golden glow that illuminates his core with a vigor and excitement his body had never felt before. And she admires his zest for a life in the skies. It’s clear, with the way his head perks up like a jittery child on Christmas morning, when he recalls their days flying harmless training missions back in Iowa.

Digging into the metal tray she’s placed beside him, she can tell he’s still watching her movements like a hawk, and it makes her palms a little damp, her brain hyper aware of the way she’s tinkering with the gauze and the antiseptic. It’s as if she's trying to impress Benny. As chief nurse of the 100th Bomb Group, the trust of her abilities should probably not fall into the judgment of a mere man, but she can’t help but feel self-conscious, afraid to make a mess of herself for such a little cause.

“I have yet to find something,” he says, voice quiet as she leaves little space between them to clean his wound, the scent of her lavender lacing with something medicinal faintly clouding over his skin, “that makes me feel more alive.”

When she feels his eyes on her–an act she has been tactfully avoiding for the past 10-minutes–needles seem to prickle along her arms as they remain a little too still. It’s as if the sterile nurse wing has emptied itself out into an abyss where she can let go of her inhibitions and set herself free in front of a man she didn’t know. And all because he stares at her with a tenderness she can’t quite pinpoint.

Benny lets out a cough then, snapping her out of her daze and glances off to the rest of the men in the room. He nods his head at Dickie, who, right now wears the ugliest, knowing smirk that he wishes to slap off, only settles by regulating his breaths before Marnie can see how riled up he feels in his system. He wonders if everyone of them were treated as intimately as this, though he sure as hell hopes not.

“And you?” He looks up curiously, as she stands to clear up the equipment. “I take it you’ve at least been on a plane a couple times. I can’t imagine Buck wouldn’t have flown you about.”

“No, I actually haven’t. Took a ship here with Kenny.” She laughs at the way he reacts in utter disbelief. “Never? You’re kidding. What, you're scared of heights or something? Or, you just don’t like to fly.”

She raises a questioning bow, and he tilts his back down, a tinge of guilt on his face for assuming there is something wrong with such things. “You know, despite popular opinion, not everyone likes being above 30,000 feet in freezing cold air, Ben. And yes, I am afraid of heights. Does that turn you off all a sudden?” He hastily shakes his head no, and mutters a soft, “yeah, my bad.” Facing away, the corners of her lips quirk into a tiny smirk.

She thinks of her older brother, the reticent Gale Cleven, or Buck, who she hadn’t seen in about six months before he arrived in England. Marnie was always the more chipper one out of the two, always offering to do most of the talking when they charmed their town neighbors into letting them couch surf for the night.

His strength, on the other hand, always lay in his actions. It speaks to the way their mutual childhood best friend and the love of Buck’s life, Marge, had fallen for him. It was not about what he could muster the courage to say, or how he squared up his shoulders. It was because he waited every sunrise without fail, for Marge to arrive at the bus stop so they could head to school together. How he was often too timid to really show any verbal affection, but would never stop caressing her shoulders lightly each time they were side-by-side. Her brother was a man of a few words. If there is one thing he could babble on about though, like DeMarco, they were planes.

They breathed life into Buck Cleven, flew him into a sense of purpose. It was a beautiful sight, the way his wings launched him close to the sun where he glimmered into the pilot he was always meant to be. Marnie on the other hand, well, she doesn’t quite know when the seed of despair became rooted so deeply inside, but she started to despise the daylight since the war had reached their doorstep.

“There’s something about the sun, right after the rise of day,” Marnie begins, blue eyes glazed in thought, “it’s just so glaring. The closer you get to it…the more intimidating it becomes. It’s ruthless. Just rises and falls, and rises and falls, exposing each god fucking ugly corner of the world. You wake up to it, and with everything that’s going on, it’s just this blatant reminder that people are out there struggling, crying, and dying. That harsh reality just sinks deep into your gut, each time you gotta step out and work. I don’t hate the idea of flying….but, guess I’m just not interested in the skies. I don’t even like looking outside, and just sitting there, waiting for all of you to land. It kills me inside.”

When the plastic bottle of treatment hits the metal tray, it knocks into her senses just how oddly philosophical she had become. Embarrassment lingers into the silence between them, and she licks her lips as a staple nervous tick. Risking a peak over at him, she fears to see the awkwardness in the way he'd probably avoid her gaze. But relief escapes her conscience when he's looking on, straight at her with curiosity in his expression and a trace of a smile on his own lips. “Daylight’s a pretty big part of the day, if you didn’t notice,” he hears her snort at that, her figure retreating to the closet just a few doors down. “So tell me then, which part do you like the best?”

Medical tape in hand, she rips off a little piece to attach the gauze on his scraped temple. The gash that he had completely forgotten about, it was the reason he was there in the first place.

A younger, junior nurse with short, blonde hair calls out to Marnie, seeking help with some medic equipment. It’s not far too busy this late morning, luckily, the hospital finally settling into a stable rhythm as the airmen recover from their first mission. A luxury to hang onto before the pilots take off for a second. And she knows, having just been informed by Doc Stover yesterday, that it is happening at first daylight tomorrow.

“The sunset,” she replies, ushering Benny to his feet simultaneously. “It's the end of work. There is no mystery, or anxiety through how dark and lonely the night is. But no….terror and anticipation through the day. Just the plain, beautiful sunset.”

Bidding him her well wishes, her attention–regretfully so–begins to slip away from him, turning to assist her fellow nurse when Benny’s voice bounces off the walls, her name on his tongue. She turns towards him with a pinch in her eyebrows, shushing him so as to not disturb the other patients, and he squirms a little at the sterneness in her stare.

“Sorry, again,” he sheepishly says. “I wanted to know, what’s your favorite flower, captain?”

“Peonies. And don’t apologize…I’m sorry about our little mishap this morning.” A fling of curiosity, she masks the beam about to draw on her face by simply rolling her eyes, swallowing the nerves that have been pounding against her ribcage. “Marnie by the way. Chief nurse of the 100th.”

“Pilot with the 350th, and don’t mention it.” He laughs, a light melody that sings through her soul. Benny shakes his head as he makes his way to the doors. The sun is a welcome sight, but it does not make him feel as warm as the lady who apparently despises the way it shines. It’s time to hit the village.

It was 0600, the alarm clock a signal that the 100th would be on their way to their second mission.

Marnie’s shift doesn’t start until much later, when she punches in her timecard at 0800. But she likes to arrive a little early–getting her morning stroll on the agenda, then spending an hour scrubbing the hospital clean. Perhaps, she sees it as a blank canvas. A comforting sight before the planes return–if they even do–to store away the anxiety that pumps through her blood with each wounded man awaiting their savior. It’s the repetition of each action, a mental checklist which she follows from head to toe the second she gets into work, that keeps her mind from bursting at the seams.

Today though, as she smoothes down her knee-length skirt, and places the nurse cap on her head, there’s a speckle of color on her desk that seems completely misplaced to the monotone array. When she walks up to the wooden table, a large pink bouquet of peonies rests like the sunset casting an orange fluorescence against branches and trees of earthy browns and greens. Betraying all professionalism, an untamed, toothy grin crinkles at the corners of her eyes.

Doc Stover finds it odd that she spends all day looking out the window, ‘til the boys come home.

-sal. if you made it this far, thank you <3

#masters of the air #mota #benny demarco #benny demarco x oc #bernard demarco #benny x marnie <3 #mota oc #buck cleven #gale cleven #marnie cleven

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pastelxapple · 8 months

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Bede’s a little bit of a hopeless romantic 😔

Also yes Elaine has an iron grip (when she wants to)

Silly extra! :3c

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nezulovesong · 9 months

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⟡Selfie time with Marnie! ⟡

☆;:*:;☆;:*:;☆☆;:*:;☆;♡;☆;: ☆;:*:;☆;:*:;☆☆;:*:;☆

#gym leader piers #piers pkmn #piers pokemon #piers swsh #piers x oc #pokémon oc #williers #willow x piers #digital art #marnie #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon swsh #pokemon #pokemas #art

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trashcanplant · 4 months

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Merr Crimbers!

I bring you doodles! So many of them! Because I love you!

Very much a click for quality situation. But we got Poppy, Boober Fraggle, doodles of the boys, Christmas Kermit, Antoni and Marnie decked their halls and looking confused, and Wally! Drawing Wally makes me so angry I don’t know why. He infuriates me… But! Yay! Merr Crimbers! Also me and @cherrythepuppet talking about angst ideas lmao. Their writing is the bomb you need to read it <3

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yeehawbvby · 3 months

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One More? | Piers x OC Maxine

Rating: Mature/Explicit (No sex, but things get frisky)

Summary: It's been months since Piers and Max kissed for the first time, but neither of them can stop thinking about it. They both want one more.

So they take more.

And more.

And more, until they can't.

Check it out on ao3!

This work is part of a one-shot series! Please see my SWSH Masterlist for the recommended reading order. -> This fic is a direct sequel to this one!

Piers laid in bed, a guitar draped across him while he zoned out on the ceiling and strummed aimlessly. His recently washed, still damp hair was conditioned and detangled, and his coziest sweatpants and t-shirt were on. He was just about ready to turn in for the night (or was it morning, at this point?) until his thoughts kept him awake long enough to give up trying.

The whole point of kissing Max was to get that milestone out of the way and move on with their lives. Things were a little weird for, like, one day before it all went back to normal. And that was months ago. He was happy, and as far as he could tell so was Max.

So why was he still so hung up on that night?

How was it that, if he really concentrated, he could still taste the minty toothpaste that lingered on her tongue, feel the softness of her lips, and smell faint hints of the strawberry-vanilla perfume she wore that day?

He’d reluctantly accepted ages ago that he had feelings for her. Big ones. They came before they even made that stupid deal to be each other’s first kisses in the first place… but he’d always been able to push those feelings aside. At least until his birthday, just a month before they kissed. Probably because that’s when he realized it was actually going to happen.

…And when it did happen, it felt like a dream he never wanted to wake from. A song he never wanted to stop singing. A deep, rich cup of coffee he never wanted to drain.

He stopped playing. As he recounted that night for what felt like the billionth time, he dragged his hands down his face and groaned out a curse. He was so fucked.

—

Max and Piers shared bedroom walls, and completely by coincidence, had arranged their tiny spaces so that their beds were against said wall. So on nights like this where Piers would utilize an ampless guitar to ease his mind, Max had a backstage pass.

She was laying in her own bed, listening on while dealing with her own troubles – the same inner turmoil of really liking her best friend but not feeling able to do anything about it – when the melody of one of her favorite songs quietly echoed into her room from Piers’. Go figure.

She sighed, shutting her eyes. Trying to let her friend’s music and her sleeping Misdreavus’ soft, almost gaseous hair between her fingers lull her to sleep.

It wouldn’t come easily, though. She wanted to kiss him again. She didn’t like to admit it to herself — she almost felt guilty about it, for whatever reason — but she’d never craved anything more in her life. Nothing compared to the bliss she felt with his smile pressed against her own.

Sleepy and a little delirious, she wondered if the universe was giving her a nudge. If Piers playing this song specifically was her sign to go in there and kiss him again. To smooch him silly.

She curled up on her right side, abandoning Misdreavus in favor of grabbing and snuggling her Frosmoth plushie from beside her pillow. A plushie Piers had gotten her a year or two ago, after she lamented having a hard time catching a real one of her own just a day prior to that.

Arc’s sake, that was so sweet of him. And now it was her favorite plushie, because it was one of her favorite pokemon, and because it was so soft, and because it was from him, and because of the toothy grin on his face when he handed it to her, and–

Shit.

Max knew that going to Piers’ room while she felt this deep in her feelings was stupid, but she figured, maybe the best person to distract her from thinking about Piers was the man himself. Reverse psychology or something. Yeah. Sure. Whatever.

Piers stopped playing, and Max heard him grunt a seemingly irritated “fuck” just after.

Was he okay?

…Was this her in? Her excuse to head over?

Fuck it.

She got out of bed and quietly made her way to Piers’ door before softly rapping on it a few times. Piers knew it was Max visiting since Marnie usually just yelled through the barrier.

Speak of the devil…

“Yeah?”

The doorknob clanked around a bit as it turned, Max poking her face through the small opening. She didn’t want to be too invasive, feeling self-conscious now that she was here and seeing him. Didn’t want to wake Marnie from her own room nearby by having a whole conversation from Piers’ door either, though.

Piers huffed out a laugh at how silly Max looked – her deep blue eyes curiously staring into his goddamn soul through the crack she allowed herself – as he waved her over. He stood up to place his guitar back on its stand before flopping down in the same spot he’d been laying in a moment before. He solidified his view on the ceiling while Max unceremoniously plopped down next to him, landing on her belly and resting a cheek to her folded forearms.

“Y’sounded grumpy. Everything okay?”

Piers sighed and shut his eyes. He wanted to tell her what was going on, but how could he? Opening his weary lids and turning his face towards Max’s, he said, “Yeah. Just thinkin’ too much.”

“About what?”

You. “Y’know… stuff.” He tacked on for the comedic value, “Things, even.”

