RealAge AU Drabble - Parentalbond Dust

I am back :3 Another drabble for the RealAge AU (Thanks @spotaus as always for starting this treat by treating me to the first prompt that got this ball rolling)

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Remember how in the last drabble I uploaded i mentioned those parentalbonds? (honestly if you read my drabbles in order these before things won't make ANY kind of sense... anyway!)

I had been thinking about how all of them bond with they new tiny boss and finally settles on how. The question then was. Who goes first?

I decided to go in order of who bonded with Nightmare first :3

So, big surprise. Dust. (everyone was surprised by this)

Warnings as always, unedited and unbeta'ed. We are here for a good and fun time. (and again, please don't worry about how they manage to capture/get/locate/catch Nightmare :) )

Slight warning for Ghost/hallucination Papyrus being rude and mean and intrusive thoughts.

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Dust can admit that Nightmare is fast. Dust is just faster, by a lot.

As soon as Nightmare shifts Dust has an arm around him and drags him back to his side.

Nightmare glares at him, and it would have been terrifying and effective.

If Nightmare wasn't tiny.

Fuck DUst is still not over how TINY his boss is now.

Can Dust even still call him boss? That would be weird. Kiler tends to call Nightmare Tiny Boss now but Dust isn't quite set on a name yet.

Nightmare grumbles nad glares to the side once it becomes clear once again that Dust isn't going to get intimidated.

Nightmare glances at him before crossing his arms as he looks to the side "This is stupid."

Dust nods "I agree." Dust did not want to be here just watching Nightmare and keeping him from wandering and getting lost.

A cackle and then a whisper Really? First kidnaping and now keeping him a prisoner? How low you have sunk. Keeping a child captured and locked away.

Dust's hand forms a fist as he tries to ignore the muttering. They just need Nightmare to see he can trust them. That is all. That takes time. The chackle just chackles on.

Nightmare shoots him a look "It is stupid. I don't need supervision. I am fine on my own."

Dust goes to nod before blinking and shooting him a look "Yeah no. Nice try. I am staying right here."

Nightmare looks beyond annoyed but it is justified that one of them watches over him. Mostly because Nightmare had already managed to almost escape three times.

Look, it has been an hectic week since they euh... found Nightmare again.

Even more laughter that no one else hears Oh? That is what you call it now? That is what you call stalking a child? Following him everywhere? Finding out where he feels safest and surprising him there? Hah! Found! You are a liar and you even lie to yourself.

Dust glares harder at the dark wall as he pulls his knees up and leans on those as he watches the wall, still being a physical barrier between Nightmare and the door.

Nightmare glares at him but Dust just keeps glaring at the shedwall. Waiting. Hoping one of the others will come to relieve him of this babysitting duty. He hates it. He feels useless and stuck.

A huff Wow? Really? You decided to capture him and now you are annoyed you have to watch your prisoner? And even better the one you captured was the one to save you before? You really are thankless and impossible to please. You will never be happy or content and you don't deserve to feel other of those things.

Dust takes another deep breath. He needs a distraction. But what?!

Dust takes out his phone and scrolls through what he has on there. He sees a few movies and gets an idea.

He needs to wait while the others get supplies anyway. Cross is getting information about the multiverse, Horror is getting them food and Killer is getting them overall supplies.

Which means they should still be busy for a while.

Dust pauses as he shoots Nightmare a look. Nightmare had just been sitting there staring at his own feet as he wiggles his feet a bit. Distracted for a bit.

Dust grins as he reaches for Nightmare and quickly grabs him.

Nightmare immediantly freezes for a moment before glaring "What?!"

Dust grins and just turns him around and his old hoody that Nightmare had taken and stolen ages ago. and as Nightmare has his arms crossed he puts the hoody on him. He yelps but Dust doens't give him time to try and get his arms in the right sleeves. Instead Dust ties those together.

He thinks for a moment before grabbing his scarf and using that to tie up the slippery skeleton.

Dust takes a step back to watch his handy work and can't help but snort.

Nightmare looks shocked down at his state. The hoody already making it harder for him to move and now the scarf kept him even more from moving. The problem was. With Nightmare just being tiny and looking like a babybones... He looks plainly adorable. Fuck Dust kinda wished he had made a bow instead of a knot but he has a mission.

Dust nods and looks at Nightmare "Don't move. I am going to grab some food." He turns and leaves the shed.

It should take Nightmare at least a little while to escape that situation. And Nightmare hadn't tried another teleport after he butchered the last one and got them all thrown into a river. Which means that Dust doubts he will try another one soon.

Dust follows the road and by memory finds the pizza place they walked by not too long ago. He only has to wait for a little while before a delivery boy goes by on bike. He kicks off the guy and snatches the bag. Dust is already in the bushes again before the human has time to form a completely sentence.

Dust has to take a bit of a longer way back to make sure he doesn't go over the road. But as he cuts through backyards and gardens he can't help but feel a bit anxious. What if Nightmare escapes? How is he going to explain that.

By the time he is by the shed again he is close to shaking. He opens it and snorts as Nightmare seems to have fallen over. Less funny is the fact he has almost wiggled his way out of his trappings.

Dust puts the bag to the side and silently joins Nightmare's side "And? Is it working?"

Nightmare freezes before a mutter "I hate you."

That.

Dust isn't sure how to explain how much that hurts.

A sneer Really? Are your poor feelings hurt? By just that? What? Are you sad your so-called boss finally hates you? After all the disappointment and betrayal? And yet you feel sad? You truly are nothing but disgusting and disapointing trash.

Dust ignores it as he pulls Nightmare back upright and undoes the scarf binding and unknots the sleeves. Dust has already helped Nightmare with getting on of his arms into the right sleeve before Dust realises what he is doing.

Dust freezes and Nightmare ignores him as he quickly finishes dressing himself. After which Nightmare glances at him with an expecting look.

Dust instead just sits down on his spot on the ground. Opens the bag and fishes out the food. Oh nice. two pizzas instead of one. He lays both open near him before spotting some weird shake things, three of them. Dust shrugs again and places them near them. Next he grabs Nightmare again and pulls him right by his side as he opens his phone and scrolls through the movies.

Dust very quickly realises he deosn't really have movies without a high rating on his phone.Dust isn't even sure how far Nightmare's mind is at the moment.

Dust knows that Nightmare knows who they are. But Dust doens't know how old Nightmare is mentally at the moment. It isn't like Nightmare is sharing any of that information with them at the moment but Dust thinks he is at least a child again. He just also still has his adult form's memories and that is causing a bit of a disconnect.

Dust sighs and looks at Nightmare "Do you like horror movies?"

Nightmare shoots him a suspicious look before answering "I don't dislike them. They can be..." a frown as Ngihtmare thinks for a while before answering with some difficulty "interesting."

That was another thing that is slightly adorable. Nightmare is trying to still speak like he used to before but it seems that some of his knowledge has disappeared after regaining his true body.

Dust nods as he puts on the horror movie. It is one he thinks is okay even after seeing it four times. And only one of those four was because Dust had wanted to watch it.

He presses play and the movie starts.

Nightmare at first tries to keep his distance but it is a matter of time before he is focussed fully on the movie.

Dust grabs some food and eats it. He makes sure it push some towards Nightmare including on of the grins.

The movie plays and they watch as some dude bro guy walks through the froest. Shouting about how he isn't scared and to come get him!

"... Why?"

Dust blinks and looks at Nightmare. Nightmare stares at him.

Dust looks back at his phone and the now paused movie "Why the guy is screaming? Mostly he is stupid?"

Nightmare frowns beofre looking away "No. I mean... Why.... this?"

Dust looks at the pizza and his phone "I just wanted to watch a movie?"

More frustration on Nightmare's face before he sighs. He then just looks back at the phone with a resigned expression. "okay."

Dust hates that. No. That isn't right. Nightmare doesn't give up and certainly doesn't give up getting answers to questions he has. Dust doesn't press play and looks at Nightmare "What why?"

Ngihtmare glances to the side. To all their things. "You don't... want to be here... with me. Why..."

Dust frowns "I told you? To make sure you don't escape."

More frustration on that tiny face and Ngihtmare looks away "it's not..." another sigh "whatever. When will you kill me?"

dead silence.

Dust turns sharply "What?!"

Nightmare shrugs "I figured... I wanne know."

Dust stares at Nightmare "What the hell? No we don't want you dead?! Why would we go out of our way to find you just to hurt and kill you?!"

Nightmare sits very still before shrugging again "it is the normal thing... normally."

The book. The fucking story. Fuck! He is a fucking idiot!

Nightmare is a child again! Nightmare is in the middle of his fucking trauma! To him the trauma happened days ago! Of course he thinks they would hurt him. That is what always happens.

How long has Nightmare thought that was the only reason anyone ever came to him? How long had a six year old have to fear the sound of someone approaching.

Dust looks away "We... aren't going to kill you... or hurt you." but... why would he beleive his words? Why would he believe anything any of them say after they arleady betrayed him once?

"okay."

It didn't sound like an okay in the way that he heard and believed what Dust said. it was an okay in the sense of a child being afraid to disagree.

Fuck.

Dust isn't sure how to... how to fix this mess. The mess he had partly created. He isn't even sure this can be fixed...

Dust glances back at him and speaks quieter "I mean it... we aren't going to hurt you. We don't want that." wait... he never... "I am sorry."

a long silence but he forces more out "we shouldn't have left. I shouldn't have left. I just... figured it wasn't my place anymore. I was wrong. I am sorry i left you." and it won't happen again.

Even just saying those things. Apologising. Dust feels lighter. It feels good. He needed Nightmare ot hear that Dust now realises.

Ngihtmare doens't say anything about it but does relax a tiny bit next to him. A very very fragile and tiny show of trust and Dust wants to grab it with both hands but he does't know how!

For now he turns the movie on again and makes sure the babybones is near him and eating and drinking.

Dust isn't even watching the movie anymore. He just listens out in case there is anyone who will try to hurt Nightmare or tempt this uneasy peace they have managed to create.

THe movie plays on and Dsut suddenly feels a weight against him. He turns and stares. Because Nightmare is asleep while leaning against him. Out like a light.

It doesn't even surprise Dust. As Dust doubts that Nightmare slept at all in these last two weeks. Maybe even not before they took him with them.

Dust can't help but notice the very dark marks under those sockets. clear sighs of lack of sleep.

Dust moves slowly and carefully as he picks Nightmare up and puts him in his lap. Fuck he is freezing. Dust wraps his own hoody around him and it helps him relax.

He is safe. He is asleep. And while getting Ngihtmare to trust them again will be a long time and healing will be even longer... For now Dust is happy with his arms full of babybones.

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By his own admission, Chillchuck hasn't seen his kid in several years, is that not what a deadbeat is? He also admitted to being a Nad husband.

oh boy i finally get to explain this! also did you stop after volume 7 or something? you wouldn't send an ask like this without knowing all the canon info, right? chilchuck has three kids, not one. he only says it's one at the end of volume 7, which sounds like the conversation you're referencing.

anyway--chilchuck's daughters are all adults by half-foot standards. they do not rely on him for finances or care. based on the way he tells the story about his wife leaving, this may have been the case even before they were fully grown, but he doesn't specify. either way not being immediately in their lives is not neglecting them, and "deadbeat dad" specifically refers to not providing financial aid to estranged offspring who need it.

(chapter 56)

but let's also explore the way the fandom tends to assume he no longer cares about them or has any contact with them, shall we?

he is still in contact with them. they write him letters and one of them sent along the neckwarmer he wears (i feel like it was flertom, but i might be remembering fanon). there are also two canon instances of him being back in their lives after the end of the story (including bringing them to met his friends)

(chapter 56 again)

(ryoko kui illustration celebrating the finale of the manga)

and finally, this man talks about his kids very fondly even during canon. he is still invested in them and knows them as people, even though they're adults.

(one of chilchuck's 2 bonus comics in the adventurer's guide; the second instance of him being present in their lives post-canon is from the complete edition but i don't have it on hand)

so no, he's not a deadbeat. and based on the way you phrased your ask...

edit: BAD? DID YOU MEAN BAD HUSBAND?

THE THING HE WAS LYING ABOUT?

#32 - 3/13/23

I am really doing spectacularly poorly. 

I’ve got a King Gizzard live recording on like Febreeze over an exploded sewage tank. I find myself rapidly swinging between borderline suicidality and just feeling kind of down. There have been many, many points within the last month where I would have used a loaded handgun if I were suddenly holding one. I’ve thought I saw clearly what my life was at several points and at this point I have no bearing on what clarity actually is any more. I want to die. I don’t I want to talk about it. I don’t. I want to write about it, and I guess I shot the lottery on that one because here I am. Why?

I want to tell my brother that I’ve given up on him. I want to say exactly what I feel about how he’s been treating me the last several years. I want to accuse him of gossiping about our friends, which is true! He’s been doing it actively and with no remorse. I want to accuse him of worsening my already awful mental state, and he is! Most of the suicidal thoughts have come as a direct result of him keeping me up past 4-5 AM jabbering with people on the East Coast, and thus keeping them up even later. I want to accuse him of completely ignoring me and everything I do, which is true! He has openly admitted to never reading this blog, because it scares him. He couldn’t name the last thing I wrote if his life depended on it. I haven’t streamed in months and he hasn’t asked about that because he has no idea. He doesn’t try whatsoever with me, which hurts because he was one of the few things that I was trying with. Oh well. 

I gave up too, buddy. I gave up a long, long time ago. Did you know that the night after I tried to kill myself, you were what made me cry? The thought of what you would be going through when you heard that I was in the hospital and why. Do you remember a few years earlier, that you were the first one I ever confessed my suicidal thoughts to? Were you pretending to care then too? I won’t be linking this in the group and I hope I don’t take it down either, like I did the last time I emptily ranted at you on a webpage you would never read. None of my “friends” read this despite the fatc that I only ever showed it to people I deeply cared about, with the explicit message that it was where I wrote my truest feelings the things I felt were the most important to me. Nobody gives a shit. A couple of people skimmed the first thing I shared and sent me a tearful message of “talk to me if you need to” with the knowledge that they didn’t mean it, and that’s it. You aren’t reading this. If you are it’s only becuase I finally grew the balls and finished the job nad now you’re trying to act all sad and pretend you cared. Fuck off, I knew you were lying and this is what happened. Maybe I deserved all the pain I was born to bear but you certianly deserve what you’re feeling in my wake. I don;t mean that I do. I mean it. Get away from me. I gave up and so did you

Need your person

ahhh i have really no idea what i am doing. Anywayyyss this is a really angsty Harry fic, I have a part two but not sure how I feel abt it - so we will see if it ever sees the light of day x x x 

“Tom? I’m back!” Nadia declared as she heavily shut the black gloss front door of her boyfriend's place. She was wrestling with a ridiculous amount of shopping bags, that bounced against her calves before deciding to just dump them at the door- they could be dealt with later. Naturally, she’d blame the excessive haul on her friend that she’d met for lunch; Georgia almost forced her to buy all the clothes...right?

