#welcome to the sunny side of the abandoned apartment

[sparklativity]

Martin now that all of his roommates have moved out:

#joker out #martin jurkovič #welcome to the sunny side of the abandoned apartment

[astrid-sorensen]

Healing you - Joel Miller x reader

Genre : Angst, Fluff, Hurt + Comfort my favourite.

Word count : 2,040

Warnings : Established relationship, nightmares, injury, child death yk the drill. Tell me if I missed any and feedback welcome!

MASTERLIST

A long 12 years after Sarah’s death, Joel can’t seem to open up to you again. But you’re never gonna stop trying.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You woke to him pivoting your leg off to his side, leaving him just enough room to shuffle his large mass in between your legs, easing his weight down on top of you. His fingertips dug into the plane of your lower back, his skull pressed in between the bare flesh of your breasts. You began to straighten on the bed, awaiting his next move. His wavy hair a messy mop on his head as you began to lovingly comb through the ashy strands.

The dark hollow glow of your Boston apartment echoed with the eventual quiet sobs of Joel, your Joel. Agonising nights like this weren't uncommon, Joel always struggled with rest without the help of pills and brown malt liquor. And when the nightmares rolled in, he turned to you for comfort as his fatigued cries lulled himself back to sleep.

You clutched across his broad shoulders, attempting to soothe him with your words. "Shhh, I've got you. I'm here." Hot drops of his pain pooled on your skin, if you weren't so pained you'd had wiped them away. Joel wouldn't have minded, but you couldn't bring yourself to disturb him. He pressed harder into your sternum, the rhythmic thump of your beating heart grounding him. Eyes watching down as his face scrunched up tightly before softening.

The eventual soft snores of his blocked nostrils signally he had finally drifted off again. You let out a soft breath you didn't realise you were holding. God, he was in so much pain, it stunned you every time. Even though his blank stares and loss of affection had become a sort of ritual by now. Love and tenderness were an abandoned cause.

—

"Ready?" The southerner asked from where he was stood, packed and ready to go. Joel's words were few and far between, so unlike the cheery funny man you once knew back in sunny Austin. You shot him a sharp nod, tucking your trusty dagger in a leather case and into your side pocket.

You followed him out the QZ, cold benevolent rain drops pattering down on the stark city streets. You only had to skip past two soldiers before crouching through the busted wire fence, it were only a matter of time before the tear would be sealed up again. You crossed short planes of long grass and rubble terrain before entering the safety of the nearest borough, no one from the QZ would be after you now. Watching your step not to trip or slip on the muddy ground.

You trekked along, Joel's large hand falling to his side, his fingers loosing hanging. Envisioning your palms closing around each others, the heartwarming feeling of companionship. But you didn't dare establish it. You had tried many times, the forbidding shake of his arm to get you off, too painful to bare singly once more.

"Hey, Joel?"

"Yes."

"I wanna talk to you abo-"

The grooved soles of you feet were no match against the sloped grass, your boot making a sharp decline behind your front one. Pulling you down to the concrete ground you'd started from.

A burning pain shot through your knee, a squeal and grunt leaking from your lips as you moved to steady yourself on the floor. You eyes squeezed shut as you straightened your leg, the pain only intensifying. Joel had quickly jumped back down to join you sitting on the cobbles.

"We're going home now." He stated bluntly. You interjected. "It's not safe. You’re unable to walk properly."

"No, it's ok-"

Brawn branches heaved you up from your standpoint. In another life you could picture this same position, grins ear to ear as the church bells rang. Lily white petals fluttering and spinning through the air as they fell to the chapel floor. 'Just married' drawn on the back of the vehicle as you left for your honeymoon. Bliss. A utopian yet impossible bliss.

Your wrists curled around the thick trunk of his neck, the grisly hairs scratching across you skin. Tucking into his neck for better weight distribution you noticed how close you were. The deepened frown lines of his face and the golden glow of his beautiful tanned skin. The sight made you hands clammy, you don't remember the last time you gazed upon him this close. A heat spilled into the depths of your rib cage.

Back at the flat, Joel kicked open the fragile wooden door, then slammed it shut behind him. He strode into the living area, ever so compassionately plopping you upon the torn up couch. The back of your head touched the cushion, a controlled breath leaving your cracked lips at the pain.

"Still bad?" His eyebrow cocked towards you inquisitively. Your eyes shut briefly with a nod of your neck, the larger male crouching down to the floor as he decided what to do next. "Pants off." The Texan told you. Your began to shuffle out of the worn out denim, filled with thinned patches and threadbare.

He noticed your difficultly and you leaned your weight with your upper back against the furniture, his hands grabbing simultaneously at the waistband to tug down the fabric. Once you got to your knees he eased out your good leg, before doing the same to the other mercifully.

"Shit." He gruffly leaked under his breath. The swollen cup of your knee cap, red and beginning to bruise. His hands moved to the wounded limb, one pressed on the side of your thigh as the other lay on the light hair of your shin. It was worse than you had both expected. "You need'a rest."

Later, your rested your leg outstretched on the worn out mattress. “I’ve gotta finish this run. Should be back tomorrow if I’m lucky.”

“Joel?” He turned facing you. “I love you.” His nodded, eyes gazing off in a line as the words registered in his head and like that he was gone. The worst part was that night, it didn’t feel too different to normal. Empty and cold.

—

The next evening you woke to the door shutting. Quickly you turned to the bedside draw, shaky hands gripping at the handle to pull it out and fetch your dagger. The tall dark male entered, your heart pounding once more before started to go back into rhythm. “Fuck.” You heaved in shock. Joel sent you an apologetic look, emptying his pockets of his weapons and supplies before standing over the bed.

“You hungry? Cold?" Joel was curious, he had deep purple bags under his eyes and a shallow cut on his jaw. You would ask him about it later.

"No, I'm okay."

"Ok, I'll just-"

"Can you come here?" He meandered closer standing to the side of the bed as he sat into his hip. You sat up moving across so he could perch on the side, your foreheads touching as you placed a hand to his toughened cheek. You leant in, millimetres away from your lips touching — his head turned, facing away from you.

Your hand fell in rejection, the familiar crushing weight of loss cascading through you. "You won't even kiss me anymore," You let the words hang, his head tilted in what looked like guilt. Your heart ached for his love again his longing and desire. You used to be like rabbits never able to keep your mitts off of each other.

"And we haven't had sex in years." Your tears bubbled as the statements festered in the grooves of your brain. “Joel, please stop pushing me away."

"She wasn't even your daughter." You hunched away from him, the stinging sharp torture of your knee paling in comparison to the sentence just uttered. You lower lip dropped in shock, unable to fathom how he could muster such a thing.

"You knew how close I was to her. I spent years getting to know her and looking after her! How dare you!" His jaw tightened, still not daring to look at your furious expression. "I know your mourning her! I am too! But you don't know how it feels to mourn someone whose hasn't even died!" The words stung the brunette like an angry wasp.

"Baby-"

"No, Joel. Don't.” Mumbled words slipped through your teeth. “I can't take this anymore, I miss you so much. I just wish I could make you happy."

"You do make me happy." Joel commented. His eyes scanned down to see a small silver chain hung around the supple skin of your throat. A small diamond heart pendant hung from the jewellery.

Joel gifted it to you for your birthday one year after a lovely romantic dinner at your favourite restaurant of course. He’d paid Tommy to look after Sarah that night, leaving you enough time to have a long hot bubble bath with some red wine. Joel was joint at your hip that day, always a hand on you whether it be holding your hand, around your waist or shoulders or resting softly on your thigh.

You were like a drug to him, he was hooked. Smothering you in kisses and heartfelt confession of his love. Making your next sentence a torturing wake up call.

"You can't even look at me anymore.”

"No, no." His body spun from where he was sat, leaping over you til your frame was trapped inside his larger one. His hand cocooned the back of you head, keeping you pressed into him. He squeezed you tightly before pulling back his hands drilling into the sides of your face to look at him. "I love you. I love you so much.”

There was a deep desperation in his face his eyes hollowing out your soul and pleading with your heart. You lip wobbled, the loving man of your past shining through with the exception of his pitiful distress. Eyes falling down to his small chapped lips, he knew what you were after. Hesitantly, he gave in.

Flesh on flesh, his warm mouth joined your own, a searing kiss coveting everything he was trying to say. It was forceful, not enough for you to pull back, but just enough for you to place a hand on the puffed up plane of his chest. He moved his lips against your a few more times before pulling back.

“I just feel like I’ve lost everything. We were so happy, you me and Sarah.”

"I'm sorry,” Joel began, “I'm so selfish. I didn't even realise I was neglectin' you." You swallowed hard, savouring the dark honey taste of him on your lips. "I can't begin to make it up to you, but I'll promise I'll try." Offered the male. “Don't you cry now, you'll set me off." A small smile cracked onto your face. “You need’a get some sleep, you look tired.”

“I am.” You agreed. Joel walked around the bed, pulling back the blankets and getting in beside you. You snuggled up into his side, his arm protectively cuddling around you. Pulling you into closer to his flannel clad skin. His other hand clutched your head, tender stroking his hand over your dirty tangled hair.

Joel watched your eyelids close, your long lashes resting on your plush cheeks. It brought him back to the days back when. Back when you’d cuddle up on his living room couch, Sarah sat on the floor doing her homework with the TV on.

He’d knew in that moment you were it for him. He’d never leave your side. He wanted you in every way another person could have someone. Loved and cherished. Devoted and loyal.

“Your still just as beautiful as the day we met.” Words whispered into the cold air. Clouded with red light shooting through the bed sheet covered windows.

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m not. You’re the only woman I’ll ever love.” There was wretched plea coating his tongue. “I miss touching you.”

“You have me.”

That night you both slept like a baby. The tall brunette crushing you back into his chest as his limbs glued your skin together. He lay the shyest of kisses to the back of your neck, shoulder and head. One hand brushed along the skin of your hip. Whispering sweet nothings as he pacified you to sleep. "Shhh, I've got you sweetheart. I'm here.”

#joel miller fluff #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller angst #joel miller #the last of us fluff #joel the last of us #the last of us fanfiction #joel miller blurb #tlou joel miller #joel miller imagine #joel miller x reader #joel miller oneshot #pedro pascal fluff #pedro pascal angst #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #joel miller x you #pedro pascal x you

[thedovesaredying]

Monsters in the Dark | Nikto x Reader | Part 2

Second chapter of the Cowboy!Nikto AU. Written from the POV of Nikto this time. A reminder once again that there's a prologue and "part 1" is only the first full chapter. The original cowboy AU is owned and created by @ghouljams.

A/N: I'm a day late on my estimation for when it would be done, but life decided to get me sick, busy with uni work, and put one of my legs completely out of action. I also realized about 3 husbandry manuals deep into my research that the chapter would be a bit too long if I included that much information. Instead, the info will be sprinkled in among the next few chapters.

Warnings: Sputnik being a silly girl.

Masterlist: CoD Masterlist

First | Prev | Next

The weather is downright miserable. While one might assume the worst weather would be torrential rain or unforgiving hail, Nikto is firmly of the belief that there’s nothing worse than a hot, sunny day. It’s hard enough to be constantly covered from head to toe, but to then add on the Texan sun beating down at its full strength? He’s certain he’ll be nothing more than a puddle of sweat by the end of the day.  

At least Sputnik seems to be enjoying the disgusting temperatures. She’s running around the front of the property, completely unfazed by the heat. She welcomes it, in fact, using it as the perfect excuse to paddle into the large dam for a cool swim at the day’s warmest.  

Her paws are caked with mud and grass, so much to her sadness she’s been barred from entering the house, forced to wait until she’s dried off and all the muck has fallen off of her paws. If she’s still dirty by the end of the day then a quick hosing down will be in order, but she’ll likely consider that a fun game too.  

For now, she’s content to lay stretched out on the porch, her side rapidly rising and falling as she pants.  

The weather isn’t the only thing that’s miserable, however. Nikto’s mood has been foul ever since his forced trip into town for new supplies. A certain hyena had decided that she was bored while her owner was away and had decided to chew a rather large hole in the wall of the shed.  

The hole was easily large enough for her to climb through and so, after having already spent most of the day hard at work, Nikto was forced to leave for the only hardware store in town. Some new planks of wood and a hammer not riddled with rust later, and he’s reminded of the invoice he received the vet clinic a few days prior and has also yet to pay for.  

He’s not quite sure what possessed him to go to the clinic in person, but he was disappointed regardless with what greeted him. The receptionist was painfully cheery and seemed determined to dig into his business with her endless questions. He’d left feeling completely drained from only a single conversation with the woman. You hadn’t been there. He can’t fathom why that annoys him so much.  

The hole in the shed was simple enough to fix, even under the intensity of the sweltering heat, but the issue of Sputnik remains.  

Clearly, he can’t leave her unattended for several hours at a time just for work. She’s never had to entertain herself in such an environment and clearly, it’s stressing her out being without her only packmate. She requires both social interaction and physical activity, but above all of that, needs mental stimulation.  

Like a toddler left without a guardian, Sputnik has decided that she can tear apart the house and garden while unattended. Plants have been torn out of the ground, wooden structures gnawed to bits, and most concerningly, large holes dug along the fence line.  

The situation is far from ideal, but Nikto does not abandon his own. He isn’t like those bastards at the CIA who are willing to leave those loyal to them knowing full well they will perish without help. He made that decision a long time ago, and Sputnik’s very name is a tribute to that.  

It was only three years ago, but it felt like eons. It started with a small enemy group hidden deep within the South African wilderness who were utilising spotted hyenas as guard animals. Nikto and his team had cut through the animals both outside and inside the building, even the ones hidden away in the basement below. 

In the end, only a single cub remained; a tiny girl still nestled up against the steadily cooling body of her mother. She couldn’t have been more than a week or two of age, bright eyed as all hyena newborns are, and covered in scraggly fur.  

The other men on the team planned on putting the animal out of her misery, but the sight gave Nikto pause. She was small and defenceless, and abandoned by her cowardly handlers to be killed by their enemy. It was a story he couldn’t help but find familiar. Picking up the infant, she snuggles into his vest, completely trusting of him despite not having known him for more than a few seconds.  

She whines and licks at him as he tucks her into his shirt, safe and warm pressed up against scarred skin. No one says a word, when he leaves the compound with the cub and boards the waiting helicopter for the trip back to base.  

His first thought was to name her Laika, but that name seemed a little too common for his taste, and so he chose Sputnik, the name of Laika’s space capsule and eventual tomb. A tribute to yet another stray who was left behind by those who should have protected her.  

Sputnik would not suffer the same fate; she would never be disregarded like a broken toy thrown into the trash. She’s good, she’s loyal, she trusts Nikto unconditionally. Destroying a bit of property would never be a reason to break that trust.  

Instead, he presses dial on your number and holds his phone to his ear. He’s been thinking it over for several minutes, finger hovering over the button with your contact listed, before forcing himself to press it. For a long while it rings and he’s about to give up when you finally answer with a bright greeting to whoever is on the other side.  

He grunts out your name, listening as you happily chirp his own back at him in return. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” you ask. He can hear the soft rumbling of a car’s engine in the background and can only assume you’re driving somewhere.  

“I require... assistance,” he says after a long pause, letting the conversation drift into silence. While it isn’t necessarily help he’s asking for, it still rankles deeply that he isn’t solving the issue alone. He despises being indebted to anyone for anything, but for some reason he doesn’t get the feeling you’re out to acquire favours from anyone. You’re a professional merely doing what you’re trained for and nothing more. He can admire that.  

“What can I help you with? Is Sputnik alright?” You sound so genuinely concerned about her, so much so that it sounds like you almost drop your phone.  

He glances down at the hyena laying happily at his feet, panting up at him with a broad grin. “She is fine,” he confirms, catching the relieved sigh you let out, “it is behavioural issues she is dealing with.”  

You make a soft sound, clearly intrigued, “well, I’m on the road at the moment heading toward my next appointment, but I should have time to drop in to your place in a few hours. Will you be around then?”  

“да,” he hums, “we will be here.”  

“Perfect! I’ll be there in a few,” you confirm, and after offering an acknowledging grunt, he ends the call.  

He goes to pocket the phone but pauses, glancing at your number. Mulling it over for a good long while, he selects the number and adds it to his contacts. There’s only two other people there, one of them his current workplace and the other one of his old acquaintances from before even his time in KorTac.  

A rather dramatic huff from Sputnik draws his attention from staring at his phone, and he watches her with hidden amusement as she rolls over onto her stomach. She looks up at him with big, sad eyes and a pathetic whine. When he merely rolls his eyes at her she playfully snaps her teeth in his direction.  

“Я не знал, что ты такая королева драмы,” he growls back, curling the undamaged part of his lip at her.  

The hyena, fortunately, can tell he’s still joking despite his deadpan tone and leaps to her feet with a delighted cackle. She shakes out her coat, biting at the air. The moment he so much as twitches a finger in her direction she turns and leaps off the top of the deck, forgoing the stairs so she can sprint across the yard.  

Nikto stands from his chair but doesn’t give chase, watching as the crazy animal spins around in circles before darting off toward the dam again. She dives into the water with a splash, sending muddy water in all directions. He cringes slightly at the sight of the hyena now dripping with muck. At least he was already planning on hosing her down. The rest of the afternoon passes slowly, with Nikto taking some time to rest while Sputnik causes minimal trouble.  

When your car finally does pull up, the poor girl has exhausted herself again, laying in a pile of leaves while she happily naps away. The moment her flicking ears pick up the sound of your truck on the gravel she jumps up again, eyes wide as she takes in the familiar sight. She’s already giggling to herself with excitement, looking between Nikto and your vehicle.  

“место!” Nikto calls, ignoring the sad whimper that earns. He approaches when you pull up, patiently waiting as you drop out of the front seat and close the door behind you.  

When you spot him, you offer a wave and grin, “hey, Nikto!” You take a moment to glance over at Sputnik and he can see her near enough vibrating with how excited she is to come over and greet you out of the corner of her eye. “How’ve you been doing?” you stop just before him, looking him right in the eye, completely unfazed by the monster you’re facing down.  

“We are fine,” he says, perhaps a little too firmly given the way you blink at him, “we require some assistance with behavioural issues.” He quickly amends his statement in the hopes of not immediately scaring you off.  

Fortunately, you’re quick to bounce back, a smile returning to your face, “of course, what sorts of problems are you experiencing?”  

“Спутник!” The hyena’s head shoots up upon hearing her name, “ко мне!” She sprints across the grass, very nearly crashing into his legs with her enthusiasm to heed her owner’s command. “She is getting bored when left alone,” he explains, watching as you reach your hand out for the hyena, “eating walls, digging holes, breaking everything she can reach.”  

Sputnik snuffles at your hand, before whining and immediately shifting to lean up against you, demanding pets. You scratch behind her neck and Sputnik’s tongue lolls out of her mouth in delight. “I’m sure we can work something out to help prevent her from damaging anything else or accidentally eating something she shouldn’t be.”  

“She struggles when left alone, especially during work hours,” he adds on, turning and starting to stalk toward the side of the house where the majority of the damage can be seen.  

“Okay, well she sounds like she just needs some enrichment to keep her occupied while you’re away,” you nod to yourself as you follow Nikto around to the side of the house. Several of the small plants that had been happily growing in little spots around the yard have been either pulled from the soil or completely shredded if they couldn’t be moved.  

You look at the scattered remains of the poor shed’s wall, but don’t look entirely surprised by the backyard warzone you’ve stepped into. You frown down at Sputnik, scratching her between the ears, “what a silly girl,” you coo, rubbing at her ears as the hyena grins up at you with half-lidded eyes, “you shouldn’t be eating all this stuff, it’ll make your tummy sore!” 

Somehow, your baby-talk voice just serves to make Sputnik even giddier, and she eagerly licks at the tips of your fingers. Nikto almost rolls his eyes at the little heart eyes the animal is subjecting you to. It’s impressive, really, how she can remember someone is a friend from only a single interaction.  

When you snap back from your babying of the animal, you quickly refocus. “Hyenas have very powerful jaws, and they love to chew things, so if she doesn’t have enough to keep her entertained then she’ll find something to destroy.”  

“She was given an old tyre a few weeks ago, but it only lasted a few days.” To say he was deeply unimpressed with how quickly she’d torn it to pieces would be an understatement. He knew that Sputnik had quite the bite on her, but to chomp through nine millimetres of rubber like it’s cardboard? Impressive, if a little annoying.  

“How big is your freezer?” you abruptly ask him, and Nikto suddenly worries where this line of questioning is going. Does he need to check the trunk of your car? Regardless, he offers you a nod.  

“Perfect!” You clap your hands together, making Sputnik jump excitedly at the sudden sound, “it’s supposed to be quite hot tomorrow, so I can think of at least one idea for her.” You start listing out what the two of you are going to do rapid-fire with the same confidence and efficiency of any commanding officer.  

You’re in your element, your passion for your work clear as day and you have him following your every instruction. You’re like a fount of knowledge when it comes to anything and everything husbandry related, suggesting changes to Sputnik’s diet, new toys to keep her entertained, and ways to prevent her from destroying anything she really shouldn’t be messing with.  

When you finally end up leaving, it’s long past sundown. Sputnik has grown bored of watching the two of you working in the shed and has retired to her massive dog bed for a nap, so the two of you have been working in comfortable silence. He’s glad you don’t feel the need to fill the air with irritating chatter, only offering corrections here and there.  

He escorts you to back to your truck, closing your door behind you once you’re settled comfortably into the driver’s seat. You roll down the window and offer him a grin, but he can see just how tired you are given how your eyes are slightly drooped. “How much do we owe?” he asks, quickly tearing his gaze from your sweet smile.  

Little wrinkles appear across your forehead as your lips turn downward, an innocent, confused look on your face, “owe you?” 

He resists the urge to roll his eyes and instead just huffs in mild amusement, “payment, for your work.” 

