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Chapter Text

School concluded on Friday, leaving students to enjoy their weekend off. Two of Wellston's most powerful students were enjoying a nice time at Woaba Boba. John and Seraphina have done this time and time again, usually getting mistaken for a couple in the process. However, today, things were different.

Today, they were officially dating.

But just because they were dating now, doesn't mean things have changed much for them. If anything, it only grew their bond and nothing more. They still just hung out the same as they usually did. Only this time, they could say they were a couple to those who pointed it out.

"This is nice..." Sera said softly after taking her straw out of her mouth.

"Agreed. It feels like this should have happened sooner, though." John responded.

Sera let out a giggle, "Funny story. The first time we hung out, I actually thought it was a date!"

John looked up in surprise, "Really?! What made you think that?"

She blushed, "Well, before you came along, I always thought that when a guy asks you to hang out with him, it usually meant it was a date. But as we talked, I realized you weren't flirting or asking personal questions. Instead, you were just......casual."

John sat there and thought about her words for a moment before showing a sly grin, "Well.....I can be flirty now~"

Seraphina's face returned to its usual neutral state, "Nah." She looked to the window, "That would just ruin it."

John broke his grin and sighed in failure. He turned back to his drink, failing to see her blush slightly.

'As nice as that sounds, we shouldn't push that far yet.' Then she smiled, 'But we WILL get there eventually. And he'll be the one blushing like mad!'

Chapter Text

Tension.....

That's all that was in the air. Sitting in the room, opposite to each other, was John and Narisa. The older woman glared down on the man, wondering how in the hell did he manage to catch Seraphina's heart. It didn't make any sense!

John just sat there, waiting patiently for Sera's mother to say something other than just stare at him. After several more minutes, he caved.

"What seems to be the problem, ma'am?" He said with a smile, though it wasn't genuine.

She gritted her teeth, "What does Seraphina see in you, boy? You were deemed a lost cause by the authorities, yet MY daughter still chose you over many different, and much more capable, suitors!"

The younger man sighed, "Well, if you want to know for sure, maybe you should see for yourself."

What he heard next left him in shock.

"Fine. I will. Take me on a date and show me EVERYTHING you two do!"

Two months go by, and John and Narisa have grown more attached to one another. So much so in fact, that Narisa often invites John for a night on the town. He believes she is still testing him, and he's completely fine with it. However, that couldn't be further from the truth.

Truth is she found him quite charming after their first date. Narisa never wanted it to end. He made her feel young again. She wanted to keep feeling that. Eventually, it came time for her to confess this, especially after John and Sera went through a bad break up after he found her cheating. 

She held onto him, "It's alright, John. I don't think that was right of her."

He grunted, "Funny. You're not going to take Seraphina's side?"

She smiled, "Why would I do that? If anything, she didn't realize how good she had it. Honestly, you were the best catch she ever had! I know that first hand."

John looked towards Narisa, almost cracking a smile, "So, why all the fake dates?"

"Honey..." She kissed him, "Those were real..."

Two years after that, Seraphina was forced to attend John and Narisa's wedding.

Chapter Text

Jeraphina

John and Seraphina were sitting in his dorm, mindlessly playing on their phones. Seraphina rested her legs on his lap while he tried to beat the next level in Raid: Pig Legends.

A thought crossed his mind, "Hey, isn't it Valentine's day?"

Her eyes remained on the phone, "Yeah..."

"Want to do something together?"

She looked up to him with a smile, "We already are, dummy."

John took a second to realize, then went back to his phone. He forgets that Sera was different from others. She valued every second they spent together, no matter how small. Honestly, he was the same.

Blemi

On the other hand, Blyke and Remi wanted to do more fun things with their time together. Since Isen was distracted by a recent article idea, they had the whole afternoon to themselves. Their first stop was the mall, which they found to be packed.

"Man, it's crowded in here!"

Remi gripped his arm more, "Yeah....Maybe we should've just stayed home."

The boy looked down to her, "And be boring like Seraphina and John? No thanks!"

