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honey-hippie-harper · 3 years

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In-Laws Being In-Laws (Re-upload)

Hiii!

So, this is basically an old fic, which I deleted from my other account ( @dawniebb ) and was requested to be uploaded again.

This feels like a lifetime ago afgshjka, but I remember it was written for a Renegades content swap event, and it was for @healing-winston-pratt (hello, wifey!). The prompt was, basically, Nova and one of the Renegays being in-laws, and it was super fun to write! <3

If anyone’s reading this: Hi, you’re a beautiful human being, and I love you <3

In-Laws Being In-Laws

Dear Dread Warden,

I am not quite sure you will get this message because it is been a while since I last used my communicator but, in case you do: I hope you are having a nice morning.

The reason I am writing you this is that, as you must already be aware, right now Sketch and his teammates are taking part in the Annual Renegade Convention as special guests to be awarded for their heroic participation in the Second Battle for Gatlon. Hence, they are out of town. Due to my temporary resignation from the team, I declined the offer to attend the event and, for instance, to receive an award. This means that, unlike theirs, my routine remains the same as usual.

Unfortunately, I must see my therapist for my weekly appointment in two hours, and after that I will have to go to the supermarket to pick up some groceries and essential items. Under normal circumstances, given the nature of my relationship with Sketch, he would have driven me to the supermarket and then back to my apartment, as it happens to be located sort of far from the store and it could be pretty difficult for me to walk while carrying all those bags. However, as mentioned before, these are not normal circumstances and Sketch is not currently available.

I reach out to you with no intention to cause trouble; for instance, if I happen to be asking too much or disrupting your schedule (As I am conscious you are a busy person) and you consider you will not be able to help me, I assure you I completely understand. But: Could you pick me up from my therapist's office and take me to the supermarket afterwards?

I apologize for the inconvenience and I promise I will make sure this does not happen again. In addition, I also apologize for the alliteration in the greeting at the beginning of this message. I did not know whether you wanted to be acknowledged by your real name or your alias.

Sincerely,

Insomnia.

-.-

Hi, Insomnia!!!

So nice to see you!... Or should I say read you! Ha! It's been so long, it almost feels like an eternity! I hope therapy is going great! (We're all really proud of you!)

It doesn't bother me at all, sweetheart; of course I'll help you with that. Could you share the location of your therapist's office, please?

Oh, and also: What time do you want me to be there? (Not that I have anything to do today, I just want to be on time).

I'm excited to see you! Can I take you to eat something afterwards? How does that sound?

Take care!

(Agh. I forgot these things don't actually allow you to write your real name).

-S i m o n.

(Better).

-.-

He spotted Nova way before parking. She was sitting on a bench outside the building, staring anxiously at her phone. The body language of a nervous person.

Simon stopped the car right in front of where she was, and when she realized he was already here, Nova jumped out of her seat as if it had burned her skin, before jogging in an awkward manner towards the car.

Once she was inside, Simon couldn't help but feel a twinge in his stomach. He wasn't lying when he told her he was excited to see her. In fact, he was more than excited, and he had to hold himself back pretty hard to avoid hugging her, because it was evident she didn't want to be hugged right now, for she just directed a tiny smile at him and said:

"Hi."

She was the same Nova he had met some time ago, but at the same time she was different; she was wearing sneakers, skinny jeans and a basic white v-neck shirt; her hair was a little longer, too, to the point she could tie it in a cute little ponytail; Simon could tell she wasn’t wearing any makeup, but still her face looked healthier than before; less tired, with smaller under-eye dark circles and lips covered in chapstick. Finally.

She looked alive. More than before.

“Hi.” He finally responded.

Watching people get better was always satisfactory, but watching Nova get better was different. He had grown to appreciate her, since the very first moment he saw her with Adrian; since the very first moment he spoke to her and saw nothing but utter heartbreak in her eyes. Nova was hurting, and any sensitive person would’ve noticed that. So, watching her get better was a touching experience for him.

“You look so…”

Nova interrupted him almost immediately.

“I know. I...I barely had time to fix my hair. Gosh. It’s so uncomfortable and I want to cut it but I haven’t had time. I…”

“Oh, no, no, no! Your hair looks gorgeous! “ He chuckled, although he was confused by her reaction. “I was gonna say you look really good. Really, really good. The ponytail looks great on you.”

Nova gulped as she adjusted said ponytail.

“Oh.” She muttered in a hoarse voice. “...Well...Thank you. I thought…”

“No, no.” Simon waved his hand. “You look great. How.... how are you?”

She seemed to be processing the question, even though it was not that difficult.

“I’m…” Nova cleared her throat. “I’m doing great. How are you? How’s ...life going?”

“Absolutely great!” Simon smiled, clapping his hands together. “Things at home are great. You know, Hugh’s not currently here due to the Annual Renegade Convention. Adrian’s not here either (for sure, you already know about that) and Max…”

“Max went too, yeah.” Nova smiled. Her eyes seemed to brighten to the mention of Max’s name. Adrian had mentioned this fact about her a couple of times: Nova was fond of children. And even if she wasn’t, she had a tendency to protect and care about them. Since she had this type of strong personality, Hugh refused to recognize that as a truth, but Simon had no trouble believing it.

It was adorable.

“He called me when he got the invitation. He was eager to go.” She continued. “Which doesn’t surprise me. I...It’s his first time travelling, right?”

“Oh, yeah.” Responded Simon. “We’re planning to go on vacation this year. Because, you know, the convention’s being held not too far away from Gatlon and sadly he’s probably gonna get bored.”

“Bored?” Nova shifted herself in the seat, awkwardly. “Why?”

“Well...those conventions are...well, conventions.” Simon shrugged, smiling at her. “There are a lot of speeches, one after the other and, sure, the guests that represent Gatlon can skip some of them, but others are mandatory and they’re like 2 hours long and it’s so boring and…”

Nova hissed, grimacing, to which Simon nodded in agreement.

“I’m glad I didn’t have to go.” He admitted. “Though I do wanted to be there when Adrian and Max received their award. Too sad.”

Nova tried to speak a couple of times, until she finally had found the correct words to said her thoughts out loud.

“Why...why didn’t you go, then?”

“About that.” Simon chuckled. “Tamaya is going to be there too, as a speaker. And she’s also receiving an award. So...somebody had to take care of the Headquarters and Kasumi and I were left with that responsibility. However, it’s been pretty peaceful, as you may have noticed.”

“I have.” Nova nodded. “Not that I...go out very much, but yeah. Things have been calm.”

“People are behaving for once. And it’s awesome.” he sighed.

Then they stayed in silence. For a while.

Nova stared out the window, avoiding eye contact, while Simon whistled as he tapped his fingers on the wheel.

Not a word. No small talk.

Nothing.

“Sooooo…” Said Simon. “Shall we go?”

“Perhaps we should.” Nova said, immediately, as a flash of relief crossed her face.

So Simon smiled at her once again as he turned on the engine, while Nova put on her seatbelt next to him.

-.-

It took her so little time to come back Simon confirmed she was one of those people who would strategically write their shopping list so they wouldn’t be going back and forth through the aisles. It also surprised him that, being a person so young, she was so...focused on everything.

She really had only bought groceries and essential items. No junk food. No silly things she swore she would need and then she didn’t. Not even candy from the checkout area.

Simon hurried himself out of the car to help her put the bags in the trunk, but once she saw him and guessed his intentions, she quickly said:

“It’s okay. I can do it.”

“I know you can.” He clarified. Because, well, she indeed was a strong person. “But maybe you could use some help. That’s...a couple of bags.”

“Yeah. I know.” Nova nodded, already carrying the first two of the bags. “But I can do it. Please. I’m already causing you too much trouble.”

Simon was yet again confused by her reaction, and he tried to talk to her about it. But just like Nova looked like she didn’t want to be hugged right now, she also looked like she didn’t want to talk about it right now.

So he just opened the trunk for her and held it in case it would go down by its own. It had never happened, but just to be sure. Sometimes Simon’s anxiety made him overanalyze some situations.

Less than 10 minutes had passed by the time Nova finished putting all her stuff in the car, Simon figured she was still training, since she was as agile and fast as she was the day she notified them she would be taking some time off from the team and the Renegades in general.

They got in the car again, and before the silence could get as uncomfortable as the previous one, Simon took the initiative to speak.

“I think...you forgot to answer a part of my message.” He said, carefully. “You know...the part where I told you that maybe we could...go to a restaurant or something?”

Nova’s face, ears and neck turned so red she became a human-shaped cherry, and although in other circumstances he would’ve considered it adorable, this time he couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her. He had been there and done that many times; the messages Nova had sent were peak odd. The type of messages one would overthink over and over again because they had to be perfect. And if something, anything sounded off after you sent it, your world would be in shambles.

So he just smiled to assure it was okay. That he didn’t mind. That those messages didn’t have to be so formal in the first place.

And that, obviously, didn’t work.

For his experience, it never did.

“I...I...Yeah.” Nova scratched her brow. “Pretty much I...I...can recall not knowing how to word that so I just left it blank and I...must’ve forgotten to…”

“Nova.” Simon said, softly. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“Did I...offend you or something?”

“Absolutely no!” He said. “Why would you think that? It’s just a slip. I know it wasn’t your intention and to be honest I still want to take you to eat something so...yeah, there’s no reason to get weird about this. There’s no need to worry.”

Nova took a deep, hasty breath. She was flustered, son Simon tried to keep her calm; to make her feel like she was in a safe environment.

Why wouldn’t she be, in the first place?

She was his son’s girlfriend.

Why would he want to hurt her or make her feel bad?

“Nova, darling.” He said again. “Do you have something on your mind?”

“I do.” Nova cleared her throat, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t really...can eat out right now. I barely manage to afford my groceries, you know? It’s been…”

“But you’re not gonna pay your own bill. I mean, why would you do that?” Simon raised an eyebrow at her, genuinely confused, but still laughing nervously. Sweet rot, who had hurt this child so much? “ I’m the one who’s taking you to eat. You wouldn’t have to…”

“You don’t have to either!” She snapped. Not mad, but rather distressed, while breathing heavily.

Simon went still, afraid he would make it worse. Still, he couldn’t leave it like that, so he gulped and, once he reunited enough courage, he dared to speak again.

“What’s really on your mind, Nova?” He asked, this time in a more soothing voice. Nova’s whole being went red again, but the shadow of confusion in her expression was noticeable and hard to ignore. For this reason, Simon decided to provide some kind of scaffolding.

“For example: Why would you write a message that is directed to me in such a formal way?” He asked, patiently. “Why would you ask me to pick you up as if you were asking me to help you commit a crime? Why would you act so uncomfortable around me when it’s not the first time that we’ve met? Why would you…?”

“Because it’s you.” Nova answered, avoiding eye contact.

And he expected that answer, yes. But, at the same time, he expected to understand the statement once it slipped out of her mouth.

However, he didn’t.

“Can you elaborate?” He requested.

Nova clicked her tongue as she rubbed her neck, staring at the dash right in front of her.

“...I can disappear if you want me to. Would that make you feel more comfortable?”

“No. No, no.” Nova nodded, waving her hands, finally looking at him. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Then...would you tell me what’s wrong?”

Nova thought about it. She squirmed in her seat. Gulped. Coughed. Squirmed again.

Then, playing with her own hands, she spoke.

“...I’m ashamed.”

“Ashamed of what…?” Simon tilted his head to the side. “Ashamed of who…? What exactly are you ashamed of? ...Dating Adrian?”

Nova flinched.

“I would never.”

A spark of pride illuminated his thoughts and his insides in general, but Simon tried to pay little attention to it.

“I’m just...ashamed. Of everything.” Nova said, sighing. “I…”

And she cut herself in the middle of the phrase, realizing that once again she wouldn’t be able to finish it.

Simon didn’t realize he was frowning until he felt the muscles of his face slowly giving in. He understood.

And he knew that anything that had happened during the Second Battle for Gatlon had been her fault. She might have contributed in some way but, at the end of the day, she was just a child.

A very confused and manipulated child who just needed someone to listen without twisting her words as they pleased.

“...I just think that...if I were you I wouldn’t like me either.” She wasn’t crying, nor did she sound like she was about to any time soon. There was so much resignation in her voice that her words weighted as much as a giant rock. “Hugh gave me his blessing to...you know, date Adrian…”

“I can recall giving you my blessing too.”

Nova tripped on her own words.

“I mean, you did. You both did.” She said. “But still… It’s because… because you want him to be happy. And I get it. I really do. And I understand because, like I said, I wouldn’t like me either...I know I am loved. I know I matter for some people...but I also know I did...bad things, and I carry this sort of cursed last name…”

She stopped and breathed for a second before continuing.

“And I…” She finally looked at him. “I get it. You don’t have to pretend you like me, after all that happened. After I stole stuff from your house; infiltrated into your system; caused a terrorist attack...You really don’t have to pretend.”

Simon blinked, and if it wasn’t for her specific and controlled body language, he would’ve thought she was making excuses or even joking.

But Nova was telling the truth.

And it was heartbreaking.

“Perhaps you should think outside the box and picture a scenario in which you realize we’re not pretending.” That’s the only thing he said.

“Perhaps you should realize that we love you and you matter to us.” He reached for her hand and softly touched her knuckles. Her hands were shaking. “And that, yes, we want Adrian to be happy, but we also want you to be happy.”

Nova’s eyes seemed to be covered in crystals, but she remained in silence.

“You’re part of this family now, Nova.” He smiled. “And I’m sorry, but you’ll have to deal with that.”

Nova sniffed, swallowing, while lacing her hand into Simon’s.

“Artino and everything?” She muttered.

“Artino it’s not what defines you.” Simon chuckled. “You’re Nova. Just Nova... And we’re really proud of you. Not ashamed.”

She smiled back at him, wordless, and Simon gave her a quick handshake before putting his hands around the wheel.

Because even now, that her walls were crumbling right before her eyes, she didn’t look like someone who wanted to be hugged at the moment, and he accepted and respected that.

“I was planning to take you to my favorite restaurant, but maybe we can prepare a homemade meal instead?” He suggested. “You know? In-laws being in-laws? … Not to brag, but I make the best lemon pie in the world.”

Nova chuckled. Relaxed.

Happy.

“Sounds great.” She said, nodding.

“Excellent.” Simon turned on the engine.

“Let’s go home.”

#renegades trilogy #marissa meyer #dawnie writes #Simon Westwood #The Dread Warden #Nova Artino #Insomnia #Dawnie re-uploads saga #i love being a clown #no nomás tengo la cara de pendeja también soy JAJAJAJAJAJAJAAJAJAJA #this was before hcttr ruined my life #good times

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koushisatori · 3 years

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Surprise

kuroo x f!reader

genre: birthday fluff

warnings: none

word count: 2.3k

note: I made it !! Happy Birthday to you, Kuroo ! <3 - Also I’ll beta it later when i’m home from university, bc it’s 3 am here, oops x.x

Kuroo wasn’t jealous, really because logically there was no reason to be

You were his girlfriend and you did not mind sudden Hollywood blockbuster worthy kisses when he got a spurt of…possessiveness towards you

He is in no way overbearing or anything, both of you share the opinion that even though you’re a couple you don’t have to be together all the time, spend afternoons with your friends

Then again, you two spend quite a lot of time together, with you being the Volleyball Clubs manager, always staying behind with your team when they practiced way past the official clubs' training's hours

But sometimes he woke up and felt the need to have you all to himself

On those days a slightly lingering gaze by other would irk him enough to permanently glue himself to your side or back

Because of the rareness of that situation, you generally give into that specific mood and take him either with you if you had plans or adapt to whatever your handsome boyfriend seemed fit

(usually, it consists of getting snacks from the store to make watching movies more fun after you both finished your homework. And also cuddles. Lots and lots and lots of cuddling and kisses.)

Anyway, normally he’s a super laid back, relaxed, and ‘’the best boyfriend in the world, right, baby?’’

Kuroo was happy with being ‘’a bit (big times) nerdy’’ as kenma liked to remark, liked that things had their reasons and were logically intelligible

Well…he quickly realized that, while emotions were chemically explainable this also was as far as logic was helpful with them

Sooo…there was no reasonable excuse for him to feel that ugly burning in his chest watching you ruffle through Lev’s hair and giggle so cutely

But it was his birthday, and you should be all over HIM because HE was YOUR boyfriend and in general, maybe he had one of those not so great days bc not only did he get stuck in his bedsheets and face planted to the ground first thing in the morning but his breakfast toast also landed with its face on the kitchen floor just after he put away all the things he used

You were…not avoiding him but kind of distant with your thoughts

At lunch, he was telling you something you’d usually find at least funny if not hilarious because your humor was so fantastically similar to his, but all you did was smile lightly

You even whispered with Yaku instead of talking to him !! how dare you

Rest in peace, Kuroo (you will survive one day with a bit less attention of your s/o)

He wasn’t jealous of Lev or thought that you suddenly developed feelings for the younger boy

He was jealous because that tall child hoarded all of your attention, while you had looked at him maybe twice, three times tops, in the last hour

‘’Kuroo.’’ To the untrained ear the small setters voice as passive as usual. Kuroo though is able to easily distinguish the various different layers of Kozume Kenma’s very real, emotional bandwidth. The captain did hear Kenma and his questioning as well as slightly worried tone, he simply chooses to not react in favor of shooting (barely) decently hidden death glares at the to-tall-for-his-own-good-boy.

‘’Kuroo.’’ The slight change in his childhood friend's voice was enough for the black-haired player to grudgingly turn away from you and Lev to look at Kenma.

‘’Yes.’’ Tetsurou huffs out, giving his best to not sound like a petulant child. ‘’You’re so dumb.’’ Kenma said dryly, definitely analyzing him. The questioning sound leaving Kuroo was close to embarrassing, a quick cough and back straightening later, he adds ‘’You wound me. Right here.’’ While pressing his hand flat against his chest. ‘’Where’s my understanding childhood friend to put balm on my hurting heart by sharing emotionally charged, empathic words with me?’’

Instead of offering the desired words, the smaller boy rolls his eyes before he averts them to his hand-held gaming console. ’’Can you put that thing away, we’re at practice Kenma.’’ Kuroo all but unintentionally whined.

Everything was stressing him out today. Usually, his childhood friend at least stuck to the general rule of not using it outside the breaks. But obviously, there was a plot against him going on with the goal to annoy him more than usual because, of course, why not doing it on his damn birthday. Nice friends and their nice presents.

Just like Kuroo did mere minutes before, Kenma decided to simply…ignore his request half voiced as some kind of instruction. Well…things didn’t work like they were supposed to, he didn’t feel like arguing with his friend so he let him be for now. Rather than that, he turned back to you and Lev, who – for once – seemed eager to train his digging and passing game because you threw the volleyball for him to dive after.

‘’Where in freaking hell is Yaku…’’ Kuroo muttered grumpily, before repeating louder ‘’Yaku! Why am I the only third…Noboyuki!’’These definitely aren’t my friends, he thought while finally giving in to his deepest desire of ripping you away from the grey-haired future wannabe ace.

‘’You truly are dense when it comes to (Y/N),’’ Kenma says, moving away towards the benches, before swerving around them to leave for the clubroom. ‘’The definition of tunnel vision.’’

The thing is, Kuroo heard Kenma say it, but his brain refused to acknowledge them, too focused on finally being in the spotlight of your focus.

Meanwhile, you were watching your dark-haired boyfriend closer than he realized. You carried the whole plan. Or rather your ability to make him lose focus on anything that isn’t you, with just the right amount of addressing the slight possessive side of his and deprivation of your attention.

Even though all of this was just so the others could fulfill their part of the plan, you hate how it led him to mope around the whole day. It was so hard to not laugh about his stupid science joke at lunch and overall, not tell him all day how glad you were that he was born. This is his special day, why wouldn’t you tell him how much you loved his presence and his annoyingly attractive smirk? If not for the others and them begging and bribing you, you would smooch his kissable cheeks, nose, forehead, and lips all day long to honor this special date.

You are an amazing and emphatic girlfriend, so…of course, you realize that his mood in general is rather on the bad side today. He wants you close and to himself, and you did the complete opposite! Tetsurou would absolutely give you an ear full later when he finally understood the whole plan.

Nonetheless, it is kind of cute how he tried to hide that he was sulking. Your big baby of a boyfriend was currently trying to kill poor Lev with his gaze alone, staring holes into the back of his head all the while directing puppy dog eyes at you to relent and come over.

Usually, your Tetsurou was the perfect team captain. Attentive, clever, strategical, and just the right amount of authoritarian and approachable. But with his mind stuck on questioning why you were being weird to him on his birthday, he had yet to realize that through the whole time of today’s practice all of his teammates inexplicably went missing for about 15 minutes before they either sneaked back in (the first years and some of the second years) or openly announced a little too detailed information on how, for example, the bathroom visit has been absolutely necessary and could not be postponed.

The only problem: Lev wasn’t allowed to know of the plan until a second beforehand to not accidentally spoil the surprise out of pure excitement to surprise his Kuroo-senpai.

When you see your better half starting to approach the two of you, yelling for his vice-captain and the libero simultaneously, you whisper ‘’Lev, when I say now, you have to start running okay and call for Yaku. Ask him to practice your receives as loud as you can, and take off over to the clubroom as fast as possible, alright? Also, please don’t fall, we don’t need a bloody and broken nose, Tetsu is pissed enough already. Please do it for me, okay?’’ It was a bit unfair of you to look at him hopefully like that, but as the team manager, you posessed a certain power none of the other third years had over the younger players.

Just a moment before Kuroo got the chance to grab the clueless middle blockers shirt collar, you voice out a hushed ‘’Now!’’. You immediately look up innocently to your boyfriend and finally put the warm smile on your lips that wanted to sit there since your eyes fell on him the first time this morning. ‘’Tetsu...is everything okay?’’ - ‘’Yaku-senpai, please help me with my receives!’’

‘’Lev never asks for receiving practice...’’ is…not the thing you wanted your boyfriend to say. Panicking that he might find out now, still a bit too early, you do the only thing that you know WILL take his mind off of it. You cup his cheek with your hands and pull him down to press your lips against his.

His reaction was immediate, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you so close to him that not even a feather would fit between the two of you. Getting into the spontaneous moment, you happily loop your arms around his neck, smiling softly into the kiss.

Yeah...you definitely had missed that.

When you break apart, he pecks your lips a few additional times for good measure before he bends down even more to bury his face in your neck, enjoying how your fingers softly stroke through and play with his hair, in all the right ways, helping him to relax for the first time in hours. ‘’Baby,…’’ he murmurs against your skin ‘’…no one is training the way they should, let’s just ditch practice. We get a cake from the bakery down the street and eat it in bed, okay?’’

For the second time today, you feel bad. Your boyfriend's voice sounds tired and that was not how a birthday boy was supposed to sound. With his face in your neck, you were able though to watch the entrance. They should come in any second now. You feel tempted to give into Tetsurou’s wishes.

Can they hurry up?!

The thought desperately shoots through your head, because even though he was currently not paying attention to anything but recharging and breathing you in, Kuroo is way too perceptive to not get behind the ruckus going on in the gym the whole afternoon.

‘’We can cuddle later, Tetsu, I promise my whole afternoon is all for you. If you want I can even sleep over.’’ Your soothing words made his invisible cat ears prick up and listen interested. You knew that, from the moment you both enter the comfort of his home, he would drape himself over you for permanent, never-ending cuddles. The only reason for him to let go of you - unwillingly so - will be you whining about having to use the bathroom. For everything else, you would have to carry a (nearly) dead weight of the size and weight of your boyfriend everywhere.

‘’I haven’t heard Tora for a while now….’’ The raven-haired middle blocker mumbles, and your heart picks up some speed again.

Looking for words you stammer some intangible syllables, which lead Kuroo to look up, suspicion swirling in his hazel eyes. ‘’Baby…what’s wrong?’’ he asks, cocking his head to the side, watching you like a cat its prey. Quickly waving your hands in front of you, you hastily answer a ‘’Nothing.’’ And try to smile away the panic.

Before he got the chance to repeat his question and pry it out of you, the gym darkens, and you breathe out a sigh of relief. Just on time. With the door opening a little source of light illuminates his teammate's faces with his closest friends at the front. Yaku holding a cake stabbed with 18 sparklers, and Nobuyuki holding an unholy amount of the ugliest birthday ballons you had ever seen. All of them together slaughtering the happy birthday song in such a passionate manner, that you could see yourself being able to forgive them the torture they put you through in the near future.

‘’Come one, birthday boy.’’ You say with a loving smile, and grab his hand to pull him to the rest of the group.

The moment the lights flicker back on and everyone is cheering out loud one last time. You realize belated that Kuroo (intended) and you (unintended) were besieged with confetti and glitter. (You, until this day, suspect Yamamoto who looked a bit too innocent for your taste.)

‘’All of that…for me?’’ Kuroo questions, his gorgeous eyes shining tell telling in the remaining light of the sparkles. Following his words, Kenma takes a small step forward quickly handing over a small book – filled with birthday wishes, pictures that were taken with each and all of them, inside jokes and doodles - just to move out of the spotlight again as quickly as he jumped into it. ‘’Surprise, Tetsu.’’ You say with a sweet smile, that makes him move closer to you to gift himself a taste of your lips.

Before things get to turn mushy and emotional, a chant of Cake! Cake! Cake! – started by Lev and Tora, joined by everyone, disrupts the moment the two of you had.

‘’Okay, okay! I hear the will of the people, I’ll submit to it!’’ Kuroo gives in laughing. ‘’But…’’ a theatrical moment of silence ‘’I want to cut the cake with (Y/N) together!’’ Your boyfriend proudly announces, and, to his delight, you blush furiously. Yakus laughing remark of ‘’Oi, Kuroo, this is not your wedding, you know!’’ was followed by various joking wolf whistles and some hollering. You didn’t know how you ended up being in the center of attention together with him, but when Tetsuro easily replies ’’Well, I need to perfect this skill it for the real ceremony after party one day.’’ You knew that you wouldn’t want to be somewhere else.

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu scenarios #Haikyuu imagines #haikyuu headcanons #kuroo x reader #nekoma x reader #haikyuu #haikyuu!!

