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kim-bobbae · 4 years

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54. “I made reservations.”

I miss him so much and I hope he’s resting up, I just want to take care of him and be his comfort person TT

“To be really honest, I have no idea what he’s busy with until I see a recording or photoshoot of his on my schedule, and then I’m summoned to do his hair and makeup,” You laughed. “At this point I think it’s a relief he renewed his contract with AOMG instead of signing with H1GHR, don’t you think?”

“I’m right, he really is the dad that’s never home,” Wonjae chuckled, tugging lower on his beanie.

You were in the car on the way back to the AOMG headquarters after Wonjae’s photoshoot where Pumkin had dropped by in support since it was his first ever solo shoot for W magazine when the topic of Jay came about as you guys discussed the responses received from the interview they had done that was uploaded just a few days ago. With how busy Jay had been and how rare it was to see him around at the AOMG headquarters, their questions on what he had been up to very naturally fell on you because who else would know better if not for his girlfriend, right?

Wrong. You had absolutely no idea either.

Yes, there was the H1GHR compilation – you knew that much – but so did everyone else. The fact that you didn’t know much more than that surprised them, to say the least.

“Do you want me to nag at him a little and drop him a hint or two? I could do that,” Pumkin offered.

“Oh please no, I don’t think he’ll be too pleased if he finds out I’m whining about him to you guys behind his back.”

“Not exactly, we’re the ones asking you about him,” Wonjae rebutted.

“Yeah, when was the last time you guys went on a date?” Pumkin asked. “Don’t count the ones where you guys order delivery from the office or his studio, those aren’t counted.”

“Why not? Those are dates…”

“I see where the problem lies now,” Wonjae snickered.

“C’mon, you guys are making this a bigger deal than it actually is,” You remarked. “We’ve been dating for years now, we’re past that.”

A few days passed since then with nothing really out of the ordinary except for a dinner with your friends that you’ve managed to fit into your schedule after clearing an important deadline. With a couple of music releases coming up, you were attending meetings with different artists, talking to them about their ideas and concepts, proposing hairstyles, make up and clothing that would be suitable for their music videos and teaser images.

While the job did sound manageable, the very act of browsing endless collections of the latest fashion releases was extremely time consuming, and squeezing in a short conversation or two with Jay via text message was, in fact, pretty much the norm these days with the both of you being so busy. Not that you minded – you just got used to it.

And so did he.

You understood though, really. You understood that he was a busy man and while you were important to him, he simply could not afford to put you in the center of his world. But he tried, and he did all he could to show you that. Yet, with that workaholic nature of his and all the people he had to put on for, work would always be his priority.

It was just hard facing up to it last week when you tried your luck at getting some affection by cuddling up to him while he was reviewing some tracks during the ten minute window that the both of you were left alone in the studio – you couldn’t help it, it’s been a whole month (!!!) – only to earn a ‘I’m working, babe’ in a tone you don’t usually appreciate. He apologized, of course, realizing that he had hurt your feelings from the way you retreated quietly to another room, but it did enough to keep you from attempting it again for the remainder of the week.

“Dinner tonight?”

A message notification flashed across your screen. It was Jay.

You didn’t think much of it though and readily agreed to it. For a split second, you wondered if Pumkin had a part to play in this and the smirk on his face as the receptionist walked in to the office towards you with a bouquet of roses in hand only confirmed your suspicions.

“Looks like someone sent you flowers,” She said, handing it to you.

Now Jay wasn’t really one who’d be into these flashy, romantic gestures, especially in front of his employees, and the number of heads that turned towards your direction with knowing smiles on their faces made you understand exactly why.

Take a longer lunch break to get ready if you need to, I’ll be at the office at 7pm to pick you up.

You raised a brow at the formalities as you read the message on the card. Having been together for years, being on the receiving end of this somewhat grand gesture all of a sudden needed some getting use to again but with everyone’s attention on you and the extremely elaborate bouquet, you quickly set is aside, an embarrassed smile the best you could muster in response to their reactions before you got back to work.

Consumed by your pile of work, you had completely lost track of time since then but it wasn’t hard to tell that it was already 7pm from the way your colleagues peeped curiously from behind their desk dividers, stifling their excited giggles and from their reaction you could already guess that Jay was here. It wasn’t every day that they could catch a glimpse of their boss’s love life, after all.

“Ready to go?” He asked, and what ensued was a moment of confusion the second you turned around to face him.

He was all cleaned up in a black tee shirt and dress pants, hair styled back and you were pretty sure those were some new shoes from his two hundred deep sneaker collection while there you were, in a pair of skinny jeans and oversized sweater and it was obvious that you guys weren’t dressed for the same occasion.

You hesitated, “…last minute schedule to attend to?”

“No…I’m taking you for dinner?” He mused, gesturing to the flowers. “I made reservations.”

“Yeah but…you didn’t tell me that I had to get dressed up,” You replied sheepishly.

“I did,” He laughed. “You just didn’t take me seriously.”

“You said ‘if you need to’,” You argued in a hush whisper. “Plus, the last time you picked me up we had tacos at the diner just down the street.”

For a while he stared at you, and so did everyone else and in all honesty, it was getting slightly embarrassing by now. Thankfully, Jay caught on your discomfort from the way you played with your fingers and bit on your lips as you waited for his reply.

“It’s okay, we’ll sort this out,” He reassured in a soft voice, grabbing the bouquet in one hand and yours in the other. “Let’s go.”

“Where are we going…?” You asked once the both of you were in the car.

The fact that one of his managers wasn’t driving you guys and that he was instead driving his Bentley for the first time in ages did explain something about what he had planned but for now, everything about this made you nervous. This was so unlike him – excluding the first year of your relationship, that is.

“We’re going to your favorite Italian restaurant,” He explained. “But I guess we should drop by your place to get you dressed up first, huh?”

“Sorry about that,” You murmured, and he couldn’t help but titter at the way you stared down at your outfit with a sigh.

You wasted no time and tossed your bag aside upon reaching home, making a beeline towards your wardrobe and immediately started sieving through your dresses. Despite the rough start, you had to admit that this was rather exciting. Heck, you couldn’t even remember the last time the both of you had a proper date night and the fact that he had taken the time to plan this amidst his schedule? Damn you were about to dress the hell up.

You hastily put on the dress that you had picked out, a fairly new one from the few that you had saved up for rare occasions like these, then scurried to the living room where Jay was waiting.

However, the sight of Jay burying his face in his hands looking absolutely worn had you somewhat stopping in your tracks.

He was seated on the couch, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his lap as he squinted at his cracked phone screen. His brows furrowed as he tapped away at what sounded like a new message notification, then brought his phone up to his ears as he listened to what probably was a demo of one of the tracks off the album. Sure, he was dressed up, absolutely stunning, but how stressed he looked was definitely not a good look on him and at this point you weren’t sure how you’d feel about dinner if his mind was going to be miles away, back in his studio.

“Wow,” He beamed upon noticing you then set his phone aside as he stood up. “You look beautiful.”

“I could say the same for you, too.”

“You okay?” He asked, cocking his head upon noticing that you seemed to be distracted in thought.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Come here, let me help you with that,” He smiled, noticing that the back of your dress was unzipped.

But as he placed his hand on the zipper, you reached around to tug on his fingers, then turned around to face him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why don’t…we just have dinner at home today?” You suggested, observing his reaction carefully.

“Why the sudden change of mind...?”

“I don’t know,” You sighed. “I mean, you seem really caught up with work, and I love that you took the time to plan a date, but I’m not sure if I can sit through that pretending that I am not seeing for myself how exhausted you are.”

“No, no it’s fine,” He insisted. “I’m taking the night off to spend it with you.”

The both of you glanced at his phone as it beeped again and then back at each other, and you could almost tell how he was already itching to respond to it.

“I’ll cook us dinner, and we can postpone this date until after the album is released,” You told him.

He looked at you, not quite sure if he was allowed to give in to you, especially after the little episode in his studio last week that had also been due to his work.

“I’m not mad, I promise,” You giggled, reading him like a book. “Let’s stay in tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, go get your MacBook from the car and carry on with your work while I cook but all I ask for though...” You started. “Is for your undivided attention after that. I’ll cook a stew if it gives you more time.”

He exhaled deeply, taking a step towards you and pulled you in for a long embrace, “How do you always manage to make me feel better even though I’m the one who screwed up?”

“You didn’t screw up,” You said, wrapping your arms around his broad frame. “You tried, and I appreciate that.”

“That makes me feel worse...” He replied, cupping your face and stroking your left cheek with his thumb.

You leaned into his touch, smiling, “It’s no big deal, this is just one of your busy phases. Once the album’s released, I’ll have my boyfriend back. Easy.”

“I’ll make up for it, alright? I promise,” He said, then leaned in to kiss you sweetly.

“Seems like the only way to get kisses nowadays is to let you work, huh?” You taunted.

“Baby…” He whined, the littlest pout creeping to his lips. “Let’s not go back there.”

“I was kidding,” You sniggered. “Now give me another one to shut me up.”

#Jay Park #park jaebum #park jaebeom #jay park scenarios #jay park drabbles #AOMG #aomg scenarios #aomg reactions #khh #khh scenarios #khh imagines #khh reactions #100 ways to say i love you

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pilot-boi · 3 years

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Snowed In

The first snow of the school year was shaping up to be quite the storm. Not the blow your house down kind of storm, but definitely the bury your house in mountains of frozen water kind of storm.

Ren just wants to get some studying done if he can, and then stay in before the snow buries the whole campus. But he might not be getting buried alone, which might be less irritating than he thinks.

(Secret Santa for @katmotif )

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. And since we’ve no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

AO3 LINK

The sky was growing dark outside, and stars would be twinkling into view if it weren’t for the thick blanket of clouds cushioning the sky. The air was crisp and cold, warning of frost and even colder weather to come.

After days of threatening, and warnings from the campus weather service that nobody heeded, the clouds that had been looming all week were finally fulfilling every student’s wish. Flakes of snow drifted silently from the heavens, dusting the roofs of buildings and cars alike.

While it was getting dark, it was not quite late enough for the streets to be abandoned. So occasionally a car would trundle past, making spotlights in the snow with its headlights. Or a particularly unlucky student would be seen trudging back to their dorm room through the gathering drifts.

One such student was Lie Ren, who was shuffling back to his dorm after a day of studying at the local coffee joint. As soon as the flakes started actually accumulating, he’d waved goodbye to his roommate Jaune, who was one of the unlucky employees, and had headed out the door.

Ren didn’t have a car, and he usually elected to walk around campus instead of employing some sort of transportation. So if he wanted to make it back to his room before the streets became completely un-navigable, he unfortunately had to leave much sooner than normal.

Jaune was not going to have fun biking back through all of this, poor guy.

So there Ren was, messenger bag slung over one shoulder, scarf wrapped tightly around his face, and water soaking through his shoes and into his socks. His breath fogged up the air in front of his face, and, more annoyingly, also fogged up his glasses.

Who needed eyesight anyway? He was seriously debating just taking them off, if only so he could freaking see.

Reaching his building, he swiped his card at the door, waved at the desk attendant, and hiked up all the flights of stairs to his room. He should have the room to himself for the rest of the evening, since Jaune was likely to be occupied at his job for the remainder of the night.

Ren wanted nothing more than to just sit at his desk with a cup of tea and let his mind relax into the comforting haze of schoolwork he already knew the answers to.

All his hopes were dashed when he got nearly tackled to the ground by what looked at first glance like a high-speed ball of cotton candy.

“Reeeeennnn!!” yelled the cotton candy ball, who revealed herself to be Nora Valkyrie. “You’re back already?” she demanded, already dragging him back into his dorm room.

“Nora? How are you here?” he asked, allowing himself to be dragged out of the hallway, through the common area, and into his room. “Did you bully Jaune into giving you his key? Again?” he continued, sighing slightly as he shrugged his scarf off his shoulders.

Nora pouted and plopped herself on his bed, kicking her legs petulantly. “Ren, do you have so little faith in me? I would never! Such baseless accusations, how could you?”

“Nora.” He wasn’t even looking at her as he took off his coat, but he could feel her rolling her eyes at him.

“Okay fine, yeah I did,” she replied, grinning cheekily. “But I promise it’s the last time!”

“Really?” he commented, grabbing his electric kettle and leaving Nora alone in the room to fill it with the water he needed. He didn’t believe her in the slightest. “I don’t believe you in the slightest.”

“Weeeeellll...” he heard Nora trail off noncommittally, in a way that didn’t get Ren’s hopes up at all. “I promise it’s the last time I steal Jaune’s room key!” Ren leveled an unconvinced look at her as he came back into the room. “No really, it is! I’m gonna get Ruby to 3D print me a copy in her next lab!”

She seemed extremely proud of her solution to the problem of how she was going to continue to break into his room. “Nora, I don’t think that’s allowed,” he reminded her, settling the kettle back onto its stand and setting it to boil.

Nora waved him off. “Pffft! Sure it’s not allowed! But it was either this, or breaking out the lock-picking kit Sun got me for my birthday.” Ren reminded himself to remind Jaune to complain to Neptune to yell at his boyfriend for giving Nora the disastrous present. “Besides, you never answered my first question!”

“Which question was that, exactly?” he asked, pulling out a couple of mugs, green tea for him, and specifically the box of non-caffeinated hot chocolate for Nora. Ren’s chances of getting any actual work done were lowered drastically by Nora being here, but they would be non-existent if she managed to get her hands on caffeine.

“Why you’re back so early!” she reminded him, stealing the container of marshmallows before he could stop her. Popping a few in her mouth, she commented, “I thought I’d be waiting around for-EV-er for you!”

“Have you been here that long already?” Ren asked, raising a fond eyebrow at her. He casually pulled the box of marshmallows back out of her hands and ignored her when she pouted. “If you eat all of these, there won’t be any left for your cocoa.”

“So what? They’re still ending up in my belly where they rightfully belong.”

“Now you’re ignoring my question.”

“Hmm? Oh right!” She bounced on his bed, kicking her shoes off to join Ren’s pair placed neatly at the foot of his bed. “But yeah my construction class got cancelled so I got done early. But you usually don’t get back until like freaking midnight!”

It was true. As much as the coffee shop was rarely quiet and he tended to get less work done than he would like, even there he still managed to get sucked into his work and not notice how much time was passing.

More times than not one of the employees would have to usher him out with a sheepish and apologetic smile because he was keeping them from closing up.

“So what’s the deal with that?” she asked, flopping onto her back to stare at him upside down. “Why’re you back already?”

“It’s snowing,” Ren replied simply, nodding at the darkening sky outside his window and the flakes that drifted past. “I wanted to get back before the roads disappeared,” he explained, lifting the whistling kettle off its stand and pouring twin streams of hot water into their mugs.

“What?!” Nora exclaimed, tumbling off his bed and somehow miraculously landing on her feet in a show of nimbleness that definitely would’ve eluded his roommate. “It’s snowing and you didn’t tell me?!”

Ren rolled his eyes at her mock display of offense, hand pressed to her chest and everything. “How was I supposed to know it was going to snow today specifically?” He set his tea to steep in one mug and poured a spoonful of cocoa mix into the other. “You’re the one who’s been waiting all week for this.”

He passed Nora her mug, who had to stop her bouncing to save herself from the burns the sugary drink would definitely give her despite her love of it.

Finally settling down at his desk with his bag and his books and a mountain of papers to finish, Ren got to work on his work. Not his work for work, of course, but damn if his psych professor didn’t make that class feel like a full time job anyway.

Nora started telling him about her day, and his mouth tilted up into a smile in spite of himself. After about a minute her mug was already empty, refilled twice more, and then abandoned. She set it next to his, and without thinking he removed it from the paper she’d set it on, and rotated it so that it faced the same way as his own mug.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ren could see her pacing back and forth and making huge gestures with her arms as she explained some disaster that a fellow stage hand got into. Ren knew that Nora knew that he was only half-listening, but he loved hearing about her day more than he was ready to acknowledge.

He’d comment every so often, and her eyes would light up every time he responded. Even the glimpses he got of her bright-eyed freckle-faced smile were enough to warm him more than the tea ever could.

After about a half an hour of no interruptions, filled with blissful quiet, productive work, and no cocoa refills, he started to get suspicious. Nora not babbling extensively was… oddly off-putting.

It was like when a canary suddenly went silent in a coal mine. You knew something had gone terribly wrong with the universe.

But honestly what was most strange was that he missed her rambling. Ren would’ve thought that she would distract him, but somehow the silence of his room was more deafening than she ever could have been.

He didn’t know how, but he’d gotten used to her stream of consciousness. And now with it gone, when normally he wouldn’t have even noticed that it was happening, its absence was louder than her actual speaking.

Unable to focus on working now, for reasons that eluded him, he sighed and tilted back into his chair. It was really coming down out there, he would barely see the sidewalk outside. And judging by the sky that he couldn’t see, night had well and truly fallen.

And then his eyes landed on Nora.

She was laying sprawled on his bed, one arm looped around his pillow and one hanging over the edge. Still fully clothed, red hair falling like a halo around her head, and completely and utterly asleep.

Well that explained the quiet.

Ren just stared at her for a moment, struck dumb for reasons he couldn’t quite articulate. Something about how he was just now realizing that he’d never seen her quite this peaceful before.

Still fully mobile off course, not even sleep could down Nora Valkyrie completely. Even as he watched she rolled over, pushed the pillow she was holding off the bed, and grumbled something about pancakes under her breath at now finding the pillow missing. Or maybe it was at the missing pancakes, who could say.

But she seemed calm. And exhausted, now that she was keeping still enough for him to really look at her. Dark circles painted the pale skin beneath her eyes, and her naturally frizzy hair stuck up more than even it normally did.

Ren stood up, took one step towards her, and hesitated.

Should he wake her up?

No. He couldn’t wake her up, especially not now that he saw how much she needed the sleep. And, he glanced out the window again, especially not now that the snow was making it dangerous nigh impossible for her to walk back to her own dorm. Even if she wasn’t exhausted Ren didn’t know if he’d be comfortable with her walking back alone in this weather.

And she looked so comfortable, so who was he to move her, really?

Sighing, Ren resolved to let her stay sleeping in his bed and also resolved to bunk on the floor. Or maybe he’d borrow Jaune’s room, as it looked like his roommate had given up on returning home.

After one final sip of tea, he pulled the drawstring to close the blinds and clicked off his lamp. Now the room was lit only by the cool light of the moon. Nora’s hair shone like fire.

He pulled his sweater off, determined that at least one of them would be going to sleep tonight in the correct attire, and folded it neatly. He climbed up onto the bed, intending to pull the blanket more firmly around Nora’s shoulders before leaving, but instead he yelped when she grabbed him and pulled him down.

Lacking the pillow she’d been holding, it looked like she’d made do with him.

Ren froze in her grasp, only remembering to breathe when he saw that she was in fact still asleep. Freckles like a million constellations layered on top of each other speckled their way across her nose and cheeks. Her eyelashes were long and a paler orange than her hair.

Without thinking, Ren wriggled one arm out of her tight grasp and brushed a stray lock of hair off her face.

He froze again, flushed as deep a pink as his eyes, his arm hovering in the air above them. Why the hell did he do that? What if she woke up, what would he do then? What if-

Nora mumbled something else under her breath, and Ren calmed down. He willed the flush out of his face and in froze. Good. Still asleep.

And he was still trapped, but there wasn’t much he could do about that now. Actually...

One arm was pinned to his side, but the other was now free, and having already decided to not wake her up, he instead pulled the blanket up the rest off the way to cover them both.

Shifting as much as he could, he got comfortable and resigned himself to a long night of probably no sleep.

Nora’s grip relaxed, and she nuzzled into his chest. Maybe she somehow knew that he wasn’t going anywhere. This warmed Ren more than the blanket was, and a soft smile spread on his face for a person who was too asleep to notice.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

The snow fell outside, blanketing the world in white flakes. Ren would normally have watched them drift past his window, but he was already fast asleep.

#rwby #lie ren #nora valkyrie #renora #jaune arc #sun wukong #neptune vasilias #seamonkeys #ruby rose #mine #my writing #snowed in #katmotif

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inthedayswhenlandswerefew · 4 years

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But You Can Never Leave [Chapter 3: Signed In Blood]

Series summary: You are an overwhelmed and disenchanted nurse in Boston, Massachusetts. Queen is an eccentric British rock band you’ve never heard of. But once your fates intertwine in the summer of 1974, none of your lives will ever be the same...

This series is a work of fiction, and is (very) loosely inspired by real people and events. Absolutely no offense is meant to actual Queen or their families.

Song inspiration: Hotel California by The Eagles.

Chapter warnings: Language, physical frailty, sneaky foreshadowing.

Chapter list (and all my writing) available HERE

Taglist: @queen-turtle-boiii @loveandbeloved29 @killer-queen-xo @maggieroseevans @imnotvibingveryguccimrstark @im-an-adult-ish @queenlover05 @someforeigntragedy @imtheinvisiblequeen @joemazzmatazz @seven-seas-of-ham-on-rhye @namelesslosers @inthegardensofourminds @deacyblues @youngpastafanmug @sleepretreat

Please yell at me if I forget to tag you! :)

The cashier blinks at you as he scans the items in your basket: two Cokes, an orange juice, a Mountain Dew, a grape Fanta, a box of Ritz crackers, a KitKat, three packs of cherry Pop Rocks, and assorted bags of Lay’s chips. “You must have, like, a lot of kids.”

“Something like that.”

Terminal E of Logan International Airport is bustling with swiftly-moving businessmen dragging rolling suitcases, tidy-looking flight attendants, careening toddlers and frazzled mothers. The band is waiting at the gate; their plane to Heathrow is scheduled to board in thirty minutes. Our plane, you correct yourself. I’m going too.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I ran out of paper bags but I can check in the back if you want—”

“Oh no,” you protest, slapping a ten-dollar bill onto the counter and gathering up the snacks. You’ve cultivated a stubborn solidarity with your fellow service industry employees. “That’s cool, I’ve got it. Thanks. Have a great day!”

“You too! Good luck with your kids!”

You laugh as you trot away. Yes, my very large, extremely anarchic British children. You could have sent Freddie and Rog for the snacks, but you don’t trust them not to try to steal something and end up getting strip-searched by TSA; Brian is still too weak to go anywhere alone; and John...well, John dissolves into blood-red cheeks and averted eyes if you ask him anything. You weave through the crowded terminal, shifting your arms to keep the snacks centered.

“Wow, you have your hands full there!”

You peer around the heap to see a businessman in a powder blue suit, neatly combed black hair, mid-thirties, benign smile. Your arms are beginning to ache. “Ha, yeah. I guess I do.”

“Need some help?” he asks, still smiling.

“Oh, thank you so much, but I’ve got it—”

“Nonsense.” He cheerfully plucks the chips and Pop Rocks out of your grasp. “Where are we going?”

Oh no. You know this type of man. He’s the guy who flirts with the nurses while his wife is recovering from a gallbladder removal, who tries to impress you with his mid-level accounting job and Marshall Field's neckties, who obliviously—or worse, forcefully—offers assistance when it’s least desired. He’s the type to play superhero so he can get a taste of what it feels like to be someone who matters. He’s not usually dangerous, but he is viperous if his fantasy gets interrupted, bitter and desperate and striking out like a wounded animal. Jesus christ, I do not have time for this bullshit today. The muscles in your forearms are screaming now. “Seriously, I can handle it. Thank you. Can I get my snacks back? My friends are waiting.”

His smile falters; suddenly, Mr. Aspiring Superman doesn’t seem so benign at all. And you can’t help but notice that his grip around your criminally overpriced airport snacks doesn’t loosen. Oh fucking hell. “What the hell’s wrong with you? Are you stupid or something? Don’t you get it, I’m trying to help—”

“Hey, baby!” chimes a voice from nowhere. An arm appears around your shoulders, pulling you in; John lands a series of kisses across your neck and jawline as the businessman gawks, speechless and horrified. “Did you finish shopping? Oh, you remembered my Coke! Thanks, baby. You’re the best. Come on, they’re gonna start boarding soon...” He stops, stares at the businessman, points with narrowed steely grey eyes: “Are those my Pop Rocks?”

“Uh, uh, yeah, uh...” The man hastily shoves the snacks into John’s hands and flees. John immediately backs away from you, clears his throat, casts his eyes down the opposite end of the airport terminal.

“Oh my god,” you say, stunned. “I’ve never heard you talk that much at once. Ever.”

He flushes and combs his agile fingers through his hair. “Yeah, I’m so sorry, I just thought...I saw that he was...I figured that would get him to piss off without causing a scene...I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that, I—”

“No, John, seriously, that was brilliant. Thank you.”

“Yeah?” And you think you can detect something in his voice like hope: cautious, fragile hope. More than that, you can still feel his lips against your skin, hot and sure and assertive, almost dominating.

You grin over at him as you walk together towards the gate. “I bet everyone thinks you’re real innocent because you’re the shy, quiet, mysterious one or whatever. But you have some serious game under all of that, don’t you?”

John chuckles out of pure shock, still not looking at you. “I doubt it.”

“I’m onto you, bassist. Those groupies aren’t going to know what hit them.”

Wait, he has a girlfriend, isn’t that what Freddie said? But if he does, John doesn’t correct you.

“Do I see my beloved Pop Rocks?!” Roger squeals when he spies you both. John tosses all three packets to him. Roger rips one open, pours the entirety of the contents into his mouth, then motions for you to pass him the can of grape Fanta. He gulps the Fanta and drums his palms against his thighs as his mouth erupts into sugary explosions.

“Majestic,” you comment.

“Wha...?! I will not be outdone!” Freddie seizes all the remaining Pop Rocks—both packs—and empties them into his mouth, then douses them with Coke. Dark fizzing soda and ruby crystals spew out of his nose. Roger throws back his head and cackles like a hyena as John launches balled-up napkins at Freddie. You ignore them and check on Brian, who is lounged sideways across five seats.

“How you doing, Bri?”

He groans in reply. You give him the orange juice and Ritz crackers.

“Eat, please, Bri.”

“I can’t. I’m dying.”

“You aren’t bloody dying!” Freddie sighs, exasperated, still mopping Coke off his face.

You lay the back of your hand against Brian’s forehead and frown. “You’re burning up, Mr. May.”

“I’ve got aspirin somewhere...” Roger says as he rummages through his luggage.

“He can’t have it. His liver’s still recovering, no over-the-counter meds.” You take two still-cold cans—your Mountain Dew and Bri’s orange juice—and press them to Brian’s cheeks. John, without speaking, lays his Coke against the back of Brian’s neck. “Think you can make it through a six-hour flight?”

Brian’s glassy eyes roam to you. “No offense, but I would literally rather be disemboweled by rabid opossums than spend another night in Boston.”

“Opossums very rarely contract rabies. But your point is noted. We’ll get you home.”

“Thank you,” Brian breathes, drained. “And thank you, John.”

“Not a problem.”

Freddie squats in front of Bri in skin-tight jeans littered with patches, brushes the mess of curls off Brian’s forehead, and pushes a Ritz cracker into his mouth. Brian grimaces but chews it reluctantly. Freddie grins. “You must be truly desperate to trust your wellbeing to Deaky.”

“He’s unexpectedly ferocious,” you warn Brian. “He ran off some creep at the snack stand. Kid could definitely murder you if he tried.”

“Yeah? Well done, Deaks!” Roger gives John a high-five, then aggressively ruffles his hair and growls. “Who’s my favorite little killer bassist?! Grrr. Grrrrrrrrr. Come on. Show me them pearly whites, Mack the Knife.”