Once she had done so, she glanced around the almost still house, making her left eyebrow quirk up a bit. Since Tom and Harry returned for Toms latest filming venture their house hadn’t been quiet for a moment thereafter. With Tom, Harry, Harrison and herself and Y/n (Harry’s girlfriend) living there- fair to say there normally was at least someone messing around and causing chaos. Before she could read any more into it, Tom appeared round the corner, a small smile as he caught sight of his lovely and almost certainly shopping addicted girlfriend. 

“Hey”

“Hey” He replied back, smile tight-lipped and a very awkward atmosphere falling over the normally most easy-going couple. Nadia didn’t like it, choosing to address it straight up. 

“You gonna tell me why the weird vibe then?” Bags long since forgotten and abandoned, the couple naturally entered the sitting room- Tom landing heavily on the plush cream sofa. 

“I-er... look I know she’s one of your best friends but... well Harry’s got a pretty conclusive photo and account taken by some fan. She’s been cheating on him.” Nadia was unaware of her jaw falling slack while she stood above her boyfriend, arms folded and shaking her head slightly. 

“No Y/n wouldn’t. Come off it Tom you know too, there’s no chance.”

“I’m serious Nads. Harry’s confronting her now, shits really fucked him up.” Tom had this hard tone behind his intense gaze, something that Nadia had only seen a handful of times in their 1 yes relationship. It scared her. 

“ Nonono rewind though. Y/n wouldn’t cheat on him... she’s so in love with the boy!” Tom knew this would be tricky, especially with how close the two girls had gotten over that first lockdown and then ever since. Sometimes he questioned who the relationship was between, Nadia and Y/n seemingly just made for each other in a platonic kind of way. He sighed heavily, digging his phone out his back pocket to show her the picture, all the while watched by her intense hazel gaze. Not saying another word, Tom just held his phone out for her to take, photo on the display. 

“Swipe next to see what she says” after a short time Tom added, Nadia squinting at the phone and clearly zooming in on the blurry image. 

It did look pretty damning, Y/n and an unnamed man with his arm around her- pulling her almost flush against his chest, even at the public cafe they were seated outside. Though the image was grainy as hell, Y/n looked upset, as if he was comforting her. He, just for information, was a fairly attractive man- Tom would fairly admit. Clean-shaven, crisp white shirt on, jet black hair perfectly styled and a strongly carved face. 

That was the issue though, why Nadia’s lips parted with a silent and almost non-existent breath outwards- most getting stuck in her throat. She knew the face, briefly, from an encounter when the boys were away filming. She’d been so busy concentrating on Y/n at that moment about a month ago, it was a surprise she recognised the face at all. 

Suddenly feeling her heart drop, Nadia followed her boyfriends instructions and swiped left, revealing a screenshot of an Instagram direct message - along paragraph giving an exact recount of the day (or at least this ransomers recount). To paraphrase:

“ she just kept going ‘Harry can’t find out. I can’t tell Harry.’ She sounded upset but I just thought you should know”

The fan was obviously well-meaning but just so so wrong. Nadia gulped a little before looking up at her boyfriend, who was unconsciously tensing his jaw. He did that when he was uncomfortable or nervous and hell was he. 

“Where are they?”She muttered voice quiet which Nadia hadn’t realised till long since she’d spoken. It was just tense. 

“In the garden but we need to leave them be it’s not-“

“-FUCK” Predictably, Nads didn’t let Tom finish, already turning on her heel and rushing into the kitchen. Tom yelling something and following, but that’s not what she was concentrating on. 

Her best mate needed her. 

Even at the far end of the kitchen,  Nadia froze at the sight through the garden windows. Y/n was sat with her head in her hands, clearly crying and rocking slightly on the black wicker garden furniture set while Harry stood above. 

Harry. 

Harry was seething with rage. Nads could see him yelling at her, arms being flown round to articulate his anger furthermore. Because Harry didn’t open up easily. Because Harry was so in love with someone that apparently betrayed him so completely. When he saw that DM he just couldn’t ignore it. He’d always been self-conscious, Y/n knew that most of all. It felt like a knife was plunged and then twisted deeper into his chest. And who committed the heinous act? The person he had trusted most int he world. 

“Tom, I will explain but for now you just have to trust me.” Tearing her eye line away from Y/n’s crumpled body, which flinched with every harsh word Harry yelled- as if he were trying to get a reaction from her. Tom just looked at Nads in disbelief, arms crossed protectively and waiting for more. 

“Look…I-I know for a fact she didn’t cheat. There something you both don’t know but it’s not this at all.”

“Nadia I know your close but.-“

“I’m being very fucking serious Tom. If you trust me you have to go and get Harry away. Bloody look at him- she’s not arguing back! He’s hurting them both.”

“ He has a right to be angry.” Tom tried to counter, feeling uncomfortable with how easily Nadia brushed off such a serious and real accusation. 

“Tom for both their sakes, please...I’m begging you to help me” It was the desperation in her brown eyes. Making Tom shift from foot to foot. He was so torn but Nadia must have a reason. This isn’t just her bullshitting to protect a friend, he could see that much. As she grabbed his hands desperately, Tom already knew he was going to follow her.  And she could most definitely see it too as she minutely smiled in thanks before walking with purpose toward the back door. 

—————

You needed an out. Now. 

When Harry had first cornered you in the house with a steely gaze and asked you to have a conversation in the garden, you’d been running on adrenaline. Naturally, you thought he had somehow found out- but this? He had got it oh so wrong. But what hurt most was the fact you couldn’t say anything. You knew his heart was breaking, the fact he was screaming at you and calling you names you thought he never could even associate with you, it was only because he was so hurt. Yet at that moment, you couldn’t fathom how to explain the truth. That was the issue… the truth would hurt him too. So maybe it was easier this way, him hating you and suddenly not being apart of each other's life. Because that would still hurt him less than reality.

With that thought, your body decided to just make this even harder. What did it do you ask? Choose that exact moment to fail you again. Your thoughts all suddenly got jumbled, it felt like your brain was on some sort of rollercoaster. Brief moments of clarity when you weren’t swimming in a pool of disorientation. But to be honest, those moments when you could see the pain on his face, they hurt more than just sinking into oblivion as your body sorted folded over on itself. 

You were stuck fighting two battles neither of which you were sure you could win.

—————

It was just then, as Harry launched into another ‘how dare you betray him’ spiel that Nadia and Tom opened the door. Nadia making an immediate beeline to Y/n, holding her shoulders and trying to support her into an upwards position - leaving Tom to deal with a ball of hurt and rage that was Harry. 

“Mate you need to stop it’s not making any-“

“Fuck off Tom this is between me and her.” Harry snapped back, slapping his brother's arms off his. 

“I know but it’s not going anywhere.”

“Tom”

“Harry I’m serious give it a minute. You need to cool down” Tom urged, still slightly concerned by the rage in his brother's eyes, while Tom gently reached out to hold his shoulders. The younger man needed a bit of grounding and the contact meant Tom could half steer him toward the house.  With a quick glance of worry back to Y/n and Nadia, Tom followed Harry inside- arguing him up the stairs into his room. 

Meanwhile, Nadia was getting more and more concerned. Y/n could barely hold her body up and she was shaking. 

“Y/n what do you need um the-the finger prick thing?… What’s happening?”

“Yeh and uh…Need the... in the fridge get the oat milk and my-my bag.” It was a bit of a weird request but Nadia wasn’t going to question it and ran inside, grabbing the oat milk that seemed to rattle and then Y/n’s bag which was just in the countertop, knowing that was where she kept her finger prick test. Although this wasn’t about her either - Nadia was slightly terrified, shakily shouting for Haz who had to be somewhere in the house. 

“Okay okay, do you need my help?” Nadia spoke with trembling hands, unzipping the little pouch to reveal the red device and all its apparatus. During the month the boys had been away Nadia had seen Y/n do this a thousand times, but it still scared her at the thought. Luckily Y/n shook her head and took the device, pricking her finger then squeezing the blood onto the sensor film. While it beeped away measuring her glucose levels she smiled weakly at her friend. 

“I’m just low I think, can you get the sachets out the milk?” Because of course, Y/n was such an idiot she had hid her essential medication within a carton of oat milk, which was genius and stupid in equal measure. Genius because everybody else in the house was absolutely disgusted by oat milk being a thing so no one would ever try to make a cuppa with it; stupid because in moments like this, who was to know that the bloody oat milk carton could save her life?

“Do I need to phone an ambulance… you-you don't look good Y/n/n.”

“No” Y/n swallowed thickly, grimacing slightly at the reading that just appeared on the device - by far the lowest it had ever read since she had started having to do these stupid measurements. “If I pass out then yes but… I just need the glucose strips” Nadia nodded, still trying to prise the plastic packages out the empty oat milk container. Wordlessly Nadia finally phished one out and ripped it open immediately thrusting it into Y/n’s mouth - at least 70% certain that was what she had to do with them. 

While all this was happening Harrison wandered into the garden and looked at the scene in front of him in a bit of shock. Y/n was deathly grey, looking as though she was fighting every urge in her body to just relax everything and collapse into unconsciousness. Nadia kneeled in front of her, already working on ripping another packet open. After taking a moment or two to process what was happening Haz knelt down next to Nadia. 

“You need me to do anything?”

“I -er don’t think so… actually Y/n?? Y/N????” Nadia started violently shaking Y/n whose eyes had finally slipped shut. “Fuck shit fuck… you need to ring an ambulance Haz.”

“Your serious?”

“Deadly. I’ll explain later just get your phone… tell them she was having a hypo and now she’s unconscious. The er the number on the machine thing was 2.8”

Harrison didn’t argue; he did what he was told and an ambulance was immediately dispatched while Nadia followed instructions of the operator that had been put on speaker, still dropping the sachets of liquid down into her mouth. In fact, when they heard the ambulance pull into their road, Y/n started to stir- groaning and heavily blinking her eyes open. 

It was a bit of a blur, but the paramedics came in and slowly Y/n started to get more with it. 

“You know what happened to you love?” The kind-eyed Liverpudlian lady asked, removing the oxygen mask that was put on her as a precautionary measure, in the haze of them arriving. 

“Blood sugar low?”

“Uh-huh, you’ve just had a hypo. Are you type 1 or 2?”

“Um, I-uh…” Y/n flicked her eyes up to see Haz still stood looking very concerned while Nadia spoke to the other paramedic in hushed tones. “Neither… I got pancreatic cancer and so…so my whole pancreas is kind of dying.” Y/n could practically hear Harrison's eyes bugging out his head - but kept her eyes firmly on the blonde stout lady. She wasn’t ready to face that yet.

“Oh, lovie... you have to be really careful yeh? Hypos can turn to a coma really quick and you know what happens then.”

“I’m sorry, I uh guess I forgot to eat and then been running on adrenaline cos of…” Because of Harry. But she wasn’t about to pour her heart out to a complete stranger so instead shut her mouth. Emma, the paramedic, seemed t9 get the message and again smiled down at her gently.

“It’s okay I get it... so you know then that because you lost consciousness really we should be taking you to the hospital? Get your bloods checked?” The grimace on Y/n’s face was more than enough to answer her.

“Please I just want to sleep-“

“You need to go to hospital Y/n/n” Haz interjected who had been completely silent and still in shock. Yes, she wasn’t his girlfriend, but they were bloody close and he still hadn’t really had an explanation. 

“I just want to sleep and-and I got a lot of explaining to do” Y/n made the mistake of momentarily looking up to see Harrison’s glassy eyes and Emma followed suit. 

“You the boyfriend?”

“No, i- um I’m his housemate.”

“If we are even still together” Y/n mumbled her eyes trained on the ground. In response, Haz huffed indignantly sitting down right beside the slightly crippled girl and slung his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t you worry about that hey? Everything’s is gonna be fine.” Her head came to rest on his arm making Haz bend down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. She was sort of the other sister, having been on the scene much earlier than Nadia had, he’d come to really get on with her. 

After a moment of just being there with Haz, Y/n simply thankful he didn’t seem to hate her or believe the rumours anymore, Emma spoke up. 

“So a hard pass on the hospital is it? Because then we should just think about getting you inside to rest.” Y/n nodded hard, very clearly expressing her preference, making the two chuckle. “They’d only be checking your blood levels which I can get a doctor to do tomorrow morning from home. I’m not supposed to say this but it's okay to stay.” It was all going swimmingly until they heard a very very familiar voice. 

“What the hells happening?” 

Can you do one where y/n is afraid to smoke but she always puts her hand in his smoke bc she thinks it’s cool. Jj wants to teach her and use it as a way to flirt but she always denies. Later he catches her playing with his zippo lighter and calls her a klypto too. He teaches her to smoke n it’s rly cute !!! Ok sorry I’ll stoppp!! I love ur blog tho🤩🤩

PROMPT # : PERSONAL REQUEST

WORD COUNT: 1660

WARNINGS: SMOKING

PAIRING: JJ X READER

LATIBULE

JJ sat at the edge of the deck when he was smoking, this location seemed to be the most comforting place for him in all reality, he loved the way this felt, his feet dancing through the cold water and his eyes tracing over the setting sun. You walked down the dock in the click of your boots and he turned to see you with a small smirk spreading over his lips, he was happy to see you were home after having gone to the mainland for some time. You were home. That's all that mattered to him, he licked his lips and moved over so you could sit down next to him.

“Hey there beautiful, it's good to see you're home again, I have missed you, let me say, trying to text you without a phone was literally one of the most impossible things - BUT uh.. Would you like to smoke?” he had handed it out to you, hoping you would take the blunt from his hand but you shook your head weakly and only watched him carefully. “ no no.. you know I don’t like to smoke but uh.. I must say I'm flattered you tried to talk to me through your imaginary phone..”

