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reddie-fangirl24 · 4 years

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Eddie, The Patient Chapter 4 (A Reddie Fanfiction)

“Eddie? Hey, Eddie, wake up.”

Feeling himself being lightly jostled awake, Eddie moaned, opening his eyes only a smidge. Even though the lights were turned off in the little room it felt like thousands of stage lights beaming in his eyes. Clutching at the burdensome churn in his stomach, the pain in his cranium was worse. Just the slightest movement hurt.

“Feel like going home?” A familiar voice asked softly.

Home. That question felt like an understatement. “Yes,” he answered hoarsely.

Gently being lifted up from the pillow, Eddie’s muscles felt like limp rubber. His head felt like a bowling ball, hardly able to lift it up. Still not able to open his eyes all the way, Eddie’s head fell against what felt like a rather muscular shoulder.

Turning his nose up, Eddie gagged at the scent of cologne. He couldn’t stand any smell!

Wait. Cologne? Bill never wears cologne.

Finally, Eddie’s eyes opened further, looking up to see who it was. Richie cracked a smile, “Looks like someone has seen better days, huh?”

In that instant, Eddie drew back, his back hitting against the wall, staring at his husband in shock like he was seeing a ghost. “Richie, what the hell are you doing here?”

Feeling a sting in his gut, Richie placed a comforting hand against his shoulder. “Your boss called me telling me that you were as sick as a dog! I’m here to take you home.” He stated matter-of-factly. This gave him a chance to study Eddie more, able to see how sickly pale he was. Even just sitting looked like too much of a challenge for him. Guilt swam in his knotted stomach.

Shivering, Eddie shook his head. “I told her to call Bill!”

“Bill must be busy trying to figure out how to write a good ending,” Richie lightly joked, rubbing Eddie’s knee to soothe him. They enjoyed the solitude of the room listening to the distant voices from the office.

“No, you should be at work,” Eddie quivered, looking away from Richie in shame.

“Man, I gotta take you home!” Richie was kind enough to keep his voice low. Eddie’s head looked as if it could explode.

“You have more important things to do. That show you are recording for you told me airs in... a week, and-and that show...” Eddie just trailed off, unable to go off on one of his normal tangents. Saddened by Eddie’s lack of energy to think proper words, Richie gently touched his face to get the man to look at him. He looked worried as though he were about to be lectured.

“Eddie, let me tell you something. You’re way more important than me standing on a stage performing to an audience,” he said to him with all the love in his voice.

It took a moment for Eddie to understand what the man said to him, but his mouth curled into a tiny bleary smile. He felt his heart warm, staring into Richie’s sincere eyes. Smiling crookedly, Eddie’s eyes were unfocused, glassy. Just feeling the heat rising off his face, Richie pressed the back of his hand to his forehead.

“Jeez, what did you do, explore the inside of a volcano?” Richie remarked. With that, he stood up from the bed and helped Eddie stand. “Let’s get you home.”

Dizzy, Eddie stumbled, clinging to Richie who kept his arm secured around his waist. Grabbing his satchel from the chair and throwing his jacket around Eddie’s shoulders, Richie kept him steady, practically holding him up from the ground.

“How are we getting home?” Eddie asked in a weak voice.

This is just sad. “I got us a taxi,” Richie replied as his hand fell on the doorknob.

Eddie drew back from him. “No, no, Rich, no that’s not a good idea!” Eddie anxiously rubbed his arm.

“Why not?” Richie asked confused. He took his hand away from the door and touched Eddie’s arm in comfort. How Eddie even had the strength to stand was beyond him.

Eddie’s expression turned to pure shame. Recalling a time when he was four when his dad was very sick, and getting worse, his mother ignored her husband’s pleas when he didn’t want her to get a cab to take them home. And of course, along the ride, Eddie’s father threw up in the backseat, upsetting the cab driver greatly. His mother was not happy either, having to pay extra for the mess. They were already struggling with expenses to begin with.

Clutching at his stomach, Eddie averted his gaze from Richie’s understanding eyes. Was he going to be sick at any moment? “Taxies are too expensive to throw up in...” he managed to say.

Thinking back to how easygoing Harry the driver was, Richie smiled down at him. Staring into Richie’s eyes, the man never shamed him. Instead, he looked at him in half-pity, but pure love that made Eddie’s heart throb. “I got some news for you, man, I think taxi drivers are used to that kind of thing,” he reassured his love in a soft tone, looking into his tired eyes.

With that, Richie planted a kiss on Eddie’s forehead. Eddie’s heart instantly beamed, and his eyes sparkled like the way he did when he was a kid. Richie’s heart melted, too, having missed tender moments like these with Eddie. Now it was obvious how little time they’d spent together.

“Let’s take our chances, come on, let’s get you home, you little turd!” Richie grinned as they exited the room into the main office. Richie kept an arm around Eddie’s waist, as the man leaned against him, holding his stomach, and not saying a word. Some teachers were present, looking up at the men. Eddie didn’t want to look at any of the teachers’ faces. They were ashamed.

“Goodbye, Eddie, feel better!” Mrs. Alliston cheerfully called out from her office. “We’ll miss you!”

Miss me? What did that mean?

His stomach started making those gurgling noises again as they finally made it outside, the fresh breeze hitting Eddie’s face. The yellow taxi came into view as Richie helped him down the steps. Even though the driver smiled, nodding to him in sympathy, that didn’t make Eddie feel any better.

Opening the door, Richie let Eddie slide in first. Based on the fermenting smell, it was obvious that this taxi had a history of car sickness. Eddie grasped his stomach, trying not to think about it, or gag. Oh, this ride was going to be awful!

Getting his husband’s attention, Richie let Eddie lie down so he could use his leg as a pillow. Comfortable, Eddie gripped Richie’s knee, and closed his eyes, listening to his husband recite their address to the driver. Even while they were driving Richie made jokes with the driver. Everyone knew him. Who wouldn’t want to know Richie? Was Eddie just another person to the world of Richie’s fame? Or was he going to become a negative outlook because of this incident?

Three blocks. It was just three blocks. That felt like hours!

Gently rubbing Eddie’s shoulder, Richie kept him steady, even opening up the windows to let some air into the car. Unlike the drive to the school, it didn’t feel as nervewracking this time. There weren’t as many stops and people were at least observant.

Hang in there, Eds. Almost there, Richie assured his love who emitted uncomfortable moans every so often, clutching at his stomach. Little did Richie know that Eddie was dreaming about his student’s disgusted horrified faces. And his boss. Was she angry? Yes, of course, she was! She must have already been planning to fire him.

The car stopped. Oh no, traffic? No, they were home. Home.

Helping Eddie out from the car, he could hardly stand, looking as though he would vomit at any second. It was best to get him inside and fast. Leaning him against the car, Richie turned back to the cab driver.

“Thanks, Harry! You saved both our asses!” Richie said, reaching for his wallet in his back pocket.

“No problem, and no charge.”

“What, no, you hauled us around town! You need something for dealing with me!”

“You’re Richie ‘Trashmouth’ Tozier. Giving you a ride means more than anything,” Harry said to him with a big thankful smile.

As Eddie waited, he wrapped his light jacket tighter around his shivering body. How could he feel cold when the sun was shining? That churning feel returned, showing no signs of subsiding, gurgling and ready to make it journey venturing up to its destination. At least it was rewarding in the end.

“Richie...” his voice was weak, but he was able to make it sound panicked.

Just as Richie made the cab driver accept a five-dollar tip, Richie turned just in time to see a green-faced Eddie’s cheeks puffing up. Shoving his wallet back into his pocket, Richie took Eddie around his waist and lead him towards the front stairs. “Thank you!”

“Anytime. Feel better, sir!” The driver called out.