John chomps at Roger’s hands in his very best impression of a shark. Roger laughs and yanks teasingly at John’s hair, his face lit up like the Boston Harbor on the Fourth of July.

The next time you look for Freddie, he’s disappeared. You finally spot him several seats away, bent over a notebook and scribbling furiously, snapping his fingers over and over again and murmuring to himself: “Killer bassist...killer woman...killer bitch...killer queen.”

~~~~~~~~~~

When boarding begins, Freddie and Roger practically carry Brian onto the plane. They drop him into a window seat and Brian promptly drapes a sweater over his head and falls asleep. You sit beside him and flip through a fashion magazine you found in the pocket on the back of the chair in front of you, but Roger keeps interrupting by ranking the pictured outfits on a scale of one to eleven.

“Why eleven?”

“Because I gave that neon yellow coat three pages ago a ten, but now I like these rainbow pants even more. So they have to be an eleven.”

“Okay Roger.”

Freddie and John sit in the row in front of you and alternate between scrawling in their notebooks—song lyrics for Freddie, sketches of some kind of amplifier for John—and tossing peanuts into each other’s mouths. John doesn’t speak to you, but he keeps glimpsing back between the seats like he’s considering it. When Roger gets up two hours in to take a smoke break and chase down extra peanut packets for Freddie, John finally turns around and peeks over his seat.

“Why don’t opossums get rabies?” he asks.

“That’s what’s on your mind?” you tease, sipping Mountain Dew.

“Maybe.”

“Okay. Buckle up. It’s technically possible for opossums to get rabies. But they have naturally super low body temperatures, like 94 or 95 degrees Fahrenheit. So the virus usually can’t survive in their system. Thus, squeaky clean opossums.”

“Well. Minus the ticks and fleas and dirt and rubbish and all that.”

“Most of the cute things in life are at least slightly grubby.”

“Like Roger Taylor.”

You laugh. “That man has definitely been submerged in garbage at some point.”

“You have no idea. But you have to learn to be a Londoner now. We wouldn’t say grubby, we’d say dodgy.”

“Dodgy. Got it.”

“Show me. Use it in a sentence.”

“Roger is super dodgy, while Brian is much less so. Jury’s still out on John.”

“Well done.” He applauds.

Now you reach out to touch his hair, like Roger did earlier; it’s impossibly soft and downy, comforting, almost homey. John smiles patiently. “You have fantastic bone structure, you know,” you tell him. “You should cut this off one day so people can see it.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. But in the meantime...” You gently thread your fingertips through his locks, twirl a strand, observe that those blue-grey eyes that seemed steely back at the airport are now as soft and innocuous as morning fog. Roger reappears with his loot of peanut packets and gasps, pretending to be scandalized.

“What’s going on here?! Jesus, Deaks, I leave you alone for three minutes and you’ve got her all enamored with your soft cuddly exterior and latent homicidal tendencies.”

“It’s a winning combination.” John catches the peanuts that Roger hurls his way and turns to split them with Freddie.

You gaze up at Roger and beam. “Hey, dodgy Rogey.”

“Oh, you think that’s charming?” He slinks into his seat and drapes an arm across your shoulders. “You realize you’re one of us now, right? That makes you dodgy too.”

“As long as I don’t have to participate in any scandalous naked photoshoots.”

“Oh my god, that was one time! Freddie, Fred, hey, Freddie, why would you show her those...?!”

Hours later, when the plane hits the runway at Heathrow, Brian jolts awake and clutches for you like a staircase railing. He’s cooler to the touch now, appears less feverish, insists he feels better; nevertheless, Freddie and Roger escort him all through the airport like intense and sunglasses-armored Secret Service agents flanking Nixon, steadying him on escalators and dragging his luggage. As the five of you descend into the arrivals area, Freddie points to a group of young women and shrieks in delight, waves, blows flirtatious kisses all the way down the steps.

“Freddie!” the blonde one calls, leaping in her heels and grinning enormously. She’s holding a large, glittery sign that reads: Welcome home, Queen! Freddie races to meet her, sweeps her off her feet, dips her halfway to the floor and kisses her deeply, theatrically. The blonde woman in his arms giggles and buries her fingers in his mane of shining black hair.

“Darling?” Freddie says, spinning to find you, flourishing his artful hands. “This is Mary Austin, the love of my life. Mary, this is our new best friend, Florence Nightingale.”

“Well,” you confess. “That’s not my actual name, obviously. It’s—”

“I quite like Florence Nightingale,” John says. “I’ve always fancied the name Florence. That’s where Dante was from. He was exiled during some political conflict and ended up bouncing around all over Italy. He eventually landed in Ravenna and finished The Divine Comedy there. By the time he died, he hadn’t seen Florence in twenty years. But Florence was always home.” He smiles at you in an off-kilter, crafty sort of way that tells you you’ve at last been admitted into the diminutive, highly selective circle of people that John calls friends; and you feel like you’ve won the lottery for the second time in forty-eight hours.

“Hmm,” Freddie replies, puzzled. Mary nods uncertainly. Then John turns to greet a petite auburn-haired girl in a simple turquoise sundress and with long, bone-white legs.

Brian pulls you away to introduce you to his girlfriend, the one he was always trying to call on the hospital phone. He rests his hands on your shoulders as he presents you. “Chrissie, I love this woman.”

Chrissie glowers and crosses her arms. “Oh.”

“Wait, no, sorry, I mean she saved my life. She was my nightshift nurse in Boston. I was completely lost before she found me, tremendously depressed. You know how I get. She’s come to London to look after me. Then we’re going to convince the record company to hire her as our travel nurse.”

“Oh!” Now Chrissie softens. She has wavy brunette hair, plump cheeks, marvelous wide-set blue eyes, a completely uncomplicated presence. She embraces you kindly, gratefully. “Thank you so much, love.”

“No, please, it was my pleasure! Bri is a perfect gentleman. And a genius. But you already know that.”

“Chris, I was hoping she could borrow our couch for a few days until she finds her own place...”

“Of course!” Chrissie replies, fussing with your hair, studying you, her mind roiling. “What’s ours is yours. But it’s not much, I’ll warn you.”

“I’ll pay rent. And cook and clean. I’ll be a certified house wench.”

Chrissie laughs, then screams as Brian staggers and collapses to the floor. “Bri—?!”

“He’s alright,” you announce calmly as everyone crowds around. You claw through your luggage, pull out an instant cold pack, crack it and press it to Brian’s forehead. He stirs and mumbles something about New Orleans. “Rog, can you flag down a taxi? We gotta get him home.”

“Sure, you got it.” Roger darts off. And as Chrissie, Freddie, Mary, John, and John’s girlfriend—whom you gather from their conversation is named Veronica—scuttle to reassure Brian and fetch him water, you lock stares with Josephine. Roger’s girlfriend—super casual, not exclusive, that’s what he told me—is beautiful and slim and tan and dark-eyed and, worse than all of that, palpably clever. She considers you silently, and what crosses through her pristine, heart-shaped face is not mere suspicion but knowing; and perhaps there is acceptance there as well.

No, not acceptance, you realize. Resignation. Disappointment. Powerlessness.

You tear your eyes away from Josephine and turn back to Brian: tilting a bottle of water against his lips, pulling him to his feet, fanning him with airplane tickets, leading him to a bench to wait for the taxi. The others help, oblivious to the shadow that has marauded through the room like an eclipse.

I won’t end up like her, you think to yourself with savage determination. I won’t let myself love him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Brian sinks into a plush orange lounge chair as you and Chrissie cart the luggage inside. You get a tour of their tiny apartment, shove your few remaining belongings beneath the couch where you now live, and drop into the plaid cushions, covering your face with your hands.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe I did this. I quit my job. I left Boston. I’m living on some random couple’s couch in London. Oh my god.”

“Hey,” Chrissie says warmly, lifting your chin. “We aren’t so random. We’re your friends. Maybe we’re even your destiny.”

“Jesus, you’re something out of a fairytale.”

“You’re the one who’s going to be cleaning my house, Cinderella.” Chrissie tosses a bag over her shoulder and heads for the door. “I have to swing by work and see if my students killed the substitute teacher today, will you two be alright here?”

“Of course,” you say. Brian gives her a groggy thumbs-up.

“Okay. Bye for now. Love you lots, Bri.”

“Love you,” Brian replies weakly. Chrissie departs into a bright London summer. Brian looks over at you sorrowfully, guiltily. “I miss New Orleans.”

“What do you miss about New Orleans, Bri?” You know Queen stopped there before they came to Boston, before they came into your life.

“Can I confess something to you?”

“Sure.”

He stares at the wall, vacant, acutely distressed. “I think I’m in love with a stripper called Peaches.”

“Oooookay.” You snatch up your purse and dash for the apartment door.

“Wait, no, really, I—”

“Don’t tell me about it. Call Roger or someone. Or, better yet, write a song about it and make some money so we can all have mansions with swimming pools one day. Do you need anything from that grocery store on the corner?”

Brian sighs mournfully. “I suppose not.”

“Alright. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. Then you’re getting homemade chicken noodle soup. Everything will be better now, Brian. I promise. Everything will go back to the way it should be. Now that you’re home. Now that you’re here.”

Brian echoes quietly to himself as you open the door and sunlight floods in: “Now I’m here.”

#queen fanfic #queen #queen fic #roger taylor #roger taylor fic #john deacon fic #john deacon #borhap #but you can never leave #but you can never leave series #but you can never leave fic

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jimlingss · 5 years

Text

Jungle Park [Finale]

Chapter 23 - Chapter 24 [Finale]

➜ Words: 6.4k

➜ Genres: Fluff, Light Humour (?), Slice of Life, Workplace Romance!AU

➜ Summary: The equation is simple. Hoseok needs to hire someone. You need a job. Except like any actual equation, it’s not fucking simple at all! Not when you have to add the fact that he was forced to hire someone he doesn’t want in his office, he has little respect for your job in general, and oh yeah...once upon a time you might have loved each other.

➜ NOTES: This is it, y’all. Thank you for having joined me on such a long journey. I hope you enjoyed the entire series. Thank you for reading :’)

Cr.

Sometimes life can be so entirely mundane that you forget your surroundings. The routine falls into place, yesterday becoming today, tomorrow a reflection of all the other days until time blurs altogether. Your body goes on autopilot, mind operating somewhere else as your skin and bones carry forth. And that’s how sometimes, you snap awake again and wonder: How the hell did I get here? But such a moment doesn’t exist often for you anymore. When it does, it’s made less from misery and boredom and more from contentment. These ordinary days are the ones you love and cherish the most. As mundane as it is, the normalcy that lacks pandemonium offers a peace of mind. You’re happy. And Jung Hoseok is by your side, always acting as the lovely chaos that has your heartbeat thundering, that keeps your mind preoccupied, that fills brighter shades of colour into your world. You wouldn’t want it any other way. “Where are you off to this evening?” you ask while closing your door, hands gripping on the steering wheel. The young girl in the backseat smiles into the rear-view mirror, meeting your eyes. “The airport, please.” Your hands move against the wheel and you pull away from the curb, merging onto the street. For the most part, you’ve enjoyed this job. The fair share of rude and self-entitled passengers exists, but also the interesting and friendly bunch too. There’s just something about being able to get a glimpse into people’s lives, especially since they’re people you wouldn’t normally meet or speak to. It makes you feel so small in this universe to know that everyone has a place they’re going to, that we’re all making our own journeys and heading to our destinations. And today, this chapter of your life ends. “Are you traveling somewhere? Business trip?” The girl in the backseat blushes, cheeks nearly bursting. “Actually, I’m going to visit my boyfriend.” “Really? That’s so nice!” You’ve witnessed couples reuniting at the airport many times before, leaping into each other’s arms before even getting a word in. It’s always such a sweet scene that imagining it has you melting in your seat. The girl is in a dreamy state as well, looking out the window, sheepish and happy. “Yeah, I was transferred to a different branch at my job, so we’ve been in a long distance relationship for a while now. But today, my work here ended, so I’m gone for good. Finally going home.” “I bet he misses you.” Your passenger laughs, glancing at her phone, features illuminated by the white light of her screen. “He can’t stop texting me and he says he can’t sleep either. I haven’t even gotten on my flight yet, but I think he’s already at the airport waiting for me.” “That is so adorable.” Sappy couples used to make you feel envious, but not anymore. As she says these things, you imagine a certain someone doing the exact same for you. “He is,” she agrees, smiling to herself for a moment before looking up again. “Sorry, but do you know how much the fare will be?” “Oh.” Your smile is still stuck on your face, unable to erase it. “Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be on me for tonight.” “A-are you sure?” “It’s not a problem. You’re actually my last passenger….ever.” A satisfied sigh slips through the seams of your lips. There’s something that tells you you’re going to look back and miss this feeling one day. You know you’ll drive again, but never with strangers, never not knowing who will enter the backseat, of not knowing where you’ll be going. “The lease for this taxi is up and I won’t be renewing. I’m actually just doing this one last shift for old time’s sakes.” “Oh, well, congratulations!” She’s pleasantly surprised, eyes big and curious. “How long have you been driving for?” “On and off for about two years.” The girl hums. “What will you be doing now then?” “I actually have a day job. I work as an HR manager at a law firm,” you tell her in a way as if you’re reminding yourself and declaring it to the world at the same time. A sense of pride flows through your body and she matches your smile. “And I love it.” For a moment, you wonder what if it was your past-self sitting in the backseat right now. Would she have ever expected to be here? To have landed the career that she’s always wanted, to be with a person who she adores, to have become someone proud of who they are, and to never have to clean up another girl’s vomit off of leather, again? Probably not. // “This is ridiculous!” The man paces around, polished loafers pounding against the carpet as he storms around, arms crossed, trying to walk off his rage. He’s wrinkling his own blazer and stretching his dress pants, but the man behind the desk doesn’t make any comments. He’s too busy rubbing his temples with his thumbs, leaning back in his swivel chair. “Taehyung…” “Listen, Chim, my buddy, my pal.” The lawyer stops and comes to grip the back of the empty chair. “I get Sunyi and Yoongi are all lovey-dovey now that they’re together. Nothing against them. I’m happy for them. Trust me I am,” the blonde’s voice drops down into a whisper, “but I never wanted to watch them tongue-fucking each other. It’s not as hot as you would think. If anything, it made my wiener shrivel into my balls.” Taehyung says it like he’s disappointed, as if his dreams have been crushed and all traces of Jimin’s professionalism shatters in front of his eyes. He sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, trying to hold down his giggles. “Dude.” “I dropped my ham croissant, bro. You know, the special from down the street they rarely have anymore. I dropped it when I saw them.” Taehyung grieves for his lost food, “I dropped it.” “I’ll get you another one.” “They’re out of them by ten! You can’t!” For once, Jimin doesn’t know what to do. He’s still holding back his laughter before composing himself again with a deep breath, leaning back in his seat to assess the situation. He hasn’t mediated an office conflict in a long time and while he’ll admit he’s rusty, he also doesn’t want to come up with a solution without you. “Where’s Y/N?” “She’s not in yet.” “Then wait for her or talk to Hoseok. I can’t do anything about it until the end of the day. I have a meeting that starts in less than fifteen minutes.” “You know what?” Taehyung stands straighter and he nods to himself like he’s come up with his own decision. “That’s a good idea — I’ll talk to Hoseok.” “Wait. Really?” The lawyer shrugs. “Yeah, why not? He’s cool.” “Hoseok….” Jimin’s not sure he’s hearing it right. He never thought there would be a day that the employees of this office would feel this comfortable with his partner. The change was so gradual, but now he realizes it and it brings tears of joy to his eyes. “.....is cool?” “Yeah,” Taehyung scoffs as if to say that it’s obvious. “He’d probably understand and reimburse me for that croissant and do something about my trauma. Plus, he gets office romances. You don’t see him and Y/N kissing up on each other all day.” The senior partner’s mind reels. His brows furrow, caught off guard on how Taehyung knows. “Wait. What?” But by then, he’s already walked out of Jimin’s office, beelining straight to the other partner’s office without an ounce of hesitation. But as he marches forward, he runs into you instead, as well as Hoseok who was apparently just arriving too. “Oh, Y/N! I was looking for you! Good morning.” “Mornin’,” you chirp back in a happy tone. “Did you need me for something?” “Yes, please. I was gonna ask Hoseok, but you’re even better.” “Well alright, I’ll take it as a compliment! Follow me!” You wave your arm, signaling down the hall and he grins, trotting along after you like you’re both on a kid’s television show. The pair of you head towards your office and shut the door. Hoseok is left a bit flabbergasted before he melts into a soft smile, shaking his head at how you’re practically running the show around here and not him. “Good thing I came to you all that time ago demanding you hire someone for a human resource position, huh?” Jimin approaches Hoseok’s side, arms crossed, fully satisfied as he looks down the hallway, the space where you just occupied. “My stubbornness once again helped us out.” “Your stubbornness is the reason why we had that hideous pink wallpaper at the front desk for the first two months of our firm opening,” he murmurs with a slight tinkering laugh. There’s a pause before he counters, “We took it down eventually.” Hoseok scoffs and then laughs again. They both walk into the kitchen, standing side by side at the counter, waiting for the coffee machine. “You have to give me credit for hiring the right person. I was the one who did it.” “If I remember correctly, you forgot about it and I was the one who picked up her résumé from the pile.” Jimin fills up his mug again, taking a small sip and warming his tummy up. “Fine, fine,” Hoseok gives in with a playful twinkle glistening in his irises. “The credit goes to Park Jimin. Good job — if it weren’t for you, our office would be in shambles.” “Thank you.” He gloats from the praise, rosy cheeks puffed out. “But just letting you know, we’re going to need Y/N for a long time.” Jimin pats his partner’s shoulder, sharing a sympathetic smile as he brushes past. “Sunyi and Yoongi are going to cause problems for us until they both retire or get high blood pressure and die from heart attacks.” “Great.” Hoseok grins, laughing at the thought. The brunette lawyer returns to his office, but he stops for a second and takes a peek behind him. People are tapping away at their keyboards, preoccupied with documents and files upon files. A few legal assistants are helping the others, running across the office floor. The receptionists pick up the phones that ring, calmly answering in a soft volume. The photocopier whirrs to life, one or two murmurs spoken before it’s silenced down, accompanying the rhythm of papers being flipped. It’s the glorious sound of work. But the atmosphere of the office is less tense than it was before. It’s brighter, open, and even his partner seems to be that way as well. There was a time when Jimin couldn’t remember when Hoseok wasn’t so serious, stern, and wrapped up in his work. But nowadays, he was so full of life, it was almost burdensome. Still, Jimin missed that bubbly side of him. It was great to see that part of his personality again. Jimin takes another long look, feeling oddly nostalgic before he steps into his office and shuts the door. // In the heart of the metropolis are soaring towers, corporate offices and companies, business and enterprises that you are proud to be a part of. The firm is large and full of glass, from the giant windows to the glass of the conference room. When you look up over top the front desk, you find the name imprinted on the wall. Jung and Park. You don’t feel so out of place or intimidated like you used to. The blazer and pencil skirt fits you perfectly well, having no need to be tugged on or smoothed out by your hands. In the past year, so many things have changed that it baffles you. You can still remember the first time you were in this conference room, absolutely petrified, hands shaking, forehead sweaty, palms clammy. But some things never change. One of them being Hoseok. He’s still tall with dark hair, dressed in a fitted suit, sun-kissed skin glowing. His mere presence commands your attention. There’s always been something about him that makes him so alive. “Well, first off, I should preface by saying that you’ve been doing a stellar job.” “Are you saying that or are you being personally biased?” The lawyer’s brow lifts. “Do you think I’m being biased?” You shrug. “Maybe.” “Alright.” Hoseok grins discreetly, scribbling down onto his paper with a pen at the same time as he mumbles what he’s writing, “employee believes employer is being biased.” Laughter bubbles up your throat. “Why couldn’t Jimin do my performance review? This has to be a conflict of interest.” “He’s busy and this is just a formality anyways.” “So you’re not busy?” “Oh, are you insinuating that I don’t have any work?” Hoseok’s enormous smile returns and he jots another note down on the paper in front of him, muttering at the same time, “employee believes employer is lazy.” “C’mon!” You’re weakly protesting, unable to take this seriously. “You can’t just write down everything I say to you!” Hoseok chuckles and finally puts his pen down. “I’m ahead of my work.” “That makes more sense. You know...HR is supposed to sit in on performance reviews.” “We can’t have our HR person doing their own evaluation.” “Why not? I’d think I’d be quite fair.” “Oh, really now?” He flashes a questionable expression. “Then what would you say about yourself? How has your work ethic been?” “I think….I’ve been stellar!” You say it with confidence and he scoffs jokingly, causing you to challenge him. “What? You think I’m wrong?” “You were late to work a few times,” he points out. “Because I held another job.” Hoseok hums and flips a page, becoming more serious as he assesses the past few months. “Your performance is very well done actually. Consistent demonstration of enthusiasm and diligence in work across all areas.” “Thank you.” You beam at him. He smiles, unable to help himself. Throughout the conversation, he asks about your professional goals, goes over expectations again, your accomplishments, and establishes aims for your solo department. At the end, the pair of you stand up, shaking each other’s hand to conclude the successful meeting. “You’ve done a very good job.” “I appreciate that, Mr. Jung,” you deadpan with a hint of mischief. His grip on your hand is still there, shaking it up and down across the table awkwardly to the point where outsiders would think it was actually a passive aggressive action. Except, they wouldn’t notice how tender his hold on you is. “I also recognize your effort to remain professional and not let any….private matters interfere in your work.” “Of course not.” Your hand is still holding his, going up and down with no signs of stopping, nearly causing you to break and smile. “I take my job very seriously.” “As do I.” “Then would you like to let go of my hand, sir?” “Yes, of course.” He grins, reluctantly letting go, skin skimming against each other before your arm drops to your side. You dip your head slightly, preparing to exit the room. “Thank you again.” Hoseok nods, waving before slipping his hand into his dress pants pocket, trying to act all chic and cool. “I’ll talk to you soon,” he addresses, leaving after you. The both of you end up walking your separate ways. The man returns to his office. And as you make your way to your own office, you can’t help but turn around to stare at his broad backside becoming smaller in the distance. It feels like déjà vu for some reason... But then Hoseok turns around as well, meeting your eyes and a stupid smile spreads across his face. His eyes crinkle, dimples marked on both sides of his cheeks, radiant as the sun. Then he throws a wink and turns back around. Unfortunately for him, he accidentally misses his office by a few feet and bumps into the wall instead of going through the door. You stifle down a giggle and no one else seems to notice the terribly embarrassing, yet endearing accident. It doesn’t matter if Hoseok doesn’t remember the past. Right now and the future from today are much more important to the both of you. “Hoseok.” “Hmm?” The both of you are cuddling on the couch together. You’re curled up on his side while his arm drapes over you, watching television together. It’s some stupid survivor show and you hope that douchebag gets casted off for hoarding all the food. But while you watch, a more important thought comes to mind. You turn your head to stare. The profile of his face is illuminated by the faint white light coming from the screen. He’s clad in cotton pajamas, dark hair tousled and just out of the shower, smelling like lavender soap and fresh linen. It’s cozy being beside him like this and you feel at home. At your prolonged silence, Hoseok turns to look at you, eyes locking into his. “What is it?” A smile of mirth pulls on his face, forming into a boyish grin. “Why are you staring at me like that?” “I love you.” If possible, Hoseok’s smile expands until his cheeks are swelling. You match his smile before cringing, realizing what just tumbled out your mouth. Your shoulders tense, but he pulls you closer. “Sorry, I don’t know where that came from,” you murmur. “What do you mean you don’t know where that came from? You’re too cute.” He laughs, a tinkling noise coming from his chest and he hugs you, nuzzling into your hair. “I love you too.” Your hands are placed on his shoulders and you tug him away for a moment. “Do you ever get worried we’re just repeating the same mistakes as back then?” He becomes serious and honestly considers it for a long moment before answering, “no.” “What if we don’t work out?” “Then we don’t,” he says point-blank, but then Hoseok’s streak of optimism comes out. “But I’m going to try hard to make it work and I know you will too. Because I love you and you love me. And...I believe in us.” A hopeful and content sigh is exhaled softly. “Me too.” Hoseok returns back to the television, still holding you as he watches. “Plus, I’m not an immature asshole anymore.” There’s silence. “Right?” There’s more silence and he pulls away from the screen, fingers finding your sides and mercilessly tickling you. “Right?!” “Yes, yes!” You giggle and he finally stops. Your head tilts. “And sorry to say, but my life doesn’t revolve around you either.” The lawyer sulks and leans his forehead against yours. “You really think you could survive without me?” “Yes.” You attempt to repress your smile, failing while doing so. “Wow, I see how this is. You’re just going to end up running off with someone younger and hotter than me, aren’t you? Like Jungkook or the HR assistant you want me to hire!” “What?” You’re snorting, shaking your head. “Who says?” Hoseok tries to pout, though the corners of his mouth tilts into a smile. He chortles, ripping the blanket away from your bodies and moving to sit on you instead. He traps you beneath him and your hands are up, scared of another tickle torture attack. “You think I don’t know about JK? And how you keep insisting on hiring someone to make coffee runs for you? I know your scheme! You’re going to tie me down, marry me, then steal my money and run off with your boy toys! You thought I didn’t know? Well I have news for you, Miss. Y/N — I’m a divorce lawyer! You’re not getting a single penny!” You’re laughing and he continues to hold you down, laughter bubbling out of him as well. “Say what you want, Jung Hoseok, but I know you’re whipped for me! You’ll do whatever it takes to keep me around!” “Oh, so you admit it, huh?! You’re trying to tie me down and marry me and then rip me off!” “Okay, you got me!” you challenge him, still struggling against his hold, but finding the circumstances too funny to actually fight back. “What are you going to do?” “I’ll give you exactly what you want.” Hoseok grins, mouth pulled into a slight heart-shape as he teases you without mercy. “I’ll tie you down and marry you, but I won’t let you leave! How will you run off with your boy toys then?” “I’m being held hostage!” you scream in the midst of giggles. “Help!” It’s so silly. You feel like you’ve both regressed ten years back into children again playing dumb games. If your mom saw you now, she’d probably sigh and then send you two to the hospital to get yourselves checked out. But this is why you adore him. Hoseok is sociable, hyperactive, bubbly. He’s also sulky, pouty and childish, especially when he doesn’t get his way. And then there’s the serious part of him, the stern aspect of his personality that gets things done, reliable and sincere in his work. He not only feels like a fun companion in your life, but a dependable partner. You’re endeared by all sides of him. Even if it doesn’t work out this time, you’d be willing to try again and again and again. Because you’re an idiot who loves him and he’s a dumbass that loves you.

