#my resume isn't anything special but when I get a chance to turn on the rizz I usually get the gig

[bunnysbrainrot]

Unspoken Rules

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟹 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 '𝚃𝚘𝚘 𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝' 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚢𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙷𝚘𝚣𝚒𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐.

Relationship: Joel Miller x f!Reader, Jackson!AU

Content: Angst, protective Joel, kissing, sexual themes, make out session, size kink (kind of?)

Summary: The day after the town dance, Joel doesn't seem so sentimental for your time together. The emotional rollercoaster leaves you confused. Something is off about him now, and it's taking everything in you to not leave yourself to blame. Finally, Joel tries setting a boundary, but will he hold to it?

[ A/N: For this series, I invite the reader to make up their own backstory for how they end up in Jackson. I'll keep descriptions in the chapters vague, as I didn't want to assign a backstory when it's something people can have such fun with! ]

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep

The gentle chirping of your watch pulls you from sleep, but not without some protest. You groan softly at a headache taking form and begin to regret last night's decisions. Prying an eye open, a green 6:31 AM shines back at you, though the sun hardly shows it through your curtains. A dim lavender sky peeks through instead.

What a nice start to the day, you think to yourself, sighing loudly as you shift to sit up; the rush of movement swells your pesky headache, making you squeeze your eyes shut.

"Shit," you grumble, rubbing your eyes, "fuckin' mead, man... never again."

And especially never before patrol day.

The thought of riding your horse through rough Wyoming terrain doesn't excite you. Instead, you get the gift of an unsettled stomach, but pull yourself out of bed nonetheless.

••••

"Good morning!"

Your neighbor's cheerful greeting rings in your head, but you know she means well. She'd been at the dance last night, too, but you didn't get a chance to talk, from what you remember, at least. Giving her a small wave, you force a smile you hope is genuine enough to sell the 'I'm not hungover' act.

The food stall is desolate, to your relief, save for the man running it. You seem him every time you stop by, though neither of you have exchanged names, but he has memorized your order already. His eyes shine genuinely when he hands you your food.

"It's good to see you again," the man says, "welcome to Jackson."

You smile appreciatively and take the sandwich, giving him a brief thanks before heading off. He provides breakfast for the patrol groups, but never wants anything in return. Maybe you could repay him, somehow, you think. Mulling it over, you tear into the sandwich while you make your way to the stables. The thick, earthy smell of hay wafts past, and the sputtering of horses sounds ahead.

Rounding the corner reveals today's patrol group - it's evidently much smaller than last time.

Joel doesn't turn when your footsteps approach. You spot the beautiful mare you'd ridden last patrol, Belle, occupied with a bucket of hay. She huffs loudly when you meet her, angling her head to look at you, before resuming her breakfast. Joel silently adjusts a hefty saddle onto his horse nearby. Clinking of metal clasps fills the silence before Joel breaks it.

"How's the hangover?"

There's a terseness in his tone, as if forcing a conversation he doesn't want to have. He doesn't turn to you when he asks the question.

You pause for a beat, "Kicking my ass a little."

Joel nods once, "Been there."

This Joel isn't the same man you danced with last night, this version doesn't remember, or simply doesn't care. Nothing from last night was special enough to hold onto today. Shame starts to sink in your uneasy stomach. So he really did mean it, when he called himself a fool for dancing with you.

"Where are we meeting up with the rest of the group?"

A casual tone masks the pain blooming in your chest, and the tears that prick your eyes. You wouldn't dare let them fall in front of Joel. He shouldn't know how much last night meant to you, even if he wouldn't bat an eye at your tears. It seems like last night's biggest mistake was thinking that he, somehow, was true to his actions. When his lips were brushing against your neck, hovering over your ear, before his tone had gone seductively darker.

"Just us today. Smaller groups help cover more ground."

It feels like an invisible string is pulled between you when he speaks, growing more taught with each bated breath and expressionless comment. You come to notice that Belle is already donning her saddle and gear, a task you hadn't done yourself.

Glancing at Joel, you hesitate, "Thank you for getting Belle ready."

Finally, he turns from his horse's saddle and shifts attention to you. A steely look in his eyes reprimands you without words. It didn't seem like a favor. He'd done your work for you.

"Saddling up is the boring part. Not as tricky as it looks, though. I'll ask Maria to show you how," he offers dismissively.

It’s a nice gesture, but the Maria part begins to register. He won’t show you, or doesn't want to spend time alone with you after what transpired last night. Confusion lingers in the back of your mind - Joel invited you to dance, and now it's as if you've never held a conversation before.

You nod, "Sounds good to me."

Even though it was not, in fact, good at all. Maybe last night really was some drunken mistake, but it wouldn't make sense of Joel's demeanor now.

Why did he look like he had something else to say?

••••

"Pretty day today," Joel states.

Sunlight streaks between distant mountain peaks, painting the morning fog with a breathtaking display of orange and yellow. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see how it casts a golden halo around Joel's salt and pepper hair, highlighting its warmer browns. He turns to his saddle bag, giving you a glimpse of his face; the sunlight works wonders. He's warmer and brighter... there's more life to him.

Joel gestures to one of the peaks ahead, "See that mountain over there? The shorter one to the right - we stop at the base of it. On the way out there, we're on lookout, gettin' rid of any stragglers. At the turn-around point we'll rest, and the trip back is supply pickup, in case we find anything."

You clear your throat, carrying on, "Got it... Must be a long route, hm?"

"At an average pace, 'bout two hours or so. If you're bookin' it, you could do it in less than one."

The talking is helpful when it's useful information, but anything else reminds you of last night, of that version of Joel. When he was in such stark contrast to this gruff personality, and if you were being honest, it had intrigued you. Pulled you in deeper.

In fact, from the moment you saw him, he caught your eye. On that chilly morning, where you stood timid and anxious amidst the crowd, something clicked in place when he'd briefly turned to you.

A certain roughness in his look told you that something, many things, has roughed him around the edges over the years. You couldn't tell his age, but you could assume that he witnessed the fall of everything. Back then, the world crumbled with the rise of the infection, its haunting mortality rate, and there was no hope of it being stopped after it had begun. You wondered what Joel's life had been before he ended up in Jackson - how his 'regular life' was, back when the world made more sense.

His accent is distinctly and seductively Southern, one you could listen to for hours. Clearly he isn't from around here - any kind of travel across so much terrain isn't an easy task, and it would take months at a steady pace.

So how the hell did he wind up in Jackson?

Joel reaches for a canteen of water, unscrewing the top and tossing his head back, taking in a few deep gulps. His jaw twitches as he drinks greedily, and follows it with a low, satisfied sigh when he's finished. The sound casts you into a void of unholy thoughts. Something tightens in your core, a feeling that, you now realize, you haven't had in months. Years, maybe.

Effortlessly, Joel shines light on an emotion you hadn't addressed to even yourself: a primal need for something.

••••

With the exception of picking off the straggling infected, the patrol is continuing quite smoothly. The sun is slowly inching its way across the sky, keeping you comfortably warm in a gentle breeze that relieves your dull headache. Now, Joel leads you down a path veering toward an open stretch of pasture at the base of the mountain. Peering ahead, you see the trail reach its end at the start of the field, and beyond spans into a sea of rolling hills that takes your breath away.

"How you doin' back there?" Joel asks.

"Still good," you reassure him.

He nods his head toward a fence far off in the pasture, "We go to the edge of the perimeter, then we loop around. We'll take a breather first, though."

You follow in his stead until he reaches the old wooden fence, dismounting his horse, and carefully tying its reigns to a nearby fence post. Dismounting Belle gives your hips and thighs a wave of relief to get some blood flowing again. You head to the fence on unsteady legs, leaning against the weathered wood as another gust of wind rushes by. The cool wind across your skin makes you turn to face its source, tossing your head back to invite its presence at your neck. Your eyes flutter shut, and the world melts away for a while.

He wishes he could burn this image in his mind. You throwing your head back as the wind blows, entangling itself through your hair, your clothes. That soft smile tugging at your lips has him completely distracted before you let out a happy sigh. A soft, breathy sound that makes his imagination wander, against his better judgement.

After all, last night was a mistake.

The moment Cara had called for your attention, inviting you to join his group, Joel knew the night would end differently than he expected. You wore a shirt that accentuated every area his eyes shouldn't have wandered to, but they did. Across the lot, he'd watched you dance for hours, spinning and twirling and laughing and really, truly, living. He could see a light in you, a fire that couldn't be put out.

But if you're a fire, Joel is gasoline.

"Listen," he starts. He already knows where this is heading, that he's ruined this moment, and that there will be nothing in his power to make it any better.

But he can't let you fall into a delusion. This idea that you want him, yet you have no idea of what's underneath. He can't have you focused on him when there's a whole community to serve. He's doing a service by telling you now, he assures himself.

Nipping it in the bud.

You turn to face him quickly, knowingly. He can tell by your fidgeting hands that you might know what's coming. And he can see it in your wide-eyed expression, still somewhat hopeful. He braced himself to see that face fall.

"What happened last night... ain't my best moment. I didn't hold myself back when I shoulda have, and I..." he straightens, "it can't happen again."

The words come out meaninglessly. Joel speaks, but can't hear himself, his words come from some far-off mental script he'd prepared when he'd gotten home last night. He can see it hit you - the realization, the way your body goes completely still. Your bottom lip trembles slightly, yet you hold a solid smile despite the hurt he sees in your eyes. Your hands have frozen in place, knuckles growing white from gripping them together so tightly.

"I-I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have gotten so carried away," you explain.

Your apology is a blow to his gut. Have you been blaming yourself this whole time? As if you could even be at fault. Joel asked you to dance. You were about to go home, and he asked you to stay out of his own selfishness.

He needed that light, that fire. A brightness that only you've possessed, and it had him hooked from the first time you'd spoken, at last patrol. You had strayed away from your position in the party and had wound up next to him. It hadn't registered who had joined him, and before he had the chance to issue a harsh 'stay back', there you were, in complete awe.

Joel remembers it clearly: the way your eyes shone with delight, an infectious smile that for a moment, lifted his spirits. Every patrol was the same. Same people, same routes, over and over and over again with exhausting mundanity. Until you came along.

There was a light about you he could not touch.

In every way you are his opposite. On one hand, Joel is harsh, serious, and doesn't care much about his impact on others, let alone their feelings. You, on the other hand, represent everything Joel could've had for himself - kind, flexible, and you naturally cared for others.

Joel can't seem to remember when he lost that side of himself. He doesn't understand your capacity for kindness in a world this dark.

"You shouldn't be apologizing for anything," he says.

You pause and look toward the ground, wringing your hands again, "I should've just gone home."

If you had, you wouldn't be on the verge of tears right now.

A surge of regret fills his chest. Someone as kind as you doesn't deserve the pain of rejection; you should have someone who cherishes you, who can appreciate your softness without tainting it.