Getting up the eight steps to the front door was normally easy, but Eddie hardly had the strength, leaning against Richie who hurried him along, bouncing him about, only making matters worse. Eddie almost misstepped, feeling it come closer and closer. Maybe Richie should actually think about installing an escalator.

“Richie...” Eddie painfully moaned once more. Richie hated whenever Eddie said his name like that. It only reminded him of that dreadful moment where he had to witness Pennywise slice through the love of his life right in front of him. Believing that he was going to lose him again, Eddie pulled through. Yes, he pulled through.

“Just a few more steps, Eds!” Richie attempted to assure him in whatever way he could. These words strengthened Eddie and before they knew it, they were inside after Richie struggled with the house key, racing to the bathroom in the hallway.

Falling to his knees, Eddie violently vomited into the toilet in a matter of seconds. It hurt. Despite his own stomach lurching, Richie smoothed a calming hand over the man’s back, holding him. “I gotcha, Eds, I got you. Better out than in,” Richie soothed him, gently giving his shoulder a squeeze. What’s even in there?

Once Eddie emptied the contents of his stomach, he fell to the side of the toilet practically rolling up in a fetal position. How long was this going to last? His insides felt as if they were going to explode from the pain. Sweat dripped from his warm forehead as Eddie whimpered, his head pounding.

Carefully, Richie led Eddie to the bedroom. Jumping at how Eddie’s cold and clammy against his skin, a funny joke came to Richie. “Jeez, man, your hands are like ice and yet you’re burning up! What should I do, put you half in Hawaii and the other in Antarctica?”

Eddie lightly smiled, liking Richie’s attempt at cheering him up.

Dressing out of his clothes, Eddie got into something more comfortable. He realized that he never put on a tie that morning to go with his now sweat-soaked clothes. Eddie was too sick to even care as Richie helped untie his shoes for him.

Once he sat back into the pillows, Eddie’s eyes closed. This was the most peaceful bliss he could feel all day, snuggling under the warm covers. In that instant, he felt so much better.

Feeling something tap at his knees through the bedcovers, Richie pecked straw at his mouth. “Ginger ale. It’ll make your stomach feel better.”

Taking a couple of sips, the bubbly liquid made his nose itch. Now he was thankful that they kept ginger ale in the house at all times. He always chewed out Richie when he drank too much in celebratory after one of his shows.

“Not too much, now. You don’t want to get sick again.” Richie said with a smile putting the glass on the nightstand next to the bed.

As tears leaked into his eyes, Eddie felt anything but better. Why was everyone being so overwhelmingly doting to him when he’d messed up everything? His students were trapped in a room with an awful fermenting smell, a substitute had to be called in, Richie had to leave work, and his boss was disappointed in him.

“Oh, Rich, I’m sorry!” Eddie cried rolling onto his side, hiding the tears from Richie.

“Hey, don’t be sorry, Eddie. I know how you feel!” Richie gave his husband’s arm a tight squeeze. He was close to tearing up himself. Seeing Eddie cry was the worst. But, Eddie being sick, oh that was enough to make his heart crack. “I would never have let you leave the house this morning. I’m sorry, man.”

Eddie was too sick to plead his case any further. Sleep was already taking over. Rolling up on his side, Eddie was asleep in a matter of seconds.

“You just sleep, Eddie. I’m here if you need me,” Richie said softly as he rubbed his side through the blankets.

Relieved that Eddie was finally getting some rest, Richie stood up pacing the bedroom fuming. What the fuck was wrong with him? Everything could have been avoided if he wasn’t so busy in his own world that morning! Why, why did he answer his phone to talk to his boss? If he noticed Eddie struggling to hold himself up, or his odd behavior, he never would have let Eddie go to school. He was better than this. Now, he really let Eddie down.

Feeling his cell phone buzz in his pocket, Richie was relieved when he saw that it was Bill calling him. Collecting himself, Richie reluctantly left the bedroom to answer. “Hey, Bill, what’s up?”

“Richie, is everything okay? Audra and I both got a call from the principal of Eddie’s school saying that he’s sick. Are you-”

“No, Bill, I’m sorry!” Richie interrupted digging through his hair. He leaned against the wall, tiredly. “Eddie is home. I got him.”

“Oh good. Why did she call us anyway?” Bill asked him.

“Eddie didn’t want to have the office call me because he was afraid of interrupting me from some scheduled rehearsals I had scheduled for today. He refused to tell me that he was sick this morning. Course I was wrapped up in everything. The car decided to kick, my manager scheduled an interview, and Eddie slipped out the door while I was talking on the phone. Ugh, I feel so stupid!”

“Rich, don’t beat yourself up,” Bill said to him. “It happens to everyone.”

“That’s easy enough for you say! Eddie has the flu. He’s never been this sick before. You know how bad he is even when he gets a cold!” Richie yelled into the phone. Realizing that he was still close to the bedroom, Richie lowered his voice. Clearly, Bill could hear the stress in his voice. “Sure, I’ve taken care of him before, but this is different.”

“Do you need Audra and me to come over there?” Bill asked. Richie heard something slam shut in the background which he guessed was Bill’s laptop. “Don’t you have a show tonight?”

Richie shook his head. That was right. He almost forgot. “No, Bill, you don’t have to come here. Eddie is way more important than that show. I need to do this. He needs me.”

“Okay,” Bill said in understanding. “Listen, I know how you feel. How many times do you think Audra stopped me from going to work because I was sick? And once Audra put on her makeup before heading to the studio and the director had to call me to come and take her home.” Bill chuckled. “It was the first time of me telling her, ‘I told you so!’”

Richie laughed, too, making him release some of the tension. “Thanks, Bill.”

“How are you, Richie?” Bill asked after a moment.

That question. Since Richie had always been closed off, he dreaded answering those questions. He couldn’t let Bill know that he was struggling, at a loss, feeling like a failure to his own husband. Spoken like a real loser.

“I just feel like I don’t know what the fuck I’m doin’, Bill,” Richie tried to laugh to make the situation a little better, to no avail. “It’s the flu. What if... what if, I don’t know...”

“It’s okay. Just keep him hydrated, make sure he gets plenty of rest, and if he needs to throw up, help him. I know it isn’t pleasant, but it helps. And keep the TLC going!”

Richie laughed. “That shouldn’t be a problem!”

“You’re welcome. And keep me posted. I swear Audra and I will come over there if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Bill. Listen, I gotta run. I need to go check on him.” Richie said appreciatively. Hanging up the phone, Richie felt some weight lift off his shoulders. Friends. What would he do without them?

Walking back into the bedroom, Richie found Eddie still asleep. It broke his heart to see him look this sick. This pale. And so... still.

Wait, was he... no, he couldn’t think that. Yes, he was emitting little breaths from his mouth as he poked his head closer.

Pulling up a chair, Richie took out a magazine, watched Eddie for a few moments, keeping watch of his dear husband who slept. I’m right here, Eddie. I am here.

#Reddie #Reddie Fanfiction #Sick fic #Richie Tozer #eddie kaspbrak #bill denbrough #It Fanfiction #IT movie #It Chapter 2 AU #It Chapter 2 #angst #love #fluff #fanfiction #The Losers Club

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rorykillmore · 4 years

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okay this is for @transrobro who requested a catra/scorpia fic! which is a dynamic we’ve really only just picked up but that i already have so much love in appreciation for, in no small part thanks to jay’s scorpia.

jay... i am so grateful to be able to celebrate another year of us being friends <3 this sounds like. cHEESY but your kindness and generosity really does touch everyone around you even in the smallest gestures (my mom still treasures her groot ornament.) and you have a wonderful talent for making me laugh REALLY hard which i oftentimes find i really. need tbh. thank you so much and i hope you congratulate yourself on this year; it has certainly had its ups and downs but i know you have taken a lot of important strides over the course of it and i am proud of you!!!