That earned him a chuckle from Max. Couldn’t help his own grin from creeping up in response.

“So poetic,” she played along, letting his obvious diversion slide. If he didn’t wanna talk about it, she wouldn’t make him.

“I’ll be one of the greats in literature textbooks someday,” he wagged his finger at her, “you just wait for it.”

“We’ll be dead before either of us know if it’s true.”

“Think we could reincarnate as ghost-types to find out?”

“Wouldn’t reincarnation mean we don’t remember our past lives, though? Wouldn’t we have to just… sorta evolve into them?”

Piers answered Max’s questions with his own. “Do y’think dead people ever evolve into ghost-type pokémon?”

“Only one way to find out,” Max muttered, putting a finger-gun up to Piers’ temple.

He laughed, smacking it away. A short silence passed and he asked, “Are you alright, love?”

Max’s heart stuttered, as it always did when she got called “love,” no matter who was saying it.

…It was just super effective when it came from him.

She swallowed that thought back.

“Yeah, why?”

Piers shrugged and turned onto his side as he observed, “Seems like you’ve got stuff on your mind too.”

“Wizardry…” she tried to deflect.

“Oi,” he glared, “Y’know you can talk to me about anything, yeah?” He was using the same logic that Max did. Reverse-psychology his way into feeling better through exposure, or something…

Was this literal exposure therapy he was putting himself through?

Max sighed, her eyes studying his face. His full face, with gravity keeping his fringe out of his eye. “Yeah, thanks. Just don’t wanna.”

“You sure?”

She nodded. Blinked a few times. Her brows knitted, and then she caved. “No.”

She chewed the inside of her cheek a bit as she lowered her eyes from Piers’ face, looking more through his shoulder than at him at all. Regretted tying her hair up into a high ponytail-bun- thing just an hour or so prior, because all she had to stim with now was her hoodie’s sleeves, and it just wasn’t scratching the same itch.

Piers’ own brows lowered and he watched Max patiently while she found her words.

She took a deep breath in. How to phrase this without being too obvious…

“I just feel kinda lonely, I suppose.” Piers’ brows raised while he waited for Max to elaborate. “Like… physically, I guess?” Oh no. “Wait, no—”

God, that sounded like it had a much more scandalous implication to it than what she meant. She couldn’t help a scrunch of her face while she cringed at her wording, oblivious to Piers’ eyes practically popping out of his skull. He continued to wait, hoping this wasn’t about to be a talk about someone Max wanted to have sex with or something. Wasn’t sure if he could handle that right now.

“I mean, like,” Max struggled, before squeaking out her exasperation and burying her face in her arms. Nothing was working. She sighed again and popped back up a new person, her expression full of determination and cheeks coated with blush as she just went for it. “I wanna kiss.”

Piers’ eyes bugged again.

She saw it this time. Max’s eyes immediately followed.

“Sorry,” she quickly chirped. “I-I didn’t mean—“ She cut herself off from finishing her own sentence. Yeah, she did mean what she said. And she was a damn bad liar. “Nevermind…” she mumbled, retreating face-down again in defeat.

Piers blinked, his stomach going berserk as he watched his friend frustratedly nuzzle her face into her arms.

…She said she was lonely. Physically lonely. She probably just wanted someone to kiss, right?

Was she scared to talk about it because she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea? Was she even asking him for one, or was she just saying it as, like, a general thing?

Piers tried not to think too much into it. Didn’t want to get his hopes up… but he didn’t want to pass on the chance to kiss her again either.

This was a bad idea. He knew it. Didn’t care. His brain turned off. Heart was taking charge.

A beat passed before he calmly responded, “Alright.”

Max peered at him from one eye.

Neither of them said anything for a few seconds before she quietly asked what he meant.

“Kiss me.”

Her eyes widened and her heart skipped. She could feel how rosy her face was getting too. Piers could see it darkening right up. He thought it was cute. He had fun flustering her. Opted to pretend she doesn’t get so easily flushed, at least at that moment; he knew it happened literally all the time, but it was more fun to lie, telling himself she only blushed like that in his presence.

“What?” she practically yelped against her sleeve, “Why?”

Piers shrugged it off. “Why not?” He tried to hide his nervous excitement behind a jovial tone as he continued, “It was fun, and we’re both lonely bastards so...” He leaned in a little closer to Max. “Might as well, yeah?” he asked in a low, comforting tone that made her melt a little.

Their faces were mere centimeters apart. Max took note of the pink on Piers’ cheeks but managed somehow to convince herself that he was just feeling warm as she slunk into her arms a little more in a poor attempt to hide.

…She knew this might be a bad idea too. Much like Piers, though, she let her heart think for her. “You’re sure?” she asked, giving him an out. Just in case.

“Are you sure?”

After rolling onto her side to face him, she gulped down her nerves and nodded.

And after scanning over Max’s complexion to decide if he believed her, Piers pulled her closer by the waist without a word and pressed his lips to hers. Rather than settling in, Max let out a surprised squeak, putting her top palm against Piers’ shoulder in succession. She turned her head towards the pillow below them, barking out a nervous laugh.

Piers would’ve been worried this was all just some cruel joke if it weren’t for the fact that Max barely had a mean bone in her body.

“What?!” he smiled.

“You- you immediately went for it,” Max exclaimed, muffled by the pillow. She continued as she came up for air, nose crinkled with a fit of laughter that she struggled to keep quiet, “It caught me off guard!”

While his own chest shook with laughter, Piers brought his hand from Max’s lower back to her warm cheek. “No shit, what else should I have done?!”

Max tried to ignore how nice it felt to have Piers’ palm on her face again. Her giggles died down. “I don’t know!”

“Fuckin’ dork.” Eager to kiss more and curious to see if he would pry more laughter from his friend, Piers dove back in as he spoke, punctuating the sentence with a comically harsh kiss; the kind that puts pressure on the side of your nose, and squishes the inside of your lips against your teeth.

Smiles still ghosted both their mouths, but Max managed to reciprocate this time, letting out one last amused huff through her nose while she gently moved her own palm to Piers’ face. The one closer to the bed fidgeted with one of the strings on her hoodie, while Piers’ respective arm was hidden beneath his pillow.

Although Piers’ second advance was firm, the way he and Max settled in was anything but. It was more composed than the last time they’d kissed, now that they actually knew how to kiss a person, with each movement patiently calculated.

As time stretched on, they grew closer. Silently agreed to make as much contact as they could possibly manage. They pressed their torsos together atop Piers’ dark, silky sheets, and comfortably allowed their legs to intertwine; and their hands roamed each other’s faces, hair, backs and hips, learning each other's curves and edges with a calm curiosity rather than rushed desperation. It was cozy, save for the awkward angles they needed to maneuver their heads in.

They had no idea how much time had passed since they began, both of them perfectly content to just keep going until the cramping in their necks got to be too much. Acknowledging their discomfort at the same time, though, they pulled back. The tips of their noses touched as they laid their cheeks flat to the pillow.

Piers mourned the loss of Max’s hand on his skin as she lifted it to the side of her neck, giving it a little massage. Max felt the same when Piers mimed her.

Her intense focus on the lower half of Piers’ face flustered him…

It shouldn’t have. She just wanted someone to kiss. That’s all. That’s what he kept telling himself, at least.

She broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes raised to his, “This would be easier if our damn noses weren’t here.” Gave his nose a nudge with her own for emphasis.

Piers nudged back. “You have a Bisharp.”

“I do...”

“We could ask it to chop ‘em off.”

Max snorted a little. “Sounds excessive.”

“Desperate times, or whatever.”

“So dramatic!”

“Arc forbid I wanna keep my neck in tact,” he grumbled.

“Arc forbid we just change positions.”

Theatrically rolling his eyes and sighing, Piers flopped over on his back, letting his arms slap down next to him.

“You look like a… a really grumpy fish,” Max concluded as she leaned up onto her palm. She pivoted a little too, allowing herself to hover over Piers without caging him in.

Flashing his sharp canines with a playful grin, Piers asked, “What, like a Gyarados?”

Max checked Piers out. Her eyes roamed him while she tilted her head and squinted, part of her ogling and the other pretending like this was part of the bit. She diagnosed him as “A disgruntled Majikarp.”

“Ha! Piss off.” Piers leaned up, nudging her shoulder as they both laughed.

“Kicking me out already?” Max half-joked, eyes flickering to the door for a moment as she gestured her head in its direction. “I’m hurt!”

“‘Course not.” Piers hooked a finger into the collar of Max’s hoodie and tugged her closer to him. “C’mere.” The playful banter and some post-kiss clarity, whatever the fuck that is, gave Piers some of the confidence he needed to try to keep going.

Wobbling off-balance, Max had to scramble to find somewhere to re-situate her hands as her face steamed. Wound up accidentally pushing Piers down, with one hand on his chest, and the other between his arm and his torso. Max’s eyes were wide as her forehead nearly smashed into Piers’ chin, but his hands on her shoulders saved her.

He was feeling a smidge bashful, having just been pushed down onto his bed by a pretty lady, but the fact that he caused it himself made it more humorous than suggestive. Max was flustered to all hell, but she couldn’t stop herself from chuckling along with him.

While their giggles died down, Max repositioned her face just above Piers’. Their noses were touching again.

…Fuck it.

Piers’ hands both traveled to cup the sides of Max’s neck, his thumbs finding refuge on her cheeks while she wordlessly tilted in for another kiss. There was more oomph to it this time.

Max’s fingers curled against the fabric of Piers’ tee, and he could feel her fidgeting with it. It was completely subconscious, but Piers didn’t know that; he wanted to make sure she was alright to keep going, that she didn’t feel coerced into kissing more. That she wasn’t looking for an out when she suggested exiting before.

He came to the conclusion that she was probably fine and he was overthinking again and he was dumb and of course she wanted to stay, she said she wanted to kiss someone, but it couldn’t hurt to make sure, and—

Before Piers could double check, he felt Max’s tongue shyly swipe his bottom lip.

Oh. Alright then.

She had been blissfully unaware of Piers’ anxious thoughts, too busy crawling through her own. Asking herself if he even wanted any of this. If he was doing this out of pity, rather than because he wanted to. If she would freak him out by trying to make out.

She was elated when she decided to give it a whirl and was met with enthusiasm. He hummed quietly while inviting her in with an air of desperation that made her heart feel palpable in her chest.

His left hand shifted up to the back of her head, pressing her face closer to him, as if he’d never dare to let her go. In turn, Max flattened her palm against his chest, allowing more weight onto it while she lifted her supporting hand to do the same to Piers; her fingers wove their way into his damp mane, cradling his head in place of the pillow.

Just like with their first kiss, this one was steadily growing messier. Heavier. Needier.

Piers decided this still wasn’t enough contact. Muddled beneath Max’s touch, he barely registered that what he was about to do was risky. His hands moved to the brunette’s waist, and without letting his lips leave hers, he lifted her tiny frame onto his.

Max broke off, letting out a startled yelp. She looked down at her legs as if she needed to see herself straddling Piers to confirm that it was happening. Her baggy athletic shorts were riding up a bit too, now that her thighs were spread, rendering them barely visible with how low this hoodie reached on her. Looked scandalous. She and Piers both felt their faces heating up just as quickly as the spaces between their legs.

Piers prayed to Arceus that he could keep himself from getting hard. Or, like, fully hard at least, since that ship had sailed. Being that he was rapidly failing, he also prayed that Max would stay where she was against the upper part of his groin, so that if he did grow fully erect, she maybe probably hopefully wouldn’t feel it.

Neither of them said a word as both chests heaved with each breath of each other’s air. All Max could manage at the moment was to clutch onto Piers’ shirt and stare at what little space there was between them while her forehead pressed to his.

They sat paralyzed for a short few seconds until Max trailed her gaze slowly up to Piers’. They remained in each other’s hungry stares until Max let her vision lower to Piers’ lips instead.

Something in them both snapped. As Max leaned down, Piers craned his neck upward. His hands dragged up from Max’s hips and molded into the curve of her back, while her fist that wasn’t on Piers’ chest had a goddamn death grip on the pillow next to his head.

This kiss was nothing but needy. Their breaths were audible each time they parted for air. Their tongues barely left each other’s mouths. Max could swear at one point she felt a spit string drag between her lips and his, and nearly died at the realization that she found that sexy.

The small, self-soothing, and accidentally tantalizing movements she’d been making with her legs and hips in an attempt to stop herself from giving up all restraint and grinding into Piers were enough to test his will to not buck himself up against her.

There came a point where they failed, together. As their cores made the barest hint of contact, they both gasped. It was almost like a whimper from Max and a groan from Piers. Hearing those noises from each other drove them insane.

Their lips were still touching as they’d paused, trying to decide what was going to happen next. For a short moment their darkened eyes met, but they both abandoned that in favor of more kissing. Decided to just see what would happen if they kept this up.

Feeling bold, Max pressed a little more pressure against Piers, relocating the hand on his pillow onto his cheek. His hands glided over to her hips again, and this time he squeezed them hard, making Max’s closed eyelids flutter.