[Epilogue] “We’re going to be late!” “We still have ten minutes.” “What if traffic’s bad?” “It won’t be!” The pair of you are running around like headless chickens in the apartment. Time was ticking faster than anyone had noticed and you were behind by twenty minutes, but it was fashionable to arrive late...right? You stumble out of the washroom finally, finding him in front of the mirror in the bedroom. He turns at the sight of you. “What do you think?” Hoseok’s hands stop and he scans you up and down, from head to toe, and the corner of his lips tugs upwards. “Stunning.” “Is it too flashy?” You do one slow spin in your heels, looking down at the floral print dress and how you’ve done yourself up. “I don’t want to take away from the bride.” “You’ll always take away from any bride,” he murmurs. “You’re too beautiful.” At his cheesy compliment, you scoff and brush him off. Hoseok points to his own situation. “Can you help me with my tie? I can’t get it for some reason.” “‘Course.” You meet him at the mirror in three strides and he tilts his head back as you undo and loop it properly again. “I can’t believe they’re getting married.” “It’s just an engagement party.” “Still. It happened so fast. I didn’t think Yoongi would propose so soon.” “He said he had to tie Sunyi down before she changed her mind.” He smiles, recalling his friend’s laments. “It’s been a year since we caught them in the act, so they’ve been together for what? Three years? That’s actually a pretty long time.” “God, don’t remind me of that incident. I don’t want to remember.” You shudder, shaking your head before finishing. “There.” “Thanks.” Hoseok adjusts the top knot slightly in the mirror. You brush his shoulders, picking off a bit of fluff that’s stuck on his navy suit jacket. “Are you going to wear this to Hani and Daehwi’s wedding next month?” “Maybe. Not sure yet.” He leaves the bedroom, grabbing the car keys on the way while you beeline towards the front door. “Did you RSVP already?” “Of course. Their invitation is still on the coffee table, but I already responded.” “We’re going to have to take a week off for their destination wedding.” Before getting in the car, you look over and he smiles. “We only need a few days.” “Yeah, but might as well stay there a bit longer and turn it into a vacation.” You laugh. “Aren’t we already traveling together in a week?” “Different occasions.” Hoseok shrugs and shuts the door, putting the keys in the ignition and firing up the engine. He looks over his shoulder as he backs out, palms turning the steering wheel appropriately. “Are you sure it’s alright to miss that much work?” “Well, I am the boss.” “And so is Jimin.” “He’ll be fine with it,” Hoseok insists with a smile. “We also have Wendy’s party to attend after that too.” You grin, having almost let it slip your mind. “Right. I’ll admit, I’ve never been to a party celebrating a divorce before, but it sounds interesting.” “It’ll be interesting, alright.” He leans back whilst driving, eyes focused ahead on the road. “Knowing that old woman, she’ll probably hire male and female strippers and have an ice sculpture to herself and enough chocolate fondue to rub our bodies in it.” A giggle flows from your throat, feeling more excited for that event than going on that Europe trip with Hoseok. “Don’t tell her she’s old or she’ll beat you up and I won’t be able to do anything about it but film evidence from afar.” “I’ll press assault charges,” he mumbles with a grin, imagining being in court with his old mentor for that reason. It’s comical and one daydream he’ll have to indulge in later. Work has been better than ever. Jung and Park are thriving with the hard work that’s been put into it. It would take a lot for them to fail and become Jimin’s dream — Jungle Park, the playground equipment company for kids. Nevertheless, the divorce firm has been expanding with two more hired lawyers and three paralegals that you’re in the process of training. The floor is expanding too. There were discussions of moving the firm elsewhere, but Jimin’s too sentimental about the office space and would rather just improve what they have. Aside from work, lives were changing as well. Naul is in the process of planning an early retirement and start the golden years to travel with her husband around the world. Yoongi and Sunyi are getting married, and your friends are too. As for you, you may or may not have overheard a conversation Hoseok was having with your mom — one that consisted of her nagging and being overbearing and ending with him promising to pop the question within this year. You also heard from a little birdy that he went ring shopping with his sister, and his parents have been mentioning a lot about grandkids lately….though that might be more down the line. “Oh my goodness! Sunyi, you look so gorgeous!” The female was glowing in her sparkling black gown and you can only imagine what she’ll look like in a wedding dress when the time comes. “Thank you.” “She keeps joking this is her funeral get-up,” Yoongi sighs as a greeting, half hugging both you and Hoseok. “Look, I’m just mourning for the loss of my singleness, okay?” she snaps and smiles when he rolls his eyes. “Please. Don’t act like you don’t love me. We’ve been together for over three years.” “Yeah, enough for me to want to blow my brains out,” Sunyi jokes around and he lightly scoffs. “Get over here.” Yoongi has a gummy grin and pulls her in by her waist. He kisses her while smiling before the innocent act becomes more passionate and lustful. You blink, exchanging expressions with Hoseok, feeling like you’re infringing on their privacy. But they eventually pull away from each other, breathless and with swollen lips. “This is allowed, right?” Sunyi wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, not at all bothered with how her lipstick has smeared and ended up on her fiancé’s face. If anything, there’s a twinkle of mischief in her irises. “We’re not in the office right now.” “Yes, this is allowed,” you ease them with a laugh. “It’s fine.” “Good.” She hugs Yoongi’s side and then motions to you both, snickering under her breath. “You guys act like you don’t do this either.” “What?” “We’re not the only ones in an office romance,” the female teases. Hoseok looks at his old friend. “You told her?” “You knew?” Sunyi raises her brows at Yoongi and he shrugs. She sighs, brushing it off to look at you, delivering the news, “Taehyung told everyone like twenty minutes before you came. He mentioned it out of nowhere and a lot of us were surprised. Pretty sure Seulgi and Jin are somewhere having a mental breakdown, so you should probably talk to them. But some of them saw it coming or at least that’s what Naul said.” “Wait.” You hold your hands up, being bombarded with too much information, but one thing stands out to you. “Taehyung told you?” You turn to stare at Hoseok and this time, he’s the one who shrugs. “I don’t know how he knows.” “There they are!” Jimin’s giggling and he comes out from the crowd, gesturing to you all. “My lovebirds! It feels like all my children grew up and married each other.” He pretends to cry, wiping away his fake tears and Lisa follows after him with a frown and crossed arms. “Is that supposed to be an Office reference?” One by one, the entire office gathers together again and crowds up the main entrance. But everyone’s too busy conversing and laughing to notice. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us.” Jin is overdramatic, voice moving up in pitches. “Aren’t we family?!” “Just wanted to say,” Taehyung butts in, “I was the first to know based on my own stellar observations.” “Actually, Jungkook was the first.” Everyone gawks at you and then cranes their necks over to the youngest lawyer who’s sheepish. “Umm...yeah.” Hoseok quirks his head. “Really?” Seulgi throws her arms into the air. “Unbelievable.” “Makes you wonder what other kinds of secrets there are,” Namjoon comments while sipping on his drink. Dahyun steps forward with a bright smile. “I saw Jin bringing someone into Hoseok’s office a few months back.” The legal assistant gasps at the receptionist. “Wow, you’re exposing me now?” “I can attest to that,” Inyoung sing-songs. “My office?!” Hoseok’s mouth drops in disbelief. He isn’t too pleased. “Are you crazy?” “Listen, no one’s ever done it in your office before, so I just had to have a go in it.” “I think I’ve been too relaxed lately,” he mutters, still reeling from the thought. “I haven’t been strict enough.” “Great, you just summoned Hoseok, the dictator, back,” Lisa deadpans. “Actually, that’s not true, guys,” Min Yoongi pipes up. His arms are behind his back and he interrupts, grinning like he has some secret to tell. “Hoseok’s done it in his own office before.” “What?” — “With Y/N?” — “That’s wild.” “Oh my god.” Your face is on fire, absolutely mortified at this conversation. “We’re going to need to have another seminar on workplace romance and PDA.” Taehyung salutes you. “I’ll look forward to it on Monday!” You laugh, too happy to be standing here with these people around you. Of all the places you could’ve worked at, of all the places you could’ve been, all the jobs you could be doing and all the people you could have met...you are grateful that you picked this place and that they picked you. The feeling of overwhelming gratitude is only amplified with Hoseok’s warm presence by your side.

The first time you met Hoseok was in class thirteen years ago. It was during the second year of your undergraduate degree where you were working to obtain a degree in commerce while he was in political science and dance. By sheer coincidence, you both ended up in a finance class together. You thought nothing of him. He was the one who talked to you first. It wasn’t much of a start. But eventually, you were in a group project together, only for you to ditch him and leave him at the library since you were winning Monopoly at your board game club. Needless to say, you two failed at said project. But for some unknown reason, Hoseok didn’t hate you. He asked you out twice. And that was the beginning of a four year long relationship. Of graduating together, moving across the country for him to go to law school and how you came along, of living together and having a pregnancy scare that led to an engagement. It was the whirlwind of having him break it off and leaving you in a city that you didn’t know, with a future that you had created and built entirely around him broken. The second time you met Hoseok again, it was when you were searching for another job. You applied to the position that was offered at his firm, and he interviewed and hired you. “Welcome to the team.” The handsome dark-haired male greets you at the front with a slight smile and nod. He exhales and glances at his watch. “I’ll show you around and help you get settled.” Afraid, intimidated, scared, you were pretty sure he hated you for taking control of the office and making so many changes. But you held your ground, challenging his every will head on, bickering and arguing, never wavering when he and everyone else gave you a hard time. “Where are the safety requirements of this office? Does it even exist? And you know you can’t overwork these people! There are no vacation times and their pay is low!” “Low?! If you think it’s low then what I make is low too! If someone has a problem with their pay, then they should directly come talk to me and we’ll deal with it!” “Obviously everyone feels too threatened to come and talk to you!” “We run a business not a charity. I knew this was a bad idea. I knew it. They’re using this as leverage to complain and whine and do no work.” “These are legitimate concerns. If you care about these people, then you’d care about this too. I’m just trying to do my job.” “And I’m trying to do mine!” “But you listen to no one but yourself.” “I can’t do this anymore.” Hoseok shakes his head and shouts for his partner’s help— “Jimin!” “Fine.” You throw your hands up. “If you want to be this way, let’s talk with someone who’s more rational. Jimin!” But he called a truce after you were stuck in an elevator with him. He brought down your guard during lunches spent in cozy hole-in-the-walls, worming his way closer while standing next to each other on the subway station, holding your hand while making the hard trek on a mountain, huddled together and chatting during workplace parties. He was there during your accident, there when you were ill, when you needed him the most. And he’s here now. While you might not know what will happen tomorrow, a year, or a decade from now, it’s different than before. He’s holding your hand and not letting go. The two of you are building a future together. “Hey, I finished.” “The staff handbook?” Hoseok flips through the crisp pages with a smile. You hum a low note, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on his swelling cheek tinged pink. He holds it to his chest after skimming over it quickly. “Can I keep the first ever copy?” “Yes, you can.” You pull away, going into the kitchen. “But hurry, the food’s almost done. You can read it later.” Jung and Park is written in cursive on the front page with your name signed on the bottom. His hands touch against the smooth cover and he walks to his home office, placing it on the desk. He’s about to leave, but his eyes stray off elsewhere. Hoseok tugs open his desk drawer, lifting up a useless file to find a small black box in the corner hidden away. He grabs it, putting it into his pants pocket and he smiles to himself. “Hobi!” you call his name from the kitchen. “Coming!” He’s decided. Tonight is perfect. Jung Hoseok walks off with his hands still holding the ring box.

You’re fortunate to know Hoseok. You’re even luckier to meet him for a second time and experience it all over again — to get to know him from the start, learn about his habits again, to become his best friend once more and discover your lives together. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t remember. And if he were to forget again, you wouldn’t mind doing it over and over again. A life beside Hoseok, you can’t think of anything better. “Um, excuse me.” You feel a hesitant tap on your left shoulder and a smooth voice sounding beside you. When you turn your head, your eyes grow wide. The guy next to you is actually talking to you. It’s the first time you’re actually looking at him. You realize he has pretty brown eyes, ruffled black hair, sun-kissed skin covered by his grey hoodie and jeans, effortlessly casual…...and you’re underwhelmed. He looks like any other university guy and you have no idea why he’s bothering you right now. You didn’t sign up to actually talk to anyone in class. “Do you have the lecture notes from the last class? I wasn’t here….” Oh. That’s why he’s talking to you. “Yeah, I can send you them if you need it.” “That would be great.” The stranger’s eyes twinkle and he gives off a feeling of mischief. He’s friendly, making you feel more at ease with how warm he is despite being a complete stranger. “What’s your name?” “I’m Y/N.” You lift your arm with an open hand. He stares down at it for a second before clasping his palm with yours, shaking your hand. The corner of your mouth lifts and you nod. “You?” “Jung Hoseok.” He smiles, corners of his mouth quirking upwards into a slight heart shape and you muse how he reminds you of the sun. “Nice to meet you.”

#bts fanfic #bts scenario #jungle park #hoseok fanfic #hoseok scenario #IT'S OVER #THE ADVENTURE IS FINISHED Y'ALL OH MY GOD

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mythicamagic · 5 years

Text

Fragile: A Hatohru oneshot

Oneshot dedicated to @creganstarks, for their beautiful Hatohru gifs ^^ rarepairs ftw

Humour/romance (as always you can find this fic on Ao3 and Fanfic.net via the same username.)

Pairing: Hatori x Tohru

Summary: Hatori is put in a vulnerable spot when he transforms in the city on a rainy day. Luckily, Tohru is there to try and soothe the fragility of seahorses. Even when they’re in plastic bags meant for goldfish.

Fragile~

Hatori definitely, sincerely, positively, hopelessly… needed a cigarette.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he glared at the clamp on his car. It was a yellow monstrosity fixed to one of the front tires, preventing it from moving. In his defence, the road wasn't marked particularly well. What's more, he'd been 10 minutes in the store at most.

He shook himself slightly. No, that was making excuses. He hadn't even considered how improperly he'd parked.

Ridiculous, he admonished himself. It wasn't like him to be so scatterbrained, maybe he was turning into Aya.

Rain poured down from the sky, soaking his coat and plastering black bangs to his cheek. The streets were Hatori lowered the phone from his ear, unable to get through to anyone to pay the damn fine or get this mess organised.

I guess I'll have to take a taxi, he sighed. This was not how he wanted to spend his 'day off.'

Hatori sneezed, abandoning his car on the street to duck under the cover of an open store entrance. Pushing his hair aside, he tried to recall the name of the taxi company, before feeling something soft bump into his chest. Hatori jolted, eyes widening.

"Ah, I'm so sor-" Tohru raised her head, only to gape as blue smoke suddenly burst forth from his form. "Hatori?!"

A suit, coat and shoes fell in a heap on the wet floor. Tohru's hands dove through the smoke, patting the ground in a gentle frenzy to try and locate his small zodiac form. "Hatori? Hatori!" She panicked, raising her head in time to see a helpless seahorse slide over the wet concrete floor further into the store.

Shrieking with fear, she bolted after him, tripping over one of his stray shoes and bumping her knees painfully on the ground. But that didn't stop her from scrambling up again.

She hurried after his figure and leaned down, reaching out desperately- only for a beefy hand to beat her to it. The store employee lifted the seahorse up carefully. "Geeze little guy, you shouldn't jump out of your home. How'd you even get out?" He sighed, opening the lid of a fish tank and popping Hatori inside. About 10 other seahorses floated around him curiously.

It was then that Tohru noticed for the first time that she was standing in a pet store.

Squeaking, she placed her hand on the glass, peering down to look at the dazed seahorse. "Don't worry! I'll get you out," she said, before turning to the man. "U-um, excuse me but…that's my seahorse you just picked up."

The man raised a brow, scoffing. "And you take him for walks in the city, huh?"

"Yes!" She nodded repeatedly, brown eyes wide.

He laughed. "Nice try, girl. You can buy a seahorse just like everyone else if you want one so bad."

Tohru bit her lip. If Hatori changed back now, he'd surely be humiliated, but it was more than that. Since learning of Kana and others he'd wiped the memories of, it was clear to her that performing the memory wipes hurt him in a way she could only guess at. She didn't want him to gain that lonely, jaded look in his eyes again. So, turning to the employee, Tohru pulled out her purse. "Okay! How much?"

---

The rain continued pouring. Tohru tried her best to steady Hatori's bag, nerves fried. He felt 10 times more breakable than the other zodiacs. The man at the store hadn't exactly encouraged her, saying that if she was going to carry a seahorse that way, he probably wouldn't survive long.

Holding Hatori against her stomach and bringing her light jacket around the plastic to shield it, Tohru murmured words of encouragement, trying to soothe him. In his position, she'd certainly feel fragile. The little orange seahorse just bobbed in the bag gently, looking at her.

His clothes had been stuffed into her heavy shopping bag, straps over her elbow. After walking for a while, the weight started to get uncomfortable, so she stopped at an ally.

"I'm just going to rest here a second and get my bearings, I don't want to get us lost," she informed him in a hushed tone. Ducking into the shadows of the towering buildings, Tohru set down the shopping bag, sighing as she leaned over, checking him for the hundredth time- only for a burst of blue smoke to swamp her sights. Her hands touched damp skin, and Tohru squeaked, looking up.

Hatori stared down at her with an unreadable expression, eyes slightly wide.

"Ah-! You're okay! I'm so glad! But really, I'm so sorry for bumping into you, Hatori. That whole situation was all my fault–and oh, you were put into a bag, you must have been so worrying-"

Hatori touched her forgotten hand on his chest. "I'm fine, miss Honda. You don't have to worry, but…"

"But?" She feared the worst.

"Well… I'd appreciate it if we could have this conversation when I'm not naked in an ally."

Tohru jolted, finally registering her hands on him. Hatori smiled slightly as she squeaked and yanked them away. She firmly set her gaze at the tops of the buildings when she accidentally glanced down. "A-and it's raining!" She turned with a red face, grabbing her bag and opening it, passing the clothes over. He thanked her calmly and put the damp boxers on first.

Heart racing, Tohru figured it was probably best to give him privacy, but it was still pouring, and he looked to be struggling. Steeling himself, Tohru grabbed his long black trenchcoat and pulled it over her, raising it over her head and stepping closer.

Hatori paused, raising a brow.

"Please duck down, Hatori. I'll keep you dry as you change," she smiled, trying to ignore her heated cheeks.

He stared for a moment, before offering a small smile in return and ducking down to make her job easier. She shifted her arms higher and stretched the coat over his head, standing on tiptoe.

The doctor was quite tall in comparison with her.

Hatori slid a crisp white shirt on, glancing at her and noting her averted gaze. She was…a singular existence, miss Honda.

Rain met the ground in soft successions, coaxing the gentle smells of petrichor into their senses.

He tried his best to change quickly, failing to ignore her proximity as her own scent caught his attention. Like home cooking mixed with fresh linens- and something else. The feeling one gets when turning their face into a patch of sunlight after staying in the shade. Their breaths intermingled in the small, private space. He'd never held on the burning precipice of touch for so long before. Hatori's weary heart thundered. He somewhat loathed the reaction. She was just trying to be kind, yet his touch starved skin pricked with want of her. The chill of the weather was barely a blip on his radar.

He leaned down to put on his shoes, causing his head to briefly touch against her stomach.

Tohru swallowed, setting a hand on his shoulder to steady him. It felt warm, solid.

"You paid for me…didn't you?" He asks, breath fanning over her exposed, freezing legs. A bad day to wear shorts.

"Y-yes. But it was my fault you were in the tank in the first place."

Hatori straightened, bumping his head against the coat ceiling. He then prodded her forehead. "I'll give you back the money." Tohru opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "All of it. No arguments," he mutters, lifting the coat off himself and standing at his full height when he was done. Glancing at the fretting girl, he finally noticed something.

"Why aren't you wearing a coat?" He reprimanded.

Tohru pushed her index fingers together, wearing his coat like a hooded cloak. "The weather changed so quickly while I was out getting food for dinner. I didn't even think to bring one," she lifted it off, attempting to hand it to him. Hatori pushed a firm palm against her fingers. "You wear it. You need it more than I do."

Her jaw set, and Tohru gave him a look that shouldn't have affected him as it did. A determined Tohru was something to behold.

"We'll share it!" She chirped, raising on tip-toe and attempting to hold the coat over their heads again.

"Miss Honda-"

"Please," she cut in, and he couldn't recall her ever slipping and doing something so impolite before. Usually the girl seemed so rigid in sticking to manners. Like it was gravely important. Her head dipped forward slightly, long brunette locks sliding down over her shoulders. "I don't want you to get a cold…please. Let's walk together like this," she said gently, her words almost lost in the rainfall. It landed quietly on the coat, and as she lifted hers to look at him, Hatori quietly exhaled.

He glimpsed something rare and vulnerable in those deep brown eyes. She'd just revealed more of herself than he had standing bare. A secret, buried thing. Hatori nodded, dooming himself to yet more scattered thoughts that had distracted him earlier. Bending down, he allowed the coat to touch the crown of his head, before assisting her with holding it over their heads. They wandered out of the ally together, staying close.

---

Finding the details of a taxi company, they decided to split the cost by riding together, first to Sohma estate, then Shijure's house for her. Hatori placed his coat over her knees without a word, folding his arms and looking out of the window.

"… Did someone close to you pass away from an illness involving a cold?" He asked in his usual sombre way.

Tohru nodded. "Mn, my father. Though… I wouldn't call him close to me," she said, brushing damp locks away from her cheek.

"I see," he glanced at her. "You don't have to fret about what happened earlier."

"No worries! I won't tell anyone you were naked in an ally!" Tohru beamed.

The taxi driver glanced at them with a suggestive look in the rearview mirror. Hatori shut the vent allowing him to listen in. He then faced Tohru. "That's not what I'm referring to. Earlier, you were concerned about causing me to transform."

Tohru quieted, tilting her head slightly. Hatori's chest did a funny thing. "Well, yes. You always seem to dislike your zodiac form more than the others. I can see why, it must be frightening."

The car carried on through the city, headed towards the outskirts.

"It usually is," he muttered. "Though, it can depend who I'm with at the time when it happens." Deep lilac eyes slid to pale knuckles, hazing over with past memories, before resurfacing and glancing at her again. "Sometimes, it's not a bad thing. I get to know who I can rely on…to be vulnerable with," he said haltingly. He'd probably said too much. "You have the ability to make others feel safe, miss Honda."

Tohru stared at him, lips slightly parted. The patter of rain on the windows fell away, and it was just them, clumsily trying to navigate whatever they were.

He cleared his thought. "Even when they're being carried in a bag meant for goldfish."

Slowly, her lips tilted up. Tohru beamed outright, cheeks a rosy red as she giggled quietly. "…Thank you."

Hatori's eyes widened slightly, before he turned to look out the window. He felt the consuming want to protect her. This girl who tried so hard for others wellbeing. He knew how draining such a thing could be.

Fingers drew into loose fists on his knees as his heart shuttered with warning. Hatori ignored it in favour of watching the brightening skies.

#fruits basket #Hatohru #hatori sohma #honda tohru #fruits basket 2019

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banditthewriter · 5 years

Text

On The Other Side [Billy Russo]

Prompt: Hi i saw the request is open and i would like to request a billy x reader where the reader is an owner of a rival company of anvil but she’s stuck in a conference with billy as her roommate for the weekend and i hope you can add in some angst too if that’s okay i lvoe your work! Prompter: Anonymous

I’m actually quite happy with this one. It’s a little long, about 8k, but I hope you like it!

Tags are at the bottom. Let me know if you would like to be added to one of my tag lists!

Interested in supporting my work? Kofi link in my bio!

*gif is mine*

Enjoy!

*****

The people who booked the hotel rooms must not have been paying any attention when the names came up. There was no way you were going to have Billy Russo as a suitemate.

Ricky Little, the man who had booked the rooms and was in charge of the conference, was staring at his phone when you marched up to him. You had put on flats for the plane ride and you regretted not changing into your heels because you could use the immediate attention the sound they made gave you.

“Mr Little,” you called as politely as possible as you stopped beside him, “there has been a mistake. I’m currently in a suite with William Russo from Anvil? I think that’s a bit of a conflict considering we’re their biggest competition.”

Ricky Little looked up, blinking a few times as if surprised to see you there despite you talking to him. As your words registered, he smiled and gave an apologetic shrug of his shoulders.

“The rooms were all booked ahead of time. Unfortunately since you were late to inform us that you would be joining us, you were stuck in the last room.” He gestured towards the concierge that was staring on with a glum expression as he added, “And I mean the last room in the hotel. Even the smallest rooms are booked up right now.”

You could feel anger building in the pit of your stomach, as well as embarrassment. You had been late in telling them that you would be coming because you hadn’t been certain you could afford it. Iron and Steel, your company, had been doing better but after your business partner abandoned you, you were struggling to make do.

“I’ll call the other hotels,” you said as you turned around, ready to be out of the incompetent Ricky Little’s presence.

This made you almost run into Billy who was standing nearby. He had a smirk on his lips as he looked you over.

“Oh c’mon Y/L/N,” he said, tongue in cheek as he looked past you at Ricky. “We’re just sharing a door. It’s not like you even have to see me outside of the conference. I promise I can be quiet.”

You swallowed down your first remark. And maybe your second one as well.

And then you swallowed down your pride.

“You have a point Russo,” you shot back nastily, his name making you sneer a bit. “I guess I’ll just make do.”

“Now you sound like a real Marine,” he teased with a wink before he turned to walk away.

Heat spread through you as you tried to fight your anger. It was a low blow, a subtle reminder that you didn’t belong. It wasn’t the first time you’d dealt with a comment of the like from him.

Your ex-business partner was the soldier and you were the business acumen. That business degree that you slaved for had come in handy when you first started Iron and Steel, but only three years out of the gate, Jake left the company.

It had been an awkward few months leading up to him leaving. It started with you declining one of his advances for the umpteenth time. It ended with him telling you that he didn’t see a future for Iron and Steel and wanted to sever ties before it went under.

You would drag this company into the spotlight on your back if you had to.

The employees all stayed, even if you could sense some fractures. You didn’t have the experience that Jake had, but you were still good at what you did. You knew the business like the back of your hand. It was just that you didn’t know how to grow the business without Jake’s contacts.

Back at the suite, you sat down on the chair near the window and sighed. Billy had been right about only having a shared door. And technically it was two doors, so it wasn’t like he could just walk in anyways. Not that you thought he would, but you crossed over to the door and flicked the lock.

You had your own bathroom and small kitchenette. It was just the principle of the matter.

And your own pride.

Iron and Steel was a rival for Anvil, even in its early days. The way things were going lately, that wouldn’t last long without a miracle, but you weren’t ready to count yourself out. You would surpass Anvil if only to rub it in Russo’s smug face.

You huffed out a breath and marched over to the hotel bed and fell down face first. There was a dinner before the conference fully started and you needed to get ready but right then you just needed a moment.

You needed to prepare your HBIC attitude if you would have to deal with not only Billy Russo, but a dozen or so men just like him.

------

The tables were laid out line by line. You weren’t the only woman there, but you were pretty sure you were the only one at the table where your name card was sitting.

As stealthily as possible, you leaned over and caught a glimpse of the name on your left. Roger Dickinson. You were pretty sure he was the guy that worked only on government contracts; Jake had found him annoying and conceited.

To your right was a familiar name and you groaned as you read it over twice, as if the name somehow would have changed.

“Cheer up Y/L/N,” Billy said as he moved over to where you were hovering near your chair, “people will think I’m not good company if you scowl all night.”

You could feel your eye twitching. With a roll of your neck you turned to face Billy completely. He had been looking at his phone but he looked up at you and smiled. You noticed that he didn’t look you over like you’d seen some of the other men in the room do when you walked in.

“Wouldn’t want that, would we?”

His smirk simply grew. As you moved towards your chair, you were halted by him stepping up and pulling your chair out. You couldn’t help but grind your teeth as you gave him a terse smile.

“Thanks,” you bit out as you sat down and scooted your chair in a little.

He followed suit and sat down, unbuttoning his jacket and leaning back a little. He looked relaxed and unmoved by the sprawling number of people involved in this conference but you were fairly certain it wasn’t his first one.

One of your problems with Billy was despite how much you despised him, he was easily the most attractive person in this building. Your paths rarely crossed back in New York, but you were always struck by how he wielded his looks like most men wielded their guns or checkbooks.

There was something else though, something that was under the surface that always made you unnerved around him. It felt like the moments right before a lightning storm; a static electricity that seemed to skim the surface, always ready to strike at a moment’s ready.

Jake hated Billy. Your dislike of the man stemmed from not wanting Iron and Steel to go under, from his snide remarks about your capabilities at running the business. You disliked Billy for his attitude and general disregard for anything that didn’t affect him personally. Jake? Jake hated Billy on a deeper level.

You didn’t understand it and the few times you asked, you never got more than a vague reply about it not mattering in the long run.