Your eyes light up in understanding and you laugh, “oh, no, don’t worry about that,” you wave him off, “I’m just happy to help out.” You just smile up at him, as if you can’t see anything wrong with what you just said.  

Nikto is forced to remind himself that you’re a civilian, not another untrustworthy operator. Not everyone does things purely for the pay they’ll be rewarded with, even if the very thought of not giving you something in return makes him uncomfortable. He holds his hand out to you, “phone.”  

You blink at him for a second, but quickly do as you’re told, just like the good girl you are. He goes into your contacts and adds his number and details, hitting save the moment he’s done. He doesn’t bother adding a picture, passing your phone back to you, “call us when you require assistance.” He waits until you offer him a nod before he steps back from the side of the car.  

You have an odd, flustered look on your face for some reason, but you’re quick to snap out of whatever daze you're in and give him a quick wave as you put your truck into reverse. He watches silently as you disappear back down the driveway and into the steadily darkening evening, waiting until you’re out of sight.  

Sputnik is absolutely delighted the following morning when Nikto presents her with her blood and peanut butter ice block.

-

Translations

“да,” - “Yes” 

“Я не знал, что ты такая королева драмы,” - “I didn't know you were such a drama queen,”  

“место!” - “Stay!” 

“Спутник!” - “Sputnik!” 

“ко мне!” - “Come!”  

#writing #call of duty modern warfare #reader insert #call of duty nikto #cowboy au #nikto x reader #fanfic

[the0ldmann]

Quick reminder that Something's Wrong With Sunny Day Jack and affiliated content (both official and fan-made) are for 18+ audiences only. If you are a minor, do NOT interact- I will not hesitate to block you. Same goes for ageless blogs.

I will have an "author's note" of sorts at the end to ask something quick of you, dear reader.

It looks like it's getting dark out. I've been out here awhile... Hey, is that an abandoned mall? Seems unlocked... Surely no-one will mind if I duck inside to stay out of the cold night air. Ah, this bench by the door will be a good spot to stop and rest until morning.

...

You wake up, unsure of where you're at. You could've sworn you had laid down on a bench inside a mall entrance, right by a wall of windows. However, there was now a solid wall of brick beside you.

A solid wall of brick it was, and no more.

Which meant no door, no exit.

I ducked inside just to rest, I didn't explore. Where is the door?

Running your hand along the wall, you hoped maybe you'd bump into a handle or that one of the bricks would push out and reveal the secret entrance you'd mistakenly stumbled through. No such luck was to be had though, as the wall remained firmly a wall.

Doing your best to keep your breathing steady, you turn to look into the mall. If this wasn't a way out like you thought, then you needed to look for an exit.

Before you was an almost endlessly long stretch of walkway, fake plants dotting the center with the sides lined with empty and caged storefronts. While the walkway was lit, the rest of it was so dark you couldn't even make out the shapes of the stores behind the bars. A fountain was at the far end, running with more water than seemed financially sound for a place that saw no business. From there, the path split off to the sides.

With no other option but forward, you started walking.

The mall didn't look this big from the outside. You didn't recall there being any running lights or sounds of water when you initially entered either, but you were exhausted enough you purposefully weren't paying attention.

That was certainly a mistake you were kicking yourself for. In all of the exploration you'd done on your days off, you'd been so careful before. Making sure you had shelter where the owners were okay with you staying, or that the place was abandoned with no owners was always important to you. You'd made a few new friends that way even. Law-abiding was something you tried so hard to be though- you had a home, an apartment, and the last thing you wanted to do was lose it. It wasn't much, but it meant safety, and with all the work you put into getting it, it mattered to you a lot.

You hoped you'd be able to make it back in time to sleep before your next shift. The plush animals in your bed were sure to be getting too cold.

Looking around, it seemed like you hadn't gotten any closer to the fountain despite walking for several minutes. The wall was far behind you, or at least you assumed so since it was out of sight when you turned around. Unlit walkway behind you meant you couldn't tell if the wall was there or if something had happened to it.

Being so close to the looming void sent a shiver up your spine. It felt like it was threatening to swallow you whole so you turned back towards the fountain and started running. The sound of rushing water was welcoming and as you ran towards it, you noticed a single bathroom right behind it. Spurred on by fear of the unknown behind you, you passed the fountain and burst through the door of the little bathroom, ducking behind the door and slamming it shut behind you.

The lock clicked, and you were alone.

Well, you weren't sure there had been anything out there, but something felt inherently threatening in a way that didn't seem to reach you in here. The light was dim, damn near burnt out, but you could see enough to make out what was in the room. By the sink was a heavily discolored portion of wall where a mirror would have been, and a toilet with a handrail beside it. Surprisingly, there was a fresh roll of paper on the holder with soap and a hand towel sitting neatly on the sink.

A single-use bathroom in such a large mall with a single nice hand towel and seemingly no trash can was a little weird, but you weren't about to question it. You couldn't remember the last time you'd stopped anywhere before passing out, and you could only guess how long you'd been asleep by judging your bladder screaming at you as much as it was.

The facilities worked fine, which was a relief in itself. You weren't sure how you would have handled a broken toilet after everything else that had happened.

Or didn't happen. The door wasn't where you thought it was, the hallway was too long, a couple of lights had gone out, and the bathroom was unusually small. Strange, sure, but not anything that would be unexplainable. Perhaps you were losing it? Or were you in a dream of some sort? Splashing ice cold water on your face didn't wake you up, same went for pinching yourself.

Okay, so maybe you were awake. Drying your face you decided you needed to take a second look to get your bearings. It wasn't hard to imagine horrible things in the dark- it was a natural fear of many people, especially children, or else night lights wouldn't have lasted as long as they have. You needed to go back out there, take a look at the two different paths, and figure out which one looked more likely to lead to an exit.

This immediate plan was immediately forgotten as you took your bag off the door hook (you don't recall picking it up, when did it get there-) and opened the door.

Lights, sounds, and so much color.

The long dark walkway and branching paths were gone, replaced by a sight best described as an actual, functional mall. If this wasn't a dream, then did you die? Surely, there was no way this was reality.

The sounds, the sights, the smells... All of it felt far too real for it to not be real. Maybe... Maybe this was a prank? Surely that was it, and you could get more answers from the next person you saw.

Except looking around, there were no other people. There was gentle instrumental music straight out of the 80s playing over the loudspeaker, occasionally interrupted by the voice of a woman so muffled that what she was saying couldn't be understood. The stores on the first floor were all still closed, though they looked like they were occupied with stores and full of merchandise. A staircase behind the fountain led to the second floor, where it looked like a movie theater and the food court were located.

The smell of something sweet wafted down from somewhere up there, so with no other option but to go towards the source of life you climbed the stairs. Several places up here were closed too, but you kept looking around anyway. Eventually you found the source of the delectable smell.

It was some kind of mom-and-pop breakfast place, tucked into a corner and out of the way. The sign didn’t have any writing, but was instead an image of a plate with scrambled eggs on one side and syrup-smothered pancakes on the other. Walking in made a little bell ding, but still nobody was around to say a word.

Is someone in the back then?

You didn’t particularly feel comfortable barging into the back. As far as you knew, this was a normal eatery and you were some lost stranger wandering in. However after waiting for a minute and still having nobody come out to greet you, you decided to head back anyway.

The kitchen was larger than you expected for such a small dining area, but at the far end you could see movement through a rack of hanging pots and pans. Weaving through the prep tables you approach what you hope to be another person- you genuinely weren’t quite sure what to expect or if this was some elaborate prank like you were trying to talk yourself into believing.

Their figure certainly looked like that of a human- a tall man with enough muscles to lift you, a jean jacket with colored stripes on the cuffs and collar, dark pants with red and gold stripes, and the fluffiest mullet of blue hair you’d ever seen. He seemed to be quietly humming to himself. Since you didn’t want to scare the man with your presence when he turned around, you cleared your throat and spoke.

“Excuse me?”

He froze. Slowly, he turned to face you. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and his eyes were a beautiful brown. There was clownish red face paint on him as well. It looked like he said something, but it was far too quiet to hear over the sizzling of the griddle behind him. Though he looked shocked, you didn’t know if he was going to panic, so you kind of held your hands up in the best non-threatening gesture you could muster before you tried to explain yourself.

“Look, I’m sorry if I startled you. I don’t know where I am and was wondering if you could help me find an exit? It’s a lot to ask of a stranger maybe, I know, but I haven’t been able to find anyone else and I really, really would like to get home. Please help?”

The man didn’t move for a minute before he broke out into a smile.

“Oh, don’t worry about being a bother- I’m not used to seeing others down here with me is all. At least not others that look like I do… Why don’t you stay for breakfast?” Though you didn’t catch part of what he said, you were confused by his friendly invitation.

“Not used to seeing others? Down here? W-what do you mean by all of that? Where are we?” It was a little difficult to hide the panic from your voice.

“Hey, take a deep breath and I’ll explain over some pancakes, alright?” He walked over to a nearby fridge to retrieve a bowl of pancake mix and pour the rest of it out into a few more circles on the hot surface. “You don’t mind if they’re blueberry, do you? I wasn’t expecting company this morning so I didn’t make a separate batch.”

“Um, yeah, that’s fine.”

As he made the pancakes, you found the stack where he got his plate from and grabbed one for yourself. You also made sure to grab two forks so you both had one and went back over to set everything down. Once the pancakes were finished, you both grabbed your plates and headed out to the dining area to sit down. You chose a booth in a corner that would be easy to overlook on a busy day and he followed, sitting across from you.

The silence was a little awkward as the two of you started eating. They tasted delicious- the best pancakes you’d ever had in your life! However the situation before you was enough to make your anxiety run high and your stomach unsure if it wanted to eat.

“Thank you, for the food.”

“Oh, of course Sunshine!” His voice was chipper as he responded. Almost too chipper.

“Sunshine? We literally just met.”

“A-ah, excuse me. I didn’t mean to offend. It’s just I never see anyone else around, so getting to talk to someone is… Well to me it’s like seeing the sun! Which I’ve never gotten to do. It’d be so nice to feel its warmth some time- to find out if it is like I’ve seen it described…”

“Wait, you’ve never seen the sun? How is that even possible? Actually, again I ask, where are we?”

“That’s… That’s the hard part to explain I suppose. I, uh, am not exactly sure myself.”

What followed was the most confusing, hour long explanation you’d ever heard. It’d sound like some bad dream or a made-up story someone was telling you to freak you out, if you hadn’t already experienced some of it for yourself.

“So let me get this straight- you were ‘born’ ‘down here,’ wherever here actually is, as a fully realized adult with knowledge of how to talk and do things that you shouldn’t have logically had. This place defies the laws of reality but you’ve gotten used to it. You can’t leave, so you’ve given up on the idea of getting out and have decided to live here in this unsettling place where things always happen to be in tip-top shape because that’s easiest. Oh, and the only reason you’re not bored out of your mind is because new stuff- from clothes to movies to books- show up in the stores from time to time. Also a single calendar that changes on its own is the only reason you know it’s been supposedly about 40 years since you first came to be down here. Does that about cover it all?”

He nodded.

“Yeah, that covers it. I’m glad you understood what I was saying. Since I’ve never really talked with anyone else I was worried I’d mess the whole thing up!”

“There’s only so many ways one can describe the unbelievable though. Trust me, if I hadn’t had a weird experience myself, I don’t think I would have believed you.”

He quirked an eyebrow and you dove into an explanation of what’s happened to you, starting from when you ducked into what you thought was an abandoned mall last night. Even saying it out loud, you found it all hard to believe yourself. As he kept nodding along however, he didn’t seem weirded out in the slightest. If anything, he seemed quite sympathetic.

“Yeah, that does happen on occasion. It can be hard not to freak out, but I’m glad you found the bathroom! Don’t worry, if you stick with me, I can teach you the ins and outs of this place.”

“I appreciate the earnest help but…” He had been so nice to you already, but he basically established he was the equivalent of some humanoid creature from what seemed like a gods forsaken hell. “How do I know I can trust you exactly?”

The crestfallen look on his face hurt to see, but you’d spent enough of your free days exploring new places for fun- caution was not something you were keen to throw to the wind. Caution was especially necessary in such strange circumstances like these.

“Is there not a way for me to earn your trust?”

That… was a very good question.

Was there a way for him to prove that you could trust him? You had to sit there and think about it for a moment, before an idea struck you.

“You look human, but you’re not exactly human, correct?”

“I-I suppose? I’m not sure why the difference matters.”

“Can you lie?”

“Nope!”

“Prove it.”

He looked at you as if you sprouted three new heads.

“Prove that I can’t lie? Do you realize how hard that’s going to be to do?”

“I’m fully aware, but the quickest way to gain my trust would be to prove that you’re trustworthy and this is the best idea I have. Do you have any better ones?”

He sat in silence for a few minutes before speaking.

“I don’t have any better ideas, but I’m still not sure how to prove I can’t lie. Can we at least clean up first while we think about it?”

The two of you had long since finished your food and it would be rude to not clean up after yourselves. It didn’t take long to fill the sinks in the back to clean what little dishes you had had. You were lost in thought after putting them all on the drying shelf, you didn’t notice how close you were to a shelf behind you and bumped into it. A heavy pot was on the top but within seconds you were on the floor, caged in by his strong arms as the pot loudly clattered to the ground behind you two.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome Sunshine! Wouldn’t want you getting hurt now, would we?”

“Yeah… Yeah I guess so.” He stood up and held his hand out to help you up. You took it gratefully. “What’s your name?”

“The name’s Sunny Day Jack!” Puffing his chest out as he said it, he looked pretty proud of that fact. “What’s your name?”

You gave him a look and he seemed to kind of understand.

The two of you lifted the pan up together and put it on a lower shelf. Walking back out to the main section of the mall, it was clear the lighting had shifted a tiny bit. There was a clock on the wall that read 12 o’clock, and the lighting seemed to match that of noon time.

Was this how he kept track of time?

“Well, if you don’t want to share your name, do you mind if I call you Sunshine then?”

“Go ahead. I was never particularly a fan of my name anyway.”

“So you want me to make it your new name then?”

“Works for me.”

“Now I feel super special! This makes us friends now, right? I mean, we shared a meal, we cleaned up together, we know each other’s names, I saved you from being potentially fatally hurt, and we’re basically stuck in the same place together.”

You didn’t think the pot would have hurt that much, but then again it did sound and feel like it was full of bricks. If it wouldn’t have killed you it would have still done some serious damage. What idiot put a pot like that so high up in the first place?

Actually, it was probably the natural layout of this place, and lords knew that was not worth questioning the logic of at this point.

“I guess so. Not sure I trust you 100% though.”

“Haha, that’s alright. I’m sure we’ll get there with time.”

You weren’t keen on staying here too long, but since he seemed happy you couldn’t bring yourself to burst his bubble.

Having to rely on his help also meant you wanted to remain on his good side. If it meant making him think you wanted to be besties, then going along with it wouldn’t be too hard.

Part of you kind of hoped maybe you’d get a new friend out of this adventure, and if that new friend happened to be some long-lived humanoid creature from what was best described as an alternate dimension, then so be it.

A bright side to everything, or at least you kept telling yourself that so you wouldn’t start to lose it. Assuming still that you hadn’t lost it already.

“Oh, would you mind if I showed you around? Like I said, I’ve not been able to leave, so the least I can do is help you get comfortable.”

And so the tour began.

He took you around and showed you the different stores and food places. There was a pool area with a locker room and showers. A janitorial area had a washer and dryer for washing clothes and towels. The movie theater was clearly his favorite area though.

It was the only thing keeping him properly connected to the world outside. He couldn’t talk to anyone, so it was clear this was the best representation he had of what things were like all this time. You felt kind of bad for him, actually. If Hollywood was all he had, you at least hoped he had some sensible and fun choices, and not the bleaker stuff.

“So, what do you think? Not so bad here, is it?”

“No, it’s honestly not bad at all. Lot more to a mall than I thought there could be. Hey, there was a toy store back there, mind if we go check it out?”

“Not a problem Sunshine!”

You didn’t know where you were going to be sleeping yet, but at home you normally needed a stuffed animal. If you were going to be stuck here, the least you could do was grab one to cuddle with.

He led the way to the store and when the two of you got there, he decided to wait up front for you while you looked.

“If you need me, give a yell, okay? Don’t go through any doors or past the third row of aisles.”

You nodded and he sat down behind the counter on a stool. He found a toy catalog to flip through and keep him occupied while you carefully wandered. Made sense if you went too far the place would try to change.

It seemed a little odd that the place had not tried to change again. Perhaps some areas were more stable than others? You should make a point of asking him. There wasn’t a way to prove he wasn’t lying, but you didn’t have much of a choice.

That was until you spotted a plush toy that looked exactly like him- down to the tiniest details like his belt and the positioning of his make-up. Flipping the tag over you proceeded to read.

Sunny Day Jack

A down-on-his luck musician on a teacher’s salary and your new best friend!

Times may be tough, but with Jack around, you’ve nothing to worry about.

An honest helping hand that wants what’s best for you- and he knows first aid if you ever find yourself in need.

So Jack is a character, huh? You’d never heard of a toy or brand like this before, but perhaps it was from before your time. This was exactly what you needed to know though. If he’d been through here before, surely he saw it himself. If you saw a toy of yourself, you’d check it out too.

While you weren’t keen on the idea of stupid middle school trust games, for a potentially dangerous situation like this, it might actually come in use for once. You kept this knowledge tucked away in the back while you continued searching the shelves.

Finally, you found it. Off in the distance you spotted a frog plush. It looked so soft and round. Plus, it was holding a smiling toadstool mushroom. The epitome of what makes a plushie so cute!

Only problem was it looked to be about 3 aisles back from where you were, and you were standing right between aisles 2 and 3 already.

“Hey, Jack?” Your eyes remained set strictly on that frog plush while you called out for him. Though you didn’t hear a response or any sort of movement, you did see him walk up out of the corner of your eye.

“You called for me, Sunshine?”

“Can I?” Pointing towards the frog as you spoke.

“It’s 5 aisles back.”

“But the place changes when you go too far and there’s not enough to anchor it, right? You’ve only been able to test this on your own though. Could I not count as an anchor for you, or you as an anchor for me?”

“That is sound logic. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work… Just to be on the safe side though, let me go get it, okay?”

He didn’t wait for a response as he already started briskly walking over. Grabbing the plush, he turned around and almost tripped over his own feet trying to get back to your side quickly. When he was within arms reach he held the plushie out for you to take. He was fully prepared for you to take it. What he didn’t expect was to be thanked with a hug. It took him a second, but he did eventually hug you back. When the two of you parted to walk back, he couldn’t help but blush as he noticed you hugging the frog tightly. You didn’t notice him sneaking peeks at you though, and when you got back to the store’s entrance, you held the frog up triumphantly.

“My theory was right! That might make exploring and looking for a possible exit a little easier for both of us now.” He looked a little bothered for a second.

“Haha, you’re certainly one smart cookie! I’m glad to have you around. Things will definitely be a little more lively now too.” But he brushed off any negative feelings he had quickly.

“Ah, that does remind me, I do have another question for you.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Your name… Did you have it already, or did you pick it up from somewhere?”

He looked a little uncomfortable as he answered, but he did his best to not let it show too much.

“W-well, I guess, technically speaking, I picked it up. I didn’t have any memories of a name, but I did find toys that looked like me that had the name Sunny Day Jack printed on them, so I figured that had to be it.”

You nodded, satisfied with the answer. He’d been truthful, despite his obvious discomfort. Any possible way he could have used a loophole to get out of telling the truth would be nigh nonsensical given the circumstances.

“Makes sense to me. Oh, one more question for you Jack. Do you have any influence over this place? Like, when it changes what’s behind a door?”

“I’m sorry.” He offered such an apologetic look. “Do you wanna go see where we get to sleep?”

And so the tour wrapped up with sleeping arrangements. Even though it hadn’t felt like a whole day, somehow it had passed, according to the clock. You were stuck sharing a bed with your new-found clown friend since there was only one in the whole place, but it wasn’t so bad. Your new froggy friend was with you too.

The next two days you managed to convince Jack to look for an exit with you. Though he seemed displeased with the idea, he went along with it. The two of you talked about life outside while you searched- what yours was like and things he learned from movies that may or may not have been true. It was certainly a learning experience for him and a bonding experience for both of you.

The third day you had kind of lost steam. You tried searching for the first few hours, but then when it came time to break for lunch, you suggested doing something else. Jack was elated with the change of heart you had, while you figured if you were going to be stuck here then at least you could bring yourself to enjoy your time.

Two weeks pass by in a flash when you’re having fun.

Routines also develop a lot quicker than one would expect.

The routine the two of you fell into was comfortable, and you easily could have continued it indefinitely.

Until one day when the two of you got accidentally separated. Your sunny boy had been very insistent that the two of you always stay together so you wouldn’t get lost. Considering he was from around here, it made sense he’d know how to stay safe.

You were usually so careful in following his directions. When weird doors popped up you never followed them and faithfully returned.

You were so, so careful. Until one day the bathroom decided to mirror itself and you hadn’t paid enough attention to know which side you had come out of. He was always respectful enough to stand far enough away- you had asked him too, for your own comfort.

So naturally, he wouldn’t have been able to hear if you yelled. It took awhile to get used to how strange the rooms could get and how sound didn’t always move like it should.

Taking a guess, you walked out one of the exits.

Your guess was horribly, horribly wrong.

As you walked out of the bathroom you were greeted by an ominously dim walkway that you hadn’t seen since you first arrived.

You tried to turn around, to go back into the bathroom, but there was nothing there. The fountain wasn’t running, the lights weren’t on so the paths to either side were too dark to explore, but in front of you…

In front of you was the source of the light. The walkway was a lot shorter and at the end you could see there were windows, bright morning sunlight streaming through them.

The exit.

The one thing you’d been so desperately searching for!

