I finally pulled the trigger on my canon rewrite and started posting it to AO3! The first three chapters are currently available to read, and I'll be posting new chapters as I go.
Nesta Archeron has isolated herself from the Inner Circle, leading a cloistered life in another part of Velaris and only resurfacing now and again to ask her sister Feyre for money. But Nesta has made many enemies and few friends in her short time as a High Fae, and Queen Briallyn yet plots against her. Unbeknownst to Nesta, so too do her in-laws. High Lord Rhysand will do what it takes to keep Nesta safe and sound within the bounds of the Night Court - at the heart of his Illyrian armies, guarded by his most feared General and brother, Cassian - even if they have to drag her there kicking and screaming. But will Cassian and Nesta survive each other as the Inner Circle eliminates their enemies? Only time (and an ill-advised bargain) will tell.
Start reading A Court of Steel and Flame.
Disclaimer: I would hope that this is self-evident, but I'll spell it out just to be on the safe side: this may not be a fanfic for someone who really enjoyed ACOSF... because this is a foefic. I had issues with ACOSF, and now I want to try my hand at writing what I wanted to read.
CW: Canon typical violence, Description of injury, Robert POV, Sexual harassment (yes Invisigal did that), Swearing, HR violations, reader is referred to with she/her pronouns, choices based on the play through I watched, MINIMAL PROOFREAD, Canon rewrite, this really is just canon but with reader, no use of (Y/N)
SDN
Superhero Dispatch Network.
An organization that dispatches superheroes to help subscribers who call in for assistance.
They had offices scattered around the country, especially in large cities. Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Vegas, and Washington D.C.
There were a few in less populated areas such as Torrence, the office Mecha Man was currently seated inside. He was watching one of the many SDN commercials that looped on the T.V screen in the reception area.
“She's definitely not making it to band practice.” He mumbled to himself, bored out of his mind as he waited.
A voice spoke up, knocking him from his thoughts, “Yeah. Well, yeah. Wait…what's that?”
Robert looked up, brown eyes meeting the tall, lanky form of a young guy. He was in a bright yellow and blue diving suit, paired with matching goggles on his face. His dark ginger hair was wet and clung to his face. The stranger looked shy and unsure, even holding his head low as he spoke.
Was there a sudden downpour that Robert missed?
The soaking wet stranger seemed friendly enough, “hm? Oh, just the-uh…the commercial. It was weird.” He clarified.
“Weird…right.” The newcomer nodded. Instead of walking around the couch to sit down, he strangely stepped over the back to plop himself down, “Phen-oma-men-man, he’s like a rockstar.”
Mecha Man stared at him, dumbfounded.
“It's uh…I'm joking because of the rock…roll,” He stuttered, trying to explain, “Cool…Cool commercial. I’m a…Phenomafan you…you might say.”
Robert decided to play along, clearly this kid was nervous, “He seems cool. Phenomenal even and quite the salesman.” He gave a small smile, hoping to help this stranger relax even slightly. Afterall, this kid looked fresh out of college or something.
The poor kid stumbled out a nervous response, “Oh yeah. I mean he could sell snowballs to an esk- Is that not cool to say? Snowman! He…he could sell snowballs to a snow person. Anyone made of snow! Any color of snow doesn't have to be white.”
Oh boy…
After a few moments of awkward silence, the wet stranger began to fumble with his tie. After a few unsuccessful tries, Robert decided to help. He sat down and grabbed the tie in his gloved hands.
“It's soaked.” The former hero looked at the wet material before tying the tie for him, “You nervous? Big job interview?” He smiled, hoping to give some encouragement to this clearly overwhelmed adult.
The stumbled stranger stuttered out a response, “No, I mean yes, but yes… it's more my powers.They make everything we-Moist. Waterboy is how they call me..But yes, I am.”
Before Robert could respond, the glass doors to the SDN building swung open. Despite the glare from the sun, he could instantly tell who just stepped inside.
It was Dr. Don’t Do Shit. Flambae.
He held his head high, but very subtly, Robert could see him move his tongue over where his missing tooth was supposed to be. He also had a very mean look in his bright eyes, causing the retired hero to lower himself behind Waterboy.
Thankfully, the fire-based former villain walked past them without incident.
Finally, Waterboy said something that tuned him back into the conversation.
“You’re Mecha Man,” The younger man sounded excited, “i…y-you’re dead…At least I thought you were…”
“Just on the inside.” He responded rather bluntly.
“You…uh…look small or different in person…”
Robert couldn’t help but laugh slightly, “Never meet your heroes, kid.” As soon as he properly tied Waterboy’s tie, another person stepped inside the building.
“Oh, I wasn't sure you'd show up!’ Blonde Blazer called to him with a smile. She wore her standard superhero suit, but slung over her shoulder was a cream bag.
Waterboy shot to his feet, looking starstruck all over again, “Wow! Blonde! I…Uh..Blazer! A real hero!”
She gave him a small wave but bent slightly to grab Mecha Man’s upper arm, “Sorry, but I need him for something,” She effortlessly pulled him to his feet and began to lead him to the building's office doors, “Follow me.”
The two of them walked down a hall before Blazer made a sharp left. She practically shoved him into a conference room and shut the door. Before Robert could get his bearings, she closed the blinds and gave a command, “Take off your clothes.”
“Woah, uh…No? What's happening right now?” He swallowed, eyeing the door as an escape if there wasn’t an explanation to the sudden request.
Sounds like an H.R Violation…
“We don't want too many people knowing you're Mecha Man,” She picked up on his sudden nervousness, “A lot of our dispatchers are former heroes, but it's better if you keep your identity a secret.” The blonde hero dug through the bag on her shoulder and pulled out a collared blue shirt, “We've had incidents in the past. Here.” She tossed him the SDN uniform.
Oh.
There was a wave of disappointment that hit him in the chest. He supposed it made sense, keeping his identity hidden. His hopes had gotten too high too quickly.
Robert wouldn’t be Mecha Man again just yet.
He raised a brow, looking at the shirt. It was bigger than he needed. Maybe he could have fit before the coma-induced-muscle deterioration, but now? He had gotten rather thin and needed smaller shirts.
“I remember you being bigger.” Blazer inspected the shirt before snorting, “I was a little drunk…listen! Its gonna be great.”
He pulled off his mask, revealing his hair and face. His gaze was down, staring at the material in his hand, “I've never felt silly wearing this.”
“Until now?”
“Yeah, I was trying to imply that with the silence.” He raised a brow at her but didn’t comment further.
She nodded, "It worked. Get dressed.” The blonde pointed to the other side of the room, “I have somebody I need you to meet.”
He shrugged and stepped towards the other end of the conference room. Once his back was turned, he pulled the zipper of his suit down.
“Oh! Sorry!” Blonde Blazer sounded startled that he already began to strip, “Should I turn around or what? Do you uh should I close my eyes? Maybe if that makes you more comfortable…”
Truthfully, changing in front of others never truly bothered him. He knew it didn’t bother you either, as you both had to have a discussion about it at the beginning of your relationship. Your job required you to strip and change countless times in front of your coworkers. And as long as no inappropriate touching or ogling was involved, It was a part of life.
Robert saw no reason to care, “It’s fine. I don’t mind.” He unbuckled his uniform belt and dropped it to the floor, “I mean, don't stare at me straight in the eyes or anything cuz then it'd be weird and I’d have to tell my girlfriend.”
Blazer stumbled over her words for a few moments, “Yeah, I'll actually Yeah, I'm just going…” He could hear her turn, looking away from him, “There. And…if you tell your girlfriend, let her know it was strictly professional.”
“Don’t worry, she does similar stuff with her modeling gigs,” He slipped the bottom half of his suit off and got the pants on quickly. His hands worked efficiently and he clipped his belt around his waist.
“I…I want to say again, I'm sorry about last night,” She changed the topic, “I regret the way I conducted myself. It was a mistake. A complicated…mistake…”
She made it seem like something scandalous happened.
Sure they got close, but Robert didn’t read into anything further. He set his boundaries and she listened without any issues, “Look, we were both a little tipsy, neither of us were very professional.” He shrugged it off, as if talking to a friend, “You know it's totally understandable. It was a nice night, nothing more than that. And my girlfriend says hi, by the way.” He added that last bit to help ease the superhero.
“Oh! Tell her I said hi back,” Blonde Blazer turned to face him, with a relieved smile, “Going forward, I’d like to keep things more professional.”
“Right, that's why you brought me to this conference room to strip down in front of you,” Robert teased, deciding that she needed a joke to lighten up her anxiety. He tossed his Mecha Man uniform to the side, “Profesh-”
His suit was floating.
The blonde hero sighed and sounded frustrated, “Are you serious?”