And you guessed that was true considering you were here and Jake was… well, anywhere else.

“Haven’t seen Jake around,” Billy said conversationally as he tapped his name card against the table, tilting his head as he looked you over. “He letting you do the heavy lifting this time?”

It felt a little like a punch to the gut. Of course Billy would have to make a comment about Jake leaving. At least you were fairly certain no one knew why Jake had really left.

Although you weren’t sure if that was better or worse in some cases.

“Jake left Iron and Steel. I bought him out,” you said evenly as you stared ahead where people were starting to mill around to their seats.

“No shit,” he breathed as he leaned back in his chair a bit, his tone actually sounding a little awed. “About time. He was holding you back.”

If you had to deal with his sarcastic comments all through dinner, you were going to snap.

“Ah, Russo and Y/L/N,” Dickinson said as he came up to the table and pulled his chair out. He sounded as if he had just scraped something off the bottom of his shoe. “I see they put me at the fun table.”

“Don’t worry Dickie boy,” Billy said with a wide grin as he gave you a wink, “we’ll dumb down our conversation for you. Wouldn’t want you to strain that million dollar brain you got up there.”

Dickinson glared as he sat down, purposefully turning his back to the two of you. You felt a little thrill at the pettiness but one look at Billy’s smiling face reminded you that you weren’t friends with this man. This man’s business was single handedly going to be the reason you lost Iron and Steel if you didn’t figure things out during this conference.

You shifted in your chair, your arm brushing against Billy’s accidentally as you did so. Hyper aware of his presence at your side, you settled down and took a deep breath.

It was going to be a long evening.

------

The dinner was wrapping up. You’d made conversation with a few people at your table. That didn’t include Dickinson or Billy. To his credit, Billy seemed to realize that you weren’t going to fall for his tricks at some point and had stopped trying to draw you into conversation.

You did have to field the question about Jake a few more times. He’d only been out of the company for about six months so it made sense that not everyone knew.

Although you were sure they all knew now.

This meal was served in the restaurant at the hotel you were staying in so once the dinner was done, you didn’t have to worry about making a long trek back to your room. Instead you made sure you had your small bag and headed towards the stairs.

You head another pair of shoes behind you and you used the reflective surface of one of the doors to check to see who it was.

Billy. Of course.

“Realized everyone was gonna make a mad dash for the elevators?” He gave a little nod to you as you asked and you held the door open for him as well. “Four flights of stairs isn’t much to a Marine, right?”

The corner of his mouth twitched and he unbuttoned his jacket. He didn’t look as put together in that moment and you took a brief second in that stairwell to appreciate that fact before you braced against the wall to take off your shoes.

“They hurting your feet?”

You hooked your finger through the heels and shook your head as you bounced a bit before you started to take the stairs in your stockings.

“No, but spraining my ankle while walking up four flights of stairs isn’t exactly the memory I want to make at this conference.”

He laughed as he took the stairs with you, staying in pace with you even though you were sure he could probably already be more than halfway to your floor by now.

“I can see that you were the brains of the operation,” he said as you both rounded the corner to the next flight of stairs.

It didn’t sound like a jab but you couldn’t be certain. Instead of responding, you gave him a quick nod and continued up to your floor. He got to the door first and held it open for you, gesturing with a flourish for you to enter before him.

“Thanks,” you said as you stepped into the hall. There were a few other members from the conference on this hall and you could see them moving to their own rooms so you turned to him and gave him a polite smile.

“Guess I’ll see you at the next part of the conference?”

Billy gave you a bright smile and a nod as the two of you reached your own doors. You unlocked yours with your key card and pushed the door open, looking away from him as you did so.

“Sure thing neighbor,” he replied with a grin as he slipped into his room next to yours.

You listened to him shut the door and swallowed as you leaned against the door after you locked it. That man… was something else.

------

There was a loud clattering noise from your neighbor and you glanced at the doors that separated your room from Billy’s with a frown. It was after midnight. What on earth was he doing in there that was causing so much destruction?

It didn’t occur to you until you were banging on the door that connected to his room that he might have someone over. The idea of interrupting him mid-coitus was kind of funny but at the same time, you felt a tightness in your stomach at the idea.

It took a few minutes before his door opened. He was wearing pajama pants hung low on his hips and the face of someone who had been asleep moments before. He rubbed his mouth as he looked you over, his shoulders tense.

“I’ve had a dream like this before,” he said but there was something wrong with it. His tone was flat and his eyes were darting back and forth.

Behind him in the room you could see a lamp that had been knocked over, the side table toppled as well. Since Billy looked mostly asleep, you were struck with realization of what was going on.

“I’ve never been to this city before. Do you know if there are any good places that are open late? I was thinking about getting out of the hotel for a bit and didn’t want to walk around aimlessly.”

You saw him narrow his eyes at you for a moment before he nodded slowly.

“I know a few places. I can tell you where they are,” he said slowly, tilting his head as if weighing his next words, “or I can take you? If you don’t mind company, that is.”

You shrugged as if you didn’t mind one way or another as you turned back to your room.

“Sure. Give me a few minutes to get ready and I’ll meet you in the hallway.”

After you shut the door on your side, you heard him hesitate before he shut his door. Quickly you pulled on some sweatpants over the cloth shorts you had been wearing. The t-shirt was fine for this weather so you simply checked to make sure your hair didn’t look messed up before you grabbed your wallet and phone.

Shoes on your feet and key card tucked in your pocket, you stepped out of your room. Billy was in the hallway leaning against the wall wearing a hoodie with his sweatpants. When you stepped into the hall, he looked up at you and gave you a small smile.

“Anywhere specific you wanna go?”

You shrugged a shoulder as you shut your door and made sure it locked.

“Surprise me.”

He smiled a little wider as he gestured for you to lead the way to the elevators.

The man standing next to you listing off a few places in the neighborhood that would be open at this time of night was not the same one that you saw that afternoon in the lobby of the hotel. It wasn’t even the same one that you had met a few times before.

For some reason you had never thought him capable of human things like nightmares. Realistically you knew that he had been involved in the war. It was how he got involved in the business; he built Anvil from the ground up once he got out of the Marines.

But even knowing that, it didn’t make sense for him to be plagued by nightmares and memories. Not because you didn’t think it was possible, but because he didn’t seem the type. He was one of those people that it seemed everything just slid right off of him.

You guessed you were wrong about that.

------

The two of you went to a pretzel shop. After both of you got something, you walked back to the hotel in relative silence.

It was the longest you had ever spent with Billy and you had to admit that it wasn’t horrible.

At your doors, Billy grabbed your elbow before you could unlock your door.

“Thanks,” he said quietly as he avoided your eyes, shuffling his weight from one foot to the other. “For… this.”

You looked up at him for a long moment until he met your eyes finally. Then you lifted the bag with the pretzel bites up at him with a smile.

“Thanks for the company.”

In your room, you could hear him moving around in his room. And after you put the pretzels in the fridge for later, you stripped back down to your shorts and curled back up in bed. Instead of grabbing your book, you turned off the light and closed your eyes.

It shouldn’t surprise you, but you dreamed of Billy that night. The two of you were walking around an abandoned city looking for pretzels.

------

The first conference of the day was going to involve speakers from the Department of Defense. You made sure you were dressed professionally and had all of your stuff as you headed into the banquet hall where the talk was going to be held.

This was a good chance to get the feel for how to approach new contracts with the government. One or two of those and Iron and Steel would be set.

You sat down about midway in the room so that you would have a good seat. Everyone else was milling into the room slowly.

Billy was off to one side looking at his phone. After last night and the pretzels, you couldn't help but see Billy in a new light. Maybe he wasn't the self obsessed asshole you'd been making him out to be.

Part of you wanted to let him know he could sit near you for the talk, but before you could even try to get his attention to make the offer, he looked up and smiled at the generals on the stage. He moved up the stairs and greeted more than a few of them by name.

Of course. He was in the military. If you sources were correct, he was quite decorated as well. It made sense that he would know them.

He made his way back down the stairs and scanned the room. You saw his eyes land on you for a second before he walked over to sit down next to some people who were there from the cyber security sector.

Was it because he was embarrassed by the night before? Or was he just not willing to sit next to a civilian when there were military members nearby?

Or maybe it was something else entirely, but you weren't going to give it more thought. You weren't here to make friends and you weren't going to let it bother you.

At least until you were alone.

------

The talks closed up with the moderator explaining that anyone could introduce themselves to any of the members on the stage in order to maybe foster a business relationship. You introduced yourself to a few of the speakers, exchanging cards with the ones you thought would be a good fit with Iron and Steel, but you had your eyes on one in particular.

General Davis was someone that operated overseas mostly. You knew that he had used contracts with security companies from the states on more than one occasion. It was just the kind of thing that you could use to gain Iron and Steel the traction it needed to grow.

Right as you introduced yourself, a third person joined the conversation.

“Hey Davis,” Billy said as the two of them shook hands, Davis grinning familiarly as he greeted Billy evenly. “Not sure if you’ve met Y/N here. She’s the head of Iron and Steel.”

Davis smiled at you as he shifted a bit, his eyes darting from Billy to you.

“I’ve heard of them,” Davis explained as he looked back at you again. “Giving Anvil a run for the money, huh?”

“Trying,” you said through gritted teeth.

Was Billy trying to sabotage you? These conferences were supposed to help firms grow so why was Billy stepping on your toes here.

“You guys should keep in touch,” Billy added as he gave Davis a look, “just in case something comes up, right?”

Davis nodded slowly before he pulled his card out of his pocket. You handed him yours as you took his, giving it a look before you tucked it into your leather folder.

“Go ahead and send a proposal to the email on that card. We’ll see if we have anything that we can make work with Iron and Steel,” he said as he shook your hand once more.

He gave Billy a nod and another handshake before he turned to walk over to some of the other conference goers. You glared at the side of Billy’s head before you spun around on your heel. You’d talked to all of the people you were interested in at this point.

And you wanted to check something.

In the corner of the room, against the wall because you weren’t an idiot, you pulled out your tablet and did a quick search. Sure enough you found a few articles that tied Anvil and Billy Russo to General Davis and certain situations overseas.

Of course they had a working relationship. Anvil worked just as much overseas as they did here in the states, if not more. It made sense that Billy would have a relationship with General Davis.

But it seemed more than that. They seemed like friends.

And the likelihood of Davis giving you any contracts, even small ones? Billy Russo just made sure you’d never get work from General Davis and potentially anyone that he worked closely with.

------

The other seminar of the day was aimed at cyber security and it was Billy-less. It made sense since Anvil wasn’t known for their cyber department.

You’d wanted to branch off into cyber security right before Jake left but it hadn’t come about. You had a friend that had become disenfranchised with the NSA and you’d thought about recruiting him to help you out. After the seminar, which outlined how cyber security was becoming just as important as physical security, you’d have to really think about doing it this time.

A lot of the other conference goers were all heading out to eat but you weren’t really interested in being surrounded by other members of the community. You usually stuck to Jake at these things and now that he was gone, you were going to have to stick to yourself.

In the elevator your phone started to ring and you looked at the display with a frown. This couldn’t be good.

“Morgan,” you greeted as you moved to the back corner as more and more conference goers filed in. “How’re things going back there?”

“You’re kidding, right? We’ve had three contracts get terminated in the last seventy-two hours.”

“What?” You glanced at the other people in the elevator and lowered your voice. “What do you mean three contracts? What in the hell is going on?”

Morgan sighed and you closed your eyes. You had a feeling his next words were going to suck.

“They cited lack of confidence in civilians handling their security.”

“Fuck,” you swore as you rested your forehead against the wall of the elevator. “Fuck Morgan, this isn’t good. That doesn’t leave us with a lot of active contracts and if I can’t get any good leads from this conference, we won’t last the year.”

“I know,” he said sympathetically. And then with less sympathy, “Do you think that fucker did this?”

Your mind immediately conjured Billy but you knew that that wasn’t who Morgan was talking about.

“I don’t think so,” you muttered with a sigh.

Jake was a piece of work, but he wasn’t going to sabotage a company he helped build. Even if he wasn’t with the company anymore.

It’s just the way the chips were falling.

“This trip sucks.”

“Well come home soon with some leads or else I might join you out there.”

The call ended and you bit back a growl. With the phone back in your pocket, you stood up a little straighter and checked the numbers on the elevator as the doors opened on your floor. Good timing.

“Ladies first,” an unwelcome voice offered.

Shit. You glanced over at Billy and hoped that he couldn’t see that your stomach just dropped. Instead of bothering to ask if he had heard that, you slipped out of the elevator and hurried down the hall to your room.

“You going to the exhibits tomorrow?”

You glanced over at Billy who was walking at what looked like a leisurely pace but he was keeping up with you. Damn those long legs.

Really… long legs.

“That’s the point of this conference,” you snapped back as you fumbled with your key card. “I’m not just here to look pretty and waste everyone’s time.”

If he realized you were making a jab at him, he didn’t react. Instead he pulled out his own key card to open his door.

You watched him glance at his watch before he turned his head to look at you.

“There’s an all night coffee place that sells these really great donuts. You uh, you’d like it.”

Huh? You hesitated before you unlocked your door.

“Okay,” you said slowly before you shook your head. “Have a good evening.”

That was strange.

------

The sound of someone pacing made you pause as you came out of the bathroom. The clock showed that it was almost two in the morning; you knew why you were awake, but why was Billy? You moved over to the doors that separated your rooms and listened.

There was a muffled voice on the other side of the door. You couldn’t understand a lot of what was being said, just the expletives. He sounded angry or… no, he sounded frustrated.

Without thinking, you raised your hand and knocked. The pacing and talking stopped and you hesitated before you knocked again.

A moment of silence passed before you heard him open his side of the doors. You quickly moved to open yours, realizing you hadn’t done that first. When you did, you were faced with a tired looking Billy.

Quickly, you came up with an idea and put it into motion.

“Where’s this all night coffee shop? I could use some donuts,” you said with a shrug of your shoulder.

His mouth twitched in the corner before he finally let out a short laugh.

“Want some company?”

You shrugged again as you looked around your room.

“Sure, let’s… let’s do that.”

Just like the night before, you both went back into your rooms to change clothes. Then you met in the hallway. Billy looked a little worse for wear and you wondered what it was that was triggering him. Was it being in an unfamiliar place? You remembered that causing Jake some issues sometimes.

The trip to the coffee place only took a few moments. You thought you might sit down and enjoy the donuts in the restaurant, but he didn’t seem inclined to sit. Instead both of you got your food and then walked back to the hotel.

It was in the hallway while Billy explained the process the shop uses to make their donuts taste so good that you realized you didn’t have your key card.

“Fuck,” you complained with a groan as you closed your eyes and tilted your head backwards. “I’ve got to run down to the lobby and get a spare key. I’m locked out.”

Billy cleared his throat and you opened one eye to look at him. He gave you a small smile and rolled his shoulders a bit.

“I might be able to get you in without it,” he said with a nod to his room.

Curious, you followed him as he used his key card to let himself in. He dropped his stuff on a small table before he moved over to the doors that separated your rooms. He opened his and then tried the door knob. Yours was locked, which you could have told him, but he held up a finger and moved over to his suitcase.

“I promise I would never do this unless absolutely necessary,” he prefaced before he moved over to the doors once more with a very large knife.

Ka-Bar, your mind supplied as your eyes grew wider.

“How in the hell did you get that past hotel security?”

He raised an eyebrow at you and smirked before he turned to the door. You watched the muscles in his back shift as he did something.

You’d never been someone that stared at someone’s back, but he had a really nice one.

“Ah, there we go,” he said as the door came open. He twirled the knife around and put it on the dresser closest to him before he turned to smile at you once more. “Saved you a trip back to the lobby at least.”

“Thank you,” you said sincerely as you started to move past him to get back into your room.

You’d misjudged the distance so your body brushed along Billy’s as you walked past him. Your breath caught as you pressed your back up against the door a bit, your eyes darting from his eyes to his lips and then quickly back to his eyes.

“Sorry,” you mumbled as you shifted a bit more, careful not to squish the donuts between your bodies.

“My fault,” he said as he stepped out of the doorway completely, giving you room to slip into your room.

With your back still turned to him, you closed your eyes and let out a deep breath. The scent of him lingered for a second and then you could just smell the sugar from your donuts.

“Well thanks for the assist,” you said as you turned to face him. He was staring at you calmly and you gave him a wide smile. “It’s late. We should go to bed.”

“Yeah,” he said slowly. And then with a shake of his head, “Yeah, you’re right. Exhibits tomorrow, right?”

You gave a nod an put your bag down. The key card was on the table and you glared at it for a moment before you moved to the door to start to close it. He was closing his and you noticed that neither of you seemed to be in any kind of rush.

“See you tomorrow,” you said quietly as you inched the door closed a little more.

“I’ll be there,” he promised before the doors finally shut.

Jesus. You started to let your head thunk against the door but you pulled back so that he wouldn’t think you were knocking. Instead you locked the door, surprised that it locked after he broke in, and moved over to your bed.

You’d been upset with him just hours before, but now you couldn’t stop thinking about his scent when you’d walked past him. And the way his eyes had looked so lost when he first opened the door. And how he’d bumped into your shoulder a few times on your walks, almost as if he was thinking about grabbing your hand.

Or the look on his face when you had brushed up against him when you were trying to get back into your room.

How were you able to separate Anvil Billy from the Billy that was in the other room? And why didn’t this other Billy annoy you as much as Anvil Billy?

But more to the point, why did this version of Billy act differently?

And which version was the real him?

------

The exhibits were boring as shit, but you went through them diligently. You took this conference seriously. And another phone call from Morgan reminded you that you didn’t have much choice.

You needed these connections. You needed contracts. You couldn’t afford to fail.

While you sat in one of the chairs in the lobby of the hotel, you wondered if you were going to be able to do this. Hadn’t people already told you that Jake leaving meant you should have just let Iron and Steel go? Even your own family had been against you buying Jake out of the business.

The internet was kind of crappy but you needed to finish this email before you could do anything else. Most of the conference goers were done with the exhibits so you weren’t alone in the lobby, but no one was paying you any attention.

Or at least you had thought.

“Well hello there,” someone called from your left. You turned your head long enough to make sure you didn’t know the person before you looked back to your tablet. “I’m talking to you. Y/N, right?”

That made you pause. It was one of the people here for the conference, evident by their name tag that hung around their neck, but you didn’t recognize them. He moved closer and smiled brightly when you simply gave a short nod.

“Thought so. I met you once a while back. You were with Jake, right?”

It was an odd way of putting it.

“Yeah, he was my partner,” you said as you glanced back at your email.

It was as good as it was going to get so you went ahead and sent it off. Hopefully General Davis would ignore whatever Billy had told him about you and reply.

“He’s gone now, right? How’re you holding up?”

The guy was leaning on the arm of the sofa closest to you. It meant he was basically towering over you and you weren’t a fan of that. Quickly you closed out of everything on your tablet and locked it before you stood up.

“I’m doing just fine,” you said as you put your tablet in your pocket and started towards the elevators.

“Yeah, I bet you are,” the guy said with a smile that made you feel dirty. “I’ve seen you with Russo a few times. Bet he’s good at making sure you don’t miss Jake.”

You felt like ice cold water had been poured over you in that instant. This guy, whoever he was, wasn’t just insinuating that you and Jake had been anything than business partners. He was also insinuating that you and Billy…

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said honestly as you jammed your finger into the up button at the elevators.

“Yeah, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone if you invite me up to your room. It can be our little secret.”

The elevator doors swung open to save you from answering, but it led to a new problem. Billy was stepping out of the elevator just as you started to step in. He caught you from bumping into him, giving you a quick smile as he did so.

Damn your heart for speeding up. Now wasn’t the time.

“Ah come on. I mean, you could just say no,” the guy complained before he turned to walk away.

You swallowed and stepped back from Billy who was staring at the other guy’s back.

“What was Evan talking about?”

Was that his name? You were just getting around to calling him Douchebag in your head.

“It’s nothing,” you started to say as you tried to step around Billy but he grabbed your elbow and kept you from going into the elevator. “Seriously right now? I just want to go up to my room. This day is giving me a headache.”

He looked around before he nodded, tugging you into the elevator with him. You were about to complain that he had just come down but he didn’t seem to mind. Instead you let him hit the button for your floor and sagged into the wall a bit.

“Want to tell me what that comment was about? Evan isn’t known for being a great conversationalist, but you looked like you wanted to murder him.”

“Close enough,” you mumbled with a shrug. When Billy simply crossed his arms over his chest, you sighed and pushed away from the wall. “He just, he made some assumptions. The same assumptions that I’m sure most people made. The same ones that you probably made.”

The doors opened and you made sure you were on your floor before you made a quick retreat. Not even halfway down the hallway, Billy caught up with you and moved to stop your movement.

“What assumption am I supposed to have made?”

He seemed a little angry and you huffed out a laugh as you moved around him.

“Oh, you know, that I was sleeping with Jake. That’s the only reason I was involved with Iron and Steel, right? Just a pretty face, arm candy. You make enough digs about me not being qualified, so why not that too.”

You got to your door but your hands were shaking. Saying it all out loud made you feel worse than you had before.

Because Billy believed it? Or because you didn’t want him to believe it?

“That’s bullshit,” he said simply. You spun around to face him and were shocked by the anger on his face. “People really think that about you and Jake? Hell, he tried to tell that story at one point and I knew he was lying.”

You blinked a few times, unable to speak. You weren’t sure which part of that was more surprising.

“How did you know? And wait, he actually told people that I was sleeping with him?”

Billy looked around and then gestured at your door. Without hesitation you unlocked it and let him in, shutting the door behind the two of you.

“It was around the time he left I guess. He was buying drinks for a bunch of guys and started to run his mouth. Word got back to me but I promise that I told anyone that mentioned it that it was bullshit.”

You ducked your head so that he couldn’t see your smile at that. You weren’t sure why it mattered so much that he didn’t believe it, but it did.

“How did you know? Why were you so certain?”

He laughed as he leaned against the dresser, crossing his arms over his chest once more. This time it looked like he was trying to hold himself back rather than trying to intimidate you into talking. He looked away from you for a moment before he turned back to meet your gaze.

“You’re too professional. I mean hell, I’ve been flirting with you this whole conference and you can barely stand to be around me. And any other time I flirted with you, you always–”

“Wait, what? You… you’ve been flirting with me?” That made you stumble backwards until you sat down in the chair. “And what do you mean the other times you flirted with me?”

Billy looked at you in confusion for a moment before he let out a bark of laughter. He quickly clamped his lips closed but it didn’t stop his smile.

“Shit, maybe you aren’t professional. Maybe you’re just oblivious.” He hesitated for a moment before he pushed off from the dresser and crossed over to stand near you. “I’ve wanted to take you out for a proper date for a while. I kind of thought I could use this conference as a way to endear myself to you since you always seemed a little cold towards me.”

You opened your mouth and then snapped it shut. After a moment you decided you might as well get it all out in the air.

“I thought you hated me? You always make these comments about me being a civilian and you always make it harder for me to make any moves in the business. Even with General Davis. You stepped in before I could introduce myself and try to make a connection that I really need for my company.”

Billy cocked his head to the side before he shook it, closing his eyes as if he was reliving everything in quick succession.

“I always thought you were brave. Hell, stepping up into the company while surrounded by a bunch of asshole jarheads? That takes balls of, well, steel. And that thing with Davis?” He shook his head and took a quick step towards you. “He asked me at the beginning to introduce him to people with real promise. He’s looking to expand and I thought that Iron and Steel would be a good investment. He agreed and I’ve been helping him with preparing some contracts for your company.”

You sagged in the chair. Hell, you just about melted into a puddle. You knew you were shaking and you were pretty sure that Billy was getting worried, but you couldn’t help it.

It was just the thing you needed.

“What’s going on Y/N? Is there a problem with Iron and Steel?”

You sniffled as you looked up at him, not sure if you were crying tears of sadness or happiness in that moment.

Unable to hold back anymore, you laid it all out for Billy. It felt good to tell someone, even if that person was your biggest competition. Actually, you felt a little relaxed at telling him all of it. He listened intently and you didn’t sense any judgement coming from him.

At the end, you were sitting next to him on the bed while you shook your head.

“Without more contracts, Iron and Steel is over. I’m doing everything I can because I love this company, but I was starting to lose hope.”

Billy raised his hand for a moment before he grabbed your hand. You immediately flipped your hand in his grasp so that your fingers could link with his.

“We won’t let that happen,” he promised with a nod. “There’s more than enough work out there for the both of us. And I have a few ideas how we can capitalize on it all.”

You bit your lip and nodded, ducking your head once more. With a groan, you peeked up at him and laughed.

“I really don’t want to prove Evan right,” you said with a laugh, looking down at your hand in his. “He thought I was with you as stress relief.”

Billy chuckled and squeezed your hand so that you finally turned to look at him again.

“So let’s prove him wrong.” He shrugged his shoulder before he reached up to trace his fingers along your jaw. “I can be useful for a lot more than stress relief.”

Good enough for you.

Without another thought, you leaned into his space and kissed him. He hummed against your lips before he tugged you in closer, framing your face in his hands to deepen the kiss.

You still needed Iron and Steel to grow, still needed to make an impact here at the conference. But for right now, in this room? That didn’t matter.

This was just you and Billy meeting each other for the first time.

------

Evan was sitting with a bunch of the other conference members. You'd heard him grumbling most of the morning about the lack of any good leads.

“What's the point of this conference if we don't make any headway?”

You hid your smirk behind your mug as you sipped at your coffee. To your side was Billy who was doing the same thing.

Billy was among the very few at the conference who really didn't need to make the connections. In fact he was more there to help in networking than anything else.

He raised an eyebrow at you and you nudged your leg against his. The hand he had on the table went to your leg to squeeze your knee.

“Ah, there you are,” General Davis said as he came over to the table the two of you had grabbed for breakfast. “Thought I might miss you. Conference ended, right?”

“This is the farewell breakfast,” you said with a roll of your eyes as you stood up to shake his hand. “Good to see you again General Davis.”