Yet, you stood there, paralyzed, staring at it. It would have been so easy to run out and never look back. To run home and try to piece what little of your life back together that you could- assuming you could after being a missing person for two whole weeks.

But then you’d be leaving Jack behind. He was so nice and so full of wonder for the outside world… You didn’t want to just abandon him to be left alone in that place again.

Surely your old friends missed you, but your new friend…

You didn’t have any of your stuff on you either. Car keys? Wallet? It was all in your bag back in the bedroom you and Jack had been sharing.

And getting a spare pair of car keys to get out of here wouldn’t be very easy to do either. Also assuming your car had been raided for parts just for sitting where you had parked it for so long.

Sighing, you turn to go down one of the dark paths. Eventually familiar fluorescent lighting starts to come into view as you know you’ve made it back. As much as you want to be excited over finding an exit, you can’t bring yourself to feel any kind of happiness.

As soon as Jack spots you coming down the hall instead of from the bathroom, he immediately rushes over.

“Are you okay Sunshine? Where did you go? Is everything alright?”

You nod your head, letting him look you over to make sure you didn’t somehow get injured.

“I’m okay, Jack. It’s…”

“It’s… what?”

You had to look down before you could speak.

“I found an exit.”

He froze. It wasn’t hard to notice and the shock on his face almost looked tinged with fear.

“Y-you found an exit? Where?”

“From where I came in, initially.”

“What, seriously? Why did you come back then? Haven’t you been wanting to leave?”

“That’s not entirely wrong, but I…” You felt you had to look up at him now. The expression of panic on his face that he was trying so hard to hide hurt to see. “I couldn’t bring myself to leave you behind.”

“You… came back for me?”

You responded with a nod. His face seemed to light up as he pulled you into the biggest bear hug.

“Oh, I’m so glad you didn’t want to leave! You have no idea how happy it makes me that you wanted to stay! I was scared I wouldn’t have been good enough of a friend and you wouldn’t… well… you came back, and that’s what matters.”

He held you close for a long while before he put his arm around you and started leading you back. The whole event had you feeling conflicted and very tired, so you just wanted to go lay back down with him and sleep it off. He had forgotten his key to the room, but he somehow managed to get it open just jiggling the handle a bit. Pulling him close once you both laid down, you opted to cuddle him instead of the frog.

Relax.

That’s what you were trying to do.

Relax, and get to sleep.

His presence was comforting, despite the fact you had this nagging feeling that you should run back to the exit.

Sleep started to take over and you were finally able to start relaxing.

Then that nagging voice insisted you pay attention to two important thoughts.

Jack was able to influence the door.

‘Sorry’ does not mean no…

--- end, pt 1 ---

YEAH THAT'S RIGHT THERE'S GONNA BE A PART TWO! ALSO THIS WAS 5373 WORDS I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE FACT I SPENT ALL DAY WRITING THIS!

And my question for you does have to do with part 2 (which i do not guarantee will be nearly as long- this part kinda got away with me in trying to set the setting).

Should I try to go more horror for the ending, or more fluffy?

Admittedly, a fluffy end would involve just Sunshine and Jack.

A more horror ending would probably focus on Sunshine and doing something like reuniting with friends like Shaun and Nick.

I could write both I suppose, but depending on which is more popular, that'll be the one I start with. Or just write in general because if the other one gets zero love I'm not going to focus my energy on that one.

#minors dni #ageless blogs dni #swwsdj #sdj #sunny day jack #something's wrong with sunny day jack #backrooms/liminal space AU #inspiration for this hit me like a truck while i watching some vids of liminal space inspired horror games

[hinagamoizaf]

And We created you in pairs (Odaiba Day’22 One-shot)

Rating : General Audiences Relationships : OC Siblings, Yakari mentioned Tags : Twins, Family Secrets, But where are the Digimans?? Platform : AO3 (Cross-posted on Tumblr) Synopsis : The Ishidas were a family of twins,4 girls & 2 boys. They lived tranquil lives in a quaint house just across the street from their grandparents; until one day, their golden years abruptly ended. 700+ words : “Twins?Again?” Whether it was uncertainty, disbelief, shock or awe, my parents were asked this a couple of times whenever they announced the birth of their newborns. It’s as if they had a say in whether or not we came as a set of twins, as if they were pulling cosmic strings during my mother’s pregnancy. But hand on heart, that was just our family and how each of us came in twos. My twin sister and I were the first of this phenomenon, my parents were just grateful and ecstatic they could have children to begin with. Then came our younger twin brothers, this is when it felt like a joke, a silly comedy bit. We lived across the street from our grandparents, both maternal and paternal. Despite her age, Grandmother Yuuko welcomed a pair of twins not long after the boys were born; this was when people started to question us. It was jarring because before us, our family never had a history of twins. Our parents were young adults when they had us, and our grandparents were at least double that age. Four sets of twins were born, the exception was Grandmother Natsuko’s baby girl; but I’m getting ahead of myself.Our parents were fairly quiet people, private by nature. Our father looked aloof and cold, but really he was just a bit awkward, and had a heart as big as the moon itself. Our mother was a mysterious figure,always putting others before herself even before she became a mum; her smiles were brighter and warmer than the sun. I suppose that's another funny bit, a couple who were like the sun and moon went on to have three pairs of twins. It was like our family came straight out of a fairy tale, but this was very much our day-to-day lives. “We’re made in pairs,” our parents used to say to us as we were tucked in for the night, like a lullaby that came as a mantra. Our house was always filled with melodies and tunes, all while basking in rays of light and nestled in sunny spots. Papa would be cooking dinner on the stove, even on days he’d come home from work at nine and the younger kids would be asleep. As we did our homework, Mama would sit by our side,also grading papers. With two toddlers and two newborns, they hardly slept, assuring my twin sister and me that we didn’t need to help in the middle of the night. They were always so tired, but that never stopped them from making sure we were living the best childhood they could offer;they were gentle and patient with all six of us rugrats. Maybe I was full of it, but I always felt like I had bigger shoes to fill in as the oldest sibling. Papa was an older sibling too, though he and Uncle Takeru lived apart, he confessed he's been overprotective of him since they were kids. I could see that when he married Mama and had us, he prefers taking care of her more than he'll ever let her spoil him; and it was like he had eyes on the back of his head when it came to us. I wanted to make it easier on them, be the responsible child and keep an extra eye out for the kids. Even my twin sister, who arguably was born just a couple of seconds after me, I couldn't help but baby her. It was a shame when we moved out, leaving the quaint house we made our home. It was a rather difficult move too, we weren't just leaving behind a house, it was like we were also forced to abandon the golden years of our childhood.It was a goodbye we didn't think would happen so soon, us kids were blind to the events leading up to it. There was another thing I found jarring about our past, or rather, our parents'. I found a photograph of them, our uncles and their friends dated 1999; but the photograph doesn't look like it was even taken in Japan.What's more, there are all these 'creatures' surrounding them. They're not animals, they look like they could be live-sized dolls, and they're definitely not from this world. I need to know what they are. So here I am, standing in front of the abandoned Ishida house, uncovering the childhood of my siblings and me; and hopefully discovering a bit more about our parents.

#Odaiba Memorial Day #Odaiba Day #Digimon Day #August 1st #AO3 Link #Cross posted on AO3 #Digimon fandom #Yakari #Yamakari #Hikari Ishida #Yamato Ishida #Taichi Yagami #Agumon #Tailmon #Digimon figures #Digimon figurines #Kari Kamiya #Matt Ishida #Tai Kamiya #AO3 fanfic #AO3 writer #Hinaga Moizaf #Digimon Tri #Digimon Adventure #Yamato x Hikari

[imaginechb]

hey there half-sister (I’m also a daughter of Apollo), I hope you’re having a wonderful day! I love your blog, your writing is amazing. :D

I was wondering if you could write something with Luke Castellan x a daughter of Apollo reader, maybe some headcanons on what it would be like to date him, etc. maybe something angsty you know since Luke betrays chb... really whatever you’d like, I just need me some Luke content haha!

thank you love!

Hello half-sister!! I hope you’re doing wonderful as well <3 thank you for the kind words my dear! I appreciate it so much! And I agree, it’s sad Luke hours.

[This is supposed to be for a daughter of Apollo but there’s only like, one mention of your parentage so you can change it if you’re not a daughter of Apollo.]

Luke seemed like such a good guy.

The charming smile, the playfully mischievous glint in his eye. Hades, even his scar was attractive.

You had known each other since you came to camp when you were 14, a year after he’d gotten there.

You’d been claimed by Apollo, god of the sun, healing, archery, music, and poets.

Luke made you feel welcome and cared for, so you stuck by him.

Pretty soon you were good friends.

It was a sunny evening when he asked you out. Golden hour.

You were both sweaty after sparring, and you desperately needed to cool down. You went outside where the evening breeze would give you the fresh air you craved.

You sat there and talked for a while when you fell into a comfortable silence.

You noticed him staring, so you gave him a small smile and asked, “what?”

And then he kissed you.

You were shocked but eventually kissed back.

When you two broke apart, he apologized, before telling you that he’d been wanting to do that for forever.

Then he told you that he really liked you and asked if you’d go out with him.

You said yes.

After that, you went on various different adventures together, inside and outside camp.

You always fought by each other’s side. Always.

He protected you and you protected him.

You just knew each other. You knew each other’s thoughts, dreams, and fighting styles like the back of your hands.

Which is why you never expected him to betray Camp Half-Blood.

It came as an icy shock to you when Luke revealed himself as the Lightning Thief, and even more so when he began assembling an army to overthrow the gods.

You knew he was angry at them, especially his father. But you never expected him to actually try bringing Olympus to its knees.

You were heartbroken, completely destroyed. You tried desperately to get him to turn back at every step of the way, but it was too late.

He even asked you to join him at one point. He tried to turn you against your family and your friends.

He told you that your father abandoned you and the gods used you. He told you your friends at camp didn’t know you like he did, they didn’t care or accept you like he would.

He told you that the two of you would rebuild the world in your image, and the two of you would rule, together. A king and his queen.

“You’re not Luke.” You told him. “I don’t know who you are.”

So for the first time, instead of fighting by each other’s side, you fought against each other.

Rae

#heroes of olympus #hoo #percy jackson and the olympians #pjo #toa #trials of apollo #camp jupiter #chb #percy jackson #luke castellan #luke x reader #luke castellan x reader #daughter of apollo

[dreamties]

Slashers x S/O in a LDR

A/n- Oh, anon! Same hat! Same hat! I’ve considered making something like this a few times, I was so happy to finally make them!! :D

I’m currently working on stuff for Randy Meeks, Kurt Kunkle, and Lester Sinclair- but if there’s still a character you wanted but don’t see here? Feel free to let me know, and I’d be glad to whip something up for them, as well!

Characters: Billy/Stu and Norman Bates

T/W: mostly fluff with a side of abandonment and mommy issues. and some swearing? (is damn a swear word? I used it a lot)

Billy Loomis & Stu Macher

Word  Count: 992

Y’all met in high school- the three of you practically inseparable. But then college happens- and you would’ve loved to stay with Billy and Stu, but the sort of situation arises where you can’t possibly turn away the opportunity. It would be such a mistake, especially for the line of work you’d like to be in. 

And now you may be thinking, Stu’s family is rich rich, right? Couldn’t they just,, buy they’re way in, so you didn’t have to part? Well...I guess they could? These boys aren’t afraid to take what they want, no matter what that entails- but I feel like there might be a lost sense of pride buying their way in. 

...plus...they may or may have not tried...and the school definitely did not accept that shit.

So with that, the three of you end up at different colleges- well, Billy and Stu are at the same place but...you’re so far away 🥺🥺

You’re still in California- but you’re far enough away that they can’t do one to two day trips to see you. It still hurts so much to be apart from them though- especially since both of these boys are so, hmm how to put it...they’re very affectionate and needy (while that last bit may be more so Stu, Billy still fits the Bill on that one).

You only visit each other on holidays and during the summer- and you always stay much longer for the summer.

When Stu sees you again, the first thing he does is wrap you in the biggest, almost suffocating hug- Billy trailing close behind him, laughing at his antics. He basically holds on to you for the entire ride from the airport back to the house (depending on who’s visiting who- but you’ll often come back to Woodsboro, and stay with Stu). 

They think about you all the time when you’re gone. It’s kind of nuts. They’ve got so many other things going on in their lives- they’re still participating in Ghostface murders, they’ve got college and Real jobs ((Stu doesn’t even need a job, but he likes staying close with Billy and having something to do !! He doesn’t like staying by himself too much :(  )) and even with all that? You still end up worming your way into their brains. Collective brainrot over you lmao /j

You call each other everyday- or every other day if schedules are tight. The good thing is...is y’all are both in Cali !! There are no stupid time zones, y’all don’t gotta worry about that >:( 

They want to make sure they know everything that’s been going on with you- even if it’s some boring class, it’s totally worth it just to hear you talk.

There’s lot of them telling you all the things they want to do to/with you when they finally see you. It’s all about the heavy yearning folks. The ache that you feel when you realize you can’t do that right now. And not for a long time. 

You just want to stay with your boys, cuddled on the couch, watching B-rated slasher films. You want to look them in their pretty, perfect eyes, and let your fears and worries melt away, while you tell them how much you love and missed them. And to finally feel your boys’ hairs through your fingers again.

And the crashing, sudden realization, after they drop you off at the airport- and you have your drawn out, tearful goodbyes...the kind you see in movies- that you won’t see them again. Not like that, at least. And not for months. It was back to counting down the days again. Being thankful for every little moment you had with them- and every call, and every weird text message they sent. Allowing every soft, intimate moment away from each other to guide you back home.

Billy’s not great at dealing with his emotions...especially in positive ways. The relationship can definitely be super hard on him, even if he doesn’t really show it. It brings up a lot of his abandonment issues with his mom :( Having you go off to college is losing part of his support system, and it physically pains him to not see you in Woodsboro. You’re part of his little found family with him and Stu. And when you’re not there? Sometimes it feels like he’s lost you. that you’re not coming back from school, and you’re going to have left for good. Which is not true at all, and he knows that...but god damn is it hard to not listen to that dark, nagging voice sometimes. 

And for Stu? He doesn’t mind as much. He doesn’t share this same trauma involved with it that Billy seems to have. But it still hits him in all the wrong places. He’s more likely to show his true emotions than Billy. And that’s actually really good !! He’s able to properly communicate with you whats going, where he’s at with things. 

It can be kind of exhausting trying to translate Billy’s feelings to you- for all parties involved. Or Billy, who’s learned a certain way to communicate that works, and then having to find a new way that makes sense over text and phone calls. Since you can’t see all his body language, and the way he tenses up when he’s filled with Big Emotions. 

TLDR; dealing w/ emotions is tough, doing it via limited technology is harder :(

and y’all know it’s tough on each other- but like hell you’re not gonna make it work with each other. Y’all are meant to be, even if the relationship is in a bit of an odd spot right now. 

You always have to remind the boys that this is only temporary. just until your 4+ years of schooling is over, and then you can move back to Woodsboro. Then you’ll have all the time in the world to plan your lives together.

Norman Bates 

Word Count: 784 

You meet Norman at his motel. You’re just passing through, on your way to a gathering with some of your family. He’s a little odd, but such a gentleman, that you make a note to stay at his motel on the way back home, as well.

Norman’s completely enamored by you, and you say “I’ll see you soon” that first time, he can nearly feel his heart skip a beat. He’s a smiling, happy little mess about it. You wanted to come back here, for him? He can’t wait for it.

Part of him was worried you wouldn’t come back, and that part of him was very scared- but you were so genuine, he could tell you’d be back. For real.

He still finds himself surprised, when a few days later you’re back there. When you leave, you give him your home phone number and address. Letting him know if he was ever going through your town, and he needed a place to stay that...well...he was always welcome at yours.

Y’all aren’t even dating at this point, but you definitely felt this spark- this connection- when you met. It was unlike anything the two of you had ever felt before. So...your relationship starts off slow. It builds overtime. 

It had been a few weeks since you met- with Norman’s work at the motel and whatever work you do, it was hard to find time between it all- but you’re finally able to start weekly phone calls with each other. Catching up with each other, asking him about the motel, and his hobbies...he’s so thrilled when you talk to him about the taxidermy! Not many folks are very er...into it. So it’s a nice surprise for him that the person he likes...cares about what he likes.

Further into y’all’s relationship, the weekly calls will turn into twice a week and sometimes and slowly, slowly melt into sending letters with each other as much as you can. Every few weeks or so, you’d get the sweet pleasure of seeing Norman’s simple letter in your mailbox. Smiling as you spot your name in his nice, neat handwriting.

Often you’ll include clippings from articles or magazines that reminded you of him, and little photos of yourself, your family (and pets if you have any) and critters, and bugs and shots of nature. He loves the ones you send of birds and trees the most- but he keeps every single one you send him. He has a whole drawer full of your letters.

A while into exchanging letters, the two of you begin signing off every one with an “I love you”. It’s not until you see each other in person again that you fully realize your feelings. I mean, they were always there- but it took the pair of you an impossibly long to speak it out loud- to make it official. 

It had been just under a year since you met- and you’re finally back at the Bates motel. There’s no special reason, you’re not seeing family, per se. But you’re starting something you should have started ages ago. Every part of your being is teeming with nervous excitement- what if you had read the letters all wrong? Every I love you, meant as friends?

You're quick to let him know of your arrival- he’s surprised, he didn’t expect you and you wrap each other in a large hug. You don’t let go for sometime, and when you finally do, you still clutch on to his smooth, slender hands. You lean into him, “I’ve missed you.” He looks at you with soft, shiny eyes, lost in your own. You press a subtle kiss to his lips, and pull away soon after. You feel your face get hot, and you can only imagine that Norman’s face would be bright pink.

He doesn’t say anything at first, simply squeezing your hands. “I did, too,” he smiles. It’s so delicate, and you can’t help but hold his face in your hands- studying every little detail. Of course, he sent you photos of himself from time to time- but it wasn’t the same.

The week that you spend with him is magical. When you leave you already find yourself missing the time you had with him- but you suppose that feeling and the wait to see Norman- was worth it. Plus, you still had the phone calls and all the letters with I Love You in them. Besides, with time, you’d be back at his motel- or he’d finally take you up on your offer, and you could finally spend a sunny morning, lazing around cuddled with each other in your bed, in your town.

#slasher #slashers #slasher x reader #slashers x reader #poly ghostface x reader #poly!ghostface x reader #ghostface x reader #billy loomis x reader x stu macher #billy loomis x reader #stu macher x reader #billy x reader x stu #slasher community #norman bates x reader #norman bates x s/i #norman bates x s/o #billy loomis x s/o #stu macher x s/o #slasher hcs #slasher headcanons #slasher drabble #slasher oneshot #reblogs are appreciated !! #requests are open :)

[peachyteez]

lost puppy ≫ DAY TWO, SNEAKING AROUND.

being abandoned by your owners is never fun. but yunho takes it as a chance to explore the world as his owners were never the kindest people. having wandered around jiyu’s condo, seonghwa discovers the lost puppy and said puppy is offered a second chance at a place to call home.

PART OF THE HEAVEN SERIES.

✧ taglist: @defsoul15, @choisaniskillingme, @joongiebug, @sunsethw4, @t-tbinnie, @danibookmarks, @chanyeolol, @hello-its-ya-boi​, @murralyn, @alienmashup

feel free to let me know if you would like to be added to the list! :)

✧ notes: sorry this chapter’s kind of late :(( i’ve been studying for midterms this entire week :((

back。| next。

“oh, i might be coming home a little late tonight,” jiyu remembered as she slipped her shoes on. “supposedly, we’re getting a lot of new patients today, so it might take a while for us to enter them into the system, give them check ups, and things like that.”

seonghwa mindlessly nodded as he stood by the door with jiyu. all he could think about was if that same puppy hybrid was out there again, digging around for food. “i can cook dinner if you want. since we went grocery shopping yesterday,” he offered.

“are you sure it’s not too much trouble?” jiyu asked. as much as she loved seonghwa’s home–cooked meals, she felt bad that it was him cooking for them most of the time. as much as she wished she could cook, her busy schedule never gave her much of a break during the week.

seonghwa smiled before nodding with enthusiasm, his ears perking and tail wagging. “of course not! it gives me a chance to experiment with recipes anyways.”

jiyu teasingly raised an eyebrow. “my taste buds are in your hands if you decide to experiment with food,” she giggled before opening her arms up. “come here, before i’m running late again.”

seonghwa immediately swept her into an embrace, his body practically engulfing her own. after a little nuzzle to her head, he let her go. “bye!” he waved his sweater paw as she stepped out the door.

chuckling at how small he looked, she waved back. “bye, hwa. remember to eat and call me if you need anything,” she said before closing the door shut. “and remember the passcode!” she reminded through the closed door.

seonghwa chuckled. “yes, okay,” he responded with a sing–song tone. hearing her footsteps fade, he immediately went to the balcony. peering out, he noticed movement once again in the dumpster alley.

frowning, he went back inside and to the kitchen. taking a look around the fridge and pantry, he grabbed a bag of potato chips, some kimchi from the fridge, and some rice. half an hour later, seonghwa had packed a container of kimchi fried rice, a spoon, a water bottle, and potato chips into a bag.

quickly putting his collar on, he took the bag and sped walked out the apartment and towards the elevator like the previous day. 0315, 0315, jiyu’s birthday. if you forget again, you’re an idiot. he scolded himself on the way down.

a few minutes later, seonghwa found himself standing at the end of the dumpster alley again—only this time, he wasn’t growling or looked as if he was about to go wolf–mode on the poor puppy.

quietly walking closer, he heard the familiar rumaging sounds. following the sound, he saw the giant puppy–hybrid sitting on the ground and scavenging through various trash bags. gently clearing his throat, the hybrid froze and slowly turned around.

realizing it was the hybrid from the previous day, he gasped. his droopy ears were slightly pinned back against his head in fear and he slowly started backing away from seonghwa. “s–sorry! i–i know i s–said i wouldn’t come back but—”

seonghwa frantically reassured the scared hybrid. “it’s okay! don’t apologize.”