He gave her a small push. Nonverbally asking her to move back. He gave up trying to hide his arousal. Wanted her to feel what she’d done to him. And she let him move her without a second thought, in turn allowing his sex to rest beneath hers.

Timid in her approach, Max raised herself up so as to be less directly connected to Piers, but still managed to rock against him, each of them taking heady breaths from each other’s opened mouths as she very lightly slid her slit against his length.

Piers pushed back. Wanted more. His lips muffled a whine that Max accidentally let slip while the underside of his dick rubbed against her and he hated himself for not pulling away to hear her.

It was taking every fiber of Max’s being to not beg for him. All she needed to do, really, was shift her shorts over, and he just had to slide his pants down a bit, and then they could have the time of their fucking lives.

Easy as that!

Meanwhile, Piers was just a few heartbeats away from asking her to do exactly that. Even if Max didn’t grant him full access, he just wanted to make her feel good; to learn her body, to study her expressions while she lost herself atop him, to hear her pleasure and taste her moans.

God, they wanted to fuck. Neither of them knew if it was their 21-year-old-virgin hormones, or genuine yearning from the opposite party, but they were both silently debating with their own selves whether or not this was worth the risk…

Until,

“Bro?” a groggy, tiny voice called from the other side of Piers’ bedroom door.

Both sets of eyes shot open. Piers lended Max a hand in practically launching herself off of him. She landed flat on her back and rested her palms over her burning hot face while Piers scrambled himself under the covers to hide his excitement.

“You alright?” he breathed.

Max tilted her head towards him and nodded, lowering her hands, now cozily curled into her sleeves like mittens, to rest against her chest. “You?”

He sighed. “Yeah.” He took a deep, shaky breath, still trying to calm himself. Then, raising his voice to a normal volume, he called out, “What’s up, Marn?”

The young girl, just barely over 9 years old, let herself in. Her old, stained and misshapen plushie of a Morpeko was tucked closely against her chest with one arm while her opposite hand wiped at wet eyes.

“Had another nightmare. Can I sleep here?”

“‘Course,” Piers replied.

Marnie crawled into bed, but instead of curling up to Piers’ side like she usually did on nights like these, she sat herself down with crossed legs right between him and Max.

“Why’re you in here?”

“Weee were…” Max’s eyes flickered between Piers’ and Marnie’s before she settled, “just hanging out.”

“Oh.” A beat passed. “Why’re you breathing so heavy?”

Piers barked out a laugh that he quickly hid behind an exaggerated cough while Max’s heart raced. As she sat up and leaned into her palms, her own lips curled up. She bit her bottom one to try to contain it.

How the hell was she supposed to explain this?

”She had a nightmare too,” Piers covered for her, a smile in his tone.

While Marnie’s attention was turned to her brother, Max shot him a thankful smile, remnants of silent laughter lingering in her breaths.

Swiveling her view back again, Marnie asked Max, “You get bad dreams too?”

“Yeah. All the time, actually,” Max answered truthfully. “And I was just telling him all about it,” she fibbed, nodding in Piers’ direction before continuing with something she truly believed as a little girl: “Did you know that talking to someone about your bad dreams chases them away?”

“Really?!”

“Yeah! All those scary monsters and bad guys are actually very shy,” she claimed matter-of-factly. Marnie broke into a fit of incredulous giggles. “Crazy, right?”

Piers looked on with nothing but admiration as Max treated his little sister as if she was her own. It was something she had always done that Piers would never entirely get used to, after being alone in caring for Marnie for so long.

He was of course happy to see his sister’s spirits being raised, but his heart swelled beyond comprehension as Max told her silly little story to comfort the kid.

“And that,” she looked up at Piers, breaking him from his stupor, “is why you should tell your brother all about your dream.” She gave him a shit-eating grin. Her cheeks were still a little pink from earlier, making the smile look a little extra silly.

This was payback for laughing at her a moment ago. He knew it.

Ignoring his mild annoyance in favor of seeing the stupid, mischievous, adorable look on Max’s face, he played along.

“That’s right,” he shifted his view to his sister, his face soft, “tell me all about those creepy little buggers you’re dealin’ with, will ya?” He lifted his arm to invite her in, and Marnie rolled into place, scrambling underneath the blankets with him.

Max smiled at the view. They’re so darn cute… she thought, I should give them some space.

“I’m gonna go back to my room,” she announced as she stood up and padded across the room. Her hand hovering near the light switch, she asked, “You want the light on?”

Piers looked to Marnie, who looked up at him. There was a hint of fear still lurking in her big, teal eyes.

“Yeah, thanks,” Piers answered.

Max nodded. “Sleep tight, you two,” she grinned.

Marnie responded with a curt nod, snuggling her plushie closer to her face and shuffling closer to Piers. Max looked at them both, but her eyes lingered on Piers’ a wee bit longer. Just enough for him to notice, his cheeks growing a little warm as he reciprocated. “‘Night, love.”

Rather than going back to her room immediately, Max headed to the bathroom to splash her face with cold water. She sure as hell needed it. After drying her skin, she stared at herself in the mirror, wondering what the actual fuck just happened. What would have happened, if Marnie hadn’t interrupted. What was going to happen next.

…If she was seriously planning on tucking herself under her covers and sneakily getting off on what had just happened.

Damn it.

After having a pee, she went back to bed, sent Misdreavus to its ball, and did just that.

—

Later in the day, when she eventually woke up, Max went on with her usual routine:

Brushed her teeth. Showered. Swapped her big cozy bathrobe for actual clothes. Spent an absurd amount of time trying to brush out her thigh-length hair while Misdreavus kept trying to chew it, thus ruining her progress. Eventually got to the point where she could comfortably tie it into low pigtails on each side of her nape, a style she was cozy with.

While this was going on, Piers had already done most of the same. He helped Marnie get ready for the day too, walked her over to a friend’s house, politely dodged that friend’s single mother’s insistence to get to know him better, and headed home, only stopping to grab some cigarettes from a Pokémart along the way.

The whole walk back, his Obstagoon kept him company. Nudged him to make sure he was alright when it sensed things were weird with its trainer. Piers easily distracted it with some scratches on its scruffy neck.

When they got home, Piers sent Obstagoon to its ball and headed straight for Max’s room, unsure of what he was even planning to do when he saw her. He just knew that either they needed to talk, or that he needed her, or something.

Just as he was about to approach her door, it opened — Max was simply leaving to grab some coffee to keep herself energized until her shift at the gym.

The two blinked at one another, Max’s face quickly coating itself in blush. This stare-off lasted a few seconds before Piers spoke up.

“We should...” he trailed off.

Max nodded. “Yeah...” They both sighed. Neither of them moved for a moment. “…You want coffee?” she added.

“Yeah, I can do coffee.”

Piers had already brewed a pitcher earlier with the warming setting flicked on, so there was no awkward waiting around. Max poured Piers a cup and handed it over, knowing he liked it black, then poured her own with the addition of some flavored creamer.

They walked side by side to the sofa. Sat down facing each other on opposite ends, letting their feet bump in the center. Piers stayed upright while Max cuddled against the back cushion at her side.

There was a short silence while they sipped from their mugs and tried to think of what to say.

Max was first to speak, her words softly spoken, “We… probably shouldn’t make a habit of that.”

Looking at his drink, Piers nodded, before seeking out Max’s eyes. Her view remained on her lap, but she saw his nod in her periphery.

She continued, “I know it’s probably hypocritical coming from me since I initiated, but I…” I think I love you. She sighed, rerouting her thoughts. “You’re the most important person to me, like, ever, and I don’t want to lose you just because” I think I want you with every fiber of my being “we’re lonely and…” She paused, then huffed out a laugh in her next words, “quite frankly depraved, y’know?” Then, Max tacked on in a murmur, “I don’t want things to be different.”

Nervously, she made eye contact with Piers, who nodded in agreement. She didn’t know what else to say, and he needed to think about what to say. What he could say that wouldn’t make this harder.

As Max sipped her coffee, Piers spoke up almost shyly, his heart speeding up a bit as he sought out a compromise. “Who said things have t’be different?”

She tilted her head. “Hm?”

Piers chewed his lip for a moment before clarifying, running a hand back through his loose hair, “It’s not like we have to start a whole relationship, or anythin’ serious like that, obviously.” He swallowed hard. He wanted to, to be honest, but Max was right. Things were nice the way they were. He took a deep breath. “We don’t need to stop whatever this is either, though.” He quickly added on, “Unless you want to.”

Max’s eyes were wide as she stared down at her cup. “…Okay.” Unable to help her grin, she looked up, proposing, “We should, like, set some rules though. Or something.”

Piers dove right in, sitting up a little straighter in his victory. “Right. First one, nobody can know. Too much of a racket’ll be made if word gets out.”

“Especially if Marnie finds out”

“Especially if Marnie finds out,” he echoed.

“Second,” Max offered, “I… we… God damn it, words,” she muttered the last bit to herself under her breath. Piers chuckled, watching on fondly as she got herself together. “I-I don't think we should do anything more than kiss.” She felt presumptuous in saying that, but justified, given what almost happened just 10 hours or so prior.

He wanted her, badly, but she was right again.

He teased, “Damn. No pact to fuck at, like, 30 years, then?”

Max laughed, knocking her knee against his. “Shut up!”

Piers took another sip, then held up a finger, “Alright, one more.”

“What’s that?”

“Should limit how often we do this. Lowers our chances of getting caught or getting romantic or whatever.” As if they weren’t already.

Max nodded solemnly. “Yeah…”

More silence passed. It was comfortable, though, each of them lost in their own thoughts as they worked through their coffees.

Max setting her mug onto the end table behind her brought Piers back. He followed suit, then observed Max as she curled back up, her gaze staying near her knees.

She chewed her lip. Piers watched as the pink skin sprung free from her teeth as if he was in a trance.

Barely thinking, he muttered, “I really wanna kiss you again, Max.”

Max’s eyes stayed glued in their spot as her lids instantaneously widened.

They both managed to get through their conversation without talking about their actual feelings for one another, rendering each other oblivious to what the other actually felt. But in that sentence alone, Max thought it sounded an awful lot like Piers wanted her specifically. Like he was admitting something.

She pushed that hope back. He was just lonely.

She met him in the middle as her face softened, “Me too.” She peered up at him and added, “Not yet though.” Gave him a clearly exaggeratedly stern look while she said that, trying to lighten the mood.

That wasn’t helping Piers’ pining at all – he was a sucker for silliness – but he didn’t mind, nor did he say anything about it. He jested back, “So, you wanna schedule meetings for this, then?”

“Quarterly reviews, perhaps.”

“Didn’t know you were a businesswoman.”

Their usual silly banter continued on. How quickly they changed from a somewhat-serious talk to goofing off made it both easier and harder to move on from this, with both of them wanting more, but valuing their close friendship first.

They wouldn’t give moments like this up for anything.

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thehappiestgolucky · 2 years

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noticing a trend in some of my ships

#doodles #whitenoiseshipping #oc x canon #crimson nails #oh the inherit fun of ships with a :> and ._.#bonus of them both having things to ramble about in their own ways and the other listens entirely enthralled #EXTRa bonus if it’s the ._. one #am i allowed to think of a ship name for me own ocxoc and oc x canon stuff… 🤔#also yes it is pokedessa n marnie #also hi i’m having intense pokemon brainrot atm trying to get a shiny hattena without a shiny charm and a same language ditto i’m doomed <3 #also my motivation completely crashed so uhhh whoops

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pan-fried-autism · 1 year

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I made this a little before I went to sleep (I just woke up again)

#Ferrel #Marnie #ferddles #cuddles HTF #oc x canon fanart #oc x canon fanchild #anaconda dont look #TOTALLY unrelated but while I’m sleeping you can send me asks #Y’know heheheheh

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madd-nix · 2 years

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Lost and Found

Chapter 1

About two years after returning from Hisui, Ingo finds a little girl lost in the subway. He and Emmet do everything they can to find her parents, but when it starts to look like a case of abandonment, Ingo realizes he might need to step in for this girl.

Aka this is a highly self indulgent story of Ingo adopting a daughter. This also includes little snippets of Emmet x Piers because it's my story and I say they're cute.

Words: 3,751

Rating: PG (ask to tag)

Ingo stood at the platform, directing passengers and announcing the arrival of the trains. He checked the time. 1:45 on the dot. Things were going just as scheduled. The lunch rush was thankfully calming down now as people returned to work or school, which meant there were now fewer crowds and less noise in the subway. After being in Hisui for five years, Ingo had gotten used to the quiet outside. He was glad to be home, of course, but he now required soft foam earbuds to drown out the noises of Nimbasa City.

Another train came and went, leaving the platform mostly empty. A few people still milled about, but they all seemed to be in no hurry. However, with the clearer view of the platform, Ingo was now able to see a very small and very upset little girl. And she was making her way right towards him.

Ingo bent down on one knee to be more at eye level with the girl as she approached. She was sniffling and crying, so Ingo quickly pulled a tissue out of one of the pockets in his jacket.