"Why'd you stay?"

There was no use for excuses now.

It's harder to meet his eyes this time, but you want to see his reaction to your answer.

"Because you asked me to dance."

Confusion knits Joel's eyebrows together when he asks, "And that was so special?"

"Yes. Was it not that way for you?"

He opens his mouth to answer, yet he hesitates. The long pause doesn't much to help your confusion, you truly want to know, to hear it from him first. If it wasn't important, it'd be easier to forget it happened in the first place.

It would certainly be easier than an unrequited love. Anything is easier.

"That's not what I said."

"It's implied," you state. Joel averts his gaze to the fence, idly picking at a loose piece of wood. "It's alright if it wasn't, I just... I need to know."

Another beat passes before he gives his answer, at long last. Joel matches your pose from earlier and leans with his back against the fence.

"It was. Special, that is," he says gently. That softness in his voice was greatly missed, and it's a breath of fresh air to hear it once more. "It's just... you're still new here. I don't want you getting distracted-"

"Are you calling yourself a distraction?"

Joel's eyes dart to you, "Am I not?"

You press your lips into a thin line, making his question ultimately rhetorical. He nods once, then turns his head to you. The intensity of his stare demands it to be met, so you meet his eyes and find a playfulness there, a hint of the Joel from last night.

"Am I one?"

"Telling you would just give you ideas," he teases.

You smirk, "So I am."

"The worst kind."

Shifting your weight on your feet reminds you of the soreness in your legs, so you lift your arms, and push yourself onto the top of the fence, dangling your legs over the side. The silence between you now isn't as uncomfortable as earlier. No, this is the silence of anticipation, wondering what or who will give a resolution.

"What about me is so distracting?" You ask.

In place of words, Joel makes his way to you, positioning himself in front of your swinging legs, which now shook a little more than you'd like to admit. He closes the gap with hands on either side of you, gripping the wood beneath his rough fingers.

There's no way to place his expression when he looks at you again.

He replies, voice low and strained, "Everything."

You can't miss it when his eyes wander to your lips, hovering there a moment longer than he needed to. Taking the opportunity you look at his as well - you knew they were soft, but hadn't felt much of them. Need and hunger are all you can feel as you stare.

When his lips meet yours, there's something that tells you that maybe this situation was inevitable. One look at him, and you knew how you felt, and exactly how willing you'd be to take your time with him.

But today, Joel doesn't need time. He knows what he wants.

He groans into your mouth when you move your lips against his - the sound of a starved animal finally getting their fill. It draws a moan from you, matching him in a sweet harmony. There's a gap between you still, that simply isn't enough.

You reach forward in search of the waistband of his jeans, hook your fingers through his belt loops, and tug Joel forward. His mouth crashes into yours once again, skirting his tongue across your bottom lip, begging for entry. One at a time, you wrap your legs around Joel's waist and secure yourself tightly against him, gripping at his shoulders with a ferocity you didn't recognize.

It's not as slow as you would've liked him to go, but it's the pace you need. For how long it felt to wait, for how impatient you'd been.

And he knows how to deliver it.

His hands roam carefully around your waist, squeezing and fondling with an avarice that shows he's been waiting just as impatiently. Every caress sets you alight, erupting goosebumps along your arms and neck, which Joel is slowly shifting his attention to.

"Joel," you pant, but it's all you can muster. There's more to the sentence, but his lips stop you. They play at the soft skin below your jaw, suckling gently before his tongue slides along your supple flesh, bringing himself to your ear.

He catches your earlobe between his teeth and bites playfully. Another moan falls past your lips, another breathy utterance of his name. Joel plants a kiss below your ear. You card your fingers through his hair, tugging at the soft strands.

"Careful, pretty girl," says Joel, reaching upward to support your head as it's thrown back in pleasure. He weaves his fingers into your hair for a comfortable grip, and pulls your head back further.

The constriction chokes you, but you smile anyway at the dull pain from where he holds you. With his strength, he has you exactly where he wants you, and can keep you there. The high-pitched moan you sing next has Joel losing his composure, his actions growing sloppier as you continue.

But, to your surprise, he releases you first.

Joel pulls back with a final kiss pressed to your lips again, a deep and savoring one. The back of your head stings from the grip he held on it, though it gives you a rush of adrenaline you won't trade for anything.

The sigh he lets out is one you can recognize, because you're breathing the same one.

This complicates things.

Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it took a long time to write, and I think it's because it's not smut, and it was very frustrating, so next chapter will have a LOT more (i'm already plotting)

#fanfiction #tlou fic #tlou2 #tlou fanfiction #joel tlou #joel miller #pedro pascal joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller smut #smut #smut writing #bunny writes

[motherhenna]

yoooo ok that last job turning out to be bullshit might actually be a blessing in disguise because I just landed an interview for an after school theater teacher gig that pays way better~ I went to theater camp every year from ages 12 to 17 and always loved the idea of being a counselor for a program like that, and did backstage / dramaturg work for a play at UCSB back in pre-pandemic 2020 so I might actually have a shot at this. Wish me luck!

#so far I have a 100% rate of getting the job offer after interviews #ended up turning down the offer I got yesterday as it was a bit too high stakes for me at this point in my life #I take working with kids--especially kids with intellectual disabilities--super seriously #and I just don't think I'm ready to be a para-educator especially since that's not exactly the career path I want to go down in the long ru #but yeah for whatever reason I always do really good with interviews #my resume isn't anything special but when I get a chance to turn on the rizz I usually get the gig #perks of being an awkward neurodivergent kid who had no concept of social cues is that I had to learn it all from scratch #so I'm actually pretty good at being very friendly and personable and telling potential employers what they want to hear #without coming across as phony #partially because I do genuinely like chatting with people #personal

[aita-blorbos]

WIBTA for getting revenge against the person that ruined my life?

I (36M) am (still am, losing your job doesn't get rid of a persons PHD) a scientist that specializes in theoretical physics and studies of the multiverse. Until around a year and a half ago I had a job at a prestigious science facility, where I designed a device that would transport anything from other dimensions to ours (we had to set it off a little bit ahead of schedule, but overall, I'd say I did a good job with the timeframe I was given!).

This is where a person I'll call SM comes in.

One of the tests I ran on the device involved bringing a radioactive spider from another dimension to ours, but unfortunately, it escaped and bit him, which resulted in him gaining amazing powers, and becoming a superhero (he killed the spider right after it bit him, BTW.) (just thought I should bring that up.) (really stellar guy, takes important moments in his life REAL seriously.) (I don't think text is doing a good job conveying how sarcastic I am being right now, so to clarify: I AM BEING REALLY SARCASTIC.).

My first face-to-face meeting with SM was brief, but impactful. It happened when he and another important-but-not-so-relevant-to-the-story-guy broke in to my (ex) workplace a day before we were going to set off the device for real, all so that they could steal top secret information from us....And a bagel?! Which SM actually used as a projectile to HIT ME WITH (what kind of person DOES THAT? And with so much unnecessary force, too!)

Then, a day later, he blew up my invention WHILE I WAS STILL IN THE ROOM. I wasn't even one of the people fighting him, all I was trying to do was grab a canister of the dark energy my device was generating, but he didn't care at all that I was there!

Because of him blowing up that machine, I was turned in to...Something else. I don't have a face anymore, and my entire body is covered with these holes. Things fall through them all the time, and it leads to all sorts of embarrassing accidents that always cause people to laugh at me.

Not only that, but by doing this, he also made me lose my job, which was practically my entire life. I look so grotesque, my own family won't even LOOK AT ME, and I can't even get a new job to support myself because of the way my condition makes me look!

So that means by the time SM and I finally met again, I was so dangerously low on funds, I had to resort to a life of crime! I decided to jumpstart it by robbing an ATM machine because that's pretty harmless and easy, isn't it? I mean, it's a machine, nobody loses anything from me taking from one of those, besides for the bank, but who cares about them? They steal from people all the time! I'd hardly say it's a villainous act to take from them, except for the fact that robbery is illegal. Anyway, the shopkeeper assaulted me for trying to steal from the ATM machine.

Maybe I should have seen that one coming.

...Eh, whatever.

It only gets worse from here, because then, out of nowhere, SM shows up, makes fun of me, and then cuts me off while I tried explaining to him who I am and why I should matter to him, just so he could read a text. Which is just unbelievably rude, and tbqh, pretty unheroic!

He spent the rest of what was SUPPOSED to be our epic battle on his phone, texting some person. This fight was meant to be a huge deal for both of us, and he didn't take it seriously at all, he barely even bothered to look at me for a majority of it. At one point, he even webbed me up and left in the middle!

Our fight did eventually resume, and midbattle he told some police officer that I was just a "villain of the week", while I was RIGHT THERE!

Eventually, the fight brought as all the way back to the site of the accident, right where our connection first formed. This was finally a point where I had the chance to tell him everything, what I did for him, what he did to me! And even after all that, he still treated me like a JOKE!

I got really mad at that point, which came back to bite me pretty quickly. As in, I accidentally kicked myself in to one of my own holes (like I said before, I have a lot of holes, they go places, one hole took my foot to my own butt, and I fell in to another hole).

But on the bright side, this resulted in me finding out that I'm a transdimensional superbeing. Which gave me an epiphany! I finally know what I want to do now, and how I'm going to do it. There's a lot of science involved, multiversal travel, stuff like that. But the basic idea is that I'm getting payback. The way I see it, he took everything from me, so why shouldn't I get to take everything from him? It makes sense, right? Because of him, I have nothing, so why should he have anything? It's only fair!

So, as long as everything goes according to plan, by the time I'm done, he shouldn't have anything left, and then he'll finally learn to respect me.

....Wow, this came out way longer than I thought it would.

Here's a tl;dr!:

SM ruined my life, WIBTA if I ruined his in return?

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality

[reilliane]

Pre-Story - ONE

✤ — Universe: Fleur ✤ — Summary: Change is inevitable in life. Sometimes, you want to cling to the usual normalcy, sometimes you don't.

a/n: pre-stories are childhood memories!

They are always repetitive—the days, you mean.

If a chance presents itself to change the routine of your everyday life, you'd say it's a slim one, though you welcome any percentage.

Anything to get rid of the monochromatic boredom in the supposedly colorful life.

Okay, perhaps you're exaggerating—life isn't that bad, but still.

With a feeble hum, you draw onto a piece of paper in a blue-green—as your Crayola labels—color, a winged symbol. Nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual wings with a few flairs here and there.

They aren't meant to be special—not yet, at least—just another doodle in another sketchbook that will be forgotten under the closet.

You promise not to forget about it, but you have a bad case of forgetting promises.

There's a clear difference between forgetting and not doing, as you like to emphasize to your friend. Ah, speaking of.