He took a deep breath, watching as the smoke reached his lungs and he took a second to blow out the fog that remained. You put your hand up and ran your fingers through the swirls of light, it was beautiful, you didn;t like smoking but you must admit, when you saw those puffs of smoke you couldn;t help but want to touch it. They were like those old paintings you would see in the chinese fairy tales, small, then they would spread so much bigger than itself, fading away to nothing.

A smile spread over your face when you finally put your hand down and he smirked again, he loved when you did that, you acted like the little things were so damn perfect and you appreciated fire along with the danger that came with it. “ you know.. You seem to be so appreciatitaive of the smoke that comes off of this blunt, I think one day you should just say fuck it and smoke, but anyways, I gotta make sure John B doesnt go to get himself killed by some crazy old woman who loves axes, Ill catch you later beautiful.”

The young man had stood up and kissed your cheek before he left, you turned a deep red and shook your head jokingly, you turned and waved to him. “ wow! You have a great time! Make sure you don’t die in that house or whatever in the hell the two of you are gonna do!!” He rolled his eyes and waved to him while laughing under his breath, your eyes traced down to the dock to see he had left behind his golden zippo lighter, it was beautiful, you had to admit to that, but you knew he would look for it if you didn't tell him you had it.

You shot a message to the younger man, aka John B, telling him that you had the lighter and that JJ could come over to your house and pick it up, he knew better than to come through the front door, your parents were way to strict after all, they were never going to allow you to end up with someone like him but goodness that didn't stop you from falling harder and harder for him. You watched as The Nun was on the screen, probably not the greatest idea to watch a horror movie when you're expecting guests but you did it anyway. The lighter was no bigger than your thumb when you ran your fingers through the small flame and smiled overly proud that you didn’t get burnt. It actually felt good, it felt like heaven to touch the fire.

JJ watched from the window when he saw you playing with what you had in your hand, his lighter, You ran your finger through the flame and stopped when it would hurt, it was like you were enchanted by the flame, the same way he was. It danced through the darkness of your room but he still saw that familiar look in your eyes, the wonder and the amazement, he loved that look, adored it.

He pushed the small window open, letting a little creak noise echo through your room, when you heard it, you instantly jumped into the air and shook your head. Your heart was racing when you turned and held onto the pillow as a weapon, JJ climbed into the room and flicked the lamp on when he got greeted by the pillow right to the face, “ hey hey you need to calm down there, princess.”

When you heard his voice you calmed down but shook your head slowly, you licked your lips and turned away in complete embarrassment, he was laughing and sat down on your bed. He picked up his lighter and opened it, letting the fire dance over the rough palm of his hand, he was still so handsome, in this light or even in the light of day, but you were drawn to the fire. “ you know i saw the way you had been looking at that fire, maybe you're a lot like me, a klepto, right? Do you know what that means beautiful?”

You bit the inside of your lip when you nodded and didn’t want to admit that the good girl was drawn to the feeling of freedom and the heat that fire seemed to give off, that was always gonna be enough for you. JJ stood up and grabbed your hand when he pulled you closer and started to take you towards the window, “ come on.. I know you're scared of smoking but youre gonna be okay when you're with me, I promise you that, just take my hand and trust me..”

“ of course I trust you.. But what happens if we get caught, what happens then?” He chuckled and moved your hair from your face when he knew you were truly worried about something like that, “ then we ran away from the cops.. If we are lucky we will get caught in a tight alleyway and you'll be pressed right into my chest..”

Of course that idea sent goosebumps up your spine but you laughed regardless, his eyes so soft when he had gotten you to agree. You stood up and allowed him to pull you out of the window, he helped you down and held onto your waist, leaning into your chest and turned a deep red because of it. He might have been smooth but when it came down to you, he wasn't that smooth person anymore, he lost all control of that and maybe you knew that, but maybe you didn't.

He had led you back to that dock where he sat down and held onto a small blunt, lighting it between his thumb and pointer finger, he could see you were nervous but he would have comforted you through all of it. “ I know you're scared, but look at me, you're gonna be by my side the whole time and- I know you won't be alone, i'm right here..” He winked and you nodded when you moved closer to his body, he placed the end between his lips when he took a deep breathe and you watched as he let it reach his lungs again, he then exhaled and you reached up to grab the smoke but he took your hand, “ i wanna hold your hand..”

A smile came onto your lips when you let your eyes trace down to his lips and he was doing the same, he knew you were staring and goodness how he was intrigued by you. He held out the little joint and nodded weakly, “ okay baby.. Sorry uh, beautiful, you use your thumb and your pointer finger, pressing it between your lips and taking a deep breath, when you do, suck it all the way in until you feel the smoke hitting your lungs, okay?”

You nodded in agreement and did as told when you pressed the drug between your lips and took a deep breath, allowing it to reach your lungs and soon you were coughing much louder than before, trying to control the burning but you couldn't. JJ laughed with a small smirk and held onto the blunt when you were done with it. He watched you so carefully, you're soft pink lips rising to meet the joint he rolled for this moment, the goosebumps that rose atop your skin when he ran his fingers over yours, he was so enamored and goodness how he just wanted to tell you how he felt in that moment.

“ okay okay, there's my girl, you hit that like you were snoop dogg, look at you go..” he chuckled and soon took another hit himself but this one was different, he moved closer nad pressed his lips into yours, he exhaled into your mouth but kissed you at the same time. It was the most euphoric feeling you have ever had, the running of happiness through your veins, how your eyes closed when you kissed him in return, goodness how you have been wanting to do that. You have always wanted to kiss him and now you have the chance to do so, you pulled back a moment later and leaned your forehead against his, allowing him to breathe when you blew the leftover smoke into his face. He was brave when he saw the red lines coming over your eyes, you were stoned out of your mind and he would take care of your giggly self, but the first thing he wanted to do was ask so softly, “ go out on a date with me.. Tomorrow..”

A/N - awe thank you so much! I am happy you love my account . It’s a mess right now but thank you for the compliment. I hope you enjoy it, i also left it open for a part two ;)

Okay, so I was going to do a list of all the moment where Lilith was soft and emotionally vulnerable etc, but the list was surprisingly long, so I’m having to divide them into basically sub-genres. 

So behold, all the moments Lilith shows pure softness. 

1. When she creates a secret book club for the girls of Baxter High. She had so many ways she could have solved this problem with Roz, including just compelling the school to allow the books to be read. But instead she creates a Book Club that she leads, allowing girls to have a safe place to go, and to read and grow and develop their minds, and despite Lilith claiming she’s doing it to tear their souls apart, she never does, and she just has these flashes of delight at all the girls around her. Lilith is in her element in leading women to enlightenment.

2. When she was thanked for the first time ever. The woman has clearly never been genuinely thanked for her work/actions in her entire existence, or at least not for thousands of years, and Sabrina genuinely thanking her for her help really seems to effect Lilith, it stuns her and we see she is emotionally effected by it. And I think it’s the first time we see her physically soften. 

3. When she helps Dezmelda tell her story. Lilith takes the girls there to make a point about corruption within High Priests, but when Dezmelda finds it hard to tell her story, Lilith instinctively reaches out to put her hand on Dezmelda’s knee supportively and helps her tell the tale. There’s a lot of falseness going on in this scene, but her interactions with Dezmelda seem entirely genuiine and they are very soft.  She may be using it to her advantage, but Lilith clearly has genuine solidarity with a witch chased out by an abusive man, choosing to live in the woods rather than submit.

4. When she admits they’ve all done unspeakable things to help the ones we love. There is something very genuine in this moment, she avoids Sabrina’s eye and doesn’t have the same manipulative expression she usually does when encouraging Sabrina to do something. There’s an honesty here, Lilith recounting what she has done for love, and though it might not seem a typical example, this is a very soft moment, because we’re seeing how Lilith can be motivated by love in regards to the Dark Lord, as much as by ambition. 

5. Attending Theo’s try-outs and being genuinely interested. So she ensures Theo is allowed to try-out as part of her determination to have no gender bias at Baxter High under her rule, but there is absolutely no reason for her to attend the try-outs. She’s not required there as Principal, she has no idea Sabrina is going to be there, and whether Theo gets on the team doesn’t effect her...and yet she goes, and we see her actively look for Theo, following where he is. Lilith got invested in a student’s life and that is so freaking soft. 

6. When she’s watching the passion play. Seeing her past played out on stage, even if with Blackwood’s biased re-write, has Lilith revisiting her own memories and she gets so very emotional about her. We see her entranced, remorseful, broken-hearted, upset, she is near to tears the entire time, and if that’s not softness I don’t know what is. We see here that despite everything, despite what she does, what she’s been through or how old she is, she has not been as completely hardened as she likes people to think. 

7. When she loves Adam’s gift. She was not expecting to like what he had, she probably expected something twee, and yet with a gift that was not only thoughtful but was something that appealed to Lilith’s rage, he wipes away all her murderous intent. She was planning to stab him with a knitting needle two minutes previously and then with this gift and this action, she’s suddenly going to him and smiling. It shows us how the smallest action of kindness has such an effect on Lilith. 

8. After Adam tells her he loves her for the first time. He openly says I love you, admittedly he believes he’s saying it to Mary, but the declaration alongside the kiss just makes Lilith utterly speechless. She’s thrown by it which is just so incredibly soft; how is it that an ancient witch, the mother of demons, future Queen of Hell can be so thrown by a simple declaration of love and a kiss?

9. When she dances with him. At first she’s reluctant and slow to accept what she has to do right now, but the more the song carries on, we see in the background as Lilith lets him twirl her nad even bobs with the music herself. She starts loosening up, but I think it’s partly because amongst the crowd she feels no one is seeing her. 

10. The foot rub. When Adam is giving her a foot rub after the dance, Lilith is so relaxed, she’s so comfortable and at home with him and it’s so starkly different to how she was when she first met him only a few hours ago. And she openly admits ‘a girl could get used to this’ which is a very telling thing to say and is probably why Stolas squawked so angrily. 

11. When she admits Adam 1.0 was cruel to her. We never hear her talk about Adam at all, or the Garden, but she genuinely shares here (it seems to be taken that it’s Adam in the Garden she talks about since she speaks of him in the past tense and she says he was only ever cruel, yet she tells Sabrina that Lucifer used to be kind), she feels safe enough to share, and she’s so broken and upset as she does, showing us just how much of an effect her experience in the Garden has had on her. 

12. Touch Starved. When she leans willingly and so eagerly into Adam’s touch, so she can feel his hand on her cheek. She leans and rests against it and just shows how much Lilith does long for intimacy and love and security. Something she probably had with the Dark Lord originally but hasn’t for centuries. This is where we see that Lilith not only can be soft, but she knows she is, when she admits it to herself.

13. When she initiates the kiss herself for the first time. This is the very time we see Lilith be the one to initiate the kiss, when Adam silently asks permission and she grants it. But the way she leans in, what it means for her to grant consent, how different it is to when she’s being sexual in order to trap someone (such as Hawthorne or the Pizza Boy) and we see that when Lilith is being genuine, she is very soft and gentle. Surprisingly so. 

14. When she realises she doesn’t want to lose him. This is a key post-kiss moment, when he has his eyes closed and she doesn't so we the audience see how she’s looking at him, how she’s studying him, and we see the dawn of realisation in her eyes that she does not want to lose him, and there’s that soft intimacy of their foreheads touching, the comfortable closeness of it. 

15. When she gives Adam the ring and he agrees to set a date. She’s so enthusiastic here. Yes, there’s a need to get that ring on his finger to protect him from the Dark Lord, but she’s genuinely eager to do it. We see her being so open here. Wide-eyed and open. 

16. When he agrees. When he says yes to the ring and they kiss, she is just so excited to keep him, she is biting her lip barely able to contain her delight and she is at one of her softest moments here. Adam is seeing a side of Lilith no one else has ever gotten to so far. 

17. Engaged. When she’s basically engaged now and she recognises this, she just looks so full on fucking happy. She’s utterly delighted and she’s looking at him with actual adoration and that’s so freaking, freaking soft. 

18. When she’s being all domestic with Adam. This quiet morning when she’s doing all her Principal admin work and he’s sat with her and there’s tea and jam bread. It’s just so softly domestic and shows how easily Lilith does slip into that. 

19. When she agrees to skip work and spend the day with him. Firstly, the fact she actually debates being able to skip work, and then when she does it’s while looking at how tempting she finds Adam, she wants to spend the day the with him

20. When she laughs at him for suggesting Tibet then realises he’s serious. This is just so sweet and cute but also shows how comfortable and relaxed she is with Adam, and also how much she thinks about his feelings, enough to feel bad when she laughs at him when he was being serious

21. When she says she’ll think about it. She agrees to genuinely debate giving up the throne and crown to go to Tibet to live a life with a mortal. If that isn’t soft I don’t know what is. 

22. The pebble wish. When she makes a fucking wish on a fucking pebble like a fucking princess and smiles while she fucking does it and then fucking launches it while leanign against Adam with his arm around her waste like the fucking Queen she is. Sotfness Squared. 

23. The look of love. When she studies Adam when he’s not looking like you do when you’re in love, where you watch them when they’re not watching you, and she seems to realise herself in this moment just how much she loves him. SOFT. 

24. Romantic Meal. If you forget for the moment that it’s really the Dark Lord, if this was really Adam, Lilith is being so domestic yet again having a meal with him, smiling, complimenting his cooking...

25. Agreeing to go to Tibet. If anything is soft it’s Lilith smiling while she officially decides to give up her claim to the throne and instead run away for a life with a mortal. 

26. The Widow. Despite the sadness attached to this scene, I still think it’s very soft that Lilith chooses to take Adam’s ring and put it on her wedding finger. She marries him in death essentially. She chooses to consider herself his widow. And despite the tragedy of that it is also very soft. 

27. Keeping the ring on. Even when she crowns herself, she’s wearing the ring still, the fact she doesn’t take it off even to meet the Dark Lord or to attend the coronation, ah, so very soft. 

28. The prayer. When she’s being prayed to, Lilith is so emotionally effected by that. She is so touched by the sound of a coven of witches praying to her, considering her to be worthy of worship and seeing her reaction here shows just how much Lilith needs to hear she’s worthy and how much that prayer meant to her

29. Looking after Lucy. Lilith is very instinctive here, she reaches out for Lucy so naturally and holds onto her so naturally and doesn’t even blink at the fact the girl holds onto her and does, in fact, hug her back, holding onto her. She only stops when she consciously realises she’s doing it. And then there’s the fact she erases the horrible things Lucy went through so she only remembers being rescued. 