“Please, I'm just here as Mark.”

He was wearing civilian clothes. It made him look younger and softer around the edges. He shook Billy's hand and then joined you both at the table.

Three tables over, Evan was pouting because he had been hoping to get some business from General Davis himself.

“Thank you for that proposal Y/N,” Mark said as he waved down a waitress for more coffee. “Billy told me that your company would be a great addition. I do want to check if you think Iron and Steel can handle a contract overseas if they haven't done it before.”

You smiled over at Billy who squeezed your knee again.

“Iron and Steel is getting a little help,” you said with a head tilted towards Billy. “Anvil will join forces with us.”

That seemed like news to Mark.

“A buy-out?”

“A partnership,” Billy corrected as he leaned forward a little. “Anvil will be a separate entity from Iron and Steel. We’ll both still be independent companies but we’ll work in tandem. Anvil has resources that Iron and Steel doesn't have access to. We can train them, work together on contracts.”

“And Iron and Steel can pick up the slack in a way that Anvil has been missing. Cyber security,” you said with a smile. “We have been flirting with it but this gives us the go ahead to focus on it.”

Mark raised his newly poured coffee in a toast with the two of you. You each complied with a smile.

“This wouldn't have anything to do with Billy being head over heels for you, would it?” At Billy’s wide eye look, Mark laughed. “You kidding me son? You think I didn't notice that you were a heart beat away from drawing hearts around her name in your note book?”

“Alright, alright, let's move on,” Billy said with some color rising to his cheeks.

You knew it was something that both of you would have to address in the coming months, but you were ready. Lawyers would be called once both of you were in New York again to make it legal.

Billy had promised that if the two of you didn't work romantically, the companies wouldn't suffer. And he told you that you could walk away if you wanted to.

But you didn't want to. You didn't want to walk anywhere unless Billy was with you.

It was a huge change from when you arrived at the hotel. Billy wasn't an asshole. You'd been so wrong about him.

Hell, you probably owed Ricky Little a fruit basket for being so difficult and making you share a suite with Billy.

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sunthroughmist · 5 years

Text

love thy neighbour - God

A few days ago I was driving back home from a weekend away with my loved ones. I had a sleeping baby in the back and my husband was driving behind me (we always pack way too much - new parents), when suddenly something inside my spirit said slow down. As I slowed down I noticed a man slumped over on the side of the road with his hands to his head and the yellow bicycle laying beside him. Had something happened, or was he drunk? These were my very first thoughts.

I could have driven passed him quite easily, and on any other day I may have but this evening I felt something jerk in my spirit and my foot pumped the break peddle. I opened my window and asked if the man was ok?

An older gentleman looked at me with blood stained on his face and bewildered eyes. I pulled over and jumped out of my car to wave my husband down so we could both assess the situation.

We helped him onto the other side of the road and onto some grass while checking if he had some serious neck or head trauma. He had fallen off his bike when a car had driven too close to him, he did not own a helmet.

Cue my amazing husband who managed to strap the bike to his roof racks and made a space for the man to sit and we headed home... to do what we did not know?

While I took care of a slightly grumpy baby and unpacked the car, my husband managed to clean the wounds up, phone the ambulance (which informed him they would be over an hour), and made the man who I will call Jim (I wouldn’t share his real name) a cup of sweet tea. I walked into the lounge where Jim was sitting and it smelt like savlon. The gentleman looked so helpless and scared but thankful that these young strangers had helped him. We still were not sure what to do with him... but we knew that having chosen to stop and help him we had in a way made him our responsibility.

We didn’t want to drive him home, because it was dark and we were unfamiliar with the township the man lived in. We were also aware that if he had sustained a concussion, he would need someone to monitor him through the night and no one was at his home. We looked at each other and sighed - ok Lord and now?

Just then Ryan decided to try and contact his employer, it was a stretch but maybe the guy knew him and could assist us further - we couldn’t make out everything he was saying.

We rang the boss and a man answered it, we were not sure what to expect but we hoped for the best. It was so refreshing to hear the mans voice turn to compassion and concern for this Jim who had worked for him for over 20 years. The employee drover over and picked Jim up and took him to a local hospital and paid for him to have appropriate care. Both Ryan and I’s hearts jumped with gratitude! We were not alone in loving this gentleman - instead of feeling the pressure and weight of stopping for this hurting human we felt the joy of a community of people coming around a neighbour who needed help. There was so much life in it!

We were so grateful for a man who honoured his employee and who with love had come to his aid - I don’t have to say this is pretty rare unfortunately.

Suddenly my imagination was racing - imagine we were all like this all the time! Imagine if we treated one another with the love, care and value we all deserve because we are children of God! What if we took what the Bible says and actually did it! Imagine with me for a second if we took what Jesus says in Matthew 25:35-40 and put it into action - wouldn’t we see each individual with greater affection and value?

35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I hope to see Jesus in you all!

I certainly got to witness Jesus in Jim, my husband, and the boss man;) It was refreshing for this heart of mine which is so over run with all the negative things going on in South Africa - but this day it was something of heaven on earth - a glimpse of a world reimagined with Gods heart.

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swanky-batman · 6 years

Text

Marvel’s Bachelors Part 4

Avengers x Reader, Thor Odinson x Reader, Sam Wilson x Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader, Peter Parker x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: drinking, adult situations, some violence and swearing may occur throughout series

Sooooo- I know I just put out part 3 but I wrote this pretty quick and I really love writing for this! :D There’s only two left before we start eliminating! Who’s next for a date- Thor or Steve?

Masterlist

Beginning- Previous- Next

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

Sure enough, early the next morning you were woken up by Natasha - she wanted you to get some breakfast before you went on your date with Sam.

“Why-isn’t it just going to be whatever Tony said it was?” You asked in the middle of brushing your teeth, “Wasn’t it a comedy club or something?”

She snorted, “Sam rarely ever lets other people decide what he’s doing. Except for Steve that is.” She picked through your clothes and found something that made you look nice for an afternoon out.

You walked downstairs not too long after, intent on coffee- which you found.

You hummed as you walked towards it, a beacon for your morning.

You heard a chuckle from beside you and snapped your head over, seeing Steve sitting down with a newspaper.

You threw him a grin as you poured yourself a cup, “I didn’t know anyone still read a physical newspaper.”

“I didn’t know someone could be so happy just sensing coffee.” He gave a slight smirk back as he looked over the top of his current article.

“Anything gruesome going on?” You asked, grabbing a slice of bread and popping it in the toaster. He frowned slightly and you sighed, “I suppose that’s a yes.” You gave a sad smile.

He folded it and set it down, “Excited for your date with Sam?”

You didn’t get a chance to answer because Thor himself walked into the kitchen, wearing a pair of pajama pants slung low around his hips as he sniffed.

“Is that magnificent drink here?” He asked, peaking around to see what was in your cup.

You blushed and shut your eyes, holding your cup close to you.

“Hey, Thor- I don’t know how you do it where you’re from but here we usually wear clothes outside of our rooms. There’s a lady present.” Steve spoke up.

“I am wearing pants, that is the important part is it not?” You could hear the smirk in Thor’s tone, “But if it makes Lady Y/N uncomfortable then I will be back in moments.”

“Woah, woah, woah!” You heard another person enter, sure that is was Sam. “This is my date with Y/N-stop flexing in front of her!” An arm slid around your shoulders and pulled you away, almost making you spill your coffee.

“See you later, losers.” Sam called and you finally opened your eyes as you were out of the room. “You ready for a day out?” He grinned to you and you couldn’t help but smile and nod.

He let you finish your coffee and then he winked and offered a hand, “I know you don’t really know me yet but do you trust me?”

“Sammmmmm!” You swore you could hear Tony calling rooms away and for some reason you felt the need to take his hand.

Sam immediately started sprinting off, dragging you with him, “I jacked these.” He held up a set of keys as he laughed, pushing the button as you neared one of the garages.

A red ferrari lit up and so did Sam’s face as he popped the key in the ignition and you closed your door, fastening your seat belt.

“Best hold on!” He called as he accelerated, forcing a laugh from you as you sped away.

He turned on the stereo and blasted music for the first half hour and you felt a tension release- there weren’t any visible cameras anywhere and you felt at ease with Sam.

He lowered the music as you both pulled into a parking lot off the water. “Ready for the best breakfast in Harlem?”

You nodded, eager to get out and then you added, “Aren’t you gonna get in trouble with Tony for this?”

Sam shrugged, “What’s he gonna do? Besides, I’ll have some friends film us a bit so he’ll still have footage.” He laughed, locking the car as he opened the diner door for you.

“Sam, is that you?” Someone from behind the counter called and after seeing him came over to give him a hug, “Short notice!”

He chuckled, nodding over to you, “This is Y/N- I told her this was the best breakfast in Harlem, don’t make me a liar.”

She greeted you with a smile, “Hi Y/N! If you need anything let me know! Sam usually over exaggerates things but for this he’s dead on.” She gave a wink and told you guys to sit anywhere you liked.

You picked a booth in the corner by the window, “I’ve never been here before!” You stated after you both were seated.

He chuckled, “I’m not surprised- a lot of people haven’t, especially people who aren’t from around here.”

“Who says I’m not from around here?” You looked back to challenge and he smiled.

“We got a file on you, honey, remember? I’m sure you’ve read up on us too, and Falcon is always prepared.”

You raised your eyebrows, “Always? For anything?”

He nodded, “That’s right!” He grinned.

You nodded in return, “Alright- then I get to pick where we go after this.”

He leaned forward, smirking at your confidence, “Deal.”

You both ordered and chatted while waiting for your food. “So you’re from around here, aren’t you?”

He nodded, “Yes, ma’am.” He grinned, “Grew up just a couple of blocks from here actually…”

You were surprised when he actually went into a story instead of playing everything off. It was about him growing up a bit and what he liked about this place. It was nice to see him passionate and not mocking something.

“Food’s up!” She walked over and placed the plates down and waited for you to try a bite.”

Your eyes widened, covering your mouth, “Wow, this is so good!”

She nodded and Sam threw his hands up in the air, “See! I told you, Falcon doesn’t lie baby.”

You both finished your food and you ate quickly- you loved it so much. Walking out, you both called back to her a thank you and you yelled ‘nice meeting you’.

Getting in the car, Sam looked over to you, “Where to?”

You pulled up the gps and told him to drive.

“Yes, ma’am!” He threw on a pair of sunglasses and turned the music back on.

It took you a long while to get there, even with him speeding but you made it.

“Coney Island? Really.” Sam looked over at you and you smirked. “We don’t even have bathing suits.”

“I thought you were ready for anything.” You sighed and shrugged, looking away from him before he could see your smirk.

“Let’s do it.” He chuckled, getting out of the car.

You both entered the park and a bot started flying above both of your heads.

“Unfortunately, we do need to give them some footage or Tony will kill me.” He sensed you tense up a little and added, “Fortunately, I can edit this however we want so let’s still be chill.”

You nodded, ready to get started. “So I’ve never been here before- what should we do first?”

His eyes widened a bit, “You’ve never been here?” He grinned, “Let’s get started then!” He rubbed his hands together, looking around.

Throughout the next couple of hours you both rode some rides, played arcade games and rode the ferris wheel- as well as getting a caricature done of the two of you. He even won you a little stuffed teddy bear that was red and you both stopped and ate later in the afternoon and had a few drinks- and to finish it all off, you both got soaked near the boardwalk.

Leaving the park, you laughed over to him as you were still dripping wet, “This was amazing! Thank you so much!”

He chuckled and gave a fake bow, “My pleasure! Today was a lot more fun than I was expecting- although I still have Tony to deal with.”

“Don’t you mean we?” You pouted a little as the voice came from a few feet away- there was Tony himself.

You took a breath to explain and Sam stopped you, “I can explain once we get back- we’re soaked and wanna get changed.” Tony crossed his arms so he added, “Please?”

The ride back was weird as Tony was driving and he made both of you sit in the back of the more boring van as an employee got to drive the ferrari back. Sam kept making faces in the back to amuse you and it got you some more looks from Tony.

Once back, the team laughed as you two entered- seeing Tony be the bad guy and the two of you soaked. You got led upstairs by Natasha who helped you change and get ready to be on camera for tonight’s filming.

“So, although we missed most of it-” Tony glared slightly over at you and shifted back towards Sam, “You guys had a fun time?”

Sam nodded, taking the lead, “It was a fun and chill day- we ate, rode some rides and played some games. Y/N is a lot of fun to be around.” He met your eyes and winked towards you, making you smirk and blush slightly.

“Y/N? Anything to add?”

Your attention snapped back towards the camera and you spoke up, “Sam was tons of fun! It was spontaneous and so much fun just be along for the ride.”

Tony continued his talk about tuning in and voting for the next round and your heart ached- you were getting closer to one of these guys getting eliminated. They all seemed like amazing people and you couldn’t wait to hang out with them afterwards.

You looked over and glimpsed at them all, smiling and nervous on camera but all really nice and accommodating off.

Walking off set, Sam found you and handed you the picture that was drawn of you two and you giggled.

“This is amazing- are you sure you want me to keep it?” You asked, meeting his eyes.

He nodded back, “But I’d like to see it once and a while so keep it out, okay?” He chuckled and then met Tony’s death gaze. Apparently, he wasn’t done with the talk. “Run.” He whispered towards you before walking towards Tony and you turned and walked as fast as you could in the other direction.

Turning the corner, you ran straight into Bucky.

“Oops!” You shrieked a little after you jumped, “Sorry!” You laughed towards him and he grinned back.

“I heard you guys played hooky today.” He teased.

“Technically, we fulfilled the requirements we were supposed to.” You teased back and the picture caught Bucky’s eye.

“May I?” He asked and you handed it to him with a nod. His eyes wrinkled up as he looked it over, “It looks like you guys had a blast. We’ll have to get one of these done, too.”

You nodded, “For sure! I’d love to get one with everyone.” You grinned, taking the picture back after he offered it. “I should get some sleep it’s been a busy few days- you boys are keeping me on my toes.” You laughed and he chuckled back.

“That’s what we’re here for.” He turned and walked with you back towards your room and stopped near your door.

“Thanks for walking me back, goodnight!” You grinned to him before turning.

“You know- rumor has it Peter got a kiss on the cheek.” You heard his smirk from behind you and you turned to give one of your own.

“Someone sounds a little jealous.” You giggled and he shrugged. Waiting another moment he turned his head and poked at his cheek. “Pushy, pushy.” You laughed, giving in and pecking him on the cheek quickly, “Goodnight, Bucky.” You winked before walking into your room and shutting the door.

You shook your head and giggled to yourself- the Marvel men were much different than you expected.

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

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emilyplaysotome · 7 years

Text

Part 4 - Crossed Wires - His POV

I still don’t plan to do another 50 Part Story aka Down the Voltage Rabbit Hole, but have decided to see this through a bit more. At the moment I’m thinking there will be 6 short parts in total (3 parts from her POV, 3 parts from his POV).

As I mentioned in Part 1, this was inspired by someone I met on my travels the past month.

Hope you enjoy!

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

I felt irritated the entire limo ride.

I suppose that was normal for me, seeing as how most things irritated me that had nothing to do with expanding my empire. When I thought about it, I realized that I was nervous, and that made me feel even more irritated.

Who was she to make me nervous? Nobody. That's who.

Since graduating from boarding school I'd meticulously surrounded myself with people of use.

Soryu got his hands dirty in my stead. Ota legitimized my auctions and celebrity status with his own stardom. Mamoru was a lazy grump most of the time, but he kept me out of jail...

...and Baba. He was not someone you wanted as an enemy and that was a fact I’d learned early on in my black market career.

They were all somebody to me and this girl - she was just an ex-employee that didn't cater to my every whim. It was most likely part of her plan to get close to me and extort me, but it hadn't worked and she had most likely been too lazy put up a fight.

Why?

She obviously needed the money. Between her mother's bills and her college tuition she lived a life of squalor by my standards. She must have known that getting close to me could have spared her from her own life of misery.

"Sir, we're here."

My driver’s voice had brought me back to reality, and I found myself irritated once more that this girl and her nebulous motives continued to consume my thoughts.

“Stay here.”

“Yes, sir.”

I slammed the door to my limousine harder than I would have liked, and at that moment I caught a glimpse of her through the modest cafe’s windows.

She was as painfully ordinary as I'd remembered with no memorable physical characteristics. Compared with the women I usually slept with she was much larger, both in height and weight. Her hair was always worn back in an unflattering fashion and while her face was not offensive it could hardly be considered striking.

I scoffed self deprecatingly at the fact that this girl who was inferior to me in every way was causing my nerves to manifest in the pit of my stomach.

The last time I’d felt unease like this had been my freshman year at boarding school.

This was before I’d met Soryu and Luke, and I’d arrived on the scrawnier side - an adopted, gangly nobody. To make matters worse for me, at the time my English was poor at best, in addition to being the only Japanese student my year in the British boarding school.

On my first day in a new, and strange place I approached a red haired boy from my class and in my broken English asked point blank if he wanted to be friends.

He laughed in my face and said something far beyond my comprehension, before he walked away to join a few of the other boys in a pickup basketball game. While his words may have gone over my head, his actions were loud and clear. I was left standing alone, with a sick feeling in my stomach as my adolescent mind struggled to process what had happened.

In thinking about it now I should thank that boy, as without him I would not have become the person I am today.

I remember vaguely how angry his actions had made me and how foolish I'd felt. I'd decided that I would never ask someone to be my friend again - that I would become the kind of person who others would beg friendship from. I’d decided that once I became that person I'd crush this boy for ever thinking he was above me.

Being of above average intelligence it wasn't long before I mastered the language, and combined with my ability to sneak in contraband unnoticed to the dorms I soon found myself with no shortage of allies.

At first I’d been known as “that Japanese kid” who could get everything from alcohol to cigarettes in the dorms unnoticed. Slowly however, my extra income from extorting wealthy brats who were desperate to get drunk in the dorms made me “rich” for a 14 year old.

I was able to go to desirable sporting events and concerts at a frequency in which the others were unable to do so despite being from money. I calculated the kids I would invite, and soon shed my old designation as a nameless Japanese kid to Eisuke Ichinomiya.

Just as I’d predicted, becoming Eisuke Ichinomiya required give before it could require take.

I aligned myself with a few of the tougher kids who I’d occasionally give a cut of my contraband profits to in exchange for roughing up those who didn’t seem to want to pay their debts. I then branched out, befriending those with the most powerful families, knowing that one day their linage would help me grow my empire. Finally, I rewarded one or two boys who had always kept to themselves and had never seemed to care or chase me away when I hadn’t been able to speak a lick of English.

Once I’d determined that my relationships were established and were unshakable, I decided it was the proper time to crush the boy who had spurned me.

My plan involved me goading him into joining me on a contraband run where unbeknownst to him I’d purposely rigged in a way that ensured we’d both be busted by the headmaster. I’d also orchestrated it in a way where our contraband was candy and soft drinks only, seeing as how had I had cigarettes or booze on me it would have guaranteed suspension if not expulsion.

Being too stupid to realize that a contraband run was usually more involved, I was able to play him like the fool he was and once we’d left the headmaster’s office with a slap on the wrist and an enforced early curfew for a week I’d made it known in the dorms in front of everyone that he was obviously to blame for our heist going wrong.

I remember glaring at him with a scowl that was now second nature to me, noting to the group that I'd gone on a million cigarette and candy runs without him and had never gotten caught before. He protested and cried and broke down before me, swearing up and down that he was not the person who had tattled and at that point I watched as my new friends showed their loyalty to me by ostracizing him.

When he dropped out a few months later, unable to handle what he had dished out to me once, I found myself not feeling guilty in the slightest.

In my mind, he was the bully and I was the hero – delivering swift justice to someone who deserved to be punished.

Perhaps this girl reminded me of that boy if only in the sense that she did not understand my worth. I wondered if there was justice to be had in the sense that her true nature was most likely nothing more than that of a conniving woman.

She should have been another person I met in passing - someone I brushed aside to never think of again. Yet here I was, and there she was, happily going about her business as I watched from the outside looking in, unsure of what it was that I was thinking or feeling in relation to her.

What did she have to be so happy about? Even if her mother was healthy she was still a commoner - stuck running laps on her hamster wheel, all the while enslaved by a need to make money.

I hated the fact that I couldn’t understand her motivations, and attempted to push down all the uncertainty I was feeling as I flung open the door to the cafe and entered. With my head held high I walked to the counter and ordered a coffee as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Mr. Ichinomiya," she said simply, with the same smile she'd greeted her other customers with, "What brings you here?"

My eyebrow twitched with annoyance and in that moment I wasn't sure if it was because I hated that she'd known I'd clearly gone out of my way to see her or if it was due to the fact that she'd worn that same expression for the rest of the customers I’d watched her greet.

"Hot coffee," I found myself repeating, feeling slightly rattled.

Was I really no different than everyone else to her? How did she constantly manage to get the upper hand over me?

I found myself unable to take my eyes off of her as she chuckled to herself and she poured me a cup. I’d expected her to prepare it to my liking, but much to my horror she proceeded to plunked the paper cup down in front of me as if I were the family dog.

I stared at it sitting on the counter for a moment, and then noted with my harshest scowl to her, “I don't drink coffee black."

“I’m sorry, sir. Your order didn’t indicate otherwise and there’s cream and sugar over there if you’d like to do it yourself.”

Do it...myself? A smile played at her lips and I realized she was toying with me. It was rare that a woman dared be playful with me outside of the bedroom, and I found myself momentarily speechless as I tried to understand her motives. Her gaze was gentle, and there was nothing flirtatious in her tone. On first glance it appeared that she was having fun, just to have some fun, and that was not something I understood.

I soon found myself growing more uncomfortable by the second and not wanting to reveal that she had any power over my emotions snapped, “I wouldn’t like that. Who comes to a cafe to do it themselves?”

“Commoners I guess.”

It was at that point that she revealed herself to me.

Without so much as an attempt for clarification she added milk and sugar, and when the cup was placed before me I took a sip to realize that she'd made the drink exactly to my liking. In that moment, I felt a sense of triumph well up inside of me and felt certain that her indifference towards me was nothing more than an act. She was just like the rest of them – biding her time as she waited for me to notice her.

When I called her out on her behavior, she claimed to only be aware of my suit color (which I didn’t fully grasp the significance of) and my coffee preferences.

I wanted to speak with her more, but she dismissed me in order to serve the sniveling dork that cowered next to me as he meekly ordered his latte. It appeared that during our brief interaction a line had formed behind me and even though she had opted to deal with the people waiting instead of engaging me further, for some reason I did not feel the closure I craved despite feeling sure that she just like the rest of them.

I waited, the tables now turned as I was forced to wait for her with the coffee she’d made me, and just as I was about to remove her from the cafe in an attempt to reveal her true intentions towards me, her manager intervened.

“Is this your boyfriend or something?”

I surprised myself by looking at her, searching her face for any indication that she would be pleased to be associated with me romantically, albeit accidentally.

However, to my disappointment, she met my gaze with firm resolve and informed me that she’d never skipped out early during the time she was my employee, and didn’t plan to do it now. My certainty as to her character wavered once more, and not wanting to look more foolish than I suddenly felt, I downed the rest of my coffee and left without another word.

I sat in silence in the back of my air-conditioned limousine as I waited for her, playing therapist with myself as I tried to understand what was happening in my head.

She was not my type, yet I found myself wanting her to want me. I wanted to break that resolve of hers - to have her wrapped around my finger, begging me for my affection, granting me the power insofar as how much of my thoughts she was able to occupy.

Why did she seem unaffected by the things that usually caused women to throw themselves at me? Why was I so obsessed with her just because she spoke to me the way she did everyone else? Why did I want to be special to her?

I felt a foreign ache inside me, and for the second time that day my driver brought me back to reality by noting that she had left the cafe.

"Should I follow her sir?"

"No. That won't be necessary."

I rolled down the window and called out to her.

"Oi.”

She ignored me and kept walking, completely immersed in whatever was on her phone.

"Oi!" I said again, practically begging to be noticed.

"Should I follow her sir?" My driver asked again.

"Fine."

It took her two whole blocks before she noticed me. I couldn't tell if she was clueless or reckless or both, yet somehow had it in her head that she shouldn't get into my limousine.

When I protested noting (in an attempt to put her in her place) that I was not so hard up for women she stood her ground and with no other choice I was once again forced to bend to her will.

I made my irritation know to her as I begrudgingly dragged my feet alongside her. It was not the best day for a walk outside and I grumbled to myself as I attempted to understand why she'd choose a humid sidewalk over an air conditioned luxury limousine. To add insult to injury, it appeared that I was an annoyance to her and I found myself wavering on the certainty I’d felt only moments before when she’d made my drink.

“Why did you never try to get close to me?” I blurted awkwardly.

The question made her freeze in her tracks and she looked up at me innocently, cocking her head slightly to the side as her lips puckered slightly indicating she was trying to make sense of my question.

“You worked at my hotel in order to pay your mother’s medical bills. Why did you never try to get me to just write you a check?”

“Oh…I guess it never crossed my mind.”

Being in both the business world and the underworld meant that I was often around liars and had shaped me into a man who was impervious to deceit. With that said, I knew immediately that she was not lying, yet I found myself pressing her.

“It…never crossed your mind?”

“I mean…it’s not really something I’d do. I don’t like owing people favors, I guess.”

“But for five years you…”

“I did what I could to help. And I’m proud of that. Was there something else?”

“And now?”

“Now what?”

“Now you toil in that cafe to pay tuition no doubt. I’m standing in front of you. Don’t you want something?”

“Like what?”

I knew she was being honest, but something had come over me. Now that I’d placed the idea in her head that she could use me, I waited for her to take my bait. I waited for her to prove to me that she was just like everyone else.

“You really don’t want anything from me?”

“No?”

“You’re lying.”

I’d blurted the words out because if she wasn’t that had meant that the last 10 years of my life had been a lie.

I’d viewed the world from the lens of a boy who had once been spurned and who had given up on believing that anyone could like someone without having something to gain. I had painstakingly made myself the man I was, and now this girl was rejecting me because of it.

She started to rip into me in a way that no one has dared to do since I became the Eisuke Ichinomiya. She called me spineless and arrogant and accused me of having trapped myself within a world I wanted nothing more than to escape from.

She proved to me that she was not the woman I thought – that she was not like everyone else.