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stargayzingidiot · 4 years

Text

In the Eye of the Storm

Chapter one | Next chapter

Summary: In a world where some people are blessed with powers, Patton feels cursed.

Characters: Patton Sanders, Virgil Sanders

Pairings: Eventual romantic Moxiety

Words: 1059

Warnings: Patton angst, panic attack (at least the very beginning of one), food mention, insecurities (let me know if i need to add more)

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Patton lives in a world where more than half of the population have powers. Most powers are small and tied to talent. That could be having the power of being extremely good at a certain sport, being able to talk and understand every language, or always making food taste excellent. Some abilities are more flashy, though. Those are powers such as flight, invisibility, claws, or speed. Though rare, it is possible to have more than one power. Some people have up to three different abilities. Those people are seen as the luckiest people alive.

All the history books call the powers a blessing. However, Patton feels like his power is a curse. It has brought him nothing but harm.

---

Patton was sat on a bench with his knees drawn up to his chest. he was trying to drown out all the voices. They were just so loud, and there were so many of them.

‘One leaf, two leaves, three leaves, four. Crunchy crunchy crunch’ a small child thought while stepping on the colorful leaves that had started to fall from the trees. Their mom walked patiently, with a smile on her face, beside her child. Patton thought back to when he was the one stepping on leaves and laughing every time he heard the crunch.

That was a long time ago. He wasn’t sure that he could see that as a positive memory, though.

‘Okay, so I have to buy milk, bread, eggs-’ a young man listed off in his head. He was most likely on his way to the grocery store, which reminded Patton that he needed to go to the store too. But the store meant being surrounded by even more people. That meant even more noise, and he wasn’t feeling up to that.

‘Oh, I hope I don’t get fired. I really hope I don’t get fired’ a young woman running at the speed of light thought. She was probably late for work. Patton hoped it would all turn out okay for the woman. He was pulled out of his thoughts by yet another voice.

‘Why is he sitting like that? There must be something wrong with him. What a weirdo’ a man thought as he passed by. Patton tried not to let it bother him. But no matter how much he tried, he never succeeded in ignoring those kinds of thoughts. They would always bother him.

‘Ugh, those pesky teens. They never look up from their phones’ an old man thought. He was glaring at a young teen who had a phone in their hand.

Patton knew that the teen wasn’t trying to be rude. In fact, they were thinking that exact thing. That it probably made them seem impolite. But they needed the phone to cope with social anxiety. Patton could hear all their anxious thoughts.

There were so many thoughts. He could hear them all around him. Every thought of every person in the park was in his head.

Patton knew too much. He knew what everyone was thinking.

He knew that the child on the playground thought that maybe he could manage to do a loop if he swung his feet fast enough.

He knew that the girl sitting up against a tree with headphones on was experiencing her first heartbreak. The thoughts of memories and song lyrics mixing together.

He knew that the woman on the other side of the park was trying to figure out if she should divorce her partner.

He could hear all their thoughts. Why did he choose to go to the park today when it was filled with so many people? Oh, yeah, he had thought it would be good for him to step outside for once. He hadn’t left his apartment in weeks. Now he remembered why that was. The noise was so loud! He couldn’t hear his own thoughts! Why hadn’t he just stayed at home? Home was safe. Home was good. Home was-

His breathing was getting faster.

“Hey man, you okay?” he heard from someone.

Another thought? Wait, no, that wasn’t a thought. Someone was speaking to him and having only one voice to focus on calmed Patton down a bit.

He looked up and saw a young man, around his age, with beautiful green eyes and dark, almost black hair with purple tips. The stranger looked at Patton with concern in his eyes and a nervous but charming smile on his lips.

He was absolutely stunning.

Patton stared at him for a few seconds before he remembered that he hadn’t answered the question.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” he said hastily, looking at everything but the man in front of him.

“Don’t lie to me” the stranger said softly, hesitantly sitting down next to him. “I’m an empath. I can feel that you’re not okay. And lying about feelings is something I’m a bit familiar with as well”

Patton felt himself freeze. Did this person really care enough about him to take time out of his, probably busy, life to make sure he was okay? An indescribable feeling filled his chest.

It wouldn’t hurt to talk about it for once, right? And it wasn’t like he was going to see this stranger again.

“It’s just, um, the voices. They’re so incredibly loud,” he stuttered out.

The person stiffened beside him. “Wait, the voices?”

“Oh, no, not like that. It’s people’s thoughts. I, um, I have the ability to hear other people’s thoughts,” he said nervously.

“Oh, you’re blessed with powers too?”

Patton scoffed, and the stranger looked confused at him, waiting for him to elaborate. Patton regretted his reaction. But he owed the man beside him an explanation.

“I wouldn’t say blessed. More like cursed”

Patton hoped he hadn’t just offended the kind stranger. For some reason, he didn’t want the stranger to go.

“Why is that?” the young man said, looking at him curiously.

Patton felt a sigh of relief force it’s way up his throat. He didn’t know what it was, but he felt safe with this stranger. He felt like he could trust him. Maybe the man could understand it all? Patton could see in the stranger’s eyes that he wanted to listen, he wanted to help.

So he took the leap and told the man his life story. How he ended up all alone, hugging his knees, on a bench.

---

Thank you all for reading the first chapter of my superpower au! Hope you liked it. The next chapter will be posted tomorrow. I started writing this fic last year in October, but I lost motivation after a bit. The motivation is back now tho!! I’m super sorry for the long wait.

Taglist for this fic: @radioactivehelena @residentanchor @rosesisupposes (because you say to tag you in superpower AUs)

General taglist: @naturaldee-saster @ent-is-undecisive @patton-pending-123

(ask to be added or removed)

#sanders sides #patton sanders #virgil sanders #patton angst #sanders sides fic #moxiety #birdie writes #in the eye of the storm fic

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falseroar · 3 years

Text

Dog Days Part 10: Limited Supply

((After finally getting some sleep, Abe learns a little more about the lack of silver bullets in the city and where someone might go to get a Google of their own, or four.

This one is back to being on the long side, but I think the next few are going to level out and not be jumping between long Abe sections and shorter Y/N ones.

Warning: reference to using alcohol as a bad coping mechanism.

Links to Part 9 and to the whole series here.))

Abe didn’t remember the walk back to his car, but he did at least remember that this hospital charged for parking by the hour before he gave in to the impulse to try and get a nap right there in the driver’s seat. It felt like a minor miracle when he managed to reach his office/apartment without causing an accident, and a major one when he was finally, finally able to pull off his shoes and little else before crashing on top of his unmade futon bed.

It was a hard sleep, the kind that left Abe feeling somehow vaguely worse when he woke up than when he fell asleep. Might have had something to do with the puddle of drool he woke up in, or the vague confusion about when and where he was when he opened his crusty eyes to a dark room with the only light coming from the streetlights outside.

He sat up with a groan and a slightly worrying crack from his back. How long had it been since he slept here and not in some random hotel room or in his car or those couple of nights spent out in the woods that probably didn’t actually count as sleeping, now that he thought about it? He checked his watch, realized it had fallen off somewhere in the sheets, and stumbled his way to the bathroom to try and make an effort to clean himself up.

One shower later he felt slightly more human and awake enough to realize that despite feeling like he had barely closed his eyes, he had somehow managed to sleep for over 12 hours there. Which meant he was a bit late on the ball for another night at the doctor’s clinic, again.

Then again, Abe told himself as he checked the coffeemaker and grimaced at what he found there, chances were high that other doctor clued Schneeplestein in on a hunter coming around asking about vampires. Wasn’t like he had been super subtle, and he doubted Dr. Iplier had enough vampire patients to not be able to narrow down who might need to be worried. Keeping some distance for one night couldn’t hurt, not when he had a few other things to look into.

He dug out the envelope that Google guy gave him and leaned against his desk as he checked the contents again. Pictures of the doc, those could have been taken by anyone, and addresses were easy to get, but the copy of the certificate was another question. Abe had seen a couple of these before, battered smaller versions carried by various non humans to prove that they were registered and, theoretically, as harmless as anyone else walking on the street.

This one though, or at least the copy of it, was the larger version kept on file. The seals looked genuine enough, and there was no sign of blurring or any other kind of alteration even when Abe checked with a magnifying glass. If it was a fake, then it was the best one he had ever seen, but the only place to find this version was either in the city’s official records (and even then you had to jump through enough hoops to make you feel like a prized poodle at the dog show) or theoretically in the Bronson Institute’s files, although Abe had never managed to wrangle permission to get to those.

Either way, not an easy piece of paper to get your hands on without the right connections, which could give him a leg up on narrowing down who was so invested in finding out more about this doctor. Abe didn’t believe that bull about not wanting to accidentally accuse an innocent person, not from someone who had to send a magic doohickey made to look like a person instead of showing their own face.

Google. That guy had to be a lead of his own too, even if there was apparently more than one of him walking around. There weren’t too many people who could be capable of making magitek that could pass for human, considering Abe didn’t know of anyone who could pull that off.

But he did know someone who always knew how to pull off the next best thing if there was even a hint of money to be made.

The rest of the night passed quickly, as Abe made a few notes and tried (and failed) to connect a few more dots before heading out just before dawn.

A drive by the clinic proved the doctor had already headed out, and despite driving the way he saw him walk off yesterday Abe failed to see any sign of the vampire before he pulled up to his favorite coffee stop.

“Look at that, he came back,” Carla greeted him as he walked in. “How do you look even worse than yesterday?”

“It’s called getting old,” Abe answered, but she just clucked her tongue and reached for an empty cup. “Your musician not here today?”

“The Host? Guess not, if you didn’t see him. Not like he has a set time to be here,” Carla said. She poured the coffee and paused to look at him. “Feeling brave enough to try something different today?”

“Maybe later,” Abe answered, same as he did every other time she bothered to ask. Black coffee as strong as it came had served him well this long, after all. When she shrugged and slid the cup of coffee toward him, he hesitated and asked, “You still make those sandwiches here?”

Despite the fact that the coffee shop was completely empty except for him and Carla, the hunter took one of the far corner booths by the front windows so that he could keep an eye on the people walking outside while he ate and drank his coffee. Carla would throw him a question or make a comment out into the air every now and then, but otherwise she let him sit there in a silence that was only broken by the occasional other customer.

Even when the number of customers started to pick up and more and more people took empty tables and booths and filled the coffee shop with talking and laughter and general noise, Abe just sat there in his own bubble of silence, watching the street without really seeing it.

The house. Why had Google told him to go there, what was he supposed to see? Someone had performed a ritual there, or at least tried to, and Abe could only hope there was enough of whatever poor fool thought that was a good idea to walk out of there. No body to be found anyways, but sometimes that just made things worse.

He swallowed, hard, and tried to focus.

What was the connection to the Colonel? Celine had been into that stuff, but Abe somehow doubted the Colonel was the type to have a head or the patience for magic. Then again, neither was he, because when he looked at the symbols he had copied into his notebook, they still looked half a step away from scribbles.

And the next page was a copy of the doctor’s list of weapon shop owners.

Abe chewed on his thumbnail as he stared at that page, his thoughts of that used silver bullet in the doctor’s office shifting to the memory of small, twin piles of gleaming silver bullets in his and the Colonel’s palms. One of which ended up in his own chest, and the other…

Next thing he knew, he was shoving the notebook back into the pocket it came from and hurriedly gathering all of his trash together to throw away.

“Heading out?” Carla asked, like she had been keeping an eye on him.

“Yeah, I’ve got—I’ve got some things I need to look into,” Abe said, avoiding her knowing stare. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“Abe,” she said, so sharply that he had to stop and look back. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just working on a case. You know how it is,” Abe answered. He had maybe camped out here in the coffee shop for an hour or six before, going through cup after cup of coffee while working through a particularly difficult problem.

So it was a little surprising to hear the genuine concern in Carla’s voice when she said, “Don’t let it get to you. You can always turn down a case if it’s not sitting with you, right?”

“Of course I can,” Abe answered, mostly out of reflex.

Because as he stepped outside into the crisp but quickly warming up air, he knew that as true as that was in theory, he really couldn’t. Not when he could feel the edge of a thread, of something connecting all of this that he couldn’t see yet.

The hunter glanced at the bench outside of the shop, but there was still no sign of the Host. Not that Abe was sure he wanted to talk to that guy again anytime soon, but he felt an itch in the back of his mind whenever he spared him a thought, like there was something he was forgetting.

Abe paused at the door of his car and looked back, then all around, but there was no one there out of the ordinary, nothing to explain the fleeting sense of being watched that he quickly put out of his mind.

---

Every weapon shop on the doctor’s list, and a couple more that Abe knew of from his own shopping, had the same response when the hunter asked: no one was buying silver bullets, at least not anytime recently.

“No market for them,” one shop owner explained. “If you want, I can put an order in, but it’ll take a few weeks unless it’s an emergency.”

“Haven’t kept them in stock in three years,” a clerk at another store said after checking their computer. “And that was after not selling them for even longer. Wound up selling our last batch back to the smith who made them.”

Guy at another store outright laughed at Abe when he asked, and he had enough clues to tell he wasn’t the first to ask long before one manager Abe had dealt with before joked, “We had a guy in asking about silver bullets yesterday. You two know something we don’t?”

“That depends. What’d the other guy look like?” Abe asked.

“I don’t know, white guy, brown hair. Wore a red hoodie and didn’t look much like your typical hunter, but that’s about all I noticed,” the manager said with a shrug as she went back to wiping down her glass counter. “Told him I could order him some if he had an ID, but he didn’t care about that. Sounded more like he was interested in telling where a particular bullet came from, and I had to explain to him that you can’t really do that just by looking, you know?”

Abe nodded. If you knew what to look for, you could tell what kind of gun had fired a bullet, but narrowing it down to a particular weapon would require an expert. There were forensics guys with the police and the Institute who could do that, both of which would have a lot of questions for a doctor who showed up with a used silver bullet, starting with just who he pulled that bullet out of.

Werewolves were always the first thing to come to mind whenever silver bullets came into the conversation, although Abe knew they weren’t the only ones to have a weakness for silver. Vampires had a problem with the stuff too, if not as much, but most people were more familiar with the holy symbols and wooden stakes. Really, the only debate among hunters was whether silver crucifixes or wooden ones were better, and even then it usually boiled down to cost and the fact that one version could just as easily become a stake if you were desperate enough. No hunter would bother using a silver bullet on a vampire, since it wasn’t even a guaranteed kill like it was with a werewolf; do it wrong, and you really just ticked off someone who was probably already angling to take a bite out of you.

So, probably only one reason any reasonable person would be packing silver bullets. The problem was, there hadn’t been a werewolf within the bounds of the city in years, as everyone seemed keen to remind Abe today. The District Attorney hadn’t been the last one, with the odd one or two that supposedly ran afoul of the Institute and then were never seen again. From what Abe heard among other hunters and his not quite human contacts, the rumors about what happened to them were enough to keep any sane were from taking that risk.

“You looking to buy some?” the manager asked, in a tone that suggested she already knew the answer before Abe shook his head.

“Still got a few of my own rattling around,” he answered.

Five bullets, to be exact. The five bullets that remained in his gun after that party, the five he had been left with when all was said and done.

Well, that and the bullet the Colonel put in his chest, bit hard to forget about that one.

Abe walked out of the weapons shop and rubbed his face, hand audibly scratching against the stubble on his chin. According to the manager, the guy in the hoodie had come in to that particular shop during the day yesterday, so unless the doctor was topping up on blood and using the hood to keep out of direct sunlight, he had friends to do his day work for him.

Was it one of those friends who had a silver bullet put in them, or one of his patients? Couldn’t be a real werewolf, even a shot that a regular human would be able to survive could kill a were if the bullet was silver. When just the touch of the stuff burned, having it suddenly in your system generally didn’t do a body good. So probably a case of mistaken identity, or just using whatever weapon happened to be at hand, although that second one didn’t sound likely considering the general lack of silver ammunition lying around.

Really, the only ones who would have silver bullets these days would be hunters like him who kept a supply of just about anything that might be useful on hand. Which gave Abe’s mind fuel for his next theory of who might want to send Google to get him to keep an eye on the doctor: a hunter who mistakenly shot someone they believed was a werewolf would have a reason to get rid of the doctor who both treated and possibly saved said victim and possessed the evidence that could track the shooting back to them. Hiring another hunter to dig up dirt on said doctor and discredit him before that could happen would be one way of dealing with the problem.

Or, alternatively, someone really was worried about the doctor and wanted to have someone else on standby and ready to prove his innocence, but for some reason Abe just wasn’t ready to believe his client had the best motives at heart here.

There was also the problem that if someone did survive that bullet, why would they need to risk asking around town about it? Either the victim didn’t know or see their shooter and had another reason not to go to the police without some solid evidence to back them up first, or the victim wasn’t in a position to tell anyone about it afterward.

So, possibly a victim out there, who was just as possibly dead or alive at this point, and a doctor who was possibly trying to solve their attempted and/or actual murder, and then there was the hunter who was possibly being setup to do something possibly very stupid and regrettable. Or, possibly, Abe was barking up the wrong tree entirely, which was also something he considered while he groaned into his steering wheel and questioned all of his life choices for a solid five minutes at least.

No matter how many theories he could come up with, they all came back to the same idea: he needed to figure out just who was so interested in this doctor and why, and at least Abe had an idea on where to start there.

---

The next time he parked his car, it was on the seedier side of town. This had less to do with the people living in this area and more the businesses that thought these few blocks were prime real estate, or at least within the range they were willing to shell out for. The kind of places where the abundance of signs about “genuine” and “high quality” merchandise for prices that were low enough to make any reasonable person tilt their head, but it was the stuff that wasn’t advertised that tended to lead the owners to make “charitable contributions” to the local police and to the campaign funds of certain officials. In exchange, the powers that be were willing to look the other way on the sale of the occasional fake designer handbag or charm of questionable origin.

For example, there was a while where this was the place to go for dragon eggs, back when there was a craze going around that the eggs supposedly had all kinds of miracle properties when properly prepared. The government actually had to step in on that one when it turned out the eggs were really coming from an enchanted goose grown to giant size and hidden away in one of the warehouses around here. And even that was only after the gander got out and surprised no one by causing general mayhem and havoc across the city with the simple vindictiveness of a goose with nothing better to do. Took an entire team of hunters and a bread van to lure the fowl out of the city and to a nearby lake, and that was after they figured out how to return it to normal size.

Today though, Abe went into the bargain bin store whose name changed every time he passed through here, same as the strange array of items on sale in bulk. The owner, however, never changed, and it didn’t take the hunter long to find him slapping a box that according to its label contained one hundred rubber ducks and talking to a customer in an exaggerated southern drawl.

“Tell you what, you take these and I’ll give you a 10% discount on that there drowning charm you were checking out. Guaranteed to keep you afloat, in the bath or out on the open seas, your choice.”

“…Do you mean the ducks or the charm?” the customer asked.

“Both!”

Abe took a walk around the warehouse-like store at that, but he didn’t have long to snort at the rack of labeled potion bottles that claimed to cure everything from rheumatism to bad breath before the bell over the door rang and the customer walked out awkwardly holding the massive box of rubber ducks.

“You’re kidding me,” Abe muttered, but the salesman who was already bearing down on him heard him and grinned.

“I know what people need, and I can see you’re checking out our excellent selection of potions. The one to treat baldness is right there on the—” Ed Edgar stopped short and visibly swallowed when he found the muzzle of a gun pressing up against his jaw. “Top row, next to the other jokes, of course. Good to see you again, Abe.”

“Sure it is,” Abe said, lowering his gun but not putting it away in case Ed started the salesman routine again. “What do you know about magitek?”

“Yeah, that’s what I like about you, never a man to beat around the bush,” Ed said, switching gears once again. It was hard to see his eyes behind those sunglasses that he always wore, even inside, but that grin said he hadn’t given up on finally selling the hunter on something. “What are you in for, I’m sure I’ve got it! We’ve got tablets, we’ve got mice—the kind that’ll clean up your place while you sleep, I mean—and we’ve got word-activated lights that never need a battery, boxes that’ll follow you wherever you go—”

“What about magitek that can pass for human?” Abe interrupted. “You ever hear anything about that?”

“Mm-hmm,” Ed hummed, nodding his head like he was just waiting for Abe to ask. “Should have known you’d be up on what I expect will be the next big thing, soon as we can get the kinks knocked out.”

“Kinks?” Abe repeated, even though he immediately wished he hadn’t.

“There’s that whole ‘uncanny valley’ thing that bothers some people whenever you get something lookin’ a little too human that ain’t,” Ed admitted. “Especially if you maybe make one that forgets which way their limbs are supposed to go, but we’ve mostly worked that out at the warehouse. Got a prototype right here in the back, if you wanna see it. Gotta warn you, you might be tempted to put in an order of your own, and you’ll want to do it fast before everyone else catches on.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” Abe said, but his sarcasm couldn’t hide his interest.

Ed nodded and immediately yelled toward the back of the store, “Get out here, you bucket of bolts! We’ve got a customer!”

Not exactly the most stellar introduction, but it didn’t seem to bother the man who skateboarded out of the back and came to a slightly uneven stop near them. Said man tried, and failed, to kick his skateboard up and catch it, but he quickly picked it up and tucked it under his arm like that didn’t just happen before flashing them a surfer gesture with his free hand.

“Suh, dudes! How’s it hangin’?” asked the man, who like Ed was wearing a pair of sunglasses inside but otherwise couldn’t look anymore different than the salesman. While Ed was dressed like a wannabe cowboy from his boots to the ten gallon hat on top of his unkempt mullet, this guy seemed to be going more for the sanitized LA skater boy look. “Name’s Bing. Whatcha need to know?”

“You’re magitek?” Abe asked, even though after Google he was quicker to notice the obvious signs. No breathing, not exactly blinking behind those sunglasses, and something a bit plasticky about that grin were the big ones.

“That I am, dude! Perfect blending of that dope magic and some seriously sick technology to create the perfect blend of family-friendly information searching and sweet tricks.”

Bing started to put his board down as if to demonstrate, but Ed shot out a hand with a quick clear of his throat.

“Still working on that last bit, but my guys in the shop are sure the young people today will love this guy,” Ed said. “Nothing else like him.”

“Nothing?” Abe asked. “Funny, cause I’ve run into two magitek men that both called themselves ‘Google.’”

“Well, nothing like Bing on the market,” Ed said. He flicked the brim of his cowboy hat and cockily said, “That ship sailed, and me and Bing-a-boy here are going to be the first to pick up the slack, ain’t that right?”

“Yeah, that old fart Google has nothing on me,” Bing said, his grin growing wider and somehow more unsettling. Abe suspected someone may have added a few too many teeth to that mouth.

“Why did Google never make it to market?” Abe asked, even though he could think of many, many reasons why this whole concept bothered him.

Ed shrugged. “Lab that made ‘em was bought out by the Bronson Institute, and apparently, they’re not interested in making any more for some reason. Not into printing that money, I guess! Rumor is they only made four of those Google units before the Institute got involved.”

“I saw one at the hospital yesterday,” Abe said.

“Yeah, that one was a charitable donation, bit of a pilot project to see about how they’d do in a healthcare environment. Can’t get sick of course, so you can see why that’d be tempting,” Ed answered, although considering that Google had been running the receptionist’s desk, Abe suspected his bedside manner hadn’t matched up there. Or maybe it had something to do with the “incidents” that doctor mentioned. “Scientist who made them kept one to help in the lab, and I hear that big studio downtown managed to snatch one up. The institute probably took the last one, if I had to guess, cause I ain’t heard anything else about it.”

“Impressive that you were able to make your own version so soon,” Abe said, fishing.

But it was Bing who took the bait and said, “One of my creators used to work in the lab, until that bogus institute let him go. But I’m not just a copy of that defective Google, I’m an improvement.”

“Yeah you are,” Ed said, slapping him on the shoulder and then wincing. “Remind me to have a talk about that extra padding on your frame.”

A bright tone came from Bing’s chest and he straightened slightly as he said, “I will remind you to have a talk about the extra padding. Is 2 AM an acceptable time for this reminder?”

“No, why would I—” Ed, remembering that there was someone else there, stopped himself and cleared his throat. “Just remind me next time I’m in the warehouse.”

“Understood,” Bing said, a second tone coming before he “relaxed” into his standard posture.

“Could I meet this creator?” Abe asked, and almost immediately Ed tried to change the subject.

It took a bit more questioning, and managing to get Bing on his own while Ed ran to the other side of the store to grab some gadget he had convinced himself the hunter would love to buy, but Abe gradually gathered that when Bing said his creator used to work in the lab, he actually meant said guy used to take out the trash and may have “acquired” a few copies of Google’s design before he was “let go at ultimate speed,” which meant that he knew pretty much nothing that could help Abe.

Disappointing, but at least Abe was walking out with more info than when he walked in, and with the same amount of money in his pockets despite Ed Edgar’s best efforts. He even had an address for the lab the Google quartet came out of, but considering it was technically Institute property now he somehow doubted he could just walk up and start asking questions without getting more attention than he’d want right now.

It was something to consider at least, as Abe once again parked his car just far enough away from the clinic to not draw suspicion while he kept watch on the entrance. By the time he got there, it was already growing darker by the second despite the early hour, and despite the fact that a full moon tonight meant he should have been looking forward to a bright night to work with. Something that Abe should have noticed, but he was too focused on the settings of his camera to pay attention to the clouds gathering overhead until the first raindrops began to patter against his windshield.

The hunter swore under his breath and hastily moved his car a few spots closer to the clinic to make sure he would still have a clear line of sight through the rain that quickly escalated from a drizzle to a downpour. He turned off his headlights just in time, as a car pulled up in front of the clinic and sat there just long enough for him to roll down his window and get a good shot.

His camera clicked multiple times, catching the license plate of the car and the three men who jumped out and huddled around the front door while the doctor hastily fumbled with his keys. The light came on in the clinic and Abe managed to catch one or two more shots before the door shut behind them and blocked his view.

He sighed and rolled up his window, left arm soaked but hoping that the ambient streetlight plus the light from inside the building would be enough to get at least a couple of them to turn out okay despite the lack of flash.

Before he could take a look, a different kind of flash lit the street.