His suit, or the person under his suit, ran forward. They hit the doors with a groan and stumbled to the ground.
Blazer knelt, picking up his suit, just as the unknown third-party appeared with a brief shift of light. Underneath was a young woman in a purple jacket and black pants. She had olive tanned skin, and short dark hair. She swore and sat up mumbling, “Who locks a conference room?”
I should keep count on stuff like this…
H.R Violation count: 2
Robert raised a brow but didn’t say anything. Blonde Blazer put a hand on her hip.
“So uh…” The newcomer dug through her pocket and revealed an inhaler, “you two fuck or what?”
“I have a girlfriend,” The former hero held his uniform in front of his scarred chest, “And even if I didn't, no professional lines were crossed.” He confirmed.
“All right. All right. So, just like grinding? Clothes on stuff?”
Robert can handle jokes. He can handle insults. That's fine. Maybe if he wasn’t in a relationship, he’d roll this childish stuff off his back.
But this…felt uncomfortable.
Of course he was secure in his relationship for you. The two of you held each other to the same level of love and respect. So any jokes with the punchline being ‘Yea, Robert cheated. Hahaha, so funny right?’ rubbed him the wrong way.
Just as he was about to retort, Blonde Blazer shook her head in disapproval, “Visi, knock it off,” She stamped out any more comments from the newcomer, “I just got a little tipsy at our meeting.”
“It was a very relaxed job interview, sure.” He wanted to do away with any potential rumors quickly, “But it was friendly and professional.” He knows work places, especially offices, talk.
“Robert,” Blazer turned and took her hand off her hip, “This…is Invisigal.” She introduced the woman in purple just as she was standing, “She is part of the Phoenix Program.”
Invisigal gave a quick up down with her eyes before looking away. She had a very subtle pout on her face as she did so.
The blonde superhero continued to explain, “We take former supervillains, such as herself, and rehabilitate them to reenter society to use their powers and- are those my earrings?”
Hidden behind Invisigal’s short hair were small golden hoop earrings. Blonde Blazer held up an open palm silently waiting.
“They look better on me.” The thieving woman quickly took them off and dropped them into Blazer’s hand.
Oh that would have gotten her killed in your agency.
Robert remembered the time you told him two of your coworkers got into a literal boxing match over a necklace. Hair was pulled. Heels were broken. And you made 50 bucks that night winning the bet of who was victorious.
Models were feisty.
“Invisigal, this is Robert,” Blazer properly introduced him, getting his attention back to the present, “He'll be your team's dispatcher.”
“A washed up dad bod superhero with no superpowers,” Invisigal crossed her arms, “Can't wait.” she sassed.
“His identity, all of this,” Blazer motioned between the three of them, “that's staying between us. He's still Mecha Man, but that can't get out. And if it does, I'll know who it came from.” Her tone shifted for that last part, clearly threatening the former villain.
“You think I want to tell people our dispatcher is a fuckin’ loser?”
What the fuck?
Even for a former villain she was so…hostile.
“Having superpowers doesn’t automatically make you a superhero.” Robert met her bite head on, “You’re born with one…you have to earn the other.”
Invisigal looked entirely uninterested in his words, “Well, I’m wet.” She rolled her eyes, “I can see why you like him. Look at that drip. What is that look? Best buy fight club?” She used her inhaler again before continuing to be sarcastic, “Fuckin’ hot.”
She shoved the doors open before using her powers to disappear from sight.
Blonde Blazer sighed, “We have a weekly ranking list for all the heroes in the company…”
Ah, that explains it.
“And she’s always at the bottom.”
“She called herself Invisibitch when she was a villain…” The blonde superhero turned to face him, “We’re trying to rebrand her.”
“Yeah, I thought Invisigal felt…kinda corny for her.” Robert shrugged off the former villain's previous hostilities. She had a bad attitude, he’s dealt with worse.
“Oh yea? The name was my idea.” Blazer had sass to her voice as she turned around, “Just get your shirt on, dad bod.” She took the easy potshot at him, though there wasn’t any real malice to it.
Once he was dressed and presentable, the blonde superhero showed him around the office.
“We're not the highest profile branch in the network, but we've got what makes the real difference,” the blonde superhero explained, smiling with pride, “Great people! Some of them aren't even people, and they're still great!”
Her tour led him around the office where he was introduced to several employees. There was Lana in the mailroom, Galen was another dispatcher, and Mr.Whiskey…
Robert had no idea what Mr.Whiskey does.
Blazer also explained the 3 D’s of SDN. Dispatching, Documentation and Diversity.
It certainly was a corporate office.
He excused himself to the restroom for a quick break. Blonde Blazer said to meet him at the Records Room when he was done.
As he did his business, a tall, muscular man with long curly hair rushed to the urinal beside him, “Oh…Brah, almos’ went in my pants.” He sighed in relief.
Ok…awkward…
“Aye, you dis Robert people are talkin’ about?” The taller stranger turned to look at him, “Wassup bruddah, my auntie name me Roy but people call me Royd.” He held up a large fist in a friendly greeting. His eyes were a friendly brown and he had Hawaiian facial features.
You know what? Fuck it.
Robert returned the bro-fist with a smirk.
“Aurite. Good to meet you, brah.” Royd seemed happy with the return.
“Likewise.” Robert couldn’t find it in him to point out how awkward it was for them to share a bro-fist after having touched their dicks. Instead, he finished up his business and washed his hands, “So Royd…like steroid?”
“Huh?” He was genuinely surprised at such a suggestion, “Hell no, bruddah. No, no, no, cuz listen, They’re tree uddah guys here go by the name Roy. So, I tink it's like, you know, we go scrap, we go ground, I buss you up, and then you know, you got Roy’d.”
After a stretch of silence, Royd sounded like he was frowning, “Aye, you think that's why they call me Royd? Like I’m on steroids? Cause they think I’m some kinna juice head? They think I’m not natty bro?”
The retired hero turned on the hand dryer, “No, I'm just kidding, man…Just making jokes about your name…in the shitter.”
Royd finished up and approached him, “Whateva. Ainokea.”
Ainokea?
“Thats…yea…Nokia…ing is probably the best.” Robert wiped his damp hands on his shirt, “Nice meeting you, Royd. Even if it was while we were both holding our dicks.”
He laughed, putting a muscular hand on his shoulder, “Haha! You one funny bugga…Mecha Man.” He whispered the name lowly.
Robert quickly shoved his hand off and looked around the restroom. Once it was confirmed no one was listening, he hissed, “Okay. So, I was worried about your unwashed hand, but now I'm worried that everyone here knows who I am.”
Royd shrugged off Mecha Man’s worries, “Nah bruddah, it's kapu.” He put his hands on his hips, “Need to know basis and Royd need to know. I da one who come pick up yo suit for fix on for da SDN.”
“Cool, you gonna wash before you do that?”
The larger man still had his smirk, “Nah bro, I neva touch nothin’.” He explained, still relaxed and friendly, “Just touch my pants, underwear only. Even fo shake. I just do like dis.” He demonstrated by shaking his hips while holding his belt.
A hero in a black and green jumpsuit walked between the two, giving them the strangest look.
Robert left the restroom quickly after that. thankfully finding the records room was easy. Once the door was opened, he was greeted by an old man with a gruff voice.
“Holy shit, whose this freckled faced fuck?” He stepped down from the shelf and quickly grabbed him in a hug, “How are ya!?” He squeezed him tightly.
“Thats an aggressive way to greet someone-!”
“Look at this skinny latte prick. Your bones, kid.” the old man sassed, pulling back, “You here to whip these assholes into shape or what?”
“That’s the idea,” Blonde Blazer chimed in from her place in the doorway.
Mecha Man pulled back , looking more and more confused, “uh, I’m sorry…Do I know you?”
The old man frowned, “Why are you all tense?” He put his hands on his hips and snapped, “What? It's a hug, not a handjob. Lighten up.”
“Be that as it may, I’m still confused.”
“Oh right, cuz I’m old as shit,” He rolled his eyes, “How about this? This jog your memory?”
The very old man jumped into a familiar pose. He had one arm straight behind him and another bent in front of his face. His feet were apart, looking as if he was about to sprint for a race.
Oh!
“Track Star!?” Robert gasped, feeling his heart leap in his chest, “Holy shit!” He quickly grabbed his old friend into another tight hug.
“Yea, you fucker!” Track Star snapped, though his voice was laced with brotherly love, “Why're you accepting hugs from old men you don’t know?” Once they pulled away, he lowered his voice, “Oh, and hey, they call me Chase around here, so keep it, you know.”
“Sure. Yea, right. Chase.” The retired hero confirmed, “It's been what, 10, 15 years? You finally grow the balls to ask out that girl from your neighborhood?”