"Hey, hey, you're leaving tomorrow, right?" the giddy voice on your right makes you roll onto the other side away from him, leaving the doodle and crayon behind.

You groan, stretching your limbs and sighing.

Leaving... you didn't think that such a day would come, but alas.

"Mm.." is your response—bland.

Smack!

"Ow—Kaeya!"

The boy, older than you by a couple of years, snickers as he continues to smack your back with a yawn. He does an incredible job of being indifferent to your whines.

Thinking nothing of it, he resumes messing around.

It's always been his favorite pastime before he's taken away.

You despise it, but hey, he's a brother figure for a reason.

"Hey, hey, aren't you excited?" he hums, taking the piece of paper you've been drawing on and flopping onto the couch, surveying the drawn figure.

With the little concentration you have—as expected of a child seven years of age—you turn to the plate of sweets on the table, standing on wobbling feet to reach the chocolate muffins. But alas.

You're too short. Or maybe the table's just too tall.

"A little-!" you admit, squeaking when your fingers brush against the plate and it almost clatters to the ground.

Easing your feet from tippy toes, you grumble, crossing your arms. From the corner of your eye, you spot Kaeya shuffling. "Who's not excited about leaving? Still, I like it here! So, I'm sad."

Even sadder because you can't reach the muffin.

"Yeah, I get the feeling," the spark of giddiness is uncontrollable the second you realize that the blue-haired boy is taking the plate from the table. "The people here are nice, after all!"

He lowers the plate of sweets to your level and grins as you squeal your thanks, hands reaching for the piece of muffin you've been salivating minutes ago from.

Before the pastry touches your hands, however, he snags it and takes a huge bite, laughing obnoxiously at the look of betrayal on your face.

"It's sad without you, too!" says Kaeya, words jumbled from eating at the same time as he speaks.

Paying extreme attention to your horrified expression, he proceeds to munch on the sweet pastry, his stare glinting with utter mischief.

"My brother's pretty okay though, we're good buddies!"

"Kaeya, give me a muffin!"

"Yeah, I'm in good hands."

"Kaeyaaaaa!"

When the clock strikes five in the afternoon, a car pulls up in front of the building.

A fancy one that you'd often see in the movies, black with a shine that seems to be there at all times even when there is an obvious lack of light.

You walk by the side of the blue-haired boy, eating away happily at a newly baked muffin he and the rest of the children helped bake.

A man with crimson hair rolls down the car window, beckoning your friend to hop on in so they can return home.

Home.

Kaeya notices your dispirited form before you can even process it yourself, and messes with your hair again with a grin. He had the heart not to shove your face down on the muffin, thankfully—but you're still miffed.

Though it's abated a little when you see his tiny smile and pinky extended towards your direction. "I may be gone, but that doesn't mean I won't visit, you crybaby."

"Who are you calling a crybaby, you big baby?!" you exclaim, obviously crying.

"You are, duh." He retorts, crying himself.

Still, you entwine your pinky with his, both sniffling like there's no tomorrow.

And then he waves you goodbye, as do the red-haired man in the front seat. If you tip your toes, you'd see someone of a shorter stature beside him, but you're not too sure if it's just your blurry vision playing tricks.

Kaeya repeats that he'll visit again—and the car drives away.

As you stand by the entrance wiping your tears, you hear your name being called, probably so that you'll finish the dinner you left behind.

After a call that you're going there, you start to move—only stopping when it feels like you're not carrying anything.

That's weird.

Looking down at your hands—

"... He stole my muffin.."

You can't even be mad. 

a/n: first pre-story done! this was posted first in wattpad but i figured i should bring it here too. now.. onto the taglist omg-

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @annoying-and-upset @hanniejji @applepi1415 @tjjjrsj @azirajane @hey-comrade-hold-stil @limelightsuperhero @chloeloe @loptido @windyventi @nejibot @ganyuqrt @justrinnn @yasunamilk @alana5021 @uwu-dreams @nomnom21 @milksnake-tea @layla240 @normalisthenewnorm @abbynxisys @ghostlystudentvoidbat @meinoballs @lost-in-alula @aryllechan @xiaosalmondtaro @yetchann @rayskyee @lunavixia @estelwrld @nightfloweruponahill @o0soup0o @little-fiinch @blueberrysauce @iineikoo @aestherin @hakobuns @monicahar @sirinxei @mundanenights @minitao @randomweebly @bluebeomz @emperatris-rinaka @durptwit @shioriryke @crapimahuman @cianalikesbeans @feverish-dove @sassyglassesbunny

#m-fleur #4nemo x reader #kaeya x reader #kaeya fluff #genshin x reader #genshin fluff #4nemo fluff #female reader

[wornoutmouse]

Tatsumi

Welcome back to mommy dearest writing for a character she doesn’t know. I present to you…..Adult Gumball from The Amazing World of Gumball

(I’m joking)

We are going for the mating cycle trope cause it never fails.

Breeding kink, of course, literal impregnation, poison le peepee, mommy kink, daddy kink, everybody a switch

This dude looks lactose intolerant

Left-right, up-down, and 2 sides of the same damn coin are the most accurate descriptions of Tatsumi. So in the end you never know what he’s truly thinking and perhaps that’s for the best. What never is hard to decipher is when his heat comes. The passive aggressiveness was forever present as you went about everyday tasks. His playful nature dwindled as time went by until you were too scared to even joke around with him. “Tats, your fur is a lot softer than normal, are you using a different shampoo?”

The bluenette grumbled as he glared down at a book that he was never even reading in the first place, “You know what’s in the bathroom so you know I’m not using anything different. You don’t blame his attitude one bit, he had told you that sharing his cycle was something precious to him and even though you were his girlfriend even platonically helping him through it was a big thing. This however didn’t mean he didn’t want to fuck you against the stove every time he saw you making some nasty ass quesadilla’s. That didn’t prevent him from dry humping everything in your shared bedroom to spread his scent around. Didn’t even stop him from dry humping you as soon as you came home.

“Tatsumi, I know your thing is like tomorrow, but you can’t stop me from enjoying my bath.” The blunette stood menacingly over your bathtub as you soaked. Your brown skin caressed by sparkling white bubbles as a creamy scent wafted from the water was almost like presenting a duck on a platter for Tatsumi. It was moments like these when he understood your hurt look when he said he didn’t want to share his heat with you. “I’m not stopping you, I’m just watching..” You rest your arm outside the bath, having a long staring contest with the man. “Your braids are getting wet.” You sighed before pulling out the stopper.

The next day his rut was in full sweep, you woke up this morning to him in the shower so you opted to make breakfast. By the time you finished and came to alert him, the bedroom door was locked and you could hear heavy grunts on the other side. “K Tats, just remember I’m here for you if you need anything.” You finished your breakfast alone and kicked a couple of grain bars underneath the door.

You walked back into the kitchen and groaned when you saw the corner of your kitchen floor bare from the lack of water. “He’s going to dehydrate himself at the the rate he is going at it.” Your skin prickled from the thought of going outside into the cool fall air with only a pair of shorts but nonetheless, you head out to visit the nearest Walmart, “We’ll need more food anyways.”

Inside the bedroom

The heat was unbearable, Tatsumi had shredded most of his clothes the moment he woke up. The naive would say that the heat in his groin would be the hardest part to deal with, but the physical warmth that had his skin visibly boiling made him want to claw his skin off where he stood. He rested his head against the bed, eyes closed with unbridled rage. All he wanted to do is let you inside this room and never let you out until he had fucked a baby in you. Alas, it was not a baby he wanted so that is why he made up the lie about how his rut was special to him. In reality, he had shared his cycle with many others, some friends, some colleagues, a commonplace whore would even due during this time of crisis.

The only difference between you and them is that they never saw the next day. The point of his cycle is to mate, and more importantly, if the mating isn’t successful his cum becomes poisonous to the person it was inserted in. Even Muroi would make jokes about how he has “deadly dick” much to his dismay. So even if him sharing his heat with you would be pleasurable and end it quicker, if you do not get pregnant, you will die and that was the only thing keeping him from leaving this room.

His ears twitched to pick up on where you were in the house, they twitched, twitched a little bit more. Where the hell were you? Shakily he stands, screwing his face up when his dick hit his stomach shamelessly. He creaked the door open, mumbling your name into the open air. No response, “Y/n where the hell are you?” Even though it was a dangerous chance to take, Tatsumi didn’t feel comfortable not feeling your presence somewhere throughout the house. He walked around the apartment growing angrier than when he left when he saw your keys were missing. “What the hell, she couldn’t at least stay to make sure I didn’t die?” Your absence hurt a little bit, but his prideful heart just turned any pain into horn-filled anger.

Meanwhile, your dumbass was looping around for the 3rd time to get samples of imitation crab on a saltine cracker. “Miss, this is your 4th time..” “What do you mean, I’ve never been here before?” You of course, as any good customer would, didn’t buy a single package of imitation crab nor cracker. You went home with your belly full and a car filled with water and packaged ham because Thanksgiving was 6 months away and you’ll be damned if you get caught having to buy 6 chickens to replace the turkey again.

When you get home you carried the ham in your arms while you kicked a water bottle pack into the kitchen. During your excruciating workout, you failed to notice that the bedroom door was wide open, and an overbearing warmth filled the home spreading Tatsumi’s anger pheromones that you couldn’t even smell to save your life. And your life was indeed endangered. “Tats do you need some more water!” You whistle throughout the house, tossing your keys on the couch before gaping at the wide-open door. “Tatsumi!?”

“I’m glad you knew well enough to wear damn near nothing when you came back.” Tatsumi looked completely worse for wear, eyes blown wide and blue hair tousled. “What the hell are you doing outside our room, aren’t you the one that wanted for us to stay away from each other?” “Mmhm.” Tatsumi was completely naked from the waist down. From the neck up his skin was flushed red and sweaty, "Yes that was the plan until you decided to leave. "

Tatsuya was in you in an instant, teeth clashing together when he kissed you, your hands rested on clammy skin slowing Tatsumi's process of undressing you. "I'm going to fuck you so well Y/n. Breed your pretty little pussy for all to see." The brazen words of affirmation made your movements stutter in the slightest bit. "If this dirty talk or are you serious?!"

Tatsumi's hands slap down on your ass, gripping the soft flesh in-between his fingers. "I've never been more serious, this is life and death. " Using his hold on your buttocks, he lifts you up with a slight heave before placing you on the two-way countertop. Buttons pop off your shorts hitting the floor as they’re ripped off. Your panties soon join as well, falling to the floor in a graceful heap. Goosebumps plagued your skin at the act of aggression. "So pretty and perfect for me. There isn't any doubt in my mind that this'll work."