30.Ambrose’s enthusiasm. She gets genuinely and quietly amused at Ambrose geeking out rather than being annoyed, and it shows a softness that she appreciates and accepts his excitement over being in Hell. 

31. Being sympathtic to Sabrina’s loss. When Sabrina breaks up with Nick, Lilith offers sympathy but it’s when Sabrina isn’t looking at her that we see her genuine softness as she remembers what it is to lose someone you love and how ‘Queens aren’t allowed to cry’

32. When she fully commits to ruling beside Sabrina. This moment is so brief, and it’s when Lilith has come to totally accept Sabrina as Queen, which is a big fucking deal for Lilith, and even bigger deal? She’s happy about it. She talks about she and Sabrina ruling side by side for eternity, a glorious eternity, and she doesn’t hide how happy she is about that, she lets Sabrina see her happiness. This is just showing not only that Lilith can adapt her ambitions, but when she works with someone, if she believes there’s equality and respect she’s happy. And that’s why it made the next moment such a betrayal to her. But that’s a different post I already made ages ago.  

13 Days of Christmas (Kim Mingyu)

Happy Saturday! The most exciting part of my day has been knowing I’m cleaning my bathroom. I’ll see y’all tomorrow! gif credits to owners! (Unedited!)

Word count: 1846

You had known that you hadn’t been in a relationship in sometime. You couldn’t remember when someone had asked you out to grab a coffee or go to the movies or anything. You missed someone holding your hand and holding you close, but you had a good reason. After two years, your ex-boyfriend had just dropped you like you didn’t exist. He kept everything you bought him of course,and he refused to take everything back you bought him, so it stayed in the corner of your room, haunting you for months on end.

And then one day, Mingyu offered to help you burn it all: the clothes, the pictures, the stuffed animals, everything that came from him went to the fire and the smoke polluted the sky. Everything that survived the first round, went to a secondhand store where you traded that junk for money and you treated Mingyu to smoothies to repay him for freeing you. Mingyu helped mend your broken heart; you weren’t oblivious to how he cared for you during that time. It didn’t matter if it was two am or two pm, if you had a breakdown, he was a phone call away. You would’ve texted him but the sound of his voice calmed you and over time, it gave you the strength to help you heal. 

Mingyu had helped you in more ways than one, and you didn’t know how to repay him. 

It had been a tough year but you persevered and you planned on ending it as strongly as possible. And you wanted to thank him for everything, so you decided to invite him to a holiday party a town over. It wasn’t a luxurious thing but people would be exchanging gifts throughout the night and the present wrapped up nicely on your bed seemed like it would make up for it. 

You planned to meet up with him there due to a difference in your schedules so you weren’t in a rush to shower to get ready, but when you had nothing else to do, you still managed to arrive 45 earlier than expected. You mingled with some acquaintances from a few classes and some of your coworkers while you waited on Mingyu.

And then there were people rushing past you, making you spill your drink everywhere and sent your present flying out of your hands. You didn’t know how they could be so careless around others. (You already knew the poor host was gonna be in for a long clean up session...and if they had money, then their poor cleaning people for having such entitled bosses.) You could already see the red drink seeping into the white, white carpet and had you not heard Mingyu’s name, you would’ve stayed behind to clean it. 

It didn’t take long to spot Mingyu; he was always the easiest to find in a crowded room. However, he didn’t look happy; he looked like he was out for blood and upon closer inspection, you found him holding your ex-boyfriend by the collar of his Christmas sweater. And if there was anything you knew about Kim Mingyu, it was the fact he wouldn’t strike unless provoked. So, he must’ve heard something, and while he glared daggers into your ex’s eyes, you weren’t afraid for Mingyu’s safety. (Mingyu’s height and frequent visits to the local gym made him scary to the wrong people.)

“Say it again,” Mingyu threatened him, not knowing that you could see him.

“Hey man, look I didn’t mean it like that. I just-”

“Y/N is not a toy or an object for you to be talking shit. You wanna talk shit, I’m right here.”

“You got the wrong idea; you guys just seemed really cozy lately-”

“How the fuck is any of that your business?”

You wondered why no one tried to diffuse the situation. Sure they had their phones out and everything, but no one was stepping in to try to convince Mingyu to let go.You had to admit how amused you were. You could feel the tension yes, but it didn’t stop you from enjoying the scene. You had suffered for so long, shed too many tears, and stopped taking care of yourself all for no good reason. You weren’t the type to tell anyone who hurt you that you still wished them the best. No, you wished all kinds of pain on them, for them to feel what you did. (It wasn’t your healthiest trait if you were honest, but you weren’t perfect and you were only human.)

Seeing him the way you felt for so long gave you a sense of power. They couldn’t see you and you knew that if you came into view Mingyu would immediately let go and your ex would scurry to the opposite side of the house...if he didn’t leave right away, that is. And that made you smile...a lot. Hell, if Mingyu wanted to deck him in the face once, that be the best Christmas present ever.

“Y/N, control your boyfriend,” you heard a friend whisper to you. “It’s Christmas and this is a time for all of us to be together, happily.”

“Ahh, you’re the one. I get it. Are you afraid that Mingyu’s gonna hurt your boyfriend?” You didn’t say that Mingyu wasn’t your boyfriend...or that he wouldn’t actually hurt him. You’ve seen how soft-hearted this boy really was. He sang Christmas carols at a hospital not too long ago. Part of you wanted to see how much longer this would play out, but you actually saw people getting too scared now to actually intervene. So, you broke it up yourself. “Mingyu?” you managed to say as quietly as possible. How pulled off a scared look, you didn’t know but hey it worked.

As predicted, Mngyu’s hand gripping at the collar went slack and he pulled back. The anger you saw on his face, however, surprised you. “Hey,” he said, keeping his voice low.

Your ex finally had some color on his face and somehow managed to spit out, “You two deserve each other anyway.” and ran to go hide. No doubt come Monday, the shit-talking would start and he’d try to make himself look good. Not that you cared or that Mingyu cared.

“Sorry I kept you waiting,” he apologized. “Traffic. But this party already sucks. So I’m just gonna head out. Do you wanna come with me?”

You didn’t give it a second thought as you nodded your head, and you walked out the door with him without saying goodbye to anyone. “Where are we going?” 

“Well, unless you have a different idea, I’m thinking we could just drive around.” He opened the passenger side for you and once you were in, he walked around and started his car. “By the way, I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. Your ex really likes to talk, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about him...what did he tell you anyway?”

“Well, he’s convinced I’m dating you due to all the times he’s seen me come out of your apartment...so early in the morning. But he also wanted to know some information that really wasn’t his to know.”

“What -”

“You’re a person, not a toy that can be played with and then be put to the side. God, I wish I could’ve hit him. Are you cold? Let me turn on the heater for you.” He fumbled around with knobs nad buttons until a burst of warm air hit the car and then you were on your way. He turned on the radio and quickly changed stations as soon as he heard the Christmas songs. It’s not that he hated them, he just hated how overplayed they were. “So, what’d you get me?”

“What makes you think this is for you?”

“The Mingyu in bold letters does the trick. And if it was yours, you would’ve unwrapped it by now and showed it off.”

“I really hate that you’re a good guesser.” You turned the present around in your hands so the friction could keep them warm. “It’s just a cologne. I smelled it when I was on my break once, and I thought it’d be a good scent for you.”

“You have amazing taste.” His eyes widened at the sight in front of him as the roads soon became covered in snow. He drove a little further along until he could stop at the side of the road. He pulled out some gloves in the backseat and then got off. He waited for you to get off on your own because he knew you didn’t care much for snow or the cold weather in general and he felt like he could wait. He liked snow; it was temporary and it brought people close together, be it making forts, building snowmen, or trying to catch the flakes on their tongues. 

“Why’d you stop here?” you managed to chatter out. You blew on your hands to keep them warm and then stuffed them into your jacket.

“It’s quiet and calm. I don’t think it feels like Christmas until it’s cold and dark. And even with all the lights decorating the houses, it’s still too dark to see unless you're in the neighborhood.” He leaned back, watching the cars speed by, most of them carrying trees to decorate once they got home and he smiled, thinking of all the kids who’d put the ornaments and fighting over who got to the star on top. Mingyu watched you struggle to keep warming your hands to he reached over took them into his. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed one a little and then put it in his pocket. 

He took the other one and blew on it, not giving up until it was a lot warmer than when he started. Although, his gloves helped in the process. “Better?”

“A little.” You liked how close he was to you,and you could smell the peppermint creamer from his coffee. You liked his company...and him in general. He was warm. You let go of him then, only to wrap your arms around him. And you liked the pressure he put on his arms as he hugged you back. No one did it quite like Mingyu.

“Hey Y/N…”

“Yes Mingyu?”

“You’re really cold.”

“So are you.”

You were grateful to him, especially in moments like these. 

“Hey Y/N?”

“Yes Mingyu?”

“You smell really good.”

“So do you.”

You felt so content, something you had been lacking for sometime.

“Hey Y/N?”

“Yes Mingyu?”

“I think I wanna kiss you.”

“Me too.”

Gently, so gently as to not disturb the moment, he angled your face perfectly so that he could give you the softest of kisses and one for every time he wanted to tell you how much you meant to him. The snow brought you comfort for once in your life, and you finally found that missing piece.

“Hey Y/N?”

“Yes Mingyu?”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

Maybe that missing piece was Mingyu.

{fic} That Old Sweet Feeling (part 27)

Fandom:  The Adventure Zone:  Commitment Rating:  M Chapter Warnings:  None Relationship:  Nadiya Jones/Mary Word Count:  1,106

Here on AO3. Read the rest: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26

Tagging @someone-called-f1nch, @voidfishkid, @mellowstarscape, and @jumpboy-rembrandt!

This is the last chapter before the finale three. I can’t believe it. We’re almost there.

Also, in case any of you have read Won’t Go Quietly, I know there are some similarities in this chapter to chapter three but I promise that it’ll end happier. Really.

Chapter Summary:   Nadiya makes a suggestion. Mary Sage likes the sound of it. Grace provides a way.

__________________

Nadiya woke up slowly, curled tightly around Mary Sage.

Today’s the day, she thought vaguely, and decided she didn’t really have to be awake yet. If she could, she would stay here forever, arms wrapped around her girlfriend, not having to think about anything except what they were going to have for breakfast and whether she should make coffee at home or pick it up on the way to work.

That’s what she wanted, she realized. She wanted a regular life with her job back, and with a small but cozy apartment, and waking up with Mary Sage again and again and again.

“You awake, Nad?”

“Yeah.” Nadiya buried her face in Mary Sage’s hair and breathed in her soft, Florida-reminiscent scent. “Wish I wasn’t.”

“How ya doin’?”

“Not great,” Nadiya admitted. “I wish we didn’t have to do this.”

“Me too.” Mary Sage twisted her head back so she could give Nadiya a sleepy kiss. “How long d’you think we can stay in bed before Grace comes in an’ yells at us?”

“Not long enough.” Nadiya knew she wouldn’t have the courage to say it later – or the time, probably. “Mary Sage?”

“Mmhmm?” Mary Sage turned around fully, blinking soft, sleepy eyes at Nadiya.

“If we… survive tonight,” Nadiya said, “I – God. I know we’re girlfriends now. But I really  like you. And I don’t want to… not do this.” She gestured between them.

“I mean, same,” Mary Sage said. “What’re you sayin’?”

“I don’t know what plans you have, but I was thinking… half-thinking… maybe we could live together,” Nadiya said, in a voice so quiet Mary Sage wouldn’t have been able to hear it if they weren’t so close.

Mary Sage was silent for a long moment, just long enough for Nadiya to start thinking this was a bad idea, for her to think about panicking, but then she smiled a little. “Don’t have any plans,” she said. “Never did, really. I worked with my parents on their shit until they got arrested, and then – well, you know since then. Tryin’ to get them free an’ the Fellowship an’ all. I think… I’d really like that, Nad.”

“Yeah?” Nadiya nudged her nose against Mary Sage’s, making eye contact with more difficulty than she usually did – usually Mary Sage had her glasses on, and that made it easier. “We could… find an apartment, and I could see if I can rebuild my lab at all. It wouldn’t be very big. Unless Dad helps out, I’m pretty broke.”

“Bet I’m broker,” Mary Sage said, and giggled. “Hell, Nad, I don’t care if I’m sleepin’ in a closet as long as I’m with you. Maybe I can even get a real adult job.”

“Wouldn’t that be something.” Nadiya took a deep breath and smiled. “And we’ll get your parents out of jail.”

“They’d like you,” Mary Sage said, and rested her forehead against Nadiya’s shoulder. “They were always tellin’ me to find somebody nice, they didn’t think it was good for me to stay with them forever. Don’t think any of this was what they meant, but…”

“It works anyways.”

“Let’s plan on that,” Mary Sage said. “Let’s count on winning. Let’s say we’re gonna wake up again tomorrow morning, an’ this whole shitshow’ll be over. Okay?”

“Okay,” Nadiya said.

And as they both drifted back to sleep, Nadiya could feel their heartbeats – predictable as the sunrise peeking in through the curtains, comforting as a daily cup of coffee.

 It seemed like no time at all until Grace was handing out supplies and shooing them into their respective rooms. “The fake IDs should get us in,” she said. “They don’t need to do anything more than that. Avoid anyone familiar or in uniform until the ball’s rolling. We can’t do anything with the cameras until we’re ready to cut into the feed. The IDs and everything else you need should be in here.”

Earlier in the week, Grace had prepared disguises for them, with their input. Or rather, they were what she called disguises – she claimed it was going to be a fancy event, so they’d need to fit in. Nadiya’d gone with a suit, as she had a feeling it’d be easier to fight in, and there was no way she wasn’t going to be fighting. Simple enough: dress pants, an ivory shirt, and a dark vest with a tie. It was probably all going to be ruined anyways – Grace said not to worry about the cost, so Nadiya didn’t.

She’d requested one other thing, though.

Awkwardly, watching a how-to video on YouTube as she stood in front of a mirror, she wound the purple paisley scarf around her head, pushing bobby pins into the sides to hold it in place.