She thinks about how lucky she is to be here, right now. To have not lost herself entirely to that all-consuming anger. To have come out the other side and still have friends who care about her, and want to forgive her.

“I just feel like... I already have everything I need.”

One of the many, many differences between Catra and Scorpia is that Scorpia is a notorious early riser, while Catra is notoriously... well, not. And she wouldn’t compromise that for just anyone or anything, but she’s spent the past few days since her little outing with Zero meticulously planning this out, and she knows she’s going to get too restless if she waits it out much longer.

Besides, she’s not exactly sure what the protocol is for when Christmas morning is supposed to... start. Better safe than sorry.

“Hey. Scorpia.” Catra leans over her sleeping form and uses one finger to give her forehead a gentle prod. “Wake up.”

Scorpia’s eyes flutter and eventually focus on Catra as she stirs, her expression moving from surprise to delight, with the tiniest underlying hint of uncertainty (definitely new, Catra has noted in the weeks they’ve been in this world together). “Catra!” She sits bolt upright, forcing Catra to draw back quickly to avoid a painful collusion of their foreheads. “Did -- did we have plans today? Did I sleep in too long? Oh, I knew I shouldn’t have stayed up to finish that season of Parks and Recreation...”

“No -- no, you’re fine. It’s still early,” Catra reassures her quickly, not bothering to add that she has no idea what ‘Parks and Recreation’ is. A nature documentary, or something? “Sorry to wake you, I just -- I have something I want to show you.”

It’s not much of an explanation, and Scorpia could very easily be skeptical of why Catra would sneak into her apartment after the sun’s barely gone up for such vaguely defined reasons. But it’s Scorpia, of course, so she just says, “Oh! Exciting. Okay. Um -- should I go get Emerald?”

“Let her sleep a little while. We’ll get her later,” Catra promises, because she tentatively has something in mind for Emerald - who, for the record, is a lot harder to shop for than Scorpia - as well. She fights the urge to lower her ears in embarrassment. “For now, let’s just -- I mean, this is... for you, specifically. So.”

The look on Scorpia’s face makes her feel both pleased and guilty. Catra can only describe it as awed -- stunned, even, like Scorpia never in a million years would have expected Catra to wake her up just to tell her she’d done something nice for her. Catra supposes she hasn’t really given her much reason to.

“Give me five minutes!” Scorpia springs up, amending over her shoulder as she springs into her closet, “--Three minutes!”

“Take your time,” Catra tells her, unable to suppress a goodnatured roll of her eyes. “I know you have your morning routine, or whatever.”

“It’s fine. I have a speedrun version prepared for emergencies! -- Hey, Catra?” Scorpia sticks her head out of the closet a moment later, suddenly hesitant. “You know you... I mean, I don’t want you to feel like you... have to do stuff like this. For me. I mean, I’m over the moon, don’t get me wrong, I just --”

Catra holds up a hand to stop her, because she’s already figured out that this isn’t just obligation, or the desire to fix things, on her part. It feels -- well, okay, nervewracking right now, because she isn’t entirely sure what Scorpia’s reaction is going to be once she sees the actual gift. But Catra’s sure it’ll feel good eventually. “It’s Christmas, silly.”

She gets a slightly nonplussed look in response, which... figures. So Catra goes on to explain, “It’s a thing they do in this world. A celebration. You, like -- buy presents for people, among a bunch of other weird, colorful traditions.” She can already envision Scorpia’s panic at the realization that she hadn’t somehow magically known about a holiday tradition that didn’t even exist in their own world, so she quickly adds, “Yeah, I didn’t know about it either, until a couple of days ago. So I just threw something together. It’s no big deal.”

The way Scorpia is looking at her, eyes bright with emotion, suggests that she very much thinks it’s a big deal. Catra looks away. “You’re hyping yourself up.”

“I am so completely just the right amount of hype. Just a sec!”

“Take your time!” Catra tells her yet again, fond exasperation taking the edge off her usual prickliness. “I’m not going anywhere.”

It’s a promise she takes more seriously than Scorpia probably really knows.

----

“Okay. So. I didn’t know how to wrap it.”

Catra awkwardly hoists the present in her hands, well aware that it looks absolutely nothing like the neatly wrapped gifts with the perfect bow finishes that she saw in all those display windows in Metropolis. Instead, hers is a clumsy mess of tape and shiny red paper, an immediate betrayal of the fact that Catra has never done anything like this before. But then, she figures, Scorpia already knows that.

“It’s perfect!” Scorpia beams, completely undeterred. She takes the gift from Catra in one claw and tears carefully at the wrapping paper with the other, and Catra notes that the messiness probably does make it a bit easier for her.

If she was anxious about her presentation, though, she’s even more anxious about the gift itself. Scorpia pulls back the wrapping to reveal a large, leatherbound book with no title on its cover. Even though Catra is sure she must be puzzled, her enthusiasm does not seem to be dampened as she shoots Catra an inquisitive look.

“Open it,” Catra says simply, trying to keep her expression neutral.

Scorpia does... and Catra watches her expression change from curiosity to shock as she takes in the contents of the book’s pages. A soft, stunned exhale quickly prompts Catra to leap to explain, “It’s, uh. A scrapbook, basically. But like... a special, high tech one I bought in Auriga. You can upload photos directly onto the pages, and mess with the colors and stuff. I -- uh. I started it for you.”

Truthfully, Catra didn’t have very much to work with. An old picture of her and Scorpia, and one she took with Emerald a couple of months ago, and a couple of silly candids she snuck of Entrapta. And then Catra’s rough attempts at scenic photography; a few shots she took of some of the prettier places she knows around the Southwest. Since... that’s kind of become their home now.

“Catra...” Scorpia whispers.

“Well, I -- I mean, you have to fill it out, obviously.” Embarrassingly, Catra can’t seem to stop talking, her tone bordering on defensive for no definable reason. “Which will take a while. But I know you like that kind of sappy stuff. Making memories, and all that --”

She gets cut off with a sudden huff as Scorpia frees one arm to pull her into a tight hug.

And Catra, despite Scorpia’s best efforts to convert her, is still not really... a hugger. But she’s learned that she’s capable of making a few exceptions. And if her eyes are stinging a little, well, she makes sure she’s blinked any wateryness away by the time Scorpia lets her go.

“This is -- it’s the most wonderful thing you possibly could have gotten me. I am going to keep it forever,” Scorpia declares, making Catra’s cheeks warm sheepishly. “I -- I have to get you something! And Emerald! Stay right here, I’ll --”

“Scorpia,” Catra finally manages to cut in quietly. “I’m sure Christmas hasn’t really been the first thing on Emerald’s mind, either. She’ll understand if you’ve gotta do some belated shopping. And... you really don’t have to get me anything.”

Scorpia falters a little, concern seeping into her expression as seamlessly as it always has for Catra’s sake. “Hey. I know you’re trying to do the whole, you know, ‘making amends’ thing, but if you think that means you don’t deserve a gift...”

“It’s not that.” Catra shakes her head. “This isn’t a ‘me hating myself’ thing. Don’t worry. It’s just that...”

She thinks of the note written on the inside of the back cover of the scrapbook. The one she deliberately hasn’t pointed out because she doesn’t want to stand here in front of Scorpia while she reads it.

“I just feel like... I already have everything I need.”

Scorpia opens her mouth to respond, but for once, she doesn’t seem to know what to say. So Catra reaches out - a rare gesture of her initiating affection - and squeezes Scorpia’s claw in her hand.

“Merry Christmas. Or whatever stupid thing people say.”

Slowly, Scorpia’s expression melts into the kind of soft, adoring expression that Catra still doesn’t quite feel she deserves. “Merry Christmas, wildcat.”