With a huff, Remi continued following her boyfriend until they reached their destination. The movie theater. Unfortunately, the film Blyke was taking Remi to go see was sold out.

"Dammit! Now what?"

Remi looked around and found another movie poster. It looked to be advertising an action film. A lightbulb went off in her head, "Let's see that one instead!"

He looked in her direction and saw the movie he's been wanting to see with Isen. He thought about it, then asked for two tickets. The vendor had plenty to spare.

Arlaine

Meanwhile at the park, a tall, blonde man was following around a blue-haired girl. Just like Blyke and Remi, they also want to do something more fun, but without spending money. So they took a stroll, with Arlo being guided half the time.

Eventually, Elaine spotted something that made her eyes sparkle. She took his hand and dragged him over to a swing set. She sat down in one of the swings.

"Come on, Arlo! Push me!"

The blonde rolled his eyes, "Aren't you a little old for this?"

"I didn't ask for you to judge me! I said PUSH me!" Elaine pouted.

With another roll of his eyes, he granted her request and pushed her. In a minute, he started getting into it. Then 10 minutes passed, and they were still having fun. Eventually, thirty minutes later, she stopped her swing and announced she was finished.

Afterwards, the two went to a nearby bench and sat there, with Arlo's arm wrapped around her. Her head rested on his shoulder while he rested on her head. A lone thought came to mind.

'Today was a good day.'

Chapter Text

Elaine was wandering down the halls, searching for a certain someone. After turning corner after corner, she found who she was looking for: A greasy-haired cripple leaning against the wall, holding onto his ribcage. He was bloodied and bruised like he just got out of a car accident. She ran up to him.

"Oh my god! John, are you okay?!"

John gave her a weak smile, "I'm just peachy. Just had a run in with a few low-tiers."

She immediately activated her ability and began healing his wounds, "I wish you would stop mindlessly running into them! You know they'll just kick you down just for looking at them, right?"

He shrugged, feeling his cuts and bruises slowly start to fade away, "Yeah, I know..."

She pinched his cheek, causing a new surge of pain for him, "You know, but you don't listen!" She stopped, "Then I have to heal you afterwards."

John slowly started to stand straight up, "But, you don't have to. I'll just heal up at Doc's!"

She sighed. Elaine deactivated her ability after finding no wounds, then glared at him, "That's not the point..." Suddenly, she hugged him, "I just hate seeing you get hurt. Every time I find you like this, it always pains me..."

John listened to her words carefully this time. He eventually sighed, then returned the hug. After a while, the two separated and began walking further into the hall.

Chapter Text

Cecile typed away on her computer, checking all her notes and recent reports from the other students. One particular student came to mind, and a smile spread across her face.

'He's an idiot. But he's my idiot~' She got lost in thought and rested her head on her hand.

Without her noticing, the door swung open to reveal an orange-haired boy just casually walking in. Isen stared at her, then decided to sneak closer. He got close to her side and bent down to plant a kiss on her cheek. She jolted up in surprise.

"Isen! When did you-??"

He chuckled, "A few seconds ago. What were you thinking about?~"

Her face heated up before she coughed into her hand, "Nothing important! Just thinking about these reports is all!" She went back to her typing.

Isen knew she was lying. He didn't even need his ability to tell him that.

Chapter Text

One month after Safehouse was established, new friendships were formed between bullies and the bullied. Hell, some even went further and started dating. Sure, Arlo was cold and had a glare in his stare, but that didn't stop Evie from asking him out. He said yes, as not to make her upset, but actually came to enjoy their time together. Overtime, they made it more and more public, letting most people of Safehouse know that they were together. Of course, people like Remi and the other Royals supported their relationship.

For one particular girl, she was heartbroken, sitting on her couch in the dark with a tub of ice cream in hand, wrapped in a blanket, and watching romance dramas. Around her was a mountain of used tissues.

"H-H-He choose......s-some low-tier.......o-o-over m-me!!" Elaine cried.