Propped against the mirror, her parents stared at her from behind cheap glass. She wasn’t a carbon copy of either of them. She needed people, unlike her dad. She wanted to stay  with people, unlike her mom.

She was Nadiya Jones, and she was wearing a hijab because she wanted to, and she had a girlfriend, and she was going to fucking kill Martine.

“Nad?” There was a light tap on the door.

Nadiya turned around, and standing in the doorway, a grin on her face, was Mary Sage. She was wearing an asparagus-green, knee-length dress over short brown leggings. She was also wearing sandals and a knitted beige cardigan, the sleeve of which she was tugging on. Her hair was no less wild and orange, her eyes no less muddy behind her round coke-bottle glasses, her freckles no less prominent, her nose no less snub and upturned, but Nadiya felt something lurch inside of her at the sight of Mary Sage. Her girlfriend.

“You look really good,” Mary Sage said.

Nadiya flushed. “You do too.”

“All fancy.” Mary Sage walked up to her and ran her fingers over the edge of Nadiya’s hijab absently, and then again, with more intention. “This is new.”

“I wanted to try something different,” Nadiya said. “Haven’t see you in a skirt before.”

“I like wearing them, but they’re not great for bein’ on the run,” Mary Sage said with a shrug. “Think we look enough like rich people?”

“I hope so.” Nadiya fiddled with the bracelet around her wrist. She hadn’t been willing to take it off, even if it did look unprofessional. It was too important. “You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Mary Sage tugged a little at Nadiya’s tie – Nadiya wasn’t sure whether her intention was to straighten it or set it askew – and then grabbed Nadiya’s hand. “Let’s fuck up the feds.”

we pull ken out he has begged to leave we help Thor ps your an asshole tohim i see him say it to your face you are weak slow fat and waht do you want head over there...and you say i tell go tell you die by their hand and your dumb sayingtit as your a faggot...weak...fag...lotsof times ok toomany he needs tobe away from you...true too there are no morehumans here but he doesnt care that much  Hera it is veryo true and he is weak and a homo.  thya ll are and really ken...nad she saw you and yours hitting your womenand they want you to hit me and so on and you want to be gay or else you complyo to bg and it is not only a  waste of time but it is ntmathematically correct you sacrifice your bodies and brains to be fags..and for macs. ok so what right Zues you say it it happens but i see iammthat way and worse or better all here are badly gay..and it is like this your a minoritya dn i want a friend who does it not likeyou... ken so go find a friend who is a fag ok dont need a friend really and most cant believe it...i definately dont need idiots getting the wrong idea...at all.  if you made amove you would bre broken and pob gone forever as they would clense thearea.   andps you are not well..and ps you die lots due to it..get it. Zues and i see iam outof control as dave was and i do see it and yourr ight we aer weak and ant stop...no deterrent goodenough and i see that power..so your in trouble right andi  want gay s...ken says... ken and i will say you will die i dont andim not gay in any way and you will pay for insisiting onit you areso faggy and weak...others makey ou is enoughcover to whipe outwhats left...it isnt helpoingno thats tno true but f u with your fagshit ok puper we kil fags get it...are you deaf you hleped they saw you they paly on one ofmany weaknesses of your kind that kills you. Zues we seethat kills us..and they do it the macs. so what..no.  f off bg y our an idiot. this isreal the do it to himlots and he battles allnight no relief t all i see why intel and to whom...bja..who cares...and i made a copy of it and took lots out...tons.  and he wanted to buildone...so does wie but...ok.  wont beincorporated atall. and sent it and thy have it someone says...and not ken.  and i hve one here and  it says caa all over it sowhat send it with me on it and sh they hit you stupid...and you wnt to send it dont you idiot right...go send it for pay you fn shit fuck you with your fag stuff weaklings ok..you sellit as intel that way they are there to do other stuff gezuz fags... Zues well..true...and it is taylor and i do konw where his intel is...so i hold it taylor you letout a yell or growl ok it is your achilles heal as is your laser deisgnation and so on... ken i have it too taylor you aint so swift adn it is remotely held...so lets give you tenminutes ok.   Zues ok ten taylor nine now Zues fine we go together taylor nah you have competitors. Zues and yousay remotely how i say it fag it goes out mysterisly but you have to find out to sotp it lazy faggot shit your so fucki dead taylor shitfaggot i hit you myself you stay hter Zues fine ihear it and y ousty there i et out of...what truck faggot fine imout of here tayleor yeh leave i hv guns onyou and your dikless state is dissolved daily you fag. Zues you knowwhat your serious they aient tayor fu they are shit forbreains we hit tonsyof you idiots and your amac and an idiot math 101 nope so your good  Zues i fig out this yousay it it happensso i waitreport it wasyou taylor aaawww what a girl you shit fag.  that is how i startedaniling nonillion of you smerter dopes Zues oh...strted  lol nope i dont get it tayleor ihaveppl hitting you taylor ad tons of your clan and families have your gilrs andkids women and are holding themi in thier houses nearby at gunpoint go try for agun but we have yours ok.  all of them faggot. your  afuckig fag ok Thor he works wiht me adn forme taylor are you bullet proof taylor Zues and you macs listenig getting happyy nope we hear it are yuou cloake dallhearing fags i amsosick of you all day lall night horseshit let us move in Armies now adn tons and all in too take them a outrapid stylenow Zues we are. here now. this is what gets t them..and they admit it nightly.  and meow like kittens.  so we hit thm harder now.faster..and pull it all out let them see it use it now...i hear them lets do this here please we meet all int eh war room now. and Arrianne Nuada attack please and thank him properly for  his assist. you felt like a big shot so did we and it worked doeshe have  hugeone and then this a planet, and yes, the ugly named one.  and we see moons...and a fake one or two.  huge guess work for them.  like marbles i issue commands now and while speaking....and we fly int now and hit this is so bad and any othe fst stuff is good...we see it hit him these are so stupid...fn fags..we caught it earlier and moved in tanks too.  this is heavy time now.  and we shieldtoo this area shortly..we move it all in if we can...we are there and these dont mind...and we can mobe inshorter towers...did have Pyramids..and we sahll now and moving troops you join up. and thank you Thor he says and ai agree Arrianne Nuada and i knew you would like it we save you lots and you know it has been that way for a longtime and your children...we know weare called that andforever due to him he is old.  so we respect him.  even millions of yers form now still sir and hello sir you too. and you thank us this will be a fun life..versus theis drudgery...cold poorly lit ehouses and places to gateh weird places...usaull a threat o r kidnappig attempt, seething angry aasses due to small nothig stuff or large...hue issues about teeny things and blown way out to be mad per other idiots and violence all the time and sickenss encouraged infighting all day it is vulgar and notto mention the heavier sins...but live likeanimals in the dark in dirtand unclean places unclean houses andselves shit all over and poisons and more.  but really..dull and dimwitted Thor and i Hera and Freya we mad etons of moveis as did Posiden and others.  tons.  huge huge pieces.  and literature and huge folklore legands and songs sonenets symphonies these fake i copy and really used my own voice a lot of times..droll boring lives..in westboro sons and daughters, sat around eating drinking and ont the best...pizza wings and crappy stuff...adn drank and drnk and were the higherups  adn they were depresed a lot and had evil lives that were daily too on top of running so fast they wereblind...sleeping around rattingback stabibgn and animal stuff butmild but all the time..it was hard. dad and mom were stronger i thought...and mostly were...i cannot see any of them showing it. only greed poorjudgment but hte life style is horroendous im poor like it i can be rich acting at any point so who cares your porall day nd they dont care yuky meaning poor dont live cleanly or eat right and it is disgusting.  the routines in westbor were poor but elsewhere really gross base.  and my livingsituation horrendous i mean really. andthe jerks lived here w me i thought as  a cover adn re realy dumb enough to do it all thtime here.  we saw ita nd see this is how they choose to live as paupers and hold money from ll of ours ad it is terrible and bad..and they pay for it now.  all. and we respect you for it enduring itfor us..looking them in the face and acting...like an actor.  these cant even act they mses up simple lines fomthe script and yes start over it is hilarious they are in danger and walk back say ok take ii...and are fools too.  so we hit them and they yell it we are.  ad i say yourdead you do actually die for real.  adn they say prove it adn we do, the son of Zues states. they do die. and i feel it is beyond normal.  but theywer esmarte in westboro...i think. they shoudl now it most other races do.  and denial to us well. and you dont care well we dont care to see you  alive s.  fag.  at all.  ok and bja ou arenot th onl diot here.  let me say thisyou hveprovento be more than useless...and you acutallly die fo ryour idiotic useless to begin with threats.  fake loud lame not backed and mostly curde jokes and meatn to boehter harm or hurt and not for stff and hit hasnothelped Olympus

Okay, so after reading some fairy tale retellings (like ‘Towering’ and ‘Cloaked’--still working on the latter, though), I decided to try writing my own. HOWEVER, I am so mad at myself because originally, this was more like a story-within-a-story -type thing (like, the plot was just a fairy tale Monty [from Class of 2068] was reading, and later she explains the story to Jin [and any other character within range to hear her fangirl over her favorite book]). The problem came when I gave the characters names. Because then I ended up giving them backstories, fleshed out their world, and gave the plot more depth. And then I got attached to them. So voila, I decided to actually write an entire, full-length story out about them. And I couldn’t decide which fairy tale to focus on, so it turned into a fun--and really gay omj--mashup of the Frog Prince, Rapunzel, and Beauty and the Beast (and a mixture of various versions of these tales, combined with my own spin).

...And okay, every time I look at this, all I see is Isabelle going “Antoine LeGuin! Get your nasty-ass yaoi hand off my shoulder before I kick you in the nads so hard you’ll become a soprano.”

SOOOO, I guess it’s time for character intros (all six of these losers are the ‘good guys’; I’ll draw a villain doodle at some point). Under a readmore because I got enthusiastic and wrote more about them than I should have.

Dude in red is Antoine LeGuin. I decided early on that his dad was French and his mom was English, hence the red coat (even though I didn’t really set a time period for this, though for some reason I’m gravitating to before the American War of Independence). But still. Red coat for aesthetics. He singlehandedly saved the village from bandits when he was only sixteen, so everyone practically hero-worships him, which gave him a huge ego.  Anywho, I call this guy ‘dudebro with a heart of gold’. Because at first he comes off as a jerk, but he’s not totally heartless (and later admits to himself and others that he was a total asscravat--speaking of which, I was almost tempted to give him a cravat). He’s also incredibly respectful to Perdante, even in his most assholish moments to everyone else. And even though the first part of the story has him pining after his schoolyard crush, Isabelle, turns out he’s not the epitome of straight masculinity that he thought. Spoiler: he ends up falling in love with Prince Marius. Also, he’s sort of a red herring (HA! get it? Since the color he’s associated with is red??) in terms of villains because, surprise, he’s one of the good guys. He was just a jerk, but not evil. The real bad guys are people in his friend group (actually, his whole friend group but Perdante, sucks to be Antoine, omj), though the main villains (besides the sorceress who fucked with the royal characters’ lives) are named Jacques and Claudette.  Fun fact: Antoine was named after Antoine D’Coolette from Sonic the Hedgehog.

Guy above him in green is Marius Côté. He’s the prince of one of the provinces in this fantasy world. When the story starts, he’s a greedy young man obsessed with money and taxing the crap out of his subjects. But when he cheats a poor woman out of her money, it turns out she’s a sorceress, and due to his greed and general assholery (think of his personality being like Kuzco’s), she turns him into a frog. However, she was lenient with him, because he can still talk to humans. To change back, he needs to learn to be less greedy...not to mention he has to kiss a royal. So of course, like everyone else, poor Marius thinks he needs to woo and kiss a princess. Which would work, but he’s not attracted to any of them. However, the first part of the kiss is broken when he accidentally kisses Antoine (after Antoine gets lost in an enchanted forest and literally stumbles upon Marius, the talking frog. It’s a long story XD). The reason he changed back? Antoine’s grandmother’s maiden name was ‘Roy’, meaning ‘king’. So technically, Marius kissed ‘a royal’. The two end up falling in love the more time they spend in the forest together, and Marius ends up helping Antoine kick the bad guys’ asses in the climax of the story.  Fun fact: Marius was named after Marius Pontmercy from Les Miserables.  

The girl in teal is Isabelle Marchand. She was good friends with Antoine when they were young, but as they got older, they grew apart due to their different interests (Isabelle preferred academic studies, while Antoine inherited his father’s gun repair shop). And while Isabelle’s feelings toward him stayed static, Antoine’s feelings became more romantic in nature. At first, he was persistent but polite, but when another potential suitor, his friend Jacques Gagnon, starts taking an interest in her, Antoine becomes more competitive in his efforts to woo Isabelle. This in turn pisses Isabelle off and she ends the friendship. She has no interest in Jacques, though, nor any other man in the town. She is more preoccupied with her mother’s death and taking care of her epileptic father. After said father, on one of his trips to a larger town to sell his pottery, picks a rose from what he thinks is an abandoned castle garden, he is captured by what he thinks is a monster. In a moment of cowardice, he states that he’ll bring his daughter to the monster if he’s freed. Anyone reading this probably knows how the story goes, so I’ll skip ahead and say that the monster turns out to be a prince who was cursed. Isabelle ends up falling in love with him, and blah blah blah, happily ever after. Fun fact: Isabelle was named after any incarnation of Beauty from multiple versions of Beauty and the Beast.

To the right of Isabelle is Abel Lebeau (wow, narcissistic surname, much?) Like Marius, at the beginning of the story, he’s an assholish prince with a shitty attitude towards others. But the same sorceress who turned Marius into a frog got a bit more creative this time and, after being denied shelter in Abel’s castle, transformed him into a conglomeration of various furry creatures, aka, a beast. True to any version of the story, he has to fall in love with someone within a set period of time or else he’d remain a beast forever. Also involved in this mess was anyone still in the castle at the time the curse was cast. So Abel’s servants, royal guests at the time, and even his dog, got stuck as walking, talking stone statues. But after a year of Isabelle living in the castle with him, the two fall in love, and the curse is broken. Fun fact: Abel was named as such because he had to change his personality to be ‘able’ to break the curse. Also, his surname, Lebeau, means ‘the handsome one’.