Something in her speech caused something buried deep within the recesses of my heart to stir once more and I averted my gaze, suddenly worried as to the expression on my face. I felt a kind of sadness well up inside me that I had not felt for some time, and because of that I found myself walking away without so much as a rebuttal.

I had a hard time tasting my wine as I attempted to suppress the loneliness I found myself unable to shake.

When I’d gotten back to the hotel from seeing, I’d sat with my friends in the lounge in the attempt to remind myself that even though I did not have someone like her in my life I was not alone. It had been business as usual for them, and as my mood continued to sour and none of them seemed to notice, I found myself snapping at them before retreating to my room in order to be alone.

It was then that I began to fantasize about what it would be like to have someone in my life that didn’t care about who I was.

What would it be like to come home after a long day and see someone smile at me because they were happy to see me?

I felt a lump form in my throat as I thought of the smiles I saw. They were all duplicitous, laced with subtext and desire. For ten years I’d meticulously created this world of mine where I made certain that I’d be able to afford everything and anything I’d ever wanted…

…and in one foul she had reminded me of the one thing money couldn’t buy.

I let out a loud sigh in the hopes of releasing some of the emotion I was feeling but it proved to be futile. I finished my glass and poured myself another before taking my phone out in an attempt to distract myself once more.

Emails waited for me, as did a few texts from Baba who prodded me in an attempt to understand what had caused me to be more “irritable than usual”. I answered a few, ignored most, and told Baba to shove his phony concern for me up his ass.

He replied with a kissy face emoji and a “cheer up boss” completely unshaken by my wrath.

I scowled to myself and downing more of my wine opened FriendFind where I saw a request and a new message. I opened it and read:

Mr. Ichinomiya -

I’m sorry about some of the things I said to you today. I let my emotions get the better of me and for that I apologize.

If you’re ever in the neighborhood let me know, and I’ll make you a light and sweet cup of coffee on the house. If not, I wish you nothing but happiness.

The sincerity of the message made my heart ache slightly, and I found myself reaching for an Ambien before thinking better of it, and turned in for the night.

Part 5

If you like this story considering checking out my 50 chapter extravaganza ;) (master post here) or buying me a coffee!

Sorry if I’ve been slow to reply - I’m just catching up on everything after going away for the weekend.

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#eisuke ichinomiya #kissed by the bidder fanfic #kissed by the baddest bidder fan fic #kbtbb fanfic #kbtbb fan fiction #voltage fanfic #Voltage fan fiction #voltage fandom #kbtbb #kbtbb eisuke

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dartlekey · 7 years

Text

Wings

Now on Ao3

Word count: 1914

A Serirei Fic featuring trans!Reigen and ace!Serizawa (implied ace!Reigen as well)

This is a gift for @cinensis because he’s been in a lot of pain lately and I wanted to cheer him up; his fallenangel!Reigen and trans!Reigen drawings were my inspiration for writing this. (This is my first time writing about a transgender character, though, so any feedback from transgender folks is greatly appreciated!)

Please enjoy!

********

The first time Serizawa saw Reigen's wings was on a Thursday morning at 7:14 am.

He was early to work - well, he usually was, but even more so today. He'd had a bad night, and thus woken up two hours earlier than usual. With fresh memories of his nightmares still lingering in the back of his head, Serizawa had thought it better to just stay up and have a calm, relaxed breakfast instead.

However, the silence in his tiny apartment had quickly descended from comforting into eerie, and so he took the earlier train to work. He had his own key now, after all. Reigen had presented it to him two months ago, with an exaggerated flourish and a smile that made Serizawa's heart skip a beat. "You're not just a valuable employee, but also a trusted friend," Reigen had told him, "so I think you've earned it."

Serizawa had blushed and spent the whole day alternating between giddy and proud.

He was too tired for that now, but the memory still brought a smile to his lips as he quietly unlocked the office door - only that he wasn't the first one there.

Outlined by the morning light pouring through the window was Reigen, standing in front of his desk with his bare back to Serizawa. His blazer was hanging across his chair, but his shirt lay crumpled on the desk; a large coffee stain and Reigen's frustrated scrubbing at it told Serizawa all he needed to know.

Well, perhaps not all, because he'd never known Reigen had a tattoo.

Large, feathered wings spanned all the way down his back; folded as if they were growing out of his shoulder blades, the tips trailing off just above Reigen's dress pants. The detail was masterful; in the warm morning glow, they almost looked real. Serizawa wouldn't have been surprised if they'd felt fluffy under his touch.

His hands were out and reaching for the feathers before he even knew what he was doing, but his fingertips only grazed soft, warm skin. The reaction, though, was immediate: Reigen jumped so hard he bumped his knee into the table, then spun around, hands snapping up to cover his chest. "What the-"

His shoulders slumped marginally when he recognized Serizawa, but he didn't loose the guarded, almost fearful look on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Reigen-san! I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to, to startle you - I just, I wanted to touch your wings - the tattoo, I mean... But I should have asked, I'm sorry."

Unable to meet his eyes, Serizawa stared at Reigen's hands instead, which were still loosely covering his chest - very loosely, actually, more sphere-shaped than flat, grabbing at air. But Serizawa only understood why when he saw the symmetrical scars peeking out between Reigen's fingers.

"Oh," he said with surprise.

He wasn't exactly sure what else to say, and as he looked at Reigen's face, he realized Reigen wasn't either. So he stuttered, "W-why do you have wings on your back?"

Reigen tilted his head, surveying Serizawa with thoughtful, calculating eyes, before slowly starting to speak. "Did you know that onsen's have a no tattoo rule?"

When Serizawa shook his head, Reigen elaborated, "If the tattoo is small enough, they'll let you in if you cover it with tape, but you can't go into an onsen with a big one. It's because of Yakuza gang tattoos plus a lot of history stuff I won't bore you with; in any case, the owners want to keep trouble out of their bathing houses. But it also works the other way around: getting a tattoo gives you a convenient excuse not to visit onsen's with friends or colleagues."

He paused and looked at Serizawa then, half defiant, half hesitant - and Serizawa was struck by how out of character, how caught off guard Reigen seemed. Because Reigen was never hesitant, never afraid of anything fate could throw at him. He was an unwavering marble statue, and only if you looked very carefully could you see the cracks in the stone, and glimpse at what lay beneath.

"I... Think I understand, then. Why you got the tattoo, I mean."

Reigen blinked, curious, but still cautious. "You do?"

Serizawa swallowed, knowing he was walking on a knife's edge. If he phrased his answer right, perhaps Reigen would open up a bit more. If he phrased it wrong, Reigen would not only be offended, but probably loose all respect for him, too.

"With the separate bathing areas and everything...You couldn't bathe with the men because they'd treat you as an outcast at best - and you couldn't bathe with the women because... because you're not a woman. And you never were."

Reigen simply stared at him.

And then he smiled.

It was one of his genuine smiles, too, not the one he wore for clients. Instead, it was warm and heartfelt and grateful, and it made Serizawa feel dizzy in the best of ways.

Who says he's not actually an angel, under that marble?

"Your open-mindedness does you credit, Serizawa... I - I'm glad you see it that way. See me that way. Thank you."

Serizawa shrugged, perhaps too abruptly, and looked down. "You shouldn't have to thank me for that. I... Minegishi of the Super Five, they're nonbinary. They taught me about gender dysphoria, and transphobia... They were going to make people accept them, once they were part of the ruling class."

Reigen made a sound somewhere between a chuckle and a sigh. "If only it were that easy."

As Serizawa looked back up, their eyes met, and for a moment he was filled with a strange sense of regret. If Claw had won, would Reigen have been able to visit an onsen? Undisturbed, and unjudged? Perhaps they could've gone together.

But no. A non-esper and rebel, Reigen wouldn't have survived the esper uprising; and Serizawa would have become the monster he'd been afraid of all his life. He wouldn't even have known the world's softest smile...

"So. Um. Can I... touch the feathers?"

Reigen raised both eyebrows. "Why?"

Serizawa blinked, "I... I don't really know. Um. I just, want to? I'm sorry, I'm so weird." Embarrassed, he ducked his head, but Reigen just chuckled and ruffled his hair. "It's fine. I mean, it's not really a bother, I guess? Just don't expect them to feel like the real deal."

With those words, he turned around. This time Serizawa didn't overlook any details; he saw how Reigen's shoulders were narrower without the suit jacket's stiff sleeves, saw the way his waist looked thinner and his hips wider than when he was fully clothed.

And Serizawa saw nothing wrong with that. Serizawa only saw a handsome man with a silver tongue who was trying to fix the world, fake exorcism by fake exorcism.

Slowly, he lowered his hands onto Reigens back, gently touching the bottom feathers. Reigen tensed at the contact, but soon relaxed as Serizawa slowly and carefully let his fingers explore the tattoo.

Reverently, he let his hands trail upwards along the lines of ink, touching every single feather separately. It was fascinating, watching the dark strokes twirl and curve under his fingers, seeing how the feathers connected, feeling what was basically just human skin, but for some reason held an air of the supernatural.

It occured to him that touching another man like that (especially when that man was the one he'd been in love with for the last six months) should have felt sexual, but it wasn't at all. Admittedly, to Serizawa nothing had ever felt sexual before, and he'd never really wanted it to either, but in this case he thought it wasn't anything like that for Reigen as well. Intimate, yes; under normal circumstances Serizawa would never have been so bold, but tired as he was, he dared to be a lot more open with his wants - and Reigen wasn't stopping him...

As Serizawa reached his shoulder blades, Reigen sighed contentedly and said, "You know this is actually pretty nice. It's no wonder people love my massages so much... I mean, my body exorcisms."

Serizawa chuckled shakily, blushing at the praise. "This is nowhere near as good as the massages you do, Reigen-san."

"Ah, don't put yourself down like that!", Reigen responded without missing a beat, his tone light but sincere. "You have very good hand control, and you're very gentle. I bet if I let you at our regulars, they would love you just as much as I d-"

His voice suddenly trailed off, and he cleared his throat. "I mean... yeah. They'd like it."

"I... thank you," Serizawa managed, heart hammering at triple speed. Did he just...?

The office fell back into silence as Serizawa followed the feathers all the way up Reigen's shoulders, finishing with the stray outliers on his arms. In a way, it was satisfying to have touched all of them, but Serizawa also felt a sense of dissapointment. He didn't want to stop; he rarely got a chance to be close to Reigen like this, and to do something that Reigen enjoyed -

When Reigen felt the hands disappear off his back, he turned around with a casual smile, only to stop in surprise at Serizawa's closeness. He'd probably thought that Serizawa would immediately step back, timid as he was. In all honesty, Serizawa had thought so too. But...

But technically, he hadn't really touched the whole wing. In a way. Had he?

Serizawa made himself meet Reigen's gaze, then lowered his eyes to Reigen's chest, and hesitantly raised his hands to hover just over his surgical scars.

"They... They're part of your wings," he explained quietly, "to me. Because, because your wings are freedom? They're freedom, and beauty, and you. Like your scars. Do I... have your permission?"

Reigen stared up at him, eyes wide and filled with an emotion Serizawa couldn't name, and for a moment Serizawa was terrified that he'd gone too far.

Then Reigen kissed him, and any coherent thought Serizawa might have had evaporated like water on a stovetop.

Reigen tasted like espresso and cheap cigarettes, and when Serizawa ran his hands through his hair, it was strawy and rough. And it was perfect, all of it, it was Reigen, and Serizawa couldn't get enough of it, of him, of the exhilaration flooding his lungs and the butterflies in his stomach and the warmth pulsing in his veins.

"Not yet," Reigen finally murmured the answer against his lips, pulling back just a bit to get his breath back. "I'm not really comfortable with anyone touching my scars right now. But you can touch the rest of my wings anytime."

Serizawa nodded, letting out a breathy, nervous laugh. "T-that's okay. Good. Great. Wonderful. I love you. Please go out with me."

Then realized what he'd said and winced. "Sorry! I mean, um. I... you. Uh."

Reigen laughed, and kissed his cheek. "I get it. I feel the same, you know. Let's have dinner, after work. But, well, right now..." He glanced past Serizawa at the office clock, "We still have about half an hour before work starts?"

He grinned at Serizawa almost bashfully, and Serizawa's heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

"O-Oh?"

Reigen leaned closer, and added, "Do I have your permission?"

Serizawa must've been beetred by now, but he didn't really care. "T-to kiss...? Yes! Always! I think."

This time, both of them laughed - and Serizawa felt like he'd grown wings of his own.

#serirei #mob psycho 100 #serizawa katsuya #reigen arataka #trans!reigen #ace!reigen #ace!serizawa #tattoo #wings #fluff #scars #potatoworks

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thenovl · 7 years

Photo

NOVL Excerpt: A Tragic Kind of Wonderful

by Eric Lindstrom

I’m still in a good mood despite that weird conversation with Connor yesterday. Two days in a row is some kind of record, at least recently. Maybe because it’s Friday, and I have almost no homework, and the sun finally came out…but no, I know better. My ups and downs have minds of their own.

I ride after school along the beach trail, pumping the pedals, outpacing the lumbering zombies I imagine chasing me on my way to work. They’ll never catch me. Not as long as I have Nolan’s bike.

Parked in front of the Silver Sands Suites is a small rental van. Maybe someone’s moving in. I head inside. Five minutes later I’ve locked my stuff in a cabinet by the sink, put on clean scrubs, pinned on my name tag, and washed my face and hands thoroughly.

I check the mirror. Despite vigorous scrubbing, I’m still dotted with freckles. My aunt Joan and I have a long-standing bet that I’ll outgrow them. She thinks they’re temporary because I have slightly lower density plus brown hair and blue eyes, but I’m a month from my seventeenth birthday. As much as I wish she were right, I think I’m going to win this bet…damn it.

In the kitchen I fill a glass of orange juice halfway. I hold it behind my back as I enter the Sun Room. Ms. Arguello is alone here and calls to me, “Excuse me, miss?”

She’s in the paisley wingback chair by the south window, knitting a heavy scarf, like every day of the two years I’ve worked here.

“How’s your first day going?” she asks.

“Very well, Ms. Arguello, thank you.”

“Oh! You know my name already. How nice, Miss…”

I stoop to bring my name tag closer to her.

“Mel Hannigan?” She laughs. “Was that on your shirt when they gave it to you? Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get your own name tag soon!”

I smile. “No, that’s my name.”

She looks at me askance, playfully suspicious. “Is it short for Melissa?” I shake my head. “Melinda?”

“Nope, just Mel. What can I do for you?”

I know what she wants—it’s the same every day—but she’s much happier when I play out this scene naturally.

“Let me know when the mail comes? I’m expecting a letter from my grandson. I’m knitting this muffler for him.”

“I’ll keep an eye out. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

“No, thank you. Or, maybe a small glass of orange juice?”

She smiles when I hand it to her. She doesn’t ask why I had it ready. The fact that her letter will never come pops into my head. I push it right back out and leave her to her knitting.

Some days I avoid the Beachfront Lounge for as long as I can, but not today. The Hanniganimal is Up! As soon as I walk in, Mr. Terrance Knight sees me and grins. He sets down his book—today it’s his Bible—and struggles out of his usual chair by the heater vent. It’s a battle he wants to win without help, and it usually takes a full thirty seconds.

I don’t remember how old Mr. Terrance Knight is exactly, but he’s at least eighty and still a few inches taller than me, maybe a full six feet. I wait till he’s fully standing and balanced, and then I look up into his eyes, his curly hair shockingly white next to his rich black skin.

“You just get here, Mel? You need to settle first?”

His voice is like thick melted butter; I want to swim in that voice. I squint at him and smile with the right side of my mouth. “Mr. Terrance Knight, I’m never gonna settle!”

“That’s what I want to hear!” he says.

We head for the piano.

My boss’s door opens. A wispy ball of white hair like a dandelion pops out—it’s Judith.

“Sorry,” she says to Mr. Terrance Knight. Then to me, “I need you.”

When I get close, Judith whispers, “Ms. Li. First day. I think she needs some of your magic.”

Ms. Li is tiny, sitting in a chair, wearing a simple red silk blouse, black skirt and hose, and pumps that aren’t nearly comfortable enough for a woman her age, or any age if you ask me. Her hands are folded in her lap. Tears stream down her wrinkled face.

Standing beside her is a tired middle-aged man, probably a relative, wearing a brown suit that’s rumpled and looks slept in.

“This is Mel,” Judith says to Ms. Li in a loud voice. “She’ll stay with you while we finish up some details. We’ll be right outside.”

Ms. Li doesn’t seem to hear. Judith leads the man out and closes the door.

I sit in the chair next to her. It’s good to let them lead.

After another minute of tears and trembling, she looks at me.

I smile. Not my bright smile—I can’t imagine she’d want to see that now. I smile in a way that says, I understand how much the world sucks sometimes…but it doesn’t always.

Her eyes crinkle at the corners. I think she heard me.

“Do you want something to drink?” I ask as loud as Judith.

“I’m not deaf,” she says. “I just didn’t want to answer her endless questions.”

“Oh, sorry!” I laugh. “She only wants you to be happy here.”

I open the apartment fridge by Judith’s desk, retrieve a water bottle, and show it to Ms. Li. She nods. There are plastic cups on the desk; I fill one halfway.

While she sips, I say, “You maybe don’t want to hear about how nice this place is, but it’s really great. I know it’s probably not as good as being at home—”

“Ha! The witch’s castle? That’s the only good to come of this!”

“What?”

“My daughter-in-law. Wretched woman. I only stayed in her castle because of Miles.”

“Who’s Miles?”

“My other son.”

“Is he—”

Her eyes shut and force two more tears down her cheeks.

I take her hand. “I’m sorry. I won’t ask any more questions.”

She squeezes my fingers and holds on.

“Dad!” a muffled voice says in the hall. “Where is she?”

The door swings open—our hands let go—and someone rushes in and kneels before Ms. Li.

He looks about my age, my height, but nothing else is the same. Everything about him is sharp: his cheekbones, his nose, his chin, his shoulders; even his black hair looks like it’s usually neat but now is disheveled and spiky. It reminds me of an angry black cat. I see my hand reaching out to touch—I snatch it back.

The movement catches his eye. He does a double take when he sees my face, caught off guard somehow. He scowls.

“Are you a volunteer?” he asks in a tone that sounds like he’s really asking, Who the hell are you?

“I work here. I’m—”

“You’re not a doctor,” he says. “Or a nurse. You’re just a…just a…”

He turns back to Ms. Li and grabs her hands.

“Just leave us alone.”

I stand and set the water bottle on the desk where they can reach it. Out in the hallway, I look back inside. He’s staring at their clasped hands, whispering.

Ms. Li looks up at me with an expression I’ve seen here many times.

I nod you’re welcome and close the door.

After I leave Ms. Li, I get a text. From Annie. I tap the screen.

I need to swing by your house today.

Bizarre. Must be a mistake. I saw her phone’s address book once and there was no one between Hannigan, Mel, and Lewis, Connor. I consider texting Connor about it, but no. They’ll figure it out.

An hour later I find Dr. Jordan sitting by a window with a mug of coffee. The direct sun on his face makes it glow almost as white as his hair.

I sit across from him. “Hey.”

He’s a resident and wants me to call him Piers. It feels too weird, though, so I rarely call him anything directly. He’s a retired psychiatrist but won’t let me call him Dr. Jordan because he’s not my real doctor. Except he kind of is.

“How are you today?” he says.

“Are you asking, or are you asking? If you’re asking, I’m not a danger to myself or others.”

Dr. Jordan watches me over his coffee, amused.

“What?” I say.

“I do so enjoy our time together. You’re like the daughter I never had.”

“Granddaughter.”

He salutes me with his mug.

None of the other ears nearby work very well. I’m free to talk.

“I think my meds need a little adjusting.”

“Feeling mixed? For how long?”

“Today. Right now, at least. I don’t know. I’m revving up but also losing energy.”

“An off day isn’t a cocktail issue. Anything stressing you out at school, or with friends?”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t want it to be about any of those things. That should count for something.”

He sips his coffee.

“I know,” I say. “I can’t choose how I feel, but I can choose how I think about how I feel.”

“That’s not quite what I said, although I suppose it’s an adequate enough street version.”

I sneer.

“Seriously,” he says. “You need to talk to your doctor. About everything. Not just the meds. I’m not—”

“Not my doctor, I know.”

“I was going to say I’m not going to be around forever.”

He watches me. Usually it’s other people who get uncomfortable with how much I hold eye contact. Now I get a glimpse of how they feel.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” I say and stand up. “That would’ve been a shitty thing to say.”

In the two years I’ve worked here, first as a volunteer and now as an employee, I’ve seen half a dozen residents leave the permanent way—through the roof, as Judith says—including Grandma Cece. I miss her, of course, and all the others who’ve left through the roof, but I really don’t know what I’d do without Dr. Jordan.

I sit back down.

“Sorry.”

“You’ve come a long way, Mel. And in a very short time.”

“Thanks to you.”

“In spite of me. I promised Cece I’d help with life coaching, but we talk so much, it relieves the emotional pressure to engage with your therapist. More proof I was right to give up my practice. If I were doing this properly, I wouldn’t let sentiment and a promise to Cece stop me from cutting you off, to push you into a more productive relationship with your doctor. I shouldn’t be—”

“Your ‘life coaching’ saved me, Dr. Jordan. I’m sorry if you regret that—”

His look stops me. It’s a subtle expression but I know it.

“I mean…my real doctor thought your life coaching was wrong! I wrote down his exact words.…” I get my phone and thumb open the notebook app. “He said I was fetishizing the personification of my symptoms. He also said my bipolar disorder couldn’t be cycling as fast as I claimed, not at my age.”

Dr. Jordan’s eyes narrow. “He thought it was wrong? Don’t you mean he thinks it’s wrong?”

Oops.

“I mean back when we talked about it,” I say.

“You never told me.”

“You just said I talk to you too much! And there’s plenty I don’t tell you! He said I should stop talking to you so I stopped talking to him!”

Dr. Jordan sips his coffee. He once made the mistake of telling me Winston Churchill would relight his cigar to give him time to think or compose pithy, articulate statements. Now I know what Dr. Jordan’s coffee is really for.

“I thought you said something last week about your doctor being a woman.”

Shit. “Yeah. That other guy moved away. My new doctor, she just wants me to fill out questionnaires and talk about the meds. As long as I say I’m fine, I’m out the door.”

“So you haven’t given her a chance.”

“I answer all her questions.”

“Mel, some doctors push you and divine meaning from what you say when pushed. Others wait to hear what you say on your own and divine meaning from what you offer up. Offer something up. Give her a chance.”

I don’t say anything.

Dr. Jordan sets his mug down. “Tell her what’s going on in your life. And if you feel strongly about something, say so. Stand your ground; defend your feelings. Be honest and hold nothing back. A good therapist will help you understand and process, not argue. Try her out this afternoon and see. It can only help.”

Hold nothing back? How could I possibly tell that quiet woman in her sterile little office things I’m not willing to tell Dr. Jordan? Things I don’t even let cross my own mind? It’s inconceivable.

Thanks for reading an excerpt from Eric Lindstrom’s new novel about a teen girl balancing bipolar disorder with friendship and love.

Like what you read? Learn more about A Tragic Kind of Wonderful here >>

#a tragic kind of wonderful #eric lindstrom #NOVL excerpt #book excerpt #book preview #ya lit #books #reading #featured

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etn-story-archive · 3 years

Text

Enter the Nomicon - Chapter 10: Takeshi

(A few days back...)

BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEEEP!

Ruby let out a deep sigh. It was the usual business for her: faxing paper after paper for hours straight. It was beginning to get on her nerves

Just as she considered taking her break, a familiar face popped through her office door.

"Hello Ruby. Hope I didn't come in at the wrong time."

Ruby smiled. “No, not at all, Mr. Weinerman."

The tall portly man let out a bellowing laugh as he squeezed his way into the room, his enormous head nearly touching the ceiling.

"Well, I just came in to tell you we're having a meeting in ten minutes."

Ruby perked up at this. It was rare to have meetings at night unless they were extremely important.

"Oh! I'll be there soon sir. I'll just finish faxing these last couple of papers Viceroy set me."

Mr. Weinerman chuckled. "Well don't work yourself to death. Viceroy told me you haven't been feeling too well."

The southern man perked a brow and gave Ruby a look. She rubbed her arm, a sheepish smile etching itself upon her face.

"It's nothing really, just stress. I'm fine. Honest, Sir."

A large grin plastered itself upon Mr. Weinerman's face and he nodded.

"All right girly, but remember, if you really aren't feeling too well, tell me, all right? I'll send you home on a short vacation. You've always been a hard worker. You deserve a break once in a while."

"Thank you, Sir."

Mr. Weinerman shook his head, his bright blue eyes filled with a sort of fatherly fondness. "Good. Remember, the meeting is in ten."

"Yes, Sir."

As soon as the tall figure of Mr. Weinerman was out of the room, Ruby finally seated herself again. She eyed the papers with a slight hint of annoyance, and instead of faxing them, she decided to daydream.

Ruby had been more than relieved to know that Mr. Weinerman was no longer sick and had taken charge of the night shift instead of McFist. However, Viceroy had also decided to stay late this very night.

A small scowl found itself on her face before her face was calm again. She briefly wondered if things between her son and his teacher were okay, whatever tension there was, hopefully resolved.

Shaking her head, Ruby thought of Mr. Weinerman. The man was like a young version of Santa Claus. He even had a personality that fit the fictional man. His thick southern accent was the only major difference between the two. He was as tall as a bear, he had large hairy forearms, very light blonde hair, and the lightest blue eyes Ruby had ever seen. He even had a bushy beard and mustache.

Ruby smiled to herself as she thought of the older man. If it weren't for him and Mrs. Weinerman, surely she and Randy wouldn't be where they were today.

As Ruby continued to think about her past, a light rap on her office's door frame startled her. Turning her head towards where the noise resounded from, Ruby almost scowled when she saw it was Viceroy.

"Sorry if I startled you Ruby, but I came to tell you that you were going to be late to the meeting."

"Oh, sorry. I guess I lost track of time."

Ms. Cunningham left her office and followed Viceroy down the familiar long corridor. She took a quick glance at the large viewing room before looking back in front of her. They paused and entered an even larger room. Ruby could see a large table in the center of the room where many other employees were already seated.

Sadly, there were only two seats left...and they were right next to each other...

Ruby frowned.

Victory began to babble on, but Ruby paid no heed to him, and instead turned her attention to Mr. Weinerman, who stood at the front of the room, bearing his usual jolly grin.

"Well I know this is certainly out of the norm, but this meeting is important to us all." Mr. Weinerman paused. His gaze hardened as the employees spoke amongst each other before resuming. "If you haven't heard, the annual Summer Carp Festival and Ball are coming up. McFist and I will be hosting it this year. We want to impress our business allies..."

Ruby zoned out. She had heard of the Summer Carp Ball, and it was the usual buzz every year. It was just a bunch of rich people dining on fine h'orderves and drinking the strongest alcohol McFist could get his hands on. It was supposed to be a ball with dancing, but they barely lifted a foot at all. Though the ball wasn't all that great, the festival was certainly the gem of the evening as the streets were filled with booths of all kinds. Beautiful decor covered the main streets of Norrisville, carp themed respectively.

The festival itself was tradition dating back nearly one thousand years ago, with the ball as a recently added addition. Back when Ruby was a freshman, she had actually met Randy's father at the festival. It was certainly a bittersweet memory to her now, though.

Ruby snapped out of her reverie when she felt Viceroy rise from his seat. He stood, walked to the front of the room, and stood next Mr. Weinerman's taller form.

"This year McFist wants us employees to attend the ball. He also encourages all to bring their families."

With that Viceroy pulled out beautiful carp invitations to the ball itself. Ruby groaned while the rest of her coworkers let out whoops and cheers. With the meeting coming to an end, she walked back to her office, and not even a minute later Viceroy poked his head into her office and quickly stepped in.

"Hello again Ruby. Are you going to the SCB?"

Ruby thought for a moment, but shrugged. "I'm not sure. I have my son and his friend to take care of—"

"Well you can take your family, remember?"

"Oh, well, I suppose you're right..."

For a moment, they both stayed silent. Ruby’s skin prickled and crawled the longer Viceroy stood in front of her. A second later he spoke up again.

"Ruby, I know this may be inappropriate to ask, but...I was wondering, hoping that you would maybe, be my date to the ball? I'm sure your son and his friend would enjoy themselves at the festival, and—"

"I'm sorry Viceroy, but it is inappropriate."

Ruby's discomfort began to grow, and it became evident to Viceroy. The mad scientist scratched the back of his head.

"No, it's fine, I understand. Ruby, I'm sorry, but did I say or do something wro—"