Seven seconds later, the boom of thunder followed and, despite the warning flash of lightning, Abe still flinched, the familiar pain in his chest a dragging weight against his pounding heart.

Maybe the storm would pass soon, if he could just wait it out—

There was a second flash of lightning, and Abe’s car started in the space between it and the following rumble of thunder.

Not like he could hope to get close enough to see anything tonight, Abe lied to himself as he drove back to his office, accelerating just that much faster with each new round of thunder and lightning. There would always be other chances.

Whether that was true or not was something he could care less about in the moment, as he hurried into his office mere minutes later and immediately shut his blinds to the rain hitting his windows. Never one to bother much with music, he still found a familiar album and turned on his record player loud enough to drown out the noise outside. If anyone was trying to get work done in the neighboring offices, they apparently knew better than to come by and complain, or just weren’t loud enough to make themselves heard.

At least he had plenty of practice in drowning out painful memories, Abe thought to himself as he pulled an emergency drink out of one of his desk drawers and poured the first glass of many. Not as much in actually dealing with them, but taking care of the person who caused them in the first place seemed like as good a place to start as any.

If he could just find a way to get to him.

((End of Part 10. Thanks again for reading, and sorry if this one felt all over the place. I may have written that whole “possibly” bit when I realized I had Abe going down way too many rabbit holes on something the reader knows the answer to already, and I seriously can’t wait until everyone’s finally on the same page and confused together. XD

Link to Part 11: First Moon.

Tagging: @silver-owl413 @skyewardlight @withjust-a-bite @blackaquokat @catgirlwarrior @neverisadork @luna1350 @oh-so-creepy @weirdfoxalley @95fangirl @lilalovesinternet-l @thepoolofthedead @a-bit-dapper @randomartdudette @geekymushroom @cactipresident @hotcocoachia @purple-anxiety-blog @shyinspiredartist @avispate @missksketch @autumnrambles @authorracheljoy @liafoxyfox ))

#markiplier #fanfiction #detective abe #monster hunter au #ed edgar #bing iplier #silver bullets #abe didn't expect this case to throw up so many unwanted memories #it's almost like there's some kind of connection to what happened at the house #but that would just be ridiculous right?

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darlingsdevil · 4 years

Text

The Ballads of Rebirth (Arthur Morgan x Reader)

Chapter 15: Full Circle

Summary: The big day. All rejoice!

Masterlist

Tag list: @rollyjogerjones

I still can’t add a read more tab on mobile.. sorry about that :/

A/N: Sorry for my long hiatus, not been super motivated lately so I made this chapter extra long for you guys! Longer than any thing I’ve written before (!!).I promise I sort have been doing productive things.. I guess. Listening to music (Hozier, Lord Huron, Gregory Alan Isakov and the Oh Hello’s are what got this chapter done), playing fallout 76 (I know), working, schoolwork, planning other fics (I have a big announcement coming up!!!)

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: I wanted to clear some things up in terms of plot hole. My dumbass mistakenly has said that Reader has been in the gang for 15 years, not true - it’s been around 10, but a little less than John (like 3 ish months after him). I have also previously said that John and Reader joined the gang together, again, not true but I already fixed it. Reader joined the gang after John after Arthur saved her from the gang who kidnapped her. Hope this wasn’t too confusing.

As for the ending... yeah.. next chapter, and then epilogue. Not sure that many of you will stay around for the AU - which will be posted SEPARATE, after you read the actual ending >:3c Anyways, here we go.

This is all supposed to be italicized.. it’s italicized on wattpad and ao3, just tumblr decided to be a bitch and not transfer it that way and I’m too lazy to change each paragraph to italics.. so let’s just pretend it is.

•••

Shady Belle was an interesting place for a wedding, it seemed. You had been ushered away from Arthur in the morning, and carted away to Saint Denis with the rest of the women, claiming Shady Belle would be too chaotic to get ready in, which really meant they didn’t want you to get ready with the men around. They had raided your room when the sun rose, waking Arthur too. You were barely able to kiss him goodbye, they carted you out of the room that fast. You wanted to lie next to him all morning, enveloped in his warmth, but your friends had different plans.

Saint Denis was such a difference compared to Chicago, the city you grew up in. You were an orphan living in the cold streets, just barely getting by. You worked in a textile factory for as long as you could remember. You lived in a cheap, one bedroom apartment, before that you simply slept in alleyways with other orphans, huddling by fires. You were uneducated, poor, and always hungry. A man kidnapped you on your way home from work one late evening, and the next thing you knew you were in a cabin in the desert, surrounded by men with guns and a nasty look on their face. Arthur was your savior, Dutch was your teacher, John was your brother, Abigail was your sister, Hosea was your father and the Van der Linde gang was your family.

But that was a long time now. Your wedding was merely hours away.

Arthur was nervous about the whole thing, he didn’t want to make a big deal out of the wedding but Dutch decided otherwise. Dutch thought a wedding was exactly what the entire gang needed, to boost everyone’s morals he had told you. You were beyond nervous for your big day, but with Arthur by your side, the impossible became possible.

Miss Grimshaw was the head of it all, the mastermind of the party. She set everything on a strict schedule, where everyone needed to be and when. She was a godsend during this time, otherwise the wedding would no doubt end up in a shed with you wearing a white sheet as a wedding dress.

Mary Beth was absolutely bouncing off the walls at the idea of a wedding, she thought it was incredibly romantic — two outlaws falling in love. It was something out of those novels she adores.

Saint Denis was hot, humid, and made you feel sticky with sweat. It didn’t help you would be wearing a heavy dress later that day either, but you didn’t mind. Nothing could or would bring you down today.

The first stop to your magical day was the salon. You got your hair trimmed and styled, as well as some makeup, keeping it simple. A few of the other women got their hair done as well. They all looked beautiful. The women could not hide their excitement for you, even a few patrons of the salon came up and congratulated you. Their talk seemingly echoed off the walls.

Abigail put the hair clip in your styled hair, it was a beautiful piece, elegant and dazzling. It was gold with a large pearl at the top and smaller jewels surrounding it. It matched your locket perfectly. Arthur had bought the hair clip for you a few days before.

When you were ready to leave the salon, it was time for the dress store, where you had left the dress. You didn’t want Arthur to see it, and it would no doubt get soiled at Shady Belle. Some of the other women had bought new dresses for the special occasion as well.

You picked it up from the counter, and walked over to the dressing room. All the women sat down on the benches outside of the dressing room, waiting for the big reveal. A few of them had already seen it, as they had gone with you when you picked it out, but none of them had seen you in your full wedding attire.

When you slipped it on over your undergarments you felt like you were floating on a cloud. You were absolutely beautiful. You felt like you could conquer the world in the dress. It was incredibly pretty, it had a loose layered bodice, with lace woven in, long ruffled sleeves and an a-line skirt. You felt your heart strings pull at the mere sight of it, you wondered what Arthur would think of it.

You slowly pushed the door open, hearing your loud heartbeat in your ears. You heard a wave of audible gasps, and then a few squeals, you eyed your white heels nervously, hesitantly looking up at all their faces.

They were all smiling, a few covering their mouths in joy.

“You look so pretty!” Tilly shouted, the rest of the women agreed. You smiled shyly, doing a small twirl.

“I really like the dress,” You said, feeling the cloth sway with you.

“I’d be surprised if Arthur didn’t drop dead the moment he sees you,” Mary Beth said playfully.

“Do you really think so?” You questioned.

“Of course. The man will have a heart attack right there, on the altar,” Molly responded.

You giggled, “I don’t want that to happen!”

“You look so beautiful,” Mary Beth repeated. You nodded her head at her, a smile on your lips.

“I’m so nervous though,” You confessed, sitting down next to Miss Grimshaw. You gripped the edge of the wooden bench, hoping to calm your nerves.

“It’s normal to be nervous, if you aren’t, there’s something wrong.” Sadie was the only married one in the gang, you trusted her advice.

“What if something goes wrong?”

“Nothing will be going wrong today, everyone is going to make sure nothing bad happens,” Abigail reassured you.

“Are you sure? I mean what if Arthur suddenly gets cold feet? What if O’Driscolls raid our camp?”

“If the O’Driscolls try to mess up your day, they’ll have to get through me,” Sadie said rather determinedly, a strange glint in her eye. You would not want to be an O’Driscoll when Sadie Adler was around, or an O’Driscoll in general for that matter.

“Arthur would never turn his back on you. We all see the way he looks at you,” Mary Beth said, a noise of agreement was heard. Mary Beth was right, Arthur would never turn his back on you, you were sure of it.

“Arthur and you do make a handsome couple. I can tell you’re really in love,” Molly responded.

“Thank you, Molly.” You smiled at her.

“We best be getting going, we wouldn’t want her to miss her big day,” Karen reminded everyone. It was getting late after all, there were still some things to do before the ceremony, such as making sure all the men were getting ready instead of getting drunk off their asses. Luckily, most of the preparations were done the night before, but there were still some finishing touches required.

Everyone fretted for you and Arthur to simply sit back and let everyone get your wedding prepared for you. You were wary of coming off as lazy at first, but the gang assured you it was your turn to sit back and relax, after all weddings were supposed to be happy and stress free. So you let everyone pitch in, even Uncle helped.

“Let’s head back then. The bouquet still needs the ribbons in it, we need to make sure dinner is being prepared-” Miss Grimshaw already began barking orders, Karen and Tilly both groaned. Everyone began to get up, gathering all their belongings.

“And you, Miss Morgan, we need you to head inside immediately once we arrive, we can’t have your dress get dirty,” Miss Grimshaw told you as you walked through the streets to get to the wagons.

“And don’t let Arthur see you, it’s bad luck, you know,” Sadie's voice rang out from behind you.

“I know!”

•••

When the rowdy wagons finally came to a stop in front of Shady Belle, you were immediately taken up to Abigail’s room. She shielded you from the eyes of the men, rushing you up the staircase. Abigail and Sadie were not taking the superstitions lightly it seemed. She kicked John out of the room, but Jack was allowed to stay.

You walked over to the window, Abigail sat down on the rickety bed. You slowly pushed the curtains out of the way, looking down to the ground below. Dutch was giving a speech it seemed, Arthur next to him. Your breath was almost stolen from you the moment you laid eyes on him, he was so incredibly handsome. He wasn’t dressed yet, you were glad you hadn’t spotted him in his suit. He was standing proud next to Dutch, Hosea on the other side of him. You watched them for awhile, before letting the curtains fall back into place.

“Are you ever going to have a wedding with John?” You turned to Abigail as she brushed her hair on the bed.

Abigail gave you a look,“Knowing John, probably not.”

You chuckled lightly, “Well, if you ever do, I want to be there.”

“You’ll be the first invited,” She responded. You took the brush from her hands and slowly began getting rid of all the knots in her hair. You shifted behind her, making sure to not crease your dress.

“I still can’t believe you two are getting married. I remember when I caught you two kissing behind that wagon,” She laughed, remembering the awkward moment.

“He was drunk off his ass and I was too. It wasn’t much of a kiss, more like we were eating eachothers face.”

“Yeah but, it was still a kiss, right?”

“I guess it was our first kiss. But our first sweet kiss was the day after when he officially asked me out,” You sighed sweetly.

“John was horrified. I still remember the look on his face when you both arrived back in camp holding hands,” Abigail laughed.

“Hosea always knew. Dutch knew too. We were ogling each other for so long, it was kinda hard not to know.”

“You told me first though, remember?” Abigail said.

“Yeah, I do. And then the next day you went into town and bought a locket for me so I could put Arthur’s photo in it.”

You continued brushing Abigail’s locks. Abigail was the closest thing to a sister you had ever gotten. You stood up for her when the rest of the men saw her as a whore, you showed them she was more than that. You stayed by her side when John left her with a newborn. You had even helped give birth to Jack.

Arthur was closer to John for obvious reasons, but you were still John’s sister too. You were both furious at John when he left. John had betrayed you and Abigail, things were still rocky. Arthur understood what it was like to have a child, it wasn’t easy, but at least he had stayed for Eliza, you had met her twice, she was kind and respectful. Isaac was a smart boy, and looked a lot like Arthur. Arthur was distant for a while after he found out they both died.

“It took you awhile to find the right photo to put in it.”

“It did. I had to get him to take the photo in the first place. I remember I told him it was for a job!” You laughed.

“I’m sure he already suspected it.”

“Probably. I never was a good liar around Arthur,” You said.

“I’m so glad he ended up with you.. Mary and him were a troubled pair.”

“Trust me, I know.” Mary hated you and you hated her. It was the final straw when Mary began talking about you, trying to pull Arthur away from you, putting ideas into his head, and Arthur stopped putting up with it. At the time, you were no rival to Mary, you were more like his annoying little sister. His volatile little sister. You were a lot wilder in those days, no wonder Mary saw you as a threat.

“But honestly, you two are a wonderful couple. Arthur is lucky to have you,” Abigail said sincerely.

“Thank you,” You responded. You were finally done brushing her hair, you set the hairbrush down and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I’m so nervous about this wedding,” You confessed to her, setting your hands in your lap.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Abigail looked at you. You looked up at her. Her eyes shimmered with pride.

“I don’t even know why I’m worried, I just am.”

“Well I’ll be with you the entire time, you’re my sister, (Y/N). And sisters stick together.”

“Thank you, Abi.” You leaned forward and gave her a hug, your eyes welling with tears of happiness.

When she let go, she sat up from the bed, walking over to the window. She looked down at the scene below with watchful eyes.

“John looks like he just woke up. That damned fool,” Abigail muttered, she turned to Jack, who had been playing with a few pieces of yarn and wood. You nearly laughed at the pitiful sight, you would have to buy him some real toys when you went back into the city. Arthur and you had briefly discussed having children, you had practically raised Jack, with Abigail. Arthur decided once things settled down and Dutch’s plan to go to Tahiti or wherever he decided at the time finally worked, then would be the time. You prayed it would be soon, Arthur would make a wonderful father. You wanted to get away from this life so desperately, you were tired of running, you were tired of killing. All you wanted was a family with Arthur.

You had lived the life of running, fighting to stay alive, killing without second thought. All you wanted was peace.

Abigail picked up Jack, letting out a quiet groan. Jack was getting big, you remember when you first held him, those big eyes looking up at you.

“Jack, do you want to go get what you made your Aunt?” Abigail asked Jack. Jack looked at you with big doe eyes, smiling widely.

“Yes, Mama,” He said, Abigail set him down, he walked towards the drawer by the window and reached open to pull it open. He barely even reached it. His small arms grabbed a small object from inside the drawer. Abigail put her hands on her hips, smiling at her boy.

“He made it himself,” Abigail said as Jack set a flower crown in your hands. It was pretty with wildflowers he had picked. He watched you examine it, smiling brightly.

“I think Uncle Arthur will like it,” He told you.

“Oh, Jack! Thank you so much. This is beautiful.” You gave him a grin, putting the flower crown on. It really was a thoughtful gift.

“He picked a flower for Arthur too, so you would be matching,” Abigail revealed.

“Arthur likes flowers, did you know that, Jack? He’d never let any of us know, though,” You laughed, grabbing a bobby pin from a small box next to the brush, you secured the crown to your hair. Arthur was always drawing flowers in that journal, and in his old one he had kept pressed flowers. Arthur was a secret softy, there was no hiding that. Perhaps it’s why you fell for him, his secret side was so tender and loving, and when he realized he loved you too, that’s all you ever saw of him. He was nothing but kind - even when he called himself a bad man, you saw straight through that. Arthur was a kind man, kinder than any man you had ever met.

“I know,” Jack said simply, setting down next to you. He kicked his legs out in a back and forth motion.

“How do you know?” You asked him, pretending to be shocked.

“Uncle Arthur told me he likes flowers.”

Abigail held back a laugh, looking at you. You glanced at her, giving her a look.

“Uncle Arthur told you he liked flowers?” You repeated.

“He told me when we were by the water. I found a flower and gave it to him,” Jack responded.

“I see. What flower did you give him?”

“It was a purple flower. Uncle Arthur drew it in his journal.” Jack got up from the bed and went back to his yarn and wood, plopping down on the hardwood floors.

You chatted aimlessly with Abigail for a few moments as she continued getting ready. You were beyond scared to walk down that aisle and face Arthur. The longer you waited, the worse your nerves got.

People came up and down the steps, but suddenly you realized that it was John and Arthur coming upstairs. You held your breath. Even Abigail stopped to listen. Butterflies fluttered in your stomach as you heard them speak and walk further and further up the steps.

“John?” Abigail called out.

“What?” He responded, John was close to the door.

“Arthur’s not allowed in,” Abigail replied, she picked up her makeup brush and began applying blush to her face.

“I know. He’s not, he’s going to his room.” You could hear Arthur’s footsteps in the other room.

“Can I come in?” John asked after a moment of silence.

“Sure,” You said. The door opened and there was John. He still wasn’t dressed.

“You look good. I’m sure Arthur will be happy to see you.” John closed the door behind him, walking over to the dresser.

“Think so?” You asked playfully.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t he be?” He chuckled, John pulled out a pair of black slacks and a white shirt. It looked clean enough.

“She’s nervous,” Abigail told John. John looked at you over his shoulder.

“That so? Arthur is too.”

“Did he say anything about me?” You blurted out, feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush. John walked behind the folding screen in the corner of the room.

“He’s real excited to see you,” John said from behind the screen.

“I’m sure everyone out there is,” Abigail chimed in.

“Arthur wanted me to give you something,” John said as he walked out from behind the screen in his wedding outfit. He walked towards you, outstretching his palm.

It was a chocolate bar. You smiled at it, taking it from John.

“What's up with you two and chocolate?” John asked you as he walked over to the cabinet, he leaned against it, watching Jack play with his yarn.

“It’s a long story, but he’s only supposed to give it to me when I’m injured though.”

“Maybe he just wanted to let you know he’s thinking of you,” Abigail spoke, she glared at John, you wondered what that meant.

“I don’t have anything to give him,” You sighed, staring at the chocolate bar. Arthur was always thinking ahead.

“I’m sure he knows you’re thinking of him,” Abigail replied.

“Hopefully.”

You couldn’t bring yourself to eat it, your nerves were too high. All food sounded incredibly unappetizing. You set the chocolate bar on the bedside table. Jack eyed it, his eyes nearly glowing.

“You want the candy bar?” You asked Jack.

He nodded vigorously. Abigail rolled her eyes humorously.

“You can have it,” You told him. It was a gift from Arthur but Jack would have appreciated it even more than you could, and besides, the kid loves candy.

“Thank you, Auntie (Y/N),” He said, grabbing the chocolate bar with eager hands.

“I best be getting down there now, Dutch wants to talk to Arthur and me, good luck out there by the way,” John said, buttoning the top of his collar. He opened the door and left.

Jack continued eating his chocolate, you smiled at the boy. You wanted your own son or daughter so dearly, one with Arthur’s eyes and your hair. That’s all you wanted. You wanted out. As much as you loved your family - you wanted out. You had lived that way for so long, it was all you had ever known. But now you had a chance at freedom - to create your own family with Arthur.

But Arthur would never leave Dutch. And you knew that.

Deep down you knew.

You were tired of the running — tired of the plans, tired of it all. All you wanted was Arthur, him and nothing else. No gang — no killing. Just Arthur.

You didn’t want to raise a child in the gang, that was a foolish dream. You knew how easily the child could go without a parent, you had seen it happen with Abigail and Jack, although John eventually returned.

You were coming to terms with that though. In the world of an outlaw it was to live forever as an outlaw or die trying.

•••

An hour passed - it was already almost time. A majority of the gang members had already left camp. Your nerves were skyrocketing and when Molly knocked on the door to tell you it was time you almost passed out. Abigail gently ushered you to the door. Your hands were shaking as you slowly opened it up, seeing Molly in her special dress.

The plan was to head to a small church where they held outdoor weddings behind the building, the venue backed up to a river so you would be standing by it saying your vows. It was not very far from Shady Belle. Churches were never quite Arthur’s style, so you opted for an outdoor wedding..

You walked down the staircase slowly to the carriage outside, your hands were shaking wildly. Abigail held you tightly, Jack at her hip. The carriage was waiting outside for you. The camp was deserted behind you, it was strange to see. It was almost eerie, the lack of life, but you knew later tonight it would be bustling with it.

Abigail helped you up into the carriage. Once everyone was in the driver set off. Your heart pounded in your ears, your stomach churning.

“I’m so nervous.” You clasped your gloved hands tightly in your lap, as if it would somehow stop the shaking. Every turn, every jolt, it did not help with your nerves at all.

“I know, dear,” Molly said, putting her hands over yours. Abigail watched you sympathetically, she knew this wasn’t easy.

The carriage moved closer and closer to the venue. Arthur was surely feeling the same way, hopefully not to the same extent.

You were silent for most of the ride, Abigail and Molly talked fruitlessly, but you could not focus on their words. It felt like there were a thousand thoughts in your mind but not a single one was coming to your mind clearly, they were all shrouded in nervousness.

When the carriage suddenly came to a stop your heart jumped. You looked out the window and held your breath. This was it.

You were getting married. Today. Right now.

It was suddenly almost hard to wrap your mind around it. Abigail had to lightly nudge you out of the carriage, otherwise you would have been frozen in that seat.

You stepped out of the carriage, the sun was bright and slowly setting in the sky. By the time you would all get back tonight - it would surely be night.

Charles and John were waiting outside of the church for you. Every step closer to the church felt heavier and heavier, it was beginning to be hard to stand up straight.

“You look nice,” Charles said, holding the door open for you. Sunlight seeped in from the windows of the church, it was dusty inside. Sadie, Miss Grimshaw and Mary Beth sat on one of the pews, waiting for you.

“Thank you, Charles.”

Mary Beth gave you a small wave as you walked closer to them. Molly, Abigail, Jack and John behind you. It was hot and dry inside the church, it did not help that you were wearing a heavy dress either.

You opened your mouth to say something to Sadie, but Miss Grimshaw quickly cut you off. Molly walked out the back door to the ceremony.

“Arthur’s in the room behind the altar, with Dutch and Hosea. The Processional is starting in five minutes,” Miss Grimshaw reminded everyone. You nodded slowly. Five minutes felt like nothing. Abigail clipped the veil into your hair as Miss Grimshaw spoke. The veil was long and trailed to the floor, with lots of lace that was intricately woven.

“The order goes Dutch, Miss Grimshaw, Arthur, Charles, John, me, Mary Beth, Abigail, Jack and then our bride with Hosea,” Sadie read off from a piece of paper she had been holding.

“Then I’ll get out there with them, and you, Abigail, make sure the boy doesn’t drop the rings,” Miss Grimshaw finished, she turned swiftly towards the room behind the altar. Charles and John followed suit.

You sat down on one of the pews, your heeled foot tapping tirelessly against the floors. You tried to think of something calming, but nothing came to mind. It all was scrambled, your brain desperately grasping at a comprehensible thought.

“You’ll be fine,” Sadie told you as she leaned against the pew.

“You will be,” Mary Beth agreed.

“I’m afraid I’ll mess up.”

“You won’t mess up, you’ll be fine,” Abigail beamed. The seconds ticked on, the women sticking to their own conversations after noticing the worry in your eyes.

The music began and you immediately perked up, five minutes seemingly goes fast when your mind is a jumbled mess.

Sadie, Mary Beth and Abigail got up. Jack held onto his mother’s dress tightly. Abigail turned to smile at you sweetly as they walked closer and closer to the back. You gave her a small wave of goodbye. She mouthed “you’ll do great.” as she vanished behind the door.

The church was now completely deserted, it was now you and your thoughts. About a minute passed before Abigail knocked on the door. You hesitantly walked over to the looming door. Your heart beating wildly, like it would jump out of your chest.

You opened it and took a small breath, trying to calm your screaming nerves. In a few moments, you would see Arthur, and he would see you. And you would be his, and he would be yours. Years of yearning, wishing the other would be at their side, who knew it would come to this? He would be yours and you would be his. It was as simple as that.

Hosea was waiting on the other side for you, looking handsome as ever in his suit. He was the closest thing to a father you had ever gotten, it was only fitting he would walk you down the aisle. He smiled at the sight of you, unable to hide his pride.

The small compartment behind the church was small too. The door was open leading to the altar where Arthur was waiting for you, but a path obscured by trees hid it from you.

“You look beautiful,” He whispered, resting a hand on your shoulder. You stared at the door, waiting for your turn. You smiled politely, although you were not facing him.

The summer buzz of cicadas was heard even as the Procession played, a melodic tune. You waited for the music to change into your entrance.

“You’ll do fine out there, Arthur loves you,” Hosea’s words were quiet, but you could hear them loud as day. It was entirely true of course. Hosea was always right.

The music slowly shifted into a much slower song, and you knew. This was it. Hosea slid his arm through yours, your right arm holding the bouquet. You both slowly stepped out into the bright day. You felt like you were floating on a cloud — like nothing could ever bring you down. The dirt crunched underneath your feet as the aisle slowly came into view. Hosea’s arm was steady and soothing, his steps slow and methodical.

Worries drifted away as you slowly came into view, the wedding party rising at your arrival. The music continued to play a slow, beautiful tune, the cicadas humming happily and the rush of the river drumming thunderously.

And then there was Arthur, smiling at you like you were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life. You were closer now to him, every step bringing you nearer and nearer to his heart.

Arthur was handsome. He was gorgeous. And he was yours — all yours. He was sporting a dashing black suit, perfectly tailored. The flower in his chest pocket was the same as the ones in your hair.

It was like there was a beam of light radiating from him, Arthur had always been your beacon even in the darkest of times. He was love itself.

You felt the eyes of your friends and family on you, but you could only focus on Arthur.

When you finally reached the altar, your hearts felt like they were being synced, beating as one rather than two. The officiant stood behind Arthur, underneath two trees with a small arch decorated with flowers, Sadie and Mary Beth waiting for you on the left, John and Charles next to Arthur.

Hosea let go off your arm, smiling the entire time. He took his place next to Dutch in the front row, you handed Abigail your bouquet and stood next to Arthur underneath the arch, he took your hands in his. His hands were rough and strong, but they felt like home.

You looked into those eyes of endless waves, you only felt love and happiness from him. He looked like a prince, like there was supposed to be a crown sitting on top of his head, rather than the flower one you wore.