"Young lady, what seems to be troubling you?" he asked gently.

"I-I can't find my... p-parents..." the girl responded in a shaky, teary voice.

"I see. Do you know how long it's been since you were separated? And where did you become uncoupled from them?"

The little girl rubbed at her eyes and blew her nose with the tissue Ingo handed her before answering.

".....It was a little while ago... when the crowds were here... and I got separated from them here. I didn't get on any trains or leave this room."

Ingo nodded along. "Well, that was very smart of you to stay where you were. This should help us track down your parents. I am Subway Boss Ingo, and I will make sure you are reunited with them soon." The little girl smiled at that.

"Thanks Mr. Ingo. And my name is Rosie."

"Rosie. That's a lovely name. And how old are you, Miss Rosie?"

"I'm six years old. Almost seven."

"And you were here with both your parents?"

"Yes, Mommy and Daddy. We came here to go to the amusement park."

Ingo nodded as he mentally took note of all this. A six year old girl has been separated from her parents while on their way to the amusement park. This happened most likely during the lunch rush between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm, leaning more towards a later time considering the parents haven't returned yet.

"Alright. I'm going to let the other depot agents know about this and to be on the look out for your parents." Rosie nodded and Ingo stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the radio that every subway employee used to communicate.

"Attention, this is Subway Boss Ingo. I am currently on platform number 2 for the A train. I have a missing girl with me named Rosie. She is six years old, has freckles, brown hair tied into pigtails, and she is currently wearing a pink vest over a white shirt with a brown skirt. She is missing her mother and father, so if any couples approach you looking for a child of that description, please contact me immediately. Thank you." There was a chorus of affirmations from the depot agents along with a clear "Understood!" from his brother Emmet. Ingo then turned back to Rosie.

"Everyone in the subway now knows that you're looking for your parents. I will stay with you to make sure you are safe. Passenger safety is one of my top priorities, so you have no need to worry with me."

"Thanks Mr. Ingo!" Rosie wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. Ingo gently patted her head and smiled faintly.

"How about we find a bench to sit at while we wait." Rosie nodded and Ingo took her hand as he guided them both over to a nearby bench.

Together they sat silently, and Ingo tried to think of some sort of conversation to help distract the young girl. As another train pulled up to the station and let more passengers off, he noticed Rosie covering her ears. The trains could be fairly loud at times, especially to anyone that wasn't already used to them, and the crowd was pretty loud as well.

"Rosie, is it too loud here?" he asked as he tried to keep his voice down to not add to the cacophony.

"Yeah, a little," she admitted. Ingo pulled the box of black foam earbuds out of pocket from his jacket. He then pointed to the pair already in his own ears.

"It gets a little too loud for me here as well. You can have a pair of earbuds to soften the volume." Rosie smiled and took a pair of earbuds. After placing them in her ears, she tilted her head to listen for a moment, testing them out.

"Hey, they work! It isn't as bad now and I can still hear stuff! Thanks Mr. Ingo!"

"You're welcome, Miss Rosie."

They lapsed back into silence as they waited. Rosie kicked her legs back and forth as she looked around for any sign of her parents.

"What do your parents look like?" Ingo asked, hoping to help spot them.

"Well, Mommy has long brown hair kinda like mine," Rosie began explaining. "She has brown eyes too, and today she's wearing a blue dress and a black jacket. Daddy has short black hair, and he has freckles like I do. He's wearing a gray shirt with buttons and black pants." Ingo nodded as he took note of this. As he scanned the room, he couldn't immediately see anyone that fit those descriptions. He quickly typed that all out in his phone and sent the message along to the depot agents and Emmet in hopes that that will help them.

"Thank you, Miss Rosie. I just sent those descriptions to my coworkers so that they'll be on the look out for your parents as well." Rosie nodded, then continued looking around.

Some more time passed, and Rosie looked like she was starting to get tired and more uncomfortable.

"...Mr. Ingo?" Rosie said quietly. "I'm hungry."

"Ah, yes! Have you had lunch yet?" he asked.

"I had a pretzel before I got separated," Rosie replied. Oh Arceus, this child hasn't eaten in at least an hour!

"I can take you to the break room! We have many different foods there that I'm sure you'll like. We can refuel there! All aboard!" He stood, doing his usual pointing pose, which luckily got Rosie to smile. He then held her hand and guided her to the nearest break room. As he walked, he made another short message over the radio, announcing their change in location while asking for any updates. Unfortunately, there were none, but he didn't let this drag him down.

Once in the break room, Ingo started looking through the cabinets and the fridge for anything a child might like to eat. There were instant ramen packets, a few bagged lunches marked with employees' names (those were off limits), and some lunch meats, cheeses, and bread for sandwiches, along with chips and cookies for snacks. But for now, Rosie needed something more substantial.

"Well, it appears we need to restock soon, but we have ramen and supplies for sandwiches," he said. "We have sliced turkey and ham, along with cheese slices."

"Can I have a ham sandwich with cheese? Please?" Rosie asked politely.

"Of course. Have a seat at the table and I can make one for you," Ingo replied as he took off his white gloves. "And we do have some water and apple juice to drink. Which would you prefer?"

"Apple juice please!" Rosie said excitedly. Ingo handed her a juice box and she sat down to drink it.

Ingo then pulled up his sleeves to wash his hands at the sink. Safety first. It was then that Rosie noticed the bracelet on his arm.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at it. Ingo looked to where she was pointing. It was the warden bracelet from the Pearl Clan with the image of Lady Sneasler carved into the wood. He insisted that he return it to Lady Irida before returning home with Emmet, but she had simply told him to keep it as a memento. Besides, they could always make another when they found a new warden for Lady Sneasler. And this way, Ingo felt like he would always be Lady Sneasler's warden.

"Ah, this is a bracelet I had received from a previous... adventure," he replied. "I was in charge of taking care of a powerful and strange Pokemon named Lady Sneasler. This bracelet showed that I was her warden."

"Wow, I've never heard of that kind of Pokemon!" Rosie exclaimed. "What was she like? What type was she?"

"She was a fighting and poison type. She was the evolution of a regional variant of Sneasel," Ingo explained. "However, this was a long time ago. Sadly, Sneaslers have... gone extinct." It was a sad fact that tore him apart after he returned home. He has since accepted this fact, but it still kept him awake at night sometimes. Could he have done anything to ensure that her species continued? Did he not do enough for her and her children? Or was this a predetermined fate that he had no hope of changing? He usually tried not to think about it too much.

"Oh... I'm sorry," Rosie said quietly.

"There's no need to apologize. Sometimes that's just how nature works." Ingo put on a small smile to try and ease Rosie's worries. He quickly dried his hands and got to work making them both a sandwich. He was starting to get hungry too after all.

It didn't take long for the sandwiches to be made. It actually took longer for Ingo's coffee to brew. But soon, they were both sitting and eating quietly. He had also loaded up Rosie's plate with a few chips, and he promised her that she would receive a cookie after she ate her sandwich.

Soon, Emmet came into the room. Rosie looked up at him, then she looked at Ingo as she seemed to realize they were twins. They no longer looked exactly alike, but Emmet had been determined to fix that by growing his own beard. It was still rather short, and it looked like more of an inverse of Ingo's beard with Emmet's growing more to point up towards his mouth with Ingo's pointed down, but it sort of fit their "opposite yet matching" aesthetic.

"Emmet, any news on Rosie's parents?" Ingo asked.

"No, not yet. But we are still looking. I've also contacted the local police to see if maybe they're lost in the city somewhere," Emmet replied. "But I came to meet Rosie myself. I was curious."

Ingo nodded and watched as Emmet walked over and held out a hand to Rosie.

"I am Subway Boss Emmet! Ingo and I are twins. It is nice to meet you!" Rosie shook his hand and smiled shyly.

"I'm Rosie. It's nice to meet you too," she said.

"I promise we will find your parents," Emmet assured her. "Ingo was missing once too. For five years. And yet I still found him and brought him home!" Rosie turned to look at Ingo in shock.

"Five years?" she asked. Ingo nodded.

"Yes. A legendary Pokemon took me and sent me through time and space for some unknown reason. We suspect it was during a confused frenzy. That's where I got this bracelet," Ingo said as he motioned to his warden's bracelet. "But yes, if anyone can find your parents, it will be my brother and I."

"Thank you! Thank you Mr. Ingo and Mr. Emmet!" Both brothers tipped their caps and smiled as a "you're welcome".

"So, Ingo, I assume you will not be manning the Singles line until Rosie's parents are found, right?" Emmet asked.

"Correct. I will be staying with her to ensure her safety until then," Ingo confirmed. "Which also means I will not be there for any battles on the Multi line either."

"That's disappointing but understandable," Emmet said flatly. "I will continue to run the Doubles line for now and I'll make an announcement to any possible challengers about the Singles and Multi lines."

"Understood." With that, Emmet bowed slightly to Rosie.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Rosie. You are in safe hands with my brother. I will continue to keep an eye out for your parents now."

"Thank you, Mr. Emmet. And it was nice meeting you too," Rosie said. With a smile and a tip of his hat, Emmet walked off.

"So, you're both Subway Bosses?" Rosie asked.

"Yes. Emmet and I were luckily both chosen for the position years ago because of how well we work together," Ingo replied. It also gave us the chance to create the Multi Battle train line as part of the Battle Subway. In a multi battle, both Emmet and I face against two opponents. It's a 2 vs 2 battle where everyone each has one Pokemon out at a time. It's challenging because you not only need to know how to work with your Pokemon to fight against an opponent, but you also need to know how to work with your partner against a pair of opponents. If you're not in sync with your partner, you will fail. And Emmet and I are very much in sync with each other. We rarely lose."

"Woah, that's so cool!" Rosie was practically bouncing in her seat. "I can't wait until I can get my first Pokemon! I'll have to come back and battle you when I'm older!"

"I look forward to that battle," Ingo said with chuckle. "So, do you have a certain type of Pokemon in mind for your starter?"

"I don't know. Hmm..." Rosie held a hand up to her chin in thought.

"Would you like to meet my first Pokemon? Maybe that will give you an idea of what you want from your starter." Rosie gasped and her face lit up.

"Yes please! Yes, yes, yes!" She bounced eagerly in her chair.

Ingo chuckled and took out a pokeball from a jacket pocket. He released Chandelure, who trilled happily, then turned to Rosie. She stared in shock and awe.

"This is Chandelure," Ingo said, a hint of pride in his voice. "My first Pokemon. I got her when she was just a Litwick. She's a ghost and fire type. Chandelure, this is Rosie. I'm keeping her company for the time being." Chandelure trilled and floated over to Rosie.

"Hi there. Um, I'm Rosie." Ingo could see that Rosie was a little nervous, so he gently took one of her hands and held it out towards Chandelure.

"It's alright, Miss Rosie. Just hold your hand out like this. When approaching any new Pokemon, you want to let them come to you. But holding your hand out like this can show them you mean no harm."

Rosie nodded and Chandelure floated closer to her. Gently, Rosie started to pet Chandelure's head. She smiled and Chandelure trilled contently.

"It's nice to meet you, Chandelure," Rosie said quietly. Chandelure nuzzled against Rosie's hand in response. Ingo smiled faintly.

"It seems like Chandelure likes you," Ingo said. Chandelure proved this by floating even closer to nuzzle against Rosie's chest. Rosie slowly wrapped her arms around Chandelure and softly pet the Pokemon.

For a while, they sat there quietly. Rosie just continued to pet Chandelure and Ingo sat beside them with a small smile. Soon, Chandelure started to fall asleep, so Ingo returned her to her pokeball.

"Bye Chandelure," Rosie whispered to the pokeball. "And thank you for showing me your Pokemon, Mr. Ingo."

"You're welcome, Miss Rosie," he said with a slight tip of his hat. "I'm always happy to show off my team, and to teach others more about any Pokemon they are unfamiliar with." Rosie nodded, then after a moment, she looked to the cabinet.

"Also, I ate my sandwich and my chips. Can I have a cookie now please?"

Ingo let out a small chuckle, then stood up to get out the cookie jar.

Hours passed, and still nothing. They spent most of their time in the break room, since it was quiet and away from any crowds. Towards dinnertime, Ingo prepared some ramen in the microwave for both of them. Depot agents came and went as the time went on, and none of them had any updates about Rosie's parents. Ingo was starting to worry. And poor little Rosie was starting to get tired.

Eventually, Ingo carried Rosie out of the break room. She was starting to doze off and there was no way she could spend the night in the subway. So he called Emmet to meet him at the platform where he first found Rosie.

It was close to 8:00 at night. The platform was nearly empty, except for a few depot agents, janitors, the few remaining passengers preparing to go home for the night, and Emmet.

"Still nothing?" Ingo asked as he approached his brother while carrying the dozing child. Emmet shook his head.

"No, nothing. The police are still searching the city, but they said tomorrow they'll expand their search past Nimbasa," Emmet explained.

"So, where do we take her? She needs a place to stay for the night," Ingo mused. "Would it be alright if I took her home?"