"No. I just want to be with my son for once, Viceroy. Nothing personal. Now if you excuse me, I need to finish faxing these papers."

Taking this as a dismissal, Viceroy left the room without another word.

Glaring at the papers in front of her, Ruby grabbed a thick folder from the pile. She tore it open, pulled out a thick packet, and began to read it.

The title of the paper was "SCF/B Plans". As Ruby read through it, she nearly dropped the entire packet. She covered her mouth in shock.

What was inside was horrible.

Shoving back the packet of paper inside the folder quickly, Ruby stuffed it into her suitcase. Checking her phone's clock she was relieved to know that it was time to go home again.

As soon as she got home, she found the house silent, and Randy sleeping while Nomi was in his book form (she wasn't sure if he was asleep or not). Ruby furrowed her brows worriedly.

“I guess things didn’t go too well,” she thought to herself before leaving Randy's room.

The purple haired woman glanced at her suitcase. Maybe she should keep this to herself, at least until things died down a little. So for now, she'd do her own snooping around. Nodding to herself, Ruby turned in to her own room.

At least this job was good for something.

....

(Present)

Randy, Nomi, and Howard, shuffled around the dark halls of the empty school. Their only light source was Nomi's amulet, which lit at least five feet of the hallway in front of them.

They were relieved when they were finally by the main entrance of the school, and for a moment theology relished in the light provided by the moon and stars. Briskly climbing out of the same window they used to break in, Nomi lead them through the hauntingly empty and quiet streets of Norrisville.

His long cape flowed behind him, with a sense of quiet resolution. His eyes were hidden beneath the mask, but Randy caught a few glimpses of Nomi's brown eyes. His ninja-like suit blended into the shadows of the night, his ghostly appearance making goosebumps erupt all over Randy's body. Or was that just the cold air?

Randy shivered. The cold was starting to get to him. However, that wasn't what Randy was really worried about. His suit—its abilities were obviously weakened, and it made Randy feel all the more vulnerable. Would it stir trouble for him during an extremely dangerous battle? The stray robots and monsters weren't challenging to defeat, but what if he had an unexpected battle with the Sorcerer?

Ever since he had crossed Nomi's line, Randy didn't ask questions, he simply followed his teacher's instructions. Things were pretty awkward between them at the moment.

Randy shook his head when he felt another cool wind smack him, reminding him why he was even thinking of the suit in the first place, and he returned to his vain attempts to stay warm. He shivered again, and rubbed his arms vigorously.

Casting a small glance, Nomi noticed his student's discomfort. He paused in his walking, and began to rack his brain for what he should do. Coming to a decision, Nomi silently slipped his cape off his shoulders.

Truthfully, Nomi wasn't all that surprised by the suit's weakened abilities, or its inability to protect Randy from the abnormally cool summer night. Nomi and the suit were mentally connected by the amulet, and this gave the suit life. In other words, the suit could feel, both emotionally and physically.

Randy, who had been staring at the cement for the last couple of seconds, felt someone's gaze upon him. Lifting his head up, he was surprised to see Nomi standing in front of him.

Randy gave an involuntary shudder as Nomi outstretched his hand. In his hand, he held his cape. Randy's blue eyes flickered up to Nomi's, and though he couldn't exactly see them, he felt Nomi staring back at him.

With slight hesitance, Randy gently grasped the cape and breathed out a “thanks". He silently slipped on the cape, and almost instantly felt himself warm up. Nomi's body heat was still there, and Randy was grateful.

The cape now flowing gracefully behind him, Randy began to study the 'scroll' part of the cape. The images changed, from beautiful natural backgrounds, to spectacular images of mystical creatures, to images of paper cut outs of ancient warriors.

Nomi nodded to himself before continuing to lead them through the silent neighborhood.

Howard hadn't been paying any attention to the two, and hadn't witnessed what had just transpired moments ago. He was more than content with himself and the egg. He was, however, confused as to how he knew what to do to stop the egg from moving, but at the same time didn't really question it or really care.

Nomi wasn’t surprised that Howard had known what to do with the egg. Howard didn't know it, but he was connected to the Tengu. He had been since the day it had possessed him. Nomi knew first hand the side effects of being possessed by the Tengu, and it seemed that this was the case with Howard.

Then again, Nomi sometimes misjudged Howard's intentions.

Howard truly was more complex, and there was a deeper side of him. There were times where he was a despicable asshole, but other times he proved to truly care for others, just in his own special way.

Aside from Nomi's thoughts on Howard, the pudgy teen himself glanced at Randy and Nomi. He noticed something off about Cunningham and the shoob of a book.

As if on queue, both Randy looked up, and Nomi peered over his shoulder. The two caught each other's glances, and immediately turned away.

Howard raised a curious brow at this. How had he not noticed this earlier? It was pretty damn obvious something was up, but what exactly was the question.

Howard was more than correct. Nomi had begun to train Randy more vigorously as soon as he was able to fight again. He even taught him the hydro hand, as well as helping him finally master stealth, and many other powerful moves. It gave Randy fewer chances to question Nomi into telling him what had happened between them days ago.

After what felt like forever, the three had arrived at Randy's home. They more than welcomed the warmth of the house and the faint scent of cinnamon and maple syrup.

Randy had been more than relieved his mother hadn't arrived home yet. He would have been royally cheesed if she had.

When Randy and Howard finished raiding the fridge, they scurried upstairs. As soon as they were upstairs they peeled off their disguises, and Nomi, much to Howard's dismay, took the egg in his hands. He searched the room to see where Randy had tossed his cape. The egg had instantly come to life and tried to escape from Nomi's hands, but he kept a firm hold on it. Finally, his brown eyes landed on his cape which was laid atop Randy's computer chair.

"Randy, please bring me my cape."

Obliging to his teacher's words, Randy wordlessly went over to his computer chair and grabbed the cape before making his way back to Nomi.

"Good. Now roll it into a ball and make it into a nest."

With Howard's help, they made a makeshift nest for the egg. Nomi quickly inspected it then gave an approving nod. He frowned as the egg continued to struggle.

"Takeshi."

Almost instantly the egg ceased all movement as if recognizing Nomi's voice. Nomi chuckled softly at this, his slightly stern gaze softened and he stared at the egg lovingly. He gently placed the egg in the center of the nest.

The tender moment was interrupted when Howard spoke up.

"Now what? When's it going to hatch?"

"Soon."

It hadn't been long before Randy and Howard had lost interest of the egg, and begun to play video games. Nomi looked at Randy disapprovingly.

"Randy, you're not supposed to play video games, your mother told you not to. If she finds out about this, she'll be very upset."

Before Randy could answer, Howard spoke up heatedly.

"Yeah, but not unless you tell her."

He narrowed his eyes accusingly at Nomi, who in turn scoffed at him before turning towards Randy.

Randy simply shrugged, before continuing his current game with Howard. Nomi's eyes widened at this, but he shook his head. He gave a small huff before returning back to the Tengu egg.

From time to time, Nomi would look over at Howard and Randy as they enjoyed themselves with whatever game they were playing. He hated to admit it, but Nomi felt a little hurt that Randy had simply shrugged him off. Maybe a little more than he should.

After another ten or so minutes, Nomi finally had had enough of Randy's disobedience. He stood up from his spot, marched towards the TV, reached for the plug, and yanked it out.

"N-Nomi! That was so anti-Bruce!"

"Baka! Your mother said you couldn't play video games! You shouldn't disobey your mother!"

"But Nomi, my mom's not here! Come on, I just want to have some fun with Howard—"

"No Randy, listen to me! You could get into more trouble than you already are in! It's best not to take anymore risks—"

"You know what? Stop shoobing things up you stupid book!"

Both Randy and Nomi instantly stopped talking and turned to Howard. Nomi's gaze instantly darkened as Howard rose to his feet.

Randy felt himself begin to shrink as a nasty fight began to spark.

"Randy has responsibilities he needs to follow, and you obviously encourage him to take the wrong path. As the ninja, Randy must sacrifice a lot of things for the sake of others, whether he or you like it or not."

"So what?! You did a pretty shitty job at being the stupid ninja! Your entire family was fucking killed. How the hell do I know you won't let Cunningham get killed?!"

As soon as the words were uttered, not even a second later, they heard a feral growl. Neither Randy nor Howard could register it fast enough. Nomi tackled Howard and with brute strength slammed him to the ground. Howard tried in vain to fight back, push Nomi off, but nothing worked. Nomi's grip was like iron, unyielding.

Randy stood stock still. He and Howard stared wide eyed and fearful at Nomi. Nomi's brown eyes filled with hot tears that threatened to spill over, and he snarled every word he spoke.

"Don't you dare speak to me about my family in that way! My family's death is always on my mind. Every day, every miserable day, I mourn for them! Not a single day goes by without me blaming myself for their deaths, for my greatest failure. And, I care whether or not Randy will survive the oncoming battle. I train him so he could be prepared in case I fail again. I do fear of losing him, and that fear grows more and more as the final battle between him and I against McFist and the Sorcerer draws nearer and nearer." Nomi paused as he took deep shallow breaths. "You can insult me, call me stupid names, but if you drag my family into any little hissy fit of yours, or dare even utter the words that I would simply let Randy get killed, I will beat you to a bloody pulp."

Without even thinking twice, Nomi raised a fist and brought it down hard on Howard's face, giving him a bloody nose.

As Nomi glared at Howard, the tears he been trying so hard to keep from spilling over began to fall, but he simply wiped them away. He stood up, and turned to Randy, his gaze softening, but only slightly.

"Randy, don't disobey your mother. I'm only saying this for your own good. And I'm only telling you this once."

Nomi walked back over to the nest under Randy’s loft bed and began to meditate.

Staggering to his feet shakily, Howard walked to Randy's bathroom in shame, like a dog with its tail in between its legs.

Randy stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. He looked over at the bathroom door, then at Nomi's back. Nomi could feel his gaze, but he ignored it. He felt too much raw anger in his system, and he wasn't too confident in himself to not take it out on anyone at the moment. Letting out a shaky sigh, he squeezed his eyes shut, taking deep breaths in order to calm himself.

Randy upon further thought, decided on the lesser of the two demons, and made his way to his bathroom. When he entered the bathroom, Randy found bloody toilet paper all over the place with Howard trying to stop his bloody nose by shoving up pieces of toilet paper up his nose.

"Fuck, I can't stop bleeding..." His voice was nasally, and Randy couldn't help but snicker at this. "Shut up!"

Randy rolled his eyes playfully. "Why'd you have to act like such a dick, dude?"

"Hey, he was being a major chowder head! Your mom wasn't even going to—"

"Big H, that was so not the cheese."

"So you're taking the book's side?"

"No dumbass. I'm not taking anyone's side, okay?"

"Whatever."

"Duuude," Randy whined, his voice holding exasperation.

"He started it," Howard grumbled.

"You continued it. Just say sorry or something."

For a while, Howard glared stubbornly at Randy's bathroom mirror before sighing in defeat.

"Alright, I guess I was being a chowder head too. And...I guess, I could say sorry."

Randy smiled at this, relieved that for once Howard actually listened to him. Quickly, Randy helped Howard with his nose, using up an entire roll of toilet paper.

"Uh, let me talk to Nomi first though, see how he's doing."

Howard nodded in agreement, and as he thought of the possibly murderously angry redhead, he shuddered. The book was really scary, and dangerously temperamental when it came to his family. Howard should have known better than to hit such a raw nerve.

Walking over to where Nomi sat, Randy cleared his throat to indicate his presence, and sat across from him. He mimicked Nomi, and began to meditate along with him.

"Hey uh, N-Nomi?"

"Hm?"

Randy stared down at his lap then at the egg. He didn't know what to say, but thankfully he didn't have to say anything. Nomi sighed deeply, and Randy looked up at him.

"I-I'm sorry I lost my temper." Nomi's expression was sober, and he looked emotionally drained.

Randy scooted a little closer to Nomi.

"Hey, I know Howard shouldn't have said that, and he's really sorry. It's just, we don't get to hang out a lot anymore. I-I mean, ninja duty is really important and stuff, but he's my bro."

"I'm not completely upset about what Howard said, Randy. I'm disappointed and hurt that you chose to disobey not just your mother, but me. Am I not your friend as well?"

There was a hint of hurt in Nomi's voice, which surprised both teens.

Randy felt guilt well up inside him, and he paused to think about his current situation, and came to only one conclusion.

He wrapped his lanky arms around Nomi.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You're my friend too Nomi. You're really important to me."

Nomi shook his head, and didn't hesitate to bury his face into Randy's neck.

"I'm sorry as well. I suppose my actions were...a little irrational. I just really care about you Randy. I really do. You're...important to me too."

The feeling of Nomi's calloused lips and warm breath sent shivers up and down Randy's spine, but he ignored the foreign sensation. They pulled away, and stared at each other. Blue met brown, and the strange feeling from before returned.

Randy swallowed dryly. He tried to ignore the feeling and spoke up.

"H-hey Nomi?"

"Yes?"

Randy stared down at his lap again. His cheeks felt hot. "Um, a few days back..." Randy winced, his voice was shaky, and it was cracking.

"Randy I told you it’s fine. I'm not mad."

"N-no, I wasn't going to ask about that. It's just, I-I wanted to do something, but I uh, you...um..." Randy felt his face heat up completely, and he chickened out. "N-never mind."

Before Nomi could question Randy, the sound of the toilet flushing interrupted them as Howard stumbled clumsily out of Randy's bathroom.

"You might not want to go in there for a while."

Both Randy and Nomi looked at each other, then at Howard, and wrinkled their noses.

"Aw that is shnasty dude!"

Howard snorted and walked over to the two, but paused when he saw Nomi glaring at him. He rubbed his neck uneasily and sat himself by Randy.

"Is the book still mad?"

Nomi frowned at the word ‘book’. The nickname made him uncomfortable.

"Say sorry." As Randy said this, he looked at Nomi. "You too Nomi, for socking Howard."

Both teens seemed surprised by this proposition, and with defeated gazes, and through gritted teeth, the two muttered their apologies.

"My apologies."

"Sorry dude."

For a brief couple of minutes there was an awkward silence, but then Randy spoke up, not liking the silence that filled the room.

"So when is it going to hatch, Nomi?"

Giving a slight shrug of his shoulders, Nomi said quietly, "I don't know. Takeshi likes to take his time."

"The Tengu's name is Takeshi?" asked Howard.

Nomi nodded. "It was a name given to him by a past ninja, and the name sort of...stuck, I guess you could say."

"Cool."

Randy smiled a little to himself. The fact that Nomi and Howard were at least trying not to kill each other filled him with joy. Nomi had showed he was starting to accept Howard after the whole Mac Antfee and McStacle incidents. Now Randy hoped Howard would start doing the same.

....

After an exhausting day at work, Ruby had mustered up the strength to drive herself to the little diner at the corner of her work, and was more than eager to get something to eat before driving back home.

As Ruby seated herself by the counter, and felt someone else take a seat next to her. Looking up from her menu, she frowned when she saw it was Viceroy before returning to her menu.

Minutes ticked by, and it surprised Ruby that the man who sat next to her, hadn't uttered a single word to her. Did Viceroy finally understand that she was not comfortable with him around? That his very presence sent every hair on her body standing on end?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Stacy the waitress appeared in front of her.

"Hey there Ms. Cunningham. What would you like for the evening?"

"Uh, just a burger and a salad."

"And a cup of water, right?"

Ruby nodded, as Stacy wrote the order down in her tiny little notebook. "Alright, that'll be $7.25."

Ruby had grabbed her purse. She began to sort through her tiny purse, but when she finally had the correct amount of money Stacy already had some crumpled dollars in her hand. The dark haired woman counted the money in her hands, nodded, and then walked away.

Looking to her right, Ruby looked over to Viceroy. The dark skinned man looked as though he hadn't moved a muscle, his eyes moving across his own menu, and this confused Ruby. She looked around her to see if anyone else in the room could have paid for her food, but the only other person besides Ruby and Viceroy, were Stacy and the cooks themselves.

"Sorry, it's a habit."

Nearly leaping out of her skin, Ruby looked back towards Viceroy. He smiled at her. His eyes were sad, yet somehow held playfulness to them. Ruby didn't return this look and simply murmured, "It's fine."

Minutes ticked by before Stacy returned with Ruby's late night dinner, and finally took Viceroy's order. Happily digging into her food, Ruby suddenly paused when a familiar song played from the old radio that sat in front of her.

She instantly recognized the song that played. It was an old song she used to hear when she had been a teen. If she recalled correctly, it was called, "Dream a Little Dream of Me."

She smiled and began to hum and nod along with it.

"You know this song?"

Ruby froze, her cheeks turning a bright red. Had she really been that into the song? Despite herself she nodded.

"Yeah."

That was the last word Ruby had said to Viceroy, before she finished her meal and left the little diner. She could feel Viceroy's eyes staring at her with a pang of sadness.

.....

Upon arriving home, Ruby was met by Randy, Nomi, and Howard. They had quickly briefed her in about the Tengu, and begged her to allow them to keep the Tengu. After convincing Ms. Cunningham, Howard had to go home, leaving Randy, his mother, and Nomi to tend to the egg.

As Randy lay on the couch wrapped tightly in a blanket, he watched Nomi and the egg intently. It was quite a curious spectacle to see such a calm and tender gaze on Nomi's face. Nomi was usually serious, and he mostly held a stern look. This different look was a nice change from his scowls and frowns.

Sighing contently, Randy turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling of the living room. He could hear his mother rummaging around in the kitchen, obviously looking for something to feed him and Nomi.

Randy frowned, then suddenly sat up, grabbing his blanket, before sitting next to Nomi who sat on the carpet floor.

Nomi raised a brow at Randy's actions.

"Randy, go to sleep."

"Nope."

They stayed quiet again, that is, until Nomi suddenly let out a long yawn.

"Maybe you should go to sleep," said Randy.

"I can go weeks without it Randy."

For a brief couple of seconds a silence engulfed them.

"Hey Nomi? Do you think I can do it?"

"Do what?"

"Fight the Sorcerer, and win..."

Nomi paused in thought, then chuckled softly. "Of course you can Randy. I believe in you."

Cutting into their conversation quickly, Ms. Cunningham spoke up.

"Hey your dinner's ready. I uh, hope you guys don't mind eating PB & J's for dinner. I'll watch the egg while you guys eat."

The mention of the Sorcerer made her skin feel prickly and her throat dry.

The two teens rose to their feet and made their way to the counter where their sandwiches laid. The two sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying their meals.

Ruby furrowed her brows. She watched them with concern filled eyes from her spot by the nest. Things appeared fine now, but still, she couldn't help but worry.

As soon as the two finished their dinner, they relieved Ms. Cunningham from her egg watching duties.

"Since you're not going to sleep, and I'm not going to sleep..." Randy threw his blanket around their shoulders.

Nomi laughed breathlessly. "Fair enough."

Randy gave him a lopsided grin then turned back to the Tengu egg. He wasn't actually staring at it or really anything in particular. He furrowed his brows in deep thought.

Since he was in middle school, Randy had always questioned his sexuality. It became evident that he was most certainly not straight, but at the same time he wasn't too convinced he was gay either. He was very confused. He knew a hot girl when he saw one, but he also knew a handsome guy when he saw one.

Why was it so hard to find the answer to his problem? Which gender did he feel more attracted to?

Chancing a quick glance, Randy looked over at Nomi. The soft golden light from the kitchen casted brilliant shadows across the redhead's face, emphasizing his facial features. His brown eyes looked black as they stared wistfully at the egg in front of them.

Randy's heart skipped a beat, and he felt his cheeks reddening. He liked Nomi, maybe even loved him, but at the same time he was so unsure and afraid. When he had tried leaning forward to...kiss Nomi, the redhead had turned away, and it made Randy afraid to admit his feelings to him.

Randy had mixed emotions. When Nomi had denied his attempted kiss in silence, it was painful. He was disheartened, hurt, and he couldn't explain it. It was like a strange empty ache in his chest, like he could physically feel the pain he felt in his heart.

The thought of Nomi sent whirlwinds of emotions through his mind, and Randy could go on forever describing each emotion. However, there was one emotion that rose above all others.

Love.

Randy loved Nomi's fiery red hair, his chestnut brown eyes, his smile. The fact that he could totally kick anyone's ass, that he was the Brucest teacher ever, and not to mention his personality. He was caring, selfless, he was brave, strong, fierce, filled with hope, definitely smart, and that was just the things he could list off the top of his head.

Yes, there it was, the answer Randy had been needing to hear. Gender wasn't what mattered most to him, it was personality. Sure looks were good too, but it was nice to be around someone you enjoy being around, right?

Grinning boyishly to himself, Randy had caught Nomi's attention.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Heh, nothing dude."

Nomi didn't persist, but smiled tiredly. Randy let out a yawn before he rested his head on Nomi's shoulder, giving him a light nuzzle.

"You mind dude?"

Nomi rolled his eyes. “If it means you'll go to sleep, then no, go right ahead."

Randy smiled then murmured," G'night dude."

"Goodnight."

...

Once again, morning had come with its bright rays of light cutting through the windows of the Cunningham household. Ms. Cunningham had come into the living room, and wasn't surprised to find Randy and Nomi still asleep, however, she was surprised to find them in a sort of cuddling position.

Ruby smirked as she stifled a giggle. She gave a small knowing smile before making her way to the kitchen to prepare them breakfast. She was stuck in night shift again, which made her uneasy, but at the least she would be able to see her son during the day.

The smells of breakfast woke Randy and Nomi, who shot up faster than bullets to the counter. They ate their breakfasts as quickly as possible before leaving to train in the small forest, leaving Ms. Cunningham to watch the unhatched Tengu.

...

As the two entered the forest, they quickly changed out of their casual clothing. Randy slipped on the suit and welcomed the feeling of the familiar black and red ribbons wrapping around his body like a second skin. When his transformation was complete, and he was the ninja, he was more than surprised to see Nomi, in his usual ninja getup, slipping on the hand made Tengu mask.

As Randy watched, intrigued and touched, Nomi pulled out his bamboo flute. He placed his hands on one end of the flute as he extended it before he brought it down on his knee, snapping it in half. Holding the two pieces in his hand, Nomi quickly tossed one to Randy, who readily caught it.

"Alright. Let’s begin."

Thump! Thump! Woosh! Thud!

"Oof!"

Randy coughed bitterly as he rose from the forest floor. He gripped his half of the bamboo staff tightly and eyed Nomi, who twirled his piece of the staff mockingly. Nomi's amulet glistened brightly as adrenaline coursed through his veins. He let out an airy chuckle before making the "come at me" sign at Randy.

Glaring darkly at Nomi, Randy charged then swung at Nomi's torso. Reacting quickly, Nomi sidestepped the swing then brought down his staff, successfully hitting Randy in the back.

Randy fell to the ground on his stomach then hastily rolled away as Nomi, who loomed above him, raised his staff to swat at him again.

Barely avoiding the foray, Randy jumped to his feet and took on a defensive stance. Nomi mimicked him, and they danced around each other, standing on the tips of their toes. Nomi smirked as Randy charged at him, his staff out in front of him.

Lifting his staff he charged at Randy before slowing to a near stop and smacking Randy's staff out of his hands. He let out a sharp gasp as Nomi swung. On instinct, Randy blocked the oncoming attack, before he twisted the staff out of Nomi's hands. The redhead couldn't hide his surprise, and suddenly, he and Randy found themselves in a hand-to-hand combat.

Randy ducked as a fist came soaring at him, and instantaneously blocked a low kick aimed at his stomach. Each of Nomi's attacks were relentless and held a callous force behind them.

With impetuous speed, Nomi sweep kicked then pinned Randy into the hard ground, and shoved him harshly against a tree. Randy let out a pained grunt, but swiftly brought up a knee, and successfully hit Nomi where it really hurt.

Nomi let out a pained yowl and backed away from Randy. Taking this opportunity to strike, Randy rammed Nomi into the tree opposite from where they had stood. Another small cry escaped Nomi's lips. His still recovering leg was being crushed against the tree by Randy.

Realizing this, Randy quickly withdrew his assailment, and began to blurt out apologies. However, acting upon his own instincts, Nomi delivered a powerful roundhouse kick, giving Randy a close up with his foot, and sent the teen hurdling into a nearby bush.

"F-fuck Randy!"

Scrambling out of the bush, ignoring the pain in his head, Randy began to apologize.

"I'm sorry! Oh god I juiced up! Nomi are you okay?! I didn't mean to! I—"

"Randy! I'm okay...I'm fine."

Wincing, Nomi lifted his injured leg, stretched it out then retracted it, and continued to do so until the pain in his leg subsided. He panted softly, stifling pained grunts. Randy followed suit as if realizing how tired he was himself.

"Again."

Intent on grabbing his bamboo staff, Randy made to grab it, but was stopped by Nomi.

"Hand-to-hand combat is important, and I think we should focus on it, especially in the case where we don't have any weapons around us."

Randy sucked in a breath, then hesitantly nodded his head.

Standing opposite from each other, the two charged at the other in near perfect unison. Before colliding, Nomi slowed to a near stop. He leapt over Randy, grabbing him by his ninja scarf, and using the power of gravity, lifted Randy up as he fell. As the forest floor came closer and closer, Nomi brought Randy down in front of him and landed on his stomach.

Raising a fist, Nomi brought it down to Randy's chest. However, Randy had recovered quickly, and instinctively shot out his hand. He caught the fist, stopping Nomi's powerful punch, then threw it back at him. Not hesitating, he threw a kick at Nomi.

Reacting quickly, Nomi twisted sideways, leaving his student's leg simply hanging in mid air. Grabbing his student's leg, Nomi swung him around in a circle once, then with amazing strength, tossed him into a tree like a ragdoll.

As Randy smacked against the rough bark of the tree he slumped to the ground in defeat.

Nomi huffed at this. "Are you giving up? Don't give up Randy, keep fighting!"

Randy obliged. He began to rise, and instantly he could feel his legs protesting against the action. His muscles ached and burned, but he didn't dare show it. He wanted to prove how strong he was. Randy didn't want to look like a weak shoob.

Feeling fire fill him with determination, Randy charged and all but threw himself at Nomi. Punches and kicks were instantly thrown, either blocked or narrowly avoided. Randy's heart raced, and he made a mantra in his mind; breathe in and breathe out.

Breathe in.

Randy felt exhaustion beginning to get to him as he could barely keep up with Nomi's rapid punches and kicks. His muscles tensing and untensing, coiling and uncoiling. Randy's legs nearly gave out, he wanted to give in, but he knew he couldn't.

Breathe out.

Each punch and kick, on his side were becoming slower and weaker.

Breathe in.

Nomi's punches were getting faster, or was it just Randy who was getting slower?

Breathe out.

Suddenly, Randy could no longer keep up, as he was being beaten around, and was barely able to block or dodge. As he weaved under, Nomi threw a powerful kick to the side of his head.

Breathe in.

The world spun violently.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Randy's mantra was broken, and he began to breathe heavily and quickly. He tried to get up again, but couldn't. It was like a giant earthquake kept knocking him off his feet. A sense of dread came over him, and he wondered if this was a real battle between life and death even though he knew Nomi would never kill him.

Finally getting to his feet, Randy stumbled forward as he threw a punch. Nomi dodged and Randy's legs gave out. He began to fall when he felt Nomi's arms wrap around him tightly before he could touch the ground.

"Randy!"

A small groan escaped his lips, as he lifted his head up weakly. Randy looked up at Nomi, and was shocked to see two teachers instead of one. Both teens looked at each other in terror.

Randy squinted and strained to hear anything the redhead was saying. He could barely register it at all.

"Shit! Randy?! I-I didn't mean to hit you that hard!"

"I-it's okay...I know, you didn't mean it." Randy slurred as he tried to keep from falling again. He was completely out of it. With a weak hand, he tugged off his ninja mask.

The black and red ribbons retracted into the mask, and Nomi wrapped an arm around his waist before walking awkwardly over to his gym bag. Nomi sifted around the large bag until he found the familiar burlap sack containing the brightly colored leaves. With one hand propping Randy up, the other carefully opened the tiny sack pulling out a couple leaves.

"Randy, open your mouth."

Not even bothering to protest, he weakly opened his mouth allowing Nomi to stuff the leaves in his mouth.

"This time don't eat them."

"Why?"

"Because then they'll start growing in your stomach."

Randy jolted at this, but Nomi looked down at him and smirked.

"Baka, I'm kidding. Your stomach will digest them before they can even grow."

Randy rolled his eyes weakly. "Dick."

Snickering, Nomi ruffled his purple hair.

"I think that was enough training for one morn—er, afternoon."

He hobbled them over to where the bamboo staffs laid and simply stuffed them in the gym bag. He'd put his bamboo flute back together later.