“y–you’re not mad...?”

seonghwa shook his head before holding up the bag he was carrying. “i actually came to give you this,” he said before putting it down in front of the trembling hybrid.

looking inside the bag, yunho saw food. seonghwa swore the poor boy almost got whiplash from how quick he snapped his head up. “i–i can’t accept this!” he said before gently pushing the bag back towards seonghwa. taking the opportunity, yunho scanned the wolf hybrid, his eyes stopping at the collar around his neck. “you’re owner will get mad for sneaking food out to me...”

seonghwa furrowed his eyebrows at his statement. “no, she won’t.”

his firm and undoubting tone surprised yunho. he had never met another hybrid that was so...sure of their owner’s personality or actions. “how would you know?” he retorted.

“because she’s not that type of person. she’d do the same thing if she were in my shoes,” seonghwa defended. he knew jiyu wasn’t the type to be petty about things like this. she wasn’t the type to think lowly of hybrids. he was positive about that.

“that’s what they all say. but then they end up hurting you anyways,” yunho mumbled, memories of his old owners tainting his mind.

seonghwa squatted in front of the hybrid. “she wouldn’t be working at a hybrid recovery center if she was that type.”

yunho didn’t respond. his owner works at a hybrid recover center? he sighed, saddened at how distrustful he’s become of humans when he was practically half–human himself. “you’re sure she won’t be mad?”

seonghwa nodded. “go ahead and eat,” he said, pushing the bag back to the hybrid.

yunho slowly reached into the bag, taking out the spoon and food container. it was warm. it must be fresh. opening the lid, his nose immediately caught the scent of kimchi fried rice. unconsciously, his ears perked up in happiness and his tail started to quickly wag from side–to–side. taking his first bite, he couldn’t help but savor it. it’d been a while since he had a proper meal like this.

seonghwa softly smiled seeing the puppy hybrid happily eating. “oh, yeah,” his ears twitched in realization. “i never got your name. i’m seonghwa.”

“yunho,” the eating hybrid responded after swallowing. “a golden–retriver hybrid. i’m assuming you’re a wolf hybrid judging on your growl from yesterday,” he lightly chuckled.

seonghwa sheepishly looked away and his tail flopped to the floor. “sorry...” he mumbled.

“no biggie,” yunho reassured before continuing to eat. “i probably would’ve done the same.”

they sat side by side for a while in silence. the only thing you could hear was yunho’s chewing as he ate. looking around in the bag after finishing the rice, he grinned when he heard the familiar crinkle of a potato chip bag. whipping out the bag, he grinned before opening it and proceeding to chomp away.

“...are you a stray?” seonghwa quietly asked as he stared at yunho’s bare neck.

yunho nodded with his cheeks filled. “yeah, it’s been about half a year,” he casually revealed, like he was telling seonghwa it was sunny today.

seonghwa frowned. he knew what it was like being a stray—after all, he was one for a year before the facility’s recovery team found him in the streets. “it’s hard, isn’t it...?” he mindlessly asked.

yunho stopped crunching on the snack. “a little. but it’s better than being constrained,” he admitted, eyes flickering to the collar around seonghwa’s neck.

seonghwa didn’t say anything. he sat in silence as he thought about yunho’s statement. because a year ago, he was the same. he thought being stray meant a life of freedom. which it was—but it was also lonely. he didn’t have anyone by his side, no one to talk to. he was always wandering the streets by himself.

yunho suddenly stood up, but of course, he neatly repacked the food bag the seonghwa brought. “thanks for the food!” he beamed.

seonghwa cocked an eyebrow. “where are you going?”

yunho sheepishly chuckled. “there’s actually another stray i’m friends with that i meet everyday at the park,” he revealed. “he’s a bunny hybrid.”

seonghwa hesitantly stood up and took the bag. his worried expression made yunho smile reassuringly. “i’ll be back tomorrow! i always come back here anyways.”

hesitantly nodding, seonghwa can only watch as the golden retriever bounded away in full speed out of the alley. what if he stayed with us? surely jiyu wouldn’t mind, right?

that thought occupied the poor wolf hybrid’s mind all day, even when jiyu came back home. there was something about that puppy hybrid that just made him so...endearing.

jiyu frowned in confusion upon seeing seonghwa so lost in thought. he hasn’t spoken much since she came home, and he was picking at his food in a daze. waving a hand in front of his face, she chuckled seeing him flinch back to reality. “welcome back to the world, bub,” she teased. “everything okay? you haven’t spoken much and you’ve been picking at your food for the past few minutes.”

seonghwa softly smiled. “is that second hybrod discussion still open?” he meekly asked, hesitant of her answer. what if she said no? what if in the end, she didn’t want another hybrid?

although confused at where the question was coming from, she nodded. “i’ve been thinking about it, yes. why?” she asked.

“would you be okay with another one?”

jiyu bit the inside of her cheek in thought. “well, i wouldn’t mind, to be honest. i’m mainly just worried about you since you’re home alone most of the time while i’m at work,” she sheepishly chuckled. “what’s with the sudden question? are you finally allowing me to share my love with another hybrid?” she teasingly jabbed.

seonghwa let out a whine as his ears dropped against his head and his tail dropped against the chair. “i’d still be your favorite, right?” he asked, giving her his little pout.

“you’ll both equally be my favorites, hwa,” she responded, laughing when seonghwa stood up and padded over to the couch. he sat with his legs crossed and arms crossed against his chest, playfully sulking.

jiyu sat next to him and rubbed his head, snorting when his mood instantly did a 180 and he was happily chuffing while his tail wagged at the contact. “are you sure nothing’s on your mind, hwa?” she asked again.

seonghwa looked at her with his clear, sparkling eyes. “yeah, that topic was just on my mind ever since you brought it up.”

jiyu knew he was lying. she knew seonghwa was up to something.

“jiyu, dear.”

turning from her front door keypad, she spotted mrs. kim, her elderly neighbor that often brought her food since she knew how busy the young girl was. she bowed. “oh, mrs. kim! fancy meeting you here,” she lightheartedly teased with a chuckle.

mrs. kim playfully rolled her eyes. “it’s almost as if you aren’t my neighbor,” she retorted as she stepped out of her apartment.

jiyu laughed. mrs. kim was the equivalence of the cool grandma that you wished you had. “did you need something?” she asked, curious as to why the elderly woman left her apartment to come talk to her out of nowhere. not that she minded.

“you have a hybrid, right?” she asked. jiyu nodded, confused as to where the conversation was headed. “this is the second time i’ve seen him leave your apartment without you. only this time, he carried a bag of food with him. was it for you?” she curiously asked.

jiyu furrowed her eyebrow. “no, he never came to my work place,” she said.

mrs. kim hummed before patting the girl on the arm. “i was just wondering since he looked so determined today for some odd reason,” she chuckled before heading back into her apartment. “i hope he’s careful wherever he goes. there’s a lot of crazy people out there these days,” she said before closing her front door.

looking at seonghwa, who’s eyes were closed in content as jiyu gave him head rubs and scratches, she couldn’t help but wonder why he was lying to her.

of course she trusted him, but a small part of her was confused and sad that he was keeping something from her. she immediately shook off the feeling. seonghwa’s his own person, he shouldn’t be entitled to tell me everything. she thought, giggling when he started nuzzling his cheek against her hand.

for the mean time, she decided to let him be and live his own life. without her interference.

#9th member of ateez #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez fluff #ateez angst #jeong yunho #jeong yunho imagines #yunho scenarios #hybrid au #kpop hybrid au #ateez hybrid #ateez au #hybrid!ateez

[haleysspanishlitblog]

Ten Interesting Spanish Fiction Novels

1. The Prince of Mist: by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

“1943. As war sweeps across Europe, Max Carver's father moves his family away from the city, to an old wooden house on the coast. But as soon as they arrive, strange things begin to happen: Max discovers a garden filled with eerie statues; his sisters are plagued by unsettling dreams and voices; a box of old films opens a window to the past.Most unsettling of all are rumours about the previous owners and the mysterious disappearance of their son. As Max delves into the past, he encounters the terrifying story of the Prince of Mist, a sinister shadow who emerges from the night to settle old scores, then disappears with the first mists of dawn . . .Originally published in Spain as a young adult novel, THE PRINCE OF MIST is a mesmerising tale of mystery, romance and adventure.” (Amazon.com)

2. The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C.W. Gortner

“Isabella is barely a teenager when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone her half brother, King Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragón. As they unite their two realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.” (Amazon.com)

3. The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

“Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera. Photography--and fate--introduce him to Ana, whose family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War--as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of difficult decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city.” (goodreads.com). 

4. The Last Queen: A Novel by C.W. Gortner

“In this stunning novel, C. W. Gortner brings to life Juana of Castile, the third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, who would become the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne. Along the way, Gortner takes the reader from the somber majesty of Spain to the glittering and lethal courts of Flanders, France, and Tudor England. Born amid her parents’ ruthless struggle to unify and strengthen their kingdom, Juana, at the age of sixteen, is sent to wed Philip, heir to the Habsburg Empire. Juana finds unexpected love and passion with her dashing young husband, and at first she is content with her children and her married life. But when tragedy strikes and she becomes heir to the Spanish throne, Juana finds herself plunged into a battle for power against her husband that grows to involve the major monarchs of Europe. Besieged by foes on all sides, Juana vows to secure her crown and save Spain from ruin, even if it costs her everything.” (Amazon.com). 

5. The Island Villa: The perfect feel good summer read by Lily Graham 

“When Charlotte’s husband James tragically dies, he leaves her an unexpected gift – her grandmother’s beautiful villa, Marisal, on the Spanish island of Formentera.As she begins to explore her new home, and heal her broken heart in the warm golden sunshine, Charlotte discovers that her grandmother Alba has been keeping secrets about her life on the island. Intrigued by her family’s hidden history, Charlotte uncovers a devastating love affair that put many lives at risk and two sisters torn apart by loss.Can the heart-breaking truth of the island’s dark history finally be laid to rest? Or will the secrets of the past shake the new life and love that Charlotte is close to finding?” (Amazon.com). 

6.  The Queen's Prophet by Dawn Patitucci

“When the Countess of Walther dies at her German estate, her loyal dwarfess Maria-Barbara is forced to work as a prophet for a traveling magician, who betrays her by selling her to the Queen of Spain. At the royal court in Madrid, Mari finds herself in a bizarre, enchanted world, a society culturally splendid but intellectually isolated. There she becomes Maribarbola, prophet to the Queen, and, her survival at stake, endeavors to outsmart the Spaniards. Mari's wits and loyalties are tested as she becomes embroiled in palace intrigue alongside the politically embattled Queen. When Mari's carefully schemed prophecies dazzle all of Spain, she and the Queen climb to dizzying heights of power, a place as intoxicating as it is dangerous. But even as Mari survives and thrives at the Spanish court, the loss of identity she suffers from living a lie makes her question whether she is really surviving at all.” (Amazon.com) 

7.  The Yellow Rain Hardcover by  Julio Llamazares

“Ainielle is a village high in the Spanish Pyrenees. Its houses are mostly deserted ruins and have been for years. Ainielle's last surviving inhabitant, an old man at death's door, lingers on, and as the "yellow rain" of leaves flutters around him and the first snows of the year fall, he recalls the life he lived and the ghosts-once his friends and neighbors-who have taken possession of his solitude.Hailed on first publication and continuously reprinted in Spain, The Yellow Rain is a haunting ode to the power of memory, an elegy for a landscape and a way of life.” (Amzon.com). 

8.  Tarnished Beauty: A Novel by Cecilia Samartin 

“Jamilet is a beautiful young woman marred by a shockingly gruesome birthmark. It spills over her back and down her legs, twisting and writhing like a hideous cape of blood, causing her to be shunned by the villagers of her rural Mexican town. In search of medical salvation, this angel with the devil's mark is finally driven to escape north and cross the border illegally to Los Angeles. After acquiring false documents, Jamilet finds work at a mental hospital, where she is assigned to look after Señor Peregrino, an elderly man from Spain who is as disagreeable as he is mysterious. Jamilet is given strict orders to keep her distance, but when he cleverly snags possession of her papers, he bargains to return them upon the condition that she listen to his story. Jamilet begrudgingly agrees, and Señor Peregrino takes her back to the days of his youth, when he embarked upon a mystical and romantic journey along the legendary Road to Santiago in Spain.Jamilet and Señor Peregrino forge a spiritual bond that is more healing to them both than modern medicine could ever be. In an inspiring story of redemption, faith and the enduring power of love, Samartin offers an enlightening perspective on the true meaning of beauty.” (Amazon.com). 

9.  The Angel's Game: A Psychological Thriller by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

“In this powerful, labyrinthian thriller, David Martín is a pulp fiction writer struggling to stay afloat. Holed up in a haunting abandoned mansion in the heart of Barcelona, he furiously taps out story after story, becoming increasingly desperate and frustrated. Thus, when he is approached by a mysterious publisher offering a book deal that seems almost too good to be real, David leaps at the chance. But as he begins the work, and after a visit to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, he realizes that there is a connection between his book and the shadows that surround his dilapidated home and that the publisher may be hiding a few troubling secrets of his own. Once again, Ruiz Zafón takes us into a dark, gothic Barcelona and creates a breathtaking tale of intrigue, romance, and tragedy” (Amazon.com) 

10.  All This I Will Give to You by Dolores Redondo 

“When novelist Manuel Ortigosa learns that his husband, Álvaro, has been killed in a car crash, it comes as a devastating shock. It won’t be the last. He’s now arrived in Galicia. It’s where Álvaro died. It’s where the case has already been quickly closed as a tragic accident. It’s also where Álvaro hid his secrets.The man to whom Manuel was married for fifteen years was not the unassuming man he knew. Álvaro’s trail leads Manuel deep into one of Spain’s most powerful and guarded families. Behind the walls of their forbidding estate, Manuel is nothing but an unwelcome and dangerous intruder. Then he finds two allies: a stubbornly suspicious police lieutenant and Álvaro’s old friend—and private confessor—from seminary school. Together they’re collecting the pieces of Álvaro’s past, his double life, and his mysterious death. But in the shadows of nobility and privilege, Manuel is about to unravel a web of corruption and deception that could be as fatal a trap for him as it was for the man he loved.” (Amzon.com). 

[pyxisblue]

I’m Home

This is what could’ve been if Sakuya never had a chance at his dream.

|| A3!: Sakuya Sakuma // Angst: accident, family seclusion

Growing up in different households, even if they’re his relatives, Sakuya couldn’t help but feel...unwanted. For so long, he never felt he was ever part of the families he lived with despite the fact that they have some blood relations.

But family is not about being connected by blood. Sakuya learned that the hard way.

Nobody truly cared or even tried to form a deep connection with him; hence, he was passed to any household who’d take him up for the sake of family obligation.

This time, he’s with an aunt who couldn’t even subtly express her disdain for having another mouth to feed in her house, even though she lived alone.

He never asked nor begged anyone to take him under their wing, and if he’s to be asked, he’d rather be left to himself to fend for his own. But his relatives wouldn’t even allow that, saying something about being held responsible if he’s found dying on the streets.

The cherry-haired young man stepped out of the house just as his aunt went on a rant about how useless he is and how he should be thankful for whatever she’s putting up with him. This day, he resolved to find a part-time job, thinking it’s the only way she wouldn’t treat him as a burden at least.

As he strolled down the street of Veludo Way to check posters of job openings, he happened to pass by a dilapidated theater building.

“Mka” it said, with some letters missing in its big signage above the entrance.

A torn paper of what seemed to be an audition poster was posted on its board outside. Sakuya gave it a downhearted glance. He imagined what the building could’ve looked like back then if he ever saw it before its ruin. Maybe he would’ve pursued his dream of being a stage actor if fate has brought him here earlier. But that’s only wishful thinking now. It’s no use hoping for it when obviously, the theater already met its end.

He was about to step away when he noticed the door was ajar. Curiosity got the best of him, and maybe his desire to see an actual theater had taken over, that he found himself stepping inside even though it spelled trouble.

The young man’s eyes grew wide as he indulged in the view of the theater hall. Despite looking old and rundown outside, the hall looked well-kept even with a few cracks on the walls and the worn-out fabric of the seats. Overall, it seemed like it can still be operational.

Why would anyone abandon the place?

“Hey, kid. You’re not supposed to be here.” Sakuya almost jumped out of where he was standing when a voice suddenly echoed behind him. A blonde man wearing a pair of eyeglasses with a black coat was staring at him with threat.

That should be the cue to leave. But somehow, Sakuya didn’t want to.

“Leave now. We’ll be tearing this place apart in a few minutes. We don’t want any casualty in the process.”

He should just nod, leave, and forever forget this place as he move on with his life. He has no business being here anyway. Besides, he already got a look of the place he longed to see even in his dreams.

But why?

Why did his heart feel heavy at the thought of stepping out of here just before it’s about to be torn down?

This is the first time he saw the place.

Why did it feel like he knew it forever?

“What are you still doing there? Get out of here, or I’ll drag you out myself,” the man in black started to get really scary as his patience grew thin. But Sakuya had this determination to stay, something he couldn’t explain.

“The show must go on.” There was a whisper in the back of his mind. Wherever it came from, at this moment, he wanted to hold on to it because if he didn’t, he felt like he would lose something important, even though he didn’t know what.

“Uhm. Can I stay for just a few minutes?” He said timidly, still couldn’t point a finger as to what it is he was feeling.

“Huh?” This time, the man threw him a menacing glare. He was about to stomp his way towards him when Sakuya blurted out...

“It was my dream to become an actor.”

The older man halted on his tracks with surprise on his face. But it wasn’t long until it was replaced with a grim expression.

“Well, you’re many years late, kid. Maybe if you got here before it went down, then you might’ve had a chance,” the blonde man spoke in disdain, the regret in his voice sounding more of his own than for the younger one.

Sakuya could see the sadness in the man’s purple eyes through his glasses. He got the feeling that this person didn’t want to let this theater go either, but for some reason, he was the one to tear it down. His heart felt heavier.

“I’m sorry. I just want to experience standing on the stage even if it’s just for a short time,” he gave his best sunny smile to him. “I promise after that, I’ll leave.”

The blonde guy frowned at him for a few minutes then turned on his heel before saying, “Ten minutes. If you’re not out before that, I’ll tear this building down with you in it.”

Relief washed over the young man. He smiled to himself, feeling a bit giddy to have the place even for just another few minutes. He stepped down to the stage area with haste.

Before climbing up, he took in the view of the stage from the audience seat. Scenes of what it could look like during plays came to him, and somehow, they were plays with him in it.

He downplayed the thoughts as part of his wishful thinking, imagining it would’ve been like that if he joined a troupe.

Unable to contain his excitement, he helped himself up and stood at the center of the stage. With the dusty side curtain tied, he could see the full view of what actors see during their plays.

An overwhelming feeling of sadness came over him. Tears ran down his face as a ghost of a full-house audience replaced the empty worn-out seats.

“This must’ve what it felt like to act on this stage,” he thought to himself.

But it wasn’t just that. There was also this longing, this feeling of missing something he always had, lingering in his heart. Sakuya couldn’t figure out why the place felt so familiar.

Did his desires and wishes manifest as a reality within him that his heart couldn’t distinguish whether they’re real or not?

He tried wiping the tears away, but the stream just couldn’t stop.

“Let’s go on a journey together, Julius!” An image of him in a royal suit with a red cape appeared beside him, looking at someone he couldn’t see. “We can ditch this cramped town and travel the world together!” This version of him carried the lines with confidence and emotions, acting a little bit clumsy but trained.

Sakuya’s lips formed another smile. It was nice to see his self living the dream even if it’s just a daydream. But it bothered him that he wasn’t even familiar with this play he was imagining.

Julius? What character is Julius?

“Romeo, you’ve got the brawn, and I’ve got the brain,” a different voice resounded from the opposite side, and it scared Sakuya when he found no one there. But it didn’t stop, “If we put our heads together, we can do anything.”

Romeo? Was this some story based on Romeo and Juliet?

But who was this other person in his make-believe play? He gulped as he felt a little creeped out. Was this place haunted?

“Romeo? Romeo Montague?” There was an evident surprise in this unknown voice. A man in another royal suit with a blue cape appeared on his left, a person he’d never seen before.

“Forsake your house and name, Julius! Because we have even grander dream to share!”

As he thought, this was based on Shakespeare’s infamous play. The lines were a bit familiar, but he didn’t know what this Julius character was. Was he coming up with random story as he imagine himself in the stage?

“I can’t. I can’t forsake my family,” the guy in blue spoke with a convincing sadness.

Sakuya couldn’t take his eyes off the scenes unfolding right before him. It was like his imagination took off on its own and made an entire play to show him.

He could see himself interacting and exchanging lines with people he hadn’t met. This black-haired guy in blue seemed to be a co-lead. There was also this brown-haired one who acted as Mercutio, his supposed childhood friend, then, a different blonde man acting as Tybalt, brother of the other lead. A priest also appeared, someone who looked like a foreigner.

Clueless as to what was really happening, he watched as the play went on like he wasn’t on the stage. They sometimes went through him like he was the invisible one. It also occurred to him that somehow, Juliet’s character was turned into Julius and that the story was a different take of the popular classic.

His mind still couldn’t process what was going on, whether this was just a dream or a borderline illusion, when another play begun. This time, he was wearing a cat costume and was talking to the same guy in blue who is now called Alex.

Was this Alice in Wonderland but with a male protagonist?

The scenes seemed to fast-forward as everything moved in thrice the speed of time. Eventually, another set of faces entered, none he could recognize, and somehow, he saw himself watching in the backstage area with glee.