Chapter Text

Seraphina was standing in the middle of an abandoned room, waiting patiently from her higher ups to call her in. To her side was Terrence, a boy she began investigating in order to get her ability back. Over time, however, she started to see him in a VERY different way. The two started talking to each other a lot more, even more than they would talk to their own friends. Since they had a deeper connection, thanks to Spectre, they hit it off pretty quickly.

Now, here they are, holding hands as they waited for Seraphina to be called in. Terrence rubbed his thumb against her hand, hoping to ease her nerves, "Don't worry...You got this!"

She smiled at him, "Thanks..."

With a reassuring smile, Terrence pointed to the door as another person stepped out, "I believe they're ready for you."

Sera looked over to the person before giving Terrence a quick peck on the cheek, "Alright, see you when I'm finished!"

After that, she walked through the door, leaving Terrence alone in the room with a wild blush on his face.

Chapter Text

Master: .....Sin. Get me the Rum bottle.

Sin: Here. Do you want to mix that with coke?

Master: No. Straight from the bottle is fine. Let’s get this over with.

Jeon

For years, John was always captured by the law. Keon didn't have an exact reason why until he dug further into John's memories. Turns out, those sessions from long ago embedded a deep feeling within him, making him care more for the man instead of the nice girl from before. He was flattered. So much so that, per John's request, he ran away with him. They purchased a secluded cabin in the woods and lived the rest of their days together.

Master after drinking half the bottle: One down....

Jilliam

For a long time, John was in the care of William. Though they were technically father and son, it was not due to blood relation. So when feelings started to rise in both of them, they didn't bother to hide them. Instead, they showed it off. Even in public, where they often showed their love, no matter who saw it. They didn't care. They had each other. They would ALWAYS have each other.

Master: I’m almost out. The very MOMENT that last drop hits, I want you to nuke these worlds.

Sin: Got it.

Sarisa

Unlike the father/son couple, Narisa and Seraphina kept to themselves. After Seraphina found out that she was adopted, she started to see her mother in a whole new light. Her mother felt the same, eventually telling Sera the truth about her feelings when she turned eighteen. After that, the two began to express their love for each other privately, so as not to start any outcries from the public.

Master stared at the abominations he created. He took one last drink from his bottle of liquor and placed the bottle down. “Sin.”

Sin did as he was instructed. Soon, the very small worlds before them exploded in three balls of fire and crumbled to ash. Master let out a liberated sigh, now free from the thought of these very ships.

At least, until his brother came along.

“Ya know, I have a few ideas for Sera and Narisa if you want to-”

His brother was cut off after Master grabbed the neck of his empty liquor bottle and smashed it over his head. The body fell limp to the ground. Sin could only stare in shock until Master gave him an order.

“Sin, get Lust out of my sight.” He spoke with venom in his words.

“Yessir.”

As Sin dragged the unconscious body of Lust away and towards the door to the room, Master shouted another order. “Throw him down the stairs!”

As the door closed, Master returned to his work, “Now where was I? Oh right! Something more normal.”

Chapter Text

It all started with a project. A single, week-long project.

Remi and Evie were assigned to work on a week-long project together. While one was excited about it, the other was very nervous, especially after Remi offered for them to do the project over at her dorm. Being in the same group as Remi was bad enough, but going to her dorm?! Evie's heart couldn't take it.

Sure, she's always had an obsession with High-tiers, but Remi was on a whole other level. Evie had a mad crush on the Queen, and now, she was her partner for a project.

Over the course of the week, they met up with each other and walked over to Remi's dorm. Afterwards, they spent most of the night working on their project, along with other pieces of homework that needed to be done. Halfway through the week, Evie couldn't take it anymore and ran, hid away in a corner. Remi found her, and asked her politely what was wrong.

That's when Evie confessed. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She wanted the truth to be out there. After she told Remi the truth, she waited for the Queen to reject her or leave. Surprisingly, Remi did neither and instead, hugged Evie while kissing her on the cheek. Evie.....fainted.