As for anything else that needs to be said, well -- Catra will wait until she takes her leave, or until the next time Scorpia flips through the scrapbook if need be. Whenever that might be, Catra’s message in her messily scrawled handwriting will be there waiting for her.

Scorpia,

I suck at words, sometimes. Writing them down’s easier. I know I haven’t been a very good friend, so now I’m gonna help you fill up this book with a bunch more good memories to get rid of the bad ones. You deserve to be happy, and if this world gives you that, then I guess I really do owe it one.

Thank you for giving me another chance. I won’t waste it.

Love, Catra

#god you know what i just realized #this is supposed to be in the same 'universe' as my fic for fate but im like #posting this one first because i just decided to edit it first skjhdgkg #its fine you dont need to have read that one #ANYWAYS MERRY CHRISTMAS!#fic #christmas gifts

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residentanchor · 6 years

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A Lesson in Practicality 10

<<Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Summary: Virgil and Logan try to mend their friendship a bit. Word count: 5214

Both Logan and Virgil had an earlier shift and had spent their time since arriving back home dancing around and avoiding one another. Logan had read through his book and even finished the puzzle from the other day before packing it away, not even feeling the sense of accomplishment when he had finished. Eventually, Logan grew restless and got up, knocking on Virgil's door. He stood there, hoping the other had heard when the door cracked open a bit.

He cleared his throat and looked through the small crack at Virgil who had his headphones on underneath a hood. "I would like to extend an invitation to watch something together in the living area."

Virgil raised an eyebrow up at Logan before the creak of the door opening a bit more broke the awkwardness. "This you fulfilling some promise to Patton at trying to be nice?"

"No. Well, yes and no. I wish to restart our friendship from the beginning with a clean slate. I thought maybe we could watch something the other likes in an attempt to get to know each other better." Logan's awkward tick of fixing his glasses when not needed kicked in. "Despite us living together all these months, there still is not much I know about you."

"Yeah, wonder what you can learn when we don't hide away from one another," Virgil spoke with pure sarcasm. "I kind of get it, though. Ignorance is bliss and all that."

"No." Logan shook his head. "As much as I hate to admit it, I should have thought of a way to mention something instead of keeping it all to myself."

"Like how? You shouldn't have done it in the first place, yeah, but I get why you tried to hide it." Virgil leaned against the door frame. "There really wasn't an easy way for you to tell us without the same thing happening anyway."

"Still, the absence of knowledge can do more harm than informing you all in some way could. Knowing and gaining more knowledge could never hurt, not like withholding it can."

"Doesn't really matter now, does it? Damage is done."

Logan tensed at the words and sighed. "Fair enough. If you would like the quiet instead..." Logan turned back towards his room. "I have been thinking I could perhaps share a bit of that journal then? I never shared it for fear of reaction when someone read it, but at this point, you have been informed of the biggest parts."

The door creaked again as Virgil opened it completely. "You don't have to do that if you're not ready to share."

"It's really not a big deal, the biggest secret it kept was that there was a fifth unknown person. Besides that, it's just observations and research. I was never one for 'diaries' as it were."

Virgil looked up and nodded, trying not to seem too eager. "Fine, and if we have time after, maybe we could watch Doctor Who?"

"You watch Doctor Who?"

Virgil shrugged and smirked a bit. "Trying to figure out how you can control time and space, yeah. Kind of figured I could look into it a bit. It has its charms, I guess."

"Fantastic."

"Is that a Nine reference?"

"Not important." Logan walked the few feet down to his door. "I'll get the things necessary and meet you there."

Virgil shook his head and went back to his room, removing his headphones and pulling down his hood before escaping back out into the kitchen.

He had only just reached for the remote when Logan walked in, carrying a few DVDs and the journal he had walked around with. He placed them down and slid the journal over before sitting. "Figured we can get this part over with first."

The journal was a little worn, but Logan had kept it in good condition. Virgil opened up the front and glanced down. "You really did start this out as a diary." He glanced down the front page of neat handwriting. "First page you just write to yourself because you just lost your memory." He flipped to the next page and grazed through everything quickly. "You talk about us, yadda yadda." He flipped to the next. "Oh?" Virgil looked up. "A whole page dedicated to Patton, huh?"

"I don't see why that's so important?"

"Oh, no reason. 'I do recall my first glance at Patton to be uninteresting until he spoke. He charmed everyone behind the counter rather quickly while-'"

"Yes, I know what I wrote, Virgil. Is that important?"

"Oh, I don't know." Virgil placed the journal in his lap and looked up at Logan. "Should I call Patton and start reading this to him? I'm sure he'd love it."

The smirk on Virgil's face grew at Logan grew more flush. "It is still my personal journal, Virgil."

Virgil couldn't help but throw his head back in laughter. "Yeah, I know. I get it, you're trusting me with this. I'm not gonna tell anyone, I promise." He glanced back down and flipped a few more pages until the format changed. "I'm kind of disappointed in you. This is kind of boring, I was expecting more, I guess." He glanced up. "You thought my power was teleportation?"

"The quick glance I got when I found you didn't reveal much because I was only looking, not prying. I did wish to respect your boundaries. My observations seemed that you could just randomly appear. To be honest, I still don't know how they quite work. You've only taken the other two through a demonstration once before."

Virgil flipped slowly through the rest of the journal. "Yeah, not really my style. Stopping time is nervewracking enough. Don't really want to go messing with it." He got to the end and closed the book before placing it on the table. "It's a lot of nonsense and theories, not what I was expecting. You could have just asked after we all found out."

"I have with Roman and we did that alcohol test on the roof. Patton has and we sorted out he was an empath. I've asked you and you declined my offer."

Virgil shrugged and picked up a DVD. "Don't know how things can change, right? I don't know what is and is not a fixed point. Things happen for a reason."

"That's rather counterproductive to your way of thinking." Virgil shot him a confused look and stopped reading the back of the DVD. "You don't believe in fate or destiny but you have been given the power to change and you feel it is not your place."

Virgil looked down at the table and placed the DVD down before leaning back. "Do you remember that episode where the Tenth Doctor goes to Mars? The Doctor changed a fixed point to save people even when he shouldn't and people still died. Then he realized he was in the wrong the whole time."

"That was not the point of the episode, Virgil. He saved people, yes, but he overstepped his bounds and abused his power." Logan leaned forward and laced his hands together. "I'm not saying go around and change everything you don't like. You let Roman go back and save someone and nothing bad came of it. Do you regret that?"

"No." Virgil sighed deeply and covered his face. "Of course not, but I can't guarantee it will always be like that."

"Of course not, but that is the same of everyday life is it not?" Logan stood and grabbed a case and opened it. "I'm merely pointing out a flaw in your logic, take from that what you will."

Silence fell until Virgil suddenly stood and strode into the kitchen, leaving Logan confused in his chair. He stood and placed down the disk case and followed. "Is everything alright?"

Virgil spun around and looked up at him. "I'm being an idiot."

"False, I'm sure whatever you are or were thinking is valid, Virgil."

"No, like..." Virgil rubbed the side of his nose and looked away. "I forgive you a bit about what happened, I guess. I can understand why you did it, even if I can't completely trust you. It's just..." He looked up and shifted uncomfortably. "Trust goes two ways and I've never tried reaching out towards you. Now that I have, you make sense, but I'm still anxious about the idea..."

"Virgil." Logan held his hands up as a sign of peace. "Whatever it is, we can just talk about it. I understand you keep people away. We can sit down and talk about this while watching tv if that helps."

Virgil spun around to face the wall and Logan let his arms drop. He saw Virgil glance over his shoulder and shake his head, muttering to himself. "Don't make me regret this, pocket protector."

"Regret what, may I ask?"