"I'll let Piers know about this," Emmet said as he pulled out his Xtransceiver. "I'll let him know about the situation, and maybe he can have the couch prepared for her by the time you get there."

"I have him prepare the couch for me," Ingo told him. "She can take my bed tonight. I don't mind a night on the couch."

"Hmm, fair enough." Emmet then started to type away on his Xtrans. "I'll stay here and finish the last of the night's safety checks. Go ahead and get Rosie home. I'll be there later tonight."

"Understood." The two brothers nodded to each other, then Ingo turned to leave as Emmet resumed typing.

As he walked, Rosie shifted a little in his arms. She clung tighter to him, most likely due to the chilly night air. Ingo picked up his pace.

"...Mr. Ingo? Where are we going?" Rosie asked sleepily.

"I am sorry to say that we have not found your parents yet, and it is getting very late. We are going to continue our search, but for tonight, you can stay with me. Is that alright?" She nodded and curled up closer to him. He tried to wrap his coat more around her as he walked.

They soon got home. Ingo didn't exactly have the time or the hands available to dig through his pockets for his keys to unlock the door, so he simply knocked. Piers, his brother-in-law, answered the door. As soon as he saw Rosie, he ushered Ingo inside.

"Emmet told me everything. Poor girl," Piers said quietly.

Marnie, Piers' sister, was setting up the couch with Ingo's pillow and a blanket.

"I have a spare nightgown that she can borrow," Marnie spoke up.

"Oh, thank you, Marnie." Ingo then turned to Rosie. "Miss Rosie, I hate to wake up, but we've arrived at our station. This is Piers and Marnie. We're all here to help you."

Rosie looked up and rubbed at her eyes. Piers waved and smiled to her. Marnie waved as well.

"Would you like to borrow one of my nightgowns?" Marnie asked. "I doubt sleeping in your regular clothes will be very comfortable." Rosie nodded and Ingo carefully set her down. Marnie then led Rosie to her bedroom to help her change.

"...She's been with you all day?" Piers asked once the girls were out of the room. Ingo nodded as he cracked his back.

"Since just after the lunch rush. Just before 2:00," Ingo replied. "We've searched the subway and the police have searched all of Nimbasa. Emmet made sure to have the police start to expand their search tomorrow."

"What kind of parents leave their child and don't think to come back for her," Piers mumbled bitterly. "I don't like the look of this one bit, mate."

"I know. I'm starting to worry. But we have to remain hopeful for Rosie's sake." Piers just nodded in response.

Soon enough, Marnie and Rosie came back out of Marnie's room. Rosie was now wearing a plain light pink nightgown, that was just a little too big for her. The one shoulder was dropping and it was awfully long on her, but it did the job as a pair of loaned pajamas.

"Miss Rosie, we have made arrangements for you to stay in my room for the night. I will sleep on the couch. Come, I'll show you where my room is." Rosie just nodded as she took Ingo's hand and waved to Marnie and Piers.

Ingo led her to his room and he flicked on the light. Rosie made a beeline for the bed as soon as she saw it. She laid down and almost immediately closed her eyes. She looked exhausted.

"Good night, Miss Rosie," Ingo said quietly. "And if you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to come get me."

"...Mm'kay...... night night, Mr. Ingo..." Rosie mumbled. Ingo smiled a little, then quickly grabbed his own pajamas, turned out the light, and left the room. He closed the door, leaving it open just a crack so some light could seep in from the hallway, then he went to the bathroom to change clothes and brush his teeth.

Once that was done, he walked back downstairs to the living room where Piers and Marnie were sitting.

"How's she doing?" Piers asked.

"She seems to be holding up well enough," Ingo replied tiredly. "I've been able to distract her and keep her entertained today, and as soon as she laid down in my bed, she was already starting to fall asleep. But I am worried about how she'll feel tomorrow, especially if we can't find her parents soon."

"How old is she?" Marnie asked.

"Only six years old," Ingo said with a sigh.

"I wonder how far her parents got before realizing she was missing," Piers mused.

"I don't know. I can only hope we find them soon."

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cucuumiia · 4 months

Text

Hello~ 👋👀

I hope everyone had a nice start into the new year!! ☺️✨

(I originally hoped to finish this piece earlier but oh well🫠)

I just really wanted to say that even though I only started sharing stuff on Tumblr less than a year ago, the amount of support, interactions, really long and thought out comments and asks inspired me so, so much and keep doing so! I read through each and every one of them and I cherish them with all my heart!❤️

I‘m so thankful to have come here and being able to interact with so many amazing people who also share the same amount of terminal brainrot for this silly little farming game. I love scrolling through all the tags and see what amazing stuff people draw, write, embroider, sew etc.!

Basically, thank you so much for stopping by!!🫶❤️

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morn1e · 7 days

Text

it is anything but

#postal 2 #postal oc #ermm…please do ask abt her…. *twirls hair #i am still learning how 2 draw dude so this will b a fun progress.#i hope u guys r accepting of oc x canon bcuz i do not feel like getting my throat ripped out by yet an another fandom #ocs desing may change but ermmmm.this is all i got #still very upset.goodnight #pdude #marnie #oopie

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skiesofrosie · 17 days

Text

Little Sunshine Fires: Chapter 2

Pairing: Benny DeMarco x OC [Marnie Cleven]

ch. before //ch. after

Warnings: historical inaccuracies + this is only based on the MOTA characters, and not the real life veterans!

Ps. the photos do not belong to me. :)

To write a love story in the middle of rapid conflict has always been complicated.

That’s just how the world works–trying to seek small bouts of happiness through torrential rains means sinking your boots deep into wet soil. But Benny is persistent, and he’s willing to climb through the muck because the reign of dawn has always been more than worth it. Daylight, for him, is a soothing balm even through the most turbulent of storms. Although, waking up to thoughts of a certain nurse tends to feel like daylight before he even pulls the curtains open.

He supposes he understands Marnie's qualms with the sun. But still, when this is all over, he’s determined to take her for a swing in his plane, and show her how beautiful the world is when you’re looking at it from the clouds. Perhaps, it may be an agenda more for him, than for her though. To fly with someone as gorgeous a soul as Marnie is as close to heaven as he will probably get, alive.

For now though, that’s thinking too far ahead. Benny realizes quite quickly that it’s near impossible to take a girl out on a date when you're dead stuck in a war.

⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆

He ran into her once at the theater. It seems the rest of the men had the same idea, finding his co-pilot Thayer and Lieutenant Curtis Biddick there as well, no doubt in need of a reprieve after the hell of a mission they had returned from. Five forts lost, more than twenty returning men injured, their bombing scrapped, and efforts wasted. The hospital lights didn’t dim for nearly two days, and though Benny was dying to burst through the doors to see if Marnie was okay, Buck said she’d yell in his face to scamper off before he could even say hello.

“One for the dramatics?” He had asked her, falling into the empty seat by her side. She chuckled then, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes, and he could clearly see the bags that dragged them down. But by God, in the lights of the film, she still glowed like daylight against clear water. “You could say that, but Buck’s the bigger drama queen between us two.” She cracks a teasing smile. “He just knows how to hide it better, yknow?” He didn’t know if he believed her, but she swatted at his shoulder when he had expressed the thought, so he guessed he better have.

They settled comfortably into silence then. The dark room was chilly, only lit with Bette Davis dancing about in colors of gray. Sounds of the soldiers wolf whistling, and chattering, and shushing those who were too rowdy set the tension in their shoulders loose. Benny saw the way the fingers on her right hand fiddled with each other, restless against the arm rest, and he was about to do something reckless, slip his hand into the shape of hers.

But he was so rudely cut off, by the blaring red light signaling a new mission.

⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆

He ran into her again a few days ago, while she searched for Buck in the mess hall at lunch. It was clear she was distressed, claiming she sought her brother to listen to her whine about Doc Stover’s never ending demands, and he decided there, and then, that to dissolve the weight of bricks on her back, he would whisk her away for a simple dinner (perhaps, a dinner date).

“With me? Make it a date?” She points to herself comically, and Benny lets a little smirk curve on his lips. “Yes, you. Dinner with me.” “With you?” “Yes, Christ. With me?” There was a tremble in his bones at that point, because maybe he was taking his chances too far. But, when she opened her mouth to speak–and he thought she'd throw a wrench into his resolve–she crumbled midway into laughter, eyes twinkling with mirth and a smile that made him warm.

“I’m just messin’,” she beamed, and relief fills his lungs, “I would love to have dinner with you, Benny. Tonight, at 5?” He nodded then, shrinking a little at the way Buck, who was seated a few tables away looked upon them in confusion, his utensils paused mid-air. Bucky turned around then, throwing Benny a smirk and a thumbs up before Buck smacked the back of his head. “At five. See ya, sweetheart.”

Come 1600, he was pleasantly surprised to find her knocking on his door an hour early. But as he took in her physical state, hair drooping from its messy bun, and blood stains on her white nurse uniform, he surmises that she was not there out of eagerness, and hides the wilt in his eyes when she informs him that she’ll have to cancel.

“One of the patients went into hysterics. Accidentally sliced one of my nurse’s hands in panic and left a pretty lookin’ gash. Doc Stover thinks it’d be best, that I stay for the night,” Marnie sighed, the guilt pooling in her sagged form. “I’m really sorry Benny.”

“Wait but,” he said, alarmed that she may be alone with in a hazardous situation, “will you be okay, alone? I could stay with you. That’s…it’s concerning, to say the least.”

“It’s all part of the job, I’ve been trained hard for shit like this,” she responded, letting a tired smile grace her lips. “Appreciate the thought though, but he’ll be a fine patient once he settles down.”

He nodded in understanding, but remained still at his door frame as if it’d keep her from turning away. Daylight, today, sent a trickle of sweat down his temples as if to mock the pinch of serenity he was declined of. But instead of turning away, she snatched the sun in her hands and sent heat straight through his blood and into his head when she stood on her tippy toes and planted a soft, sweet kiss on his cheeks. Her hands were gripping lightly at his shoulders, though if she were to let go, he might have been the one to topple over instead. “But I promise, I want that dinner with you.”

⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆

If they couldn’t meet in person, he would have to continue showing his affection through his actions.

It was routine for Benny, either on a Saturday or a Sunday, whichever he wasn’t bogged down on a mission with, to head out to the local florist. Ever since he knew of Marnie's gravitation towards peonies, he’s made a point to leave a new bundle on her desk as a way to say that he’s thinking of her. It’s gotten to the point where he has made friends with Grandma Daisy who runs the shops, a cheery old lady. He kisses the back of her hand in greeting each time he comes. After Benny’s first two visits, when the bell rings of his presence, she’d dash to the back room and return immediately with a bouquet of peonies (sometimes she’ll sneak in a couple extra than what he paid for).

And he starts leaving messages for Marnie on the pink-heart shaped card Grandma Daisy slips in for free. Sometimes it’d be something romantic, like “the morning sun is my favorite time of day, but the golden glow has got nothing on the way you shine.” Other times, he’d leave questions for her to ponder, even though he never expects an answer. Just yesterday, he had snuck in another bouquet on her desk in the hospital, before the night shift nurses clocked out before the sunrise, with a question written on the card. “When I take you for dinner, what would be your choice of food?”

He’s pleasantly surprised to return to his cot, worn out on a dreary Monday after a practice mission, to find a box with his name written widely across, sitting by the door. A box of lemon-drizzled vanilla cupcakes, and a small floral card with no name, but a little note. “Honestly, corn fritters and corn dogs, but perhaps that is not classy of me at all.”

He pays no mind to the gloomy clouds, because he feels like he’s got the wonders of the world sitting right here in his hands.

⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆

Crumple all fate in his grip; he will build a destiny for himself.

They are living on borrowed time, the numbers of the 100th Bomb Group dwindling with each mission they set off to in the day. And perhaps, this should have deterred him. Bucky would say, what is the point of growing seeds when you fly, knowing that the wheels of your plane may never touch the grass again. But that is not how Benny sees it. If anything, the fickleness of it all is the reason he should not hesitate.

So despite entering the pub with Buck, and Bucky, and Kidd and whoever else–he was barely paying attention, ever since Buck mentioned Marnie would be there–he beelines straight for her, seated on a wooden chair by the speckles of the lit fireplace. It seems she’s clocked him beforehand, greeting him as he approaches without even turning her head to meet his eyes, staring aimlessly into the fire. He wonders what constantly plagues her thoughts. Each time he runs into her, it seems he yanks her wandering mind back into her orbs.

“Thought you didn’t like the fire,” he states, and she finally turns to him. With a cute, confused frown, she replies, “when did I say I didn’t like fire?”

He chuckles, pointing to the fireplace, then up. “That big ball in the sky, if you haven’t noticed, is the fire that keeps this earth from turning into a shithole of poop.”

“It’s different,” she remarks as she scrunches her face. He reaches to pinch her nose, but she slaps his hand away, a growing smile betraying one of mock annoyance. “Seeking warmth on a cold, rainy night, then stepping out into glaring daylight.”