The speed of events went another notch that he couldn’t keep up anymore. They played as if they were his memories, playing in hasty flashbacks.

Terrified of the peculiar phenomenon, he unconsciously stepped back from it, wanting to get away, until he found himself falling from the stage.

But instead of meeting the ground, he fell into an abyss of darkness.

It was an endless pit of pitch black. Sakuya thought this must be the end of him. This nightmare must be him finally dying under the rubbles of the theater being destroyed after his time was up without him realizing.

As he was being pulled down to whoever-knows-where, flashing scenes appeared on his sides, showing moments of a life he never had: him dragging the same guy he was with in the play to school; him saying “I’m home” with a wide smile as he was welcomed with a lot of people smiling back to him, telling him “Welcome Home”; him reading a script in a practice room with other people exchanging lines with him; him talking to three other guys in a living room like they were discussing something important; and there was him, talking to a woman who looked at him with pride and fondness.

They were faces that felt so close to his heart, but he still couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

It was like he was with them forever, and not with the relatives that never wanted him.

It was like, with these unfamiliar strangers... he was at home.

Home.

It’s a word someone can describe as a place where family is.

But in his case, ‘family’ was not even what he has right now.

There was a pang in his chest as the scenes of this other life continuously played around him. He was falling into this loop of memories he knew he didn’t have but showed how he was a big part of.

The pain in his heart had made his tears ran again.

The thought of not having the memory of being in them made his heart drop faster than he was into this never-ending hole.

An unexplainable emptiness spread within him. A desire of having these illusionary moments become real bloomed in his heart.

He wished and hoped they were all real...

That in the real life, he has a family to return to... a home.

His eyes shut closed as he tried to whisper a silent prayer...

A prayer that was answered as he opened his eyes.

When he lifted his heavy eyelids, his vision opened to a white ceiling. Everything was still blurry, and he couldn’t seem to move his body. He could hear a repeating loud “teet” sound somewhere, but his senses were still disoriented. An oxygen mask was covering his nose and mouth which made his heavy breathing easier.

“What happened?” was what he wanted to ask, but no one was around to answer.

He tried to rack his brain to get a clue. However, he could only remember the part where he was falling into a black hole. The trail of dried tears on his cheeks was evidence of the nightmare, but it told no tale of how he ended up motionless in bed.

The door swung open, revealing one of the persons he saw in those flashing memories. She was struck with surprise and halted in her place, still holding the door knob.

“S-Sakuya-kun. You’re awake!”

The brown-haired woman approached him with haste. He felt the warmth of her hands through his as tears started forming in her eyes.

“I thought...” Her words were followed with a quiet sob, his hand held to her forehead.

Another person came in, seemingly in a rush after hearing her exclaim. It was the same man in eyeglasses who told him to leave the theater in his dreams.

“Sakyo-san, he’s awake,” she said smiling while her tears continued to stream.

His expression was far from the same threatening one Sakuya remembered. This person has a relieved smile that it almost seemed he’s about to cry as well when he approached the woman by the bedside.

“Stop crying now. You’re going to scare him,” he said in a soft tone, patting her back gently.

“It’s just that... I’m happy,” she said after wiping the last of her tears. A wide smile formed in her face in contrast of her swollen eyes, “Welcome back, Sakuya-kun.”

Despite his difficulty to move, he used all his might to open his lips and said, “I’m home... director.”

And it was in that moment when he really felt he’s back at home, where he belong.

After that, the people he met in his surreal dream appeared in his hospital room with food, gifts, and objects that would keep him occupied.

His troupemates were the first and came the others on the succeeding days. Izumi made it her role to be his guardian and was always staying in the room to take care of his needs. Sometimes, Sakyo, or Sakoda, came in so that the director could rest. Tsuzuru often dropped by from work to see how he was recovering. Citron was always telling him adventurous stories like he used to. Chikage continued their daily coin toss. Itaru introduced him some games he can play for whenever he’s bored. Masumi didn’t usually come by due to his busy university life, but when he did, he brought him books. He even gave his troupe leader a headset to use, so he can listen to music as he waited for the day when he’s finally discharged.

Even though everyone showed how happy they were that he was finally awake, it didn’t slip past him that they were completely devastated when they found out he was in an accident. It was a whole three months for them, waiting and hoping he would come out of his comatose state. Summer, Autumn, and Winter plays went by and everyone, especially his troupe members, were dreading they had to do a Spring play where he won’t be able to appear.

The thought of them having a play without him made Sakuya feel like he was pulled back to his nightmare, to the world where he didn’t join the troupe and witnessed the Mankai Theater’s end, to a life where he didn’t have anywhere to belong.

It gave him an anxious feeling of losing the place where he finally found home. This reality he woke up to was very pleasant: he’s living his dream as an actor, he’s part of a company he can call his family, and the place where everybody is waiting for him to return to is what he could call home. But to lose all of these...

He stared at his hand, sitting on the white bed as the passing raindrops casted shadows over it.

It still felt surreal for him, that he’s here, and the fear of waking up to another reality came along with it.

What if he wakes up again and he finds himself back in that life without all of these precious people?

“Sakuya-kun?” Izumi’s voice brought him back to his senses, and an automatic smile appeared on his face in an attempt to not make her worry, but the director didn’t miss the sad look he had, “Is something bothering you?”

He stared at his hand again, afraid he’d start disappearing if this was another illusionary dream, and then looked back at her concerned face.

The young man started pouring his heart out, telling her about his nightmare and his anxieties. The director sat beside him and listened attentively.

“It must be silly of me, but I feel like everything could disappear in the next second,” the dark sky outside the window seemed to also loom over his heart.

“It’s not silly. You know, that’s how we felt when we found out about the accident,” his head whipped to her direction, but her eyes were already set on the depressing scene beyond the window, “It felt like we took your presence for granted.”

Sakuya could feel her words heavy with regret. He wanted to tell her how he felt loved and cared for with them, but he wanted to hear more of what she had to say.

“We were used to having you around, smiling brightly, and working hard like you always do. But when the days passed by and you weren’t around because you weren’t waking up, we couldn’t help but recall the days when you were. We didn’t know until then that we could lose someone that easily in the next second. Everyone tried to go on normally, but none of us couldn’t hide the worries and fears we had if ever you...” Her voice cracked, and her fists clenched over her lap with frustration.

If she was his aunt or one of his relatives, she wouldn’t feel this way. They wouldn’t even glance his way if he ever died. To them, it would be a relief of burden from their shoulders.

“Thank you, director.” Sakuya wore his usually bright smile which caught Izumi by surprised. It was the smile they all missed to see.

“No. Thank you, Sakuya-kun, for coming back to us.”

“Of course I came back! You are my family, after all,” the happiness he felt spread to the director, chasing all the fears she had. Relief came like a calming breeze to embrace her heart, reminding her that finally, Sakuya was back and well.

With a light heart, Sakuya counted the days until he was finally back to the dorm. On that day, when they arrived, Sakyo parked the car while Izumi accompanied him to get inside.

Once he stepped in the door, there was a loud pop in the darkness and suddenly, streamers flew in the air as the lights were turned back on. Everyone was there in the entrance to shout, “Welcome home, Sakuya!”

The scene made him tear up. He had this overwhelming emotion with the warmth of welcome spreading through his chest.

“Ah. This is what family is,” he told himself as he looked at the smiles on the faces of the people who are all part of his family.

Before anyone starts to worry, he rushed to wipe his tears with his long sleeve. Then, he met them with a beaming smile and proudly said, “I’m home!”

-------------------------------

I thought of this while I was listening to Avril Lavigne’s Innocence and Taylor Swift’s Innocent. Both reminded me of Sakuya. This was supposed to be just angst, but I don’t want a tragic end for the boy who deserved everything. ;_; 

I’m glad I was able to turn it around.

Also, I used this as an entry to #a3enfirst event facilitated by the Twt account @a3anniversary, with the concept “found family”.

Hope you enjoy~

#a3! sakuya #sakuya sakuma #a3 fanfiction #a3 angst #a3! #a3 #a3enfirst #found family

[jaskiersvalley]

TITLE: Summer Swift

AUTHOR/ARTIST: @jaskiersvalley

PROMPT DAY #: #4 Hurt/Comfort

SUMMARY: Over the years, Geralt had assumed Jaskier didn’t travel with him during the winter because it was too cold and tough on a fragile human body. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

WORD COUNT (if applicable): ~1k

BOOKS/NETFLIX/2002 SHOW/VIDEO GAME: Netflix show

TRIGGERS/WARNINGS: Depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder.

RATING: Teen and up

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Written as part of @geraskierweek. This one is dedicated to @thefishmongersdaughter - you know why :)

That first fateful meeting had been years ago but Geralt still remembered it. His Summer Swift had deemed him home for the warmer months, only leaving him as the cold set it. It was something Geralt had come to accept, cold, hard winters by himself. Such a life wasn’t fit for a fragile human.

“Where will you migrate to this winter, little hummingbird?” Geralt asked as he set the fire, an early chill had settled on the lands this year.

“I don’t know, I don’t think I’m welcome anywhere in particular this year and my coin is a bit thin to be able to put myself up somewhere.”

Weighing up the options, Geralt finally offered to be a companion for the colder months too, happy to pay towards rooms for cold nights and help with furs for Jaskier. It was quietly accepted with a warning that Jaskier might not be able to pay him back and that Geralt was not obligated to spend all his time with him. At that, Geralt only laughed a little and shook his head, reassuring Jaskier that he liked spending time with him, his happiness was infectious. For some strange reason, that only drew a bitter huff from Jaskier but it didn’t matter, Geralt was just happy he got to spend more time with his bard.

As the weeks went on, something changed. Watching Jaskier was like watching a fire die out, the embers blowing in the winds and trying to remember their former glory. He still played in taverns but a spark was missing. He sang, he smiled, he bowed and went through the motions of flirting. But Geralt could see how it all rang hollow, a poor mimicry of what Jaskier had been.

And Geralt didn’t understand. He tried to make it better, took Jaskier to better inns, bought him nicer furs, didn’t put any pressure on him to perform, he even stopped trying to cuddle him in case Geralt was the cause of his sadness. Maybe Jaskier only ever wanted a summer romance with him and now felt trapped. Pulling back from Jaskier hurt and it didn’t seem to help. If anything, it made him fall deeper into this fading disease of his. The smiles were empty, there were no new songs. In fact, Jaskier barely even touched his lute. Some days, he sat on the edge of the bed, lute in hand but after a restless plucking of one or two strings, nothing more came forth. It was a good day when he got half way through a song even if it had no soul.

Things got worse. Not even the finest foods Geralt could offer seemed to make the bard smile. And it was a worry. Especially when Geralt realised that he, as a Witcher, slept more than his human companion. He lost track of the amount of time Jaskier lay in bed, eyes open and staring when he should have been fast asleep.

“What ails you?” Geralt ended up asking in the middle of the winter. “Would you prefer to part ways?”

The fact Jaskier didn’t answer beyond a shrug was worrisome. Even worse was when he opened his mouth to actually speak. “It would probably be better for you. I’d understand.”

He probably would understand but Geralt didn’t. Especially not when a tear trickled down Jaskier’s temple where he was lying. His question about being allowed to approach was met with a silent nod and Geralt was padding across the room, sliding into bed like he had done so many times in the past. It took a little coaxing and moving Jaskier around until he could be held and then it was like a dam had broken. Human arms clutched at him and tears escaped along with apologies.

Over the course of the next couple of days, Geralt managed to tease the story out of Jaskier. Each winter, some curse seemed to fall on him where everything seemed pointless, nothing tasted good and it was like sunshine and warmth brought all his happiness. The winter robbed him of that. Left him a husk of who he used to be. So he made up for it in the warmer months, becoming larger than life in the hopes that some of it might be carried over into the winter. It never was. His winters were spent holed up in some room, either at a friend’s place or somewhere safe. Only, this year nobody had been willing to put up with him, nobody wanted him to haunt their halls with his emptiness.

Listening to it all only made Geralt hold him closer. It wasn’t easy. Some days he wanted to shake Jaskier and ask him what was so awful about winter when there were so many wonders it brought. Snow, a crisp chill to the air, beautiful sights, the wonder of a warm fireplace with hot chocolate to boot. But it didn’t matter. For whatever reason, Jaskier was blind to these simple joys. On the days Geralt wanted to rage, he simply went out, walked through the snow, tended to Roach and, by the time his annoyance had quietened, he felt bad. So he always returned with a small gift for Jaskier.

As early as winter had set in, it was just as quick to pass. Soon, the sun was brightening the mornings, snowdrops peered out of the ground. And, Geralt noted, it was like watching Jaskier wake up. Not a sudden spring back to his usual self, more like a steady, yawning stretch. Rather than sit on his bed, Jaskier could be cajoled to sit by the window and look out at the melting snow. His lute, which had been abandoned on the darkest nights of winter, found its way to his side again. The first time Jaskier laughed, it sounded like a blessing even though it was last heard so long ago, it might as well have been a myth from olden times.

By the time the weather warmed up and spring had announced its imminent arrival, Jaskier was smiling again. Not the bright, sunny smiles he had greeted Geralt with after a winter apart. No, in the previous years he wouldn’t have found Geralt just yet. But the echoes of it were there, growing stronger each day. When they set out on their travels again, there was a hint of a skip to Jaskier’s step that got stronger. As summer rolled around, Geralt was grateful to see that Jaskier was back to how he knew him, his migratory little bird. The pet names returned, only, this time, Geralt vowed that he would find something to make winters more bearable for his songbird. Thus, they started their chase of the summer across the continents, trying to always be one step ahead of winter and her curse.

#geraskier #geralt #geralt of rivia #jaskier #the witcher #geraskier week #tldr: jaskier has SADs and geralt tries his best

[elareine]

May I pls pls ask for a Jaydick soulmate AU? I really liked the red string thingy! Maybe with "right to the good parts" prompt 6 and cuddling prompt 5 and/or 6?? (:

Thanks for the prompts! I love red strings of fate, so this was fun. 

Cassandra Cain had many ways to see. The red strings were just one small part of her abilities, but one that she treasured. Looking at her finger, knowing that she would be able to find Steph wherever she was—it gave a feeling of security, of belonging, that she’d seldom experienced before.

Her family… that was another matter.

Her heart ached for them. She wanted to tell Jason that even if he had lost his best friend, lost his family, there was someone out there just for him. Everything in her was tempted to tell Tim that his soulmate was closeby to ease his loneliness and fear of rejection. Damian—he needed to know that he was worthy of love. Babs was so strong, the strongest person Cass knew, but she deserved to have the same comfort Cass did. And Bruce.

Oh, Bruce.

Dick, however… he was more challenging to figure out. For as long as Cass had watched him, his string had led into the distance, slackening and tightening in turn. It was uniquely alive. Occasionally, there would just be a movement, a tug, as if Dick was willing his string to go toward the person he was with.

It never worked. It took until a quiet day in the cave for Cass to understand why.

“So, yeah,” Jason was saying. “I decided to start at Gotham U. Got accepted into English Lit and Criminology.”

Dick beamed and moved in for a hug. “Little Wing, I’m so happy for you.”

“Uh, thanks.” There was a faint blush on Jason’s cheeks, and Cass knew why.

Normally, Dick would’ve let go by now. He was still holding on to Jason, looking a little lost, as if this was everything and he couldn’t figure out why it felt so good.

Cass held her breath. Jason didn’t pull him closer, exactly, but he wasn’t pushing him away, either. She could read the tension in his every line. However, he didn’t relax when Dick finally extracted himself—if anything, he was tenser when they weren’t touching.  

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw their strings move as if they were contracting, pulling in… or maybe shortening?

This would need watching. She didn’t want her brothers to get hurt, even if there was very little she could do to protect them.

The next opportunity to watch the two of them came months later. They—Red Hood, Nightwing, Red Robin, and she—were working together with the usual amount of bickering when they had to wait for a postponed shipment in an abandoned warehouse on the top of a mountain without electricity.

She and Tim had given into the inevitable snuggling for warmth and comfort without a fuss. They didn’t need it, but why not take what was on offer when it made for a better night? Dick pressed up to the Cass’ other side immediately. Jason, though, kept himself apart.

One day, she swore to herself, they would convince him that he was always welcome. Brother needed to know.

She had been sleeping for hours when the sound of something heavy dragging along the floor woke her up. Dick shifted against her, making room to accommodate Jason.

“Just for warmth,” she heard Jason whisper. It made Cass want to hit him on the back of the head—stupid men with their stupid inability to show feelings—but then Jason would move away, and Dick would look sad. So she pretended to be asleep and left them to it.

Something must have happened that night. The next morning, Cass could see their red string had shortened; so much so, in fact, that she could follow it from one end to the other, see where it bound them together.

If she were Steph or Tim, she might have interfered at that point. It would be useless, though, Cass knew. Her brothers were the type that needed to figure things out themselves, at their own pace. A push and they might balk.

In the end, her patience paid off during one sunny day in September. Steph and Tim had called it “road trip time” and sounded so excited about it, no one (well, except Damian) had had the heart to object. Dick had even found a “genuine sixties van, c’mon, Jay redid the engines, it’ll be fun!” for them.

Inevitably, a battle for the front seats ensued. Cass didn’t get why, but she participated enthusiastically and won the place of honor for her and Steph. After a few hours, though, they elected to give it up for Tim (the designated relief driver when Dick became tired) and Dami. That way, Damian could hiss his backseat driving comments in a way that the rest didn’t have to hear it.

Dick generously gave up the middle row so they could cuddle up with Babs and joined Jason in the back row. Now that Tim was driving, the music switched to something with a lot of guitars and soft voices, and the atmosphere calmed down considerably. Cass was content to drowse with her head on Steph’s shoulder until she noticed something moving.

A loop of red thread, shrinking in on itself. Cass watched it out until it had left her field of vision, then gave it a few more minutes.

Carefully, oh-so-carefully, she turned her head.

Jason and Dick—they were asleep. But not just sleeping, no; Dick was resting with his head in Jason’s lap, Jason’s fingers in his hair, their other hand linked. It was the most peaceful Cass had ever seen them. And there was the red string, almost invisible now because they were so close.

With a content sigh, Cass turned back. Two fewer people to worry about.

Tim’s eyes caught hers in the rearview mirror, and they shared a smile.

(I’m taking prompts for Easter!)

#elareine writes #jaydick #cassandra cain #stephcass #batfamily #watch me ominously refer to Bruce’s soulmate in every one of these AUs

[messagefromtheveins]

Numb

A/N: Turns out I only needed that tiny little clip of the Super Bowl teaser to get inspired to write. So here’s my take on what happens post-Endgame ☺

Words: 1.8k

Pairing: (platonic) Bucky/Reader, Sam/Reader

Warning: lots of angst. Brief and very vague mention of self harm!

Arms crossed in front of your chest, you felt a small smile tug at the corners of your lips as you watched Sam throw his head back in annoyance as the shield once again went into the wrong direction. You hesitated for a long moment, your forehead resting against the cold window before you moved through the room, grabbing a cardigan on your way out.

Your bare feet barely made a sound on the wooden panels, the stairs only creaking once, so quietly that you barely heard it. But Bucky did, his icy blue eyes immediately on yours as you reached the last step. He didn't say a word, simply gave you a soft smile that you returned, though you knew that he could see how forced it was. You knew that Bucky was also struggling with the loss of Steve, but you hadn't gotten yourself to talk to him yet, to ask him how he was doing- the wound Steve had left when he had gone off to be with Peggy was still too fresh. It still felt like someone was ripping your chest open if they just mentioned his name.

You didn't care that the grass was wet with morning dew below your bare feet- in fact, it was welcomed, in a strange way. For the last month you had mostly stayed in your room, hiding from Sam's empathetic eyes and gentle words. You knew he only wanted to help, but it usually made you feel worse. But Sam and Bucky had been kind enough to take you with them to the house they had gotten, both of them needing time and space to deal with everything that had happened, and yet not wanting to be on their own. They hadn't even given you the chance to protest or the chance to find a place for yourself. They knew that you would break at some point and that you'd need someone to catch you when it happened.

"Hey, Sammy," you spoke up, tightening the cardigan around you as his head lifted from where he had glared at the shield in his hands. You knew he hated the nickname, but he had never managed to convince you to call him something else.

His eyes widened just a bit, but you noticed it, before a gentle smile spread over his lips. It made you want to run back inside and crawl back into the safety of your bed, but you forced yourself to keep walking over to him. "Good morning," he responded, his voice nothing but a low murmur. You could see that he wanted to say more, but you spoke up before he could.

"I hate to be a know-it-all, but you're not putting enough force into the way you throw the shield," you told him, his gentle smile turning into a wide grin along with one of his eyebrows raising.

"Is that so?" he chuckled. For a brief moment you felt like everything was back to normal when he looked at you with the kind of amusement in his eyes that you remembered so vividly from all the times you had decided to join him on his morning run, both of you knowing that you could never keep up with him, but he had always humored you.

Nodding, you hesitated before you reached for the shield, seeing the surprise in his eyes as he handed it to you. "Yeah. You're thinking of the way Ste-" you broke off before you even finished the name. You didn't notice how Sam's eyebrows furrowed in worry as he watched you, how your hands tightened on the shield and your jaw clenched while you fought against the tears that blurred your vision. He didn't say a word as he reached a hand out to you, though before he could curl it around your upper arm you moved out of reach. Shaking your head, you didn't meet his gaze as you continued, your voice weak before you gained composure again. "-how he threw it, but you have to remember that you don't have that freaky serum in your blood. So you have to compensate for that with more strength."

Behind you Bucky stepped out of the house, holding a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. A little frown rested on his features as he watched the two of you. He could clearly remember the day Steve had tried to teach you how to throw the shield. It had been a beautiful sunny day and the three of you had used the moment of peace that had lingered in the air to enjoy the nice weather, lounging outside of the compound in the grass. He could remember how you had struggled to throw it, failing several times before you had finally put more force into it. A smile spread over his lips as he remembered how you had managed to dislocate your shoulder, how you had laughed your way through the pain. Steve had never given you that shield ever again.