Mecha Man rolled his eyes, “She’s been my girlfriend for years.”
“And now you gotta grow some balls and propose if it's been that long.”
“Chase, please…”
The older man laughed, putting his shoulder in encouragement.
Blazer had a warm smile on her face, “Has it really been that long?”
Chase nodded, “Yea, I reached out to this pissant when his dad passed.” He lightly shoved Robert, “Then he got to duckin’ me like he owed me money.”
“I was in a weird place.” He mumbled, looking away.
“I understand, kid. It was tough on all of us.” There was nothing but sympathy on Chase’s face, “So I can’t imagine what you went through.”
Robert appreciated it. He truly did, but frankly, he didn’t want to talk about his dad anymore, “Yeah, so what’s up? You goin’ to tell me why you look like Black Einstein?”
Blonde Blazer laughed before clearing her throat, “Sorry, I never noticed.”
“Fucker. It’s the powers.” Chase deadpanned, turning away to dig through a box on the shelf, “I can move 50 times faster than the average person, but I didn't realize until it was too late that I was aging 50 times faster when I used my powers.” He put on his glasses and searched through some files, after a moment, he pulled out a disk, “Nowadays, I'm moving slower than frozen piss to keep the old ticker from popping on me.”
Guilt and shame stung Robert’s chest. Christ…How often did he make Trackstar run around when he was younger? How many years did he take from Chase’s life?
“I had no idea. I'm so sorry, Chase.” Mecha Man whispered, looking mournfully at his old friend.
Chase, however, snapped, “Hey, if I feel another ounce of pity from you, I will run you over in a parking lot and say it was an accident.” He threatened, earning a laugh from those around him, “They'll believe me cuz it looks like I'm wearing diapers.”
The guilt hurt less, but there was still one thing the former hero wanted to say, “So, I guess this means you're the one person I can't complain to about losing my suit…”
The older man put his hands on his hips, “You better not. I would resurrect then rekill your fuckin’ father in front of you if it meant being able to use my powers again.” He sassed, though his bluntness cause Blazer to gasp.
“Jesus Chase!” She looked offended on behalf of Robert.
“What? Obviously, I'd let Robert have one last ‘I love you’ before I…before I…extinguished the light from his eyes.” He laughed alongside Robert.
Mecha Man wasn’t offended in the slightest. This was their humor. It was how they dealt with their trauma.
Now Blazer sounded more confused rather than upset, “Was he always like this?”
Robert nodded, “Yes, actually.”
Chase chimed in, “We joke, we laugh, we suppress our trauma.” Without waiting, he turned to a computer that was against the wall in the records room, “All right, enough of this feelings shit. Let's introduce you to your team of losers.”
Once Robert sat down, his team was explained to him.
First was Sonar. Harvard graduate. Body of a human, head of a gray bat. White collar criminal. Imbezzlement, crypto scams, forgery, fraud…
Something noteworthy was how he could turn into a large, feral bat. He loses intelligence, but gains strength.
Next was Flambae. Controls fire without getting burnt. Crimes involved arson, assault and vandalism. They have already met…several times now.
Invisigal came up on the screen. She was a mystery, even to Blazer. Turned herself in months ago. Crimes were robbery, assault and larceny.
Add peeping tammy to that list…
The next entry was Coupè. She was the woman in black that night at the bar when Flambae lost his tooth. Though, she was the first villain in the list with actual bodies. Her crimes involved kidnapping, stalking and first degree murder. Former assassin for the mob. Her nickname is Coop.
The second of Flamebae’s friends was Punch Up. The short man with the mustache. Irish. Super human strength. Apparently made a deal with a witch for the strength of 10 men. The only cost was his height shrunk to three feet. Battery, assault, and second degree murder.
Third to last was Malevola. She looked like a literal demon with her flexible tail, magic sword, horns and bright red skin. Crimes involved assault, battery and forgery. Interestingly enough, she was Sonar’s sponsor for Narcotics Anonymous.
Must have a history there.
Second to last was Golem. A construct made of clay, mud and some metal parts. The most serious crime was vandalism. He was also 20 years old. Rather young for a villain. He should be in college or something. A second chance would do this guy some good.
The last entry was Prism. A popstar, and rather familiar. Didn’t you two follow each other on instagram? He’d have to ask you about her later. Her crimes involved assault, DUI, tax evasion. Seemed pretty standard for someone in the music industry.
Hell, Robert could name several singers that have done much worse than Prism.
They were his team, the Z-team. All and all…A wide range of reformed villains to work with. He had hope for several of them. Though, he has severe concerns about those with actual blood on their hands.
Thankfully none of them were truly vile. None of their crimes involved children. None of them were sex offenders. No human trafficking…Murder was the only crime that would be hard to reform from.
But…If Blonde Blazer could see redemption for them, then the retired hero had to try and get them into shape.
Chase showed him to his desk. It was rather sparse, but had everything he needed. Computer. Keyboard. Pretty standard for an office desk. Though just to add some life, Robert pulled out his wallet and took out a photo he had of you.
His older friend laughed once he pinned the picture to the cork board.
“You romantic sap.”
The former hero rolled his eyes, “You're just jealous that I’m getting laid by the most beautiful woman in existence.”
“Fucker.”
Robert sat down and adjusted his seat, “This computer's older than you look.” He took the easy potshot. However, his smile faded when the PC turned on and began to load, “Wait, so we're doing this? I haven't even met the team yet.”
Chase peaked up from his desk, “We did the slideshow.”
“First of all, that wasn't a slideshow,” He put on his headset and made sure it fit him properly.
“Look, we like to start slow. Most people don't make it past the first dispatch, and this is better for everybody's safety.”
Safety!?
Chase explained very quickly the map on his screen. After a brief rundown of the calls, Robert sighed and unmuted his microphone to speak.
“Hey team, this is your dispatcher, Robertson. I'm starting my first shift-”
Immediately he was cut off by everyone speaking. There were laughs, insults and sarcastic remarks thrown his way.
“Tell me that's not your real fuckin’ name!”
“You stuttering bitch? You can't be this shook on your first day. Come on!”
“Can we clear the channel? There's a lot of overlap…”
“I saw him in his underwear,” That was Invisigal laughing in her mic.
“Who!? Roberto Robertoson?” Prism’s photo lit up on the screen, indicating that she was speaking.
With another giggle, Invisigal repeated herself, “I saw him in his underwear…”
Rude.
“Was he packing!?”
“he's got a lot of bruises, which I'm into-”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Chase’s voice sliced through the channel, silencing the entire Z-team, “Let me remind you, these calls are fuckin’ recorded for training fuckin’ purposes. So, keep the fuckin’ line clear before we send your stupid fuckin’ asses back to whatever fuckin’ cell we pulled your stupid fuckin’ asses out of!”
Thankfully that worked. For the first shift, everyone cooperated. Robert learned that Sonar was a fanboy of Willem Vanderstenk. That there was a bet at how long he’d last as their dispatcher. Coop and Punch Up thought Mecha Man did a great job kicking Flambae’s ass…
Oh and Malevola was working with Sonar to control his monster form.
During the shift, Galen cut in to explain his team's strengths and weaknesses. He gave a good summary of the database and what to do when someone on the team performed exceptionally well.
Finally, near the end of the shift, there was a call from a donut shop on South street. But there was nothing but silence on the other end.
Chase let him know about the control SDN had on member security cameras.
“Is that even legal?” Robert asked, more confused than anything.
“Don’t ask questions. Just always make sure to read the fine print.”
After a quick press of the button, the screen popped up with the interior view of the shop. On the tile floors was the body of an elderly man in an apron. Around him were tipped over chairs and tables, indicating a fight.
Invisigal appeared with a shift of her powers, “I didn't do this.” She said, turning to look directly into the security camera.
“Right. I feel like you've said that a lot in your life. What happened?” He deadpanned, waiting for an explanation.
“This is how I found the place,” She said, walking over to the display of donuts, “The old guy, who I assume is Granny, was laying here when I walked in.” After a brief moment, she turned to look into the glass containers, “What’s your favorite donut?”
“Well, can you just focus? What? You got ADHD or something?”
“Yea, fucker.” Invisigal snapped, “Is it that obvious?”
“Yes, fucker. It is.”
He could see her roll her eyes through the camera, “Well, then answer the question. I don't want to sit here and fixate on it when we're supposed to be doing…whatever. Superhero shit.”
What a headache…
“Those uh…long ones. With the cream inside." He gave an answer, not really putting much thought into it.
Invisigal took such glee in his answer, “Oh, you like a dick donut?”