You couldn't help but twitch at the praise, making Tatsumi laugh. Slender fingers rub your clit building your pleasure to make you slick. The soft treatment was stopped when Tatsumi pinched the nerve. "Play with yourself while I go get some lube." It seemed almost like a challenge for Tatsumi to pull away from you but he did nonetheless. You hurriedly remove your tank top leaving your black sports bra on, unwilling to wrestle with it. Carefully balancing on the edge of the counter, you resume torturing your clit until sweat begins to build on your own body.

"Tatsumi!" You stuttered, rolling your body enticingly when he came back into your line of sight. "You're so damn sexy." You grab his neck and pull him in between your legs wrapping them around him. "I want to make you feel good, baby come on." You reach in-between your legs, squeezing the tip is cock, biting your lip when it twitches in your hand. "You're so big Tat's, do you want me that badly?"

His hair was dripping with sweat and his face was dusted a pretty red color, one you longed to make bloom. "Fuck yes! I need to feel you squeeze around me, fuck I'm so desperate right now, I'll do anything!" You caress his face cooing as he thrust into your palm like a hormonal teenager. "You ain't got to do nothing for me but put your pretty little cock in me baby!" You take the lube from him and squeeze the cool liquid on his dick making it twitch even more.

Tatsumi gripped the counter with one hand while pumping his lubed cock with the other. "Fuck fuck fuck!" Without warning, Tatsumi cums from his hands, shooting the warm liquid on your pussy lips making the perfect contrast of black and white. This detail went straight to Tatsumi's dick. So while his cock continued to shoot cum he thrust forward till he bottomed out, stretching your pussy to the shape of him. "Tell me when I can move, if it's good, tell me when!"

Tatsumi was teary-eyed staring at the ceiling so he could refrain from moving and possibly hurting you. "You're so warm Y/n, feel so good, all stretched out for me." When you finally relaxed, you lowered your legs, pushing his hips deeper. "Come on daddy, you said you wanted to be me hmm?" Tatsumi caged you against the counter with both hands on the sides, dripping the fake tile as if his life depended on it.

"Oh, don't call that. You know how I feel about that." You planted in his ear, dead-set on dirty talking him to completion. "Oh, you don't feel like being daddy right now baby? You want to be my pretty lil boy?" Tatsumi nodded nibbling in your collarbone. You squeezed your eyes shut as his cock began to move faster.

"Oh, your-fuck! Such a good boy for mommy you know that? I couldn't ask for a better...a better!" Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as Tatsumi pulled you off the counter, bouncing you on his cock while he stood. Tatsumi growled at the vibration your ass caused when it slammed down on his toned thighs. He was exerting himself in a display of primal strength. Your pussy clenched down on him as he held you still. Opting to jackhammer into your body, making you shake.

As ridiculous as you probably looked, the pleasure made up for it. "I'm going to fuck you so damn well, you're not leaving this damn house again!"

And leaving was something you could not do. You were fucked in all sorts of positions in all locations of the house. The only break you got was when you could shower and even that wasn't a break as Tatsumi soon joined you, and fucked you haphazardly against the shower wall. Both of you came in and out of consciousness throughout the days, only having enough time to eat and drink.

On the final day, Tatsumi was the one to wake first. His sleepy eyes blinked at the open window, the same window he made you deep throat him in front of hours ago. "Y/n?" His voice was scratchy and in desperate need of water as he held it gingerly. "Y/n?" You lay next to him, body partially covered in a white sheet that probably only sin if he were to guess from the scratch marks and bites littering both his and your backs.

Tatsumi’s heart raced at your stillness, time armed to slowdown as a shaking hand reached out for you flinching at your cold skin. "N-No!"

It didn't work, he had worked so hard to make it work and his efforts were fruitless. The bed shook with his sobs, he couldn't even look at your still form. What was he going to tell your family? Fuck that, how would he even be able to live with himself. "What do I do, oh God Y/n. I'm so sorry! I-"

"Dawg shut the FUCK UP!"

His crying was interrupted as he was hit full swing with his own pillow. Your almond eyes were swollen most likely from tears of overtime as you squinted at Tatsumi. Pointing an accusing finger at him. "You fucked me for 3 days straight, I deserve sleep. Now be quiet or go somewhere else!" With that, you turned back over, covering yourself with your sheet.

Despite your scolding, Tatsumi felt joy filling his being. When he quieted, he stiffens… if you were alive..that meant you were pregnant…… now how the hell is he supposed to break the news to you?

#tatsumi #shiki tatsumi #anime smut #shiki smut #anime imagines #heat

[maplecornia]

Namjoon

𝔞/𝔫: this will be in Namjoon's POV

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱: 2.85K

𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔯𝔢: romance | slice of life | fluff | angst | bts x female!reader | ot7

𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: You watched them from the sidelines ever since you were a young teenage girl. Now you’re grown up, they’ve returned after 2 long years and everything has changed. What happens when you pull back the mask and find the darkness within? What happens when you see that they’re broken?

𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: cliffhangers | angst | fluff | slight mentions of self hatred | depression | mental health illness | self harm | occurs in the year 2024 | set in a timeline where BTS went to the military together | slight language

tags: @kookaine | @fangirl125reader | @kookiebbyxx | @taradevonne | @rae-bear | @mangminnie | @pixiekooo | @cana

My hands flying across the keyboard, I have no room to think about anyone or anything else other than my work. I have no intention to think about anything else.

I've heard it said that there are those with a wasteland in their minds. They are constantly searching for something to give their life meaning, but everything they find isn't good enough. They are constantly trying to break the last record, find a new tune, discover another song to play in their hearts. They can never rest, they never want to rest for if they did they would lose their minds.

Pulling away from the board, I find that I'm shaking. My eyesight is wavering, I can't even think straight.

Am I the same as those lost?

Sighing, I hold my head in my hands.

What am I doing? I have no time to be worrying over things that don't matter. My gaze drifting, I notice a coffee cup on the table beside me, along with a small bag of snacks resting against it. Mildly amused, I stand to investigate, and find a note tied around the bag. Pulling on it, I blink in surprise at the neat but shaky Hangul written there.

Namjoon, I'm not too good at writing in Korean just yet so I hope that this is understandable.

This is a coffee cup, but if you need some water or an energy drink, I placed some beside your bag. This is a little bag of leftover snacks I found at the vending machine.

I'm sorry I couldn't find something better than this, but I hope it's enough for a small pick me up.

Please remember to get some rest tonight, I don't want you working too hard.

-Yen

I don't realize I'm crying until a tear runs from my cheek and lands on the small slip of paper. Surprised, I frantically dry the tear from the paper before holding it close to my chest as though it were my only comfort. The tears continue to run down my face, and I fall to the floor almost sobbing as unexplainable emotions surge through my body. Too fast and too many at once for me to be able to understand.

"Why...why are you so kind?"

Does she even realize the effect she has on my heart? The way she tears and turns it as though it were nothing? She doesn't even have to think twice about her actions. She doesn't do these things to gain something from me, in fact, she expects nothing, and yet...

She makes me want to give her the world.

.

.

.

"What are you talking about?"

Jaejin smiles at the question, almost as though he were dealing with a child who didn't want to let go of their parents on his first day of school. Scoffing almost, I fold my arms in indignation. Since when was I the child in this relationship?

"It's quite simple hyung, I'm going to be away for a couple of months. It's not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal?!" Reaching forward, I stop him from packing. He looks up at me, a bit surprised. "Jaejin, need I remind you of your position? You can't just leave whenever you see fit. There are policies, systems set in place, responsibilities you have to uphold."

Jaejin rolls his eyes before politely removing my hand from his stuff.

"Namjoon, you didn't think I knew? I've already taken care of everything."

As he pulls away, rummaging in his desk for a pen and sticky note, I stare at him dumbfounded. He's leaving, isn't he? Just when I've come back, now one of my closest and most trusted friends is leaving me behind. Scolding myself, I try to push the feeling of being betrayed to the back of my mind.

Jaejin has a right to pursue his dreams, I shouldn't hold him back. This isn't something to be upset over, I should be happy for him, I should support his decision.

But I don't want to say goodbye.

He must've noticed my expression, for when he next speaks, I can tell his words were meant to comfort me.

"You know, you're going to love Yen."

"Yen?"

"That's the person coming in to replace me."

I stare at him, not wanting to believe his words. He's having someone come in to replace him as my manager? How can he expect someone I don't even know to replace him at my side? Just how long is he planning to stay away?

Almost sensing my discomfort, Jaejin turns to me and places his hand on my shoulder. "There's no reason to worry. Yen will do an amazing job, okay?"

"How can you be so sure?"

At my question, he gets this faraway look in his eye and beckons for me to join him as he settles down in one of the chairs set up at his desk.

"Yen is someone special, you'll probably notice that as you get to know her." I open my mouth to ask him how, but he holds his hand up, already foreseeing my immediate response. I roll my eyes at the gesture, understanding his point and shutting up.

"I'm not just saying this as her friend, she's someone who I think will help you a lot. Though she might not think she's qualified for the job, and she may doubt herself every second of the way, she will try her hardest to be the best she can be." Watching him talk about her, almost as though she were the thing he treasured the most on earth, both confuses and intrigues me. What is she, perfect? No person is, so what's the difference with her?

"Yen is the kind of person who speaks to others through their emotions. She knows when you're sad, angry, tired, she can see it all through a few gestures. With a simple look your way it's as though she can see all the hidden secrets of your soul." In his wistful eyes, I wonder about the history between the two of them. Missed chances, unspoken words, regrets, do they have any of those? The way he talks about her, I don't think they are merely just friends.

"My point is, she'll take care of you. You don't ever have to be afraid of losing yourself when she's around, because she'll always bring you back."

.

.

.

Holding the note in my hands now, the way it feels almost as though she were there right beside me, holding me as I shake from all the built-up pain and frustration, I realize that Jae is right.

She's always there, helping me, supporting me. She gave me a reason to continue, she showed me that I didn't have to take care of everyone all the time. She reassured me that I wasn't alone, that she would stay beside me no matter what happened.

.

.

.

"Your music changes with you, don't you know?"

As she sits across from me, her wide eyes piercing mine with their deep stare, I try to make some sense of her words. Yes, I understand that music changes, but what does that have to do with me and my struggles? I'm afraid I don't love making music anymore, and this is what she responds with?

She smiles almost understandingly at my perplexed expression, and I quickly hide it, unaware I was being so obvious.

"Namjoon, maybe the reason why you feel so trapped is not that you don't love music anymore, but rather because you're trying to recreate something from the past." My eyes widening at the thought, I pull away from the soundboard. Was that what I was doing? Trying to recreate a past sound when the sound inside has already changed?

"Music grows as you grow, it flourishes the same way. Maybe in order to find yourself again, you have to let go of what your music used to be." Turning to her, somehow I know she sees the pain and the fear reflected in my eyes.

What if who I am now isn't good enough? What if this person isn't worthy of his title? What if I've become what I've always been afraid of?