"Think of a happy place." Virgil suddenly slammed his eyes shut as Logan looked on confused.

Then stumbled forward, catching himself as Virgil held him up. "Welcome, nerd."

Logan blinked and stood up, noticing the distinct lack of sound. "Did you stop time?" Logan turned and saw the spot where he broke free. "Oh. Is that the portal you've spoken about?" He walked passed and stopped in the living room, glancing at the clock. "Oh, this is fascinating!" He turned to Virgil who tried not looking too terribly smug. "You didn't have to do this."

"Just a quick trip wouldn't hurt." He shrugged and motioned back toward the kitchen. "I don't like freezing time too long, we still age and everything."

"We do? How old are you really then?" Virgil shrugged and walked away. "How long have you spent in stopped time?"

"You really expect me to be able to measure time when time is frozen?" Virgil stopped in front of the portal Logan had made. "I have a terrible sense of time, I set alarms on my phone for absolutely everything." He slowly raised his hand. "So, where did you think of when we stopped time, hmm?"

Virgil stuck a hand through and saw it didn't come out the other side. "Is that how the portal dictates where to go? I'm not sure what I was thinking of."

"I said think of your happy place." Virgil carefully took a step and leaned forward before pulling himself out with the biggest smile Logan had ever seen on him. "Oh, Logan. How interesting."

Confused, Logan approached the ripple and Virgil stepped through, causing him to follow. He blinked and looked around, recognizing the area immediately. "The library? True, I guess the quiet atmosphere mixed with the access to knowledge is a happy place for me."

Virgil nudged Logan and pointed across the room, where Patton could be seen sorting through books, frozen in time. "The staff is friendly too, I hear."

"A coincidence, I assure you. If I was here for Patton, would we not have appeared closer to him?"

"I don't believe in coincidences."

Logan looked over at Virgil as a smile spread across his face. "I suggest you stop this senseless taunting or I'll have to return it," Logan teased.

Letting out a snort, Virgil looked back towards Patton without a second thought. "What can you do?" Virgil shot back in a lighthearted challenging tone.

"Virgil, you can't really be daring me to..." He turned and saw Logan standing there, eyes wide with confusion. "This doesn't make sense."

"Think of it as a thank you for letting me read that journal. I want to trust you, so take the chance while I'm offering. Just don't go digging around in there."

Logan stared down Virgil, looking for any sign of a trick before he blinked and his eye lit up. "I swear he better hurry, I'm not a patient person. Oh, he actually did it. Wait, don't think about anything embarrassing." Logan blinked and his eyes returned to normal. "That was only surface level, I can go deeper."

Surprisingly, Virgil let out a laugh and shoved Logan back, watching him disappear into nothingness that was the other side of the portal before following through. "I never outright said you could read my thoughts."

"You certainly implied it! Surface level thoughts are nothing. Now, if I wanted to find out if you had a secret or what you truly felt about someone, I could. However, I did not."

"Better not or I'll tell Patton about the love letter in your diary."

"There is no love letter."

"Exactly," Virgil smirked and laughed in an evil tone. "The damage would have already been done."

"You are insufferable sometimes."

Virgil squeezed his eyes shut. "Prepare yourself, the Earth is going to start rotating again."

Without a second to respond, time started up again and Logan stumbled back, barely catching himself. Logan stood up and pushed back the frames of his glasses as they threatened to slide off. "That certainly is a jolt."

Virgil walked away as if nothing had happened. "So, you still up for some Doctor Who?"

Patton returned home and saw Logan and Virgil sitting on the couch together. Virgil looked up and smiled, reaching for the remote and pausing whatever they had been watching. "How was work, Pat?"

"It was fine. Lots of organizing, lots of books. Same old." He crossed his arms and smiled. "You two seem to be getting along better."

"Virgil realized that he hadn't been as open as he should have been after my apologies and we tried making amends."

"Still not completely sold but I get it, at least." Virgil elbowed the other in the side. "We have made a wonderful discovery today."

"Oh?" Patton perked up. "What did you learn?"

"The uncanny resemblance of Roman to one Captain Jack at times."

Virgil snorted out a laugh and hunched over chuckling. "They're both so dramatic and flirt with everything."

"You could say they are both 'extra'."

Virgil laughed harder and playfully pushed Logan away. "Don't try and be 'hip', it sounds wrong coming from you."

"Well, I for one am excited you two got along!" Patton clapped happily.

"We should stop here." Virgil stood up from the couch. "I believe it's my night for dinner, so I should get started."

"I would be more than happy to help." Logan shut off the tv. "I am rather enjoying your company." They walked into the kitchen and Logan leaned forward to whisper. "The other two can be a bit carefree, it's nice to be able to talk to someone more grounded."

Roman arrived home and announced his presence as he walked into the kitchen. Logan froze from placing a plate down as Virgil spun around from the stove. Suddenly, Virgil took a step back and covered his mouth, snickering. Logan soon joined and both burst out laughing.

"What is so funny?" Logan was the first to stifle his laughter as Virgil took a breath to calm down.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Virgil spun back around and continued cooking.

Roman huffed and looked over at Logan, shooting him a confused glance that went unanswered. "I'm not the mind reader here, but if everything is going okay, then I'm not one to complain."

"Ohh!" Patton walked in and clapped his hands together. "That's a nifty idea! Roman, if you could have any superpower-"

"Patton." Roman placed a hand on Patton's shoulder, holding him down in place. "You need to relax and remember that we actually have superpowers."

"I know that, silly! What would you do if you could swap yours with any of ours, though?"

Roman looked back at Logan and Virgil with a thoughtful look. "Huh. Guess I hadn't thought about it."

"Can not having a power be an option?" Virgil turned off the stove. "It's too stressful, I'd honestly rather not."

"That is a rather interesting idea." Logan looked around with a thoughtful look, hand on his chin. "Either one of yours holds benefits I wouldn't mind having."

"Psh, you'd take Virgil's powers and run off to explore the world." Roman shot him a knowing look. "All the time and none of the travel sounds perfect, wouldn't mind it myself."

"This is why I'm thankful neither of you has my powers." Virgil shoved his hands in his pockets. "You're too reckless, the world would burn."

"You can just stop time, think of Paris, and walk through. How is that dangerous?"

Virgil rolled his eyes at Roman. "Exactly. How could showing up in the middle of another country with no proof of how I got there to be dangerous?" Roman make a face at Virgil who just stuck his tongue out as a response.

"I like my power, but I wouldn't mind swapping with Logan!" Patton pointed over to the other. "I'd be able to make friends with everyone and no shelf would be too high!" His face fell a bit. "Dunno if I'd like peeking at everyone's thoughts, though."

"It's a lot better after you learn how to turn it off." Logan looked over at Roman. "Yours would be useful, seeing as you seem to generate a source of energy. I find that to be quite useful."

"Yeah, I-wait! I am not just a battery, excuse you!"

"If I had no choice and had to choose..." Virgil glanced around the room before he pointed. "Patton."

"Aww, can you imagine more than one Virgil? That would be the best!"

Virgil huffed and tried hiding in his hoodie while looking away. Roman made a noise of disgust. "One is enough, Patton, thank you."

"Aww, and here I thought I was your Alfred." Virgil headed down the hall. "I even sketched out ideas for your costume. Just need the go-ahead to start working on it."

Roman was practically bouncing when Virgil walked back with a notepad in his hands, flipping through until he stopped and turned it around. Roman reached out and grabbed it, gasping in excitement. "Oh wow, you... can really draw! This is magnificent!"

"It's nothing, focus on the design."

"It's even more princely than before! I look like you plucked me from a Disney Studio!"

Virgil shrugged off the compliments as nonchalant as he could. "Yeah, well, a bit of cleverly placed cording and a little touching up, easy work."