The officiant began with a welcome as the guests sat down.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Arthur and (Y/N) in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." The officiant said. This was really it, you kept reminding yourself. You both looked towards the crowd, for a fleeting moment you wondered if anyone would speak up. Arthur wondered the same, perhaps Micah would think he was funny and say something completely out of line, but he didn’t.

Arthur thought you were a goddess in your beautiful white gown. It looked exactly like something you would wear, the dress accented your body wonderfully, he couldn’t help but admire it.

The officiant spoke some more, weddings, love, union, the beginning of your new life - but you could barely focus on it. Your only focus was Arthur. Your fiancé, your best friend, your husband in a matter of moments.

“And now the bride and the groom are to exchange vows,” The officiant proclaimed. He gave you your paper with the vows.

Tears slowly started forming in your eyes as you shakily held the paper, smiling through it all.

“I remember when you found me alone in that cabin, that day you saved me in more ways than one. You taught me to love, to laugh, to trust. You have been my best friend, my companion, my lover and now you will be my husband. You have stayed by me when I was sick, injured, drunk, crying, you were there for it all. And I shall be there for you, I will choose you every time. I devote myself to you, Arthur Morgan, in sickness and in health. For I am yours, and you are mine.” You squeezed Arthur’s hand tightly, feeling the words come out naturally, like you had been waiting to say them your entire life. His smile widened throughout your entire vow.

The officiant held the paper out to Arthur, he let go of your hand to take it. You remembered him saying writing vows was hard, saying that his words sounded like nonsense. But they weren’t nonsense, Arthur was a gifted writer, whether he knew it or not. The thoughts in his journal (which you rarely ever saw) were something precious.

“My dear (Y/N), the first day I met you I knew I would like you. And I was right, and here we are now years later. It’s been a wild last few years, reckless too, but this is our first step into our new life, and we best not waste it. You are my love, you are my light, and I love you more than anything in this world. Nothing can or will separate us from now till the end of time,” He finished, his eyes brimming with love. Nothing could have prepared you for this moment, looking into his eyes and only feeling happiness. Like it was only you and him in this entire universe.

“Arthur, do you take Y/N L/N to be your lawfully wedded wife, through sickness and health, till death do you part?” The officiant asked. Arthur looked towards the man and nodded.

“I do.”

“And do you, Y/N, take Arthur Morgan to be your lawfully wedded husband, through sickness and health, till death do you part?”

“I do,” You said to Arthur. You smiled uncontrollably, and tried to stop the tears that were threatening to spill out the corner of your eyes.

The officiant leaned down to take the rings from Jack.

“Arthur, take this ring and place it on her finger.” Arthur took the ring from the man, and you presented your left hand to him. He slipped it on effortlessly.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.”

“Y/N, take this ring and place it on his finger.” You grabbed the ring, feeling the weight of it in your hand, you slipped it on his strong hand.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you,” You rang out loud and clear. Speaking only to him. Words that would forever bind you to him.

“And remember, love is an unbreakable bond, it is gratitude, it is faithfulness, it is kindness, it is forgiveness, it is everything good in this world. Lovers will always find a way back to each other,” The officiant said with parting words.

“With the power invested in me, I now declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”

You both leaned in, he grabbed your waist, you took his face in your hand. And you kissed him, and you kissed him. His mouth against yours, it was a rushing moment, like you were soaring above the clouds. And you felt the love between, the hearts beating as one. Arthur was secure, he was your lifeline, he was your home. Arthur was yours.

Cheers were heard as you both retreated. You took his hand in his as you made your way back down the aisle. The crowd stood up for you, clapping the whole way. You would have to get used to the new weight on your finger, it was different than the engagement ring.

Once you were back on the path, you finally spoke, unable to hide your excitement.

“Gosh, I was so nervous all day, but when I got up there it wasn’t bad at all!” You exclaimed, walking closer to the church. The forest singing a merry tune for you

“I know, John had mentioned earlier that you was nervous,” Arthur replied. Your heart was beating quickly, but this time not with nerves, with excitement, with joy.

“And thank you, for the chocolate by the way. I ended up giving it to Jack, since he was ogling it the entire time,” You laughed, speaking quickly. Arthur held the door open for you as you entered the church.

“I was wondering if you would eat it or not.”

“Jack liked it. He also said he picked you that flower,” You told Arthur as you walked towards the front of the church, out towards the carriage

“The flower crown looks nice in your hair, I think he made a good choice.” You opened the door to the carriage outside. The rest of the gang would come back to camp after you left. Arthur helped you into the carriage while the driver congratulated you two.

At 19 you expected to live the rest of your life with a gang of merciless strangers who beat and did horrible things to you, but now here you are, 10 years later - married to the man who had saved you. And he had saved you every day since then, reminding that you were worth the love he could give.

And he was yours, and you were his.

•••

The party still roared to life outside. There was a feast fit for a group of outlaws, cake, never ending drinks, a vibrant bonfire, poker, stories, toasts, talks. It was everything you hoped your wedding would be. Hosea and Dutch were like proud fathers the entire night. You even saw what looked like Miss Grimshaw wiping away some tears when Hosea gave his speech.

It was interesting to say the least — when the songs started, you knew a majority of the camp had gotten drunk. Barely anyone had retired for the night — besides Strauss, and Reverend who had already blacked out. They sang songs for you and Arthur, they sang songs about love, about sex (which made you blush and hide your face, while Arthur had a dumb smirk on his face). You had switched out of your dress after the ceremony and opted for a looser small white dress.

When the crowd began saying the ‘Ring Dang Doo’ you groaned, knowing everyone would be looking at you. Arthur laughed as he sang along, watching you the entire time. The hoops and hollers were joyous as you hid your face in Arthur’s shoulder.

When the song was finally over you let out a sigh of relief, but you remained nuzzled into your husband's side. He was warm from drinking, and he had a happy glow to him. There was not another place you would rather be than to be next to him.

Hours passed smoothly, the songs became less rowdy as the party goers quickly dropped, hopefully not too hard. It was hard to believe your wedding day was over. You remained by Arthur’s side for a majority of the night. By the time Javier and John had packed up for the night — as well as an insufferably drunk Sean who’d fallen on his face getting up, it left only you and Arthur.

The fire crackled and sputtered as the remaining embers shuddered, praying to stay lit. The night was slowly coming to end, the final waves of darkness would be over soon, and light would wash over the terrain.

You were tired, you’d been awake for nearly a full day now. Your head rested on Arthur’s shoulder as he stared meaningfully into the fire, both of your eyelids heavy. You slowly blinked, trying to stay awake, to not fall asleep in the middle of camp.

“You know we could get away from this all, Arthur,” You mentioned to him, trying to suppress a yawn that was threatening to be released from your mouth.

Arthur replied with a questioning hum.

You looked up at him, “We could get away from this life, you know, start our own family.”

“You know I want that, sweetheart. Life’s just a mess right now, not sure it’s the right time,” He sighed. You turned back to look at the dwindling fire.

“I know, Arthur, I do. I just — I want a child of our own, a house, a family.”

“We’ll have that one day.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

•••

#tbor #the ballads of rebirth #rdr2 #arthur morgan x reader

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quicksilverlightning · 4 years

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The All Might Fan Forum Discussion Board

ALL MIGHT FAN FORUM

General Discussion All Might Battles Meeting All Might Rescued by All Might All Might Encounters >Small Might Encounters (New!) Fanart and Fanfiction

CaptainCelb09 So, I've met All Might before. I just didn't know it was him.

It wasn't a big deal or anything - I tripped walking home one day and this really tall skinny guy stopped to make sure I was okay. I was embarrassed someone saw me and brushed him off, practically ran away. Now I'm sitting here with my face on fire cause I tripped in front of ALL MIGHT and he tried to help me up and akslhsdfouashefgoawu I cannot fucking believe this I should have taken his hand

070809 Pudding Cups

Time - 6:53 PM

Scene - Shofu Park

Your Narrator - crying on a bench

My girlfriend had just broken up with me. Through text. Like, ouch, right? Anyway.

I'm just kinda staring at my phone, blurry eyed, kicking at maple leaves, wishing I could text her back cause she just blocked my number when this tall blond guy shuffles up and takes a seat at the other end of the bench. Doesn't say anything, just sits, placing his grocery bag beside him. It's a public park, whatever right?

I'm wiping my eyes, putting my phone back in my pocket and suddenly there's this white thing in front of me - blond guy is offering me a napkin, Still doesn't say anything, just smiles a little. I take it and wipe my eyes, blow my nose, try to get it together cause apparently I look bad enough that this complete stranger is worried about me. I'm stuffing the napkin in a pocket when he holds something else out - a chocolate pudding cup, one of those with the little spoons in the lid.

I'm kinda like wha? but take it anyway and he takes another one out of his bag, he's got a six pack of them in there, and he tears off the lid and starts snacking and I do the same cause fuck it, right? I eat the whole thing and he gives me another one, like we're old friends or something and I'm halfway through it when he finally speaks.

"Bad day?"

And I can't help but laugh. It's so dumb. I'm single and heartbroken and eating pudding cups with this stranger on a public park bench as it gets dark and I don't know what to feel anymore. I tell him what happened and we eat the whole six pack together, shootin' the shit until the street lights come on. He calls me "young man" and claps me on the shoulder and it's so dumb but it cheered me up. He puts all the trash back into the bag and tosses it in the bin and tells me he needs to get going and hell, I do too.

I didn't even get his name. I thought about that encounter a lot though. I have a new girlfriend and she's great. We were together when All Might's last battle happened, watching everything go down on the TV at a bar and we're all losing our shit and I lose it even harder when the smoke clears cause that's the guy I ate pudding cups with what the hell

The last three years, any time I'm having a bad day, I go to the store and get some chocolate pudding cups. Whenever the world was just a shitty place, I'd think about that blond guy, shuffling through the park and making things better as he went along.

And I guess it figures that man would turn out to be All Might, cause that's what All Might has always done - moved forward and made things better.

spite-and-aesthetic my dumbass cat

small might plucked my stupid cat out of a tree wtf kinda cliche is this guy

AM_FAN0112 i cannot BELIEVE

TWO YEARS. TWO FUCKING YEARS ALL MIGHT HAS BEEN COMING INTO MY SHOP ARE YOU SERIOUS WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL TOSHINORI

I'M DEADASS SERIOUS HE COMES IN EVERY FEW WEEKS AND BUYS A BOOK AND SOMETIMES WE CHAT ABOUT MANGA AND HE ALWAYS ASKS HOW SCHOOL IS GOING AND HELPS WITH MY ENGLISH HES SO NICE AND TOLD ME TO CALL HIM TOSHINORI IS THAT HIS REAL NAME?? A CODENAME?

I GOT HIM HOOKED ON SUGAR SUGAR CAT CAFE ITS THE DUMBEST SYRUPY SHOUJO ROMANCE AND WEVE BEEN READING IT TOGETHER FOR OVER A YEAR WHAT IS MY LIFE

Sexi-tery Long post is long

Lemme set the scene; it's raining buckets, and I'm on my way to a job interview in the ritzier part of town. I've got my best clothes on - nice, crisp suit jacket, smart-looking skirt, a decent-but-could-be-shinier pair of heels. I've just left lunch with a friend and I've got an hour before the most important interview of my life.

That's when a bus rolls by and drenches me in the greasy puddle-water of downtown Tokyo.

Y'all, I was trying not to hyperventilate. I don't have time to go home and change. Even if I did, these were my best clothes. I'm screwed, no one is going to hire me looking like a sopping mess, *I* wouldn't hire me looking like this whatdoIdo

Someone picks up my umbrella. I didn't even realize I'd dropped it. I'm still freaking out. Someone is pulling me, I'm not even on this planet right now, someone is talking to me, I have an interview, where are my anxiety meds?

There's this blond guy hunched over, trying to bring me back down, telling me to breathe, calm down, you'll be okay. He's breathing with me and it's working and I think I might be crying but my face is so wet I can't tell.

He gets the story out of me once I'm back on planet Earth, and gets this determined look on his face. Drags me across the street into a clothing store. A really, really nice clothing store. Outta-my-budget, outta-my-lifetime sort of clothing store. Pushes me to the racks, tells me to pick out whatever I want.

I don't even question it - I may be back on Earth, but I'm still in the upper atmosphere somewhere. I grab a few things to take to the dressing room and fit myself into an extremely nice pantsuit. An attendant comes in to help, gets the tags off so I can wear the clothes out, bags my soaking wet puddle of fabric and blond guy pays for it all without even blinking.

He leads me back out, hails a cab, and I'm like, what now? And we pull up to a salon and he gets my hair dried and done, I KNOW he must have tipped the hairdresser a crazy amount to get me in and out that quickly, and the cab is idling outside the whole time, waiting to take me to my interview when we're done. All the while, blond guy is smiling, cracking jokes, and just being all-around charming. I'm wondering what I'm going to owe for this, what he wants, maybe he's some sort of creeper? But he seems so nice?

And when we're done, he prods me over to the cab, but doesn't get in. Doesn't ask for anything, just wishes me good luck. Like, who even is this guy? Who does all that for a total stranger?

All Might, that's who. Holy crap you guys, All Might got me to my interview on time and it's the best job I've ever had. I'd still be pushing pencils in a miserable office if he hadn't been there that day.

Kirasagwa74

A train ride

I remember a time before All Might. I remember when the Yakuza worked out in the open and villains took what they wanted without fear.

I'm old, is what I'm saying. These bones ache and creak every time the weather even thinks about changing. I don't complain too much; I'm used to it. I'm used to being out of the loop and lost in the shuffle. It's alright - I have my routines and I stick to 'em.

One of them is riding the train to a favorite cafe. They have an excellent coffee blend. I've seen All Might on that train many times, though I never knew it was him until a little while ago. He's a good man with kind eyes. If it was crowded, he would let me have his seat. Chat about the good ol' days, heroes from another generation. I haven't seen him on the train in a while. I miss him.

SingleSuperMom31 Carried Home

This was pretty recent - just a few months ago. Long post up ahead.

Context: I'm a single mom. My ex didn't want kids, so I've raised Aya by myself. It's been a little difficult lately thanks to a broken arm, but I've managed.

Anyway, I took Aya to a local park a few months ago. It's a few minutes walk from the apartment, and I wanted to grab some things from the store anyway, so I took her out to let her burn off some energy. Her Quirk is Photosynthesis, so she has a lot of it!

When we get there, the first thing Aya wants to do is get on the swings. She's almost three and my arm is broken - I don't want to put her in a regular swing in case she falls, so I'm trying to maneuver her into one of the strapped swings with one arm. Aya isn't heavy, but I'm still struggling to manage when a thin man with blond hair walks up.

"Ma'am? Would you like some help?"

He's tall, super super tall, and gaunt, but he has a kind smile. Aya likes him right away and helps her into the swing and pushes her a little while she screams to go higher.

He was so, so nice to my little girl. He let her call him Toshi and played with her for over an hour, lifting her on the monkey bars and holding her hands on the balance beam since I couldn't manage it at the moment. He sits with me when some other children come to play, and we talk a while, about Aya, about how my arm got broken (it's quite a story), about being a single parent.

It's hard, you know? I love my kid, I'd die for her, but it's still hard, and it's even harder with this arm. He was just so nice - he had this presence, like you could tell him anything and I did. I told him about my ex, that he left, that he didn't want to be a part of Aya's life. You could tell he was really listening, not just being polite. I've gotten a little teared up, and he just smiles and pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket. He's quiet for a little bit, watching the kids play. Then he turns back to me, and I know I'll remember this for the rest of my life, word for word -

"I don't have any family of my own, so perhaps it doesn't mean much coming from me," he looks a little awkward. "But for what's it's worth, I think you're doing a fine job. One day, Aya will be old enough to appreciate what a strong, lovely mother she has."

Aya sees me crying and comes rushing over, hugging my knees and I'm a mess and maybe a little bit in love. He's just so kind and Aya has crawled into my lap and hugs my neck. It's sunset, so her Quirk is finally slowing down and she falls asleep while I'm still reeling over the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.

I'm apologizing, it's late, I still haven't gone to the store, Aya is asleep on my lap and I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna get her home with this broken arm and he offers to walk us home. He lifts Aya up and puts her head on his shoulder and I know she's drooling a bit, but it doesn't seem to bother him. He radiates this goodness and warmth and safety; I don't even hesitate to invite him in for a cup of tea. He comes in long enough to put Aya on the couch, but doesn't stay. He wished us both well, and that was it. I took Aya to the park every day that week, hoping to see him again, but I didn't.

Until two weeks ago - I was making dinner and Aya was watching cartoons. I thought it was cartoons anway, when she yells -

"Mommy! That's the man who carried me home!"

And that's definitely him, there's no mistaking it. I shouldn't be letting a three year old watch this, but I can't look away either. All Might played with my Aya. All Might told me I was a good mother. All Might carried my daughter home. All Might is fighting for his life on my television right now.

I didn't know what love was until I held Aya in my arms. I didn't know what heroism was either, not until that night. Not until I connected two people together and realized they were the same person. I didn't know what a hero was until I realized that "hero" wasn't a title All Might put on and took off, it's something he IS, 24/7, on and off the clock. I'd live the rest of my life with a broken arm if I could have half of the strength and kindness that exists in this man, if I could be even a fraction of the person he is.

I think about him every day. I got an All Might keychain, so I'd always have something close by to remind me that heroism isn't always about punching villains and holding up buildings; sometimes, heroism is about talking to a stranger. Sometimes, heroism is about pushing a swing.

Sometimes, heroism is about carrying a little girl home.

#yagi toshinori #all might #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #mha #bnha #fanfic #boku no hero fanfic #look #I just want Toshi to interact with his fans okay #I want him to know how loved he is #in any form

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sunflower-swan · 4 years

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Wolfstar Chapter 17

A/N: Here’s what you need to know: I created this story for Writer’s Month 2020. Every day is a new prompt, and therefore a new chapter. This is an AU Wolfstar where Remus is a tattoo artist next door to Sirius who manages a flower shop. James and Lily are alive in this universe and own a coffee shop across the street. And to make parts of the story work with the prompts, Remus is about 10 years older than Sirius. It also takes place more or less in present time, minus Covid-19.

This is chapter 17 of a multi-chapter work. If you’d like to start from the beginning, here is chapter 1.

Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters. I just like to play with them.

Day 17 Prompt: Cooking

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 1608

Tags: fluff, dinner, date night, confessions

Chapter 17

Remus

Coldplay, “Strawberry Swing”

Now the sky could be blue

I don't mind

Without you, it's a waste of time

Remus entered the Flower Loft. It was nearing the time when Sirius would usually take a break, so he hoped he hadn’t missed it. Through his head ran ideas of how to do this and not sound like an idiot.

Are you busy tonight? What are you doing tonight? I’m cooking a roast for dinner, want to come over? Hey, want to come over for dinner tonight? ...fucking hell...

One of Sirius’ employees was running the front counter. Remus inquired as to where Sirius was, and the young woman went to fetch him.

Remus tried to dry his palms on his cardigan, but did not have much luck. The act left him with navy fibers clung to his hands. A few moments later, Sirius appeared from the back.

“Hey, Remus. Everything ok?”

“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s fine. I was just wondering --” he rubbed the back of his neck, “-- well, have you taken your break yet?”

“No, not yet. Just about to. Are you sure everything’s ok? You look a little...like, your face is kinda blotchy...and sweaty.”

Fucking nerves. “It’s warm outside?” Remus said, hoping that was a decent excuse.

Sirius didn’t seem completely convinced, but didn’t press the issue further. “I’ll meet you at our bench under the oak tree in about,” he checked his watch, “ten minutes?”

“Sounds good.”

Remus went to wait at the bench. He liked this bench. His hands splayed over the wood planks, worn rough and clover green paint chipped in places.

Our bench, Sirius had called it. It wasn’t far from the truth. They had spent a lot of time together on this bench over the course of their friendship. This bench had seen them drink a lot of coffee and share a lot of stories. Now it would be privy to Remus asking Sirius over for dinner. If he could figure out how to do it without being a complete awkward failure.

Before Remus could formulate an acceptable way to steer the conversation, Sirius had appeared. He settled into the bench, and threw his arm around the backside of the bench...behind Remus’ shoulders. Crossing his legs and turning toward Remus he said, “So, what’s up?”

Here goes nothing. Thanks a lot, Lily. “Er...wannacomeoverdinnertonight?” The words came out so fast, so mumbled, there was no way Sirius understood any of it. Which meant he would have to say it again. Dammit.

“Ha ha!” Sirius laughed, and leaned toward Remus. “What?”

Sirius fingertips lightly played on Remus’ shoulder. This did not help his nerves. And Godric, did he smell good.

Remus cleared his throat. “I said, would you like to come over for dinner tonight.” He finally looked directly at Sirius. “Do you like beef roast?” Shiiit...shit, shit, shit. What if he says no?

Sirius' fingers stopped their light pattern on his shoulder. Remus watched his concerned frown morph and grow into a wide-mouth, teeth-gleaming grin. “Beef roast sounds delicious. Throw in some roasted potatoes and carrots and you got yourself a date.”

A date. Remus was pretty sure his heart actually stopped at those words. “Um...what are your feelings about strawberry shortcake?”

“Strawberry shortcake sounds marvelous as well.” Sirius said with a wink.

He resumed the small, gentle caress of his shoulder. Somehow it simultaneously calmed Remus and increased his heart rate.

Sirius checked his watch. “I have to go soon. What time should I come over?”

“Eh…” Remus quickly calculated how long he would need to do the shopping, and pick up the flat a bit, plus time for actually cooking the meal. “How about...eight o’clock. Sound ok?”

“Eight sounds perfect.” He gave Remus’ shoulder a small squeeze. “See you then.” Sirius stood and started back to the Loft.

Remus leaned back and let out a long breath. This whole asking someone out thing was harder than he remembered. He hoped he still knew how to actually date someone.

“Hey, Remus!”

He turned to look down the sidewalk, where Sirius was half-shouting.

“I’m really looking forward to dinner tonight.” Then he gave a wave and disappeared into the Flower Loft.