Mulling it over in his head, it’s impressive to Benny, the way her simple words are always doused in complex meaning, even when she’s not trying. He quite likes her mind, because it’s as beautiful as the outside. A little thought snaps into his near daze, and he scans the small pub, trying to see if there were other women around. Swiveling his head back to her, he notices the only chair in her periphery has been left unused.

“You’re alone?” He asks, moving to sit down, scuffing the chair forward against the wooden tiles to be closer to her side. “Didn’t come here with your friends?”

She nods, “I did, Shonda and Betsy. But they’re busy with some officers, right about there.”

He pans to where she points her finger, a blonde with short, tamed curls (Betsy, she tells him) and a long-haired brunette (Shonda, that’ll be), the girls talking chipperly to a couple officers by the bar that, to Benny’s dismay, were donning navy blue. A grimace pulls on his lips, and she laughs gingerly, knowing exactly why. The RAF officers never bode well with the Americans flooding in to fight on their behalf.

“Can’t complain though,” Marnie says, “they’re quite charming if you let them try, and they polish up real nice.” It may have been steam, rushing from his ears then, and all he wants to do is smack the smugness off her face, a delightful snicker bubbling from her throat in her easy dig to rile him up. He slips a cigarette out of his pocket, and in seeing him do so, she pulls a lighter from her own. Moving closer to Benny, she flickers a small flame against its bud as it sits between his mouth, and he nods his thanks. “Can I have one?”

“Nope,” he deadpans, sour towards her eye for navy-clad men. She pulls her head back slightly, a tiny pout on her lips. “Ah, ah, ah,” he mocks, pulling his hand back as she throws herself forward, trying to snatch precious cargo from the cardboard box. An idea springs into his mind, drawing a smirk of mischief to his lips. Benny holds the cigarette box further back, out of her reach, and Marnie, ever so the lioness prances even farther against his chair, eager for a puff of nicotine. “Benny–”

But her words die in her throat, eyes flickering up and down between Benny’s eyes and his lips, because oh my, she didn’t realize at all how close their faces were. And Benny, ever so the plotter, raises his brows in mock question, his own eyes trailing down to Marnie’s lips like he had his answer found.

“British men don’t knock into ya with their bike, and use repayment as an excuse to try and see your pretty face everyday, do they?” He teases, the smirk falling off his lips as heat sends her pupils dilating.

“It was my fault though, wasn’t it? If you’re asking for favors, I’d be happy to comply,” she says, and he can feel the flames burn through his lungs, and fume into his hands with the way they yearn to grab her waist. But he flares restraint against his muscles, because one, noisy Curtis Biddick stalks up to them with no shame. Benny can’t judge him though, considering how he was about to kiss his major’s little sister senseless in the middle of a very public pub.

“Damn Benny,” Curt gleams with a teasing lilt to his voice, and slides in between them like a wall to keep them separate, Bucky and Buck trailing closely behind. The latter stared intensely at his little sister, like a quiet reprimand, but she merely shrugs with a clandestine smile. “You stuck a hole in the wheel of your bike so you could trap her through your miserable fall in your big, cozy arms?”

Now that, sends a flush of embarrassment down his neck. He leans back in his chair flustered when his partner in crime simply cackles at his discomfort. The men start gathering around a long, wooden table a few meters away from their spot by the fireplace, but Marnie makes no point to move, so he doesn’t either. Besides, he sees these people everyday, toeing life and death, ‘til their head hits the pillow, should they be lucky. He doesn’t need their company day in, day out. Marnie waves at Betsy and Shonda, her friends (that Benny will forever remember were fraternizing with the enemy) sitting down to join the wolf pack of rowdy men.

“You babble at us for ditching our friends, Mar, and now you’re doing the same,” Betsy says, shaking her head in a joking manner, her voice traversing across the room. “Disappointed at your lack of loyalty.”

“And for a pilot no less,” Shonda adds, “didn’t you say they had their heads too far up their ass, and you weren’t about to be the one to pull ‘em out?” The boys, Bucky and Curt and Veal, play into Betsy and Shonda’s jabs, clawing at their hearts and groaning at her shots. Benny watches as Marnie simply rolls her eyes, clearly used to their form of teasing.

The chatter in the room resembles a fish market as everyone keeps yapping at their highest volume, causing Benny to flinch ever so slightly. It’s not that he can’t throw himself into a bustling bunch, but that is no delight in comparison to the quiet bliss between him and Marnie. Recalling Shonda’s words, he lets out a scoff, beckoning her attention (not that it ever diverted from his healthy, tan skin and cheeky, boyish smile).

“You don’t like the daylight, you don’t like flying, you’re afraid of heights, you don’t like pilots,” he lists, but his words are light, just teasing at her choices. “You think the RAF shits are charming, the next thing you’re gonna tell me is ya don’t know how to ride a bike.”

Her eyes flee to the ceiling, and she nods at nothing in particular. “Would you be adverse to knowing that I don’t know how to bike?”

“It’s not a bad thing,” he’s quick to clear up. “It’s just always been my favorite thing to do outside and…” He cuts himself off as realization strikes, and he watches her shrink meekly into her seat. “You actually don’t know how to ride a bike.”

“No,” she mumbles, feeling slightly embarrassed, like a child being graded by her teacher.

Confusion hits her mind as he immediately stands up, and for a second she thinks he’s going to stomp away, and for a fucking bike of all things, but he surprises her with an offer of his hand, and kiddish excitement in his deep, chocolate eyes. “I’ll teach you.”

⋆ ˚。⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚。⋆

Apparently the Clevens are not so capable of doing just anything under the sun, or in this case the moonlight. It’s ridiculously amusing to watch Marnie struggle to keep balance on his bicycle, having to catch herself from falling flat on her side by hastily kicking out her feet. Benny just snickers at her lack of cycling abilities, joking that she’s basically destitute. Of course, that earns a kick to his side that has him hunching over in mild pain. “Jesus woman, I was only kidding!”

“I’ve got two left feet but Benny,” she grumbled, clambering off the bike and shoving it into his hands, “I promise you I’m gonna master this thing so well, I’ll bet that I can beat you in a race.”

“Woah, woah, let unrealistic dreams be dreams” he says, pulling the bike by its handles as they stroll through the townhouses, and he swerves to dodge yet another hard punch to his arm. It is quiet in the village, a few families flicking their lights off to retreat to their beds. “So, I know a lot of things you don’t like, so what do you actually like? What brings a smile to Marianne Cleven’s face?”

A thought immediately springs in her mind, evidently, with the way her face blossoms into a wide grin. “Baking.” “Baking?” “Yes, cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, pudding, you’d name it.”

“Huh,” he questions, recalling all the times the cooks would send looks of spite her way, and the box of cupcakes mysteriously left on his doorstep. “Is that why they’d catch you sometimes at fuckin’ 0300, like a ghost in the mess kitchen? ‘Cause you were baking?” She rejoices with a nod. Benny shakes his head in disbelief, but a fondness tugs at his lips. “Thank you, by the way, for the cupcakes. Your hands are gifted.”

“It’s the only thing that I can do, over and over again and never get tired of. My Ma…she was the best baker in town, and it was one thing we could do together where we didn’t even have to talk to bond and spend quality time,” she reminisces, “when I get outta this place and go back home, I’m gonna open my bakery and Buck’s pretty face is gonna be on the posters so I get all the customers, and it’s gonna be called Pearl’s Bakery–that’s my Ma’s name.”

He remembers Buck briefly mentioning their mother dying when they were only kids, so he tries not to poke too far, at least not right now.

It’s an endearing sight, the way her hand gestures flail wildly when she chatters about something that ignites a passion. In the silence that falls over them as they stroll through the homely countryside, Benny wonders if there’s anything other than flying that lights a flame in his soul. When she asks the question, he finds himself short of a proper answer.

“What do you wanna do when the war is over?” She asks him.

“To be honest, I have no idea,” he murmurs, brows furrowing as he contemplates his purpose. “I’ve always been a jack of all trades, master of none kinda guy. I could play sports like soccer and football well enough, but was never the best to be a captain. I got good grades in Math and English, but I’m not talented enough to be a mathematician or a writer. I can’t draw for shit, and I can’t sing. So, I don’t know.”

He wonders what he’s been doing with his 25 years of life. Besides flying, it feels like he has nothing to show for himself and the thought sours his mood. Before he enlisted, he had graduated with a business degree and started working at his father’s tailoring business. But if he’s being honest, trying to sell suits and dresses is most certainly not his main calling in life, though his father might have some choice words about that.

“You don’t have to know,” she empathized. “The war has taken away everything we’ve ever known, and we will not return as the same people to our homes. We will have to relearn what it means to live a fulfilling life, and in doing so, we will find out what we are made for.”

His steps progressively come to a halt as she speaks, and he revels in the comfort of her words, like the throw of a warm fuzzy blanket against his skin. Though she may not know how to ride a bike, each word that leaves her thoughts has always been indicative of a woman who has lived, someone who has survived through hardship. He thinks he could be happy, following the direction of her voice for the rest of his life. And just maybe, he could finish off his day by catching wafts of vanilla cupcakes when he picks her up from the bakery every evening. But once again, he’s reaching too far. Perhaps, a dinner first would do, but there’s no denying what already lies embedded in his thoughts, and solely from what he feels.

Stretching a leg to sit himself towards the back of the bicycle seat, balancing it to the right with his foot, he gestures at Marnie to settle right in front of him. “Um,” she hesitates, “will that be safe?”

“I don’t know,” he replies, an easy grin spreading on his lips, “but it’ll be fun.” She rolls her eyes but does not hide her smile, agreeing after a few seconds to take the front half of the seat.

“Here,” he whispers in her ear, moving against her figure to offer some steadiness. “I got you.”

When she sits down, both her legs resting on the left of the bike, he kicks his feet up to the pedals, biting back a laugh as he hears her squeak. It’s really fucking hard to cycle when he's got the weight of two people–and Marnie’s back leaning against his chest, her hair brushing against his lips, and her soft fingers slipping over his on the handle–but he’s taking in the way she lets out chesty fits of laughter through the breeze, and he doesn’t think he’s felt anything more glorious than this.

He cycles them away from the townhouses, and into narrow roads masked by thick trees and hearty bushes. They are mostly shortcuts winding back from the pub to the base. Determination keeps him pedaling despite the way he begins to wheeze through his chest after five minutes. They stop short of the gates, about a hundred meters away, when she begins caressing the back of his hands with her thumb, turning her lips to his ears to tell him to slow down if he’s tired. And he does, because he’s not about to fall into another crash and send both him, and Marnie flat on the ground.

When he stops to catch himself, his lungs are knocked out of his chest completely when she turns her body to face him, instead of hopping off. “That was good,” she says in a hushed tone, as if the swaying trees are listening in on this moment. “That really was fun,” she mutters, even quieter than before, the sound of their combined breathing overwhelming the softness in her tone.

At a loss of what to say, feeling the nerves take over his working mind, he decides to just not think. Benny inches his face closer to Marnie as she does the same, and stops just before her lips, feeling the residue of lipgloss against his own. He looks at her fervently, silently asking for confirmation. At her slight nod, he lets his eyes close and presses his lips against hers, moving slowly and languidly, feeling the way she morphs into him as her hands slide up his neck and to his jaw. He moves one of his hands off the handles, and tangles it in her loose hair, trying to get closer, kissing her like a drowned man clutching at straws to seek air.

But that’s not even the best part. Nothing, to Benny, competes with the astounded look on her face as she lets go for a brief moment. She leans her forehead against his and lightly giggles as he breaks out into his own, goofy grin, with matching dusts of red spreading across their cheeks.

He may be lying about the bike ride–this may be the most glorious thing he’s ever felt instead.

a/n: we will delve more into marnie and buck's upbringing and relationship, soon. :) as always, eternally grateful if you have made it this far.

#masters of the air #mota #benny demarco #benny demarco x oc #bernard demarco #benny x marnie <3 #mota oc #marnie cleven #late night post #buck cleven

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rxin3akamallory · 7 months

Text

Mal’s Self-Insert OC Guide 3

☆彡 Guide 1

☆彡 Guide 2

Martha Snowfur

Media: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (2017 Movie)

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: Ageless

Species: Lynx

F/O: Capper Dapperpaws

Maia

Media: Ice Age

Pronouns: She/They

Age: Ageless

Species: Dire Wolf

F/O: Diego

Maleficent

Media: Rise of the Guardians

Pronouns: She/They

Age: 2,400 (or Ageless)

Species: Humanoid Spirit (can shift into a bat)

F/O: E. Aster Bunnymund

Marnie Fishtooth

Media: Fish Hooks

Pronouns: She/They

Age: 22

Species: Purple Tetra Fish

F/O: None

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misqnon · 11 months

Text

Masquerade

CHAPTER 3: A Meeting

“On the final Friday of each month, towns and cities around the country hold their monthly masquerade. Although the humans don’t know it, this is the only time supernatural beings come out of their hiding places to dance amongst the mortals.”

(Mystery, adventure, eventual human/vampire romance)

*warning for very slight nsfwish scenario in this chapter

Previous Chapters

They headed out of the kitchen and back into the main hall, where Lilli pointed out the paintings of their ancestors.