"I can not wait, thank you, Virgil! I can get it for you right away."

"AFTER we eat, you two!" Patton perked up. "Food is important!"

Roman handed back the notepad and they eagerly set the table, not nearly as silent or awkward as the night before.

Virgil hopped off the bus and tucked his hands back into his pockets to hide from the chill of the morning. Making his way down to the little shop tucked away, he had awoken on edge after his relaxing night and couldn't quite figure out why. He shook it off and drank his coffee, knowing it wouldn't help his mood but he found it necessary for his early morning shifts. The wind picked up and he continued his pace, holding back the shiver that tried to overcome him. It wasn't too terribly cold, but he felt like he was waiting for something bad to happen.

Some days were like this and it was best to take them in stride. When he turned the corner and saw a cop car lit up just down the road, he could practically hear the sound of something falling in his head.

He picked up the pace and jogged down the street, the sense of dread increasing a bit before he saw the officer talking to the owners turn around and look up at him.

"Virgil! I didn't realize it had gotten to be so late." The man looked up at the officer and sighed. "I'm afraid we're closed for the day."

"W-what happened?"

"Break in." The officer spoke, turning his attention to Virgil. "Late last night. Alarm when off around 3 am, you know anything about this?"

"No, he works here. He's a great kid." The man spoke again to the officer. "I haven't called to tell him not to show, sorry."

"Is everyone okay?"

His boss nodded and let out a sigh. "We have to assess the damage inside and see where we stand financially. I'll call and let you know when you can come back to work. I'm sorry."

"No." Virgil shook his head, looking into the poorly lit shop. "It's not your fault. I hope it's not too bad."

"We can only hope, thank you."

Virgil nodded and said his goodbyes, turning and walking back towards the bus stop. He had a bit until the next one came through, causing him to think back. He needed this job, yeah, but who would break into a craft store in the middle of the night? The bus pulled up and he automatically approached and took a seat, still lost in thought. It was early and the bus was fairly empty. He grabbed a window seat at the front and watched the city fly by. He sat up, determined, and watched as his usual stop vanished, not tugging on the cord to alert the driver to stop. He had an idea, and he was going to need help.

Roman was shocked to see Virgil standing on the stage, standing tall with a look of determination cross his face. "Virgil? I thought you had work."

"I need a favor, Princey."

"Right now? I don't have the time, can it wait or is it important?"

Virgil shook his head. "Time isn't important right now."

Roman looked baffled and glanced around carefully. "Are you serious? What happened?" He walked up and grabbed Virgil's shoulder, directing him to the backstage. "Is everything okay?"

"My job got broken into last night." Roman gasped at the revelation. "They are good people, Roman. I need Princey to help them, they don't deserve this."

"You realize what you're asking me, right? You've been against this since the first time I mentioned it."

"I trust you." Virgil shuffled his feet and glanced away. "I'm trying to trust people more, but I know that when it comes down to it, I trust you, Ro."

"Ro?" Roman smirked devilishly at the other. "You're warming up to me, Virge. Better be careful, people might think we're friends."

"Shut it." Virgil smiled and playfully pushed Roman. "So, you up for it or not?"

"Of course I am! I'm not one to ignore a cry for help!"

"I didn't cry-"

"Just lead the way and let's get me suited up!" Virgil turned to walk away before Roman grabbed his shoulder once more. "Wait! You were fixing up my costume, I don't have it!"

"Roman. Portals. I can get it from my room, though it's not done. I did stop at a good spot last night with it."

Roman brought them to an empty spot in the theater and hid them from view. "Okay. I need you to think of my bedroom while I think about the crime scene, it's the fastest way to do this, alright?"

"Oh, Virgil." Roman placed a hand on his chest and fanned himself with the other. "Us in your room so soon?"

"What?" Virgil felt the blood rush to his face. "No, shut up." Roman laughed at him. "Now focus."

"Alright, alright, I promise." Virgil took a deep breath and Roman shouted. "Wait!"

"Gah, warn a guy, Princey. What's wrong?"

Roman bit his lip and looked away. "Could we perhaps do this later today, not right now?"

"Wha- but... you just promised!"

Roman looked over his shoulder to see if they had gained any unwanted attention. "Look, I still will do this, it's just... it doesn't feel right." He looked back down at Virgil with a sincere look. "I want to make sure that this is what you want. You just found out what happened and this is the first thing you did, right? You need to think it through more."

Virgil got ready to shout before shaking his head and sighing. "Fine! Meet me back home and we'll do this if you're so sure."

In an instant, Virgil disappeared, causing Roman to flinch. He reached for his phone and pulled it out, sending a quick text.

'I promise.'

Virgil was pacing the apartment when Logan returned from work. "Are you quite alright?"

"No." Virgil stopped and spun around. "My job got broken into and in a rash decision I asked Roman to go back in time to stop it and he said yes but wanted me to think about it more so now I'm just anxious and worried-"

"Virgil!" Logan raced forward and grabbed the other's arm loosely. "Breathe, take it slow."

Virgil took a few shallow breaths before one decent one, nodding his head. "Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts there. Kind of like a downward spiral."

"I understand, Virgil. I also understand what you were saying if a bit rushed. How do you feel now?"

Virgil shrugged and pulled his arm back, hugging himself a bit. "I'm glad he told me to think about it, but I kind of... still want him to? Like you said, I can take a risk and that doesn't mean the end of the world."

"Only do what you are comfortable with, you don't have to push yourself." Logan waited for a response but got a nod before smiling. "Good. I'll be in the kitchen with a crossword puzzle, feel free to come and talk if you need."

Virgil walked off into his room and played music to distract himself, working more on Roman's costume. He was altering the sash a bit when the door cracked open, bringing his attention off of his project. Roman's meticulously flawless head of hair popped in and he smiled, motioning him to remove his headphones.

"You still mad at me?"

Virgil finished what he was doing and flattened out the sash. "I'm not mad, you had a point. I wasn't thinking it through."

Roman nodded and kept a straight face. "So, you feeling more like yourself?"

Virgil got off the bed and stood up, tossing the jacket over to Roman. "We're doing this, Princey."

Roman caught it and perked up, running off to change. Virgil exited his room and saw Logan sitting at the table engrossed in a crossword. He looked up and saw Roman re-enter, masquerade mask covering his face and costume fully on in record time.

Logan stood up and walked into the living room. "I want no part in this."

"You're just jealous because I'm beautiful." Roman mocked and puffed out his chest, turning towards the darker dressed roommate. "I can tell you're not done but it's coming along nicely! I like the new shoulders, I should definitely get a logo though."

"You're still a dork, but I appreciate this, Roman. I don't know too much other than it was late last night, some time close to three in the morning according to the cop. I can bring you around the corner but don't make me wait too long. If nothing happens or it's too late, just come back."

"Got it!"

Logan shook his head and took a spot on the chair and glanced back down at his crossword. The front door creaked open and he glanced down at the entrance as a head poked through.

"Psst, Logan. Have I left yet?" Logan looked down at Roman as he peeked in, mask removed and hair more disheveled then he could ever recall. Logan leaned back in the chair and turned to look into the kitchen, seeing a more energetic and put together Roman talking to Virgil. He turned back and quietly shook his head. "Am I leaving yet?"

"Good luck, Princey." Logan looked back to see Virgil close his eyes, and Roman disappeared. Suddenly, Virgil was pacing frantically, hands running through his hair. "Damn it, Roman!"

Logan stood up and looked over at Roman confused as he entered the apartment. "Virgil?"

"Logan!" Virgil practically ran at the other. "I screwed up, Roman never came back. This is all my fault."

"It is not, Virgil, calm yourself." Roman approached, keeping his voice quiet. "I am afraid I must apologize."