“Thats not what they’re…”
“You love big long cream filled dick donuts. I got it, dude,” She ran with the inappropriate joke, “You like your dick donuts up in your throat…in your ass…both.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, giving up on fighting her sense of crude humor, “Yep, you got me. I love gobbling on hot, sloppy donuts. Love them from my mouth to my butt-” Robert shut his mouth when he noticed a trio of coworkers stare at him in confusion.
“Thanks for asking me that so you could get all your funny funny jokes out,” He lowered his voice so no one else got the wrong idea, “Now, can we maybe address the body in the room?”
Invisigal stood straight and knelt by the old man. Though, she stopped, as if unsure what else to do.
“What are you doing? Are you going to poke it with a stick? Check his pulse.” Robert commanded, fed up with her attitude.
After a few moments with her fingers on his neck, she responded, “Granny's alive. Thank Christ. I don't want to have to lip this guy,” She turned to look back at the security camera, “So, can I go now?”
What the fuck was her deal…
“No. This isn't a wellness check. It's a B&E. Let's figure out if the perp is still there.” He snapped, trying to end this shift on a good note. After some more ribbing from the former villain, Chase helped him figure out how to switch cameras.
There was another delay due to Robert needing to hack the other camera system. However, he made quick work of it.
//>>CAMERA FEED: [OVERRIDDEN] //
Easy enough.
The retired hero took control, shifting the camera to look around. The camera was in the kitchen, judging by the metal counters, pots and pans. By the back wall, was someone trying to break into a locked case. Each of his hands were electrified by powered blasters. The battery system was attached to his back.
Robert focused, trying to figure out the specs. There was too much, and his screen blinked red.
HAZARD DETECTED.
“He's coming your way. Armed. You need to disappear,” He warned his team member who was still trying to find new ways to insult him.
Invisigal disappeared as soon as the perpetrator opened the door to the front of the shop. His blasters were armed and ready as he stepped slowly around the room. He was on the hunt, potentially looking for anyone else in the building.
She, still invisible, lifted a pan of donuts from the display case and threw it directly at him. The surprise of the attack caused him to toss his blaster to the side. It clattered to the floor, right beside an unconscious Granny.
A scuffle began between the hero and villain. Invisigal did well on her own. She hit him with a baking sheet rather hard, causing his blood to splatter her face. Every time he tried to strike, she turned invisible and took the chance to hit him.
The robber fired his only blaster wildly, shattering windows and doing substantial property damage.
As a way to help her, Robert managed to hack into the overhead sprinkler system. It was the only thing he could think to do in order to short out the blasters.
//>>SPRINKLER SYSTEM: [OVERRIDDEN] //
As soon as the override was successful, the sprinklers went off. Water poured over the entire shop, soaking everyone and everything inside. Including the inner workings of the electric weapons. Robert’s plan worked. The villain’s weapon burst into sparks, becoming nonfunctional.
Now, Invisigal was able to get a few more good hits on him.
The fight looked to be a stalemate before Granny managed to get to his feet. He fired the second blaster, hitting the wall and causing a cloud of dust to rise up.
Both hero and villain froze. The perp, however, raised his weapon, now working again after the sprinklers have stopped.
Invisigal raised her arms up and tried to calm the shop owner, “Granny, I don't think you know how to use that thing. So, why don't you-”
“Shut the fuck up!” He shouted, looking more and more unsteady on his feet.
“I'm one of the good guys!”
“You!?” Granny spat, “Yeah, right. Don't fuck with me. Okay!? Nobody fucks Granny. Nobody fucks with Granny!”
Robert didn’t know what else to do, “Invisigal, stay calm.” He advised, “Disarm Granny before the thing blows his face off. It looks super unstable.”
She didn’t seem pleased with the idea, “So, your expert opinion is to attack the client? Fuck that! I did things your way and it turned to shit. I'm taking the guy trying to kill me.”
“That wasn't a suggestion. It's a direct-” He watched her pull out her ear piece and disappear. Almost immediately she began to throw punch after punch at the villain. During the fight, his blaster went off, nearly hitting Granny across the room.
Granny flinched and leapt back, losing control of the charged weapon in his own hands.
After a burst of energy and dust, Invisigal was left standing over Granny, who had passed out.
His right arm was bright red from the burns. His entire skin looked to have been seared off.
“Smells like bacon a little. It's gross, but it's also kind of not bad,” She looked back at the camera before using her inhaler.
“Yeah, great. Okay. Where's the perp!?”
When she didn't answer, that's all Robert needed.
God damnit.
The retired hero took off his headset and threw it on his desk. He rubbed his face, and closed his eyes to breathe.
“That was…pretty good for a first day. Sometimes people, you know, get electrical burns.” Chase stood over the desk divider, trying to make him feel better.
Robert was about to answer when his phone dinged. A text from you.
-We need to talk.
Robert’s heart dropped. His mind immediately ran to every worst case scenario before you texted again. Were you breaking up with him? What did he do? Could he fix this?
-I got a job as a bartender.
Oh. Thank god.
-Babe, I love you but please lead with that next time.
-Your still not going to like it. It's the Sardine.
Summary: Born and raised for eight years at the Sarentu Clan, Neyara, her older sister, Aha'ri, and other Na'vi children were kidnapped by RDA forces, led by John Mercer and Angela Harding after their clan was attacked. They were forced to participate in the Ambassador Program, raising as if they were human, and groomed to turn against their own species. But after John Mercer shot and killed her sister in front of her and their friends, Neyara was no longer the gentle and quiet Na'vi, she grew to hate and swore deep down that she will get revenge for her family and Clan, even if it kills her.
(Twilight what I would wear if i were Bella's older sister)
Jacob x OC fic based on the tiktok trend from a little bit ago where you make outfits and write a little blurb on that outfit. We're going to speed run the first movie and then go on to the second one so we can move onto him as a wolf. Bella and Jacob are 18 in their senior year of high school in the bulk of this story and OC is 20 because of being held back as a kid for plot reasons.
~Description: Being Bella Swan’s older sister was never supposed to change anything. Not with Charlie. Not with school. And definitely not with Jacob Black. But suddenly, Bella is everywhere. In the halls at school. In Charlie’s life. In Jacob’s conversations. And no matter how hard you try to pretend it doesn’t bother you, you can feel things shifting underneath your feet. Jacob starts keeping secrets. Bella starts falling in love. And you start realizing that maybe the worst kind of heartbreak isn't losing someone completely. Maybe it's standing right beside them while they slowly choose someone else. Or maybe you're just dramatic. Probably both.
✧─────────────────────✧
We start spending more time in Jacob's garage. Honestly, it's weird. But nice weird I guess.
Bella is clearly doing much better. She's talking again, smiling sometimes, actually leaving the house without Charlie looking like he's about to cry from relief. The annoying part is that apparently her version of getting better involves clinging to my best friend.
Not that I can blame her.
Jacob is easy to cling to. He's warm and funny and always seems to know exactly what to say when someone's having a bad day. Still, every now and then watching them together gives me this weird little pinch beneath my ribs. Nothing serious. Just enough to make me notice it.
I care more about Bella feeling better than whatever weird vibes are happening between her and Jacob.
Mostly.
Today we're all hanging out in the garage. Bella is perched on the hood of one of the motorcycles while Jacob works on something beneath it. I'm sitting on the floor sorting through tools and trying not to get grease on my jeans for once.
The garage door is open, letting in the cool ocean air and the distant sound of waves.
Then Embry and Quil walk in.
Actually, swagger in.
The second they spot us their faces light up with identical expressions.
Oh no.
"No," I say immediately.
"I didn't even say anything yet," Quil protests.
"You were going to."
Embry points between Bella and me. "Fair."
Jacob groans from somewhere underneath the motorcycle.
"What do you two want?"
"We have a very important question," Quil announces.
"It's not important," Jacob says.
"It is to us."
Bella immediately looks entertained.
That's never a good sign.
Quil gestures dramatically between the two of us. "Which one are you dating?"
The garage goes silent.
Jacob's head immediately smacks against the underside of the motorcycle.
"Ow!"
Bella bursts out laughing.
I just stare.
Embry is trying and failing not to grin.
Jacob slides out from beneath the bike looking deeply offended. "Neither."
"Really?" Quil asks.
"Yes really."
Quil points at me. "You spend all your time with her."
Then he points at Bella.
"And now all your time with her."
Bella raises a hand.
"In his defense," she says, "he's actually never dated either of us."
"Thank you," Jacob says.
"Which honestly makes this way weirder."
"BELLA."
She laughs harder.
Quil looks between the three of us. "I'm even more confused now."
"You should be," I mutter.
Jacob grabs a rag and throws it directly at Quil's face.
I should be laughing.
Normally I would be.
Instead I find myself looking at Jacob.
Then at Bella.