Sam stayed silent as you showed him how he should try throwing it without you actually throwing it, barely listening to a word you said. He could see how much the world was weighing on your shoulders and he desperately wanted to take some of that weight, but he knew better than to push you- he knew that you wanted to deal with it on your own terms. He and Bucky had accepted that those terms meant locking yourself up in your room and only briefly showing your face when you went to get something to eat.

When you gave him the shield again he got into the same pose you had showed him, taking a deep breath and meeting Bucky's gaze from where he was watching the scene unfold from the front porch before Sam twisted and threw the shield. It didn't hit the target- which was a tree- but his aim was much better than before, close enough that the shield left a deep cut at the side of the trunk before it landed on the ground with a dull thump.

An elated grin rested on his features as you turned to look at Sam, excitement written all over his face as he released a victorious "Whooo!" before he wrapped his arms around you and hugged you close to his chest.

The second his arms engulfed you in a tight hug you slowly felt yourself crumbling, the wall you had put up slowly falling apart until you were trembling in his arms, tears rolling down your cheeks. He was whispering calming words into your ear and caressed your back with gentle hands, keeping you upright even when it felt like your knees were giving out.

The last time you had received any kind of physical contact had been when Steve had told you about his plan- the plan that had included leaving you and reuniting with the real love of his life. He hadn't worded it like that, but that was how you had taken it. Ever since then you had rejected any kind of physical contact, no matter if it was a hug or someone reaching for your hand. And it wasn't until now that you realized how much you had tortured yourself with that, how freeing it was to finally let go of everything you had been bottling up all this time and to find comfort in someone's arms.

As much as it hurt Bucky to see you like this, it also relieved him. He and Sam had gotten quite worried lately, wondering how much longer you would shut them out and what would happen when you finally broke. Bucky had been so worried that you'd end up hurting yourself in ways he didn't even want to imagine. His coffee cup was left abandoned at the front door as he stepped over to you and Sam, his hand instinctively coming to rest on your back as you cried into Sam's chest.

Bucky hadn't expected that you would immediately turn to him, your arms tightly wrapping around his neck and seeking the comforting embrace you had received so many times. Whenever Steve had been away on a mission and you had been worried about his safety you had searched for a sense of comfort in Bucky's arms.

His metal arm locked around your waist while his other hand came to rest on the back of your head, cradling you close to his shoulder and leaning his cheek against the side of your head. He completely blocked Sam out, only concentrating on you- on the way you tightly grasped at his shoulders, clinging onto the soft fabric of his blue sweater while you quietly cried in his arms. "It's okay, hon'," he murmured, his fingers lightly playing with your hair, "it's okay. Sam and I are here for you, yeah?" He didn't even know if you listened to him.

It took a long time before your grip on him slowly loosened and you started to pull back, though he didn't let you go far. "Buck..." you whimpered, his head nodding as his hands reached up to cup your face in them. Both his metal and his flesh hand felt cold against your flushed cheeks.

"I know," he cooed and gently brushed the tears from your cheeks, but new ones immediately followed, "it hurts like hell, I know." He brushed your hair out of your face, tucking a few strands behind your ear while he studied your features. He could see the pain written in your bloodshot eyes, a new wave of anger towards Steve building in his chest. "God, I hate him. I hate him for hurting you like this. You didn't deserve any of this," he whispered, more to himself.

He knew he should be grateful, considering that Steve had been the one who had gotten him away from Hydra. But ever since Steve had left- and especially now that he got to see just how much Steve had hurt you- he couldn't be grateful. Especially when the next words left your lips. "I'm not even sure if he ever loved me."

Tears burned in the back of his eyes at the way you sounded so broken, his hand once again landing on the back of your head as he pulled you in. His lips trembled against your skin as he left a lingering kiss on your forehead. "He did, hon'. He really did. He just wasn't able to let go of the past," he told you, his fingers slowly caressing your head as he let a moment pass in silence before he spoke up once more. "We're going to get you through this, I promise."

Forever and Ever Taglist: @waitonmedarling​ @hugefangirl-22 @evansweaters​ @learning-howto-be-myselfx3 @ultradreamologistblog @justanotherfangurl272 @my-elevenoutof10 @disaster-rose @kellymat @anncutamarica​

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes blurb #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes writing #sam wilson #sam wilson imagine #sam wilson blurb #sam wilson angst #sam wilson fanfiction #sam wilson fic #sam wilson writing #writing

[jaxl-road]

The League of Extraordinary Rockstars, ch.5

Summary: LA is a hub for music and mutants, making it the perfect place for Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, and countless other mutant musicians to call home. But it’s not all easy, especially when it comes to finding a decent place to live. So what better solution than moving in together in the mansion of an immortal? Love, drama, and super powers. If nothing else, it’ll be interesting.