"Roman!" Virgil ran forward, hugging the other. Before Roman could react, he pulled back and punched him hard in the arm. "You jackass! Do you know how long I waited for you? Oh wait, I don't, because time was stopped!"

Roman rubbed his arm. "Ow, that hurt! Last time I was punched it didn't hurt nearly that bad, what do you eat?"

"You've been punched before?" Logan inquired.

Virgil grit his teeth. "Roman!"

"Alright, sorry!" He walked over the couch and practically collapsed. "It was my fault, I found the culprit and stopped them before they got too far in and took anything. I chased them out and down the street, but I got lost. When I got back, the cops were there and I couldn't find the portal."

"So you've been doing what exactly since I've waited for you? Walked around? Couldn't tell me you were okay?"

Roman threw his hands into the air. "You're always talking about keeping safe and not messing with the flow of things, so I kept my distance and waited for the moment I disappeared to come back." Roman leaned forward and sighed, lowering his voice. "Virgil, I'm sorry, I really am. I know you trusted me with this and I blew it." He looked up and Virgil huffed. "I have good news, though."

"Oh yeah?"

"Guess who found the fifth mysterious person while walking around town today?"

"You know who it is?" Logan tensed up at the exclamation.

"What? No, I said I found him, not that I knew him. Total accident mind you, but perhaps we should wait for Patton before discussing all this?"

Virgil walked over and punched Roman's arm once more. "Don't freak me out like that, Princey."

"Ow!" Roman rubbed his arm. "Aw, you do care. I knew you liked me."

"Shut it!" Virgil stormed out of the room. "Let me know when Patton gets back. I need to be alone right now."

Roman looked out towards the entryway and turned to Logan. "He's cute when he's angry." Logan raised an eyebrow at the statement. "Not like that! Like an angry declawed kitten or something!" Logan made no comment and Roman huffed in annoyance. "Whatever, shut it!"

"Of course, whatever you say Roman."

Chapter 11>> Tag list: @cyberpunkjinx @phlying-squirrel @equipodeleo @ace-anx

#sanders sides #sander sides au #sanders sides fic #sanders sides fanfic #sander sides #superpower au #slice of life au #practicality fic

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imagineproduce101 · 6 years

Text

Passion Ch. 7

*previously titled ‘Can’t Remember to Forget You*

Ever since you accidentally spilled your lunch on Im Youngmin, the popular chaebol senior with money and fame, he’s seemed to hate you. However, when some odd photos of the two of you arguing appear in a tabloid, he has a solution as to how you can make up for it– pretend to be his girlfriend.

high school au + fake dating au

same universe/basic timeline as let me love you

ch one | ch 6 | ch 8

As summer officially started, you found yourself going on a number of dates with Youngmin—fake date, of course. You’d gone to different restaurants around the city, gone on a group date with a few of Youngmin’s friends, and taken Daehwi to the zoo. Through it all, you realized that Youngmin wasn’t a shitty person on the inside, he just tried to act like a shitty person, and that was something that you still didn’t understand, nor was it something that you were planning on excusing him for.

The group date with Youngmin’s friends had, unsurprisingly, been a trainwreck. His friends were loud, obnoxious, and you could tell that Youngmin was getting more and more irritated at their crass remarks.

Taking Daehwi to the zoo was a much more pleasant affair. Daehwi, of course, was delighted to go somewhere with the two of you, skipping happily as he clutched onto both of your hands. It was nice to get an afternoon off of dancing and working in the grocery store, and Daehwi’s wide smiles and gasps at the various animals made it even better.

Youngmin was also starting his internship soon. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t talk very much about it. You had been sitting at an outdoor table at the zoo, across from Youngmin, when you brought it up.

“So, when does your internship start?” You asked casually, watching Daehwi jump down from a rather large rock.

Youngmin glanced over at you, and then back down at the frozen yogurt cup he had been holding for Daehwi. “Couple days, actually.”

Your lips curled up into a half-smile, surprised at yourself for even caring. What had this world come to? “You nervous?”

“Nah,” Youngmin’s eyes darted over to you again, and you could tell he was lying. The two of you remained in silence for a little while longer, both of you knowing full well how worried he was. You didn’t have to hear from Youngmin about this internship; everyone from school was already talking about it. It was the Samsung internship, the one that streamlined high school graduates into management positions, or even higher.

Knowing how important and nervewracking the internship was, you were surprised to hear from Nayoung that Youngmin’s parents were leaving for a business trip to Japan the weekend before he started. Then again, you weren’t really that surprised.

As you settled down to get some sleep before an early shift in the grocery store, you glanced over at your phone.

To: im ym

Good luck tmrw

With a sigh, knowing you’d done the right thing, you rolled over.

You hadn’t even closed your eyes for a few seconds before your cell phone started ringing. Without checking the caller ID, you held the phone up to your ear.

“Yes?”

“(y/n),” Youngmin said breathlessly, “(y/n), it’s, it’s Daehwi, he, he—“

“Woah, Youngmin,” you sat up in bed, alarmed at Youngmin’s voice. You don’t think you’d ever heard the boy so distraught. “Take a deep breath and then tell me.” You heard Youngmin take in a shaky breath.

“It’s Daehwi,” Youngmin repeated, “he, he has a fever, and says his stomach hurts, and that he might throw up, and (y/n), I have no idea what to do, my step-mom isn’t here, and I’m at home by myself, and Daehwi won’t stop crying.”

“Hey, Youngmin, it’s gonna be okay,” you said quickly, keeping your phone to your ear as you clambered out of bed, yanking a few things into a large bag that had been lying on your floor, “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, (y/n),” Youngmin sighed, “I should get back to Daehwi.”

“Deep breaths, Youngmin,” you reminded him, “if you feel like you’re getting panicky, call me again, okay?”

“Yeah,” Youngmin replied. You could just imagine him nodding, and you shook your head. You were moving so quickly to get some flu and cough medication into your bag, along with a change of clothes that you didn’t have time to think fully about the situations, or its implications. You dashed out of your house, hurriedly flagging down a taxi.

When you finally arrived at Youngmin’s house, you could faintly hear Daehwi’s sobs.

“He’s miserable, (y/n),” Youngmin whispered, looking down at you with a pained expression, looking just as miserable. You nodded, following Youngmin into Daehwi’s room.

“Hey, Daehwi,” you smiled, going to carefully push the hair out of Daehwi’s eyes. He definitely had a fever, if his burning forehead and flushed cheeks said anything.

“Noona?” Daehwi peered up at you, sniffling, “I feel like I’m on fire, noona, can you make it go away? My stomach really hurts too.”

“Do you feel like you might throw up still?” You asked, concerned. It sounded like he might have caught the flu. Daehwi nodded, whimpering. “Okay, I’m going to give you some flu medicine, if that’s okay with you? It’s just for kids, so the dosage will be alright.”

You looked at Youngmin, just to make sure that he was alright with it as well.

“I know how to swallow pills,” Daehwi said, still trying to make you and Youngmin proud, even though he was sick. Youngmin grinned, having appeared with a glass of water. Daehwi gulped down the medicine, wincing at the taste of it, before curling up underneath his blanket.

“It’ll start working in about 20 minutes,” you told the small boy, who nodded sleepily.

“Do you want some tea or anything? Some soup?” You asked, ruffling Daehwi’s hair.

“Some tea, if it’s not a trouble,” Daehwi murmured, clearly close to sleep. You nodded, getting up. Youngmin and you headed to the kitchen.

As you started boiling some water, you realized something, turning away from the stove suddenly

“Hey Youngmin—“

Your eyes widened as your body nearly slammed into Youngmin’s. He’d been walking towards you to hand you a tea bag, and as you narrowly missed crashing into him, his arm darted out to steady you, hand firm on your waist. The two of you stood there, your eyes wide as you realized just how close your body was to his. You could feel the warmth radiating off of him, and was acutely aware of the sharp inhale of his breath.