Then back at Jacob.
Because for some reason the question is still bouncing around inside my head.
Which one are you dating?
Neither.
Obviously.
The answer should make me feel relieved.
Instead it just leaves that strange little ache beneath my ribs.
✧─────────────────────✧
I've taken to sleeping in Bella's bed.
Which is weird.
Not because we're sisters. Well, sort of sisters. Whatever we are.
It's weird because I used to spend all my nights with Jacob.
If you'd asked me a year ago where I'd be sleeping, the answer would've been obvious. Sneaking out to La Push, climbing through Jacob's window, curled up in his bed while he talked about absolutely nothing until one of us fell asleep.
Now I'm here.
Curled up beneath a pile of blankets in Bella's room.
And honestly?
I'd rather be here.
Because Bella needs someone.
The nightmares started not long after Edward left. At first they happened once a week. Then twice. Then almost every night.
Most nights she doesn't even remember them.
I do.
Because they wake me up every single time.
Tonight is no different.
The scream tears through the darkness so suddenly that I nearly fall out of bed.
My heart slams against my ribs.
Beside me Bella jerks violently beneath the blankets.
"No-"
Her voice sounds strangled.
Terrified.
She's kicking now, tangled in the sheets, breathing hard like she's running from something.
Or someone.
"Bella."
Nothing.
Her eyes are squeezed shut.
Tears streak her face.
"Bella."
I sit up immediately and grab her shoulders.
She's still trapped somewhere inside the nightmare.
"No!"
The scream echoes through the room.
My chest physically hurts hearing it.
"Bella wake up."
Nothing.
She's shaking.
Actually shaking.
So I do the only thing I can think of.
I pull her into my arms.
"Bella."
I hold her tightly against my chest.
"It's okay."
Another strangled sound escapes her.
"Bella wake up."
Then suddenly her eyes fly open.
For one awful second she doesn't recognize where she is.
Or who I am.
Pure panic fills her expression.
Then reality crashes back in.
The panic turns into exhaustion.
Her body goes limp against mine.
The bedroom door bursts open.
Charlie.
Of course.
He's breathing hard, hair sticking up in every direction and still wearing the same flannel he fell asleep in downstairs.
His eyes immediately find Bella.
Again.
The realization lands heavily in my chest.
Because this isn't unusual anymore.
Charlie doesn't even ask what happened.
He already knows.
Another nightmare.
Another sleepless night.
Another reminder that Bella isn't okay.
"Bellabell?" he asks carefully.
Bella just nods weakly.
Charlie lets out a breath.
The kind of breath people take when they're relieved something isn't even worse.
He crosses the room and sits on the edge of the bed.
For a moment nobody speaks.
The rain taps softly against the windows.
Bella's breathing slowly evens out.
I keep one arm around her shoulders.
Not because she asked.
Because she never asks.
Because she leans into it anyway.
Eventually Charlie rubs a hand across his face.
"Want me to make some tea?"
Bella shakes her head.
"Hot chocolate?"
Another head shake.
Charlie looks helpless.
I know the feeling.
Because I don't know what to do anymore either.
I don't know how to fix this.
I don't know how to fight something that only exists in her head.
All I know is that every night she falls asleep terrified.
And every morning she wakes up exhausted.
Bella rests her forehead against my shoulder.
A movement so small I almost miss it.
But it makes my throat tighten.
Because a year ago Bella would've never done that.
A year ago we barely knew each other.
Now she's the first person I check on every morning.
The last person I say goodnight to.
My sister.
Not because we're related.
Because she's mine.
And she's hurting.
Charlie eventually stands.
"Yell if you need me."
Neither of us answers.
He leaves the door cracked open anyway.
The hallway light spills softly across the floor.
Bella stares at the blankets for a long time after he's gone.
I don't push.
I've learned not to.
If Bella wants to talk she'll talk.
If she doesn't, no amount of asking will change that.
So instead I brush a piece of hair behind her ear.
"You wanna tell me about it?"
She shakes her head.
Figures.
"You know eventually I'm going to start charging you for emotional support."
A tiny huff of laughter escapes her.
Barely there.
But enough.
I smile.
"There she is."
Bella rolls her eyes weakly.
Then settles back down beneath the blankets.
I lay down beside her.
The room goes quiet again.
For a while I think she's fallen asleep.
Then...
"Kylie?"
Her voice is barely above a whisper.
"Hm?"
A long pause.
"So many people leave."
The words hit me like a punch.
I stare at the ceiling.
Because suddenly I understand.
Not everything.
But enough.
Mom left.
Edward left.
People leave.
And Bella's terrified everyone else will too.
I reach across the space between us and grab her hand beneath the blankets.
She squeezes mine immediately.
Hard.
"I'm not going anywhere."
The answer comes automatically.
Without hesitation.
Without thought.
Because it's true.
Bella doesn't say anything.
But she doesn't let go of my hand either.
And neither do I.
Outside the rain keeps falling.
Inside the nightmares wait for another night.
But for now she's here.
For now she's safe.
And for now that's the best I can do.
✧─────────────────────✧
So Bella and Jacob took the bikes out without me.
Without me.
The betrayal is actually unbelievable.
I've spent weeks helping fix those stupid motorcycles. Weeks sitting in Jacob's garage getting grease under my nails while Bella learned how to ride. And then the first real ride they take?
Without me.
Rude.
I hear the engines before I see them.
I'm sprawled across the couch flipping through channels when the familiar rumble reaches the house. For a second my face lights up automatically.
Then I remember I'm annoyed.
The front door opens.
Bella walks in first.
And immediately every ounce of irritation vanishes.
"What happened?"
Bella freezes.
There's a giant gash on her forehead.
Blood has dried along her hairline and streaked down the side of her face.
Not enough blood that she's actively bleeding anymore.
Enough blood that my stomach drops straight through the floor.
"Jesus Christ Bella."
"I'm fine."
"No."
"I'm okay."
"No."
I stand up so fast I almost trip over the coffee table.
"Why are you always injured?"
Bella sighs dramatically.
"It looks worse than it is."
"That sentence should be printed on a t-shirt at this point."
The screen door opens behind her.
And Jacob follows her inside.
My brain immediately derails.
Because Jacob is shirtless.
Shirtless.
Why is he shirtless?
Where is his shirt?
Did shirts become illegal?
What happened?
I stare.
Then immediately look away.
Then look back.
Because holy fuck.
When did that happen?
I knew he'd gotten bigger.
I knew he'd gotten stronger.
I've watched him casually lift motorcycles around his garage like they weigh thirty pounds.
But this feels different.
Jacob turned eighteen and apparently woke up one day looking like he wrestles bears recreationally.
His shoulders practically fill the doorway.
His arms are ridiculous.
And don't even get me started on the abs.
There are entirely too many abs happening right now.
I hate it.
Not because they look bad.
Quite the opposite.
That's the problem.
"Oh."
The word escapes before I can stop it.
Jacob looks confused.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Everything.
Jacob narrows his eyes suspiciously.
Bella actually snorts.
Traitor.
I point at her forehead immediately.
"Don't laugh. You're bleeding."
Bella touches the cut automatically.
"It's really not that bad."
"It is literally on your face."
"I fell."
"Onto what?"
"A rock."
I stare at her.
"A rock."
"Yes."
"Just one rock specifically?"
Bella rolls her eyes.
Jacob is trying very hard not to laugh.
Again.
Traitor.
I grab Bella's wrist and drag her toward the bathroom.
"We're cleaning that."
"I'm fine."
"We're cleaning that."
"I don't need..."
"We are cleaning that."
Jacob follows us inside.
I pull out the first aid kit and start aggressively searching through it.
Bella hops up onto the bathroom counter.
Jacob leans against the doorway.
Still shirtless.
Unfortunately....Fortunately?
I am trying very hard to be normal.
It's not working.
"Hold still."
Bella winces as I start cleaning the cut.
"Ouch."
"Good."
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
She laughs softly.
A real laugh.
Not one of the tiny polite ones she's been doing lately.
An actual laugh.
The sound immediately catches my attention.
Because lately Bella's been happier.
Not completely.
Not fixed.
But happier.
The nightmares still happen.
The sadness is still there.
But she's smiling again.
Leaving the house again.
Living again.
And somehow a lot of that seems connected to Jacob.
The realization makes me glance toward him.
He's watching Bella carefully.
Not in a weird way.
Not possessive.
Not romantic.
Just...watching.
Making sure she's okay.
Like he's been doing it for years.
Like he can't help himself.
And Bella looks calmer when he's around.
Safer.
A weird little feeling twists beneath my ribs.
Not jealousy exactly.
Something stranger.
Like the world shifted while I wasn't looking.
Bella notices me staring.