She woke up later in Remi's bed with an ice pack on her head. The queen sat next to her and explained what had happened. After that, Remi went ahead and told Evie that she felt the same. The two hugged it out, not wanting to let go. For the rest of the week, the two had a harder time finishing the project as they simply just enjoyed their time together instead.

Chapter Text

When John first realized his power, he wanted to abuse it. Lash out at those who hurt him, kicked him while he was down. However, his plans were stopped by a single plea. A plea from a girl he had fallen in love with. Much to his annoyance, he granted her wish and never started a fight that was unnecessary. Despite all the temptations, he never lashed out, and over time, he learned to let go.

Because he had more important things to focus on....

"Claire! What are you doing?!" Her blonde-headed friend asked.

"I'm skipping class? Duh." Claire said, "After all, I'm passing the class anyway. I'll still graduate."

Adrion shook his head, "That's not the point! Your attendance could hold back your diploma!"

The green, short haired girl rolled her eyes, "I'll be fine, Adrion! Now..." She started walking away, "I'll be on the roof!"

The boy behind her reached out, but gave up shortly after. He sighed, then returned to class.

Claire opened the door to the rooftop, finding a black-haired man resting against the wall listening to music.

He opened one eye and found his girlfriend at the door. He smiled, "What took you so long?"

She smiled, "Ya know....Adrion."

John nodded his head in understanding, then gestured for her to sit down next to him. Claire did so, resting her head on his shoulder. He offered one of his earbuds, which she gladly took.

The two relaxed in silence, listening to music and letting time go by without a care.

Chapter Text

John was introduced to Remi by Seraphina before she was sent back home to serve her one month suspension. Thanks to this, John was given an easier time at Wellston, even with Sera gone. He, Remi and the other two hung out regularly, even after Seraphina came back. However, when Remi started playing with fire, he grew concerned.

Leaving him with no choice, John told Remi the truth about his ability. She was a bit upset at first, but once he told her everything, she understood. He offered her help, only so she could find her brother's killer. But after what they fought, they knew they had to give up.

Instead, the two decided to change the school, creating a Safe Haven for those stepped on by the system. Low and High tiers alike came around and eventually, Safehouse was the talk of the school. It was led by John and Remi, an iconic couple.

The two blushed at the name they were given, but they didn't deny it. Instead, they talked after school and confessed their feelings for each other. After that, they vowed to never leave the other person's side. To protect each other at all costs.

Chapter Text

On a chilly winter afternoon, the students of Wellston returned to their dorms to warm up for the freezing night to come.

Unfortunately for one student, his heater was out in his dorm. He was fully prepared to bundle up in tons of blankets for the night when someone offered him a better deal.

"You can stay over at my place, Isen!"

Remi grabbed onto Isen's hand and dragged him towards the girl's dorm. Isen was a bit flustered at first, but reminded himself that this was just Remi's kind-hearted nature at work.

The two made it to her dorm. With the door unlocked and opened, the two rushed in and prepared for a warm and cozy night. After the couple finished their homework, Isen offered to make some of his famous hot chocolate as thank you for letting him stay the night.

Not one to turn down a nice, warm drink to combat this cold weather, Remi accepted his offer. Some time passed and she finally got her hands on a toasty cup of hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. As Isen sat down beside her, she planted a kiss on his cheek, leaving the news reporter blushing.

"Thank you, Isen."

"N-No problem..."

The two enjoyed their drinks while watching movies for the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

The day was perfect.

Clear skies. A gentle breeze. Plus, it was the weekend. William and Jane had complete freedom today. So, as per their monthly tradition, the two decided to have a picnic in the park.

As William carried the basket in one hand, Jane held onto his other hand. She leaned her head against his shoulder, patting a tucked away surprise hidden in her pocket. 'I can't wait to see his face!'

The loving couple chose their usual spot: A clean area with a blossom tree and a patch of her favorite flowers nearby. William set up the area, pulling out the checkered blanket to lay it down, grabbing the sandwiches and fruits for them to enjoy while they talked, and nearly grabbing a hidden item at the corner of the basket.

'Better hold off until later.'