"Priya painted these more recent ones! Isn't she talented?"

"Wow, these are amazing. How old is she?

..Actually, how old are any of you?" Marnie asked.

Carter mock gasped. "Ah! Asking my age? Haven't you heard you should never ask a vampire such a thing?"

Marnie laughed, and Carter smiled back.

Well, maybe he wasn't all bad.

"Priya's 23." Lilli said. "Ace and I just turned 24, Carter's 25, and Harley is 28. Oh, and Maki is 26."

"23? She's so talented for her age…"

"Marnie and I are 21." Leo said. "It's crazy that you guys are mostly all around our age."

"Yea, I was a little worried you were gonna be like, 800 or something, not gonna lie." Marnie said. Carter dramatically gasped at her again.

"Do I look-"

Lilli playfully shoved him. He shoved her back.

Then they walked through the downstairs waiting room- just a collection of chairs and tables in a sunny red room full of windows and bookshelves. There was a bathroom, a laundry area, another, smaller kitchen, and the entrance to a basement. Upstairs housed another 2 bathrooms, a dressing room, a modest ballroom, a study, a library, and a few other doors they walked right past. Leo and Marnie were flabbergasted at just how much room there was. At how expensive it must be. Did any of them have…actual jobs?

"And here's my bedroom!" Lilli said, opening a door with a pink crocheted 'L' hanging on it.

Inside was a large bedroom with a canopy bed, a desk, a vanity, a dresser, and plenty of flowers and plants put on the windowsills. Although the wallpaper was a classical red and brown, bits of her classic pink filled the room in the bedspread, the decor, and her clothes. Marnie walked in and expressed her love for the room- the pink, the plants, the clothes- all the bits of Lilli- and Lilli started showing her around excitedly.

Carter and Leo, left at the door, stared awkwardly. The girls seemed preoccupied, and made no effort to include them- caught up in their own little world.

Carter, not one to wait, figured he'd take things into his own hands.

He turned to leave the room on his heel, grabbing Leo's hand as he did so, and took a few confident steps down the hall.

"Hup-! Hey!" He said, though he didn't make an attempt to pull away.

"What, don't you want to see my room?"

"Uh…I…guess? Shouldn't we wait on…"

"Lilli loves to show off her things. They're going to be in there at least an hour. Come on, don't you want your sister to have some quality bonding time with her new friend?"

Well the first half sounded innocent (if not flamboyant) enough, but now he was convinced this was (another?) attempt to steal his blood.

Nonetheless, at the end of the hall, away from most the other doors, was a dark wooden door with dried roses pinned to it. A rabbit's foot hung from the doorknob, which Carter turned and opened to a dark, black-toned room.

This whole family seemed color coded. If Lilli's room was classical with a dash of pink, this was dark academia with a dash of…dark.

Dark brown oak wooden furniture lined the room, though his bed was much more modern, with no canopy and a minimalist black frame. Unlike Lilli's, his was unmade, which might not be an indicator of his character considering he might have quite literally been sleeping when they showed up. He was still in his nightgown.

Much like his robe, the bedspread and sheets were black, as was much of the posters, frames, and paraphernalia on the wall. It was mostly sketches, art, maps, musical groups. Some of the sketches looked similar to the style he had been told downstairs were Priya's, which he found sweet.

Then he heard Carter shut the door behind them.

Now wait a minute.

Carter was walking away from the door, stretching, his face a blissful grin. He walked right up to Leo- too close- and spoke with lidded eyes and a sly voice.

"You know, they probably won't notice we're gone for a while."

Leo immediately felt all the blood in his body rush up into his face. Was he flirting with him? Well, past that step really- was he trying to hook up? Like, right now? With Leo?

Breathless, Leo just fumbled over his words with many 'uh's and 'um's.

"You're really cute, Glasses."

Carter put his hand to Leo's chest, gently, and Leo somehow blushed again.

He had never, never been intimate with a man- hell, the poor repressed bastard had never even kissed a man. Well, to be fair, he'd never been intimate with a woman either. But at least he'd kissed one of those.

Carter was slowly pushing Leo to his bed, and Leo was cooperating. His mind was far away. Well, actually, it was right here, and quite active, but it was operating somewhere outside his body right now.

If he wasn't a poor repressed bastard, desperate and touch-starved and maybe a bit aroused right now, then he'd be 20 feet down the hall right now telling Lilli that her scary big brother was trying to seduce him.

Especially because her scary big brother was a vampire. And especially especially because he knew this one specifically wasn't above eating him.

But he was a poor repressed bastard, and he did want to experience what it was like to be with a man, and Carter, admittedly, was kinda hot, and it appeared that in the span of time he was thinking all of this he had ended up laid down on Carter's bed, and Carter had climbed on top of him, straddling his hips.

Wait, what.

Oh God, He was Straddling His Hips.

"You know, I won't lie, I wasn't expecting you to actually go along with this." Carter said, leaning down.

'Well, neither was I!' Leo thought.

Then Carter bypassed Leo's face and hovered his breath, and his fangs, right above Leo's collarbone.

"So is this something I'll be allowed to do, too…?" He whispered, inching dangerously closer to Leo's pulse- upon which, the utter realization of being bitten pulled Leo right out of his gay little fantasy and back into the real world.

His heart rate- already accelerated for other reasons- shot through the top and began racing. Unfortunately, that only seemed to make Carter more interested.

"Come on, Leo, give me an answer…" Carter cooed.

But Leo was frozen. Frozen and fucking terrified-

WHACK.

One pair of brown eyes and one pair of red eyes both shot to the door as it slammed open, despite having previously been locked. One equally as shocked, utterly pissed pair of green eyes shone in the doorway, its owner brandishing a small brass key.

"Carter. Get off of him."

The Guardian Crain was already scrambling off the bed by the time Ace said his name.

The taller man walked over to the bed and held a hand out to Leo, but he wasn't looking at him. He was just glaring daggers at his brother, who had his arms crossed and was averting eye contact with a grimace on the other side of the bed.

Leo took his hand and was gently, but firmly, pulled to his feet. He was embarrassed- really embarrassed- but hopefully most of the blame would be put on Carter. Rightfully so.

Sorry, Carter.

Ace led him out of the room, and upon leaving, locked the door from the outside. He heard Carter protest something from inside, but he was too preoccupied to figure out exactly what he said.

As soon as they were alone, Ace leaned down and looked him in the eyes.

"Are you okay?" Ace put a hand on his neck and turned it over, this way and that, checking for bite marks. "He didn't do anything to you, right?"

"N-No, nothing happened." It sent chills down his spine to have yet another vampire touching his neck, even gently. And right in his face, up close like this, he realized he did indeed still have a crush on Ace. Unless this was the residual arousal talking.

"Good. God, I'm sorry. Maybe bringing you here was a bad idea." He stood up again, rubbing the back of his neck in that absentminded way he did when he was nervous.

"No, no! It's not your fault. And I'm not hurt at all, remember?"

"Yea, no thanks to him." He scoffed, looking back at the door.

"I won't tell if you don't want me to." Ace said, putting a finger to his lips. "I'm very good at keeping secrets." He winked.

Leo blushed. "I'd appreciate that."

Maybe he would tell Marnie later, but. For now. He was going to try to. Move on. Somehow.

"Come on, I have some news."

And with that, Ace led him back down the hallway towards the study room they had passed earlier, where Lilli, Marnie, and Harley waited around a large wood table. Priya and Maki sat on the other end as well, though they seemed less interested.

"Where's Carter?" Harley asked.

"Not here." Ace lied.

Harley sighed. "We can't have a Coven Meeting without him-"

"I'M HERE!"

Carter breathlessly entered the room, looking flustered. There were a few leaves stuck to his robe. "Sorry. I got held up." He glared pointedly at Ace.

Ace glared back just as ruefully. "Oh, something was getting up alright." He mumbled under his breath.

They were glaring daggers at each other without any subtlety. Leo felt shame and embarrassment welling up inside him, knowing this related to him, but luckily he was saved by the bell. Harley dismissed them both to their seats, clearly catching on that something had gone on.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll find out later. Just sit down, please." He sounded tired. But after everyone had sat, Ace next to Lilli, Leo next to Ace, and Carter next to…Leo, the meeting began.

Harley perked up a bit when he spoke. "Ace has brought to my attention a new plan regarding something that's been a mystery within our family for decades. I don't think most of you know about it- maybe Maki, if anyone- but there is one key on Ace's belt that we don't know the lock to."

The whole Crain family shuffled at that. It seemed that Ace was very good at this whole "Key" thing, and he seemed to know his stuff.

"When the Keeper of the Keys title was passed on to him, he was told that every keeper has tried to find what it unlocks. But whatever it is, the one thing we do know about it is that it's in the human realm."

Marnie looked at Leo. Things were starting to make sense.

"Ace and I have talked about finding what this key unlocks before, but only briefly. We didn't get much farther after finding out it was in the human realm, for obvious reasons. But he has proposed that perhaps with human guides," Harley nodded to Marnie, and then Leo,

"This could become possible."

Whispers spread across the table. Leo and Marnie tried to take inventory of the reactions. Lilli looked confused, if anything- she didn't seem to know anything about this beforehand. Carter was the same, although he looked like he was thinking hard about something.

They heard Priya speak for the first time, whispering something unintelligible to Maki. But Maki wasn't paying attention to her. She was looking down, intently, and she looked almost…angry.

"Thoughts?" Asked Harley.

Carter raised his hand. "Why weren't we told about this special little key before? And, most importantly, what do we even think it unlocks? I mean, is it even worth it?"

Ace stepped in for that one. "When I became Keeper of the Keys, I was told that this information was only to be shared between myself and the Coven Head. Considering I can't really up and leave without telling you all why, let alone bring humans home, I elected to ignore that rule. However, I can't tell you what we think it is. That, I was told, was more confidential than anything. But I can tell you that it's…insane. Something that all of us would kill for."

"Convenient." Said Carter.

"I mean it. You guys know I wouldn't abuse your trust."

"I know what it is."

Everyone turned their heads to the new voice; Maki's. Her face was flat, purple eyes devoid of any light.

Ace and Harley looked at each other, but she spoke again before they could say anything.

"And it's not worth it. It's stupid. It probably isn't even real, anyway."

Leo watched Ace fumble a bit, deflating. "How…How do you know what it is?"

"I read it in one of the books in the library. An old journal I found in the archives. It belonged to one of our great uncles, one of the previous Key Keepers. And it's not worth it. What do you even plan on doing? Just because you have two humans with you doesn't mean you can walk around openly. And it's not like you can wear your masquerade gear every day; people will think you're crazy. Do you even know where you're going? There's an entire globe out there, the human realm isn't just Blighton- if that were the case, you would have been searching every masquerade night. It could be in another country for all we know. And whether this lock is on a box, a door, a lock- we don't even know what we're looking for. Have you thought this through at all?"

By the end her gaze had left the table and turned directly to the blonde Crain, her voice and eyes cutting the room with malice. The twins felt they shouldn't be there, that this wasn't their place at all- in fact, even Carter and Lilli looked shocked. Ace just blinked, overwhelmed- if not a little hurt.

Harley cleared his throat.

"Maki's right. We don't have any leads. Whether her idea of what the key unlocks is correct or not, it'd be stupid to head out on a journey to the human realm with nothing but the key and a couple mortals."

He looked to the two mortals in question. "No offense."

"None taken!" They said quickly, in unison. They were just happy to have something to input.

"I'm well aware of that." Ace said. "But where else to get more information than the human realm itself? Its libraries, its people, its local legends. This wouldn't just be a prop hunt, the first phase of it would be gathering information."

Maki was silent. She still looked angry, displeased, and she didn't seem to agree with what Ace had just put forward, either, but she had said her piece.

Harley looked to the group.

"I'll open it up to a vote. Lilli, Maki, Priya, Carter. And you two," Harley said, nodding to the twins.

Marnie blinked. "Wait, us?" The other vamps seemed surprised as well.

He shrugged. "You're involved, so you might as well get a vote."

Maki looked ready to jump out of her seat, but Priya placed a quiet hand on her shoulder.

Harley opened it up to the table.

"All in favor of allowing Ace to move forward with his plan, in phases."

Leo and Marnie looked at each other before slowly raising their hands, just above their head lines. Lilli raised her hand next. Then Carter, and surprisingly, Priya.

Maki said nothing.

Harley shrugged again. "That's majority."

Ace jumped up, pumping his fist in the air. "Yes!"

"Ace, sit down."

"Yessir!" Plop.

"Let me lay down some ground rules. You guys can give feedback if they don't sound good to you. First of all, we need to figure out to what extent you'll be involving these two." He gestured to the twins again. "I'm sure they have their own lives they need to get back to."

Leo and Marnie looked at each other. Marnie worked at the local market, and Leo had gotten a job editing papers at the local printing press. Other than that, they really only had each other and their humble little house. They'd only lived here a year or so, anyway.