Nothing.

Reaching forward, she takes my hand into her small ones and smiles warmly my way. A smile meant to calm me down, a gesture meant to calm the storm that threatens to rise in my chest.

"That doesn't mean you have to forget, it doesn't mean you have to say goodbye. It just means you have to move on, and grow as you've done before. If there's one thing I know, it's that you are good enough. You are worthy of their love, you are worthy of everything you have ever accomplished."

She smiles somewhat cockily as her eyes locked with mine, almost making me forget my doubt.

"Now, you just have to prove it to them once more."

.

.

.

She taught me what I was doing this for, reminded me why I love music, why I chose this path. It was her light, her passion that showed me the way.

Raising myself off of the ground, and pocketing the note, I turn back to the computer. Back to my work. Wiping my tears, I sit down taking a deep breath before resuming.

I won't let her down.

note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAMJOON! I hope you have a great birthday, and continue to be the amazing leader you have been for the longest time! I'm looking forward to the day where we can see you again.

check the Infinite Stars masterlist for more chapters

check my BTS masterlist for other BTS content

check out my masterlist for other kpop fanfics

#{infinite stars} updated! #bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #bts #fanfic #fanfiction #fanfiction series #bangtan #bangtan sonyeondan #kim taehyung #ot7 #ot7 fanfic #bts ot7 #bts ot7 fanfic #wattpad #wattpad writer #ao3 #ao3 writer #bts x reader #bts x female!reader #writer #bts fluff #bts angst #fluff #angst #series #kpop fanfic #kpop fanfiction #kpop #happy birthday namjoon!

[lawandorderforevercsi]

Forever Beloved

Disclaimer: AMC is owned by ABC/Disney.

Author's Note: I have been on the AMC fanfiction fandom. There is only one story for Maria and none for Edmund or Edmund/Maria pairing? Seriously? I thought it was time for one. Thanks to LilMisFit5290 for inspiring this one shot! Which couple name for Maria and Edmund do you like EdMaria, MarEdmund, Edaria?

A/N 2: This will be AU. I know life isn't fair with the way their pairing ended, but hey, I can reimagine it, right? Also, since it was not mentioned where Maria goes to college, I will assume she attended college at Texas State University at San Marcos. When Maria and Edmund were dating on-screen, she had mentioned her grandmother lived with her family growing up, so I am going with the flow.

Premise: What if she failed romance with Del that dashing Edmund comes to town where she is attending college? Will sparks fly then?

Spring 1987

The last several months had been tough for nineteen-year-old Maria Santos. While her studies towards her biology major were going well, social life was going well; just not her love life. She couldn't help it; she was wanted to create a relationship that was like that of her parents, loving and caring that was filled with children, lots of children. The problem was the guy she thought was the love of her life, Del Henry, had gotten her pregnant and not long after she had miscarried. To make matters worse, he smashed her heart pieces when he dumped her. She cried about it and was comforted by her roommates. But she didn't allow herself to wallow for too long. So, Maria swore off dating for a while, but fate had other plans. One fateful spring day and near the end of her sophomore year, she had gone to meet up with her friends and roommates, Kimberly Edwards and Colleen Miller, for lunch before studying for her finals.

As reached the lecture hall where English, Creative Writing, and Journalism were taught, she heard the lecturer's deep voice. She had heard about the lecturer, Edmund Grey wasn't even thirty. Yet he was already a well-traveled correspondent who has covered everything from wars to treaty signings and everything in between. Not only that, he already had a Pulitzer Prize to his name. Two of her friends and roommates were had been saying how handsome he was. Since she hadn't seen him yet, she wasn't sure what to think. For the time being, took their word for it.

Entering the lecture hall, Maria saw the guest lecturer. She fanned herself when she saw him; he was so handsome. His draw made him all the more appealing. He is so easy on the eyes. Wait, did you forget Maria, you know what happened with your last boyfriend. You really want to go through it again?

Nevertheless, he was so handsome, now she was torn. She had completely zoned out that she hadn't noticed that the class had ended and her friend Kimberly had walked up to her was calling to her. "Earth to Maria, earth to Maria, are you okay?"

Maria shook her head and said, "Yeah, I am fine."

Kimberly, however, was not easily persuaded. She saw where Maria's gaze landed on. She smiled. Maria deserved the best after what the jerk did to her. Kimberly had wanted to him a piece of her mind, but Maria had talked her out of it.

Kimberly said, "Come on, I will introduce you to him."

Maria said, "No, no, you know student-teacher relationships are frowned upon."

Kimberly replied, "Come on, relax, will you? You're not his student, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Without getting a chance to say anything, Kimberly led Maria to the front. After he and the other student finished talking, Kimberly spoke up, "Mr. Grey, I would like you to meet my best friend and roommate, Maria Santos."

When Edmund looked up and saw Maria, he was dumbstruck. There stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Of course, he has seen his fair share of beautiful women as he traveled here and abroad, but the young woman with long chocolate brown hair standing him smiling a bright smile takes the cake.

Kimberly noticed the stares between the two. She knew that had something significant to get her friend this speechless and said, "Well, I guess I will let you two be. I will just go to lunch with Colleen and see you later for our study session, right?"

Maria got out of her daydream and only nodded her head before turning back to stare.

Before long, the hall was empty but not for long before the next class filed in. Edmund broke the silence and said, "Ms. Santos, why don't we go to lunch, and it will be my treat. From there, we can get to know each other if you like."

Maria couldn't hold it back! She let out a quiet squeal. Here was the most handsome, debonair man who was interested in her. He helped her forget all about Del.

Whoa, Maria, don't go there! Not unless you want to ruin a good thing!

Coming out of her trance, she agreed, and they headed out. Instead of going to diners on campus, Maria took them to get good old-fashioned tacos. It was the next best thing when she wasn't home to have her mother's cooking. As they ate, they talked and got to know each other. Edmund learned that she was PreMed and working towards becoming a neurologist. Edmund learned that she had four younger siblings, the youngest being three years old. Maria found out that Edmund was an only child and had a sad childhood. He left home when he turned eighteen and already had seven years under his belt as a traveling journalist.

Edmund made a bold move. Taking her hand and asked, "Maria, I really like you and want to see you again. But I also know the rules about dating students, so how about when you finish your exams maybe I can take you on an actual date?"

This time Maria squealed louder. This was a dream come true. True, she was still cautious after the last relationship, but she knew this could be the real deal for her. She took a leap of faith and exchanged contact information with Edmund.

After he paid for lunch, he walked back to campus. Edmund kept his promise and let Maria finish her exams and the semester before contacting her. Edmund took her out on a date with the school year over, came by to help her pack, and gave her a ride home.

As Kimberly and Colleen watched as Edmund drove off, Colleen commented, "You did good Kimberly. Maria will be off the market for good."

Kimberly nodded, "Yep, for sure!"

A few hours later, they arrived in San Antonio, he had dropped her off, and after planning for their first official date, he went off to find an apartment for the short term and work. Now for work, he could find a temporary job at a newspaper or magazine office. With his resume, he landed an appointment with the in no time. When Maria wasn't volunteering at the local clinic or helping at home and Edmund wasn't busy working at the newspaper, they spent time with each other. They did everything together, including baseball games and roller skating.

One day Edmund had come by taking her out to a new movie that was coming out. However, when he arrived and knocked on the door, and the door opened, he saw that Maria looked frazzled with a squirmy little girl in her arms. When she saw Edmund, she gasped. "Edmund, I am so sorry that I didn't call you. At the last minute, my father had to work extra hours, and my mother had a big special sewing project she has to work on. She needed me to watch over my siblings for the tonight."

Edmund smiled. He loved kids, and now that he had seen with Maria with one of her siblings and how gentle she was, he knew she would be the one.

Edmund replied, "No, no, Maria, don't worry about it. Do you need help?"

Putting four-year-old Rosa down but holding on to her hand, Maria said, "No, I couldn't ask you to spend your evening watching two of my siblings with me."

Edmund calmed her down by saying, "No problems, my love. I love kids remember?"

Maria said with a smile, "Okay, if you want to, but I warn you, my siblings, while they can smile angelically, they can also be a handful. Especially Rosa here."

Looking at Rosa, she crouched down and said, "Rosie, can you say hi to my friend Edmund?"

Rosa stopped fidgeting when she saw someone new. Hiding her face in her big sister's shoulder but peeking her head and said, "Hello Ed, Ed…."

Edmund crouched down to the little girl's height and, with a smile, said, "Nice to meet you, Rosa. You can call me Eddie if that makes it easier for you."

With a little more confidence, Rosa said, "Hello, Eddie."

Edmund soon met eight-year-old Anita, and following a few hours of fun with the two younger kids, helped put them to bed. Later that night met the two teenagers, seventeen-year-old spitfire Julia and fourteen-year-old trying to act macho Mateo. They were wary at first. However, it didn't take the two teens to warm to Edmund.

Later that night, they spent time together. Maria had seen how good he was with kids when he helped put Rosa to bed when she was cheeky and a handful. For that, she loved him even more. They were so absorbed in the kissing they didn't hear the door open and close. It was only when they heard a gasp and Isabella yelling, "Maria!"

With Hector saying, "What is the meaning of this? Who is the man you are kissing?"

Maria and Edmund jumped apart like they were teenagers caught doing something naughty. Maria got off the couch, went to give her father a hug, and said, "Sorry, Papa. But this the Edmund Grey I told you and Mama about. You know the Pulitzer Prize journalist."

Maria looked at her parents and then at Edmund. She said to him, "Edmund, I would like you to meet my parents, Hector and Isabella Santos."

Edmund went over and offered his hand to shake and said, "It is nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Santos."

The stern looks on their faces didn't stay for long. Hector smiled and came over instead of nearly wanting to clobber Edmund for snogging his perfect eldest daughter and instead shook Edmund's hand. It didn't take long for Isabella to respond with a hug. Maria smiled. No guy had ever gotten approval that quickly. The one time she had a male classmate over for a project, her parents watched them or more, the guy like a hawk. As time went on, even her Grandmother Estella took a liking to Edmund.

As the summer progressed, their love grew, and she felt like the luckiest girl ever. Edmund made all the college guys look so immature as he was more worldly and debonair. One night after seeing the new movie that came out, Roxanne went back to his place for dinner in the local movie theater. Knowing that he could cook was a big plus. She remembered the day when she was at his home for lunch, he had made her a mean huevos ranchero. From that time on, she had fallen deeply in love with Edmund.

Of course, being an award-winning traveling war correspondent would require him to know how to cook. During one meal, he began talking about one person, in particular, a Peggy Moody. She was the one who taught him to cook when he was young. Edmund said to Maria, "One day, you will meet Peggy, and you will love her."

Maria said, "I am looking forward to that day!"