For an hour, the two chatted and ate their snacks. Each of them kept in mind their surprise for their loved one while simultaneously trying to determine the perfect time. When the sun began to set, William decided that now was the time.

"Jane?"

She looked towards him, stopping her hand from reaching her pocket, "Hmm? What is it, Will?"

He paused, realizing that he was missing a vital part to his whole question. So, William held up a finger for her to wait, then turned back to the basket. She stared with a curious glance to see what he was reaching for. He managed to hide it in his palms before turning back around and staring into her eyes.

She looked at his hands, "What is that?"

William spoke after taking a deep breath.

"Jane. Ever since we met at that book signing, you have been a wonderful inspiration and you've given me more than enough motivation to keep going. To keep writing."

She blushed, wondering where he was going with this.

"More than that," he continued, "You've managed to light up my gloomy world, despite me being powerless. I don't want to lose you. Not now. Not ever. So please..."

He revealed what was in his hand. A small, black box that would tell anyone what was happening. Jane let out a small gasp. William opened the box and revealed a diamond ring.

"Jane, my Goddess....Will you marry me?"

Jane was at a loss for words. She just couldn't process what just happened. Of course she wanted to scream "YES!" at the top of her lungs, but only if it was any other day. Today, she was supposed to surprise HIM!

Her pause was longer than she anticipated. Jane only realized this when William's smile started to fall, "J-Jane?"

She panicked for a second before finally realizing that this wasn't going to change a thing. She can still surprise him like she wanted. After all, what she had was worth more than a diamond ring.

Jane calmed herself and steadied her breath, "William...you jerk."

Now he was near panicking, "W-W-What?"

She smiled, "You weren't supposed to do this. Not today." She reached into her pocket and pulled out something she hid in her palms as well. "Put the box down."

Confused more than hurt, William did as he was told and set the engagement ring aside. With his palms free, she gestured for him to reach out. Once he did, she placed a thermometer-looking object in his hand. He was more confused, until he saw a positive sign.

Then, his eyes lit up.

Jane knew she got him.

"William, my love....Are you ready to be a father?"

Chapter Text

"Dammit! I didn't know teachers could give more work to individual students. Why the hell did that bastard give me two more assignments than the rest of you?!"

"Blyke, you fell asleep during class. Those two assignments were meant to be classwork for today. You did this to yourself."

Blyke grumbled, not wanting to argue with his friend Remi.

The two were traveling down the halls of Wellston. They passed by other students while on their way to their next class. Remi was holding her books in hand while Blyke had his hands in his pockets.

As they rounded the corner, Remi caught sight of someone leaning against the locker while attempting to reach down for their fallen books. Blyke wasn't paying much attention, so she had to elbow him. Her head tilted in the hurt student's direction, telling him exactly what she wanted him to do.

With a roll of his eyes, Blyke approached his peer and knelt down to help him.

"Here. Let me help-"

His words were cut off when he recognized the boy. It was one of his homeroom classmates. The one without an ability. In all honesty, he didn't pay enough attention to notice the clear details that told him apart from everyone else. Like the fact that this guy had jet black hair that probably had a tub of grease mixed in to keep it shaped like some kind of helmet.

His dark golden eyes gazed into Blyke's, catching the red-head off guard for a moment. The school cripple had a look of fear for a moment and nearly went to slap Blyke away. Luckily, Blyke caught it.

"Easy! I'm trying to help you!" He exclaimed, not wanting to make his fallen peer feel threatened. He eased his grip on his wrist and grabbed the books, "See? I'm grabbing your books for you."

"Wh-What do you want??" he asked.

Blyke shook his head, "I want nothing. Trust me, you don't have anything I couldn't get on my own. I just want to help you."

John stared more at Blyke before finally coming to terms with Blyke's words. He hung his head sadly, "Sorry. It's just been hard since Seraphina left."

'Right....She's like his best friend or something.' Blyke thought to himself, 'Hmmm...'

Blyke handed John his books and stood up. Then, he reached down and waited for John to grab his hand, "Come on. Get up."