Remus felt like a jumble of nerves. Excitement, anxiety, enthusiasm, and insecurity rushed through him in waves. Now that this was happening, he needed to get a move on. Just as soon as his legs were no longer jelly.

~~~~~

Remus went to the store to pick up ingredients for dinner: beef roast, red potatoes, carrots, strawberries, and whipping cream. Now he was back at his flat putting things away, and doing a general tidy up. It’s not like his flat was messy or dirty. Just those items that have a home but never really stay there long, or one doesn’t feel like putting it away because they’re just going to use it again soon...those types of things. Once the flat was tidied up, he grabbed his kitchen apron and set to work.

At eight o’clock on the dot, the door buzzer buzzed. The exact punctuality told him that Sirius had probably gotten here way early, but didn’t want to be early, and waited outside until eight.

Since he was in the middle of finishing the meal, he swished his wand toward the direction of the door, and hoped it unlocked and opened for Sirius.

“Hello?” came a voice in the hall.

“Come on in!” Remus called. “I’m in the kitchen!”

A few moments later, Sirius poked his head around the kitchen doorway. “Smells bloody delicious in here.”

Remus glanced back at him quickly before returning his attention to his cooking task. “Thanks. You can come in and sit down. It’ll be about five more minutes. My timing wasn’t perfect today.”

Sirius stepped into the kitchen with one hand behind his back. “I brought you something.” He drew up next to Remus at the stove.

Remus looked over. He was holding a small floral vase of what appeared to be...no way. “Are those…”

Sirius blushed. “Gardenia and Calla lily.”

“Wasn’t that…”

“The first arrangement you bought from me? Yep.” Sirius cast Remus a sheepish smile. “I’ll just set this on the table then.” Sirius placed the vase in the center of the small table. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Um...well, you could set the table if you want.”

Sirius jumped to work setting out plates and utensils. “Nice apron, by the way,” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”

Remus looked down, and turned to face Sirius. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing. But, ‘Feed the Beast’? Seems a little, ominous.”

“It was a gift from someone who thought they were funny.” Remus laughed. “Ok, I think, dinner is ready.”

They both filled their plates, and sat down across from each other at the small table. The roast was very flavorful, and the roasted veggies were nice and tender. All in all, Remus was proud of the meal he had prepared. It was one of only about five things he could actually cook decently, but that was beside the point.

“It’s been a while since I’ve done this.” Remus admitted.

“Done what?” Sirius asked. He popped a carrot into his mouth.

Remus paused his fork and looked up. “Date.”

Sirius also paused, and met his gaze. “Is this a date?”

“Do you want it to be a date?”

His eyes lit up. “Yeah. Do you want it to be a date?”

Remus couldn’t stop the smile playing on his lips. “Yeah.”

“How long exactly?” Sirius raised an eyebrow.

“Hm…” Remus contemplated. “Ten years? My, uh…” Now or never, Remus. “I was actually married once.”

Sirius nearly choked on the bite he was chewing. “Really?” he said.

“She passed away. It was...a difficult time for me.” His throat tightened.

“She?” His brows narrowed.

“I am really not good at this date thing am I?” Remus rubbed his temple and chuckled. “Ok, so...I’m bisexual…”

“Oh, ok. That’s cool.” Sirius smiled. “I was super confused for a moment.”

“Yeah, bringing up deceased spouses is probably not what a person is supposed to talk about on a first date.” Remus looked down and tapped the handle of his fork against the table. “Sorry.”

Sirius grinned. “First date? Are you forgetting Open Mic Night?”

Remus looked up, then tilted his head and placed his jaw in his palm. “Was that a date?” he asked, warmth filling his chest.

“I’m counting it.” Sirius shrugged with a smirk, and swallowed a large bite of potato. “Besides, normal first date stuff is like, boring surface level shit. Which, I feel like we moved past a long time ago. This is nice.”

This is nice. This is really nice. Even if he felt like he was bollocking it up by bringing up his deceased wife, he also felt it important for Sirius to know. “I’m having a nice time, too,” he said.

Remus finished his plate, and lay down his fork. Then he placed his hand on the table. Sirius' hand was so close. Remus wanted to reach out and take it. Place his hand over it. Thred their fingers together. Those mere centimeters might as well have been an entire continent.

As Remus stared at their hands, he saw Sirius’ begin to move slowly closer...and closer...and then Sirius’ fingers were gliding over Remus’ fingers. His skin tingled under Sirius’ tender touch. Remus stopped breathing as he watched his hand slowly disappear under Sirius’ hand. He looked up.

Sirius’ eyes sparkled, and his lips curved into a smirk. He gently stroked the side of Remus’ hand with his thumb. “Your history made you who you are. And I’m ok with that.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 18

#writersmonth2020 #wolfstar #remus lupin #sirius black #remus x sirius #sirius x lupin #harry potter marauders #slow burn #alternate universe #harry potter #fanfiction #fanfic #bisexual remus

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rabbitcruiser · 2 days

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National Picnic Day

Picnics are the ultimate al fresco experience! With a basket full of delicious treats and a cozy blanket, bask in the sun, breathe in the fresh air, and make beautiful memories with loved ones.

Going for a picnic has been an amusing pastime for many generations, as people love the idea of being able to soak up some sunshine and eat a meal at the same time! It likely started from a practical standpoint, with hunting parties or travelers who needed to take portable food with them on their journeys.

But now, National Picnic Day is here to show appreciation for this practice!

History of National Picnic Day

It seems that the word for picnic may have been derived from the French word “pique-nique”, which may have described something more elaborate involving a lot more drink and a lot less food. But the concept has evolved over time to simply describe an experience where food is enjoyed outside – and a nice bottle of wine can certainly be part of this!

Picnic baskets, picnic blankets, coolers and camping chairs might all be part of a picnic now. Add a football, a guitar or a hammock to relax in and the picnic can become an amazing event.

Whether simple or elaborate, including a seven course meal or just some sandwiches from a convenience store on a park bench during a lunch break from work, National Picnic Day is here to pay homage to the concept of this fun and unique departure from normal and boring eating.

National Picnic Day Timeline

14th Century Medieval hunting feasts

One predecessor to the modern version of picnics is the medieval hunting parties that would stop and eat along the way.

1801 The Pic Nic Society is formed

A popular group of at least 200 fashionable Londoners, fans of everything French, form a society where extravagant picnics are held—with lots of wine.

1886 Famous picnic painting makes its debut

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, depicting picnic scenes near the water, is finished by Georges Seurat in the pointillist technique.

1967 First Congressional Picnic is held in the US

President Lyndon B. Johnson and wife Lady Bird host a picnic on the South Lawn of the White House for members of Congress, staff members and their families, which becomes an annual event.

How to Celebrate National Picnic Day

Have the time of your life celebrating and enjoying National Picnic Day with some of these delightful ideas:

Go On a Picnic

The most obvious and sensible way to pay honor and respect to National Picnic Day is to pack up a basket or cooler, grab a blanket to sit on, and head out with some friends or family members for a picnic. It’s possible to go to the park, a local nature preserve, or even just the backyard, whatever is accessible and convenient. A little patch of green grass is all that is needed. Struggling with rainy weather or a cold snap? Don’t let it get you down! Just adjust those expectations and lay that blanket out in the middle of the living room. Then have a picnic right inside the house. It’s possible to have fun and participate in National Picnic Day even when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Get Some New Picnic Gear

Although it isn’t totally necessary as it is possible to sit on park benches or even at a picnic table, having a blanket or basket that is dedicated specifically to picnicking is a clever way to make it motivating to go on more picnics. Check out some of these supplies and gear that can help make a picnic even better:

Picnic Basket – Maybe it’s a brand new basket designed just for picnicking, with all of the pockets and containers that hold the flatware and plates. Or maybe it’s a large vintage wicker basket that is just waiting to be filled up, a lovely basket can be super inspiring when it comes to heading outdoors to enjoy a meal.

Picnic Blanket – When getting a blanket for sitting on the ground, it’s smart to choose a design that has a keen ability to hide spills and stains. Colorful plaid blankets are a traditional pattern that can hide all sorts of issues. Also, choose a blanket that is easily washable so it can quickly be thrown into the laundry and made ready for the next time a picnic is on the calendar.

Portable Hammocks – Some people who have a bit of extra time might like to pack a hammock or two for their picnic, allowing them to take a little swinging rest or even a nap following their delicious and tasty outside meal.

Organize a Community Picnic

National Picnic Day can act as an excellent excuse to get a group of people together to appreciate one another’s company and share some food outside. Perhaps this means arranging for a group of coworkers to take their lunch break outside on this day. Or maybe school teachers or parents will use the day as a time to enjoy a picnic on the playground with the students or kids.

Perhaps local community leaders would like to celebrate the event on a larger scale, arranging a band to perform live music at a local park and inviting families to bring their own picnics and participate. Picnics can offer a convenient and fun way to bring people together without a great deal of fuss!

Make That Picnic Eco-Friendly

Spending time outdoors and appreciating nature can be a great reminder that humans can do their part to take care of the earth. Making a picnic sustainable and eco-friendly is a perfect goal for appreciating National Picnic Day!

Instead of littering the planet with tons of plastic water bottles, have some reusable, refillable stainless-steel water bottles for each participant. (It may be best to avoid glass in nature parks as it can break and create a hazard).

Avoid plastic utensils or throwaway plates. Instead, go for some washable portable plates and utensils in bamboo, then take them home and wash them. Also, replace plastic bags or cling wrap with recyclable aluminum foil or reusable bees-wax wrap. Cloth napkins are a more eco-friendly option as well.

Pack foods that cut down on packaging, such as fruits – which conveniently come in their own natural wrappers. Choose local produce that supports eco-friendly practices. And when throwing leftover food away, don’t forget to compost those scraps!

Create a National Picnic Day Playlist

Picnics can be even more fun when accompanied by delightful music. Whether it’s songs that have the word picnic in the title, or just songs that go well with the theme, prepare for the day by creating a collection of songs with the picnic vibe. Get started by trying out some of these songs to add to a National Picnic Day Playlist:

Going on a Picnic by Raffi (1979)

Stoned Soul Picnic by The 5th Dimension (1968)

Picnic by The McGuire Sisters (1959)

Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues by Bob Dylan (1962)

National Picnic Day FAQs

What to bring on a picnic?

The packing list for a picnic includes a blanket, plates, glasses, utensils, napkins and lots of easy to eat food.

Where does the word picnic come from?

Many researchers think the word comes from the French “pique-nique” which was a light, informal meal where people would nibble food.

Is picnic a verb or a noun?

The word ‘picnic’ can be used as either a verb or a noun! Someone can either picnic, or they can go on a picnic.

Do picnics reset spawns?

In the world of Pokemon, the Picnic Reset Method can cause a new set to spawn.

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geekygoddesss · 5 years

Text

The Boyfriend tag [Ashton Edition]

Summary: an unfiltered interview with Ashton Irwin and his girlfriend.

Words: 7.7k

“Hello! I'm Ashton Irwin from five seconds of summer” He says when the camera starts rolling.

“ I am (Y/n) his special friend” I continue, showing a big smile.

“This is now our turn to answer everything we can about us” He announces, pointing straight at the camera “We will give it to you straight, unfiltered and sitting on the best f*ck#** chair I’ve ever seen” he laughs, straightening his legs and rocking our chair back and forth.

We were both currently on a bench that just happened to have a spinning mechanism just like office chairs and allowed us to move around if we wanted.

“It’s really the best chair ever” I agreed, laughing along with him.

He loved it. The moment we got to sit here he made me sit by his side and sneaks his arm around me, pulling me closer and getting himself comfy for the interview. It was really nice.

I am just about to say something, to state some weird occurrence that came to my head, but one of the producers steps forwards and he looks like he is about to give us more instructions like before when we were just about to get ready for this interview.

“Sorry to interrupt, I should have mentioned you can’t really curse on this show”

My cheeks heat up just like that, my jaw drops open and so does Ashton’s, we turn to look at each other and he does look pretty surprised by this one. We forgot this was a thing in some companies.

“Oh no sh*t, Sorry about that” He curses again as he laughs, clapping in the air dramatically and nodding at the camera “what a great start!”

“It’s alright, Michael did it too, multiple times, we’ll bleep it out”

“Fantastic” he nods and then reaches for the table, grabbing the Ipad with all the question and handing it to me “take it away, baby” he instructs.

I smile at the camera. Let this wild ride start.

Where and when did we first meet?

“We meet in Spain” he speaks first, taking over the question “We had a gig there and we had a day off, went for a walk around the historic parts of the city and, well...” he says, leaving it hanging and not finishing like he would do sometimes.

I knew what he wanted and I wasn’t going to let that be our full answer, so I look straight at the camera and decide to uncover him with the truth.

“He got lost in the gothic quarters” I reveal, shrugging at the camera lens.

He presses his lips together and sighs. For some reason, he isn’t the biggest fan of this story and is always trying to make it better.

“It makes more sense if I say it” he explains “We weren’t completely lost, it was just a bit hard to know the way out” he said as if that was any better.

Potato-potato. It was both the same thing.

“You were lost” I repeat, chuckling at him and taking over the question “I mean, it’s a big place, I understand why you couldn’t find the way out” I say on his behalf, trying to explain myself “I was waiting for my mom outside of this store and I saw them once, then twice, then another time until they stopped to google their location and I came to the rescue” I smile a very heroic smile “it was also low season, so the majority of people there spoke everything but English” I roll my eyes, because that was just an absurd fact

“Thanks god you were there” he mentions, agreeing with me “honestly, hearing someone speak a familiar language was relieving” he laughs turning to kiss on my temple lightly “but yeah, that’s how we met” he wraps up the story with a shrug “After that she walked us all the way back to the venue so…”

“It was good” I continue, nodding “No one got any more lost” I joke, taking over the Ipad and moving on to the next question of the bunch.

When and where was our first date?

He sighs “Our first date” He says in a mumble, really thinking about it and instantly looking unimpressed by the one and only answer we had “it was not really a date, if I’m honest, I wouldn’t call that a date”

I frown. “Hey” I whine, nudging him with my shoulder.

It was a bit rude of him to say that and I wasn’t totally okay with it, even when he was kind of right.

“Babe, it felt more of a get-together, not really a formal thing, don’t you think?” He explains to me but at the same time speaks to the public “rather messy I would say”

I roll my eyes heavily. I could disagree on that “I like to think it was a date, it was the first time we got to hang out” I add, shrugging a bit to then proceed to tell the story “I took him to my hometown which is pretty close to the city and it’s probably the only place around that doesn’t get super crowded and we went for ice cream and everything!”

“It was lovely” He agrees, not really meaning that it was a bad day but he thinks it was not a real date. “But see, I know it sounds like a date but at the time, everyone was invited, they just not wanted to go” he mentions, chuckling at that part of the story.

For some reason, I always manage to forget about that. Those times where I just met them and they wanted a local guide, which I offered my services to with my best intentions to give them a tour of the best beaches, but most of them were tired and Ashton was the only one up to it. Their loss.

“Lazy asses, as you can see” I say, shaking my head at the story “They missed out, but we got something so good out of it and! we were on the beach like all day” I brag, leaning my head on his shoulder and hugging him close.

“You. Lose” he says, pronouncing each word clearly and pointing at the camera.

In all seriousness though, I was glad they didn’t go to that date, that way, I wouldn’t have gotten so much time to hang out with him as I did, look what came out of it.

What was your first impression of me?

“I remember very clearly the first time I saw you and just instantly hoped you were not a fan, I was not in the mood for anything at that moment” He starts, chuckling a little as he speaks and looking down in my direction “but well, uh, I guess the best answer I can give is that I noticed how energetic and honest you were, you didn’t care who we were or what we were doing, you just wanted to help and that really stuck with me” He smiled, showing me that adorable dimpled grin I loved too much.

“Aw” I smile, reaching up to caress his cheek softly “the first thing I noticed about you was your style, for me that was super outstanding and super old fashion vibes, which I love, and also, your way of approaching people, it’s very inviting and welcoming, I felt good, it made me feel like I was meeting an old friend” I shrug, looking up and down at him to then give him a small shy smile.

“That’s good, right?” he asks, raising an eyebrow, almost as if he just wanted to make sure it was all okay.

I chuckle. Was he really asking that to me? To the one person that adored him more than anything.

“Oh no, actually instantly hated you, you just looked like a great bank in general” I scoff, taking my hand off his face and making a move to fake push him away from me.

He gasps at that assumption. “Hey!” he laughs, reaching back for my arms and keeping it hostage “See, she can be a little bit mean at times” he speaks to the camera, as he sneaks his arms around my waist and squeezes.

I yell. I was not expecting him to do that and it was slightly embarrassing, he knows it’s my soft spot. I let it pass through, I will get revenge, but not now, It had to wait a little more.

When did you meet my family?

“That is private and how dare you ask that question!” He speaks harshly at the camera, pointing at it accusingly and shaking his head, but he wasn’t serious at all, he wanted to mess with the producers like usual.

“Stop” I laughed, grabbing his hand and putting it down “he's joking” I let everyone know, just in case.

He laughs too, knowing that maybe it was time to get a little more serious and answer the question instead of trying to avoid it because, at the end of everything, it wasn’t a big deal, it was just a simple story.

“The first time I met your family was in LA, which was also the first time you invited me there for your summer break, spend a couple weeks there, it was amazing,” I say, smiling at the memory. Those were some fantastic three weeks.

“Yep” he nods, stepping in to tell his side of the story “I don’t even need to say it, I met your family on our first date, they were around a couple of times” he says, shrugging a little at his answer, because it was really that easy.

“They liked going on the beach with us but still, I think they were a little intimidated by my presence with an older foreign man, who (by the way) didn’t speak any Spanish and I meet the day before” I say with a weird smile as I shrug. I remember the multiple warnings I had from my mom for doing this and then me, not paying attention, but even when she was right, nothing really happened, we had something amazing bloom from that day.

“As you can tell our thing was kind of the slow-building kind of relationship” he speaks, chuckling a little at the thought.

One day we meet… the other he met my parents...

“Yeah! Definitely” I nod, agreeing with him “in 48 hours we were already… having sex” I let out as if I was totally serious. We can’t help to break into laughter.

I would never do that, not now and not ever.

“I’m kidding” I say to the camera as I keep going with my small fit of pure giggles.

“Yes, don’t actually do that, that’s risky, kids” He warns, being totally serious but also being a taken out of seriousness with his constant laughing. “but yeah that’s how we meet each other’s family” he says, finishing off the question.

“those were some historic moments” I compliment, breathing in to calm my laughing.

he nods. “next question, please”

Who said “I love you” first?

That question can only make me smile and nothing else.

“I did” I say, throwing out a dreamy look. “Funny thing is, we weren’t even dating by that time, I’m just very emotional and thought I would let it out as soon as I saw a chance” I nervously chuckle as I throw that fact out there.

“Hm, we weren’t dating by the time” he confirms, rubbing his jaw with one hand, almost as if he was thinking about it. “I kissed you once or twice and would hang out a lot but we weren’t…” he tries to explain, turning to look at me.

“It was a bit embarrassing” I confess, being realistic about the situation.

For some reason he seems to be surprised of me even saying that, his eyes widen and he is thrown back a little bit, taking a good look at my face.

“Ah babe!” he exclaims, frowning a little bit but then pulling me into one quick hug “Why? It was lovely” he asks, almost concerned.

“Not really” I chuckle a bit. “See, it was on that summer when you guys were back in Spain but not really for a long time, which sucked because I loved to spend time with you but at the end of everything I knew you had to leave and i couldn’t go with you even if I wanted, so in my mind I thought, the worst-case scenario is that you don’t feel the same or just don’t feel ready, and I said it” I explain to him, trying to making it sound like no big deal, even when at the time it was a big deal. “Pff, I remember everything, like the time, weather, place, what I did...”

He nods, seeming to understand “We were on… that park, weren’t we?”

I smile “Uh Huh, park güell” I confirm. It was my favorite place in the world “This place is like giant and it has this part that it’s super tall, you need to do a bit of a hike to get there but it’s super cool because you can see the entire city from there” I explain, trying to make the audience picture the scenario a bit “we were sitting down and just looking at the view and I said ‘can I tell you a secret?’” I mumble in my mic, acting out the scene “He said ‘sure’ and I said ‘I may be wrong but I think I love you’” I let out, with a bit of a proud smile.

“And I said, if I’m not mistaken ‘I may be surprised but I would be stupid to not see that’” he follows my lead, without me even asking “I didn’t say it back and I am sorry but for me this was more of an eye-opening moment when I knew maybe this is the girl I should keep front and center, all the time” He confessed, looking down at me and pulling me more into his hug.

“And we made it official” I say, wrapping up my story.

“Hell yeah” He said, leaning down to kiss my forehead. What a beautiful story to tell.

What dressing do I always wear?

“Easy” he said with the most confident tone he could wear. He goes and grabs the hem of my glasses with incredible skill and snatches them off “boom” he exclaims, sliding them on his face instantly.

“Hey!” I yell, trying to go and reach them but he moves away from me, not letting me get them back. “No, you’re going to stretch them” I whine, trying to reach him but he doesn’t let me “You have a big f*ck#** head”

Oops, I cursed, my bad.

“I have a great head thank you very much” he brags, showing me his tongue teasingly and turning to see the camera through my lenses “Shoutout to all my head fatties out there” he laughs, showing a couple thumbs up in support.

“No” I laugh, reaching for his hands and pulling them down “Rude” I let him know, finally being able to reach in and get back my glasses, I needed them.

Now it was my turn to answer and lucky me, I had no clue on what I could possibly say, there was a bunch of things, but he also wasn’t the kind of repetitive person, it was not that easy.

“I don’t know what to answer” I pout, looking up at him.

He shrugs. “Anything”

That still doesn’t help. I look at him up and down, analyze him, trying to think on what could be the best answer to give to the public, because I didn’t want to sound obvious but in moments like this, I might need to.

“Polka dots” I say, almost disappointed at my lame answer “I hate this answer, it’s most basic ever” I say rolling my eyes “you’re not even wearing them today”

He moves back, looks at me almost acting offended and then says “yes, I am” he assures me, I squint at him, that seemed like something he would say just to make me feel like I was right.

“prepared to be surprised” He said, leaning back on our seat and pulling his knee up, proceeding to put his foot on the table.

Rude.

Very carefully he pulls the hem of his pants up, revealing a very cute black and red polka dot sock “Boom” he smiles proudly, showing me his fun sock.

“Oh dear…” I laugh, leaning in to pull at them playfully. “Sneaky”

he nods “I keep with the aesthetic, honey” he teases me, getting his foot off the table and sitting down straight. “next question”

Weird habit of each other?

“Does Dad jokes count as a habit?” I ask rhetorically, turning to look at him “For you, it’s become one”

I was joking, he knows I was, but still the moment I make that assumption he gasps as he was offended and touches the center of his chest with one hand.

“What?” He asks in disbelief “They’re great! C'mon” he insists, squeezing my sides slightly.

“You’re a dad, it’s weird” I insist, reaching over and squeezing his side too “There’s my answer, your dad jokes” I state, looking at my front “I don’t mind them most of the time, but you’re a dad”

He laughs a sarcastic laugh, next thing a know there is a hand on my face “Shush” he says, pushing my face away “Shush woman” he demands for a second time as he laughs at me moving away from his touch. “you do have a habit and I’m going to tell you what it is” he starts his answer, now getting serious “You repeat everything I say and everything everyone says all of the time”

I gasp. I don’t know how he even dared to expose me like that but it was weird that he chose this particular one, it wasn’t even that dramatic.

“What does that mean?” I frowned slightly looking at him, but after a couple seconds of thinking about it, I get it “Oh no, hold on, I get it, I know what it is” I chuckle, shaking my head at the thought.

He was right, it’s a bad habit.

“Every time I say something funny for you or outstanding you repeat the last phrase I said in that exact sentence and that’s a bad habit, lady” he states, touching my nose and then pinching it playfully.

“I’m sorry” I say in a baby voice, trying to make it just a little better.

“It’s okay” he laughs, shrugging it off.

Yes, it was a bad habit, but it wasn’t even that bad, I would break it off eventually so I didn’t mind him telling the world. It was just something passenger, we could talk about it.

How long have we been together?

“Almost three years now” he speaks firsts, with now a serious tone.

“We turn three years in September” I smile, leaning my head on his shoulder.

“It’s crazy” he nods, raising both of his eyebrows “I still can’t quite believe how we have managed to drag our relationship so far up, it’s insane” he confesses, looking down at me for a second.

“Yeah me too” I admit, keeping it completely real “I mean, I love him and I have always known there was something different in him but at the start of our relationship, things were not looking promising at all” I groan at the memory, our first two months weren’t the greatest.

“Not in the slightest bit” he agrees “We had a good trait and all but distance relationships are hard to keep” he hisses, shrugging a little.

The first months of our relation pretty much based itself on not only FaceTime calls but also text messages and dumb Snapchat pictures sent to each other for updates. It sucked. I don’t think neither of us had many hopes on the life of our relationship, but from there, things scaled a lot and got us where we are now.

“Lucky for us, we handled like masters” I brag, raising my hand and he gives me five.

“Teamwork”

What’s the most public thing you’ve done together?

Oh man, I loved this question for so many reasons. In a matter of seconds, I had the perfect answer to this question, no one needed to wait for me to answer or anything. I knew how to fill this spot.

“He brought me in on a radio interview” I confess “if that was not public I don’t know what is” I let out, heavily rolling my eyes at him.

That was such an uncomfortable moment for me, he thinks it’s hilarious, for me, it was both unexpected and weird.

“Oh man, I forgot about that” He laughs hard, throwing his head back and clapping in the air.

“You forgot?!” I exclaim, narrowing my eyes at him “How can you forget that? You did it!”

He nodded, not denying it but also not saying anything else about the matter. “I would very much like you to tell the story please” he nods at me, giving me the green light.

I nod. “Well, basically, we were in Australia (I think) and they were having this interview with a radio show thing” I explain, totally trying to paint a picture “Ashton was on fire, he really was, he started telling stories, answering everyone and it was just hilarious” I chuckle “I think you noticed I was laughing a lot and started looking at me and kept going with your hilarious self, to the point he stopped the interview and brought me in” I simply say, shrugging at the situation, it was as simple as that, but it felt like a lot more.

“I had to, I’m sorry” he excused himself, still giggling, finding the story super funny “sometimes I need a proof that I am really just this funny all the time” he excuses for a second time but this time just complimenting himself, lame.

“I was crying!” I exclaim in his face, now finding the right time to fight him for this “I started crying and laughing and you showed me on camera” I pout as I look away from him.

He laughs, even more, shaking his head and looking away just like I did.

This is basically our relationship, in a nutshell, he would annoy me at times, I would annoy him… it was a never-ending cycle that was constantly happening. Some would think it’s annoying, but us, we loved it, that’s the thing.

“I also did this on camera” he said, once he had calmed down, grabbing my chin and pecking my lips very softly.

He was still giggling though. Goddammit.

