Price is there to greet you when you get back to base with regret pooling in his eyes. He'd been so caught up in his anxiety over Kyle's recovery and frustration at the failed mission that he'd taken it out on you. He'd told you it was your fault, forced you out of Kyle's recovery room, and iced you out of the team completely.
There was no excuse for what he'd put you through, watching as you head towards the base entrance. Your steps falter slightly as you approach, pulling your face into a neutral expression. "Hey, Captain."
"Welcome back, Y/N. Can we talk in my office once you get settled?" He asks, giving you a warm handshake and pulling you into a one-armed hug. Hearing Price speak to you after so long didn't fill you with the relief you were hoping it would. Sure, he finally wants to talk to you again, but you couldn't get over getting the silent treatment from him, and the fact that Johnny and Simon quickly followed his lead.
"Now you want to talk to me, Sir?" You couldn't keep the sass out of your voice, glaring back at him as you lean back on your heels. "Sure you don't want to ice me out for another month, or am I forgiven because Kyle is out of the infirmary." You continue keeping eye contact with him.
"I'm sorry for what I did, Y/N. You didn't deserve for me to take my anger out on you." Price apologizes, clearing his throat awkwardly. He had a hard time meeting your eyes because they looked so dull now, like the time spent in silence had snuffed out your spark. He had done that to you.
"You didn't. You did so much worse." You're voice cracks, the lump in your throat betraying you in your moment of anger. "You know how much I care about this team. I may not have been here long, but I feel as though I have earned my place enough to not be blamed for the near death of someone I consider a close friend." Hot tears splashed down your face, voice trembling as you spoke, but you couldn't stop.
Your pain demanded to be heard. "I couldn't sit with any of you, spar with any of you, you would clear the weights area like I had the plague any time I got near! You didn't take your anger out on me! You abandoned me! You made me leave Kyle in the infirmary, I couldn't see him when he was awake to make sure he was okay -!" The air feels pinched out of your lungs, the image of Kyle hooked up to all the machines, unconscious in that sterile bed you know he hated being in. You swipe your tears away with your sleeve, glaring up at Price, who stood wide-eyed at your rant.
"I'm going to see him. But sure, I'll stop by your office after dinner for a chat." You hiss the words out, stepping around him and into base with your chin up high, tears still dripping down your chin.
"You really didn't need to get me this much chocolate..." Kyle mutters in shock as you dump an entire spare suit case of candy onto his bed.
"Hey, Japanese candy is too good to pass up, and they had a ton of KitKat flavors that sounded too good not to try with someone else." You chuckle as you start rooting through the pile. "Plus, anyone who spends a whole month in the infirmary deserves a refreshed candy stash. I may have raided yours a few times."
"You ate all of my Butter Fingers!?" Kyle gasps, chuckling a pack of hello kitty pocky at your head.
"I have two big bags on the way, I'm sorry!" You giggle, plopping down onto the free space you cleared for yourself. "I'm going to talk to Price after dinner today." You announce, beginning to organize candy brands into piles.
"I heard you giving him an earful earlier. Well, me and the recruits I was training. We were right around the corner." Kyle admits, tossing you a strawberry KitKat with a scrunched face. He'd tried that flavor once and hated it. You groan, dropping your head into your hands before tearing open your chocolate and taking a bite. "I didn't know you were that worried about me. I'm sorry."
"You can't be sorry for being injured, Kyle." You insist around a mouthful of chocolate and wafers. "I care about you all a lot. And sometimes it really hits how much I care when I see you in that bed and there's nothing I can do. I start wishing I could switch positions with you." You explain, squeezing the fool wrapper in your palm. "Get a little sappy and dramatic is all."
"I don't think it's dramatic. Thank you." Kyle slides over another strawberry KitKat and early takes the dark chocolate KitKat you offered him. He notices your confused face and gives you a small smile. "Thank you for caring so much. It's rare to find that in someone. Not just anybody is going to bring me a suitcase of chocolate because I said I wanted some." He continues as he fiddles with opening his chocolate. "But you did. That means a lot to me. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Kyle. Just don't ask for anymore any time soon, I also got myself quite a bit." You chuckle and Kyle's eyes widen.
"How much fucking money did you spend on Japanese snacks!?"
You feel your gut drop when you see Johnny and Simon standing behind Price's desk. You really wish you had asked Kyle to come. You wanted an emotional support Sargeant by your side.
"Please sit down, Y/N." Price offers softly, taking out a small sheet of paper and swallowing hard. You felt your heart beating faster, realizing it was one of the many apology notes you'd written begging for forgiveness. Not all of them had been ripped up, and apparently one of them escaped the trash can.