"What?"
I blink.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
I ignore her completely.
Instead I finish bandaging her forehead before stepping back to admire my work.
"There."
Bella hops off the counter.
Jacob immediately reaches out to steady her.
The movement is automatic.
Neither of them even seems to notice it.
I do.
And suddenly something clicks.
Oh.
Oh.
Not oh in the romantic sense.
Just...
Oh.
Whatever weird thing happened while I wasn't paying attention, these two found something in each other that nobody else could give them.
Bella spent months feeling like she was drowning.
Jacob somehow taught her how to breathe again.
The realization settles heavily in my chest.
Not painful.
Just...different.
Bella bumps her shoulder lightly against mine.
"Thanks."
I look at her.
Really look at her.
The color in her cheeks.
The spark back in her eyes.
The fact that she's actually standing here laughing after months of barely existing.
And honestly?
Maybe I can forgive the motorcycles.
Maybe.
I point at her forehead one last time.
"If you come home bleeding one more time I'm wrapping you in bubble wrap."
Bella grins.
Jacob finally laughs out loud.
And for the first time all day, I find myself laughing too.
✧─────────────────────✧
Time alone with Jacob has been virtually nonexistent lately. Between Bella, motorcycles, school, and whatever weird stuff is going on with the tribe, of which I barely get to see anymore, I feel like I barely get him to myself anymore.
So before I can overthink it, I grab his wrist.
"Come on."
Jacob looks confused. "What?"
"You're not getting grease and road dirt all over my house."
"I wasn't planning to."
"Good. Then get upstairs."
Bella immediately starts laughing.
"Are you kidnapping him?"
"Mind your business."
I drag him upstairs before either of them can argue.
The second we get into my room I shove him toward the bed and close the door behind us.
Jacob catches himself with a laugh.
"You're weird."
"Yeah, yeah."
I lean back against the door for a second.
The room suddenly feels smaller with him in it.
More familiar somehow.
"I think I have one of your shirts somewhere."
"You have one of my shirts?"
"I have several of your shirts."
Jacob looks entirely too pleased by that.
I immediately turn toward my closet.
The room fills with the familiar scent of him. Motor oil. Forest air. Sweat.
Actually...I wrinkle my nose.
"You need a shower."
Jacob gasps dramatically.
"Wow."
"You smell like a mechanic."
"I am a mechanic."
"You're also a biohazard."
He laughs.
Lucky for me, Charlie built me an en-suite bathroom years ago after I hit puberty and started monopolizing the hallway bathroom every morning. Which may have made him late for work a couple of times.
I point toward it.
"Jacob, get your ass in the shower while I look for your clothes."
He stands.
Then walks past me toward the bathroom.
The brush of his arm against mine is brief.
Entirely accidental.
And somehow my brain decides to short-circuit over it anyway.
What is wrong with me?
The bathroom door shuts.
I stare at it for a second.
Then immediately turn back toward my closet.
Focus.
Clothes.
Find clothes.
Totally normal activity.
A few minutes later I find a t-shirt and pair of sweats he'd let me borrow a bit ago. They smell like his bedroom tied up in my body oil.
I set them aside.
Then get distracted.
I "forget" to give them to him. Listen I don't know what's happening but is it wrong to appreciate my best friends body? Oof probably.
I'm just sitting on my bed thinking.
Thinking about Jacob.
Which is apparently a dangerous hobby.
The shower shuts off.
A minute later the bathroom door opens.
And there he is.
Hair damp and pushed back from his face.
Towel hanging low on his hip bones.
Water still clinging to his shoulders and slowly making it's way down his abs.
My brain immediately exits the chat.
"Where are my clothes?" he asks, one eyebrow lifting.
I blink.
Right.
Clothes.
Those.
"I found them."
"Then why don't I have them?"
Good question.
I stand quickly.
Too quickly.
Almost trip.
Recover with what I hope is dignity.
There is no dignity.
Only panic.
I grab another towel from beside the bathroom door. We're almost chest to chest.
"You still have to dry off."
Jacob stares at me.
I stare back.
The silence stretches.
I run the towel across his chest and we stare really intensly for a moment.
I can smell my shampoo on him, and a very dangerous thought enters my brain.
He smells like me now.
Oh no.
No no no.
Absolutely not.
I know where this road leads.
I don't want to walk down it.
Because the second I acknowledge what I've been avoiding for months, everything changes.
Jacob reaches out and catches my wrist lightly. It was low...Like making its way down his abs low. Oops.
The movement snaps me out of whatever spiral I was disappearing into.
His expression is amused.
Concerned.
Fond.
All at once.
"Ky."
"Hm?"
"I think I'm dry."
I immediately step back.
Fast.
Very fast.
Like someone caught me committing a crime.
"Right."
I grab his clothes and shove them directly into his chest.
"There."
Jacob laughs.
The sound bounces around my room.
"You okay?"
"No."
His eyebrows shoot up.
I point aggressively at him.
"Stop flaunting your abs at me."
His grin widens.
"I wasn't."
"How'd you even get those anyway?"
"Work."
"Yeah sure."
Jacob laughs again before disappearing back into the bathroom to change.
The door closes.
I stand there for exactly three seconds.
Then immediately throw myself backward onto my bed.
The ceiling stares back at me.
I stare back.
My heart is beating way too fast.
This is bad.
Very bad.
Because I've spent months telling myself that weird feeling in my chest was jealousy.
Or loneliness.
Or fear of losing my best friend.
And maybe some of it was.
But lying on my bed now, listening to Jacob move around in the next room, another possibility settles into my stomach.
A much more dangerous one.
"...Oh."
The word slips out into the empty room.
Because suddenly everything makes sense.
The jealousy.
The hurt.
The way seeing him again felt like finally breathing after being underwater.
The way I always look for him first.
The way I miss him.
Not just when he's gone.
All the time.
Oh.
Oh no.
I bury my face in a pillow.
I'm so fucked.
✧─────────────────────✧
Bella is finally talking again.
Not just talking.
Planning things.
Which is honestly more terrifying.
Because now she has decided that all of us are going to the movies.
By all of us, I mean me, Bella, Jessica, Mike, and whatever poor unfortunate soul Bella decides to collect along the way.
Including Jacob.
Mostly because I decide Jacob is coming whether he wants to or not.
"Why?" he asks while we're standing beside my El Camino after school.
"Because."
"That's not an answer."
"It absolutely is."
Jacob narrows his eyes.
I narrow mine back.
Eventually he sighs dramatically.
"Fine."
Victory.
...Just Mike Showed up.
It's me, Bella, Mike, and Jacob. Boy am I glad I grabbed Jacob.
The movie is terrible.
Actually terrible.
Not in a fun way either.
Just boring and gross.
People are getting dismembered every fifteen minutes and somehow there's still no plot.
I hate it.
Mike looks like he's trying very hard to enjoy it.
Bella is having the time of her life.
Which honestly concerns me.
I glance over at her during one particularly disgusting scene.
She's completely focused.
Entranced even.
Who is this woman?
What happened to my sister?
Meanwhile Jacob is sitting beside me looking deeply unimpressed.
"This is awful," I whisper.
"It's so bad."
"Thank you."
Our shoulders bump. Ordinarily, during a movie, Jacob and I would have moved the armrest to lie on each other.
Which was normal.
Now it feels charged, and I don't know if I can get myself to do it. It feels wrong, a friendly gesture feels like more than that to me, and thats unfair to him.
Bella immediately shushes us.
Traitor.
A few rows ahead Mike suddenly stands up.
The poor guy looks green.
Actually green.
"Uh oh," I whisper.
Mike practically sprints toward the exit. A second later the theater doors slam shut behind him.
Silence.
Then Jacob stands. My stomach immediately drops. Because I've seen that look before.
The tense shoulders. The clenched jaw. Something's wrong.
"Jake?"
He doesn't answer.
Bella notices too.
Her entire expression shifts.
The amusement vanishes instantly.
Jacob is already heading toward the exit.
Bella immediately follows.
"Jacob."
Nothing.
The theater doors swing shut behind them.
I stare for approximately three seconds.
Then groan.
"Well now I have to follow them."
Outside the theater the cold air hits immediately.
I spot Bella and Jacob halfway down the sidewalk.
They're arguing.
Actually arguing.
Jacob's shoulders are rigid.
Bella looks frustrated.
And for some reason they're standing way too close.
I speed up.
Just in time to hear-
"You're lying."
Bella folds her arms.
"About what?"
"About what happened."
My eyebrows shoot up.
What happened?
To who?
What are we talking about?
Bella glances around quickly.
"Lower your voice."
"No."
"Jacob..."
"No."
Oh.
He's mad mad.