“It’s not funny” I giggle as well, nudging him away with my hand.

For once, he disagrees, shakes his head heavily and says “I think it is” he shrugs “next”

First thing you noticed about me?

“First thing” he says, looking away for a second and thinking about it. I was fairly intrigued by his answer on this one. It only takes him a couple seconds to concrete an answer and turns to me after he knows what to say “Your face” he reveals on a very serious tone.

I smile “Isn’t that just lovely?”

I had to admit I was totally teasing him about it, but he knew that already, he smiles at my answer to his first response and nudges me softly. I just wanted to keep on the mood light and funny for everyone.

“No, no, but I mean, not just your face, the brightness on your face in general” he says, explaining himself a bit better “you were helping us and it was just so kind, the way you approached to us with such a kind smile and willing to help was something that really stood out for me, not many people do that to strangers on the street, especially in such a busy city” he says and it is a fact.

That answer really warms my heart, he was so sweet.

“Aw, I love you” I mumble, leaning in and kissing his cheek “the first thing I noticed about you was your hair, is that weird?” I ask, chuckling a little bit at my answer.

He chuckles as well “Not at all, but why my hair?”

I shrug “I don’t know, I love it, I like the color” I say, lifting my hand to touch a few of his strands, now covered in hair gel and underneath red hair dye “I love how you are naturally blonde but not blonde blonde, it almost matches mine” I smile proudly.

Call me cheesy, but the fact that his hair resembles mine in a way made me proud, it was almost like destiny matches us to perfection. We would make some adorable and blondie babies.

“Yours is darker,” he says, reaching for my hair and touching it as well.

“A touch darker, yes” I nod “so there's that, I don’t have much to say, if I’m honest” I chuckle, turning around and grabbing the Ipad in front of me “next question”

Tell us a fun fact about you

We both stay quiet for some solid ten seconds. Dead silence.

“Fun fact” I speak softly, really trying to come out with something “Do you have something in mind? I got nothing” I say to my partner in crime.

“As a matter of fact, I do” He nods, because apparently he has been waiting for me to answer first all of this time. “We have an age gap, which is pretty large if you think about it-“

“Six years” I speak, just adding up information.

“Yeah, It’s six years and a bit more” He confirms “but besides that point, even though I am the oldest, I feel like that’s a lie because sometimes she is totally the older one in lots of aspects” He says, finishing with a smile and then turning to look at me.

Deep inside of me, I always knew this guy couldn’t hold a serious note for five minutes, he had to (in some way) pick on my buttons, like always. He was laughing now at my annoyed face and laughed more when I slapped his arm.

“Ashton!” I exclaimed, pushing him away “You are such a…” I start, pressing my lips together before having to curse “Are you calling me old?” I ask, narrowing my eyes “Are you calling me an old woman?”

He shrugs like he doesn’t mind “You’re an old soul, that’s what I’m trying to say” he explains to me, now sounding a bit softer. I frown, now being a bit concerned, that was a weird twist. “What did you think I was going to say?” he asked, laughing at my weird gaze.

I glance at him anyways “I know you were going to complain about me and my weird… pains” I say, being a bit weird out by saying that out loud.

“I would never” He says, almost offended, touching his chest in fake offence.

I knew he was trying to tease me.

“Yeah, uh-huh” I nod, rolling my eyes. I was going to let it pass, this is the kind of things that we would say just to make me fight him, he loved me fighting him for some reason, it was his hobby.

What's the biggest thing you’ve done for each other?

My heart feels warm by this question, it brings good memories.

“The biggest thing I have done for Ashton it’s probably this time I organized him a date, just to make him feel better” I smile softly, looking down at my hands as I speak “It wasn’t our anniversary or any important date but it was a time when things were starting to gather up a little for him and those things were managing to show up on his regular self” I explain “He was stressed and really not in the mood all of the time, he accepted zero comments on anything work related it was a bunch of things” I continue now turning my head to look up “So I decided to organized a bit of a date to help him take his mind of and relax; It took me all day to organize, I cooked dinner myself and also prepared some dessert, I decorated a little, which was tricky, I am not the best at decorating; and last but not least I just set up a whole mood around the house and decided to make it a place that didn’t revolve around work or things that assemble it, I wanted to make it a place of disconnection and where he could find his peace of mind in” I continue, looking at him with a smile“So yeah, that’s the biggest thing I did for you” I shrug shyly.

He pouts, smiling a little and clearly finding my story adorable. “I remember that day, of course, you were successful on what you intended because I loved it, you know I did” he says softly, kissing my temple softly “It’s also one of the best dates we’ve ever had and curious thing is, we never really even got out of the house” he chuckles softly.

“You’re welcome” I say, returning the favor and kissing his cheek.

“The biggest thing I’ve done for you it’s one hundred percent those tickets to the academy post-award show party thing” He admits, then looking at the camera and wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

I gasped harshly, throwing my head back at the fact. He just won over my best gift to him, this was definitely one of the best days of my whole existence.

“Shut the front door” I say, avoiding the impulse to curse “Yes, those were such a dream” I exclaim, laughing a bit.

“It took me a while to get my hand in those and I made lots of calls, you have no idea how many strings I pulled on that one but we got there!” He cheers, lifting his hand in succeed “We were really out of place at first, people in there were really…” he says, looking for the right words.

“Popular” I complete.

“Exactly” he agrees immediately “but you had fun, right?” He asked, looking over at me.

“Are you kidding? I got to talk to Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger on the same night, it was insanity” I say, completely happy to get that memory in my head “if you don’t know who those are, check your resources, they were in one of the best movie musicals out there, Chicago, they are living classics” I brag, putting a hand on my chest in emotion “Among other actors and actresses, that day was the most overwhelming and crazy days I have ever had and I don’t even mind that one bit”

He smiles, pulls me over to his side and kisses me once again. “She’s a fan of movies” it’s what he says, rubbing my shoulder.

“Number one fan” I complete, more like a correction “Next question, please”

Tell us a secret

“Uh, no” Ashton says, taking the lead and rolling his eyes, almost acting annoyed.

“Ballsy” I say to him, with a funny smile on my face.

“Not a chance” He keeps going, shaking his head “Nice try, you got us, whew!” he acts out, wiping fake sweat off his forehead “Secrets are meant to be secret not to be heard” he quotes, pointing at the camera and leaving that as his last words… for now.

“You did not…” I laugh, being interrupted but the small chuckles that came out of my lips “You did not just quote your own lyrics”

He laughs, probably finding hilarious how fast I caught that one. “I did and I’m proud” he said, sitting up straight to grab the IPad from my hands “next question”

What pisses you off?

“It pisses me off when he goes to tease me in public” I answer first, faster than ever “not even like normal regular teasing, he tries to tease me into making him a fool of himself in public, that’s what he wants” I shake my head, nudging him to the side playfully.

“Lies” He says, nudging me back.

“Nope” I shake my head harshly at the lies “he grabbed my ass in public the other day, so shamelessly, I think a pap got us” I confess, covering my face with both of my hands in embarrassment.

“Which was always my intention” he shrugs, not taking it as a big deal.

“It was weird!” I exclaim in argument “And then I was embarrassed and I decided to go for revenge days after, so I tried to grab his ass on the street but now all there is on the Internet is a picture of me chasing him because somehow, he actually sensed that before it happened and now there are pictures everywhere” I lean back on my seat, giving up on the situation and closing the story.

“I’m a gazelle with public humiliation” he graces himself proudly, to then very gently place the IPad on my hands “Next”

Now, he was trying to get away with this, he wanted to change the topic.

“You b#*ht” I cursed, slapping his arm playfully “I’m going to tell you what pisses him off” I take the lead, not letting this go.

I proceed to turn the IPad on its side and place my slightly long nails over the matte side of it to then run them back and forth repeatedly, making a really scratchy sound. He squirms instantly, almost as if I was running my nails over a chalkboard.

“Oh no!” he said, going immediately to grab my hands “Stop it, stop it, stop it” he whimpers “that’s torture”

“That’s vengeance,” I say, smiling playfully and turning the IPad on its side again.

Now we could keep going.

Favorite feature about each other?

“I love your eyes” I speak first, looking up at him and touching his brow softly “I know it’s very cliche but it’s really my favorite feature about you” I smile softly “I also love your chest, if you have seen his chest you know it’s the hairy type and when you wear those button shirts, it just makes it look extra good” I say playfully.

“Thanks” He smiles, leaning down and pecking my lips short, to then go ahead with his answer “do you want me to be honest?” he asks and I nod “I don’t think I can choose one thing I like about you because I just love everything about you” He says, totally serious and with a small smile on his face “I feel like you and I have something in common not only personally but spiritually and the way we get along so well have to do with the fact that our souls are connected” he says, starting a speech for the public, but specially for me “I’m a very spiritual person and I always like to read about things that have a reason to happen around us and I have always known that the way you were put in my life was one of the most beautiful things I have been challenged to keep with me, that’s why I love all of you, we are meant to live a life or part of our life together and you get along with me just perfectly to affront anything we are meant to do in the future” he says to me directly, reaching in to hold my hand. I let him. “so if I have to choose one thing, I would say, your soul and your heart, because those are the things that always convince me you were meant to be in my life” he finishes, squeezing my hand and lifting it to his lips, kissing it softly.

I feel my lip tremble and my eyes water. These are the sweetest words I have heard from him in a really long time, I couldn’t believe I was hearing them now.

“Ashton” I say softly, trying to blink away my watery eyes “Babe”

He looked back to me, catching a glimpse of my teary eyes and completely surprising himself “Aw babe!” he laughed, smiling down at me “Come here” he said, pressing me onto his chest and rubbing my back softly “there there” he mumbles as a couple of tears leave my eyes.

This is the kind of reactions that he got out of me every time he was this sweet. God damn, I love him.

What do we argue about the most?

“Just everything in general” I answer, once my eyes weren’t spilling out tears anymore and I was back on a serious posture. Although (once again), I was totally joking, I wasn’t answering these questions for real.

“Life, stuff” he continues, following my lead “Everything”

“Here’s the thing” I move over to explain “Our relationship pretty much revolves around who annoys who the most and even though we had fun with that and all, sometimes things end up blooming from that and that usually means we will argue”

“but they aren’t big arguments, I don’t think we actually fight over silly stuff like that, they’re pointless arguments but they aren’t fights, in fact, I don’t think I have ever gotten proportionally mad at you and we’ve been dating for three years” he says, completing my answer.

“Yeah, it’s usually dumb arguments like: “Why do you grab my butt in public”, don’t you think?” I say teasingly, looking back at him with a smile.

His jaw tenses a little bit. “Funny” he says, shaking his head “I was thinking more of a “Why do you hide my phone in your…”

“Hey!”I yell immediately to stop his talking and he does “shut up” I whine, leaning my forehead on his shoulder. I was so embarrassed.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding” he said in comfort, kissing my forehead “See? We argue but we love it” he laughs “Next question”

Do I have any weird obsessions?

“Yes” He answers with total confidence. “you love movies, like, you love them” he emphasizes, pointing at me with his thumb.

My eyebrow raises, I wasn’t expecting that answer. “You would call that an obsession?”

His lips are pressed together, he shrugs. “Maybe, you talk about them a lot, always find a reference for any situation, I think it is weird but I don’t mind it because it’s fun and healthy” He justifies, lifting his finger and laying it on my cheek softly.

“Thanks” I say, rolling my eyes like if I was annoyed, but I don’t say anything, I just go answer my part of the question “I don’t think you have obsessions, you always go through phases but they never really last for long” I shrug.

My answer was dull, but there was really nothing else I could say other than that.

“Meh” he let out, making a weird and careless sound, like if I have just said the wrong answer. I chuckled “I’m obsessed with you” he corrected me, smiling widely and reaching for me with his hand, grabbing my cheek and squeezing.

Squeezing hard.

“Ouch, ouchie, ouch” I whine but also can’t help but laugh “Don’t” I say, pulling away.

“I’m being gentle” he says laughing as well, squeezing my cheek softly now “See this cheeks? I love them” he speaks to the camera, caressing them with the back of his index finger and finally letting go “They are so squishy” he mentions pinching them one last time.

Gosh, it was so annoying. How adorable.

“Stop, Seriously” I laughed, moving away from his touch and holding the IPad up “next question”

Nicknames for each other?

“I call Ashton, Daddy” I say with a big smile on my face “like not even in a kinky way it’s just the regular nickname” I continue, totally with the intention of teasing him “Daddy can we go for ice cream? Can we go to the mall? It works for everything” I mock, bumping his shoulder with mine.

“No, that’s not true” he says laughing, bumping my shoulder back.

He hated that nickname and thought it was completely creepy, but every time I brought it up I managed to get a good laugh out of it. You could say by this point I am emotionally attached to it.

“I mean, you’re daddy, Luke is breadstick, Cal is…” I continue, but my mind goes blank. Everyone had a nickname but right now, it was like they were wiped from my mind “Uh I forgot, anyways” I give up, looking up at him, almost as if I was giving him the green light to answer now.

“She doesn’t call me that” He clarifies before anyone actually believes it. “If one of us needs to be the adult here then I guess I’ll say…” he starts, thinking about it for a second “I like classy nicknames, just revolving around doll, honey, darling, nothing crazy but neither too generic, I like keeping it just a bit different” he explains, making it short and sweet for the public.

“Oh, I go full-on generic” I say, now going for a real answer “but I like it, I don’t mind them, for me it's just natural to say them so I just stick with it” I shrug “I think my stamp by now is definitely, Babe” I explain, looking back at the camera and saying “it’s boring, I know”

Ashtons just shrugs at my assumptions, apparently, he doesn’t mind that I haven’t really taken the effort to come up with some new and innovating nickname for him to wear, I just go with the regular and I use it all the time.

“Nah” he says, shaking his head “I like it anyways”

Complete this sentence “You’re my……..”?

The moment I read this question out loud it’s like he knows exactly what to do because he grabs my free hand and joins our fingers together, holding it on one tight grip and caressing the back of it. That’s the hold of a keeper.

I turn on his direction, wanting to look on his face at any moment and not miss on anything, because this seemed memorable and I wanted to have a presence the whole time.

“My rock” he says as his answer “with the lifestyle that I live, there could be a bunch of things in my life that could be too crazy and unstable but having you in my life is something that has managed to keep me grounded and focused” he confesses. His hold tightens “I love you and I love that you make me a better person, I plan to keep it like this for a long time and even if we aren’t destined to be like that for the rest of our lives, I wouldn’t mind because I will always be grateful for these past years that have been a lot brighter because of you” he says, touching my chest with his index finger as an emphasis. “Thank you so much for everything, Baby, I love you” he mumbles, to then lean down and kiss me on the lips.

How did I manage to get such a sweet man?.

His words made me feel special and I was pretty sure I could perfectly cry at this moment, if it wasn’t because I didn’t want to cry again on camera, but he was being so sweet and honest, it was touching my heart on all the right spots.

“I love you” I mumble on his lips, pecking them a second time “You’re my guide” I say as my answer “I think sometimes I am the kind of person that can be too driven by the things I want over what is realistic and after I met you I have really found a balance between doing what I love and stepping into reality” I explain, making my best to be as clear as possible “You're the only person in my life that has encouraged me to do what I love and learn from my mistakes but also has helped me to see that maybe there are some things in this world that aren’t so easy and that sometimes you gotta take risks to get to the top. That’s why you’re my guide, I’m young and I have a lot to learn, I’m lucky I found someone who can help me bloom in life, love me and get me through this difficult path in life that is adulting, not only giving a helping hand but also making it one of the most beautiful phases I have lived” I continue. My voice trembles with every word but I keep it together, I had to. “I love your personality, I love you and I wish to have you in my life for as long as I am able to”

I have never spoken anything more honest than that and I couldn’t mean it more.

“I love you” He says, laying his hand on my cheek and kissing my lips once again.

A lot of people are staring at us right now, but we don’t care because this is our moment, we have both confessed beautiful things in front of the other and the best we could do was to pretend we were alone, for at least one small minute.

He kisses me softly and slow, making the last five seconds feel like the longest of my life. Once he pulls away and we turn our head to our sides, all of the crew in front of us is looking at us with sweet looks, I feel my cheeks heat up and he just laughs. It’s been quite a moment...

“Whew!” he exclaimed, looking back at the camera “That was something” he laughs after making a peace sign at the camera “Thank you!” he says to the public, but mostly to the crew, who were kind enough to invite us.

“Thank for having us” I say to the camera and everyone in the room, waving at the camera shorty “Ash and (Y/n), singing off” I say, making a fool of myself by making a gang sign.

“Hasta la proxima” he tries to say in Spanish, making another peace sign with his hand and also making it his last goodbye for this interview.

The camera goes off and the interview it’s finished. It was a wrap and one of the best things I have accepted to do in front of the public, I don’t know about him, but I had the time of my life.

What a time to be alive.

#ashton irwin imagines #ashton irwin blurbs #luke hemmings imagines #michael clifford imagines #calum hood imagines #5sos fanfiction #5sos imagines #5sos blurbs #5sos preferences #5 second of summer imagines #5 seconds of summer preferences #5sos smut #5 seconds of summer imagines #5 seconds of summer blurbs

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deadbiwrites · 5 years

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PROMPTS!! I want a pumpkin picking date with Kara pouting a lot bec Lena said they can’t just casually take the 800lbs pumpkin home. Bonus points if Lena caves and ends up paying some guy enough money to buy it and supergirl flies it back to their apartment to carve it. Maybe it can’t fit through the door?? I’m not sure.

(Oh my WORD, it took forever and a day to get this to post but I did it, dammit! @valkyrieskwad , this one's for you! Cross-posting it on Ao3!!)

"You want to what?"

Kara grins and bounces in place, totally unperturbed by Lena's decided lack of enthusiasm. "Pumpkin picking! There's a patch, like, an hour away. It's so cute, I follow them on Instagram, and everyone looks like they're having so much fun in the pictures! It's almost Halloween, too, so we need to go soon or all the good ones will be gone."

"The good ones…?"

"Pumpkins, Lena! Pumpkins! C'mon, please?"

"Isn't this exactly the sort of thing Alex makes fun of people for? Being basic?"

"Alex doesn't know what fun is if there aren't guns involved, so who cares? Please, babe? Be basic with me!"

Lena arches a brow at her, already caving under the weight of her girlfriend's boundless enthusiasm and the rare (and doubtlessly strategic) use of 'babe'. "Is it a muddy field?" she asks suspiciously.

"Uh… wear boots?" Kara tries, still smiling. "We can take the baby. He'd love it, and we need to work on socializing him, right?"

Lena turns her attention to the little white puppy snoozing on her lap, running a hand over his back absently. "I mean, yes, we do, but a farm?"

Kara's affronted, or at least playing at it. "Uh, I halfway grew up on a farm, thank you."

"And look what's happened because of it."

Kara laughs, shaking her head, somehow charmed even though Lena knows that she's being a brat about this whole thing. "Why do you hate pumpkin picking?"

"I don't like doing things unless I'm already good at them."

Kara scoffs at this. "You can't be bad at picking pumpkins, Lena. It's just like when you were a kid."

The long stretch of silence at this is telling.

"Lena," Kara says slowly, "have- have you ever been to a pumpkin patch?"

"I buy pumpkin at the store in a can, like a regular person. Half the work, half the price."

"But you can't carve a can of pumpkin puree!"

More silence. Krypto wakes up, shakes his whole roly-poly little body, and lays back down for another nap, snuffling as Lena rubs between his ears.

"Lena. Please tell me you've carved a pumpkin."

"I- I've seen people do it, so-"

"Oh my GOD."

"Kara-"

"What- what did you do at Halloween? No pumpkins! That's like half the fun, aside from all the candy and costumes, and…" Horror spreads across her face almost as fast as a creeping red flush spreads over Lena's. "Honey. Sweetie. Baby. Please, please tell me that your childhood included just one iteration of a normal American Halloween…?"

"Define normal..."

Kara jumps up from the couch, fuming. "I'm gonna punch your mom in the boob. Is it Tuesday? They do visits at the prison on Tuesdays, right? Because, like, I know she's in prison, repaying her debt to society, or whatever, but I'm still gonna go punch her in the boob."

Lena grabs Kara's hand, tugging her to a halt. "Alright, first of all, I appreciate and share the sentiment. Second, please never put your hands anywhere near my mother's boobs. Third, we're gonna stop talking about my mother's boobs, forever. Starting now."

"That's just… why does she suck so bad. Like, so, so badly, she sucks as a person. So bad. Badly sucks."

"Okay, yeah, you're doing that thing where you're so mad you make word puzzles, so I need you to sit down and hold this puppy." Lena lifts Krypto (who growls his fiercest growl and bites her fingers for disrupting his 18th nap of the day) and pushes him into Kara's arms, gratified when she instantly melts, just a little. "Better?"

"Yeah." She heaves a sigh and drops onto the couch beside Lena once more. "Look, if you really don't want to, we don't have to. But it is fun, and it is a disgustingly cute couple-y thing to do, which I know you love even if you pretend you don't."

Lena scoffs. "Prove it."

"You drag me into every photobooth you see and have a collection of all the photos in your desk at work."

Lena flushes a little more, knowing that she's been caught. "It's fun?" she asks quietly, spinning her chunky silver ring around and around on her finger.

"So fun. And it's a good excuse to get out of the city for the day." Kara scoots close, tipping her head so it knocks lightly against Lena's. "Instead of beating up your mom, what if we just make sure you get to do all the stuff you missed, like pumpkin patches and carving Jack-o-lanterns, and all that jazz?"

Lena considers this. "So, we're doing this at least partly to spite my mother?"

Kara beams at her. "Yep! You're gonna get all muddy doing something frivolous just because it's fun. She'd hate it."

"When are we going?"

It's a few days later that they're piled into a borrowed pick-up truck and coasting out of the city in the early morning. Lena has relented the wheel, for once, conceding that she hates driving outside the city and she has no idea where they're going. At least Kara was right about one thing- Krypto is already having a blast, trying his best to stick his entire upper body out the window, and yipping in annoyance when Lena continuously pulls him back into the cab.

One benefit, though, is Kara in what she calls her 'farm clothes', a heretofore undiscovered genre that involves a sturdy and well-loved pair of leather boots, what is clearly a men's flannel shirt tucked into a pair of faded jeans secured with a heavy leather belt, and a goddamn trucker hat.

Lena's really annoyed at how much this look is working for Kara.

Totally annoyed. No other emotion. Or like, squirmy feelings about it in general.

None at all.

"... and of course we'll get some breakfast- hot cider and doughnuts sound good to you?"

Lena blinks, realizes that Kara's been chattering this whole time. "What was that?"

"I asked how you feel about getting some breakfast. You okay? You're kinda spacey today."

"Says the girl from space," Lena snarks.

Kara rolls her eyes, amused. "That joke was only funny the first hundred times."

"Still makes me laugh."

"Fine, fine. But you're good? 'Cause I can hear you thinking, over there."

"I'm good, I just… is it stupid that I'm nervous?"

Kara takes her hand and gives it a squeeze. "Not at all. But you don't need to be nervous or anxious, because it's fun. Okay?"

Lena nods. "Okay." She shifts a bit on the old-school bench seat in the truck. "Why did we borrow this thing, again? My cars are a lot more comfortable."

"Well, Frank would yell at me if I got mud all over one of your cars."

Lena snorts. "He would not, he loves you."

"And, this way, we can get a big one." There's an almost manic gleam in Kara's eyes that's distinctly disturbing.

Lena chooses not to ask questions.

It is not a muddy field.

The dirt road they pull onto doesn't look all that promising at first, but the pumpkin patch itself is pretty, in a rustic, outdoorsy sort of way. Even early in the day there's a decent crowd here, and Kara grins at the sight of the picturesque red barn a ways away cheerfully advertising cider and doughnuts inside. "Nice! I hoped they'd still be doing the cider and stuff!" She hops out of the truck and rounds the front to help Lena down- whoever this behemoth belongs to had installed a lift-kit to it, and it's a fair few feet to the ground.

"I thought this was a pumpkin patch?"

"Well, yeah, but there's an orchard next door or something, so they have apples and pumpkins. And pears, apparently. Ha! A-PEAR-ently! I'm funny," Kara cackles, settling her hands on Lena's hips.

"You're lucky you're so cute," Lena snorts and scoops Krypto up, bracing a hand on Kara's shoulder as she's lifted easily out of the truck and onto the ground. "But you being able to just pick me up like that? Always a turn-on."

Kara laughs, loud and surprised as a flush creeps up her neck. "Good to know."

Lena smirks and sets Krypto onto the ground, and their day begins.

"So," Lena drawls, chewing an admittedly delicious cinnamon cider doughnut, "what constitutes a good pumpkin?"

"Well, obviously, you don't want a squishy one."

"Obviously."

"Tiny ones are cute, but it's really hard to carve them."

"Noted."

"Other than that, it's all personal preference. I say go big or go home, Alex likes the really round ones, Eliza likes hers to be smooth, and Jeremiah loved ugly pumpkins."

"Ugly pumpkins...?"

"Oh, yeah, like, the weirder and bumpier the better. He was really good at carving them, so he could do, like, super cool faces and stuff. He made a witch one time that was really creepy."

Lena pushes up onto her toes to plant a kiss on Kara's cheek. "He sounds like a fun dad."

Kara smiles a little sadly. "He was."

Sensing a rapid downshift in mood, Lena resolves to perk the fuck up. "So! We did doughnuts for breakfast- which I strongly suspect was your real motivation for this little venture…"

Kara's mouth drops open in shock, but her eyes are sparkling with humor. "I would never!"

"Sure. So, as long as the pumpkin isn't soft, it's fair game?"

"Yup! Go nuts! I couldn't get a pumpkin last year, because of that guy from Yavin IV, I'm gonna get a big one this year to make up for it."

Lena fixes her with a look. "Not too big, though, right?"

Kara smiles innocently, letting Krypto tug her a pace or two ahead. "Of course not."

Lena sighs.

Kara really is a terrible liar.

"Lena."

Upon seeing what's caught her attention, Lena nearly drops her own perfectly round pumpkin. "No. Under no circumstances are we getting that one."

Kara's starry-eyed as she stares up at the truly gargantuan squash before her. "It's beautiful."

Lena strongly disagrees- this pumpkin is decidedly ugly, misshapen and lumpy and a shade that's not quite orange or green, but a rather sickly combination of both.

But what it lacks in general aesthetic appeal, it more than makes up for in sheer size. It's wider than Lena is tall, likely taller than she is, too, and is, in general, what Winn would call 'a threateningly large vegetable'. It's on a little platform, a plaque proudly boasting that it'd won some award or other at the state fair a week or so ago. And also its weight:

One thousand two hundred eighteen pounds.

Lena tries for reason. "Kara. Darling. Love of my life. This… thing won a prize. They bred it especially to be giant. There is absolutely no way they're going to sell it to two city-slickers."

And then it happens. After almost a year of dating, and several years of friendship, Lena is well aware of Kara's pout, and especially aware of her own susceptibility to it. She can almost sense when it's about to happen, these days, and she senses it coming now, tries to steal herself against it.

But it's no use. Kara, she could maybe handle. Maybe. But when she bends and scoops up their three-month old puppy to help her pout, Lena is powerless against the assault.

"Alright, that was unnecessary," she complains. "No using our son like that. He doesn't even know why he's pouting."

"But is it working?" Kara asks, hiding her face behind Krypto's and talking in the goofy voice she reserves for narrating his thoughts.

Lena groans, because yes, of course it's fucking working. "No. Kara, they worked hard to make that... gourd. Can't you get another one?"

"I mean, I can," she agrees, peeking over Krypto's head so just her eyes show. "But think about how awesome that's gonna look when I carve it."

Lena sighs. "Kara, they're using it as a draw to get people to come here."