After dinner found the lovebirds on the couch alternating in snuggling and cuddling with a passionate make-out session. During one particular heated make-out session, she was sitting in his lap, and he let his hands roam her body. While she enjoyed the sensations when she felt him toying with her shirt, she broke the kiss.

Looking deep into her eyes, Edmund asked, "What is wrong, baby?"

Maria bit her lip and asked, "Um, you know I love you, right?"

Edmund asked, "You're not ready for sexual activity aspect of the physical intimacy?"

Maria takes a deep breath and tells him why she didn't want to jump into bed with him yet. She told him of how Del Henry betrayed her. When she was finished with her story, Edmund was steaming mad. How could a guy like him take advantage of someone sweet and smart? He was so angry, he said, "If I ever saw this Del guy I would like ring his neck."

Maria sighed. She loved that he was protective. Giving him a sultry kiss on the lips, she told her beloved, "Edmund, honey, you're so sweet, but your hard-earned career isn't worth trading for a jail cell."

Though still steaming, Edmund nodded and cooled down. For now, they settled for making out on the couch and hand-holding. Edmund was more than patient with Maria about getting her in bed. Soon summer drew to an end. They knew it as Edmund's profession required him to be at the frontlines to report on the news that was happening, and their time together had come to an end. But that didn't' help ease the pain of the breakup any easier.

On their last day together, Edmund had a plan to romance her like no other. What he didn't know was that he was in for a surprise himself. First, he picked her up from her home. After she hugged them goodbye and thanked the Santos family for their hospitality, Edmund drove Maria back to San Marcos. Once they arrived, they went grocery shopping before heading to her apartment. Maria said they would have the place to themselves, and they did. Maria explained that her sorority was new and selective, so they were still small. Because of that, they didn't have enough members yet to have a house, so she and two of her sorority sisters, Kimberley and Colleen, shared an apartment.

After he helped her bring up her stuff and helped her unpack some things, Edmund said, "Maria, my love, why don't you go and take a bath and relax while I make dinner for us?"

Maria sighed; she was a lucky woman to be with a man who had many talents. So, after she got him set up, she took a relaxing herbal soak. After putting on moisturizing lotion, she dressed in a casual outfit, a very casual outfit. Tonight would be the night that she would sleep with Edmund. Even though they would be splitting up soon (or so she thought), she wanted to give him a part of her.

Maria walked into the dining room. She sauntered in enticing two-piece lingerie that not hugged her in the right places; it also elongated her legs. Right then, Edmund finished dinner and lifted his head and nearly dropped what he had made. He leaned on the counter for support.

He thought Maria looked so sexy. When they were in San Antonio, he had tried to be the perfect gentleman and not stare at her, now he could do sp without shame.

She walked to the kitchen, wound her arms around his waist, stood a little on her tiptoe, and was kissing his neck. Edmund tried his best not just abandon dinner and just take her right then and there. Edmund knew she was giving signals that she was ready.

During dinner, she began to play footsie with him, alternating with flirting. The way that Maria was acting was driving Edmund crazy and antsy and wanting her more and more. Now, all Edmund wanted to do was to forget dinner and ravish her.

They quickly finished dinner, stored the leftovers, had the dishes washed, and put away. Maria took his hand and led him to her room. Once the door was closed, she gazed into his eyes as he did with her. Both saw smoldering lust burning in their eyes from dark brown to raven black. She had placed her hands on his face, pulled him down for a kiss, and Edmund responded, and the kiss turned fiery in no time flat.

He let his lips roam her cheek, jawline, neck, and shoulders. As his lips meandered, Maria sighed contentedly and ran her fingers through his thick curls. Not wanting to wait for more kisses from his soft lips, she pulled his head upwards and connected in a steamy lip-lock.

As they continued kissing, she walked him towards the bed. Right, when they reached the side of the bed, they broke the kiss, and Edmund sat down. He scooted towards and soon was leaning against the headboard. As they held their gazes, she helped him out his shirt by undoing the buttons. When it was opened, she pushed it off and saw that he had the right amount of hair; not a hairy like a Neanderthal or bare-chested like her ex.

Maria let her hands roam his muscular chest. Feeling her fingernails on his skin felt like a trail of fire for Edmund. As she continued hands continued walking his chest, she kissed all the skin she touched Edmund withered under her. Tonight, he had wanted to make it about her, but now he was under her spell. He couldn't take it anymore. He placed his hands on her face and pulled her in, and sweetly kissed her and let his hands roamed down her clothed body.

Parting lips, Edmund whispered, "It's time, baby."

He helped her out of her top and saw that she had no bra on. He felt his breath hitch. Here was a sexy Spanish beauty sitting in his lap, topless. Edmund preferred women who had curves, and Maria definitely had curves; she was perfect. So perfect that Edmund instantly felt like it was hot in the room. All he could get out was, "Wow!"

Maria was beginning to feel a little shy and had covered up her chest when Edmund placed his hands on hers moving them. He covered them with his own hands and began by gently massaging her chest. The heavy fullness of her chest fit in his hands. Maria moaned salaciously as he continued his loving touches. He leaned in said, "Maria, you are so sexy."

Maria whispered to him and exclaimed, "I love you, Edmund, take me now!"

Before long, he had wound his arms around her and pulled her down as he slid down, and they laid on the bed itself. He paid attention to all parts of her body and what touches would make her moan with pleasure and had her withering under him. She was now ruined for all other guys. She was his forever.

-x-

A few hours later, Edmund and Maria were awake and laid in peaceful quiet. Maria was relishing how her first time with Edmund was more affectionate than Del. Del like it rough and was all about him. At the same time, Edmund likes to be a little bit of both gentle and rough. Edmund, on the other hand, was thinking of one thing. Now that he has spent a special night with Maria, he didn't want to leave her and leave it to chance for them to meet up again. He knew that someone of her beauty and intelligence, any guy, would be lucky to be with her, and he would be an idiot to let her go. When Maria stirred, Edmund kissed her forehead. Maria smiled and looked up at her beau.

With soulful eyes, Edmund leaned down, kissed her, and said, "Maria, I was thinking instead of us parting and meeting if our paths crossed later on. How about we stay together and see where it takes us?"

Maria looked perplexed and asked, "What your writing career? I don't want you to pull the plug on your success just by waiting while I work towards my medical degree."

Edmund smiled and replied, "Don't you worry, I just know we will make it work."

She didn't know was that Edmund had signed a contract with the San Antonio Express as a war correspondent and come back to rest and work as an editor on the side. Maria couldn't believe it. She was going to be with Edmund longer, possibly forever. After another round of lovemaking, there were up and getting ready, eating breakfast, and relishing what little time they had left. He wouldn't be able to visit until either Thanksgiving or Winter Break.

Unbeknownst to her, Edmund a surprise up his sleeve. He took out a ring box and handed it to her. Surprised, she put down her fork, picked up the box, and when she saw the ring, she gasped. It was a gorgeous Solitaire Round Diamond Infinity Promise Ring.

Breaking the quiet, Edmund took her hand and said, "Maria, baby, I give you this ring as a promise that one day we will make a reality."

Not knowing what else to do, she jumped up from her chair and threw a hug around him. She could only say, "I love you, Edmund, more than you will ever know."

After breakfast ended, she helped Edmund get his items to his car. After a long embrace and lingering kisses, Edmund was off to catch his flight to Washington DC to cover the US and USSR talks.

After he was out of sight, she sighed and went back up to her apartment to clean. She managed to and had to sit down and stare at her ring and daydream about Edmund. She was so deep in her fantasy that she didn't hear the front door open, and Kimberly and Colleen come in. When they saw Maria in her own world, Kimberly said, "Uh-oh, either Maria is in a good mood or foul mood."

Colleen said, "If she was in a foul mood, she would be in her room already studying."

They gently approached, and Colleen asked almost timidly, "Um Maria?"

Maria shook her head and then looked at her two roommates, and then a dreamy smile appeared on her face. The two of them instantly knew something good happened. They chatted and caught up on what they had been doing since their last call and when Maria had told them the 'plan' for them to split up. Then Maria brought out her left hand and showed her roommates. When they saw Colleen and Kimberly let out high-pitched squeals and pulled Maria into a monstrous hug.

Calming down after Kimberly asked, "So are you and Edmund engaged?"

Smiling, Maria replied, "Not quite. But he promised me that one day he would make it a reality."

Colleen added, "Oh girl, I am so happy for you! You deserve the best!"

During her junior and senior years, Maria spent her time with Edmund when he was home while maintaining her studies. A few weeks before Maria's college commencement, he went to visit Hector and Isabella. He only one mission on his mind, ask for the blessing and parents from the parents.

Feeling the ring box cut into him, Edmund knocked on the door to the Santos house. Soon he was ushered in, and Edmund began, "Mr. and Mrs. Santos, as you know, I have fallen so deeply in love with Maria that I don't ever want to live without them in my life. I'm ready to ask Maria to marry me."

Isabella was as impressed as Hector was. Their darling Maria knew what to look for in a man. Plus, Edmund was an award-winning writer, a Pulitzer Prize no less.

Before Hector could speak, Isabella asked, "May I see the ring?"

Edmund pulled out the ring box and set it on the table. Isabella picked up the ring box, opened, and gasped. In it was a ring with a pear-shaped diamond in the middle surrounded by two round diamonds.

Isabelle said, "You have a great taste in jewelry Edmund."

Edmund replied, "Thank you, Mrs. Santos. I have my mother to thank."

Isabella added, "Uh-uh, you shall now call us mama and papa, because..."

Hector added, "I am happy to see our Maria is going to marry the right man. You, Edmund, have our blessing."

Edmund grinned. All he had to do now to plan the proposal and to pull it off. Now he knew he needed to talk to the Dean of the Department of Biology and the Chancellor himself to put his plan to propose at the graduation ceremony a reality.

When graduation came along, commencement itself was a grand affair. The entire Santos family, along with Grandmother Estella, was in attendance. It was a big day for the family; Maria was the first to graduate from college.

As the name was being announced, each graduate came up to get their diploma. Cheers and applause followed as each graduate walked off stage. That was until Maria came on the scene. Just as she got her diploma and shook hands with the Dean, with her father taking photos of the momentous day of the Santos family. However, they knew something that Maria didn't know was about to get another surprise, a big one.

The Chancellor of the College, Dean Anderson, walked over to the podium and began talking. "Attention, Ladies and Gentlemen and fellow graduates, may I please have your attention."

The graduates and their families settled down, wondering what is going on. Once it was quiet, Dean Anderson said, "Now I know that most of you graduates are ready to get out of here but will Ms. Maria Santos, please come up back on stage for an extraordinary gift."

Maria raised one as an eyebrow and looked over at her best friends, Kimberly Edwards and Colleen Miller. They managed to look just as confused when they knew what was about to happen. Maria had her friends hold her diploma and then made her way to the stage.