"There's no excuse for what I did to you. None. I know there's no apology I can give you that would be adequate to make up for what I've done." Prices eyes skim over your letter, and your stomach lurches. The anxiety in you dissipates suddenly when you notice his bottom lip trembling slightly as he sets the letter down and looks at you. "You aren't the one that ever should've apologized, Y/N. And I'm so sorry I failed you, isolated you, and made you feel at fault."
"I'm sorry I didn't stick up for you, or tell Price to stop. I should've spoken to you, but I was mad. I wanted someone to blame. I'm sorry, Y/N." Johnny pipes up, guilt etched into his features. He knew he was wrong for ignoring you the way he did, and being on the receiving end of Kyle's cold shoulder had been just a taste of what they'd done to you.
"I have a mind of my own, and I didn't use it. I followed along with the tone Price set, but that's not an excuse for treating you like shit. I'm sorry for isolating you, Y/N." Simon doesn't look up at you, focused down at his feet as he mauled over the times he'd been subjected to isolation. No one to turn to or talk to in a dark room was bad enough, seeing people all around you who just refuse to acknowledge you?
He knew that feeling too, and it was almost worse. You could feel the tears burning again, whispering around your lower lids with a vengeance as you dry your palms on your pants.
"I don't know if I'll be able to go back to how things were before this. You all hurt me in one of the most vulnerable ways for me to be hurt. I didn't expect you to know that, but I know that you know you were being cruel. And I can't imagine being so cruel to someone I care about." You clear your throat and force a small smile to your face. "I think we can try, and I forgive you... But if you ever do that to me again, I am putting in a team transfer." You finish, keeping eye contact with Price as you did.
"Perfectly understandable, Y/N. Thank you for talking with us, and we will make sure we actually earn your forgiveness." Price takes a deep breath and slides your letter towards you. "If you ever want to talk about this... I wrote a few letters of my own when I was young." He admits quietly to the room, the admission hanging in the air.
You smile slightly, not because of his pain in the past or the ache of its present memory, but because he understood. He did truly understand, and there was a hope that with that understanding, he would do better in the future. You take the letter and stand.
"Thank you for apologizing. See you for our morning workout." You say as you turn and leave the office. You felt a bit lighter, and your previous anger settled down slightly. You didn't forgive them fully. They knew that, but there was now a door open for them to come back into your life. It was now up to them to show they deserved that forgiveness.
Oh my God, I might have to name this series if I keep writing like this. Also, I'm going to hyperlink the parts to these stories soon. Maybe my next day off when I can update my materlist as well. Enjooooy<3
You know, Dean, he – he feels things more acutely than any human I've ever known. So it's possible he could work through this. One day, he may explode and let it all out and breathe deeply and move on.
lion dance was once banned where I came from for 'disturbing racial harmony'. after the prime minister of the time was greeted by lion dances in China, he changed his mind about the ban, and now Acrobatic Lion Dance Competitions are OUR thing. Getting the standardized jong setups for world competition? WE did that. Crazy fucking backbreaking stunts that now EVERYONE does? WE did that. There's a bunch of riffs, like Taiwan does Acrobatic Lion Dancing but over WATER. A WHOLE POOL. they put a plat form in the middle that the lion dancers start and end on and the poles are over water!! the fuck!!
And now if you're into Lion Dancing, you'll know there's Malaysia style heads, right?
Maybe it's because I'm always in the "Eat the Rich" camp
But Gun is giving me strong Samantha James vibes with this not-an-apology apology
Sir, this was not the move.
Like...Gun admitted that Thyme came up with the concept for the game, and Gun told Thyme he could take it when he left the company for NOT VALUING HIM OR HIS IDEAS, which Thyme reiterates here, yet...Gun says Thyme was jealous of him?
Yeah. He Thyme was pressed! Thanks for noticing, Gun! Thyme is upset and jealous that Gun, the money man, continues to use money to control situations even though Thyme is the brains!
I like this show and Gun, but I need y'all to make this plot point make sense because my petty ass does not understand. I'm on the poor man's side on this one.
Thyme wants Gun's actions to match his intentions, and unless Thyme is homophobic or drowning puppies, I do not see how he is in the wrong instead of being the one who was wronged.
Look at me, a 27 years old hag, best renowned for her lack of emotions, completely falling apart reading Ruin and Rising from the Grishaverse because that stupid boy who's the most loving and loyal friend and soulmate you could ever ask for has to fucking die.
Tony is tired of the coffee grounds in his disposal. Mostly he's tired of the Avengers disrespecting and taking for granted the space he has given them. And him in the process.