John looked up thoughtfully at Blyke. Somehow, someway, Blyke felt something bubble up inside him when both their eyes pierced each other. With a slight change in hue on his cheeks, he urged John to stand up faster by shaking his hand.

John finally took it and stood up, "T-Thanks."

Blyke shook his head and turned away from John, "Don't worry about it." He had a thought for a moment before turning back to him, "Hey, if you're having trouble, you can always come to me."

John blushed slightly. Before he could say something, Blyke became as red as his hair and panickedly waved his hands, "OR REMI OR ISEN!!! Just one of us is fine! It doesn't have to be me specifically!"

John chuckled a bit, feeling relieved that he can trust someone else for a while. "Okay, I will. Thank you."

With that, John pushed past Blyke and said farewell to him since he needed to go to his next class. Blyke stood there for a moment, wondering what the hell got into him.

"Ya know I asked you to help him, not flirt with him, right?"

Blyke turned around, embarrassed, "REMI! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!?!"

Remi sighed heavily, "I've been here, Blyke....."

Chapter Text

Isen's eyes began to flutter open as he awoke from his unconscious state. He felt pain all over his body, as he recalled what knocked him out in the first place. Memories of a student in a black mask filled his mind and he began to piece together what had happened.

"MMgghh..."

He scanned the ceiling above him. The white tiles reminded him of the school infirmary, so it didn't take him long to realize where he was. Slowly, he moved his head around to see what else was around him. There was nothing interesting to the left of him, but when he looked to his right....

He saw a head full of pink hair resting on the side of his bed.

"Remi?"

Just then, another person entered the room, greeting Doc before walking over to Isen's area. "Hey, you're awake."

Isen jerked his head to Blyke, "Blyke? You just got here? How long has she-?"

"Since she heard you were in the infirmary. I would've done the same, but I had a test to take."

The injured boy stared at him, "Wow. Some friend..."

Blyke got irritated, "Hey! Just be glad I showed up!" He turned his attention to Remi, "Don't you want to wake her up?"

"Nah," Isen glanced back at her, "Let her sleep. You know how cranky she can get when she's forced to wake up. She's like a child."

"Whatever. It's your girlfriend, dude."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Before Blyke could answer, John rushed past him and stopped at the next resting area. Isen became slightly panicked when he saw the raven-haired boy, recalling how he got here in the first place.

"What's his deal?"

"I-I-I wouldn't worry about it....."

Chapter Text

It was just a regular day for all the students at Wellston. Most went to classes. Others wandered the halls. Meanwhile, a small group of Mid-tiers were enjoying their favorite activity.

"ARRGH!"

Beating up the school cripple.

Illena and her friends surrounded John in a small alleyway on school grounds. They all snickered at him, each taking a turn to beat and pick on him until they grew bored. It was a weekly tradition at this point. One that they found very amusing.

As John knelt on the ground, holding his stomach as he coughed up blood, he tried to look for an escape. Meanwhile, Hower was turning back to his friends and gesturing towards the leader of the bunch.

"Wanna crack at him?"

Illena cracked her knuckles while activating her ability, "I've been waiting for it."

Looking for his options, John couldn't find anything as Illena shortened the distance between them. Just as she got close, she reeled back her arm and threw a charged punch at him, using her full strength.

However, it never connected to him. Instead, it connected to a yellow dome that surrounded the fallen boy. Illena howled in pain as the power of her attack deflected back to her tenfold. She fell to the ground, holding her arm as she turned to find the bastard who stopped her. Her blood ran cold the moment she locked eyes with that same man.

All of her friends shared a single thought, 'It's Arlo!!'

Arlo scowled at the lot of them. He walked through their human wall, knocking Tanner on his ass on purpose. As he got close to Illena, his glare became deadly as she stared up in fear. He jerked his head towards her group, making it clear that she should move back to them.

Then, he turned his attention to John, who stared in disbelief.

"Arlo! W-What are you doing here? How'd you know I was in trouble?"

Arlo softened his expression, "I have my ways, darling." He knelt down to become level with John and caressed his face, "Are you alright?"