Chapter Warnings: Language, genderswap!Steven

AN: This is a collaboration between myself and @the–blackdahlia​! It combines elements from her fic “It’s So Easy (And Other Lies)” (specifically her genderswapped!Steven) and my super powered GnR series. It is completely AU and ignores timelines like Woah, but hopefully you’ll have as much fun reading it as we’re having writing it! Let us know what you think!

~~~~~~~

The sun was shining the next morning as another day of settling into the house got started. Kelly was sitting in the kitchen, sipping some coffee from the coffee maker that they had picked up the day before, and was reveling in the silence. He was watching some animals running around the backyard, looking at the pool and feeling disappointed by it not having any water. It was so peaceful.

But that was short lived. He suddenly heard Axl and Vince arguing about something as they came down to the main floor. Kelly groaned and blindly grabbed a bottle of booze to pour into his coffee.

“Good idea,” Nikki muttered as he entered the kitchen, snagging the whiskey bottle out of Kelly’s hand.

“Hey, give me that,” Kelly grumbled, “I need that more than you do.”

“Why?” Nikki asked.

“Lot of noises. I couldn’t sleep,” Kelly grumbled. The house itself was old, often creaking and groaning if it was even remotely windy, not to mention some people didn’t know how to keep it down when they had a good time. He didn’t know if it was the terror twins or Sebastian and Axl- he had kept his face thoroughly buried in his pillow specifically to avoid knowing- but he was starting to think they might need a house meeting about fucking etiquette.

“Morning,” Tommy grumbled as he came into the kitchen, Vince and Axl standing in the living room arguing. “What are Ginger Barbie and Malibu Barbie arguing about now?”

“Beats me,” Kelly sighed, “They argue over if it’s raining or sunny when it’s snowing.”

“What is their issue, anyway?” Tommy pondered, leaning his head on his hand as he sat beside Kelly at the table.

“Who knows. One day Axl just sort of decided that Vince was his mortal enemy.”

Nikki, Tommy, and Kelly jumped as Slash’s voice came from the seat across the table, the guitarist seeming to materialize as he turned to look at the singers in question.

“Jesus FUCK, Slash, how long have you been here?” Kelly snapped.

"Little bit," Slash shrugged, "Hey I just noticed something."

"What?" Nikki asked.

"Kelly kinda looks like you guys," he tilted his head, looking between the three of them curiously.

“You’re just noticing that?” Mick wandered through the kitchen, raising an eyebrow at Slash, “Fuck, when I first saw Kelly I thought for sure he was some fucked up lovechild of these two idiots.”

“Oh, ha ha,” Kelly rolled his eyes. But when he turned to look at Nikki and Tommy, he nearly spit out his coffee.

The terror twins were staring at him with that particular glint in their eyes that said that Kelly was about to have a bad time.

Tommy sniffed dramatically, grasping Nikki’s hands, “Oh babe, he’s beautiful! I love him!”

“T-Bone, I know we never discussed kids, but-”

“He’s perfect! And he’s a bass player just like you!”

“I’ll cherish him forever!” Nikki wiped a fake tear away.

Kelly leapt to his feet, backing away as the two men lunged for him, making grabby hands and kissy faces as they chased him around the table, crying about “son, let us love you!” and “give your old man a kiss, kiddo!”

“I’m fucking older than all of you! Fuck off!” he screeched, ducking behind Mick as a human shield.

"Don't talk to your dads that way," Mick grumbled.

"Get away from me!" Kelly called out, getting Vince and Axl's attention.

"What's going on?" Vince asked.

“Tommy and Nikki just realized that Kelly is their son,” Slash explained nonchalantly.

“They’re just now figuring that out?” Axl raised an eyebrow, the two singers abandoning their argument in favor of watching as Nikki finally managed to wrap his arms around Kelly’s waist, hoisting the other bassist into the air.

“You’ve gotten so big! They grow up so fast!” He snickered, Kelly squirming and flailing as Tommy started planting kisses on his cheeks.

“You’re dead to me! You hear me!! Get out of my house!!”

The twins were about to make an argument when a blood curdling scream could be heard.

"What the fuck?" Kelly wiggled out of Nikki's grasp and went running across the house with everyone else following. Duff came out of the hall bathroom, hair wet, and Izzy walked through his door.

"Was that Stevie?" Axl asked. Izzy quickly went to her room. She threw a shoe and it went through him.

"Where. Is. It?" She was tearing boxes and bags apart.

“Where’s what?” Slash asked, barely managing to duck in time as a boot was hurled carelessly his way.

“Mr. Cuddles!” She yelled, throwing her drumsticks at the wall.

“What the fuck is a Mr. Cuddles?” Nikki asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Stevie’s stupid stuffed bear that’s dressed like Batman,” Axl commented. Stevie glared at the frontman.

“It’s not stupid!” She hissed, “I know I had him! Or… I thought I did…” she tugged at her wild hair anxiously, “Where the fuck did I put him?!”

“Okay, alright,” Duff put his hands on her shoulders, trying to soothe her, “Stuff is always getting shuffled around in moves. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”

“But I’ve looked everywhere!” She cried, “Izzy gave him to me. He’s my favorite stuffed animal!” Izzy froze. He didn’t realize she had kept it. “And now I can’t find him…”

“Maybe he just got mixed up with someone else’s stuff!” Tommy suggested, “I mean, for the most part Baz and I were collecting everyone’s shit-”

“You’re welcome by the way,” Sebastian pouted.

“-And the stuff we didn’t grab all got shoved into Kelly’s car. So maybe it just got, y’know, misplaced."

Stevie looked up then and the guys all froze. There were actual, legit tears in her eyes. None of them had ever seen Stevie actually cry before, and they didn’t really know how to react.

“I, uh, I’ll go check my car!” Kelly declared, running off.

“We’ll all go check our stuff,” Duff added and the guys all scattered, all except for Izzy.

“You kept it?” He asked. She sniffled and nodded.

“I always kept it under my blankets so I wouldn’t get made fun of,” She whispered. Izzy took a step forward.

“We’ll find it, I promise,” He told her, carefully wrapping his arms around her. She leaned into him, closing her eyes. It was peaceful for a moment.

“We can’t find him!” Someone yelled, cutting the moment. Izzy lost control and Stevie fell right through him, landing on the floor.

“Fuck,” Izzy cursed, moving to help her stand, “Sorry, sorry, I just-”

Stevie couldn’t help but giggle. It wasn’t often that she got to see the calm and cool Izzy Stradlin blushing, but here he was, stuttering and flustered. It was cute.

“It’s okay, I’m alright,” she reassured him, brushing off her shirt with a smile.

“I’m really sorry,” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“I promise, it’s cool,” She took a step closer to him, locking eyes with him. There seemed to be a bit of a spark as Izzy reached out and brushed a lock of her hair off her cheek.

Izzy felt his heart pounding in his chest, as it usually did around Stevie. He thought of the opportunities he had let slip through his fingers the day before, and how he had caught Stevie and Duff together. But… she was leaning towards him too, looking into his eyes with a soft smile. If he leaned in just a little bit more…

“STEVIE, WE FOUND IT!”

The two jumped apart like they had been electrocuted, Sebastian's loud, high pitched shout ringing through the house. Stevie turned to the door as Baz ran in with the bear in his hands. Her face lit up, her energy back, and made the two men see spots.

“You found him!” She took it from him and hugged it. “Thanks Baz!” She kissed his cheek.

“Anytime sweetie,” He smiled and left, sighs of relief resonating off the rest of the housemates.

Duff came jogging into the room, a large smile on his face when he saw Stevie clutching her stuffed animal, “See? I told you we’d find him,” he pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on her head.

Shuffling awkwardly, Izzy smiled weakly, “Yeah, I’m really glad you found him,” he said as he caught Stevie’s eyes. Clearing his throat, he walked out of the room, “I think that was more than enough excitement for the day. I’ll see you guys later,” he called over his shoulder, rushing upstairs and gliding back into the safety of his room.

“You okay?” Duff asked, noticing Stevie staring.

“I’m good,” She told him, snuggling into his side. “The rest of the stuff comes in today. I should go downstairs to wait for them.”

“Or you could stay up here for a bit,” Duff placed a kiss on her neck. It helped a little, but she kept thinking of that almost kiss with Izzy, and how she had really wanted it to happen. It was frustrating though- she really did like Duff. Love him even. She had thought that her other crush would go away, or fade, or something after finally confessing to one of them.

“Stevie! There’s a truck here!” Slash called up their stairs, making Duff groan.

“Don’t go,” He pulled her back to him. She giggled a little.

“I gotta,” She told him. “We have tonight.” She stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss before darting off to the front of the house before Duff could test her self control even more.

Stepping outside, she found Kelly signing a clipboard as a few large boxes were wheeled out of a moving truck. Sebastian turned and grinned when he saw Stevie.

“Dude, we finally have a fridge! Now we can stop chugging room temp beers and shit!”

“Honestly, I’m kind of excited to have a bed frame,” Kelly admitted, “I’ve been sleeping on a mattress on the floor since the 20s. I feel so sophisticated now,” he grinned.

“You and me both,” Stevie laughed. The guys brought everything in, Stevie tipped them, and they were gone. Stevie pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

“The hair is up! This is not a drill!” Axl teased. Stevie shot him a look.

“Just for that remark, you and Vince and start carrying bed frames upstairs,” Stevie told the redhead, who instantly shut up.

“That is cruel and unusual punishment!” “What the fuck did I do??” Axl and Vince cried out at the same time. Stevie only glared, and the two singers groaned, but did as they were told, shooting insults back and forth under their breath as they began carrying the furniture into different bedrooms.

Snickering, Sebastian moved towards some of the remaining bed frames, “I’ll deal with the upstairs stuff,” he volunteered.

“Are you sure?” Stevie asked. “You used a lot of energy yesterday…”

“I got this!” Sebastian smiled and poofed away with one of the pieces. Stevie shrugged and worked on the fridge, getting it set up and starting to put the drinks they had in it.

“We need real food,” She told them. “Veggies and meat and cheese. God, I love cheese.”

“Meat and cheese I agree with, but I am very against the veggie comment,” Slash pouted.

“Look, I love junk food too,” Stevie lectured, “but we can’t live off it forever.”

“Incorrect,” Kelly chimed in, grinning as Stevie swatted the back of his head.

“You don’t count,” she huffed.

“Hey! Don’t talk to our son that way!” Tommy appeared in a gust of wind, nearly knocking Kelly off his feet as he swept him into an embrace.

“Yeah, how dare you bully our child! He’s never done anything wrong ever in his life!” Nikki added dramatically.

“...What?” Stevie stared between them in confusion.

“Save me,” Kelly pleaded, unable to escape from Tommy’s grip.

“When did Nikki knock you up?” Duff asked with a laugh. Tommy just smirked.

“I mean, Kelly does kinda look like a mix of them,” Stevie shrugged. “So, is it Kelly Nickels Sixx-Lee?”

“No, it’s Kelly “Someone Kill Me”,” the bassist muttered.

“Oh, don’t be like that sport,” Nikki ruffled his hair. Kelly groaned.

“Kelly, want to go grocery shopping with me?” Stevie asked, “We need refrigerated food.”

“Yes!” Kelly ran over to her, “Thank you.”

“Have our boy home by 8, you troublemaker,” Nikki chuckled, leaning on Tommy’s shoulder as Kelly flipped them off.

“Want me to come too?” Duff asked enthusiastically, only to deflate when Stevie shook her head.

“Nah, we’ll be fine, we’re not getting too much,” she smiled amicably at him, “Just keep the skies clear for me, yeah?”

“Yeah, of course,” he returned the smile weakly.

Stevie felt a little stab of guilt. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend time with Duff, or that she wasn’t overjoyed at what had happened the night before. But the incident with Izzy had shaken her a bit, and she wanted some space away from both of them to hopefully clear her head a bit. She walked over to Duff to whisper in his ear.

“Kelly needs a save. But maybe you and I can go out later?” She felt relief when she saw Duff’s eyes light up and a smile spread on his face.

“That sounds great,” He gave her a hug. “I hope you guys had a talk with your son about the birds and the bees.”

“Oh my god,” Kelly groaned. “We are leaving. Right now,” he grabbed Stevie’s hand and practically ran for the door, Nikki, Tommy, and Duff cackling behind them. They headed out to Kelly’s car.

“You okay over there?” Stevie asked with a bit of a laugh.

“This is going to be a long, long time living with them,” Kelly sighed. “But it’s not as awful as I thought it was going to be, honestly.” He headed towards the cheaper grocery store in their area.

“Yeah,” She nodded. Kelly could tell that something was a little off.

“What about you, Sunshine?” he asked, “How are you handling the herd of new roommates?”

“Oh, it’s fine,” she smiled quickly, “I mean, we were all friends before, so it’s not a big deal or anything.”

Kelly hummed in response, and they lapsed into companionable silence until they eventually found themselves pulling into the parking lot.

“Not too busy,” Stevie smiled. “We could have a cart race.” She got out of the car and waited for Kelly before heading inside.

“So, you and Duff seemed kinda close this morning,” Kelly pointed out as they got a cart.

“Well, something might have happened last night,” Stevie told him, biting her lip.

Just as they were starting down the aisle, Kelly ground to a halt, Stevie bumping into his back before he spun around, “And I’m just hearing about this now?” He put his hands on his hips, smirking, “Spill. Tell me everything.”

“Well, Duff brought me dinner last night, and we kissed,” Stevie told him. “Other things happened that you don’t need the details for.”

“You’re no fun.”

“And then I almost kissed Izzy this morning,”

“Woah, hold up,” Kelly stopped her, “You’re telling me that both the guys you have crushes on made moves on you?”

“Well, Izzy didn’t get to really make a move, and Duff’s kinda my boyfriend now and... I’m just so conflicted Nickels.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” He put his hands on her shoulders when he saw Stevie starting to get upset, sparing a moment to glare at the old lady huffing at them. He didn’t care that they were blocking the aisle, could she not see his friend was having a crisis?

“Have you talked to Duff about it?” he asked gently, “I mean about the whole Izzy thing. Correct me if I’m wrong but… did you want him to kiss you?”

“Yeah I wanted to,” Stevie sighed. “But I just got with Duff and I thought that being with him would make the feelings for Izzy go away. What do I do?” She looked up at Kelly. “Like, I’ve never had two guys like me before. I’m lucky if I’ve gotten one at a time.”

“Hey, that’s not true,” Kelly told her.

“It is. And I don’t know what to do with the two guys I like liking me back!”

“I mean, if you like them both and they both like you, why not just date both of them?”

Stevie snapped her head up to blink at him, “What?”

Kelly shrugged, “Yeah, I mean, if they’re down for it. Oh man, I had a boyfriend and a girlfriend at the same time back in the 80s-”

“We’re in the-”

“The other 80s. Anyway, it was a good time,” He shrugged again.

“I don’t know if they’d go for it,” Stevie told him, “But I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try, right?”

“That’s the spirit!” He smiled. “Now, let’s get some frozen pizzas!”

“We’re supposed to be getting healthy food,” Stevie shook her head.

“Pizza has tomato sauce,” He opened the freezer door. “It’s healthy-ish.”

“At least grab some pepperoni for me,” Stevie sighed in defeat, several boxes being tossed into the cart before they continued through the store.

“So, what’s up with you?” Stevie asked as they looked at the fruits and veggies.

“Ugh, well, I’m horny as hell and I can’t even try to talk you into anything because apparently you’re doubly taken,” he groaned, receiving a few more glares from scandalized customers around them.

“Oh my god,” She laughed a little, “There’s like, three single people at the house, right? Maybe you should hook up with one of them,” She winked, “Or I know a couple people that wouldn’t mind you having their numbers.”

“I knew there was a reason I loved you,” he teased, pulling Stevie into a quick side hug.

“Love you too, but you’re hopeless Mr. Nickles Sixx-Lee,” She giggled a little bit.

Kelly groaned, “I can’t believe they latched onto that dumb joke so much.”

“Awwww be nice to your dads!”

“I changed my mind, I hate you.”

“Then I don’t have to share my numbers,” She told him, making him whine. “So, do we need anything else?”

After making a quick detour to the liquor aisle, they eventually decided that they had enough to satisfy the household for at least a little while. The novelty of actually having money hadn’t worn off yet, and Stevie was practically giddy as she paid for all the bags of food, practically skipping as they made their way back to the car.

Kelly shook his head fondly, “I’m glad to see you feeling better today, Glowstick.”

“Yeah, me too,” Stevie looked up and smiled at the clear, sunny skies before they got into the car and made their way back to the house. They parked and carried everything into the house, Kelly thankful that he didn’t see Nikki or Tommy upon entry. Duff was sitting in the living room, Slash was in a chair by him, about to fall asleep.

“Hey Duff,” Stevie smiled at him. “Can we go up to my room and talk for a minute?”

“Oooooo, talking already?” Slash teased. “You two move as fast as Speedy Gonzolas up there.”

“Shut up,” Duff laughed, “And go sleep in your fucking room! I swear, I’m gonna start punching seats to check for you.” Slash flipped him off as he and Stevie made their way down the hall. Just as they were turning the corner, Izzy drifted downstairs, looking at their retreating backs sadly before deciding that actually he wasn’t really hungry after all, turning on his heel to go back upstairs to hide.

#Guns n Roses #gnr #Motley Crue #fem!Steven #duff mckagan #izzy stradlin #slash #axl rose #sebastian bach #Nikki Sixx #tommy lee #mick mars #Vince Neil #kelly nickels #my writing #other people's writing #superpower au

[aethelflaedladyofmercia]

What Might Have Been - 17

@goodomenscelebration - Theme Prompts

Continuing to post as many as possible in one evening!

If you missed a chapter, they are all available on AO3!

CW for briefly described but very bad injuries; and for creepy abandoned towns

For those who need a reminder: “Crowley” is our Crowley, while his “mirror image” is the Alternate Universe version. “Aziraphale” (or the “Guardian of Humanity”) is the Alternate Universe angel, while “Kasbeel” is ours, in disguise.

I apologize for that being confusing.

Holiday

“Tell me about the angel.”

Crowley’s mirror image slumped against the wall, looking blankly at the space between them.

It was the only thing he ever asked. He never spoke of his own Aziraphale.

At first, Crowley had thought it was a trick. He’d kept his responses vague, evasive. What do you want me to say? Smug bastard with white wings. The mirror image had simply nodded.

Over time, Crowley started telling stories from their past, short ones, ones he thought over carefully, to ensure they wouldn’t reveal too much.

He likes oysters, way too much. Just. Salty, briny disgusting oysters, and he’ll eat a dozen of them in one sitting. Slurps them, too.

He can’t stand Charles Dickens. No idea why. Might just be that his customers are always asking for him, but I think they met once.

He’s been trying to learn to pull a coin from someone’s ear for over a century. Still drops the damn thing half the time. Isn’t it only supposed to take ten thousand hours to learn a skill? He’s coming up on a hundred thousand hours I think, and he still can’t get the fingers right.

And then, somewhere along the way, he stopped even guarding himself that much.

“He helps people,” Crowley said, turning his leg, which was still stiff and sore from the last torture session. The floor around him was black with demonic blood. “Even…when it’s really not worth it, even when there’s something way more important going on. One time, we were at this little restaurant in Italy. I turn my back for a minute, and there he goes, off washing dishes. He hates doing that sort of stuff, you know, always leaves them in the sink until I take care of it. But the girl in the back had been sick, and he sent her home and took over the job himself. Didn’t even use miracles, by the way, and couldn’t figure out how the machine worked, so he did it all by hand.”

“What…” the mirror image asked. “What was the more important thing?”

“Oh, uh, I’d been planning to ask him something. Not important what. We picked up the conversation later, but, um, he really ruined my first attempt.”

--

A hundred and forty miles to London.

Alone, Kasbeel could fly the distance in just under five hours. He would be exhausted, but he’d had a lot of practice the last few years.

He was not alone.

A Roman legion could walk twenty miles a day, setting up camp every night and breaking it in the morning. They could have made it in a week. Harold Godwinson had crossed from Yorkshire to Sussex in a little more than that.

But Kasbeel wasn’t leading an army.

He was leading nearly three hundred tired, hungry humans, most of them young, through enemy territory. Where they could be spotted at any moment and taken from him.

He took a deep breath, and walked through the crowd.

“Patrick, how’s the leg? Healing well? Ollie, make sure you hold onto Jennifer’s hand. Mrs. Sherwood, that’s not too many children? Please let Mrs. Kumar know if you need help. Amiyah, why don’t you move up to the front where we can see you? Alex, please, stay with your group, I don’t want to ask you again.” He greeted as many as he could, clasping shoulders, grasping hands.

When he reached the front, Lyla was waiting. She’d arranged her hair to hide the Mark on her cheekbone, as many did if they could. He bit his tongue and didn’t say anything. It was her choice.

“Are we ready to go?” she asked, tilting her head towards the highway, cutting south towards London.

“I believe so.” He glanced at the sky, black, filled with stars once more. It was comforting, and frightening. What else would change? “Let’s get as far as we can before sunrise.”

--

Ishliah had never seen the world before the apocalypse. Just barracks and training until the day the war started, then fighting, and fighting and fighting.

What spread before her now was almost incomprehensible. Little short plants growing everywhere from the ground, a vibrant, impossible green. And the taller ones – the trees – reaching almost to the top of the wall, branches spreading thick with fruit. Little animals sat in the branches, singing, not as varied or interesting as the singing of angels, but music nonetheless.

All that, and the sky above, brilliant blue again – it was almost enough to bring tears to her eyes.

“Ishliah of the Seventh Battalion. Welcome to New Eden.”

She turned, and her heart stopped in her chest. That face – she knew him, would never forget it, though now he was in uniform, flaming sword in hand. But the pale curls – the round face – the blue-grey eyes…

“You…” she managed, weakly.

“That would be the confirmation I need.” He stepped closer, still smiling. “I am Aziraphale, Angel of the Eastern Gate, Principality of Earth and Guardian of Humanity. I believe you met someone claiming to be me, three years ago, according to your report.”

“That…it really was…you?” Her hands began to tremble, and she wondered if this was what fear felt like. She never felt it on the battlefield, but this was much, much worse.

Ishliah had lied in that report.

“No, it was not.” He patted her on the shoulder. “And I don’t believe many others understand what you truly witnessed. I don’t fully understand it myself, but I mean to. Now. You said this angel…” a screen appeared in his hand and he scrolled down, lips pursed as he read. “Here it is. He took you into a hidden room and tortured you for information? Is this true?”

“Yes?” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Yes. There was a great deal of pain and…he asked me questions…”

Something caught her eye down in the garden. A group of humans, being led to a smaller walled area not far away. The human in the lead was shouting, and they all seemed to be bound together on some sort of chain.

“Even here we have our troublemakers,” Aziraphale said, with something like regret. “Sometimes the children don’t grow obediently as we’d hoped, and sometimes the Retrieval teams make mistakes when identifying the Elect. Not often, but we have been very busy lately.” He nodded towards the smaller walled section. “The holding pen is their last chance. Gabriel will arrive in a week to deliver the final Judgement on them.”

“And…if they’re found wanting…?”

“They’re cast out, of course. Far from here. The Eastern Gate, you understand, is purely ceremonial.” He gestured to the outer wall beside them.

Ishliah glanced down to see, not quite directly below them, a single stone missing from the completely smooth face of the wall. It hardly looked large enough for even a young human to slip through. She checked the inside curve of the wall. No breaks there – the missing stone didn’t even reach all the way.

She looked up again to find the Guardian scrolling through her report with pursed lips. “Ishliah. I wonder if, perhaps, you weren’t completely honest in what you said?”

She clenched her jaw, the fear suddenly reaching a height she had never suspected. Was this why traitors deserted? She would do anything not to feel this way again…

But the Guardian merely smiled, stepping close, lowering his voice. “My dear. Do not worry. What you witnessed was…truly extraordinary, and of course you thought no one would believe you. But this is no longer an isolated incident. There have been…other reports, curious ones, and yours doesn’t quite line up. But if you tell me the truth now, all will be forgiven.”

Her eyes slid again to the holding pen. “All?”

He rested a hand on her back, turning her away, until she faced him and only him. “Now, Ishliah. Tell me about the angel.”

--

“Tell me about the angel.”

Crowley tried to sit up straighter. His leg had healed, but now there was some great gaping gash across his stomach, and the way his manacled arm hung kept stretching the wound.

“He’s a complete hedonist. Foods. Wines. He goes to the barber every month. His hair doesn’t grow, he’s never had a beard, and he never even changes his look. I have no idea why he does it, except to have someone wash his hair and buff his nails. But he always comes out smiling, like he’s found the secret to peace on earth.”

“Nh,” the mirror image said. Crowley looked up to find he had a hand pressed to the bleeding wound on his neck. But it hadn’t sounded like a noise of pain. “I…uh, yeah. I know the look.”

“He likes to spoil me, too, when he has a chance. Trying to cheer me up, I think. I don’t tell him when it works, though. I’ve got a reputation to maintain. One time in Rome, there was this place with oysters—”

“Stop.”

Crowley looked across the cell, but his mirror image might as well have lost interest, tugging himself towards the corner to sleep.

--

After three days of travel they reached Burton-upon-Trent.

The gang of wanderers divided into teams to explore, looking for supplies: food, medicine, clothing, shoes, anything that could be used as a weapon. Kasbeel and Lyla walked together with Squad A down the empty street, hot with the kind of blistering heat that only comes on a sunny day. Barricades were put up here and there, signs of the Marked painted on the walls, but no one came out to challenge them.

“I don’t like this,” Lyla muttered. “I don’t want to fight, but…where is everyone?”

All of the villages they’d passed had been abandoned. Apart from the angelic patrols, England was apparently empty.

Kasbeel shook his head. “The Sainsbury’s should be up ahead. Why don’t you…” he trailed off, looking at a few unbroken windows up the side of the street. “Why don’t you go on ahead? I have something to investigate here.”

Two hours later, Squad A emerged with four shopping trollies loaded with cans of soup, vegetables, powdered milk – everything they thought might still be edible after seven years. Lyla doubted it would last them more than a day or two.

No sooner had she stepped into the overly-bright day – she’d forgotten how painful the sun could be – then she heard a shriek, a high-pitched scream of a small child.

She spun, grabbing a can of food, ready to throw it at whatever angel, demon or human threatened her people –

The wanderers had gathered in the parking lot of the carwash across the street, and jets of water filled the air. She could still hear the children shrieking, but everyone else looked relaxed, calm, many of them smiling.

“What’s going on?” she demanded, prepared to push her way through the crowd, but they parted, pressing her forward until she saw the set up.

Four chairs, padded and high-backed, stood in a line across the parking lot. In each one, a child sat, dripping wet, while behind them the adults scrubbed and combed their hair, snipping with delicate scissors. They passed a hose up and down the line of chairs, rinsing the children off.

On one side, Alex had mastery of a single hose, waiting until a chair was free. “Next!” Ollie ran up, bouncing eagerly for his turn. Alex turned on the hose and drenched him, from head to toe, while the little boy shrieked, jumping up and down in the water. “Alright, you’re clean, go get your hair cut.”

On the other side, Kasbeel had set up a small table with two chairs. He sat on one side, and delicately rubbed at Mickey’s nails with an emery board, a pair of glasses she’d never seen before perched on his nose. “Ah, Lyla, you’re back. Join the queue, but be careful, many of the older customers are finding Alex’s methods a little intense.”

“What are you doing?” Lyla shoved at the table, causing little bottles of nail varnish to rattle. “You could have been helping us find food, and instead you’re – you’re wasting time!”

“I most certainly am not. Time is a precious commodity, you know, and ought never to be wasted.” He put down the emery board. “Do you want a color, Mickey? I think the pale pink would look wonderful.”

And Mickey – tough, stoic Mickey, veteran of five battles in the demonic army, Mark emblazoned on his brow for all to see – asked, “Can I try the gold? I like the way it shines.”

“Of course. A wonderful choice.”

“Look at me!” Lyla slammed her hand onto the table again. “What is wrong with you? We need to get everyone ready to move, we’re still weeks away from London. We don’t need—”

“My dear, you most certainly do need.” Kasbeel pulled off the glasses, brows snapping down. “Look at our people. They’ve been living in the mountains, in the dirt, covered in their own filth. It isn’t right.”

“So what? Who cares how we look? Humans lived like that for thousands of years. Our ancestors didn’t need to be pampered, they survived with the bare minimum—”

“Oh, no, who told you that?” Kasbeel shook a jar of nail varnish and began applying the first coat to Mickey’s nails. “I was there, and I can tell you. People bathed. People spent hours on their hair, and their eyebrows, and their nails, and elaborate henna tattoos, although I wasn’t able to find any supplies for that. It isn’t about wanting to look good, or to impress anyone. It’s about taking care of yourselves.” He blew a breath across Mickey’s nails, encouraging them to dry. “Being clean, being groomed, it makes humans feel human again.”

Lyla’s lip curled in disgust. But she looked back at the crowd, the smiling faces, the way the kids splashed in the puddles with bare feet, the way the adults laughed behind the stolen salon chairs, passing the hose back and forth. The teenagers all tugged at each other’s newly-short hair, running their fingers through it, marveling in how light it felt on a hot day.

She hadn’t seen her people like this. Hadn’t seen anyone like this. Not in so very long.

“Fine. If that’s what you want. And since we’re clearly going to spend the rest of the day here, I might as well look for a place to sleep. Something that’s actually necessary.”

She stormed up the street, past the shattered windows of the salons and nail parlors, past the Sainsbury’s again, and around the corner. She kept walking until the sounds of the crowd at the carwash were long gone, then just stood, quietly, in the street.

She wanted to scream, until the knot in her stomach was gone. But she wasn’t a kid anymore, and she couldn’t find the voice for it. So, she just stood there, in the street, fists clenched.

Until Kasbeel’s hand landed on her shoulder. “Would you like to talk about it, my dear?”

“Talk about what? I told you – I’m – I’m looking for a place for us to stay.”

“There were plenty of townhouses in the other direction, you know. And I’ve already sent a team to explore them. Unless you think a, er, door stripping establishment would make a better place to spend the night.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know why I’m mad, I feel like I don’t have any control over my mind. I’m just – I have a million thoughts racing in my head and I can’t even slow down long enough to actually think any of them, I just know we have to keep moving.”

“You’re afraid,” he told her. “You’re stressed, and although I forget it sometimes, you are still very young. I shouldn’t ask so much of you.”

“I can handle it!”

“Yes, you can. You handle it very well, taking care of the others, taking care of your brother before that. But, you know,” his hand rested under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his. “It’s perfectly alright to take care of yourself, too. Indulge a little. Let yourself be happy. They deserve it. You deserve it. And it will make you feel better.”