Edmund, who was hidden from view, watched as she made her way on the stage and when he saw that she had reached the podium. He had concocted a reason why he couldn't make that he had a story he had to cover and wasn't going to make it back in time. When in reality, this was the way he could come in unseen.

Maria was on stage, and standing next to the Dean continued. "Ms. Santos has achieved many great things during her four years here. She is not only the first in her family to graduate from college, but Maria has also worked hard to earn a 4.0 GPA. Therefore, she graduated Summa Cum Laude. You all also know that she would be starting medical school in the fall. But that is not why I called her up here, for she has a special present."

Hearing his cue word "present," Edmund made his way out from his hiding place with a bouquet of red roses and on to the stage. When Maria saw him, she gasped. She thought he wouldn't make it; he had said he couldn't get a flight back in time. She was going to get him for that later. She then ran to him and hugged him, bringing about cheers and applause. Once it quieted. Getting the microphone from the Dean and began, "First, I want to thank the Dean and Chancellor for allowing me to do this."

Turning to the love of his life, he said, Maria, my darling, I love you. Your family and I are so proud of you. Today that you have worked hard and are reaching your goals and continue to set new goals and achieve them."

Edmund paused for a minute while wiping away the mists that were already forming in Maria's eyes and then said, "I have loved you from the first day that I met you. As time went on, I loved you more and more. Maria, do you remember when I gave you this promise ring?"

Maria smiled and slowly nodded, and Edmund continues, "Well, it is time to make that promise a reality."

Maria's eyes widened when Edmund momentarily let go of her hands. He then pulls out a small velvet ring box, which causes the audience to buzz with sudden excitement. He opened the box as he got down on one knee and causing Maria to let out an audible gasp. He continued, "Miss Maria Santos, I cannot imagine living the rest of my life without you. Will do the honors in becoming my wife, will you marry me?"

Completely caught off guard, Maria took a few minutes to recover from the sudden shock to her system. When Maria saw Edmund get down on one knee, she took a step backward and let out an audible gasp. Seeing the love of her life on one knee made the proposal all the more real. Her boyfriend of three years, the guy who she has been in love with since their first meeting and had helped her completely heal her broken heart, had asked her the most crucial question.

She then answered as loud as she could because she wanted everyone to hear her answer, "Yes, a definite yes; Edmund Grey, I will marry you!"

Her fellow graduates and the commencement crowd all cheered deafeningly after Maria gave her response while Edmund removed the promise ring but instantly slid a one-carat pear-shaped diamond-accented 14K Yellow gold ring on her finger and got up and gave

Maria an amorous hug and a sweet kiss and then spins her around.

After the commencement ended, Maria got congratulations from all around: her sorority sisters and other former classmates. Kimberly and Collen surrounded her with a monstrous hug, and Kimberly saying, "Congratulations, girl! I am so happy for you!"

Right then Kimberly said, "I want to see the ring!"

Maria obliged. When Kimberly saw the ring she exclaimed, "Wow! That is huge!" said Kimberly when she saw the diamond.

"Yeah, no kidding!" commented Colleen and Kimberly at the same time, causing all of them to let out a burst of laughter.

Maria grinned broadly when she suddenly asked, "Colleen and Kimberly, I have something I want to ask you."

Her two friends looked, Maria attentively waiting for her to continue. Maria looked at them and said, "Kimberly and Collen, you two have been my closest friends since the start of college. I would like you and Colleen to be my bridesmaids."

Kimberly was caught off guard when Maria asked her. When she got her voice back, she replied, "Of course, girl I would be so honored, thank you."

Maria turned to Julia and asked, "Jules will be my maid of honor?"

Julia's eyes bugged out she heard Maria's request. Julia was the one who manages to say something after. "Oh, sis, I am honored to be a part of your bridal party to stand next to you on your special day."

Maria felt a tug on her graduation gown and heard a little voice call out, “What about me sissy?”

Maria looked down and smiled at her baby sister Rosa who asked with an adorable smile on sweet face. Maria kneeled down to Rosa’s level. She picked Rosa up and as tickled her she said in a funny voice, “You my baby sissy will be my beautiful flower girl.”

After giggle, Rosa replied, “Yay!”

After the graduation celebration held in her, Kimberly, and Colleen's honor, the two love birds are left for alone time.

As they contentedly snuggled on the couch for a while, Maria spoke up. "Edmund sweetie, I think we need to pick we are going to pick a date so we can get the planning started and don't worry, you will have your say in the planning process. I promise."

Edmund looked at his stunning fiancée and said, "Okay, do you have a date in mind?"

Maria pondered and said, "Well, you know the next step for me is the police academy, and I think we should get married sometime before the end of this year."

Edmund asked, "Hmmm, how about the thirty-first of December? I know how much your mom loves to prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This way, we have time to plan and time for her to prepare for the feast."

Maria looked at Edmund and saw nothing but love and compassion in his eyes. "I love the day you picked. So, the thirty-first of December, it is. And this way, we can have two weeks to ourselves and still make back in time for our first Christmas Eve and Day as a married couple."

With that, their initial plans for their wedding were made. They both look forward to the start of their impending marriage and new chapter in their lives. They know that they would be together forever, no matter what.

Epilogue: Fifty Years Later, December 2039

Their time together had flown by in an instant. After Maria finished med school, she had been hired at Pine Valley Hosptial by Doctor Joe Martin, who was then the current Chief of Staff. There had bumps in the road, many, many bumps, infertility, the adoption, and finally having a baby only to be thought dead but returned alive. The most painful was how Edmund thought Maria was killed when she was wedged on the part of a plane that fell over a cliff. Years later, he had married Brooke English only for an amnesiac Maria to return. After her memory fully returned, they continued to stick together. This was especially true after Edmund was shot. Maria was with him every step of the way. After a near-fatal blow to the head that almost caused Edmund his life, they decided it was time to leave Pine Valley. They moved to California, joining the rest of the family, including Haley, Mateo, Enzo, Isabella, and Rosa.

Now they were in Las Vegas, celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Edmund was now eight-two, and Maria was seventy-two. While Edmund had all white hair, Maria was still as stunning as the first day he met her. Edmund supports himself with a cane while holding his wife's hand as they stand at the altar.

When it came time, Edmund recited his vow. "Baby, I had promised you before when first got married that we are here renewing our vows in Vegas and here are in front of our kids and grandkids renewing our love. Fifty-five years ago, I first set eyes on you in that lecture hall at Texas State University at San Marcos. I felt something ignited in me. I knew I need to get to know that beautiful young woman. While we were together for one summer, it was the best time of my life.

During our marriage, we have had many ups and downs. I know you were hurting from a breakup; I was there for you. We struggled to have our family, but then came Sammy and Maddie. When I thought I lost you the first time, I thought I couldn't make through, but with our kids and family and friends, I made it."

Looking at their children and grandkids, and he said, "Sammy and Maddie, you along with our grandchildren Jenna, Isabella, Joshua, and Hector are the lights in our lives."

Looking at Maria and said, "My love for you has grown exponentially and will continue to grow forever and always. Where we go. I hope that we can continue our travels."

Maria choked up and began her vow. "Wow, Edmund. You said everything I planned on saying. I will keep mine short. I was unsure when we first met if I was ready to start dating again, especially after my heartbreak. You helped me heal my broken heart. You were the consummate man who was loving and gentle with me and didn't push. Well, we did have our challenges we overcame it and became stronger. With our kids and grandkids here, I promise to be with you for all of eternity."

Indeed, their meeting had led them to be forever beloved.

A/N 3: Thanks for reading Forever Beloved. Reviews are appreciated!

#All My Chridlren #Maria Santos #Maria Santos Grey #Eva LaRue #Edmund Grey #John Callahan

[thenovelist101]

Wandered

Chapter Five

    If Vincent was told to recall his memories of education, it would be a mush of vivid memories out of context. Him getting a 100 on a test he thought he would fail, scribbling down his homework before class started, people using his paper to scribble down their homework before class started, trying not to fart too loudly in a quiet class, dozing off, laughing at a stupid remark a classmate made, making paper cubes when class went slow. All the little stuff.

     Of course it always stuck out to him that he was the only one knowing of Magic. He never told, because he would feel very much better if the class had been taught the lesson first. There had to be a lesson, right?

    School was one big building with two floors. The first floor was for all the younger classes and the top was for the older classes. Next to the building was the preschool which Mirai would have went to.  

    That was something which saddened him. It was always "If Mirai could have-" or " Mirai would have-" She was magic, and for him that was fine. Now if only everyone felt the same way...

     Vincent avoided home for one very specific reason: home was hollow. He felt a feeling of tension that was so unbearable that he would stay out as long as possible until he could come home, have a curt conversation with his parents, and talk to his sister. Then he would go to bed and do it again.

     What he would do with his outside time was make things.

     A part of Vincent's craftsmanship skill was that he could continue getting dirty and work on his little business of handing out free toys. To him the slingshots were the easiest.

     He would take four strong branches that were broken. One would be longer than the other three. He used tree sap to stick it all together. One small stick would be laid on top of long stick horizontally (the handle) and the last two sticks sat vertically on the two ends (poles) of the horizontal stick. Then he would get a stretchy fabric and cut off a strip and glue it to the two sticks that acted as poles. One dried, Vincent would do a quick test: put a small pebble into the fabric and pulled it back. Then he aimed. If it worked he tossed it with the rest and never played with it again.

      The children were all impressed by this. The Vincent Rowan Merger had a special talent. It was something people starved to have. People always knew where to find Vincent for a repair or an amendment. After age 11 he was tired of making rock slingers (more so the teacher slapped every one who was in on the atrocious behavior with these toys).

       "Who's in charge of this foolish black market?" The teacher called, holding up a broken puppet made of tree bark and strings. Everyone was more than happy to point at Vincent.

       Vince felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he slid down into his seat, trying to be invisible. "Well then, Rowan Merger, what do you have to say for yourself?" "Please don't tell my parents." He mumbled. The class laughed.. Vincent felt ashamed at himself. The teacher told them to settle down while she took a seat down on her chair.

        Vincent watched her as everyone was reading the poems from the red book, but could feel hopeless. He wasn't upset that the class ratted him out, but that puppet was now gone.

       He made it for Mirai. Since she was only six, he knew she wouldn't care about how disgusting and appealing it looked.

Now it was confiscated with every other thing he made that were found in children's knapsacks. Probably going in the trash. He thought, and after class went to dig it up to not find it in any trash bin.

         When he walked outside, he sat on the bench wondering what to do. His legs were swinging back and forth and watched the younger children play hop-scotch and rockfalls. He could see the kids setting the rocks up, all different shapes and sizes.

      He saw a group of girls from his class dissembling out of the building. He could easily overhear their conversation. "I've got to throw this doll away, it's driving me mad." Vince could immediately head the distinct voice of Lana.    