John rolled his eyes and released a breath, "I'm fine, Arlo. Just a bit beat up."

"Hmph. Your call. However..."

Illena and her friends stood in disbelief as Arlo, the King of Wellston, scooped up the cripple and carried him like a bride.

"I believe Dr. Darren will have a different say on the matter~"

John grumbled, slightly embarrassed by Arlo dotting on him.

The Mid-tiers moved out of the King's way as Arlo continued moving out of the small area. Just as they thought it was over, another dome surrounded all of them and squeezed them together until it was hard for them to breathe. Arlo turned to them with a deathly glare in his eyes.

"Any of you so much as touch him again and I'll personally make sure you're eating through tubes for the rest of your miserable lives!"

They frantically nodded just before he dropped the bubble.

Not long after this happened, a lot of other students stopped picking on John, especially after finding out that Arlo made good on his promises when Zeke threw John into a locker.

Chapter Text

Arlo thought the conversation with his Aunt Valerie and Remi would go smoothly. He thought things would get cleared up easily. However, after his Aunt said some....not-so-nice things about Rei, Remi got heated and needed to cool off in the bathroom.

Shortly after, he decided to go wait for her outside the restroom and talk to her about the conversation.

Obviously, Remi was still fuming when she left the restroom, but he ignored it to try and reason with her. "Remi. I know how you feel about your brother, but-"

"But what?! She bluntly insulted his name!" Remi exclaimed, "But the worst of it is that you sat there and said nothing! Did you care that little for him?!"

Arlo shook his head, "Of course not! Sure, I didn't agree with his methods, but I still respected him as a mentor. The same way I respect my Aunt."

Remi was drowning in the sorrow she felt for her brother. She almost had the urge to claim that she might've been the one to kill Rei to Arlo. However, without hard evidence to back her up, such claims would drive a wedge between them. Instead, she took some deep breaths, still visibly upset with how Valerie portrayed her brother in a bad light.

Arlo took his own calmed breath and wrapped his arm around her, "I know she's harsh, but this is what she believes. She didn't experience Rei like you and I have."

"Hmph!"

Arlo sighed, "Alright. Maybe we should cut the conversation short. You can return to the dorms if you want. I still need to discuss some things with her."

Remi stared up at him, just before he planted a kiss on her forehead. She blushed, but shook it off and backed away from him. "Okay. Goodbye, Arlo."

With a turn of her heel, Remi left. She didn't hate his loving gesture, but it didn't feel the same as the previous times. Her best guess was because he was defending his Aunt. She couldn't blame him, which was all the more reason she needed that evidence.

Arlo watched her walk away before returning to the table with his Aunt. She sat there silently, stirring a fresh cup of coffee the waiter brought. She smiled at her nephew, "Welcome back."

She looked around for the pink-haired girl, expecting her to return with Arlo, "Where's your friend? Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she just felt a bit sick." Arlo lied. He sat back down, "I told her it was alright to return to the dorms."

"Hmmm..." Valerie took a sip from her cup, "....I don't blame her reaction, ya know. Many people have a hard time getting through the five stages of grief when they lose a loved one."

Arlo nodded, "I know, but I admire her head strong attitude. She’s always determined to find the truth in something she sets her mind on."

"Really?" Valerie went to take another sip.

"Yeah. That's one of the reasons I love her."

Just then, Arlo heard the sounds of choking. He looked up to see his Aunt coughing rapidly towards the floor, as if she had choked on her coffee. He stood up in a panic, "Aunt Valerie???"

Valerie took a napkin and wiped her mouth and patted the coffee stains on her shirt, "I *cough* Quite alright! Just *wheeze* Coffee went down wrong."

Later that night, Valerie lied awake in her bed, slowly coming to terms with the fact that she nearly killed her nephew's girlfriend.

'....Maybe I should get reassigned....'

Chapter Text

During the time the Rowden trip was being planned, Blyke and Remi had a discussion over who would be leading what group. It happened in Remi's dorm in the early hours of night.