"They're making it like a display in a zoo. People just come and point at it! We can give it a loving home!"

Lena arches a brow. "You literally just said that you want to cut it open, scoop out its insides, and carve it.."

"Well, yeah, but like, lovingly."

Lena snorts, knowing she's lost. "Fine! Fine, we can go ask."

Kara cheers, hopping a bit in excitement and darting forward to press her lips to Lena's in a silly, smiley kiss.

As predicted, the farmer is initially reluctant to sell his prize pumpkin. "It's not the money," he clarifies hastily when Lena doubles her offer for the damn stupid pumpkin. "I need the seeds, to plant next year. I won big at the fair this year, and with those I'd have a hell of an advantage next season. You understand?"

"What if we save the seeds and bring them to you?" Kara offers earnestly. "I can drive them out whenever."

The farmer looks skeptical at this, but Kara's offer doesn't waver under his glare, and he sighs, reaching out to shake Lena's hand and seal the deal. "Fine. Only because your girl is cute."

Lena huffs out a laugh, and Kara positively beams at him. "Thanks so much!"

"But Jake has the tractor out in the maze right now, won't be back for an hour or so to move it for ya."

Kara's grin only widens. "Don't worry, I called a friend for help moving it."

The farmer shrugs, and Lena groans, knowing that one spectacle at the pumpkin patch is about to be replaced by another.

Lena hands the farmer his due for his prize pumpkin, and he turns away before she calls out, catching his attention.

"Sorry, I almost forgot, how much for this one?"

He eyes the normal-sized, perfect pumpkin in Lena's arms and his mouth quirks up in a grin. "For you? On the house."

Supergirl makes a very showy entrance, to the delight of most in attendance (the exceptions being a 74-year old man who thinks anyone who flies should have to get a license, and her girlfriend who is rolling her eyes fondly and wrestling to keep their puppy from revealing her secret identity), landing with a flourish. She smiles brightly at the crowd waving and laughing, high-fiving anyone who offers before shouldering the massive gourd. "Sorry, guys, I'm on a very important mission. Support local farms!"

Lena snorts, loudly, and Supergirl takes off into the air as her ears turn a little pink.

The farmer sidles up to Lena at the back of the crowd, looking a little star-struck. "Wow."

Lena grins, dropping a kiss to Krypto's nose and blowing in his face when he nips at her chin. "Yeah," she agrees. "Wow about sums it up."

The truck rides notably lower on the trip back, the massive pumpkin weighing down the truck bed probably more than is entirely safe.

"So, how was your first trip to the pumpkin patch?" Kara asks with a grin.

"I hated it," Lena deadpans, cradling Krypto in one arm and her pumpkin in the other. On the seat between them are three dozen doughnuts, four gallons of cider, and three bottles of hard cider the farmer's wife had slipped into their bags with a wink.

Overall, it's been a very pleasant experience.

"Oh yeah?"

"Absolutely awful. Hated everything."

"What was the worst part?"

Lena reaches over, grabbing Kara's hand and threading their fingers together. "Spending it with you."

Kara clicks her tongue, shakes her head. "Yeah, that sounds awful. I'm a pain in the butt."

"Yeah. You're kinda cute, though, so I guess it's fine."

Kara chuckles, brings their clasped hands to her mouth and kisses Lena's knuckles. "Good news for me."

Lena smiles, turning her attention back to the window and watching as fields fairly fly by, the low sound of Kara singing in the background making this almost unbearably perfect.

Almost.

"Um… so, funny story…"

Lena arches a brow expectantly, and Kara scuffs her red boots on the floor. "Oh?"

"Yeah. So, the thing is, I tried everything, with the pumpkin, and… it won't fit through the door. None of the doors. Or any of the windows…"

Lena bonds at the waist and laughs until she cries.

That year starts a long-running and much beloved tradition, wherein a truly massive and skillfully-carved pumpkin appears in L-Corp's opulent lobby the first weekend of every October. It later years, it's joined by other, smaller ones, dozens, carved by the children of employees, including those of the CEO herself.

It's a family tradition, after all.

#ask me #supercorp #i geeked so hard when I saw this was from one of my very favorite writers #full-on squeaked #prompts!

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antiquechampagne · 4 years

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Antique Champagne - CH 36 - Vale

The three of them made their way stealthfully through the city and Commonwealth wastes, avoiding as many obstacles as possible on their way to Milton General. Payne was thankful for the lack of the normal banter between everyone as they focused all their energy on the task at hand. She found herself reflexively stretching her shoulders, trying without success to release the tension that had built up in them as they neared their target. The path was a bit dicey as they quietly snuck behind a super mutant filled department store, but eventually they found themselves standing inside the large dark lobby. Flesh-stripped skeletons on dusty benches still waited to be called back.

Quietly, Nate pulled out the Shroud’s signature long dark trench coat, hat and silver scarf. Nate’s oddly stoic voice answered Hancock’s chuckling smirk.

“Sinjin expects The Shroud. Who am I to disappoint him?”

Payne hardly noticed them as she stood in the eerily silent lobby. Her could almost hear her heartbeat in her ears. Even though the room was open and airy by design, Payne felt as if every wall inched closer to her with every breath. The unerring feeling that she should not be here pressed in on her. Suddenly, she felt a drip of sweat roll down her forehead, her helmet was growing stuffy and suffocating. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“You ready for this?” Hancock’s eyes were steadily looking at her, but the small twist in the corner of his mouth told her he was concerned.

Rapidly, Payne pulled her offending helmet off. “Kent needs us. I’m fine.” She fastened it to her belt. “Guess I won’t be need this in here,” and readied her side arm.

Nate took the lead and headed into the dark inner hospital. They started to systematically clear the dank hallways and dilapidated rooms, disarming traps and small groups of raiders loyal to Sinjin.

It all became a blur to Payne. She focused only on the weapons pointed at her or her companions. By the time they fought their way to the second floor, she had stopped responding to her friends. Every shred of her concentration was centered only on keeping them alive, and not on the decaying hospital around them.

The trio walked slowly down a long red hallway, turning into a room that had obviously been another waiting area. There were rows of scattered chairs, crumbling magazines stacked on low tables and a reception desk complete with decayed flowers in an ornamental vase. A skeleton still sat in a rusted wheelchair tucked in a corner, the patients dress nothing but rags after the centuries interred here.

Payne froze when she looked above the receptionist’s desk at the faded sign behind.

DEPARTMENT OF ONCOLOGY

The scent of roses hit Payne full in the face, overwhelming her. ROSES. A common scent used in prewar perfume. Her grandmother’s perfume. She looked down at the vase, the wilted brown twigs twisting upwards, somehow growing into blood red flowers. Polite chatter drifted to her ears, the polite chit chat of the long dead patients passing the time until their name was called. Adrenaline flooded through her veins. Sweat poured from her. None of this made sense.

Her breath got caught in her throat. “No,” was all she could manage.

Hancock turned from inspecting the Nuka-Cola machine in the corner. “Payne?”

Hearing her name, Payne turned. Flustered, she looked around. She couldn’t tell if she heard Hancock or an orderly calling her. It couldn’t possibly be her turn to go. She wouldn’t go. Not again.

The blare of warning klaxon was the last straw. She lost hold of whatever last thread of stability she had be desperately clinging to.

“NO! NO! NOT AGAIN!” she shrieked before dropping her gun and bolting back down the hallway, nothing but a blur.

Hancock let out a frustrated sigh. “Well, shit.”

He had noticed Payne freeze up. Turning to see if she was alright, his foot caught on leg of a wooden table, dragging it loudly across the tile. The sound sent her bolting out of the room.

Nate stood next to him, clearly baffled at Payne’s sudden departure. “What was that all about?” he asked.

Hancock shook his head. There was a bit too much to go into with Nate right now, even if it was his story to tell, which it wasn’t. “Payne has issues with doctors and stuff.” He motioned to the waiting room before stooping down and picking up her weapon. He supposed he should be glad Payne didn’t accidentally open fire on either of them. “Give me a moment, will ya?”

Hancock backtracked through the halls of hospital. He was starting to get worried Payne had run all the way back outside when he noticed a small custodial closet door cocked at an odd angle. He approached slowly but made sure to make enough noise with his steps that Payne would hear him.

He rapped cautiously on the metal door. “You in there, Payne?” He didn’t expect an answer. “It’s just me out here. Mind if I come in?” Still nothing. He slowly opened the door, ready to retreat quickly if he spooked her.

Tucked in the far corner, Payne sat, balled up as small as she could be, rocking slightly. She hands buried in her hair, her face covered by her trembling arms. He wasn’t sure if she even looked up as he slowly sat down across from her. The closet was so small that he had to take pains to not accidentally make contact with her boots for fear of startling her in the state she was in.

“Payne?”

She did not react. She seemed frozen in whatever nightmare her mind created around her, trapping her. Hancock tried a different tactic.

“Dahlia?” Her chin lifted slightly, but still hid her face. “I’m right here.” He moved his hand along the floor, stretching it out close to her curled up legs where she could easily see. Her head moved, following. Her breath still came in quick ragged gasps.

“Do you know who I am?”

She slowly nodded ‘yes’

“Can I touch your knee?” he asked.

Payne frantically shook her head no, reflexively pulling back.

“That’s fine. I’ll just stay right here.” He studied her cowering frame. “What are you seeing, Payne? Can you tell me?”

She rocked side to side slowly, her face barely peaking at him from behind her bent knees. Hancock was unsure if she didn’t want to answer him or if she was following some phantom, but at least he could see her eyes.

“I don’t know if I can do this, John.” Her voice seemed to creep from her, so low Hancock nearly missed what she said. “I can’t do this again.”

“We can take a little breather. Just sit here for a minute until you feel better. Kent is counting on us.”

The look of pain on her face broke his heart.

“I…” she stammered, shaking her head. “I know Kent needs help, but I just can’t. It’s like walking through my own personal nightmare.” She stifled a sob. “I’m not good to anyone like this.”

Suddenly, Nate stuck his head in the door, interrupting Payne. “Hey, guys, do y-“

Faster than Hancock could follow, Payne grabbed a near by screwdriver from a lop-sided shelf and threw it with such force, that it protruded through the door mere inches from Nate’s shocked face. Cursing, Nate retreated from view.

Looking back to Payne, he found her avoiding his eyes, shame and embarrassment written painfully all over her face.

“I’m going to go have a quick chat with Nate… I’ll be right back, okay?” As he moved to get up, he was surprised to feel her hand against his. This time when he looked at her, Payne looked almost fearful. He gave her hand a squeeze, reassuring her as much as he could. “I promise. I’ll only be on the other side of the door. We’ll figure something out.” He gave her a slight smile. “The show must go one, right?”

Payne watched Hancock leave, his voice mixing with Nate’s behind the wooden door. The demons in her mind nipped at the corners of her sanity, feeding on the familiar smells and shapes of the prewar institution even here. She wasn’t sure he understood how absolutely powerless she was. Fear flooded all her senses, washing over her in waves, overwhelming her.

Her head fell forward, heaps of her disheveled hair falling into her face. Determined to reestablish dominion over some part of her, she reached back, untying the veil in anticipation on taming the tangles.

The show must go on, right?

As she stared at the ivory lace, a wild idea blossomed in her addled brain. The Silver Shroud was going on a rescue. What was to say the Mistress of Mystery couldn’t join him? If that was the case, then all this was just a show… the whole hospital was just a set made of cheap painted plywood. She wasn’t in any real danger; she could just play the part.

Her hands seemed to move on their own. She tied the veil not around her hair, but over her face. Payne no longer felt inside herself, but almost like she floated behind her body. She watched silently as this strong woman stood up before her, her posture transformed. She straightened into something confident and powerful. The person who emerged from the janitor closet was the mirror opposite of the one who had ran into it, trembling and terrified.

“Those craven killers will pay dearly for kidnapping our kindly Kent.”

Hancock and Nate stopped mid conversation and stared. Nate blinked, his jaw attempting to move, but Hancock beat him to the punch.

“You’ve got that right, Mistress…” he glanced hard back at Nate. “Doesn’t she, Shroud?”

“Um… yes, of course, Mistress.” It sounded more like a question than a statement.

“Well, now that we have all that settled, it’s time we moved on, don’t you think?”

The Mistress held out her hand. “My pistol, please.”

They made their way through the danger strewn offices. Payne could hear the men conversing in hushed whispers between fire fights when the Mistresses back was turned. She ignored them. She wasn’t ready to break character.

Soon they found themselves in front of a freight elevator. They had cleared the entire facility. This was the last place the villains could be hiding. The door opened slowly when Nate tried the button.

As soon they stepped inside, the Mistress spoke. “Sinjin expects the Shroud…” She reached up and quickly smashed the single exposed bulb. The car was swallowed by shadows, leaving the only illumination lingering from the previous room and a single down button. “Not a silent slayer.” She drew her blade.

Nate looked to Hancock.

Hancock thought for a second and nodded. “That might actually work. We’ll do our best to keep Sinjin and his goons looking in our direction. Give’em a good show.”

Now it was Nate’s turn to nod. “And you’ll thin the herd.” A thin smile creeped over his face. “Nice plan, Mistress.”

Nate pressed the blinking button, standing shoulder to shoulder with Hancock. The elevator door creaked shut behind them, the car nearly pitch-black save the nervously shorting elevator buttons.

The Mistress pressed herself into the furthest corner, readying herself. The car came to jittery halt. Time felt like it stood still as they waited for the doors to finally creep open, the light spilling in.

Nate and Hancock stood before her, stepping up to their cue in the spotlight.

As The Shroud and Hancock stepped forward Sinjin shouted “Shroud! I wanna talk with you.” Peering through the two silhouettes in front of her, The Mistress could see Kent on his knees, a barrel pressed against the back of his head. The man holding the gun was obscured, but his voice marked him as a ghoul. “Hold, assholes. Anyone turns heel and I’m coming for you and your family. And you, Shroud, you step any closer and we get to see what’s inside Kent’s head.” The Mistress took the opportunity to use their movement drawing everyone’s attention to dash impossibly fast into the shadows between the rotting stacks of supplies in the corner to her right.

The Shroud smartly pulled his fedora down on his brow. “You shield yourself behind an innocent. You are craven, Sinjin. And you shall fall before me.”

Her knife drawn, The Mistress easily slipped behind a distracted raider. Every eye and weapon was on The Shroud. It was a simple task to slip her blade between the raider’s ribs, hand over their mouth, while dragging them back into the darkness. Not an eye blinked in her direction.

“Don’t talk to me like that,” roared Sinjin. “Some of these losers think you’re some sort of legend. Like you walked straight out of a comic book.”

The fresh blood clung to her clothes. As she pressed herself between the narrow opening between the shelf and the wall, Payne started to slowly come back to herself, the smell grounding her. The hunger, it seemed, reminded her of what it felt to be herself.

Sinjin raged on. “But you and I know, you’re human. And you’re weak. You came here and for what? Your little sidekick?”

The Shroud answered him, bravado and confidence dripping from every word. “I have cut a path through all your thugs. Who can truly say I’m not the Shroud.”

This time, as Payne pulled the next raider into the shadows, she quietly drug the edge of her knife across their dirty throat. When the warmth slid down her throat, her body reveled in it. The Mistress vanished from her like vapor blown by the wind.

“Don’t listen men. He’s a phony. So what’s going to happen is this.” Sinjin voice lowered, the pure lethality of it chilling to hear. “I’m going to kill Kent. Then we’re going to shoot the hell out of you. Nothing’s going to be left but paste. Then I’m going to go to Goodneighbor and kill every last worthless bastard there. And burn the whole thing down. No one screws with Sinjin.”

By this time, Payne had stealthfully maneuvered herself onto the platform where Sinjin stood over Kent. To his left stood another raider, her armor in better condition than the rest, probably his second in command by the looks of things. She continually looked to Sinjin as the tension in the room grew dangerously hostile.

Payne was only a few steps away when Nate spoke again. Not as the confident Shroud, but as himself. “You know what would really get to Kent?” he teased, provoking Sinjin’s ire. Payne steeled herself. “Killing his friend, his hero, right in front of him.”

Sinjin let out a low laugh. “Enjoy the show, Kent.” He raised his rifle from Kent’s back. The rest of the raiders shifted, quickly take the hint from their leader. “After I’m done with the Shroud, you’re next.”

Before the second in command could pop off a shot, she found a combat knife buried in her neck. Payne didn’t even see where she fell, focusing solely on grabbing Kent out from under Sinjin’s legs and dragging him to safety.

“Payne?” Kent gasped.

She ignored him, concentrating on drawing her side arm and taking as many pot shots as she could at every raider in range. Payne heard the blast of Hancock’s shotgun and Nate’s laser gun. Tucked in the corner covering Kent she couldn’t see what damage the raiders were inflicted. She let herself feel a small measure of relief when half of Sinjin’s head burned away from a deftly landed laser bolt and he dropped to the ground.

After a few more tense moments of gunfire, Nate called the all clear and Payne could finally look down at Kent to see how he was fairing.

Kent rubbed his wrists after Payne untied them.

“I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life!” He gave her a quick hug.

“Are you alright?”

“My leg is killing me.”

“We’re lucky it wasn’t worse. Let’s get you sitting down.” Payne helped him hobble over to a sturdy container and eased him down. He hissed in pain as Payne probed it gently. It needed some proper medical attention before a stim would be any good.

Hancock put his hand firmly on Kent’s shoulder and squeezed. “So down goes the big bad Sinjin. We get to walk that tight rope of freedom one more day.” Glancing over, he looked no worse for wear. Nate, on the other hand, had a hastily tied bandage wrapped around his thigh.

“You okay?” Payne asked him with a slight nod.

“Yeah,” he answered. “Just a graze.”

“I knew it was bad out there…” Kent stammered. “but this… I don’t even think the Silver Shroud himself could fix this disaster area.”

“I know, right? Costumed crusading is really a shitty gig.” He gave Kent another pat. “But Kent, my man. Why the long face? You got what you wanted.”

Kent looked up at the Mayor, aghast. “I was t-tortured. Almost died. It’s not like the radio plays at all.” He was almost on the edge of tears.

“Hey, who hasn’t been tortured from time-to-time? The price of throwing down with the Man is always a few scars. Pick yourself up. Goodneighbor’s just a bit safer now.”

Payne nearly slapped her boss for his flippant attitude when Nate spoke up, again with his Shroud voice.

“What would the Shroud be without his faithful friend Rhett Reinhart?” he spouted with a wry smile.

Kent, though exhausted and in pain, returned a sad smile of his own. “This. This means a lot to me.” His eyes turned towards the floor. Weakly, he added, “But I’m tired. I just want to go home.”

Payne looked at Hancock, then turned to Nate. “Hey, do you think you can help Kent home by yourself?” Hancock cocked a naked brow. “I need a minute, but Amari should look at this knee as soon as possible.” She offered her arm for Kent to hobble to his feet. “I’m worried you might need some surgery before this can get healed up right.”

Nate nodded his approval. “We’ll be fine.”

The two of them slowly made their way to the elevator. Once they were gone, it was Payne’s turn to sit down. She wasn’t lying, she did need some time. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. But what she really wanted privacy for was to call Hancock out on his bullshit.

Before she could speak, Hancock cut her off. “You got a little something…” He waved a finger over his own face.

Confused, Payne started to feel her face, but ran into her veil. “Shit!” she muttered, pulling it off. Splattered over the delicate lace was bright red blood. Embarrassment blooming in her chest, she stuffed the vail in her pocket. “You think anyone noticed?”

“Honestly,” Hancock reclined on the rusty railing. “I don’t think anyone cared.” He looked at her, lowering his voice in concern. “Are you doing okay now?”

“Yeah,” The embarrassment now mixed with shame. “I’m… sorry for freaking out there. I… I…”

“Don’t worry about it. You did what you had to do to push through it and help poor old Kent.” A glint returned to his eyes, “You make one fine Mistress of Mystery, though.”

She ignored his flirty compliment, returning to the issue with Kent. “It was you feeding that info to Kent, the stuff you knew Nate would follow up on?” It was more of a statement than a question.

“You bet.”

“All with the intent of calling out Sinjin?”

“And it worked like a charm!”

“Did Kent know?”

“What?”

“Did Kent know that he could be dragged into the cross hairs?”

“No… what does that have to do with anything?” Hancock propped himself up a little more, growing defensive. “Sinjin was muscling in Goodneighbor’s territory. He was a threat and now he’s not.”

“That’s not what I’m on about. Nate can handle himself but Kent… you didn’t give him a chance to say ‘no’, to stay out of the bloody game you were playing, did you?”

“You saw him! He loved every minute of it!” Hancock lowered his eyes a bit when Payne glared at him.

“I’m not saying he wouldn’t have chosen any different if you had told him the danger, but it’s a pretty shitty thing to use his own naiveté against him. That’s not fair.”

Hancock tugged at the brim of his hat, pulling down his forehead. Payne got up and crossed over to him, putting a hand on his arm.

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t take it too badly. He spends enough time in that pod of his, we don’t need him living in it.”

“Right.”

They both paused. A light flickered noisily on the ceiling.

With a small huff, Hancock asked, “You ready to hit the road, sister?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15952721/chapters/55211236

#antique champagne #fallout #fan fiction #fanfic #fan fic #hancock #sole survivor #kent connolly #sinjin #the silver shroud #ao3

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prorevenge · 5 years

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EPIC INTERNET CAFE STORY 1 : READERS DIGEST

Here is another story from my youth, a good 20 or so years ago when I went to university I got a summer job during semesters at a local internet cafe. I've posted other stories under other subs so check them out.

Backstory:

I went to university in a large town, town mind you not a city. Situated in the valley of two rather large hills, either way you walked was uphill at some point.

I had just completed my first year and suffered a bereavement in the family, I lost my sister to cancer and took some time out from studies to gather myself before entering the 2nd year.

Needing money to survive I ended up getting a job at a local internet cafe. Yes this is the time of internet cafes. High speed broadband was super rare in the country.

Domestic broadband was barely reaching 1Mb in speed and this is the time of the infamous NTL acceptable usage policy(an ISP of the time which eventually got brought out by Richard Branson's Virgin)

This internet cafe had a T1 line. It was super-fast and had a special gaming floor usually filled with local children who loved to play CS. Unlimited use per hour paid. The floor was sticky, it smelled of BO and smoke. But it was the best games floor you could imagine. 20 odd high specced computers running lot of multiplayer games from Counterstrike to Red Alert. Heaven for a guy like me.

I started this job as a regular employee, it was just me and the manager. He and I got on really well, we had fun hosting late night and sometimes all-nighter gaming sessions.

Much of the time we would just goof around on the internet and help ourselves to some chocolate bars and these new things call energy drinks. Man those were good.

Business rules allowed us a couple of snacks and drinks during our shifts as long as we didn't take the piss and eat the whole store.

Various things happened here over the time I was employed in this establishment, a lot in a little over 8 months.

This is just one of those stories, it's the main one involving my Start of employment and interaction with the Owner and my ultimate parting with the company.

There is some overlap in the future stories, so you can refer to this when I write them. There will be some timeline post so you can read them in order.

Cast:

Cool Manager: CoolManager

Ass hole manager: ManagerA

Owner: OwnerJ

Owners Sister: SisterO

And Me, dear reader if you don't know who this is then stop reading now.

TL:DR at the end.

Various people come and go as I tell this, I shall just refer to them as and when they arrive.

Part 1: Changing of the guard.

I had been working in the cafe for a couple of months now. Let’s call the shop "Particles"

On this day CoolManager and I worked a full day and were just closing the shop. I went to get the signs from outside the store. One was located right outside the shop and the other 2 were at each end of the alleyway where the store was located. Jeffery, if you are reading this you know who you are.

I bring the signs into the store and CoolManager tells me he has something to tell me. So I sit down and he tells me that he is quitting and has given his 1 months’ notice.

Bummed by this news, I ask why but all he will say is that he wants to move on. Little did I know at the time was that he was suffering abuse from the Owner of the store, OwnerJ, regarding the owners sister. They had been dating, unbeknownst to anyone else and OwnerJ had found out and threatened to fire CoolManager or at least make his life hell as he was very protective over her.

OwnerJ was an ass, he owned 3 stores, called "Particles" , in total and would visit each one on a rotating weekly basis, taking the 4th week each month to go on holiday or some other task.

One of OwnerJ's best "motivational" tactics was to tell the store that he was currently visiting that the other 2 were doing better than this store was. He did that to all 3.

We knew this was a lie as CoolManager had found the performance report one time and saw that our store was consistently the best, we had the largest gaming floor and this attracted a lot of gamers from the Uni and college. The other 2 stores took it in turns to be the worst as their main focus was the cafe aspect which would generate less revenue based on other factors. Not heavy gaming revenue for them. They were more café than internet.

So OwnerJ was making CoolManager's life hell and CoolManager wanted to move on. I could understand that and we had a couple of adventures before he finally left. More on that in another story.

One fateful day I turned up at the store for my shift, I was on later than CoolManager and so he was the one opening up. I walk down the passage to the store and see a long queue of people. It's about 11am and the store opens at 8am, people start complaining at me for the long wait, I ask if CoolManager has not turned up and no one knows where he is.

CoolManager only handed in his notice less than 2 weeks prior, he had another 2 weeks to go so I opened the store, got the customers settled, made a few coffees and gave them to people on the house as an apology, I wouldn't charge them.

I tried to call CoolManager but he wasn't answering his phone. I tried all day to call him but he never answered. I was left to run the store the whole day.

He was supposed to work the split shift, work the morning and then take midday to afternoon off and come back for the evening till close at 8/9pm. So I end up doing the whole day. I log my hours and at the end of the day I close the shop.

When I got home I got a call from SisterO, she apologised for the mess that happened that day and said that CoolManager would not be coming back. I was in charge till they could find a replacement.

I would need to open and close the store each day but she would step in and take the afternoon shift. I was upset that CoolManager would leave me in a position like this but I was also happy as she said I could put it down as overtime. I needed the money, my student loan company had messed me around and I really needed the cash. So I accepted.

Thus began my new appointment to "manager of the store".

Part 2: The devil is in the details.

I worked with SisterO for about a month and a half, she was nice to be around but not as fun as CoolManager. She never mentioned CoolManager, even though I knew those two were still seeing each other, I never brought it up. We took on another member of staff about 5 weeks after I became manager and SisterO stayed for a week more to train them before moving on. each week she got more and more depressed. I later found out OwnerJ had been threatening her with her job and making her life hell as she wouldn't stop seeing CoolManager. he would say he would get the board of directors to fire her and her assets with the company would be forfeit.

So there we are: Me and the new guy, hence forth NewGuy. He doesn't play much part in this but you know there is someone else around now. I'm not a one man band anymore.

The summer is a hot one, and we are very, very busy, new games are coming out and it was my responsibility to ensure we had the correct number of CD's to run them. Licences are a bitch.

OwnerJ had been in the store this week and he tells us that we will soon be getting the new console from Microsoft, the XBOX. Wow, this was a big deal. we had only really been a PC game kind of store, to get something this big would be awesome. New signs had been brought to reflect that we would stock the machine for our gamers to play.

The weeks roll on and so do the questions regarding the Xbox. we had not received a single console, OwnerJ kept telling me that we would get them soon , but non ever materialised.

Our signs outside still advertised them, and I was getting pissed off with the constant customer complaints. So one afternoon I took some black electrical tape and covered over the parts of the signs that had anything Xbox related.

A couple of days pass and I get a call from OwnerJ. he demands that I take off the tape and advertise the Xbox again. I tell him that we are advertising a service we don't have, it's not good and all the complaints are just making the store look bad. He sticks to his guns and tells me to take off the tape. gritting my teeth I agree and he ends the call.