The kind of mad where his entire body looks wound too tight. Bella notices me approaching and immediately looks relieved. Which is suspicious. Very suspicious.
"Kylie."
"Nope."
I point between them.
"You don't get to use me as a distraction."
Bella actually looks guilty.
Interesting.
Jacob turns away abruptly.
Like he's done with the conversation.
Or trying very hard not to say something else.
"Jake."
Nothing.
He starts walking.
I grab his arm automatically.
The second my hand closes around his skin I nearly yank it back.
Holy shit.
He's burning up.
Not warm.
Not Jacob warm.
Burning.
Like he has a fever.
"Jesus."
Jacob freezes.
My eyes widen.
"Jake."
His jaw clenches immediately.
Uh oh.
"You're hot."
The second the words leave my mouth I want to launch myself into traffic.
Bella's eyes go wide.
Jacob's eyes go wide.
My eyes go wide.
Wonderful.
Fantastic.
Perfect.
I immediately correct myself.
"Temperature wise."
Neither of them says anything.
I can physically feel my soul leaving my body.
"Your skin is hot."
Somehow worse.
"Like a fever."
There.
Normal.
Recovered.
Absolutely nailed it.
Bella outright laughs.
Traitor.
I smack Jacob's arm.
"Seriously."
For a second something complicated flashes across his face.
Something almost worried.
Then it's gone.
"I'm fine."
"You are literally on fire."
"I'm not."
"You kind of are," Bella says.
"Thank you."
Jacob glares at both of us.
Then immediately looks away.
Weird.
Very weird.
Everything about the tribe boys has been weird lately.
"You're hiding something."
Jacob groans.
Bella looks away suspiciously.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Before I can interrogate either of them further, Jacob starts walking again.
✧─────────────────────✧
Jacob hasn't been responding to me.
Again.
And ain't no way we're doing this again.
No.
Absolutely not.
I already survived one Jacob disappearance.
I'm not doing a sequel.
So Bella and I decide we're going to see him. By we I mean I show up in Bella's room and announce we're leaving. Bella doesn't even argue.
Which honestly should've been my first warning sign.
It's pouring rain by the time we climb into her truck. The windshield wipers are working overtime while gray clouds swallow up the entire sky. Neither of us talks much on the drive. Mostly because we're both annoyed. Though apparently for very different reasons.
The second we pull into La Push I know something's off.
Jacob is already outside. Waiting. Like he knew we were coming. The truck barely stops before Bella is opening her door.
I climb out after her. And immediately stop walking.
What.
The.
Hell.
His hair is gone. Not completely. But gone enough. The long hair I've been yanking on and braiding and threatening to cut in his sleep for years,(as a joke I love his long hair), is gone.
Now it's short. Really short. I hate it. Actually no.
I don't.
Which is worse. Because somehow it makes his jaw look sharper. His shoulders broader. His entire face older.
Unfair. Completely unfair. Then my eyes drop lower. And things somehow get worse. He's shirtless.
Again.
Why is he always shirtless now? And wet. Rainwater slides down his chest and shoulders while his stupid new tattoo sits on one shoulder.
I blink.
A tattoo. A dumb looking tattoo. A very dumb looking tattoo.
I stare at it. Then at him. Then back at the tattoo.
"Absolutely not."
Jacob actually looks offended.
Bella ignores both of us completely.
"Why haven't you been answering me?"
She speaks first. Oh.
We're starting here.
Immediately.
Great.
I fold my arms and step back slightly while they launch into an argument.
Or whatever this is.
Honestly after about thirty seconds I stop paying attention.
Not intentionally.
My brain just gets distracted.
Because first of all, Jacob has apparently been hanging out with Bella without me.
Repeatedly.
Which I only learned because Bella casually mentioned it on the drive over like it was common knowledge.
Apparently they've been working on motorcycles together on their own.
Talking.
Meeting up.
Having entire conversations.
Without me.
So that's great.
Love that.
Second of all, their argument is weird.
Really weird.
They're standing way too close.
Talking way too intensely.
Interrupting each other every five seconds.
Honestly it sounds less like a fight and more like a breakup.
Which would make sense.
Except they're not dating.
As far as I know.
Hopefully.
My attention drifts back just in time to hear...
"Why are you doing this?" Bella demands.
Jacob looks away.
His jaw clenches.
Then he says, "Because I'm not a nice guy anymore."
Silence.
I stare at him.
Bella stares at him.
Rain pours around us.
And then...
I snort.
I can't help it.
The sound escapes before I can stop it.
Because that is genuinely the cheesiest thing I've ever heard in my entire life.
Jacob's head immediately snaps toward me.
"What?"
I gesture vaguely.
"That."
"What?"
"'I'm not a nice guy anymore.'" I mimic dramatically. "Who says that?"
Bella actually looks at me like my head's chopped off.
Traitor.
Jacob glares.
I keep going.
"No seriously. That's what villains say right before they get defeated by friendship."
His glare deepens.
"My Jacob could never not be good."
The words leave my mouth casually.
Automatic.
The way they've always felt.
Because it's true.
Jacob Black is a lot of things.
Stubborn.
Annoying.
Dramatic.
A menace.
But not bad.
Never bad.
For a second nobody says anything.
The rain falls.
Bella goes oddly quiet.
And Jacob just...
Stares at me.
The amusement drains from my face slowly.
Because something shifts.
His expression changes.
His eyes lock onto mine.
Really lock onto mine.
Like he's seeing me for the first time all over again.
The air suddenly feels strange.
Heavy.
His nostrils flare.
I blink.
"...Jacob?"
His entire body goes rigid.
I scrunch my eyebrows together.
Confused.
What is happening?
Bella looks confused too.
Actually no.
Bella looks horrified.
Which is significantly worse.
"Jake?"
His eyes never leave mine.
For one bizarre second everything feels frozen.
Nobody moves.
Nobody speaks.
Then Jacob turns.
And runs.
Not walks.
Not storms off.
Runs.
Into the woods.
Gone in seconds.
I stare after him.
The rain soaks through my jacket.
My brain struggles to catch up.
✧─────────────────────✧
Jacob has been MIA.
Again.
Seriously.
Again. He ran off into the woods and what...fell in a hole?
You can't keep doing this to me, Jacob.
The first few days I try to be reasonable about it. People get sick. People get busy. People have lives outside of me.
Apparently.
But by day four I'm pacing around my room like a crazy person.
By day five I've called his house enough times that Billy probably recognizes the sound of my voice before I even say hello.
Everything was fine.
Everything was finally fine.
I got Jacob back.
Bella was doing better.
My car was almost done.
For one brief shining moment I thought maybe the universe would stop throwing things at me.
Then whatever happened at the movies happened. And we yelled at each other out in the rain.
Jacob vanished into the woods.
And now we're here again.
I flop backwards across my bed and stare at the ceiling.
Ever since Bella showed up everything has been changing.
I love her.
I really do.
But fuck man.
Nothing stays still anymore.
Jacob disappeared.
Then he came back.
Bella became my sister.
Edward left.
Bella fell apart.
Jacob got weird.
Everyone keeps having secrets.
And every time I think I've figured out the rules, somebody changes them.
My phone sits beside me.
I stare at it.
Then grab it.
Again.
The number practically dials itself at this point.
The phone rings.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then-
"Hello?"
Billy.
I immediately sit up.
"Billy."
A sigh.
The kind adults make when they're about to deal with nonsense.
"Hey kid."
"Where's Jacob?"
Silence.
Interesting. Very interesting.
I narrow my eyes at absolutely nobody.
"Billy."
"He's sick."
I pause.
"Sick?"
"Yep."
"With what?"
Another pause.
Long enough to be suspicious.
Then-
"Mono."
I blink. Mono? That's it?
All this drama because he has mono?
Actually that tracks.
Jacob would absolutely turn a normal illness into a full-scale disappearance.
"Mono?"
"Doctor says he needs rest."
I stare at the wall.
Then at my phone.
Then back at the wall.
Because honestly?
That makes sense.
He's been acting weird.
Running hot enough to cook breakfast.
Randomly disappearing.
Okay.
Fine.
Mono.
Reasonable.
Except...
I've taken care of him every single time he's gotten sick since we were kids. Every time. The flu. Food poisoning.
That one time he ate something questionable at a bonfire and spent three days complaining about it.
Every single time.
Also what was he doing out in the rain...That had to have made it worse right?
"Can I come see him?"
Billy is quiet.
Too quiet.
Suspiciously quiet.
"I don't know if that's a good idea."
"Why?"
"Because he's sick."
"That's how being sick works."
Billy sighs.
"Kid."
"No."
I sit up straighter.
"Mono is shared through bodily fluids."
The silence on the other end becomes deafening. I continue anyway.