“I just…I’m not sure I can relax anymore. What if they come for us while we’re all standing around, or—”

“If they do, I will be ready. I promise. I have not let my guard down for an instant.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close, rubbed her back like a child. “That fear you feel. You know if the angels come back, there’s nothing you can do, but you want to be ready anyway. Your mind is telling you to find a solution that doesn’t exist. I’m sorry. But there is something you can do, I think.”

“What’s that?”

“There are many of my former colleagues who believe that anything which makes humans happy is a sin. I believe it is always worth indulging, just a little, to show them how little you care.”

--

“Oh. And one other thing.” Gabriel wasn’t happy. He often wasn’t happy these days. Bringing about the end of the world, it seemed, was more complicated than anyone had expected.

Aziraphale kept his face carefully blank.

“We have reports of a gang of hundreds of humans moving south, but the scouts can’t seem to get near it. Vanishes every time they try. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this, would you?”

“Yes. I’ve been following up on these rumors for some time. The circumstances appear to me, well, nearly incomprehensible.” He hesitated, but only for a second. “It would appear these humans are being led by a rogue angel, posing as a scout or a messenger.”

“Rogue? You mean a deserter?” A brief flash of anger in Gabriel’s eyes, but it quickly vanished, smoothed over by something calm and patient. “Well. At least my best agent is already on this. Glad you took the initiative. Now. Tell me about the angel.”

--

The mirror image didn’t say anything today. He wasn’t a mirror image, either. He’d angered the angels who had come in earlier, refusing to cry out as they hurt him. Shoftiel had left him as a serpent, coiled mutely on the ground, and then they’d turned to Crowley.

“I can tell you about the angel,” Crowley offered. His throat was still raw from the screaming. They hadn’t even asked any questions, simply given him back his wings and broken every bone in them. It hurt, worse than almost anything else in the last three years. He wondered if it would ever stop hurting.

The serpent lifted his head, then let it fall heavily.

“He…he…” Crowley closed his eyes. It was so hard to think of a story. Not just the pain. His mind longed to be blank. “He is so soft. Like a cloud, like a warm blanket, like a pile of feathers. And that’s all most people ever see of him. A fool and a pushover and a – a – a lazy pleasure seeker who likes his books and his chair and his food. It’s what he wants, though. He wants to be soft.”

He closed his eyes and tilted back his head, ignoring the way his wings felt like a thousand pieces of shattered glass.

Far away, an angel led a troop of humans down the motorway. He laughed as he walked, carrying one of the youngest on his back. In the week of travel, they’d grown dirty again, their nails had lost their color, their clothes become faded and stained. But they still smiled, still tossed their heads, running fingers through their hair. The young woman beside him had hers cropped almost completely off, exposing the Mark on her cheekbone.

Suddenly, the angel stopped walking, his eyes locked on the sky above. None of the others had heard or sensed anything, but he knew what was coming. Three hundred humans gathered close in the shelter of his wide white wings, and his eyes took on the color of steel.

“But then…when he needs it…when the things he cares for are threatened…he isn’t soft at all.”

#good omens #good omens prime #ineffable husbands #good omens celebration #goc2020 #good omens fan fiction #good omens fanfiction #fanfiction #aziraphale x crowley #Aziraphale #crowley #crowley loves his angel #principality aziraphale #guardian angel aziraphale #soft aziraphale #cw: torture #My writing #What Might Have Been #ao3 #ao3 link

[fernwehbookworm]

Woke The F*ck Up- Chapter 22

April 22nd, 2018

Lena grabbed her backpack from the overhead compartment. It feels heavy on her shoulders as exits the plane, pulling the baseball cap low. She’s jostled from behind as other passengers pass her by. She doesn't regret her decision to come, no. That’s not it. She is just dreading every step she takes towards her brother. She hasn’t seen or heard from him since he was arrested. Lena makes her way through the throngs of people to baggage claim and waits next to a family of excited tourist, talking about all the sights they want to see in Metropolis. Lena smiles to herself and grabs her suitcase.

She makes her way outside to hail a taxi. Lena had been trying to avoid drawing any attention to herself. That meant flying business class and not renting a car. The only people who knew she was coming were Sam and Jess. And the prosecuting lawyer but she didn’t know Lena’s itinerary. Lena walks out into the bright daylight to look for the usual line of taxis only to be greeted by a sunny smile and bright blue eyes. She held up a paper that read ‘Elena Colby,’ joke sparking in her eyes. Lena heard herself squeal and raced into Kara’s arms for a hard hug. Kara wraps her arms tightly around Lena’s shoulders.

“Hi,” Kara sighs out.

“Hi,” Lena breaths in Kara’s familiar scent. This was just what she needed right now.

“What are you doing here?”

“Jess called. She told me you were going to the trial. She heavily implied that you might want some moral support. Then she emailed me your flight information in a not so subtle manner.”

“You always were Jess’ favorite.” Lena chuckles at her old friend's antics. Lena had kept her in the loop about Kara, not the vigilante stuff but the reconnection. Kara laughs and pushes Lena back to really look at her. Bags under her eyes speak to sleepless nights. Kara leans against the car she rented that morning when she herself got into Metropolis.

“How are you, Lena?” Kara asks. Lena shrugs.

“Tired and stressed.”

“You don’t have to do this. They have enough evidence to lock him up for good.”

“No. I have to see him. One last time.”

“Okay. Let’s get you to your hotel and we can go grab something to eat. When does the trial start?” “I have to be there at eight-thirty tomorrow morning. The trail starts at nine-thirty.”

“Okay-” Kara cuts off whatever she was saying and does a quick double take over Lena’s shoulder. Suddenly she opens the passenger side door.

“Get in,” She says almost harshly. Lena looks behind her and sees a couple of men with professional photography equipment. She gets in the car without another hesitation. Kara closes the door behind her and rushes to the driver's side. Kara starts the car a quickly peels away.

“How did they know?” Lena growls out.

“I think the witness list was released today. They must have come hoping to catch you. There is no way they knew what flight you were on.”

“You’re right. If they knew then there would be no way for me to get out of there unseen.” Lena agrees. Kara swerves through traffic.

“Geeze, Kara, slow down.” Lena cries out as Kara swerves into another lane despite the busy mid-afternoon traffic.

“Right. Sorry. I just wanted to get you away from them. I didn’t realize.” Kara immediately slows down to just above the legal speed limit.

“Thank you, but there really is no need to get pulled over too.” Lena chuckles at Kara’s red cheeks and sheepish look. The rest of the trip to the hotel is uneventful. Lena checks in under a fake name and hands over a LuthorCorp Credit card. The prosecutor's office was reimbursing everything anyway so Jess told her to put it on the card to avoid detection. In the room, Kara flops on the bed while Lena goes to shower. She felt like her skin was crawling after spending so much time in an enclosed space with so many strangers. She emerges to a gently snoring Kara and smiles, then hits her with a pillow.

“Rise and Shine!” she calls over Kara’s protests.

“Ouch, that was rude.” Kara takes the pillow and hits Lena back. Lena just laughs and sits to put on her shoes.

“Well, I was promised food.”

“Your right. I did make a promise. But I have to make a quick stop first if you don’t mind.” Kara puts back on her own shoes.

“Stop where?”

“That’s a surprise.” Kara grins and Lena rolls her eyes.

**

“Well, what do you think?” Kara spins around with her arms spread wide after turning on the lights.

Lena takes in the space as the fluorescent lights warm up. It's large and empty, pillars stretch down on either side of the door. The concrete floor is dusty and scattered with litter. Dust particles circle in the air in front of Lena’s nose as a breeze blows in from the door around her. Needless to say, she is confused.

“What do I think of what?” Lena asks and Kara just laughs softly.

“I want to expand the gym. Winn found this location. It’s been abandoned for a while but it's walking distance to all the downtown shopping and apartments so it should do well.” Kara explains, but Lena still looks skeptical. Kara sees that and moves to stand behind Lena, resting both hands on her shoulders before pointing.

“Look, right there. Right in the middle of the entrance will be the welcome desk, small because our main focus is bettering the body, not bringing in more members or selling product. But it will be sleek and modern; led display, I think a digital CrossFit leader board for the different groupings, even maybe displaying people as they meet their goals- weight, reps, times, stuff like that. Now, the running track would go around the outside of the pillars. Winn pulled up the architecture plans and did the math, five times around would be a mile. Off to the left and right will be stretching and warm up spaces. Right behind the desk will start the cardio machines, in the middle of the track, between the pillars. We’ll put tvs up across from them. Then at the far end, still inside the track will be the weights, machines then free weights. Finally, at the end will be The Box. I want it to be clear plexiglass, no secrets about what happens back there. I want people to want to be in that room. Now, there is also a smaller space next door, probably used to be a storefront of some kind or another. Once this is done and running, I want to buy that space too for a Kids Gym. Classes of all kinds and a space for parents to leave their children while they work out. So, Do you see it?” Kara excitedly gestures to each spot, painting a picture of what she wants Lena to see. And Lena sees it. The red and blue painting to match her other gym, maybe even putting big windows in the front to let in as much natural daylight as possible.

“Kara, it’s perfect. You will do well here.”

“Thank you! I’m really excited. I haven't bought it yet but the real estate agent gave me the key. I told him that I needed ‘to be in the space’ to really know if I wanted it. But I do. I really do.”

“So what? Are you moving to Metropolis?” Lena asks.

“No. Well, I’ll probably be here for a couple of months to get everything started. Actually, James is going to manage this one. He wants to move back to Metropolis.”

“And you trust him with that? Things seemed pretty strained the last time I saw you two together.”

“Yes. We talked and came to the conclusion that distance would be best.”

“What about the Guardian?”

“He decided it wasn’t for him. He doesn't see the point now that Cadmus is as good as gone.”

“What about Power Girl?” Lena asks, raising an eyebrow.

“She’s... unsure.” Kara turns away from Lena and stares down the center of her future gym. Her shoulders slump slightly as if the weight of the entire city was sitting on them. Lena searches for the words to say next but before she can come up with anything, Kara takes a deep breath and straightens. She turns around with a big smile but it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

“But that is a problem for another day. Now, I promised you food. Let’s go.” Kara brushes past Lena to open the door and take her back outside. Lena thinks to push but knows better than to do it right now.

“Okay, but I’m picking.”

**

April 23rd, 2018

Lena sits in the front row behind the lawyer, Jane Ramos, trying to take deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She focuses on steading her hands while mentally reviewing all that she and Ms. Ramos covered that morning. Lena smooths her navy suit skirt just for something to do with her hands. She had to go buy the stupid suit because apparently, her closet was too ‘rock star’ to be taken seriously. Her phone buzzes in her purse.

K- Turn around.

Lena furrows her brow and turns in her sit, craning her neck to look around the crowded room. Bright blue eyes shine from behind glasses and Lena matches her smile. Kara waves a small wave before holding up her phone. And pointing to it. Lena’s buzzes again.

K- You aren’t alone. I know it feels that way, but there are people in this world who love you, not only as Lena Luthor, a woman who sings truth into the darkness and helps them through hard times in their lives because she lets them know that they are not alone. But also people who just love Lena, a woman who loves to sing in the early morning and write until even the moon goes to sleep. A woman who drives her best friends daughter to school and takes her to whatever is her new hobby. Lena, a woman who donates so much of her wealth to helping people in need, people who don’t even know she is helping them. But they love her in their own little way. So you may have lost the family that didn’t choose you, but you still have a family that did. You can do this.

Lena takes a deep breath, fighting off the tears that threaten to spill over, not of fear or sadness, but of joy. Kara was right. She had chosen Sam and Ruby, or Sam chose her. And Jess chose her. And after everything, Kara was choosing her. She chose to fly halfway across the country to support Lena. She could do this. Lena looks back at Kara and nods, smiling softly at her. Kara smiles back.

“All rise for Judge Williams.” The Bailiff announces.

Lena follows the lead of the courtroom and stands as the middle-aged man enters. His dark skin barely lighter than his robe. That will not be good for Lex’s case, a white supremacist who wants to rid the united states of different people. Who has used his money and power to conspire to kill many, the son of a man who did.

“You may be seated.” He announces in a deep voice, reverberating with the power of his position.

Creaking and muffled coughing and chatter as the room packed with people sits once more. Lena’s pulse thuds in her ears as the courtroom drama begins to unfold. She knows what’s coming. Who is coming. And he appears all to soon, Lena’s vision tunneling to block out all but her brother. His bright orange jumpsuit somehow hangs on his strong frame as if it was one of his tailored suits. His head shines from being clean shaven, matching the shine on his wrists, connecting them to each other and to his ankles. Even hindered, he manages to almost strut into the room. His eyes gleam with intelligence and his smirk expands as he sets his eyes on his sister.

Lena feels her heart stop when their eyes meet. Joy crashes into pain and distrust. For a moment she is a four-year-old girl again, clutching at a teddy bear as Lex promises to teach her chess. He towered over her but she had no doubt that he wanted to be her brother. But then there were so many times he couldn’t be bothered except to make sure she was safe from Lionel and Lillian’s arguments. Everything turns in her stomach and makes her nauseous. Lex winks at her before the burly prison guard forces him to turn and sit. Buzz. Lena checks her phone.

K- Breath. Just Breath.

Lena takes a deep breath and waits for the trial to actually begin. It all is a blur as she focuses on her breathing and what she has to say. The jury is addressed, the evidence presented. Several employees are called for character witnesses, then several professional witnesses. Lena knows her turn is approaching but the judge calls for a recess and there will be an hour and a half for lunch. Lena stands in a daze and walks out with the others in the audience. Kara waits outside the doors and pulls Lena into a tight hug.

“Meet at the dinner down the street. The windows are tinted so we can eat in peace.” Kara whispers in her ear. Lena nods and then Kara is gone, faded into the crowd.

“Ms. Luthor!” Jane calls out to her.

“Ms. Ramos,” Lena nods her head towards the lawyer.

“You will be first after lunch. Remember, Just tell your story. We must let the jury know this was part of his character, not just a bout of insanity.” Jane says.

“Yes, Ms. Ramos. We have been over countless times.”

“I know, but I can’t have you freezing on the stand.”

“I won’t. I perform in front of millions of people. I can talk in front of a room full of people.” Lena says indigently. Jane looks at her with pity.

“This will be different. Go, have something to eat, not too much. Don’t need you feeling sick or sluggish. Right after lunch, everyone will be rejuvenated but unfocused, you will have to grab their attention again. Just think about that.”

“Thank you, Ms. Ramos. I will see you soon.”

Lena heads out, her hired bodyguard joining her at the door. The burly man opens the door and the flashes are almost blinding. Photographers are everywhere. They call her name in a cacophony of noise, yelling questions at her. Lena ignores them all as the bodyguard pushes through the mass of people and gets Lena to her waiting car. The bodyguard climbing in the front seat.

“Take me to Donna’s Dinner down there, but circle the block. Don’t need to have them see me go in there.” Lena instructs the driver.

“Yes, Ms. Luthor.”

The car winds through the streets for about ten minutes before pulling up right out front of the dinner. Hector, the bodyguard, gets out and opens the door for Lena. She instructs him to wait in the car but to make sure no reporters come in after her. A bell chimes above the door and Lena is surrounded by the delicious smells of comfort food. Soft chatter and clinging of metal on porcelain. Laughter erupts from a small table in the corner. The opposite corner sits Kara, perched on the edge of her booth seat. She looked up at the sound of the bell and breaks into an enormous grin. Lena feels her heart flutter at the sight. In all the darkness of the day, here was a ray of sunshine.

“Hi,” Kara says when Lena gets to her, standing to hug Lena before taking her seat again.

“Thank you,” Lena whispers.

“For what?”

“For being here. It means a lot. We are both learning from our past and I think making a better future.” Lena reaches over and places her hand on Kara’s.

“Of course we are. Isn’t that what all that therapy was for?” Kara cocks her head to the side.

“Yes, I think it was. But also so I can ask you this: Kara Danvers, will you go on a date with me?” Lena asks. Kara chokes on her water as she was taking a sip.

“What?” she sputters.

“Please, Kara, after all this I know more than ever that you make me happy and I want to keep that in my life.” Lena pleads with her, Kara flips her hand under Lena’s and squeezes it.

“You make me happy too, Lee. And I want that too. But, I have to say no.”

“What?” Lena is in disbelief.

“Not yet.”

“Why?”

“Lee, this is not how I want to start again. You are emotional and distraught. This is not going to be how we start again. In a dinner, in a strange city, during your brothers trial as he is hopefully committed to several life sentences. No, this is not it.” Lena sits back and pulls away from Kara. She worries her bottom lip, considering Kara’s words.

“But, there is a way for us to start again?” Lena lifts an eyebrow

“Yes,” Kara smiles at Lena in the way that is just for her.

“How are you ladies doing today?” A plump woman in a canary yellow dress and red apron interprets them.

“Good, thank you. Can we just have a couple more minutes?”

“Of course sweetheart. Just wave me over when you're ready.” The woman waddles away and Kara turns to glance at the menu, deciding which burger and milkshake she wants.

“Are we going to talk about that further?” Lena asks over her menu.

“No, I don’t think we have to.”

“Okay. I’m thinking a grilled chicken salad, I have to take the stand next.”

“And I’ll be there, right where you can see me.” Kara waves the waitress back over to order.

**

“My life ended and started the day I was brought to the Luthor household. My mother had died and my new one was cold and harsh. I still remember Lillian prying my teddy bear from my arms and sneering down at me, ‘You are a Luthor now. Luthor’s don’t cry,’ she said. That was my welcoming. Then Lex took my hand and showed me how to play chess. I must have shown some promise because then it was tutoring and lessons. The house was cold, not just because it was huge and empty, but because there was no love. I am sure Lionel and Lillian loved us in their own way, but that wasn’t love.” Lena’s eyes meet Kara’s bright blue ones in the back of the room. She takes a steadying breath.

“Soon the novelty of a new sister wore off and Lex disappeared into the depths of that mansion. We would have our moments, some would even say they could be touching. Mostly though, he just made sure I was safe from our parents. Their arguments got… Intense.”

“So you grew up in hostile household?”

“You can say that. But mostly it was cold. I remember I found this room that became my safe space. It was empty, except for this ginormous dollhouse. It was in a forgotten corner in a forgotten house and it felt just right for the forgotten child. As soon as I was old enough, it was off to boarding school then college by the time I was fifteen. I got out of there as soon as I could. Lex didn’t. He was homeschooled with tutors. Constantly under mother’s vigil.”

“Would you say that’s what caused this?”

“Could be. Who knows? I was the spurned bastard daughter of a mad man. Lex was the darling child of a husband and wife. He had everything given to him and a mother that loved him.” Lena waves off the defense lawyer. She opens her mouth to continue before a familiar chuckle catches her ear. It grows slowly as the room quiets. Lex’s shoulders begin to shake as his laughter grows to a booming echo in the silent room.

“You think I was given everything? I had to earn everything! I had to fight for every ounce of love Mother would give me. I didn’t run off to fulfill some half-assed dream of singing. I stood by the Luthor name and did what needed to be done to fix this country! You are a disgrace to the Luthor name!” Lex stands, slamming his hands flat on the table as the courtroom erupted. People were shouting and the bailiff wrestled lex down to the table and the judge banged his gavel and began yelling ‘Order in the court!’ The onlookers were shouting as lawyers pointed angrily to each other. Once Lex was subdued, the judge managed to get a tentative hold back on the room.

“So maybe the lack of love was my saving grace,” Lena says, nodding to her brother whose face was still pressed into the wood of the table.

“In light of this admission, the jury should go deliberate. Everyone else will take a recess. Bailiff, please escort Mr. Luthor to his holding cell. If he has another outburst I will hold him in contempt of court.” Judge Williams bangs his gavel and stands, exiting back to his office. Lena watches from the stand as her brother is wrestled out of the courtroom. She shakily stands and Jane is there to help her down.

“You did great. With his outburst, it should be a lock. And it’s great groundwork for your mother’s trial.” Jane says. That makes Lena freeze.

“My… my… mother’s trial.” Lena feels a tightening in her chest and it feels like it's getting harder to breathe. Like the air is too dense to be inhaled. Panicked eyes search for the calm she knows is somewhere nearby. Lena grips Jane’s arm as her knees start to buckle.

“Lena! What’s wrong?” Jane asks, panic rising in her voice as she helps Lena into a chair.

“Lena!” concerned blue eyes are right in front of her and Kara is gripping her forearms then cupping her face with both hands.

“Breath Lee. Focus on me. We are right here. Breath in. And out.” Kara moves Lena’s hands, placing one on her own stomach and the other on her chest.

“In through the nose, out through the mouth. Feel your breathing, feel my hands. Breath with me.”

Kara coaches Lena through breathing until it evens out. Jane hands her a glass of water from the table and Lena takes it with a nod and sips it gratefully.

“Lena, I think that was the start of a panic attack. Are you okay? What happened?” Kara asks.

“It just hit me that my entire is either dead or going to jail. And I’ll have to do this all over again for my mother’s trial.”

“You don’t have to,” Kara says.

“It would help the case,” Jane adds.

“Not helping.” Kara glares at the lawyer. Jane holds up her hands and steps back.

“I will. I guess I just haven't processed this yet.” Lena takes a deep breath and settles herself. Lena grips Kara’s hand to stand. The courtroom had basically emptied out and the three women were left alone

“Ms. Luthor, I know this was hard, but that confession and outburst from Lex was better than I could have hoped. Your testimony locked down his sentence. My entire prosecution team appreciates it.”

“Your Welcome, Ms. Ramos,” Lena says, still gripping one of Kara’s hands for support. Jane looks towards the door and smiles.

“Deliberation shouldn’t take too long so don’t go far. Now, if you excuse me, my wife is here.” Jane waves to a blonde woman who is peeking in the door. Lena watches as they share a kiss and a laugh. It's sweet and creates a longing in Lena’s heart. Kara’s hand is heavy in hers.

“I need some air,” Lena says and Kara pulls her out of the room. The hallway and lobby are crawling with people mingling in different conversations. Kara slips through the crowd with ease, pulling Lena behind.

Kara peaks her head out the front door and ushers Lena behind some of the big marble pillars. The press and general were held far away at the bottom of the huge staircase by a large police line. They should be out of sight of prying eyes.

“Thank you, Kara.” Lena leans against the pillar, cool marble seeping through her blouse. It was refreshing of the stifling heat of the courthouse.

“Anything Lee,” Kara smiles and rubs Lena’s shoulders.

“Are you sure you are okay?”

“Yes. It just made me even more thankful that you were here.”

“Me too.”

“Can you distract me? Anything new with the gym? Or any alter ego drama?”

“Nothing back home. It’s all been fairly quiet since Lillian’s arrest. Winn though is overseeing the renovations of the top two floors of our building. We are making it into apartments for extra revenue.”

“Really? That’s very smart.”

“Yeah, I’m actually thinking I want to use some of them for people in need. Like no rent but they have to work for me a couple of times a week. Or some sort of LGBT outreach. Safehouse for those kicked out of their homes. I haven't quite figured that out yet.” Kara stared off into the distance, gears turning. All Lena could do was stare at her. Kara catches her staring.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just thinking about how great you are.” Lena says softly. Kara blushes and ducks her head.

“Ms. Luthor, They jury is ready.” Jane pokes her head out the door. Lena nods and follows her back in.

**

Thirty-five consecutive life sentences. No chance of parole. The list of charges is long, ranging from Domestic Terrorism to murder to fraud and everything in between. Lex had kept detailed documents on all his dealings that were seized during the raids. It was all damning evidence that would carry over to her mother’s trial, but that was for another day. Lena swirls the whiskey in her glass and watches the ice cube circle the bottom. She takes a small sip and feels the burn warm her throat.

The hotel bar emptied out about three glasses ago. Kara went up to her own room after Lena promised she would be close behind, four glasses ago. She sat alone as the bartender pretended to clean the glasses and watched as time ticked closer to closing. Lena sighs and tips back the amber liquid to finish it. Finally hoping off her bar stool to go to bed, Lena has to steady herself as the room spins a bit. Then she pulls out a hundred dollar bill to pay for her tab and tip. She has to stop again to steady herself at the doorway to the lobby. Lena draws in a deep breath and closes her eyes to ready herself for the walk to the elevator.

“I leave you alone for five minutes and your smashed, again. ” A familiar voice startles Lena.

“Jess?” She stands there, arms crossed in a black dress and heels, an amused expression on her face. Jess just rolls her eyes and walks over to Lena, wrapping an arm around her waist. Jess takes most of Lena’s weight and crossing the lobby.

“W-what are you doing here?”

“Your brother was just found guilty. I’m here to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. And apparently, I was right. Wheres Kara?”

“In bed probably. I told her I was right behind her.” Lena tries to get the words out without slurring. Jess sighs and hits the button for Lena’s floor.

“Howd’yaknow?”

“I booked the room, remember?” Jess says. Lena’s eyes feel so heavy, and sleepy. She rests her head on Jess’ shoulder.

“Mmmmm, oh yeah.” Lena manages, she feels Jess laugh softly.

Jess fishes in Lena’s purse for her room key and has it before the elevator opens. Jess practically carries Lena down the hall and shoulders the door open when the lock turns green. Jess unceremoniously dumps Lena on the bed. Jess kicks off her own heels before taking off Lena’s. With practiced hands, Jess strips Lena out of clothes and replaces them with pajamas from her suitcase. Lena is only aware of hands pushing her towards the pillow and Jess shuffling about the room. Then a warm body presses next to hers.

“Do not throw up on me or in this bed. There is a trash can right next to you.” Jess strictly orders. Lena just grunts a response.

**

April 24th, 2018

Light shines brightly past Lena’s eyelids. She tightens them before pulling the cover over her head with a moan. A laugh filters through the down comforter and Lena pulls it away to glare at whoever it is.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Jess sits on the couch with a cup of coffee in hand and one on the coffee table. Thankfully it’s from Lena’s favorite cafe in Metropolis. Lena grumbles but gets out of bed anyway to retrieve her coffee and slouch next to Jess as she shifts through paperwork and types on her computer. Lena rests her head back on the couch and pinches the bridge of her nose.

“How’s LexCorp?”

“Slowly getting back in the black. It really helped to shut down all the government contracts for weapons production and opening those two new children's cancer research facilities.” Jess flips through a few more pages as Lena watches.

“You’ve worked very hard for this company. For my family’s name.”

“Well, I’m good at it. And someone had to or else hundreds of thousands of people would have lost their jobs.”

“Jess?”

“Yeah?” Jess keeps typing away on an email as Lena watches.

“Would you like to buy fifty-three percent of LexCorp?” Lena asks. Jess’ fingers freeze on the keys.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes,”

“But it’s your family’s company.” Jess finally turns to look at Lena, propping her arm up on the back of the couch and turning towards her.

“They never really were my family, you were my first family. And now Sam and Ruby are. So if you take it, the company will be staying in my family. I know you said you were just going to do it until I figured out what I needed but, this is what you should be doing. Not working as my assistant.”

“You’re sure? Like really sure?”

“Yes. I wouldn’t want anyone else to be CEO.”

“This is fantastic!” Jess cries and leans forward to grab her laptop.

“I have been wanting to rebrand but I wanted you to figure out what you needed. I have so many ideas. Here, look.” Jess pushes the laptop over and clicks the enter button. A silver rotating logo appears on a black screen. A large L resting on a smaller CORP. It’s simple and elegant.

“L Corp. It’s time to take the Luthor out of this company.” Jess explains.

“It’s brilliant. Is that your new slogan? It’s catchy.” Lena laughs along with Jess.

“Not the advertised one.” Jess begins clicking through to show Lena more screens, the start of a presentation, number projections, future projects. Lena can barely follow but that just proves she made the right choice. About twenty minutes later there is a knock at Lena’s door. Lena gets back up and grabs her nearly cold cup of coffee before answering.

“Hey Lee, I thought you might like some coffee… ah, nevermind.” Kara looks up at her and sees the to-go cup in Lena’s hand. Kara blessedly is holding a cup carrier with two Starbucks cups and in her other and is a wonderfully grease-stained bag with red and gold.

“Are there hashbrowns in that bag?”

“Have I helped you recover from a hangover before?” Kara raises an eyebrow and holds out the bag. Lena switches out her cold coffee for the hot one before taking the McDonalds bag from Kara and moving back to sit next to Jess.

“Jess! Hi! How are you? I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were here. I would have brought you some.” Kara sits in the chair after stealing the food back from Lena and pulling out her three sandwiches and four hashbrowns before handing it back. Jess steals one of each with a smirk at Kara’s pout.

“No worries, I’m all set.” Jess takes a big bite of the hashbrown to prove her point. Kara just rolls her eyes.

“So what have you two been up to this morning?” Kara asks.

“Not much, Jess is working, I’m trying to rid myself of a pounding headache, and Jess will be taking over LexCorp as CEO.”

“Really? That’s great! That’s great, right?” Kara asks, unsure, and the other two just laugh.

“It’s perfect. Now I won’t have it hanging over my head and Jess can do what she wants.”

“It will take a lot of paperwork but I can start setting some things in motion.”

“That’s great you guys. Okay, what are we sightseeing today?” Kara practically hops in her seat as she chews.

“Sightseeing?” Jess asks.

“Yeah! I’m not in Metropolis ever so I’m taking advantage of it. Come on, I know its a giant tourist trap but it is for a reason! Please…” Kara folds her fingers together and shakes them in a pleading manner. Lena just laughs and nods at her antics.

“Yes! I want to see the Daily Planet globe, and walk down Bessolo Boulevard, stroll through Centennial Park, and go shopping at Lacy’s Department Store. Then I want to…” Kara continues to list off things she wants to do and Lena just gets lost in the excitement in her eyes.

#supergirl #supercorp #kara danvers #lena luthor #Singer #vigilante #au #fanfiction #WTFU