I could not help but think we were breaking the law somehow, we had nothing of the sort in our store, no Xboxes, no games for the Xbox and it had been weeks since we were promised them, all the posters and signage was there with XBOX in big letters. but no XBOX.

So I roll into the store the next day, I’m really tired the long shifts are starting to take their toll on me. I inform NewGuy of the rule and like me he thinks it's crazy. but we do as we are told. It is then that I get an idea in my head, I print out a bunch of "coming soon" signs and stick them over the posters for the Xbox just like a movie theatre would do.

I thought I had solved our issues but no, I get a call from OwnerJ and he tells me to take those down as well. I can't get a break, I had to do something about this... justice had to be served but how....

Part 3: Don't go towards the light T3chn0G1bb0n

Another week rolls by and I host an all-nighter with the local kids, CS and AVP2 (alien vs predator 2) and Unreal Tournament. Much fun was had at this, it was a welcome break from the rest of the time there recently. The only complaint I had is there were a couple of kids who insisted on using their own keyboards and mice. I offered to go get a torch so they could see under the desks to plug them in. It took a little longer to find than normal as the kids had chucked their bags in the cupboard and I could not reach the toolbox without moving them.

I find the torch and walk half way up the stairs to the gaming floor to hear the room in a panic, someone had the bright idea to use a cig lighter to illuminate the underside of the benches to plug in their mouse, not waiting for me to bring the torch.

They allowed people to smoke indoors back in those days. The game floor always stank of stale smoke. The poor air con unit barely coped to purify the air. With all the dust, grime and nicotine stains and cig ash I would regularly keep it going over night and all day to clear out the smell and ash particles, yes this floor got pretty dirty during the week and we only had one cleaner, once a week.

I tried my best but there wasn’t enough time in a day to monitor the store and clean it , it really needed a deep clean and our cleaner did the bare minimum.

Something sweet and sticky that was around suddenly decided to catch fire. Like I said I’m about halfway up the stairs when I see a kid grab the fire extinguisher at the top of the stairs.

My first thought was oh shit fire, but then I realised that the particular fire extinguishers we had in the store were not Co2 but H2O. Fuck, fuck , fuck……

I move at close to the speed of light and grab the fire extinguisher off the kid before he has the chance to pull out the safety pin. Water and electricity don't mix don’t ya know!

I grab the fire blanket off the wall and use that to put out the fire. in hindsight it was not a very big fire but 14 year old kids don't know any better. being only 18 myself this was a shock. I give the kids a bollocking for using a lighter and put the fire extinguisher back on the hook.

We end our gaming session early after a couple more hours, with all the excitement, it has worn us all out. I make a note to call OwnerJ about this issue in the morning and go home.

Much to my surprise the following day OwnerJ is in the store, I had completely forgotten about it being his week in the store as he hadn't turned up recently.

I walk over to OwnerJ and ask him about the fire extinguisher and tell him about the accident that happened the night before. OwnerJ isn't really giving me much attention to my complaint.

I tell him we really should have Co2 and not H2O extinguishers for the exact reason I prevented last night. He scoffs and tells me we don't actually need to have them as the store is exempt from needing extinguishers. I thought to myself that this can't be true, surely there is one thing to have no fire extinguishers as you are exempt, but another to have the complete incorrect ones for the business purposes. I offer to remove them and put them in the cupboard for staff only use and explained to him that a customer was the one who grabbed the water extinguisher and could have gotten electrocuted with its use. Again he scoffs and tells me to not touch them, we are exempt from needing them so they can stay.

I was livid at this, no concern what so ever for the customer or my safety. this didn't sit well with me at all. I was determined to do some research into this as it couldn’t possibly be true.

A plan began to formulate in my head....

Part 4: Bay leafs

Two days later, I am sitting at home as it's my day off, A sunny Saturday and NewGuy is taking the shift for the day. I needed some R&R, working 7 days a week was hard.

My phone rings. it's NewGuy.

"Umm", he says, "You need to get here now, there are 3 big fuck off bailiffs here demanding to see OwnerJ and they won't leave. I cannot reach OwnerJ on his phone and they are making all these threats about taking stuff away. customers are leaving the store over it."

I tell him to lock up the gaming floor and any other door and hide the keys, the less they can access the better. I make it down to the store like a student who ate a vindaloo the night before and now needs the toilet. Gasping for breath I enter into the store and ask WTH is going on.

“We want to see OwnerJ”, they keep telling me. And I keep telling them “he isn't here”.

The bailiffs disappear outside when their phone rings. OwnerJ had returned their call and they spend the next 20 minutes on the phone to him. He must have been in his car when he called them back as he appeared at the front door some 20 minutes later hence.

Hushed mutterings and waving of arms are all that can be seen and heard from where NewGuy and I are standing, behind the staff counter looking out the window.

Then suddenly it all stopped and the bailiffs left. OwnerJ came into the store and said that they had gone and we were to tidy up and open the store again. The bailiffs had begun to take things when they were taking inventory, not caring where they put stuff when they moved it.

I asked OwnerJ what had happened only to have him respond with , "mind your own business", ooooh you are going to meet my wrath soon OwnerJ.....

OwnerJ leaves and NewGuy and I do as we are told, does not take long for the store to open up. I reminded myself that I would get the last laugh, I should just wait and bide my time for the right moment to spring the trap...

I found out that OwnerJ had not been paying the council his business rates and taxes for months, he had been going on all these holidays with the money that should have been spent on council tax and rates.

The council were in the final stages of court proceedings and if nothing was done that day, we would have had the store stripped of goods to pay off the debt. not good.

Couple of hours later when the store is open, a few kids had heard of the events from earlier on and were making a lot of fuss out on the shop floor trying to ask me questions.

I take them out the back with NewGuy and explain what was going on and how OwnerJ had screwed the pooch with the council. I apologised to NewGuy for the horrible experience, those bailiffs were really rude and they were very intimidating, I told NewGuy he could go home early and I would finish up. I was upset at OwnerJ, not only had he not apologised for what had happened he was just out right rude and there was not even an excuse from him. I was not happy with OwnerJ and I expressed that fully in front of NewGuy my thoughts on the matter. I thought being outside in the alley was safe to speak.....

Out of the corner of my eye I see a lady get up out of her seat and leave the store... I rush after her as she has not paid, but I fail to catch her. Who was she? I would find out a few weeks later.

Part 5: Out with the old in with the new.

It wasn't long after the incident with the bailiffs that things began to change. I was hard at work trying to find any legislation on the regulations for our store. those fire extinguishers were on my mind all the time. Hitting brick wall after brick wall, back then government and local council websites were short and very brief, not much more than a geocities style website. good old web rings.

OwnerJ walks into the store and introduces a guy who was going to be the new manager, this is our ManagerA ladies and gents. He was tall , skinny and had a crew cut hair style.

I move out of my chair to shake this guy’s hand and welcome him, he was cold and uninterested, and I had a weird vibe about him, couldn't place my finger on what it was at the time.

Demotivated at the loss of my role as manager , I knew deep down it wouldn't last. I was due to go back to University in a couple of months so I could not maintain the position for ever.

ManagerA and I never seemed to get on, there was no chemistry between us, he just wanted to do his job and go home. for the most part he was ok but this was about to change.

One day, one of the computers failed, hdd failure or something, it was constantly crashing. I was diagnosing the problem when ManagerA asks me what is wrong.

“It's being Ghey” (read: gay) I said.

Now at this time gay in our kid slang "gay" didn't refer to anyone of the homosexual persuasion but rather it was more akin to "lame". times were changing and to use this word in a derogatory sense was quickly becoming wrong speak then but it wasn't fully mainstream yet. Now whilst I don't condone homophobic slurs, it wasn't the same back then, language was changing and I would not intentionally use a slur like that, and today I refrain from it totally. But back then, it was common slang, it was acceptable and we didn't mean anything bad to those of the homosexual persuasion by using it. Just as Gay originally was synonymous with "good, happy", the kid thing of using opposites to mean something was common, like wicked to mean great etc. A friend had dodged a bullet recently from a GM in an online game recently where he said "gay" in voice chat, he received a complaint followed by a temp ban, it could have gone worse if it was 2019

ManagerA flipped his lid, "what did you say?".

Remembering this with some rapid thinking, the word "Ghey" could be just another play on words. quickly reacting…

"Ghey, I said the pc is being Ghey, G H E Y, it's not doing what it's supposed to do"

This got the side eye from ManagerA at me, daggers pointing in my direction. I technically had not done anything wrong. he just misheard me, /click. And thus began the quick and sudden downfall of our relationship. He changed into the ass hole manager of this story. Turns out he was gay. He was keeping it hidden in case of any trouble, it was a student town, but being out and gay was still quite unheard of back then. Many encounters following this, saved for another story.

Later that week I was due to host another all night gaming session, it was a tournament I had been planning for a while when ManagerA tells me that he will be hosting the tournament. I said I was actually going to compete and that I would want to host it. he said no and that I was “not going to host it let alone compete on company time”. He would run the store and stay down stairs surfing the web etc. whilst it went on.

Bullshitting liar he was. I found out that he took part in the tournament and was not downstairs once ever during that night. mother fucker screwed me over. his smug face will forever be etched into my mind.

I never spoke a word to him about it. To this day I hate his guts for it. He wasn't going to be the target for my revenge but I would make sure he suffered in the fallout.....

Part 6: the end of an era

I turn up for my shift, it's mid-week, and a busy one, kids will be going back to school soon so things should quieten down. I would be due to go back to uni for the 2nd year come end of October and I had just celebrated my birthday. I had booked the day off and had a great time at Pizza Hut. Refreshed I walk into the store. I greet Manager A and get to work.

ManagerA is sitting at the customer side of the store browsing the web. When someone piques my interest, there’s a tall bald guy, built like a brick shit house sitting at another desk deep in thought staring at his screen. He’s new it’s normally the usual regulars about this time of day.

I had been drafting my resignation recently and was going to give my 1 months’ notice in the next couple of days, so I sat at the staff computer and began to finish up its final details. I printed out the document when the Big Bald Brick Shit House Guy, got up and requested ManagerA meet him outside for a chat. I shrugged and gathered my recently printed document.

ManagerA walks back into the store and says to me, "hey T3chn0G1bb0n, ummm, I don't know how to say this but, you're fired, gather your things and leave"

Quicker than I’ve ever reacted before, I reach for my paperwork and hand it to him, to this day I don't know why I reacted this way, instinct I assume, and I gave ManagerA my resignation.

"you can't fire me, I quit" I say.

Puzzled, ManagerA looks at me, looks at my paperwork for a while and slumps back on his heels. I grab my bag and leave. In my letter of resignation I had spilled the beans on everything, all the shitty things that went on whilst I was there that I have not detailed in this story and how I was treated. I had enough evidence to shut the business down for all the dodgy practices and the health and safety violations. My time spent researching had paid off.

I get a call from ManagerA a couple of days later, inviting me for an exit interview and to pick up my last pay cheque. I'm intrigued because I was expecting my cheque in the mail like all the others.

I turn up at the store, expecting it to be packed with customers, but no, it was empty. ManagerA gestures for me to follow him up to the gaming floor.

Who should be sitting there but none other than Big Bald Brick Shit House Guy. What was he doing here? Remember the woman who ran out when I was in the alleyway talking to NewGuy and the kids? She was OwnerJ's wife! She had heard my rant to NewGuy about the time with the bailiffs and had blabbed to OwnerJ about it. Without any more proof than her words they would have to have taken time to gather evidence to fire me, Bringing in ManagerA was a stop gap to make sure the place didn't fall apart in my wake. And the Ghey remark was at the top of the list of reasons for my dismissal. How petty.

Big Bald Brick Shit House Guy and ManagerA grill me for an hour, in my naivety I stayed and listened to it all, but I know now I should have left there and then. They referred to my letter and how they had evidence that I was behind the dodgy practices as I was the manager at the time. Telling me they had cctv evidence. Knowing enough even back then that they were bluffing I called their bluff. They backed down. They didn’t have any cctv and they knew I knew. I'm not sure what the real purpose of the meeting was but they were very nervous, angry nervous, you could tell the anger was a cover.

In the end they let me go, with a veiled threat of court action if I pursued any complaint against them on the things I listed in my resignation letter. Telling me they would bankrupt me in court as they had more money than I did and it would take me everything I had to defend myself.

As it happened, my plan was already coming to fruition. I had been meeting with CoolManager, remember him? Since the incident regarding the fire extinguishers. I found out he had left early due to getting in a punch up with OwnerJ the day before mentioned earlier in this story. He had to lay low for a while.

He had let me in on some regulation that did stipulate the store required fire extinguishers, and not just any fire extinguishers, but specifically CO2 because we had so much electrical equipment they had to be the correct type to deal with the very incident with the lighter on that games night.

I had reported the company to the council around the time after the bailiff visit. An investigation had then been triggered and they had started to investigate the other stores before mine.

They had found several health code violations in the stores for food safety, the stores had very bad hygiene and it was found that a few cases of food poisoning of customers had come from those stores. Although they had not been subject to the fire extinguisher problem, they had the correct ones, our store definitely had the wrong ones per some regulation I forget. They already had concerns over the store following the problems with the council tax and rates. but this was the icing on the cake and they used their full powers to……..

My store was shut down for 2 months whilst they brought it up to code. They had electricians in who found many code violations with the wiring. they found small burns in the cables under the desks, kids had been using lighters all the time to light up the area to see, even from before I started working there, and that the fire I experienced was not the first in the place.

Long ago fire engines had to be called out after a kid did exactly the same with me , and the games room was apparently damaged by the resulting fire, blackened with smoke, it was repainted to all black and blinds were put up to cover the burns on the walls etc. I never noticed the smoke smell because of the cig smell.

All the desks had to be ripped out and replaced with fire resistant wood. they were originally some form of chipboard which was a major fire hazard because of the glue they used.

It cost OwnerJ a small fortune in repairs. On top of that OwnerJ was slapped with a very hefty fine by the council, they had to let NewGuy and ManagerA go (told you ManagerA I would get the last laugh!). But I feel sorry for NewGuy and when I saw him I apologised when he told me all the details I now provide to you dear reader.

SisterO cut ties with OwnerJ, she had sold her shares of the company to Big Bald Brick Shit House Guy and had married CoolManager. They moved out of the town to start a new life. Explains why Big Bald Brick Shit House Guy suddenly came on the scene.

I ended up completing my 2nd year of Uni but suffered a mental break down due to the death of my sister the year before which caused me to leave and move back home. I had buried myself into this job the right after her death to block out the anguish and grief I felt.

But on this day , I was the one who triumphed.

Fuck you OwnerJ. Fuck you Big Bald Brick Shit House Guy, fuck you ManagerA and fuck you Particles.

TL:DR, just read the story, it’s great.

T3chn0G1bb0n

(source) story by (/u/T3chn0G1bb0n)

#prorevenge #by /u/T3chn0G1bb0n #pro revenge #revenge stories #pro revenge stories #pro #revenge #last10

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writtenbyandria · 4 years

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KIRA+DOMINIC — 02

The unrelenting summer sun beamed onto Kira’s exposed back, causing her to shift throughout the duration of her sitting on the bleachers. One hand nursed a bottle of water while the other continuously smoothed over the kempt cornrows dangling past the nape of her neck. The style she hadn’t sported since her elementary school days took some time getting used to due to the tightness forming at her scalp. Huffs swept past her lips riddled in tinted lip balm, her attention rearing from the ongoing basketball game.

When the team her brother Lawrence played for somehow foiled the setup to score from the free-throw line, the recurrence of regret set in; immediately Kira wished she took her friend Autumn Nelson up on her offer to lounge around her pool all afternoon. Releasing yet another huff, Kira placed her water bottle beside her; her finger briefly grazed over a hand belonging to the occupant of the space to her left.

A toothy smirk played the foreground to an immaculate complexion similar to the unrefined cocoa powder her grandmother sifted over the top of her homemade cakes. Under the afternoon sun the pigment of his skin deepened, and appeared richer than it had the moment Kira’s eyes initially settled on him.

“Sorry. I didn’t see you sitting there.” Kira said apologetically. She gathered the personalized purple water bottle dampened with condensation and placed it in between her exposed thighs. The wetness surrounding the aluminum sports’ bottle temporarily cooled her fervent skin, quelling her frustrations for making the rash decision to sit out in the heat for a majority of the afternoon.

This summer, the directors of the annual summer tournament were making strides to incorporate other other promising summer league teams into the scheduling. Teams hailing from other counties were typically unauthorized to compete; the longstanding rule inevitably prevented outsiders to recognize the athletic prowess the players possessed.

The new band of players were ultimately hidden gems; undiscovered talents that were often kept under wraps.

“Nah, you good.” The young boy murmured. His deep baritone startled Kira upon her hearing the bass-filled utterance.

Boys as young as she presumed him to be hardly possessed voices that deep. Even the voices belonging to the guys she attended school with hadn’t had such resonance as the no-name sitting beside her. “You starin’.”

“What?”

“I said you starin’, ma.” The young man repeated evenly. A round of snickers pervaded the sweltering air, emitting from a group of slightly older looking guys he must’ve known.

The gruffness lacing his words prompted Kira to apologize yet again, her attention reverted back to the ongoing basketball game that had finally reached halftime. Kira’s brother Lawrence retreated to the respected benches positioned on the court’s opposite end. He and a few of his teammates crowded around the water cooler, filling the provided wax paper cups generously with Gatorade. Kira's eyes remained affixed to her brother’s lanky frame as he goofed around with classmates she often spotted idling around their kitchen or living room after school, and sighed inwardly as the guy beside her began playing music directly from his bulky black iPhone lacking a proper case.

Rap -- the type of music that her parents chided she and her brother for listening to, the type of rap that hardly made it to radio due to the raunchy misogynistic lyrics and obscenities -- penetrated her hearing.

Before Kira’s mind could register her forthcoming actions, her head bopped along to the piano cadence easily muddled by the lyrics spewed out in a sing-songy rhythm. The lyrics bellowed out in a throaty rasp were vulgar, albeit, but the almost melodic approach to the familiar beat was infectious.

Kira could feel the eyes belonging to not only the young man sitting to her right but the guys seated behind him as well. Her body halted in its aimless swaying while under their watchful stares; her heightened cheeks turned a tinge a red. “I like the beat.” Kira bashfully admitted simultaneous to hearing the referee blow his whistle. Kira’s brother Lawrence and his teammates retreated back onto the court subsequent to tossing the paper cup into the nearby trash can. “I don’t think I’ve heard of him before.” Kira murmured.

A look of amusement etched its way across her face when the young man seated beside her titled his phone in her direction, unveiling the screen displayed the album artwork of a man sporting cornrows just as thick as hers with a fitted cap concealing the top of them. Amidst a horde of cash that had been photoshopped onto the cover art the rapper’s moniker was emblazoned in bold lettering. “...Young,” Kira read aloud, “Ah, Young Travie.”

Her warm and earnest smile was met with one the young man meagerly offered in return.

“He ain’t mainstream. Not yet, at least.” The young man informed.

As the group of guys averted their attention elsewhere, the stare between her and the boy with impeccable dark skin never faltered.

“Kira.” She mumbled.

“Huh?” The boy muttered.

“Kira -- my name’s Kira.”

He nodded sparingly. “Dominic.”

Her mind often wondered to thoughts of him.

Even in the height of merriment, shaking him was proven to be a difficult feat to achieve.

Whenever the opportunity to travel arose, Kira toyed with the idea of running into him somewhere.

Maybe at a mall shopping for kicks.

Or maybe, by chance, they’d run into each other at a random grocery store where they would ultimately have to engage in conversation.

The optimist in her would’ve wanted nothing more than to reunite with him if only for a brief moment.

However, from a realistic standpoint, Kira Mosley was almost certain she and Dominic Parker would never cross paths again.

Her manicured hand enclosed around the highball glass containing the disproportionate amount of vodka and tonic she flagged down the slim bartender for; the incessant urge to guzzle down the glass’ contents grew dire the longer she pondered on what her mother formerly regarded as Kira’s delayed stage of rebellion.

A slight chortle escaped the twenty-eight year old as she brought the glass coated in condensation to her lips and chugged half of the lime garnished beverage before placing it back on top of the sopping wet napkin the bartender provided.

Lipstick, a vibrant shade of currant, smudged the glass’ rim.

“Celebrating?”

A voice queried from behind her, belonging to a man sporting a suit she noticed upon her arrival to the swank rooftop bar. Her eyes lingered on him only briefly, almost as if she recognized him from somewhere.

Kira shifted atop the lucite stool. Hints of her skin exposed by the burgundy jumpsuit she wore felt sticky, courtesy of the L.A. smog.

Kira took a moment to ponder on the unknown man’s inquiry, confirming his suspicions with a subtle nod. “I am, actually.”

“Well, would you mind if I joined you?”

“I wouldn’t. Have a seat” She replied after a short pause. From the adjacent barstool Kira she retrieved her clutch and smartphone.

With intent she watched as the caramel complected man unbuttoned his blazer; his muscular build easily made out through the cotton white button-down and navy trousers. “You like whiskey?”

“I don’t dislike it.” Kira answered blankly, catching the barest hint of a smile creeping up the side of the man’s lips. He waved down the bartender, his eyes solely trained upon Kira as she finished the rest of her vodka and tonic with haste.

In under five minutes, two Manhattans rested before them. The man sporting the tailored suit waited for Kira to reach for one of the cocktails before he sought out to do the same.

“Cheers.”

In unison, the two generously sipped from their glasses.

The initial sharp taste of the whiskey and vermouth combination burned the back of Kira’s throat, but she recovered and downed a great amount of it.

“If I may ask, what are you celebrating?”

She set the glass down, her tongue ran over the fullness of her slightly parted lips, savoring the bittersweet aftertaste. “A new business venture.” Kira sparingly divulged. She had yet to inform her parents of the lucrative finalizations pertaining to the latest venture. She wasn’t about to be as forthcoming about her business matters with some random simply because he ordered her a drink. Kira tucked one of her fine tendrils behind her pierced ear, revealing the faded crescent moon and stars behind her dainty lobe. “I would tell you more, but I don’t wanna jump the gun and speak too soon. The ink on the contracts haven’t dried yet.” She fibbed.

“I understand.” The man retorted, smoothing his hand down the length of his pants. “Where are my manners? I’m Omari -- Omari Grant.”

He extended his hand forward, the width of his palm nearly covered Kira’s entire hand.

“Kira. Kira Mosley since we’re being all formal.” She initiated the separation of their ongoing handshake to sip the remaining brown contents idling the bottom of the rock glass. “Omari Grant --,” she murmured to herself, “-- I’ve heard that name before. Where have I heard that name?” As her mind trailed off into deep thought, her lip stained with a ruddy red hue embedded itself between her teeth. “ The Essence 2013 Men’s issue. You landed the cover feature.” Kira muttered faintly. “You had me, for a second. I, uh, almost didn’t recognize you without the locs.”

She smirked once noticing the kempt tapered fade that made him look even more polished than she recounted.

During a brief period of contributing content exclusively through the publication’s website she was lucky enough to land an opportunity to write a feature on the infamous Baltimore Ravens quarterback who earned the franchise their second Super Bowl championship on the heels of winning announcing his retirement.

“I wrote that feature. Among other pieces I wrote up until that point, that feature about you was regarded as one of the publication’s most raved about exclusives that year.”

“It was nicely written.”

“It was a fixture in cleaning up your image, is what it was.” Kira replied, and pushed the empty rock glass aside. A tight, contemptuous grin etched its way across her face. “And it wasn’t what I initially wrote. Your PR team practically strong-armed me into rewriting the feature hours before my deadline. They threatened to contact the magazine’s editor to complain if I didn’t rewrite it.”

Kira’s statement hung in the air while Omari continued to nurse the chilled Manhattan; her inberiation set in as time ticked away.

“Perhaps I should’ve known better than to email your people an outline of what the article entailed. That was my fault for being so foolish.”

Failing to hear Omari Grant utter anything pertaining to the power moves that could’ve potentially tarnished Kira’s reputation and livelihood, she padded over the bar’s surface in search of her belongings. When Kira recovered her iPhone and clutch, she paid her bar tab which consisted of the two vodka and tonic beverages she drank prior to Omari joining her.

Rising onto the heels of her staggering ankle-strap sandals, Kira ambled towards the entrance leading to the rooftop’s elevator embankment. She navigated past the stragglers pouring in by the groups.

Omari Grant steered close, however. His cologne wafted into her nose before she felt the immense presence of the two-hundred and fifty pound retired quarterback behind her. Rather than uttering a disingenuous apology for enforcing her to revise her original write-up and pander some sugar-coated PR orchestrated bullshit to the public, Omari placed his hand on her exposed shoulders, grasping them gently as the elevator doors diverged and granted Kira entry inside the cab.

An inward sigh slip pasted her lips when he shuffled in behind her.

While in the elevator Omari Grant never expressed his remorse.

Kira did, however, hear his blatant advances to accompany him to his hotel suite.

Slightly buzzed, albeit, she willingly obliged.

The same man whose team successfully disintegrated his former controversial reputation of misconduct both on and off the field, had ushered her into his suite, without a care. The same man whose hired professionals could have potentially severed her professional relationship with one of the few respected black publications she frequently worked for attempted to engage in awkward small talk by the balcony doors; a breathtaking view of the ocean quelled Kira’s flourishing nerves as Omari gathered her tightly wound curls and sloppily kissed her neck. She flinched beneath his touch and at the same time welcomed him to remove her snug jumpsuit after she removed her heels.

By the end of the heated encounter that took place on the floor, while riding out the orgasm coursing through her, Kira’s body completely stilled upon hearing the only two words she desired to ever hear from Omari Grant.

Kira had no ounce of care to hear how pretty he thought she was, or how great of a lay she happened to be.

A wave of emotions afflicted her when he finally uttered that he was sorry for placing her in that tough predicament. She took satisfaction in finally hearing the retired quarterback’s apology for the brash power play he subjected her to simply because of her position.

His near breathless expression delivered with mild gawking at Kira’s naked frame diluted the moment, however.

The act in itself made her feel dirty and even a bit foolish for screwing the man and receiving a half-assed apology afterward.

Instead of joining him in the suite’s bedroom he retreated to, Kira redressed and made a beeline for the door.

Kira failed to bid Omari a proper farewell

#kira+dominic #fiction

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