"It's not like he's gonna kiss me."
Dead silence.
Absolute.
Dead.
Silence.
I blink.
"...Billy?"
A noise escapes him.
A strangled noise.
Like he's actively choking on a laugh.
Oh.
Oh no.
Wait.
No.
That's not what I meant.
"That's not what I-"
Billy is definitely laughing now.
"Oh my God."
"Stop."
"I'm not saying anything."
"You are laughing."
"I am."
I drop my head into my hands.
This is a nightmare.
An actual nightmare.
Eventually Billy manages to recover.
Mostly.
"Look."
His voice softens slightly.
"I know you're worried."
The embarrassment fades immediately. Because I am worried. More worried than I want to admit.
"Then let me see him."
Another pause.
"He needs rest."
"Billy."
"He really does."
I groan dramatically. The sound echoes through my room.
"You're both impossible."
"That's probably true."
I sigh.
Then softer.
"Is he okay?"
The question slips out before I can stop it. Because that's the real issue.
Not mono. Not the phone calls. Not the frustration. I just want to know he's okay. Billy's answer comes immediately.
"Yeah."
My shoulders relax. Just a little.
"He's okay."
Not perfect. Not enough.
But okay. And right now I'll take okay. After we hang up I stare at my phone for a long moment.
✧─────────────────────✧
Guys, did Tumblr always have a block limit, or have I just been writing really short fics until now? Oopsies again ran out of room but this was supposed to be with what came out yesterday. hehe hope you enjoy. She'll finally know the truth next part.
Tag list:@loversonne @mrsabbotthankya @bearballerina44 @louisianalady @samuelseoswife @tcapter @uhhitaintme101
hot take but i genuinely think more people should be reading fics while they’re still in progress
like not in a “you’re doing fandom wrong if you don’t” way, more in a “you are missing out on one of the most unhinged and delightful corners of the entire reading experience” way
because finished fics are great, obviously. they’re complete, they’re clean, they’re ready to be devoured in one sitting at 3am while you pretend you’re going to sleep at a reasonable hour. but in-progress fics? in-progress fics are a living thing.
because you’re watching it happen in real time. you’re there when the author is still figuring out what kind of emotional damage they’re about to inflict. you’re there when they post a chapter and you can practically feel them hovering like “so… thoughts?” through the screen.
and then you comment. and suddenly it’s not just reading anymore. it’s you and a stranger on the internet collectively losing your minds over fictional people like it’s a shared research project.
you start recognising usernames. you start waiting for updates the way normal people wait for weather. you get replies from the author that feel like inside jokes forming at lightning speed. sometimes you’re not even sure where the fic ends and the group chat energy begins.
it’s chaotic. it’s intimate in a very fandom-specific way. and i think people underestimate how much fun it is to be part of a story while it’s still becoming itself.
anyway. read more wips. leave comments. become slightly unwell about chapter updates with the rest of us.
that being said, if you want to witness me actively spiraling in real time, here’s the link to my canon rewrite of merlin.
Summary: Phoenixes were supposed to be a myth. Except Harry keeps dying, only to wake up later remembering the pain. It’s becoming quite the problem.
New Chapter
Excerpt:
“My name is Harry, and we have something in common.”
She stared at him for a long time, not saying anything. There was very little emotion to her, and that had Harry's instincts on alert. Part of him wanted to take a step back. He was glad there was a glass barrier separating them because something wasn’t right.
Harry uncurled his wings, keeping the invisibility spell on them, knowing that she’d be able to see them. Her eyes had widened, as he expected, but what he didn’t expect was for her to do it too. Large white wings. They were beautiful. He wished he could touch them.
“You’re a Phoenix too,” Harry said unnecessarily, hoping that it would prompt her to speak. The only reaction he got was the way her eyes narrowed. It wasn’t enough. “I’ve come for answers. There’s not much information on us.”
A laugh. A cold, dark laugh that had him shivering, giving him goose pimples.
“My torture and torment were for naught?” She said, voice odd as it sounded like there were two people talking, but it was only her. She had an accent, one that he couldn’t place. It wasn’t French, but it was close. “These pitiful Wizards ask the same questions over and over, year after year, and you tell me it goes nowhere?”
“The Ministry doesn’t like to share information.”
Another cold laugh echoed throughout the room at a volume that shook the walls. Merlin, there was so much power to her. It was no wonder the Ministry went to great lengths to contain her if just a laugh could shake the room.
Ao3
Thank you to @brainrot-has-overtaken-me and @eaasysarcasm for being the wonderful people they are and listening to be complain and whine while I finished this chapter.
Like, at all. Legitimately he is incapable of telling a lie.
Like sure, he can certainly dodge questions, or maybe create a loophole or two- But if you were to ask him a question directly with no way of avoiding it- HE HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO BE HONEST. And this fudges him over on multiple accounts.
And when he’s trying to dodge questions to avoid giving away his secrets or intentions- I want you to envision the scene from Shrek 3, where Pinocchio is being interrogated by Prince Charming concerning Shreks whereabouts- See here and he’s just RAMBLING-
Now, despite everything, this doesn’t change much. He still has flattery tactics and is careful with his worlds- Despite all his smarts Ford can still be blinded by his own hubris. So the whole portal thing goes down similarly to canon… Untill the portal incident happens.
With Ford stuck in the portal, Bill had no way of rebuilding it seeing that nobody would be willing… Aside from STANLEY PINES who is at a loss at what to do. The perfect willing assistant in rebuilding the portal. And bill wouldn’t have to lie that much cuz their goals really do aline somewhat… So, the demon tries to strike a deal…
This is when shit hits the fan for Bill.
And hey, let’s even go as far as to exaggerate the whole “Must return his half of the deal no matter what” portion of Bill’s deal making abilities. With this in mind, let’s take a look at EX CON STANLEY PINES who can sniff out a bad deal in no time- Due to his years of experience on the streets. And being the con artist that he is, Stanley being confronted by another con artist who can only tell the truth and also is confined to whatever deals they make… Well, this can only go well for him.
So Stanley tricks Bill- As he would in most dimensions if you get my gist. While Bill is offering unlimited knowledge in exchange for Stan’s compliance or something- Stan can easily twist Bills words against themselves and long story short- Bill is now trapped in Stanley’s debt and is confined to… Hmmm…
Let’s say he’s stuck constantly possessing a little magic 8 ball. And whoever shakes him, he’s forced to admit information to. A seriously bad deal on his part, an extremely great one on Stan’s part. So, Bill must help Stan get on with the portal without any sort of escape…
What’s even worse is that as time goes on, sometimes Stan even uses Bill as one of his ATTRACTIONS. (Honestly, Bill is lucky. Stan had been seconds away from binding the demon to a Zoltar machine-)
And time passes just as it would in canon, that is, untill the little pines twins come around to stay for the summer. And while I haven’t thought too hard about what the episodes looks like as I imagine it all doesn’t change too much- However. One thing that inspired this whole thing is how the kids are first introduced to bill- Something like:
Stan: Here kids- Meet Bill. This guy will answer all your pesky little questions.
Dipper: …Grunkle Stan, you named your magic 8 ball Bill?
Stan: Huh? Nah, he was called that when I first got him. Also Bill is just this all-knowing demon thing that I trapped inside of that ball in like… What was it- Was it- 85? Bah whatever-
Dipper: A demon…
Mable: *Eyes sparkling* Can I shake it???
Stan: *Tosses the ball casually* Sure knock yourself out kid.
Mable: Woahhhh…
Dipper: What is that thing… Is that… A triangle?
Stan: Welp. I’ll let you kids have at it- OH YEAH. He can’t lie so there’s that.
Or something like that. Haven’t worked out the kinks yet, but I think in this scenario Stan lets the kids mess around with Bill sometimes in hopes that the knowledge he possesses can help prevent the kids from like- Getting themselves in danger or something. And once the kids realize that they can just twist their words in order to make Bill slip and give helpful information- Well I can only imagine their shithead grins as Bill curses to the heavens. Dipper and Bill will banter a lot, with Bill obviously doing his best to break this pre-pubescent boys self esteem but it only assists in Dippers character development. Meanwhile, Bill and Mable can be lowkey chaotic and he could even respect her antics- If not for her whole “empathy and emotions” thing. (Perhaps a teensy bit of character development in places… But if Bill is a master of anything in any dimension, it is DENIAL-)
I think weirdmaggedon might still happen and there will be this whole rift thing and stuff- it’s still relatively similar. Maybe a different ending? Or another deal? Who knows. But this was just a silly thought I had- I can only imagine the names if I decide to invest time into it.
Magic 8 Bill AU? Or something? I might make some art for it if I’m being completely honest- Just a funny thought yk?