To the right of Abel is Bucky Barnes, er Perdante Fournier. She can be considered the main protagonist of all six of these characters, since the story focuses a lot on her perspective. As the story begins, she is escaping her cruel household, who intended to either marry her off to a man twice her age or force her into a convent (they gave her the option to pick between the two) by stealing her father’s horse and setting off to a village far away from hers, where she disguises herself as a man. (And when people asked about her light voice, she BS-es it by saying she has a condition that made it sound weird XD). At this village, she seeks out the strongest man, who she wants to befriend so she’d be seen as ‘manly’, too (not to mention she has no money and needs a place to stay). That’s where she meets town hero and heartthrob Antoine. After failing to out-drink him, she ends up telling him her intentions. He, reminded of himself and his own ambitions, agrees to help her out, and keep her gender under-wraps. On one condition: she cannot fall in love with him when they live together. Which is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy for Perdante here. Because she’s hella gay. BOOM. I just shattered the cliche love story between these two before it even started, XD. For awhile, she has a relationship with a barmaid named Claudette, but it’s short-lived (also, it’s revealed later on in the story that Claudette’s intentions were less than stellar, yikes. But poor Perdante doesn’t know this until the climax of the story). After escaping the same enchanted forest Antoine gets lost in, she comes across a tower in the middle of a clearing, and helps the young woman, Johanna, who was trapped in it, escape. Plot happens, and they fall in love. -heart eyes- Fun fact: Perdante means ‘loser’ (female version) in French (or at least, that’s what my dictionary says?). Ouch, not a flattering name at all. She was named as such because she was the firstborn, but she was female. Her father wanted sons, so even at birth, she lost his respect and interest. To make matters worse, the rest of his offspring (four more) were male. Also, when she disguises herself as male, she goes by the male version of ‘loser’, Perdant. 

Finally, above Perdante is Johanna von König. When her mother, the Queen of a German-speaking province, was pregnant with her, she had a craving for lettuce. So her husband, the King, decides to steal some from the local sorceress’s garden. Brilliant idea. Not. Because her lettuce was enchanted. In retaliation for the theft, the sorceress took the Queen’s baby, named Johanna, and locked her in a tower far away. Because the lettuce gave Johanna some...interesting...abilities. (Tears that can heal things and hair that grows WAAAAY faster than normal.) Many years pass, and the now-twenty year old Johanna is restless and wants to leave the tower. And of course, after the sorceress leaves to ‘check up on someone’ (which turns out to be Prince Abel), Perdante helps Johanna escape the tower, and decides to take her back to the village. As the story goes on, the two fall in love, and the story ends with an epic triple wedding (Johanna/Perdante, Abel/Isabelle, and Antoine/Marius). The King and Queen are so happy to have their daughter back that they don’t give a shit that she not only married another woman, but another woman whose name means ‘loser’ in French, XD. Fun fact: Johanna was named after Johanna Barker from Sweeney Todd. 

Sliver of Hope

Summary: With a little order restored, Cash and Dahlia feel their child kicking for the first time.

Cash:

The order around the flat had been restored as best as it could with Nate. He knew the boy was safe and for that much he let Nate do his little rebelling stunt. He knew that eventually he’d need to come back and he’d be there. He had gotten back from getting them a few things, he had been picking things up for the baby little by little. However, when he walked into the door he couldn’t help but smirk. Dahlia had surely popped by now, and all the boys knew she was pregnant, not that he cared. The look on her face made him quirk his eyebrow. “Either something’s up, or daddy’s going to get lucky today.” He had been enjoying this stage of pregnancy very much lately, the boys weren’t enjoying it so much. He walked over to Dahlia and leaned down kissing her. “Hey, hot little thing.”

Dahlia:

Things still didn’t feel right, or normal without Nate around, but she was doing her best to not think about it .Cash had promised her that Nate was safe, and that was all that mattered, anyways. She had to wonder if Cash had seen him lately, but she trusted him and knew that he was making all the right decisions. He always did. She was sitting on the couch, running her hand over her stomach, which was getting larger by the day, when she felt it. It was like… butterflies or something, but she knew. It was the baby. When Cash opened the door, her face lit up. “Come here!” She said excitedly, grinning at him. “Cash, hurry,” she exclaimed, watching as he came over. She kissed him back, but then she took his hand. “Feel!” She exclaimed, waiting a few moments until she felt it again. “Did you feel that?”

Cash:

Cash couldn’t help but laugh softly at her excitement. “I am coming holding your horses woman.” He teased as he moved over to her and felt her guide his hand to her stomach, as he looked confused down at her. “Yeah your stomach is grumbling, I mean I brought food back with me. I thought I told you to keep up with eating so we can have a big strong little boy.” He leaned down to kiss her stomach than he felt it again. “I think your stomach is trying to kick me in the mouth, which is very rude….” He froze for a moment, before he realized what it had been, as his eyes searched hers for confirmation.

Dahlia:

Dahlia looked at him and rolled her eyes when he teased her, but she was still extremely excited, nothing could take her excitement away. Even though she was still scared out of her mind, she was incredibly excited for their baby, and she knew that Cash was going to be a fantastic father to their little baby, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl. When he didn’t seem to get it, she opened her mouth to tell him what was happening, but then he was kissing her stomach. She watched as realization hit him as he spoke and nodded her head excitedly. “The baby’s kicking!” She exclaimed, grinning at him. “Cash, the baby is actually kicking!”

Cash:

Cash didn’t want to admit it but he was excited to see his child, he wanted to know what he or she looked like, although he was still banking on the fact that he’d produce a boy. As he figured out the baby was kicking, he looked up at her excited face. “No fuckin way, you have got to be shittin me. You are not kicking, What the fuckin hell.” His voice was more out of shock than anything, all very suddenly this was becoming real. Their child was moving, and Dahlia was growing and in a few short months they’d meet this person they created and he’d be responsible for one more. Cash just shook his head leaning up as he crashed his lips to his girlfriends. “Our baby is kicking, fucking cool.”

Dahlia:

She grinned at him as she watched his face. It was an amazing thing for her to watch, seeing him realize that the baby was kicking. She knew for him, it was a lot less real because he didn’t deal with everything that she had to deal with- the morning sickness, the getting big, he exhaustion sometimes. But seeing him get excited made her even more excited for their baby. “I’m not,” she said, grinning at him. “Do you need another reminder?” She asked, taking his hand and putting it on her stomach again, grinning. She watched him and grinned, kissing him back, she wrapped her arms around him. “I know!” She laughed, happy. “It’s so amazing. I’m so happy that he’s kicking.”

Cash:

“Yeah I need another reminder.” He laughed softly feeling the soft movement of this son. He held Dahlia tightly to him. “He’s kicking! You said he! HA!” He teased her kissing her cheek as he than looked down at her moving to sit on the couch he just held her and their small child. “Bring on this child, we got this.” He said confidently, he was slowly getting back to his old self. “Bloody fuckin hell. I got to go tell Nate.” He said before he even thought of the words leaving his mouth, he gave her a sheepish look.

Dahlia:

“Did that remind you?” She asked, grinning at him. She let him hold her tightly to him nad rested her head against him. She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I still think it’s a girl,” She teased back, grinning at him. She smiled as he kissed her cheek and then just held her. She rested her head against him and smiled. “I know we do,” She said, but she liked seeing him so confident. But her smile fell when he said he had to go tell Nate. She was quiet for a moment, the regret that she was feeling hitting her, and the pain of missing him. “I miss him,” she said softly. 

Cash:

“Yeah it did, bloody brilliant.” He said laughing as he held his arm around her letting her rest against his chest. “You suck at predicting then.” He said back in jest. He sighed as he felt bombarded with her emotions. “I talked to him the other day.” Cash admitted, although he missed having Nate around. “I think you should take Mason with you, let him lead the way to Nate’s new place and you two should talk and patch things up, he’s open to it.” Cash wouldn’t tell her the things he had to go through to help Nate out of his emotions for her but something like that was not anything they agreed they wanted to burden her with while pregnant the child was both boys concern. “Maybe the baby kicking will butter him up.”

Dahlia:

Dahlia grinned at him and then rested her head against his chest as she closed her eyes and just rested for a few moments. “We’ll see about that,” she said with a grin on her lips. She couldn’t help but feel a little…hurt that he didn’t tell her sooner, but she knew that it was just the pregnancy hormones. “You did? Is he…okay?” She asked with a worried frown. She was honestly more than a little surprised to hear that Nate could possibly be open to talking to her and patching things up, not after everything that was said. But she nodded her head. “I…okay. I’ll see if Mason wants to go with me,” she finally agreed. But she didn’t really know what she was going to feel once she saw Nate again. It had been so long…and she just…didn’t know what to say. She smiled faintly. “Yeah, maybe.”

Cash:

“So we shall.” He told her shaking his head as he looked down at her seeing her worried frown. “I made sure he had food, and everything he needed so yes he’s okay. He seems to be doing pretty good on his own for now.” Cash didn’t think that he’d get Nate to come home just yet but he hoped soon. He missed having his brother around on a daily basis. “Mason will go with you, that kid would do anything you ask.” The kid was shaping up to be a good soldier. “Just go talk to him, he’s still the same Nate just calmer again… I think this year for some reason hit him hard with his parents and all the changes with us and everything. He just needed a little reassurance.” 

Dahlia:

Dahlia looked at him and smiled before she kissed his cheek. She ran her hand through her hair and took a few deep breaths as he said that he made sure he had food and that he was doing okay. “I’m glad that you saw him,” she said, softly. “Really glad. I’ve been so…worried about you, you know?” She asked. She knew that Cash wasn’t going to admit that he missed Nate, but she knew that he had to. She nodded her head. “That sounds like a good idea,” She said after a few moments, even though she was nervous. “I guess that makes sense. This year has been really…different,” she said, looking down at her stomach and running her hand over it.

Cash:

“You are always worried about me, that’s nothing new.” He countered a bit playfully, even though it had been true she always worried even if he always came out the other side clean. Cash wasn’t going to admit to her he missed having Nate around. But they were a band of brothers no matter what. “Yeah?” He nodded his head, they had gone through plenty of changes. “I mean shit, were unexpected parents, you are pregnant and having our child. Things out there have changed too.”

Dahlia:

She shrugged her shoulders. “True,” she said, looking at him. “But you give me a lot of reasons to worry,” she pointed out, but she was smiling. She was sure that he would always get through everything, but still…she worried. It was just who she was. She bit her lip and nodded her head when he said yeah, but she didn’t say anything further. Instead she just curled up with him and nodded. “I think that’s one of the biggest changes,” she admitted. “The baby. But not a bad change.” She looked towards the door. “Things have been different out there.”

Cash:

“I have no bloody idea what you are talking about, woman.”Cash attempted innocence when in truth he didn’t know what to be innocent really meant. “The baby isn’t a bad change no.” He saw her look but turned her head back to him gently. “Yeah they have been, but you are fuckin safe okay? I swear nothing will come in here and harm you.”

Dahlia:

Dahlia rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, i’m sure you don’t,” she said sarcastically, looking at him and shaking her head. But she was smiling, and thought that it was cute. “You really mean that?” She asked, smiling as she looked up at him. She let him turn her head back to him and nodded. “I know, Cash,” she said softly. “I do. I know that we’re safe.”

Cash:

Cash just gave her that smile that got him out of everything. “I really mean it love, this baby isn’t a mistake or whatever, its a good thing.” Or at least that’s what Cash had finally allowed himself to believe it was there for a purpose. “I love you.” He said softly before he leaned down to capture her lips softly.

Dahlia:

Dahlia smiled and nodded her head when he spoke. “I’m glad you think that,” she smiled, looking up at him. “I don’t think the baby is a mistake either. Because it’s not,” she said, resting her head against him and squeezed his hand gently. She smiled. “I love you too,” she replied easily. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him.

Cash:

“Nah the baby’s not a mistake.” He told her softly, as he bit his lip. Cash still had no idea how he was going to be a father, he just hoped he saw this kid and than it all clicked or whatever for him. “You better.” Cash held her closer as he deepened their kiss. 

Dahlia:

Dahlia looked at him and ran her hand through her hair and bit her lip. “I’m glad to hear you say that,” she said, kissing him gently and smiled. She knew that things would work out. They had to. She laughed and nodded her head. “Of course,” She said. She let him hold her closer and deepened their kiss, wrapping her arms around him.

Cash:

“I can be reassuring at times you know,” He teased her as they kissed. They would figure it out, they had been taking on the world together lately. “You know this place is quiet…maybe we should make a bit of a racquet ourselves.” He said smirking, his hand slid over her side teasing her a bit. “Maybe shed what we have on?”

Dahlia:

“I know,” she said, nodding her head when he spoke. “You are very reassuring, love,” she said. She smiled at him and knew that they could do whatever it was that they would have to for their child. She grinned and nodded her head .”I like the sound of that,” she said, giggling and letting out a small whimper when he teased her. “That sounds like a brilliant plan.”

{fic} That Old Sweet Feeling (part 19)

Fandom:  The Adventure Zone:  Commitment Rating:  M Chapter Warnings:  Dissociation Relationship:  Nadiya Jones/Mary Word Count:  1,904

Here on AO3. Read the rest: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

Tagging @someone-called-f1nch, @voidfishkid, @mellowstarscape, and @jumpboy-rembrandt!

things are gettin’ gay, I promise

Chapter Summary:   Nadiya takes a risk. Mary Sage reaches out. Kardala makes a connection.

__________________

“Anything?” Nadiya squinted at the map marked with black X’s. Who even used physical maps anymore?

Addison shook their head, resting their wrists on the top of the steering wheel. “Nothing. Sorry.”

“Me neither,” Flanagan said from the backseat. “Try the next one.”

Nadiya let out a sharp hiss from between her teeth, making another slash across the map at their intersection. “We’ve already been to seven places.” She ran the end of the pen along her teeth, making a ticking sound. “Where else she could be?”

“We have a few more places to check out,” Addison reassured her. “Don’t worry, we’ll, uh, we’ll find her, Nad.”

“Don’t call me that,” Nadiya muttered.

Addison put the car in reverse and backed out of the parking space, checked their mirrors even though there was no one else on the street, and headed off in a new direction. Nadiya groaned to herself. They hadn’t even left until almost one (all three of them had slept like the dead, even with Kardala taking the couch, Nadiya curled into a chair, and Remy sprawled on the carpet). It had been four hours so far of driving around, listening to Addison alternately whistle and talk about their pet rabbit, and not finding Mary Sage, and Nadiya was fed up.