“Careful,” Youngmin murmured, before gently placing the teabag into your hand. As you turned to make a cup of tea, you couldn’t help but notice how cold you felt.

Silently, you finished up the cup of tea and hurried into Daehwi’s room. He had already fallen asleep, breathing peacefully, and you smiled at the sight, setting the mug down on his nightstand. When you went back to the kitchen, Youngmin was pulling the rice cooker out from underneath the sink, yawning.

“Wait, Youngmin,” you called, frowning, “isn’t tomorrow the first day of your internship?”

Youngmin looked over at you in confusion, “yeah, why?”

“Youngmin, it’s already midnight,” you exclaimed, taking the rice cooker from him, “you should go to sleep, really. I can make you something quick for lunch, but you should get rest for your big day.”

Youngmin stared at you for a few more seconds, the heavy look that made your stomach turn with a strange feeling. Finally, he sighed, a small smile dancing on his lips before trudging off to the bathroom.

You started on making the rice, thinking over everything that had happened that night. You tried to assure yourself that the reason you’d raced to the Im household so quickly was for Daehwi’s sake, but a small part of you knew that it had something to do with the tinge of desperation in Youngmin’s voice when he had called you.

“(y/n).”

You looked up at the sound of your name, and that same weird tug in your stomach made you feel like you’d just run three miles uphill. Youngmin was in a loose t-shirt and sweats, hair damp from a quick shower. He shot you a smile, holding up a new toothbrush package.

“Thank you, for everything,” he said quietly as you picked up the toothbrush up, murmuring a quiet thanks. “I-I know that things have a bit strange lately, but I really appreciate it.” You ducked your head, trying to hide your quickly reddening cheeks. It was that damn stare of his, the quiet, weighted one, that always seemed to make you blush.

“It’s—“ you cleared your throat, cheeks reddening even more. Youngmin’s lips twitched up into a tiny grin. “It’s no trouble, don’t worry about it.”

Youngmin paused, looking at you for a beat more before smiling fully, “good night, (y/n).”

“Night, Youngmin.”

teehee are those feelings i see being caught hmmm

im on winter break i will rise and finally write! also maybe if the gods are willing i will finish this damn story before the new year.

#produce 101 #produce 101 imagine #produce 101 fanfiction #produce 101 scenario #im youngmin #im youngmin imagine #im youngmin scenario #im youngmin fanfiction #mxm #mxm fanfiction #mxm scenario #mxm imagine

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sableaire · 7 years

Text

Details about D.Va to Consider

So I realize that there are some things about Korean culture that people might not think of readily, so I wanted to offer a few fun thoughts and tidbits:

To recap, Hana Song aka D.Va is a teen World Starcraft Champion from the port city of Busan, famous for its beaches and Buddhist temples

At 19 years old, she is old enough drive, but the legal age is 18, so she wouldn't have had a license for long. Oh, and personal anecdote: The Korean system makes it so that you can attain your driver’s license in three days if you really wanted to. So, I have a license, but I haven’t touched a car since I got the license… which I got in three days…

Also, within Korea, Busan is known for its aggressive taxi drivers / drivers in general, aha. I did a day trip with some friends the other day and it was gorgeous, the beach was stunning, but the bus ride was... a little nervewracking...

Being from Busan, D.Va should actually have the Busan dialect, which sounds very different from Seoul dialect. Even if she can switch comfortably between the two, if she was raised with the Busan one, it’s probably going to be her default. Here’s an example of the dialect, and here’s an example of D.Va’s Korean voice actress, who is from Busan herself, doing the inflection.

Korea has mandatory military service for its men for about two years, which you can fulfill between the ages of 18 and 28. So, unless Overwatch plans to change the system in their world, D.Va is working in a military with this in place.

Dunno what Overwatch is going to do with futuristic Busan, but in Korea, if you’re super famous, you’re going to end up on a lot of pizza, fried chicken, cosmetics, and or air conditioner commercials. Each of those are links, but if you want an example of how excessive Korea can get about one person, look at this Kim Yuna compilation. That’s not even all of them - just some of the ones from the year 2016. If D.Va is recognized as a national hero and an idol simultaneously, I wouldn’t be surprised by this kind of treatment.

Further, Korean idols are held to a high standard of moral character, as they are expected to be hardworking, positive role models for children and other youths.

But seriously, I could write an essay on how celebrity culture / marketing in Korea differs. Heck, I have, for school.

More under the cut since this is getting long:

Raised in Korean culture, D.Va was probably raised placing a lot of importance on / with a lot of awareness regarding age. Even if you spend a lot of time with foreigners, it isn’t something you really outgrow, aha. She’ll likely feel more responsible toward her youngers and hold a measure of respect for all her elders.

Korean summers are made up of horror movies, spicy food, and red bean bingsoos.

Also, food-wise, D.Va will probably love white rice and miss it if she is somewhere that doesn’t have a good supply of it. She will also judge it heavily if it isn’t up to Korean standard. Same with kimchi. Same with basically all Korean food, ahaha. In her case, D.Va is from Busan, so she'd probably have strong opinions about seafood.

Oh, oh, and she's also legal to drink! The drinking age is 19!

She would eat seaweed soup on her birthday, ricecake soup on New Years (Lunar or Solar, depending on her upbringing), and celebrate Chusok in the autumn, which is a lunar harvest celebration and depending on how traditional her upbringing was, she might have helped her parents serve food to their dead ancestors on a little altar in the house. Speaking of lunar, if she checked her horoscope, she would check her Chinese Zodiac horoscope, not star signs

Whether she believes in it or not, she would have grown up in a culture in which dreams (the kind when you sleep) have great significance, where ghosts are part of cultural awareness (also her idea of a ghost would be the Korean kind, not the western), and where bloodtype personality tests are a part of popular culture.

Korean Gamer Culture Things

Just saying but like... doritos... aren't popular here... there are other chips. Korean brands. Mountain Dew is also not anyone's drink of choice, as far as I know. Often times it's just gaming while eating cup noodles with a saida, but D.Va's cute, so she probably has an image to maintain and goes for like, peppero or something... honey butter chips?? I don't eat snacks, I don't know what people my age eat here...

We have Internet Cafes! They're called PC Rooms (PC Bangs) and basically you pay hourly to have a computer and play games there, and playing in a PC bang often unlocks special buffs and or advantages in games. For example, you can play any champion in League of Legends from a PC bang. This is part of the reasons why Korea has its own game servers. D.Va could probably play in one of these places if she wants, but she'd probs get mobbed aha

There's this thing in Korea called 'mukbang' in which streamers just... film themselves eating? And they talk while doing so, and it's gotten so popular that a lot of our TV commercials are just celebrities doing that, even more so than the above linked commercials.

Korea is such a small country and the cities are so densely populated that it's pretty easy to do offline meetings.

Cellphone games are intense, aha

The fact that she's probably D.Va unni and D.Va noona to a bunch of kids or sunbae to younger/less experienced pro gamers is adorable and is a scenario to be taken advantage of

This last one's controversial, so I don’t know about this one but… she probably has parents… just saying… probably worrying… their little gamer girl off fighting giant monstrous machines… (!! She would probably use dialect with her family!)

Also, Korean culture is such that at age 19, D.Va probably still lives with her parents, if she has them. If so, it would not be surprising if her mother like, cuts fruit for her to eat while she streams a game or something.

As a closing disclaimer, I have only ever lived in Seoul, so Busan folk, feel free to correct or add things!

#D.Va #Overwatch #Hana Song #dva #korean culture #south korea #advertising #sableaire #lost in translation

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