After Randy was able to walk straight without Nomi's help, they made their way back his home. They chatted idly about anything that crossed their minds, playfully bumping shoulders and teasing each other. A few of Randy's neighbors were out and watched the two curiously. To them, Nomi was just another average teen.

However, when they got inside Randy's home, the pleasant air between them was suddenly gone. The house was a wreck.

The living room was covered with torn up pillows, the couch springs and cushions were jutting out in all directions, photo frames with shattered glass surrounding them on the carpet floor.

The kitchen was covered in different foods, large pieces of bread were all over the counter, the cabinet doors hung precariously on their hinges. Boxes of cereal and other boxed foods were raided, juice boxes were strewn about along with half eaten fruit carcasses. The chairs that were usually stationed by the counter were on the floor, one of them was ripped apart covered in various claw marks. The marvelous chandelier was on the floor in shambles.

Now on high alert, Randy slipped on the ninja mask while Nomi pulled out his samurai sword. They began to investigate the damage of the house. As they surveyed the room, it hit Randy, where was his mother?!

Before he could say a word, he heard splashing, and then a woman's scream. It pierced the suspenseful air in the living room, and the sound itself had come from the guest bathroom down the hallway next to the stairs.

"M-Mom?! MOM!"

Ignoring Nomi's shouts of protest, he raced down said hallway. He briskly pulled out his katana, gripping it tightly in his hands. His heart pounded against his chest painfully as he kicked open the bathroom door. At the sight in front of him, he nearly dropped his katana. Nomi had joined him not even a second later, and was surprised at what he saw.

Ms. Cunningham stood in front of the sink, bubbles nearly overflowing its rim, and something black and puffy squirmed in the soapy water.

"Randall Cunningham, why on earth did you kick down the door?!"

Randy's eyes widened, he sputtered out, "Y-you're okay?!"

"Oh, you're talking about the mess in the living room."

"What happened?!"

"Well this little guy got pretty hungry."

"H-huh?"

Suddenly, a tiny white face with blue markings, a red mane, and two little black dot eyes emerged from the bubbles. It chirped up at him innocently.

"I-is that the Tengu?!"

...

After Ms. Cunningham finished washing the baby demon bird, they had to work on cleaning up the mess while Takeshi slept.

They were on their hands and feet, scrubbing walls, sweeping shards of glass. It was late in the afternoon when they had finally finished. They were all covered in a thin layer of sweat, food stains, and so on.

Exhausted, the three sat on the now clean floor, and watched over the sleeping Takeshi. The little black puffball was snuggled in Nomi's cape.

In their peace, they were startled by the sound of the house phone going off. Rising to her feet, Ruby sauntered over it before answering.

"Hello?"

"Hello Ms. Cunningham?"

"Mr. Slimovitz?"

"Ah, hello Ms.Cunningham! Well I know this is a little last minute, but tomorrow there will be school! I know tomorrow's a Friday, but it's necessary that all students attend tomorrow as the schedules may be rearranged, and we don't want kids getting confused on Monday."

"Oh, well thank you for advising me. I'll make sure my son, and Nomi attend tomorrow."

"Great, goodbye then!"

"Goodbye Mr. Slimovitz."

As Ms. Cunningham hung up the phone, her son spoke up.

"Who was that?"

"Mr. Slimovitz. You and Nomi have school tomorrow."

Randy's perky mood instantly dulled. He groaned loudly.

"Do we have to go? Tomorrow's Friday."

"It's important. The schedules may be rearranged for some kids, so I think it's pretty important you and Nomi go."

"I guess you're right, but who's going to watch Takeshi?"

"Don't worry honey, I can watch over him."

Nomi stayed silent throughout their entire conversation. He was preoccupied with the idea of the schedule change. Would he and Randy have the misfortune of being in different classes?

He hoped not.

Then again, it could give him a chance to be able to speak with S. Ward Smith.

Ruby bit her lower lip. Maybe it was a good time as any to bring up the Summer Carp Festival and Ball.

"Oh, and that reminds me! We've also been invited to attend the Summer Carp Festival and Ball."

This caught Nomi's attention, and suddenly, an ache came over his heart. He had been born on the day of the festival. His family would always go together to the festival and celebrate his birthday. It was a day where no one argued, and they bonded together. Now, it was only a painful memory to Nomi.

"That is so Bruce! Me, Nomi, and Howard can hang out!"

Ms. Cunningham smiled uneasily.

“Yeah, but I'm sure Nomi might have some sort of uh, lesson for you to learn?"

Ruby looked over at Nomi who barely seemed to have noticed that he had just been acknowledged.

"Hm? No, I don't think I have a lesson in mind for that day." The red head gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. He seemed to not be really paying attention.

Randy fist pumped the air as he gave a boyish grin, oblivious to Nomi's behavior.

"Alright, well, I suppose you two can enjoy the rest of the day. I'll be in my room if you boys need me, okay?"

Randy nodded as his mother left to her room leaving him, Nomi, and Takeshi to themselves.

"So I guess we're going back to school tomorrow?" said Nomi.

"Hm? Oh, yeah! I hope we still have classes together."

Nomi nodded, and he and Randy enjoyed the rest of the day with Howard (who nearly fainted after seeing Takeshi) dropping by . The pudgy teen had decided on staying the night.

Tomorrow, everything was going to change.

#Enter the Nomicon #ETN #Chapter 10 #story repost

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esther-aria · 4 years

Text

Top Hats: Part Twelve

His eyes lock mine. “You are so much more than your hat, Mia.”

For the second time today, I feel seen. Ruth looked at me and remembered me for more than just the things everyone’s said I’ve done. She reached out and touched me. She’s waiting for me outside right now. The Mayor is looking at me, and I see in His eyes that He really means what He says. He sees the top hat, who could miss it? But He sees the rest of me too.

“Mia, you are more than your hat. You are more than Mia the Roadkill, something on the side of the street people try not to see. You are incredible talents. An amazing wit. A loving heart that’s been beaten fragile and crushed broken by life’s cruelty. You are unjust circumstances and poor decisions. You are loved by people you never dared to love back and wounded by those you made the mistake of letting in. But you are someone whole, Mia. And someone with amazing gifts to offer.”

I can’t stop the tears. They run down my face and drop onto the roof of the Mayor’s office. He looks at me, and I know He’s not embarrassed by my tears. He understands them. He understands me.

With every tear that smacks against the cement of the roof, I feel a strip of my shame peeling away. I cry until the ground is covered in it. In my mistakes and my anger and my hate. I cry until there’s nothing left to cry out anymore. And He is there through it all, never leaving my side, never stepping away in disgust like all the others.

Once I’ve cried myself dry and peeled myself raw, He leads me back down the steps into His office once again. We’re sitting across from each other and I feel lighter than I have in years.

“I have a question to ask you, Mia. But before I do, do you have any other questions? Is there anything else you need to know?”

My mind is still on the roof, looking over Avera at all of its people, moving through life, wearing their top hats.

“I guess—I don’t really understand. Why do you only make an appointment with someone every once in awhile? Why don’t you meet with people every day?”

He nods. And then looks out the window of his office for a moment, “I’m never very far from Avera, you know. I do a lot of work outside of the town, but I’m always able to leave what I’m doing and be here as soon as I’m needed.”

He turns to me, “Appointments work both ways, Mia. My office doors are always open. I always make sure I can be reached should anyone ever need me. I make sure to have contact information left behind whenever I go out on a trip, so that anyone can find me and speak with me at any time. There are a few that come to visit, or who call me when they need to, some of them even choose to work with me in this office. But there are so many… so many, Mia who walk by this office every day without pausing. Who go through their problems alone when I would be so glad to help them through it. I make appointments when I need to tell an Averian something, or to ask something of them. But mostly, I would love for them to seek me out. I would love to be able to give them a hand, no matter what they need. But—” and His eyes fill up with an ancient sorrow, and, again, I can barely breathe because of how deep it is, “—there are so many people who never ask.”

I look at this man, this wonderful and amazing man who clearly cares about Avera so much. So much more than anyone realizes. And I force down a hope that I feel rising in my chest.

“So, now we get to the purpose of your appointment, Mia. You see, I have a favor to ask you. Mia, you are someone so completely needed, so wonderfully unique. You’ve seen Avera at its worst, Mia, because of the way it treated you. You’ve seen how cruel people can be and how little they understand about the people around them.” Ulises. The hens. “However, you’ve also seen what I see. You’ve seen that these people are really all the same. They are small, and they need guidance, they feel lost and they feel remorse.” Ruth. “But they are capable of so much good if only they’d let Me and my employees help them when they need it. So what I need to ask of you is no small thing. It will not be easy. It will require a lot of work and patience and care for a group of people who rarely treated you kindly. But Mia—”

The hope pushes through my barrier and starts to rise once more.

“Mia, how would you like to start working with Me?”

A battle starts inside of me. Anger clashing against hope. Hurt fighting with peace. The hens, Ruth. Ulises, The Mayor. My top hat. My top hat.

I look up into the Mayor’s kind, accepting face. A face that washes away any memory of Mia the Roadkill. Suicidal Mia. Mia who’s done it all. I look into that face, and I am just Mia.

“I think… there’s nothing in the world that I’d like more.”

A smile buds on His face and blooms into the most joyous grin. He laughs a deep, honest laugh of relief and excitement and says, “Well then, let’s get to work.”

We turn to leave His office and, through the window, I catch a glimpse of Ruth. She’s still outside, still waiting on the park bench. For me. Just like she said she would. The Mayor is at my side, eyes already seeing what I see.

“There’s always work to be done, and we want all the help we can get.”

With a nod, I head for the door. Not believing how a life can so quickly be changed. I’m out the doors, taking in Avera, as I realize how slowly some people can be changed too. I see the faces of all the people who have scorned and rejected me through my life. Who have whispered about me and called me names, refused to help me and hated me without cause. But then I see Ruth, with her mouse eyes looking at me with concern and questions. I allow a smile to finds its way onto my face, it feels like the first one that’s been there in years, and I hold out my hand to her.

“Come on, there’s Someone who wants to meet you.”

the end

esther.aria

#writing #fiction #christian #tophats #mia&ruth #estheraria #writers on tumblr #allegory

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vacationsoup · 6 years

Photo

New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/encounters-with-panthers-in-florida/

Encounters with Panthers in Florida

The title may lead you to believe panthers are attacking people in Florida. Not exactly. There ARE panthers in Florida. In the early 1990’s they were near extinction with only 30. Now there there about 200 panthers in Florida and still on the endangered list. But actual encounters with panthers in Florida are rare as they (the panthers) are very elusive and move about mainly at night.

Following is a story just published in the National Geographic by a wildlife photographer, Carlton Ward, Jr.

IT’S TAKEN ME 20 years to get this photo.

That’s how long I’ve been a photographer interested in natural Florida. And this is the first time I’ve seen a panther in the wild with a camera in my hand.

I have trekked more than 2,000 miles through Florida’s wildest places to bring attention to the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a statewide network of public and private lands that keeps wild Florida connected for wide-ranging wildlife.

For the past two years I have been focused on the endangered Florida panther—the last big cat in the eastern United States and a subspecies of cougar. Today, there are approximately 200 panthers—up from just 30 in the early 1990s—surviving primarily in the Everglades at the southern tip of Florida. To be recovered from endangered status, there needs to be three times as many panthers distributed across a much larger landscape.

As Florida’s population explodes over the next 50 years, the state is expected to lose up to five million acres of farms, forests, and unprotected land, according to the Florida 2070 study. New roads and suburban sprawl threaten to cut off the Everglades from the rest of the continent and prevent panthers from expanding into their historic territory throughout Florida and beyond.

Florida’s panthers are extremely elusive. They are active mostly at night and usually concealed by thick vegetation. A single male has a home range of 200 square miles.

To photograph them, my work had relied entirely on camera traps—basically forest studios comprised of professional cameras, lights, and an infrared trip wire that allow passing animals to take their own pictures. (Watch a Florida panther pass within inches of a hiker.)

One of my camera traps is set up in the backcountry of Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, which provides important protected habitat within the Florida Wildlife Corridor and a buffer to development sprawling inland from Naples.

I was on my way to change the batteries and cards in my camera trap when I saw a panther sitting in the dirt road 200 yards ahead of me.

I drove a little closer, pulled my truck off to the side, rolled down the window and turned off the motor. The panther was initially very far away, so I used the longest lens I had available—a 100-400 zoom plus a 1.4 teleconverter, giving me 560mm of reach.

When the panther started walking closer, I put my camera on silent mode and made sure all of my movements were quiet and slow. In the harsh afternoon light the backgrounds were mostly bright and distracting. I set my aperture for a relatively shallow depth of field to minimize background detail, exposure slightly dark to prevent highlights from being blown out and autofocus sensor to a small zone so I could select the panther’s face and not the foreground or background.

“I Was Ready” When the panther sat down 20 yards away and looked straight at me, I was ready. I focused on her eyes and captured the moment she gave me.

A rare glimpse into the soul of wild Florida.

Carlton Ward Jr. is a conservation photographer who founded the Florida Wildlife Corridor project in 2010. He is currently documenting the Florida panther with support from a National Geographic Society storytelling grant. Published National Geographic July 16, 2018

Above is a male panther who tripped a night camera trap at the edge of a cypress swamp at Babcock Ranch Preserve.

The elusive Florida panther has taken on almost mystical significance to some Floridians, who may go their entire lives hoping for a look at one of the elusive animals.

Shirley Jane Saylor of Osteen in Volusia County said she has collected local panther stories for most of her 72 years. Sightings weren’t unusual here when she was growing up, said Saylor. As a child, she remembers hearing them “scream and caterwaul” in the trees.

In recent years, sightings continue to be reported occasionally in Volusia and Flagler counties. New Smyrna Beach, where our beach condo is located, is in Volusia County!

A panther was seen at Tomoka State Park in March 2008

Rare Florida panther spotted in Volusia County, March 13, 2008

ORMOND BEACH — The paw print at Tomoka State Park measured 4 inches by 4 inches, much too big for even the biggest bobcat. John Lohde continued to follow the cat’s trail, seeing an 8-foot gap between two sets of four prints. That would be too big a leap for a bobcat. Only one animal could have left those tracks in the sand, providing the long-awaited evidence needed to confirm what some had suspected for years. Lohde, a park-services specialist, could hardly believe it, knowing how rare it would be to find one of these highly endangered felines so far north of the Everglades. “We tend to take panther sightings with a grain of salt, but having tracks like this is critical to confirming he’s here,” Lohde said. “We’re just as excited as we can be.” Darrell Land, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist who leads the state’s panther team, is convinced.”We have absolutely confirmed it is a panther,” Land said of the Volusia findings. The females don’t typically venture beyond the Everglades and the surrounding preserves, but males need a large territory, so the Volusia cat is thought to be a male that would have been born in South Florida.

In June 2005, a panther was killed on Interstate 95, just north of the Flagler County line.

Rangers at Tomoka State Park, with more than 8,000 acres in northeast Volusia, have had several panther sightings during the past two years. (2013-2015) Some park employees have even seen the cat crossing the road near the entrance to the campgrounds.

In 2015, Lohde checked on a panther sighting by a local man, who is a skilled hunter and an experienced woodsman. Lohde ventured to the northern stretch of the park, near Old Dixie Highway, when he found the tracks and followed them for nearly a mile. Having worked in Big Cypress National Preserve in South Florida, and at a Phoenix zoo stocked with Western cougars, Lohde knew he was tracking a big cat. He studied the pattern of the tracks, seeing the clues to what the panther was doing. “I could almost visualize it, when he got to this soft sandy soil and instead of maintaining his casual stride, he leapt to get across the sand as quickly as possible,” he said. Lohde took plaster casts of four of the paw prints, as well as photographs, using a measuring tape to demonstrate their size. “The quality of those photographs confirms to us it is a panther,” said Land. Since then, Lohde has reconsidered the history of panther sightings in the area and now thinks the panther has staked Tomoka State Park as part of his territory. The cat tends to stay on the land north of the Tomoka River, where feral hogs and deer are plentiful. The most recent sighting was last weekend on Walter Boardman Lane, a scenic road lined with marshes and massive oaks that makes up part of “The Loop,” a scenic highway in north Volusia. It might be on that road, or along Old Dixie Highway, that the cat will be seen again. But it won’t be anywhere in the neighborhoods. “With so much public land, he wouldn’t have much interest in crossing someone’s backyard,” he said. “These lands here are just perfect habitat for him.”

I haven’t personally seen a Florida panther, not quite.

Two years ago I walked from our beachfront condo up to Smyrna Dunes Park on the northern end of the island to explore around. The park was closed due to a recent hurricane, but I spent some time talking with the park ranger there, who told me panthers have been seen in the park area. Smyrna Dunes Park features an elevated walkway that meanders through Florida’s natural habitat. The park also provides a unique opportunity for naturalists, ecologists, students and the general public to see a wide variety of animals, birds, reptiles, marine life and vegetation in their natural habitat.

For more information on Florida Panthers, you can go to:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/07/nice-shot-florida-panthers-animals/

Carlton Ward’s facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pg/CarltonWardPhotography/posts/?ref=page_internal

For more information on nature parks in New Smyrna Beach area where our beach condo is located, you can go to https://www.volusia.org/services/public-works/coastal-division/coastal-parks/smyrna-dunes-park.stml. I also posted about New Smyrna Beach nature parks in one of my earlier posts if you want to scroll down the posts in “Local Guide” on my condo website.

You Tube has some interesting pictures of real life encounters with panthers in Florida by searching “panthers in Florida”.

#Coleman Condo #Florida #Florida panther #Florida wildlife #nature tour #New Smyrna Beach #New Smyrna Beach condo #whattosee

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ohfriedchicken · 7 years

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Apartment 211

Read it on Wattpad: http://my.w.tt/UiNb/OmMfu7LK9z

Moving in to apartment 213 was probably one of the best decisions Nadine has made in her life. It was free from annoying landlords, creepy tenants and free from Mrs. Rosales's pissy cat. Yes, that little fur ball peed on her welcome mat countless of times. It also helped that she had a nice view. Sure, smog and pollution were evident but the Metro Manila skyline was a sight to see. Twinkling lights from buildings sparkled each night and sometimes on a clear day and Nadine for some godforsaken reason, feels like getting out of her covers, watches the sunrise. It's breathtaking to see the colors change from the dark night to a bright yellow landscape that eventually turns into blue skies later in the day. But nothing beats watching the sunset while all clad in her house clothes after a long day's work. It was satisfying to see the soft orange glow disappear into the sky and welcome the night time. Cheesy.

All in all apartment 213 was a blessing.

~•~

"Get your filthy stuff out of my fucking apartment!"

Nadine stops beating the eggs for her omelet dinner and peers outside her window. Her neighbors from apartment 211 were back at it again. They've been having these screaming matches for the last 5 days.

"Courtney, I swear, Maddie doesn't mean anything to me!"

Nadine's eyebrows shoot up, her lips forming into an unbelieving smirk.

Uhuh, buddy. Keep digging yourself a deeper grave.

Reaching for her favorite mug, Nadine sips some chai tea, momentarily forgetting about her eggs and more engrossed with the couple's, soon to be ex-couple, squabble.

"I don't fucking care, Rafe, okay? This has been the sixth time this year I have caught you having "coffee" with that conniving snake. You know she has feelings for you!"

Mhmmm. You go, Courtney. Tell that Rafe what's up.

Nadine's brows furrow again at the man's strange name. It sounds rare and exotic. Completely the opposite of the said man.

"But, Courtney, I love you!"

Shaking her head, Nadine goes back to beating her forgotten eggs. She knew that Rafe's excuses were not going to help him this time. She had faith in Courtney. That girl was sweet and she's talked to her a couple of times.

A resounding slam of the door and a ringing "fuck off" was heard as soon as Nadine started frying her eggs.

Ahhh. Seems like Courtney has ended things.

~•~

A week after Courtney and Rafe's breakup, Nadine bumps into Courtney, the said girl was carrying a huge box. Nadine tucks her iPod away (she was on her way for her nightly jog) and carried the other half of the box that was sticking out of Courtney's grasp.

"Let me help you with that," Nadine offers.

Courtney sticks her head out of the other side of the box to see who the good Samaritan was. Once her gaze landed on Nadine, she smiles.

"Oh, hello there, Nadine! Thank you so much. My arms were about to give out."

Nadine felt pity for her neighbor and responds with a no problem. The two girls continued to walk, the huge box in between them, while engaging in some small talk. Curiosity piqued Nadine when she spots Courtney's car with a bunch of other boxes littering around it.

Was her neighbor moving out?

~•~

Nadine could hear the distant sound of an unloading truck by her apartment. Curiously, she gets out of her covers, since she was just flipping through the channels (no biggie), and peers outside her window's white blinds.

As expected, her gaze landed on a big U HAUL truck with some boxes littering on the cement road. Nadine scanned the scene, looking for the possible owner, a.k.a her new neighbor. She saw a couch and a bed frame with a mattress on top of it, plastic still intact, but no sign of a breathing human being.

Hmmmmm. Interesting.

Nadine cranes her neck just a little bit more and checks the truck's driver's side. She sees a blob of a man, stuffing his face with what looks like a hamburger. She notices the man's giveaway ugly ass puke green polo and recognizes him as one of U HAUL's employees. Her eyes scooches just a tad bit more to the right of the worker and checks to see if her possible new neighbor was present.

He was not.

Sighing in discontent, Nadine's shoulders sag in defeat. Begrudgingly, she goes and wraps herself up like a burrito again and flips aimlessly through the channels.

So much for an interesting day.

Not.

~•~

Nadine's next almost encounter with her new neighbor was 2 days after said neighbor moved in. She was up, bright and early, on a Sunday morning, about to go do some grocery shopping when she spots a moving body on her peripheral vision. Her new neighbor, she assumed so because he came out of apartment 211 for goodness gracious, had his back turned and was already jogging away. Nadine's eyes lit up, planning on welcoming him, but her intentions of being a good and friendly neighbor was disrupted cause holy hot damn her new neighbor had a nice ass.

Nadine tilted her head to the side, unconsciously checking out the man's nice buttocks.

"Help beat energy, energy gap beat energy gap"

Her phone's ringtone shocked Nadine out of her reverie. Scrambling for her phone inside her purse, Nadine hastily answers her phone albeit still distracted.

"Hello?"

After a 2 minute conversation with her mother, Nadine's shoulders sag for her new neighbor was nowhere in sight.

~•~

Almost encounters with her new neighbor seems to be a thing nowadays for this time around, Nadine was coming back from her morning jog when she saw her new neighbor come out of his front door. Nadine couldn't quite get a clear view of his face for she was about a block and a half away. She picks up her pace, determined to welcome her new neighbor. When Nadine was about a block away, she slows down, inwardly debating with herself for she didn't really want to seem too eager.

Nadine decides to walk then. Just slightly faster than a normal walk, if that makes sense. Feeling proud of herself, and a little excited to meet her new neighbor, Nadine nears her apartment complex.

Unfortunately, she the spots her neighbor getting inside his car then the next thing she knew, he was pulling out of his driveway.

"Dammit."

Once again, it seems like she wouldn't be meeting her new neighbor for a while.

~•~

"I just don't understand it, Yassi. I always seem to spot him when he's about to leave," Nadine rants to her best friend while they were out for a Sunday brunch, "it's like fate doesn't want us to meet or one of those cheesy bullcrap." Nadine exasperatedly sighs as she then stuffs her face with more waffles.

Yassi looks at her friend, one eyebrow raised questioningly. "I'm not sure why this even bothers you so much, Nadz," she begins then sips on her coffee, "like woohoo you have a new neighbor, but what's the deal?"

Nadine continues to munch on her waffles, lightly tapping her fork against her lips in deep thought. Yassi had a point, she didn't really know why it bothered her so much. Maybe because she genuinely wanted to befriend him? Be a good, friendly neighbor? Or maybe it was because he had a nice bum? Nadine shakes her head, ridding the image of her neighbor's buttocks. There was something enigmatic about her neighbor, although she has only seen little glimpses of him. It was like his presence emitted magnetism and charm. It was all hard to explain but she was just really really curious about her faceless neighbor.

"I don't know Yass. There's just something mysterious about him that pulls me in."

Yassi's eyebrows furrowed, perplexed with what her friend had just said.

"That sounds like a line from a shitty thriller slah romcom, Nadz. The fuck."

Nadine dismisses Yassi's comment with a roll of her eyes. It was weird and bizarre even thinking about it that way, so she doesn't blame her friend.

"But, if you're that desperate to meet him," Yassi began, causing Nadine to glower daggers at her friend, "you know you can just ring his doorbell, right?"

Nadine momentarily stopped chewing, considering Yassi's suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea after all. Perhaps she can do what new neighbors do on TV and in the movies where they bring baked goods. Nadine did like baking cookies.

"It's just a matter of what doorbell we're talking about." Yassi winks at her best friend, cheekily laughing at her own innuendo.

"Yassmin Isabel Pressman!"

~•~

Nadine stood outside of apartment 211, holding a steaming plate of freshly baked cookies. She had whipped up some chocolate chip cookies about an hour ago, fully intending on "welcoming" her new neighbor.

Just ring the fucking doorbell, Nadine. You got this. Just smile and shove the cookies up his face, yeah.

Inwardly prepping herself, Nadine's pointer finger hovers above the doorbell.

What if I just leave the cookies on his front step and ding dong ditch?

Taken aback from her own thoughts, Nadine slaps herself. She wasn't 8 years old for fuck's sake. Before she can talk herself out of ringing the doorbell, Nadine quickly presses on the button.

1...

2...

3...

4..

5..

"Shit." Nadine muttered out a curse, hearing some shuffling inside the apartment. She could hear how the chain lock dragged and the doorknob jiggle. The door opens and there stood her faceless neighbor, shirtless with a towel draped around his waist.

Fuck.

Nadine couldn't help but gape at her new neighbor. Visible droplets of water were on his chest, indicating that he just recently got out of the shower. Nadine's eyes looked up, taking in the sight of her neighbors strong chest and broad shoulders, her then gaze landing on her neighbor's face. Her throat went dry and she felt like she had lost the ability to speak. He had pink, pouty lips and a strong jaw. His nose was straight and his light brown eyes were mesmerizing. His hair was damp and swept back and one of his brows was raised, looking at her questioningly.

"Can I help you?"

His deep voice brought Nadine out of her daze. Her eyes widened in shock and embarrassment for ogling at her neighbor for too long. Clearing her throat, she tries to say something coherent. Nadine then remembers her plate of cookies and quickly thrusts it to his face.

"Hi I'm Nadine, your neighbor from 213 and I baked you some cookies." Nadine says, words coming out from her mouth 100 miles per minute.

She feels his hands on top of hers, bringing the plate of cookies down from his face. She hears him chuckle and Nadine inwardly kicks herself for looking like a fool.

"Thanks for the cookies, Nadine. You didn't have to." He tells her, the side of his lips tugging upwards into a smile.

Nadine returns his smile, now flushed from both embarrassment and her neighbor's smile.

"I'm James by the way."

James. So that was his name.

Before Nadine could utter a reply, James takes the plate of cookies from her hands, his hands lightly touching her fingers. His simple touch sent sparks down her spine, affecting Nadine in such a confusing way.

"Do you want to come in and help me eat these cookies? I mean, if you're not busy or anything." James says, one hand holding the plate of cookies and the other scratching his neck.

There was always a possibility of her new neighbor being a serial killer or what not, but for some odd and unexplainable reason, Nadine simply shrugs her shoulder and smiles up at James.

"Sure, I'd love to."

She'll worry about her dead body later.

end.

~•~

Really random! But it's good to write again. Thank you to to everyone who still follows me and to those still supporting me. Ya'll the real MVPs!

#jadine #nadinelustre #jamesreid #fanfic

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