Not that she was thinking about quitting. They were going to find Mary Sage if they had to search all day and into tomorrow. That wasn’t a question. She just wished it was happening faster.

Suddenly, Addison’s whistling cut off. “Holy shit.”

Flanagan leaned forward. “You felt it too?”

“Yeah, yeah –” Addison jerked the steering wheel, pulling onto a side street. “This way?”

“I think so. Ouch, Kardala, move.”

“There is not room to move,” Kardala complained.

“Left! Left there,” Flanagan said, pointing.

Addison did as she said. “Should be straight ahead,” they muttered.

“Shit –” Flanagan doubled over. “Addison, I –”

Kardala pulled her back before she collapsed on the gear shift. “What’s wrong?”

“Powers,” Flanagan gasped, and then shook her head, eyes clenched shut.

“Do you need me to pull over?” Addison asked over their shoulder.

Flanagan shook her head and motioned for them to keep going. After a minute, Addison slowed and parked on the street. “That figures,” they said quietly, and pointed about fifty feet away to an old-looking elementary school playground.

“That’s where she is?” Remy said.

“Must be. It makes sense. She likes hiding, or high places, or both,” Addison said. “This place has been abandoned since the nineties, no one ever bothered to do anything with the building. Or the playground, I guess.”

“She really likes abandoned places,” Remy observed.

Addison sighed. “Yeah. Listen, she probably won’t want to see me or Flanagan. One of you should go.”

“Remy? Kardala?” Nadiya asked.

Kardala shook her head. Flanagan had taken hold of her hand and was holding it tightly. “I do not think I am who Mary Sage needs.”

“Not me either,” Remy said. “I… she probably doesn’t trust me a bunch right now. You’re the best shot, Nad. She trusts you most.”

“What? No she doesn’t.” Nadiya looked skeptically from Kardala to Remy, who both nodded. “Fine,” she said, tossing the map to Addison. “Fine, fine, I’ll go.” She wrenched the car door open, got out, and slammed it closed again.

What if Mary Sage didn’t want to see her? What if she didn’t want to come back? What if she tried to kill Nadiya, like she had in Halleluland?

Nadiya set her shoulders. This was Mary Sage she was talking about. It would be fine. Probably. She walked over to the playground, climbed up the rubber steps. “Gospel Girl?” she tried, trying to stay firmly in what the fuck, man, and not edge into where are you please come out. No response. “Space Cadet?” She sighed. “Mary Sage?”

“Mary’s not here.”

Nadiya blinked, her mouth open. It felt, quite suddenly, as if she’d gotten all the air knocked out of her at the sound of Mary’s voice. She felt kind of like bursting into tears. Again.

She shook herself. No time to have a breakdown. This was about Mary Sage. She climbed another stair, then another, towards the turreted tower leading to an orange, spiraling slide.

“You sure?” Nadiya said, and there she was.

Mary Sage was curled up against the wall, holding her knees to her chest, her chin resting on them. “Yeah. Mary’s not here,” she repeated. “She’s… somewhere else.”

“Hey.” Nadiya sat down against the other wall, making the small, circular space very cramped. “Um… can she come back?”

“Maybe.” Mary Sage let out a shuddering sigh. “How’d you find me?”

“Drove around until the Suburbanites’ powers activated. Don’t know what we would’ve done if you hadn’t been nearby. How’d you get here from Vegas?”

“Hitchhiked.” Mary’s hair looked almost as matted and wild as it had in Halleluland, like she’d been tying it into knots. “Somebody… picked me up. Then another somebody. I dunno. I knew the… what’d you call ‘em? Suburbanites were around here. Addison and Flanagan. I could feel…”

“The bond,” Nadiya filled in. “Right?”

“Yeah.” Mary Sage made a tired gesture. “Didn’t wanna get too close, though.”

“We took a party bus,” Nadiya said. “It was cool, I guess.”

A smile flickered across Mary Sage’s face. “Sounds like fun.”

“It was a bit much for me,” Nadiya admitted. “Lots of gay people, though.”

“I woulda fit right in.” Mary Sage closed her unfocused eyes. “Sorry about… runnin’ off. I didn’t… couldn’t…”

“Yeah, that was kind of a dick move,” Nadiya said. But then she didn’t get a response. “Mary?”

“‘I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death,’” Mary Sage said. [Psalm 22:15-16 English Standard Version] And then she uncurled and crawled the foot or so across the space to Nadiya and wrapped her arms around her. “Thanks for comin’ for me, Nad,” she said, her voice muffled.

“Yeah… I mean, yeah, of course.” Nadiya ran her fingers uncertainly through Mary’s hair, trying not to tug on the tangles. What was she supposed to do? Irene was the one good at stuff like this, not her. Even Remy was better. Why had they sent her? “Yeah. I – we weren’t just going to leave you. Not look for you.”

“I know. And I know y’all aren’t with them,” Mary Sage said. “You don’t wanna hurt me. I know. But when Remy said all that shit… I dunno. My brain short-circuited.”

“It happens,” Nadiya said. “I guess. You okay now?”

Mary Sage shrugged and pressed herself closer to Nadiya, her glasses digging uncomfortably into Nadiya’s arm. “Maybe. I miss my folks. They knew what was up. Good people.”

“Mary, there’s something you need to know,” Nadiya said before she could lose her nerve. “Martine… isn’t in jail.”

She felt Mary Sage tense in her arms for a moment, then go limp. “Fuckin’ figures. I’m not surprised at this point. She’s too smart to get locked up.”

“That’s what Addison said,” Nadiya said.

“I bet she has somethin’ to do with my folks, too,” Mary Sage said. “If she had to do with Remy’s. He doin’ okay?”

“I think so?” Nadiya said. “I mean, I guess he’s fine. He kind of freaked out when you disappeared, but other than that…”

Mary Sage sighed. “I gotta apologize to him too. Shitty thing of me to pull. Shitty brain that told me it was a good idea.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Nadiya said, all her frustration and worries and anger – at least all of it directed towards Mary – melting. Because it wasn’t her fault. “You’re back, that’s all that really matters.”

A smile traced over Mary Sage’s face. “Aw, Nad. You miss me?”

Nadiya’s face heated. Her first instinct was to deny it, but then she nodded. “Yeah. A lot,” she admitted. “Let me know next time if you feel like you have to run, okay? We’ll figure it out. I don’t want to l–” She swallowed. “I don’t want you to leave.”

Mary Sage’s smile softened. “No promises, but I’ll do my best.”

Nadiya let out a deep breath. “Okay, feelings time over. Reed Richards has hit her feelings quota for the day. We should get back to the others.”

“’Kay.” Mary Sage stood up, dragging Nadiya with her. “But I don’t wanna see Addison an’ Flanagan.”

Mary Sage leaned on Nadiya as they made their way out of the play structure and back towards the car. Remy was in the midst of getting out. When Remy saw Mary Sage, he lit up and jumped the entire last twenty feet to them, grabbing Mary in a giant hug. “You’re back!”

She laughed a little and shoved him off. “Yeah, I’m back. Sorry about runnin’ off like that.”

“No, no, it’s okay. I’m just glad you’re okay,” Remy said, grinning from ear to ear. “Nad! Hey, Nad, so Addison and Flanagan said we should probably go find Grace? She can help, she and Jonesy were developing tech, blockers for the bonds. They said Grace took the others – Jonesy, Pridmore, and Abbey – and headed up to San Francisco.” Remy brandished a wad of cash and a piece of paper with an address written on it. “There’s a bus we can take, it leaves at six, goes straight through the night. Walking distance from here, which is good, ‘cause I don’t think the car would fit everybody. Kardala? You coming?”

The other car door opened. “Kardala is coming,” Kardala said, unfolding herself from the small space. She waved, and Addison and Flanagan waved back before pulling away.

“Kardala, whatcha got there?” Remy asked curiously. Nadiya looked, and realized Kardala was holding a small piece of paper.

“Nothing,” she said. “Nothing at – little man give that back –”

Remy already had it in his hand and was looking at it. “Is this Flanagan’s phone number?” he said in delight. “Does Flanagan like you?”

Kardala’s face was turning red as she snatched the paper back from Remy. “It matters not. I am a goddess, and she is mortal,” she proclaimed, but put the paper in her pocket.

Remy was still grinning. “Sure,” he said. “Bus stop’s this way. Kardala, you should, uh… probably turn back into Irene if we’re going to be around other people?”

Kardala heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes, but by the time the sigh was over, she’d morphed into Irene. Nadiya noticed that the first thing Irene did was put a hand in her pocket.

“Bus stop?” Irene said.

“Yeah, just a regular one, though,” Remy said regretfully.

“If it gets us where we need to be,” Irene said.

Mary Sage squinted at her. “You’re Irene?”

“Oh, I guess we… haven’t met,” Irene said. “I’m Irene Baker. It’s nice to meet you, Mary.”

“Nice t’ meetcha as well,” Mary Sage said warily.

“All right… down this street a ways,” Irene said decisively. “It’s a bit of a walk. Everyone all right? Mary?”

“’M okay,” Mary Sage said.

“I have cheese crackers.”

“…Yeah. That’d be good.”

Irene grabbed a few packets of cheese crackers out of the side pouch of her bag and handed them over. “Onward and upward.”

{fic} That Old Sweet Feeling (part 13)

Fandom:  The Adventure Zone:  Commitment Rating:  M Chapter Warnings:  None Relationship:  Nadiya Jones/Mary Word Count:  2,221

Here on AO3. Read the rest: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

Tagging @someone-called-f1nch, @voidfishkid, @mellowstarscape, and @jumpboy-rembrandt!

This chapter is twice as long as the usual ones but y’all deserve it after my hiatus for a while there. Look forward to some once-a-week updates for a while!

Chapter Summary:  Nadiya makes an observation. Mary Sage cracks a code. Remy gets a letter.

__________________

"How far does this go?" Remy squinted down the tunnel. The yellow light from Nadiya's flashlight was dim and watery in the complete darkness.

"Long ways," Nadiya said absently. "Like, fifteen miles, I think. At least. Until it gets gross. There's entrances all along, though, closest one is only a mile or two along..."

Remy frowned, glancing sideways at Nadiya. She'd seemed kind of distracted since she'd woken up. "You okay, Nad?"

She scowled at him. "I'm fine, Rembrandt. None of your business, so fuck off."

"It's kind of a little my business," he argued. "What if you have a concussion or something? What if you get sick? What if -"

"I'm fine," Nadiya snapped. "Excuse me if I'm a bit upset about my life's work either being destroyed or being sold indiscriminately by people who have no rights to it." She glanced behind them. Kardala and Mary were trailing a bit behind, Kardala illuminating the tunnel with a handful of blue lightning. "If there's anyone you should worry about, it's them."

"What? Why?"

"Maybe not Kardala so much, but she's been acting weird. Irene-y. Look." Nadiya jerked her head back again, and Remy looked. Kardala said something to Remy that he couldn't hear over the crackle of the lightning, then grinned, and Mary snorted in laughter. "And then Mary Sage..." Nadiya trailed off.

"Is she okay?"

"Depends what you mean by that." Nadiya swept the flashlight beam across the tunnel floor, sending a cockroach scuttling away. Remy yelped, but Nadiya didn't react. "Relax," Nadiya said, annoyed. "Haven't you seen a cockroach before?"

"N...o," Remy admitted, a little sheepishly. "You have?"

"I've been down here before," Nadiya reminded him, "and when you're a broke grad student, you end up living in some interesting places. Plus, I've dissected cockroaches before. Pretty boring, really."

Remy made a face. "Still. Gross."

"Coward," Nadiya said, but amiably enough that it didn't hurt his feelings. "Anyways, on the subject of Mary Sage. I think relatively speaking, she's doing okay, more or less. It's just... overall? I don't know." The sound of her laughter drifting up to them again. "I don't know, Remy," Nadiya said quietly, and for the first time since he'd met her, Remy thought Nadiya sounded concerned. "I wish I could've used my lab. Maybe I could figure out if there was something about my stimplants that genuinely fucked with her head. I keep... fuck, I keep thinking through all my experiments with them, the stuff I did on myself, everything. I can't think of how it could've gone wrong. Or maybe it wasn't the stimplants, and she's just -" Nadiya broke off. "Anyways. Fuck if I know."

Remy's fingers were tapping a rapid tattoo on his thigh as he tried not to fidget with the bandage around his wrist. "It's not your fault," he said.

"Sure." Nadiya was looking surly again. "If this doesn't end with me getting a lot of money in compensation, I'm going to be pissed." She picked up the pace, leaving Remy a few steps behind.

For once, he didn't mind being on his own. He had to think. He felt like there was an answer to – something – just beyond what he could figure out. If his brain would stop jumping around for one second, he'd be able see what it was.

He knew it had something to do with the laptop. It had to. He should've decoded it before. He should've tried harder. It might be too late, now, it might not matter, but he had to try. It had to be something.

When they stopped to rest, Remy went over to Mary. "Hey."

She was eating a power bar. "Hey."

"You're good with computers, right?"

"Yeah. Thought you were too, nerd."

Remy grinned. "I'm IT. I don't do coding, I just fix problems. Anyways, I have this... thing... that I could use some help with. You down?"

"Why not? Lemme at it."

They both sat down against the wall, and Remy, after a furtive look around that revealed nothing except Nadiya (staring at the brick as if she could vaporize it with heat vision) and Kardala (staring contemplatively into her handful of lightning). Then he pulled out the laptop and booted it up.

Mary whistled. "That a ten-bit encryption?"

"I don't know," Remy admitted. "I know I need to get into it, though. Can you crack the encryption?"

"Yeah, probably. I can try. Where'd you get this, anyways?" Mary asked, taking the laptop and starting to tap into it, her hair lifting slightly as her powers activated.

"It doesn't matter, does it?"

"Guess not. Whatever." Mary's typing became more rapid. "Damn. This is deep. Whoever it was must've been a sick coder. Cyber security or something."

Remy shifted uncomfortably, searching for any other subject. "Have you told Nadiya you like her yet?" he blurted.

"God, Jump Boy, keep it down," Mary hissed, her head jerking up to look at Nadiya, but it was clear she hadn't heard. "'Course not, are you kidding? We're in a fuckin'… sewer, on the run, and you think that's a good time to tell Reed McScienceface Richards that I got a crush? Not a chance in hell."