"Yes, you should." said her henchwoman of a friend. "But, it's really cute, you could give it to your sister." A girl with pigtails and growing chest added thoughtfully. "Not a chance," Lana said. "I'm a woman now, bleeding and everything."

       Vincent grimaced at that. Bleeding? What was that about, he did not know.

       "Whatever, I'll just leave it on the floor and hope for the best." Lana propped it next to the pole of the school gates, and her group left.

       Vincent audibly laughed at the situation and went over and picked it up. It was a light pink bunny with a loosened eye button and slightly torn ear. "It's perfect." He mumbled under his breath. "What is?" He turned around to see a girl with freckles, light skin, and sea-green eyes.

      "Nadia, hi." He said awkwardly. Nadia was a very quiet girl, she hardly ever spoke and usually read a book during lunch. Her family was from Seasen, which the teacher thought was lovely when she moved in two years ago.

      "Um, this doll." He found this slightly embarrassing— his parents taught him how to talk and act rich, yet here he was scouring the streets for an old doll.

      Nadia clenched here books and scanned the doll for a quick second. "It looks nice." She said. Vincent shrugged. He didn't know how to talk to girls. "Where are you going?" She asked. "Um, home. Want to walk?" She shrugged.

      The two walked him together, and talked about cookies.

       In school, the teacher came back inside the classroom to grade papers. She put the puppet she showed the other teachers inside a drawer with all the other items. She had not thrown them away. They would be quite handy for later.

—————————————

   Like a modern nerd, Vincent looked for a safer way to play. Turns out it was easier than he expected and it took a few years to see it. On the year he turned 14 the teacher had them go on a trip to play around in the wood workshop nearby. This was the year where students would be looking at different fields of work, to see what they would want to do.

     The experience was charming for the men but the women simply just stayed to the side whispering about fine bodies and  how concentrated the boys were. Vincent was most likely not on this list, he wasn't born with good looks, he'd earn them when puberty came.

     Vince he cut his finger and a small drop of blood leaked. He wiped it on his trousers and turned to the women talking with the teacher. He looked around him and saw four saws and plenty of tools and wood to be used.

     He shrugged to himself and walked over to them. He wasn't the type to 'talk', but he knew how to be social when the time need it. "Hello." Vince said. The girls looked at him confused and awkward. "Ooh, what's this? My buddy Vincey talking with the ladies."

     That was Lowry, a bright red headed boy that was not as sexist as everyone else. He was awfully friendly and weird so it was hard not to like him.

     He softly punched Vince's arm as he walked by. Vincent rolled his eyes.

    "There's plenty of tools and stuff to play with. Give it a try. You can't have all the males do all the work can you?" "...but we can." said Lana.

      As the leader of the pact, not the richest, the girls followed her statement and started laughing.

     Vincent felt the embarrassment crawling into his skin. So in agitation, Vince gave them a couple of words. "That's not funny.  There's plenty of women complaining about sexism and I know very well it bothers all of you. It bothers me too, but how are you going to change anything if you're going to be so stereotypical right now?" He felt there would also be people reserved and had no interest, and internally scolded himself for. "Well, it's always open. No ones judging... except for Orion."

    Orion was the fattest jerk on the block. Even he knew, but he didn't stop to change anything about it.

    When Vincent went back to his station he tinkered with the few blocks he had on his desk. Something simple... he thought. He had Mirai specifically in mind. Something that was easy to play with and pick up, but also can be used for creativeness. He snapped his fingers and wrote the diagram down. Then he heard the an extra pair of saws swishing back and forth. He turned around to see Lana and her crew trying to saw a big piece of wood on a visor. They were all laughing about how absurd this was and confused on what on earth to do. Even the teacher looked apprehensive while laughing. Vince smiled to himself.

    Vincent found his new toy—to put in technical standpoints— a series of levers that were made by small polished rectangular prisms.

    He brought them to class one day and the whole class simple stared. "Are they building blocks? Because that's not very innovative." Lana said. "Well I don't think it would be, considering Vince made it. He makes a lot of simple things interesting." said Nadia. Vince tried to hide the small smile from that comment. "Watch your tongue." The teacher said softly. "Sorry." She said.

Here's a concept: It's considered rude to call a man or woman that isn't in any special relation to you, their first name. No one understood this rule, but it was how they were taught nonetheless. Vince never understood this. Sometime's he'd always slip up and say their first name, then get a dunce cap.

He remembered when he accidentally called out Lowry's real name. Why he called attention to him was that he dropped a piece of paper on the floor. The class was quietly working, and he called out to him walking back to his seat. "Hey Sebastian!" He blurted. The red head turned around and stared at him, along with the everyone else in the class. "Erm, you dropped you paper..." "Thanks." He said quietly.

He got the dunce cap— as expected— and thought long and hard about why everyone was so paranoid when formalities were broken

"I'm sorry." Vince said after school. "It's alright. I don't really mind. I don't like my name. It's, eh." Vincent smiled."Whatever ever you say Lowry."

     Resuming back to the copyright dominoes, Vincent cleared his throat. "Watch." He stood them up vertically next to each other in a straight line, then tipped one over. The class gasped and awed in astonishment, as if they were five year olds again. "Can I take these for myself?" Orion asked. "No, you mashiman. There for Vincent." "Sam, don't say that." Lowry urged. Vincent's smile turned into a faded frown. 

       A few weeks ago, they had a lesson on magic. It's origins and how it was unethical and people with it were sent to destroy humanity. For a split second through it, he felt embarrassed. Then he quickly discarded and was washed over with regret.

     "But like, what if you're born with it and like, you don't want to be bad. Can't you be good?" The class muttered in agreements with the boy's sentiments.

"Well put it this way. Who's scared of a rat king?" Everyone's hands shot up. "Well then, the rats may be doing it for a good cause, but you're still going to hate it, because it's a rat king." "Ooooh." The class went to immediate side conversations for a few seconds until the teacher pulled them back into class.  

    Vincent was quiet and slouched in his seat, drawing different shapes to pass the time. That answer didn't fulfill his inquiries. Why? Mirai's not bad. You didn't even meet her. She's just a normal girl that likes chocolate chip cookies. Who also just so happens to have abnormal abilities.

    The next day, the term was made into a use of slang. It was first with Orion —it was always Orion— who blamed it on a child in class that supposedly made Orion's books topple over. "It was like he had magic!" Orion sputtered. The kid's face reddened in embarrassment.

      Orion got the dunce cap and wore it in the corner during class.

      Soon everyone was using the word like a normal swear, and continued getting the dunce cap. The teacher swore she drove them crazy. "I'm going to turn you all to the Mayor!" She snapped. "Unless any of you are hiding magical people in your basements, there is no reason for you to be saying such devilish things!"

       "Well, Vincent never had said anything this past month. I doubt he has ANYTHING to do with the mayor." A girl named Tina said. "Yeah, but that's probably because him and his mayor are pretty tight, y'know what I mean? Goin' to those rich dinner parties. Must be nice to be friends with the government." Another boy said. The class roared with laughter while Vincent stared out the window.

    Vince made a swift smirk as if he were bored but amused.

     "Vincent is probably the whitest, richest, and least magic person to ever exist." Lana stated, closing her textbook. "If you didn't get that right." a girl answered.

     Vincent said nothing, and only starting to look out the window again. If only they knew, he thought If only they knew.

     So after their teacher's warning, they mushed the words together into an unruly term. "Mashiman."

     Vincent had guiltily used this word as well, to go along with the crowd. He would never tell this to Mirai. It was an unfathomable secret he could never tell. It was like telling someone else that your best friend was an inconsiderate slut behind their back.

——————-

    At age 16 he got his first apprentice letter. It was the beginning of class that day and Vincent was a little late. While everyone was doing their own thing, he sat down on his wooden desk. He peered over to see the white letter sitting on his desktop. He could see the thin strokes of black ink on it. It was meticulous and articulated. It was from a blacksmith. He started to scrape off the wax cover.

    The intense scraping attracted everyone's attention, all eyes to the boy who had something they didn't.

   "Look what Merger has!" A black youth cried. "It looks like a letter." Lowry said. Lana rolled her eyes. "Obviously." Everyone started huddling around Vince as he carefully opened the envelope.

    "Why is it here?" Asked a girl. "Applications?" Lowry suggested. "That's impossible! No one's supposed to get those until next year!" "Shut up Orion." said a boy with tan skin. "Everyone please sit in your seats and leave Vince alone." The teacher scolded.

    No one paid attention. Vince unfolded the paper to see messy and sloppy penmanship on it. Definitely from a blacksmith, Vincent thought. The letter was assigned to him by a blacksmith in Collins. He asked if he could come to Collins to work with him. Vincent's hairs shot up on his arms.

     It took him a second to think this over.

    Collins.

     .

     .

     .

     What?

     The Blacksmith whose name was Monroe, liked the machines he rebuilt and modeled. There were several gasps and cheers of congratulations in the back. Vincent's heart was pounding.

     "Holy crap!" He blurted. It was like getting accepted into an ivy college at the age of starting high school. He looked up at the teacher and she winked. His jaw dropped.

    She actually sent his models to people. "Yeah Vincent!" Lowry said shaking his shoulders. Everyone was chanting his name— except Orion. Then the teacher cursed at all of them to sit in their seats and the class quickly quieted down.

      Well, not everyone. Some stayed to the side and gave him mean glances. They probably thought he got the letter because he had money, or maybe his parents did bribery.  

      Vincent would love to prove to them that he got the letter fair and square, but he wouldn't. It wasn't his problem, or more so he didn't like speaking.

     Vincent slumped in his seat rereading the words over and over again. He was sweating and fidgety. His pinched himself several times to make sure it was real. For a moment he felt more than happy to show the note to his parents, get the praise, and have them throw another annoying party filled with aristocrats.

      His eyes were stinging, and he rubbed them. No tears came out. He hadn't cried in a while, the last time he did was when Grandfather died.

         While class was going, he didn't really pay attention. His mind was too focused on the possibilities of today happening. 

    Grandfather, oh my god. Did you do this? Did you change the teacher's threats of throwing my stuff away? Oh my god. I miss you.

      Vincent's inaudible conversations with his always ended like that. With an I miss you.   

        He clenched the note tightly and went up to his teacher when school was done for the day. "Ma'am, thank you." His voice was shaky, and a little awkward.   "Thank you Vincent. For being, well, a good kid with... weird quirks. Make sure to behave at Collins." "I will!" He said nodding his head rapidly. The levity of the situation made him feel light in his toes.

    After school he flew out of the classroom, the apprentice letter rolled and encased inside his closed fist. The sun was shining and the street was wet for yesterday's rain. He felt a little uneasy, but he was sure everything would be alright.

    In the meantime that day, a girl with abnormal powers was on the purge of stealing.