Marnie hesitantly explained. "Well, we both have jobs, but they're not…the most important things in the world to us. Other than that there isn't much holding us here, but obviously we need the money to keep our house, and get food."

Priya spoke. "We could always pay for them."

"Priya!" Maki hissed.

She shrugged. "We have so much of it. Sometimes I go into the vault and fold the bills into little boats."

Oh. Alright.

Harley nodded. "Uh, okay. Priya, don't…do that anymore. But she's right." He turned back to them. "Our family has quite a bit of money. It could be our way of paying you, considering your help."

That…didn't sound too bad, actually. Leo was starting to like these guys more and more.

"That…sounds alright to me." He said.

Harley nodded. "Information, then. I'm not approving any trip outside of the immediate area until you bring me a lead."

Ace brightened. "Does that mean I'm allowed in the human realm for research?"

Harley sighed. "I suppose."

"Haha!" Ace grinned.

"And are you planning on doing this alone, aside from your two guides?"

Lilli looked over at him and Ace smiled.

"I was planning on taking Lilli, actually."

"That sounds like a good idea. She's more responsible than you anyway." Harley smirked.

Ace pretended to be bothered and Lilli giggled.

Leo and Marnie, though they hadn't said it to each other out loud, were actually starting to feel…excited.

Their life here wasn't bad by any means, but it was definitely simple, and temporary. They had escaped home but they couldn't live their greatest dreams right away. They had to settle for a small, cheap town near the forest, getting day jobs while they saved up for whatever was next.

And both of them would be lying if they said they hadn't daydreamed of situations like this. Of adventure. Of getting out there. Of seeing the world. Of escaping.

"I'm coming too."

The sound of mirrors breaking filled Leo's head as he looked over to the voice that had come from right beside him, from Carter.

Harley quirked a brow, while Lilli and Ace made…some faces.

"And why would you need to go, Carter?" Harley asked.

"Because, I sneak off to the human realm all the time. Oh, don't look surprised, you knew I wasn't disappearing to the moor."

Harley had his eyes shut, face tight with frustration. He just waved it off to the little team they had formed of human/vampire duos.

Lilli and Ace both looked at their brother with…Apprehension. Lilli tried to let him down gently.

"Carter, we know that you'd be a valuable asset to the human realm, but we kind of have…guides, for that. Uh, besides! The more vampires in the human realm, the more complicated things get. Ace and I are pushing it as it is."

"Yea, and you eat people, dude." Ace added.

"I can control myself!" Carter protested.

Ace inflamed. "20 MINUTES AGO I HAD TO PEEL YOU OFF-"

Leo panicked. "I THINK WE'LL BE FINE WITH FOUR." He interjected.

Marnie gave him a suspicious glance.

Carter just huffed. "Alright, Fine. Head to the human realm without your humble guard dog. It's not like there was a hunter out for your necks just last night."

Harley nearly sat bolt upright.

"A hunter?"

"Oh, yea." Ace scratched his head, chuckling sheepishly. "I forgot about that."

Carter smirked.

Harley sighed for probably the millionth time that day. "It's getting late. We should let the humans get home. We can continue this conversation later."

Leo suddenly realized just how late it was. Looking to the clock on the wall, he watched the dial approach four. He did not look forward to the walk home at this hour. Besides that, he was now realizing just how tired he was.

Ace looked at Leo sympathetically. "It is getting late. Sorry we ended up keeping you so long. I'm sure you two are exhausted after everything that's happened."

Leo chuckled. "Yea, a bit."

Lilli popped her head into the conversation. "It is late- much too late to make the walk home. Why don't we let them sleep here? We have guest rooms."

Harley, among others, looked hesitant. "I'm..not sure if that's a good idea," He began.

"Aw, c'mon Harls! They're harmless." Ace winked.

Harley frowned at him. "I know they're harmless, Ace. It's their comfort I'm worried about." Carter's name did not have to be said.

Marnie peeped up. "I don't mean to impose, but I don't really want to walk home at this hour either. And I wouldn't mind having a sleepover in Lilli's room, personally. " She smiled, and Lilli smiled back.

Harley made a face. Then he looked at Leo. "What about you?"

What about Leo. He wasn't sure he knew himself. He looked to Ace, at his left, and then Carter, to his right.

It was like an angel and a devil on his shoulders.

But he, too, really didn't want to walk home tonight. Dangerous or not, he mostly didn't wanna have to wait that long before being able to get the fuck to sleep.

"...Just for tonight, I don't think I'd mind."

Harley huffed. "Well, if you're comfortable with it, then you're free to. Ace, Lilli, please take good care of your guests. And Carter,"

"Alright, alright! I got it! Not like you've said it a thousand times tonight…"

"For you, it bears repeating." Ace mumbled.

Marnie and Lilli, predictably, did end up having a mock-sleepover. Lilli grabbed some extra pillows and bedsheets from the guest bedroom and insisted on sleeping on the floor so that Marnie could have her bed. Marnie protested, of course, but couldn't win against Lilli's diplomat arguments. Her bed was unbelievably fancy- the kind you could tell was actually high quality, not just expensive- and it smelled good, too, like flowers and linen.

Leo, however, spent the entire walk upstairs trying to decide which would be more safe from possible vampiric attacks: a guest bedroom, all to himself and vampire free, but open to attacks from Carter or any other thirsty home member who walked by.

The alternative, however, was sharing a room with Ace, which was intimidating for multiple reasons. And also meant sleeping in the same room as a vampire, as much as he had come to like Ace.

It was still only Day 1. He had a while to go before he would fully trust him.

Once they were upstairs, and everyone else had departed, Ace put a hand on his hip and asked Leo his plan. Leo had decided that he'd ask for a guest bedroom if Ace didn't outright offer him to room with him. Besides, he didn't wanna overstep his boundaries. It was like inviting yourself over to someone else's house.

"You sure?" Ace asked, upon hearing Leo's decision. "I wouldn't mind if you slept with me. Besides, how else am I supposed to protect you from Carter?" He grinned a quirky grin.

Leo blushed. "Well…when you put it that way,"

Ace cackled, throwing an arm around Leo's shoulders. "C'mon, I'll show you my room. There's a futon in there you can crash on."

He guided Leo there with his arm perched on Leo the whole time. Leo would not admit to himself that he thoroughly enjoyed the other's touch.

When they reached Ace's door, a dark blue with a pair of aviator glasses hanging from it, Leo realized this was the first time he'd spent the night at someone else's house. He'd never really gotten to do it as a kid.

Inside, Ace's room was much like Lilli's. Classic wallpaper and furniture but Ace-isms all over the room. A guitar sat in the back corner, a few clothes messily hung on chair backs, some old tools sat on his desk. Surprisingly, it was relatively free of key motifs. There were quite a few airplanes, though.

His bed was a canopy, like Lilli's, but the sheets were a navy blue. He pulled them back and grabbed an extra blanket from the mess of comforters, handing one to Leo.

"Let me go grab you a pillow."

Leo put his blanket down on the futon and sat.

What a weird day this had been. If you told him 12 hours ago that his first masquerade night would end with a sleepover at the home of his new vampire friends, he would have told you that that was an extremely strange, specific scenario. And also that you were crazy.

But here he was.

He heard footsteps come back in the room and expected to see Ace, but instead-

Well, take one guess.

Surprisingly, though, the raven-haired visitor didn't look sly, or mischievous, or even amused. He seemed relatively even-faced, if not worried.

Leo made a face despite that, preparing for the worst. Carter avoided eye-contact, but spoke.

"Hey. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier."

…Oh?

"I mean, some of it was on purpose, but I don't want to genuinely make someone uncomfortable. If I was, coming onto you, that is, and-"

Leo interrupted him after getting the gist of what he was saying.

"It's alright. Thanks…for apologizing. And…Sorry."

Carter looked at him strangely. "What are you sorry for?"

"I don't know. Making you look bad?"

Carter just stared at him for a moment, then cackled, his fangs out and proud. Then he crossed his arms and shook his head.

"You need to raise your self-esteem. You're cute, you should have some more of it."

Leo blinked.

"I would say I won't flirt with you anymore, and I won't, if you don't want me to. But I don't mean anything by it, really. It just really pisses Ace off." He said, grinning.

Speaking of, the blonde appeared in the doorway shortly afterwards with some pillows. The moment he saw Carter he nearly flipped a lid, going on about how he can't leave him alone for a second- but Carter ignored him, spinning his finger around at his temple to indicate that he was crazy to Leo. As much as he loved Ace, he had to admit, it made him laugh a bit. Carter and Ace's relationship was…entertaining, to say the least.

"Alright, alright, I'll get out of your room. I just couldn't keep myself away from our visitor. And not for the reason you think!"

Ace squinted at him. "Uh huh. And what would that be?"

"I just thought I'd ask him if he was single."

"GET OUT!"

Eventually, Ace got him out of the room. Carter managed to wave goodbye to Leo, who halfheartedly waved back. Any romantic inkling that had briefly appeared between him and Carter earlier in the day had been ruled out by now, but he didn't mind the other's presence as much as he thought he did.

Still made him dreadfully nervous, though.

By the time they got settled, it was practically 5 am. Ace said goodnight, climbed into bed, and assured Leo that all the doors and windows were locked, and that he had the key.

Leo layed on the futon with his gaze to the ceiling, considering what he had gotten himself into, but it didn't last long. Within minutes he'd fallen into a peaceful sleep himself, completely forgetting to worry about his vampiric roommate for the night.

—

Sub-Chapter: Girls

"...Hey, Marnie?"

Marnie blearily blinked her eyes open, having almost completely fallen asleep. They laid down just minutes ago.

"Yea?"

"Sorry, were you asleep?"

"No, no, what's up?" She slurred.

"...Do you guys really want to help us? I mean, you didn't get a lot of time to think about it. And I know it's…a lot. No one will be mad if you decide against it."

"..." Marnie lay still for a moment, then sat up in bed and pushed the covers from her legs. She put her bare feet to the cold, hardwood floor and shuffled over to where Lilli was. She gestured for Lilli to scoot over even though it was completely dark in the room. Luckily, Lilli could see anyway. She complied.

Marnie sat down with her and pulled the blankets over her cold toes.

"Lilli, you seem so…insecure, about humans. About what we think of you. Did something happen…? I mean, you don't have to tell me, but….We don't have anything against you. Leo- I know he acts scared of you all, and I'm sorry, he's just-"

"No, no! Leo is fine, he hasn't hurt my feelings. I understand. Nothing has happened to me, actually, but…I've heard stories, and I know family who…have had to deal with things. I don't know, I guess I'm just scared humans will think I'm…disgusting. Or a monster."

Marnie was quiet a moment. "...I like monsters. I think they're misunderstood."

Lilli looked at her. She'd never heard a response quite like that before.

"And besides. Isn't it cool having a friend that could totally kick your ass? Especially knowing that they totally could, but they won't. ‘Cause they like you. And you like them."

"...I've never thought of it that way. But, with us, it's like…We could beat you up, and sometimes we really want to beat you up. Our whole lives were designed around beating you up. It's not like we can just pretend that isn't true."

"Well, then, doesn't that make the fact you choose not to even more meaningful? And whether you think your lives were 'designed' that way or not, you and your family are doing just fine as you are right now, aren't you? Getting food from blood banks? That's like saying humans were designed to eat fruit, but how many people do you know that actually go looking for fruit trees when they want an apple? We don't, we go to a store to buy it prepared, just like you. And I don't think the apple tree holds it against us."

Lilli thought for a long time. "Marnie, I don't know if I fully agree with your metaphor yet, but…It's very thoughtful. I appreciate that you care so much, even though we've really only just met."

Marnie smiled a sad smile. "I should be thanking you. I'm just happy to have a friend. A girl friend. I've just…had trouble…in the past. Feeling comfortable with other girls accepting me, I guess. It isn't, like, a competition thing or anything. Just…personal stuff. But, so, it means a lot to me to finally make a friend who's a girl and who also isn't Leo." She said, chuckling. Lilli laughed too.

"Well I like you a lot already. And I'm excited to talk about anything and everything with you. My sisters were nice to have around, and I love them both dearly, but they weren't much like me. So this is nice for me too."

Marnie snorted. "We sound like we just started dating."

Lilli laughed at that. "I don't think I could have romance in my life right now."

"I don't think I could have romance in my life, like, ever. For some reason, it's just not my thing. I think platonic relationships are just as important and special. Have I hammered that home too much tonight?" She yawned. "I feel like I'm repeating myself."

Lilli smiled. "Nah, it's nice to be reassured. You should get to bed. You need more rest than me."

Marnie stood, yawning again. "Yea, yea, rub it in."

"Hehe, maybe I will. You keep saying I should get more comfortable with who I am!"

"Is who you are relevant to me going to sleep right now?"

"I don't think so."

"Then I care not. G'night." She said, flopping back down into her nest of blankets. Lilli rolled her eyes, smiling, and went back to bed herself.

#masquerade story #masquerade update #oc #original story #vampires #vampire x human #lgbt writing #lgbt #supernatural #aroace character #asexual characters #woohoo lets goooo marnie moment #my writing

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