"I dunno, I think it's a great idea," Remy said. "It's like, who knows what's going to happen next, right? So why not go for it?"

"You think she wants something like that right now?" Mary said, jerking her head back towards the computer screen and shoving her glasses up on her nose, squinting through them at the lines of scrolling code. "No fuckin' way. Nah, I'm, uh... not gonna put that on her. We're both dealing with our own shit. I'm not dumping mine on her as well. Wouldn't be fair."

"If you want to look at it that way, we're always going to have our own shit," Remy said, shrugging. "Right? It's not just going to go away."

"Maybe." Mary's fingers slowed slightly in their frantic typing. "But... I don't wanna fuck this up. I'm only gonna get one shot at it, right? And -" She suddenly froze as the computer screen blinked white. "Holy shit. I think I got it."

Remy snatched the laptop out of her hands. His heart revved to racing speed. Please let this actually be something, he thought. Not just another red herring. Please let this tell me something about what happened to them.

The screen blinked a few times, then a single folder popped up. Read This First, one of the documents said.

"Remy?" Mary said. "You look weird. You okay?"

He clicked on it.

Dear Remy, dear Michael, the file read. I'm hoping it's one of you reading this. If you are, it means I'm gone. It means she found me – us – out. And it means you're in terrible danger. But you have to know everything. Ignorance is always a worse fate than knowledge.

Remy scrubbed at his eyes. That was what she used to say to them when they complained about homework. God, he missed her so much. Then he kept reading.

When your father and I were younger, we did some work for the government. Secret stuff. Research on hypnosis, and anti-terrorism, but mostly on a new science we called... bonds. These bonds are what holds everything in the universe together, connecting each person or thing to anything else. You've learned about ionic and covalent bonds in biology; these aren't that different, really. More powerful. Or maybe just easier to exploit.

We weren't the only ones working on this project. There was another woman on our team. Her name was Martine.

"Remy?" Mary sounded scared. "Remy, what is it?"

I didn't quite trust her from the beginning. She seemed too interested, not just academically. She was a biochemist, a neurologist who specified in hormone study. She managed to create a heightened form of oxytocin that strengthened the bonds, creating artificial ones between small groups of people. She could manipulate them, control certain aspects of their bodies or even their minds. Our supervisors grew worried, and one day, they unexpectedly shut down the entire project. All three of us were out of a job.

We kept in touch. Your father and I got married, started research at our lab in Maryland. Remember, I showed you boys around one time? Michael, you were born, and then you a few years later, Remy. We were happier than we could ever remember. We were glad that our project got shut down.

Martine wasn't.

She moved down to Florida, but I would still e-mail with her sometimes. She was my friend. I wanted to trust her, especially then, when she was my only other connection to that time in my life, something I could talk about with no one except her and your father. That was my own fault, I suppose. I should've known better. I did know better. You're like me, Remy. We always want to believe the best of people.

Martine was continuing her research, outside of government approval. I didn't turn her in, of course; she wasn't breaking confidentiality, just expanding into her own field, or at least that's what I thought. Then, when you were about ten, I got a worrying message from her. She was excited - she'd found someone who shared her ambitions. They were working together to expand her ideas. I could read between the lines, though.  He was a fanatic, a revolutionary who was the perfect person to enable her increasingly dangerous research. Still, I didn't think much of it. She had no way to implement any of her ideas. I kept e-mailing with her, keeping tabs on what she was doing.

Then everything changed.

It was only three days ago, three days before I'm writing this, but by the time you read this - I don't know. I'm so sorry, Remy. Right before the Olympics, too. The worst possible timing. Martine called me. She was so excited, but I heard the edge to her voice that made me worry. She said she'd just read some revolutionary new research on body modification, published by a young academic, a wildly precocious young woman named Nadiya Jones from a university in Nevada.

"Mary?" Remy said, almost unaware his mouth was moving. "Get Nadiya and Kardala. Now. Please."

Martine believed that the combination of her altered oxytocin (made much more stable over years of experimentation) and these stimplants could create people with superhuman abilities, connected with each other, and more importantly, with her. She believed, in essence, that she could create an army of supersoldiers under her control. She and Richard could use them to force the revolution they wanted. She mentioned in passing that he wasn't completely on board yet - something about wanting a fair election - but it was clear that she didn't think that would work, and there was no question that they would need to resort to her plan.

After so many years of keeping my mouth shut, I couldn't anymore. I told her exactly what I thought of that plan. Things got ugly. She threatened me. She threatened you two. I hung up on her mid-rant, but the damage was done.

She knows where we live. She knows where I work. I don't know what she's going to do, and I don't know how to stop her.

If you're reading this, either of you, hopefully it means it's not too late. Use this information. Use the information from our research years ago on bonds. I know this is so much to put on you, but I'm praying still that this finds its way into your hands. Who else could I trust?

I'm so sorry. Not only for putting this burden on you, but for not acting sooner. I was afraid, not of Martine, but of destroying my relationship with her, however toxic it was. I thought I would be able to see this coming, stop it before it got to this point. I wanted to believe Martine would never go to these lengths. But she's more powerful than ever, maybe even more than I know.

I love you both. I hope you'll never read this. I hope I'll be able to delete this document and forget it ever existed. Just in case, though, all the research your father and I did on bonds all those years ago is on this computer as well. DO NOT SHOW THIS TO ANYONE YOU WOULD NOT TRUST WITH YOUR LIFE. I made that mistake once, and don't want you to repeat it.

If it isn't the two of you reading this, whoever you are, please use this information for good, or destroy it. If it is, I trust your hearts. Good luck. Your father seals this with his love as well.

Love,

Mom (Christine Rembrandt)

Remy was crying in earnest now, the screen blurry in front of his eyes. He scrubbed at his face with the edge of his hoodie sleeve. As much as he wanted to curl up and not move for a few minutes – or preferably a few days – he didn't have that luxury.

"Guys?" he said, glancing up to see his three friends crowded around him, varying degrees of worry on their faces. "We have a real big problem." He took a shuddering breath. "You need to hear this..."

{fic} That Old Sweet Feeling (part 17)

Fandom:  The Adventure Zone:  Commitment Rating:  M Chapter Warnings:  None Relationship:  Nadiya Jones/Mary Word Count:  1,471

Here on AO3. Read the rest: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16

Tagging @someone-called-f1nch, @voidfishkid, @mellowstarscape, and @jumpboy-rembrandt!

m o r e NPCs (my suburban kids)

Chapter Summary:   Addison changes the channel. Irene broods. Kardala gives a pat on the back (metaphorically).

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Jamie’s car pulled away almost before they closed the doors. Nadiya couldn’t really blame her; it was a cramped, tense ride, and Jamie drove exactly the speed limit. (Like Irene, Nadiya noted; apparently that’s what you do when you’re on the run. Action movies had lied to her.)

In front of them stood a small, slightly shabby house. Nadiya glanced from Remy to Kardala. “You think?”

Remy shrugged, walking up to the door and knocking. All three of them waited, then the door cracked open to reveal the terrified face of Addison.

“What do you want?” they said. “Get out of here. Tell Martine we aren’t –”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Remy said, holding his hands up nonthreateningly. “Why would we be from Martine?”

“I mean, not only were we the ones who fucked her up at the ‘Berg,” Nadiya pointed out, “but she’s locked up.”

Addison glanced down the street, then opened the door. “Come in,” they said warily. “If you were from Martine, you just would’ve blown the door open, probably.”

“Jamie brought us,” Nadiya said. Addison looked much like she remembered them: a person in their later thirties, a little soft around the middle, thinning hair. Open, friendly face that was currently tense with anxiety.

They relaxed slightly. “Oh. Well, that’s better, at least.”

“Addison?” a voice called from the next room.

“Coming,” Addison said, hurrying through the doorway. “You okay?”

The person on the couch – Flanagan, Nadiya recalled – shrugged jerkily. “Who is it?”

“Ahh, people from the Fellowship, escapees,” Addison said. “Nadiya Jones, Remy, uh, Kardala. Remember them?”

“Yeah.” Flanagan turned to look at them from the couch. Her thick, shoulder-length black hair was disheveled where it was hanging around her face, and she looked tired. She seemed a little younger than Addison – early thirties, maybe. “Hi. How’d you get here?”

“Cross-country road trip,” Remy said. “Hey, could you let us crash here for at least a night? We’re way tired.”

Addison glances at Flanagan, who nods. “Okay,” they said. “Yeah, sure. Just gotta stay on the DL, you know?”

“No, we know, we’re on the run too,” Remy said with a nod, and collapsed onto the couch, leaving some space between him and Flanagan.

“Nadiya? Kardala? You can sit,” Addison said, motioning vaguely around the space. “Sorry about the state of things.” They made a helpless gesture, then let their arms fall at their sides. “It’s… uh, a hell of a time finding a place in Cali with not much money. This was already furnished, so…”

“We slept in the sewers earlier today,” Remy mumbled from where he was rubbing his face into a pillow. “This place is great. Hey Nad, you aren’t going to yank us out of here again in half an hour, right? I could, like, fall asleep?”

“We’ll see,” Nadiya said grimly. “Do you two know where Mary Sage is?”

“What?” Addison said in confusion. “Why would we know?”

There was a thump as Kardala settled heavily onto the floor. “She ran away,” she said plainly.

“Yeah. And we don’t know where she is, and…” Remy trailed off. “We thought she might have come this way.”

Nadiya thought back to the tug she felt on the bus, towards Irene and Remy. If Mary had the same connection with Addison and Flanagan, she could very well be somewhere nearby.

Addison shook their head. “I’ll think about it,” they promised. “She’s been with you?” Nadiya nodded, and Addison let out a sigh of relief. “That’s, uh, that’s good. We were kinda worried about her after all the kerfuffle on the ‘Berg.”

“Mary Sage, of the robot angels, has been with us,” Kardala confirmed, leaning back against the couch. “Until today.”

“Addison,” Nadiya broke in, “why did you think we were with Martine? She’s in jail, we dropped her at the White House and everything.”

“Oh.” Addison chewed on their lip. “Oh. Right. About that.” They picked up a remote and turned the TV on, flipping through channels and back-logged episodes until they found what they were looking for. They fiddled with the remote for a minute, cursing mildly and hitting it against their hand, and then paused the screen.

It was C-Span, Nadiya could tell – she’d watched countless hours to fill up the times she was home alone, her father working somewhere else at whatever base they lived on. There were a crowd of people on-screen, all important-looking and wearing suits.

And one of them was Martine.

“Fuck,” Nadiya said quietly. “When was this?”

“Couple days ago,” Addison said. “The, uh… the day after everything went topsy-turvy at the Fellowship. She showed up at a press conference.” They turn to look at the three. “She’s not in jail, guys. She’s up and about, and probably looking for us.”

 The room was quiet for a moment.

Oh, shit, Kardala heard Irene say.

“I thought she’d go to jail,” Remy said in a small voice.

Addison shook their head. “Too smart for that,” they said. Flanagan reached up and grabbed their wrist, and they took her hand, holding tightly. “No, whatever she’s up to, she’s not done.”

“Should’ve known,” Remy mumbled. “Should’ve… fuck. She was planning this for years. Of course she’d have a backup plan.”

“What is it, though?” Nadiya said. “The Fellowship’s gone. Most of the people are, too. Richard – Dick – he was in bad shape when last we saw him.”

Addison shook their head. “I have no idea,” they admitted. “We’ve just been trying to stay off her radar.”

“Maybe it has to do with the people in the Fellowship,” Nadiya said, finally giving in and sitting in a nearby armchair. “Me, because of my research, right? The stimplants. Remy because of his parents.”

Addison gave Remy a questioning look, but Remy shook his head. “Please don’t ask,” he said. “I don’t really… not right now.”

“So, background was probably one factor,” Nadiya continued. “And then… special abilities? Addison, Flanagan?”

Addison glanced at Flanagan. “We already worked really well together,” they offered. “We were, uh, friends before the Fellowship. Worked together, y’know, on some pretty cool energy tech. Guess that’s why our powers turned out the way they did.”

Nadiya nodded. “All right. And Jamie knew Parson…” She glanced at Kardala, then away. Kardala frowned. She couldn’t tell what Nadiya was thinking.

She’s wondering why I got chosen, Irene said softly.

That is surely obvious. Because of me.

They didn’t know about you, though, Irene said. Right? Her thoughts became more troubled. I don’t even know why they chose me.

Though she wasn’t communicating it to Kardala, Kardala could sense what Irene was thinking next, as if to herself: Why did they pick me? There’s no reason… they needed an HR person. I’m good at my job, but they could’ve gotten anyone for that. And then flashes of words: shortish, plain, upperish middle class, average personality, average grades.

Kardala realized that that was what Irene was thinking of herself: average.

Nothing special, she concluded, just as Irene thought it as well.

Irene’s thoughts stuttered to a halt at their sudden synchronicity.

Irene Baker?

Yeah?

You are… Kardala shifted uncomfortably on the thin rug, and Remy gave her a questioning look, which she ignored. You are not nothing special. You are special.

Because of you?

Kardala paused, trying to think that through. Yes. And no.

Please explain a little more, Kardala, I’m having trouble following.

You… are a prison, Kardala said hesitantly. You know this. I have stated it previously. But you are also a… vessel? She sighed to herself. And a person.

Thank you, I think?

Kardala shook her head slightly. This time both Nadiya and Remy glanced at her, but she waved them off. They were still discussing each member of the Fellowship. (Irene knew all of them.)

It is not just anyone who could stand up to a goddess, Kardala said finally. As you have stood up to me. You have a powerful will, Irene Baker, and… She searched for a way to say it. And the ability to see what others do not. You knew what Nadiya Jones was thinking, didn’t you?

I did. Irene subsides into silence. Thank you, Kardala, she said after a moment, and the voice is slightly less heavy. Sorry. I guess I had just let things get to me.

I do not mind. And Kardala found – to her surprise – that she didn’t, really.

In fact, the presence of Irene in the back of her mind, quiet and firm and guiding… was becoming almost a comfort. Not that she needed comforting.

For what it’s worth, I like you too, Irene said, and it sounded like she was laughing.

Kardala smiled in spite of herself. I am a goddess with powers beyond imagination. Who would not like me?

Sure, Kardala, Irene said, still with that amusement. Sure.