The two sat across from each other on Remi's bed. Blyke was sitting with his arms and legs crossed. As for Remi, she had a similar position where the soles of her feet rested against each other and her hands grabbed her ankles. In front of them were the plans for the trip.

Blyke looked closely at them, "So, who's going to go hiking and who's going to explore the city?"

Remi looked up to him, "Don't you like going outside and getting some exercise? You should do it."

"Um, no. Not all the time. I do it mostly to stay in shape." Blyke switched to his thoughts, 'In better shape than Isen, at least'

Now Remi was crossing her arms, "Look, I'm not much for outdoor activity. I'd rather go shopping with Elaine and the other girls. We even made plans to do so!"

Blyke frowned, "You already made the plans before we had this discussion?! Why not just go be with Isen on the hike? Maybe I want to go and shop!"

"Ohhh? Shop for what? Don't tell me you had another video game in mind!" Remi stared at him, "You already bought one last week!"

"No, it's not! I just like buying souvenirs."

"I can buy you some while I'm there. See? Problem solved."

Blyke slammed his hands down on his knees, "How would you know what I like?!?!"

The conversation took a pause as the two stared at each other. Remi was thinking of a response to his question while Blyke waited. Suddenly, she grew a sly smirk, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

To his surprise, Remi adjusted herself from her position and began to crawl to him. Blyke stiffened, waiting to see what she had in mind. Then, she placed herself in his lap, sitting on him with her knees planted near his sides.

"R-R-Remi, what're y-you doing?!"

Remi pulled his chin up, "Are you questioning me on what you like? Do I have to prove it to you?~"

Her seductive tone turned Blyke as red as his hair. His mind became scrambled as he secretly waited for her to continue.

"Blykie~ You can't have any doubts of me. It hurts my little heart."

"S-S-S-S-Sorry...." He responded as best as he could.

Remi smiled lovingly, "I know everything about you~ I know what you like. What you dislike." She leaned into his ear, "Just trust me~"

Blyke swallowed dryly, unable to respond to her.

"Just put your faith in me. Let me go shopping. You take the hike. Okay?"

Blyke was still unsure. However, Remi planned for that. She pulled up his chin again and inched her face closer. Closer and closer she came to his face, making him mildly panic while hoping this would continue. Suddenly, he found a single word as he closed his eyes.

"S-S-Sure...."

.........Nothing came for a moment.

Blyke almost opened his eyes while he felt a palm softly tap his face. His eyes shot up, revealing Remi now further away from him with a bright smile.

"Great!" She got off his lap and stood by the bed, "Glad we could come to an agreement."

As Blyke sat there, dumbfounded, Remi began to walk out of the room before stopping at the door, "I'm getting something to drink." He looked back at her, "Want me to get you something too? You do look.....thirsty~"

With a wink and her tongue sticking out in a playful manner, she walked out the room and into her kitchen. Blyke remained silent, slowly turning back to face forward. His hand gripped his thigh tightly.

'You witch!!'

Chapter Text

"You let me win?!"

Dylan had managed to talk to John about the card game they played a while back when John first joined the Safehouse. Since that time, he always thought something was suspicious about that game and decided to get an answer from John now that he knew it was safe to talk to him more.

"Yeah, it seemed easier at the time. I knew you were going to lose if I didn't forfeit and I needed to get on people's good side, so I took the fall." John admitted.

Dylan seemed annoyed with this, "But that isn't fair for me! I wanted to beat you fair and square." Then, he had an idea, "Let's have a rematch. No holding back!"

John raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

"Positive. And I'll show you that I can beat your-"

"HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD?!!?!??!"

Dylan screamed in frustration after another loss against John. It was their 10th game since he asked for his rematch, and things were not going how he thought they would.

John always had a good hand. Even when he didn't, he still managed to outsmart Dylan or just barely beat his cards. The reason John was good wasn't necessarily because he was better.

It was because Dylan just wasn't good.

John could see the signs, knowing when his opponent had a good hand or a terrible one. Each and every game, he'd see either Dylan smiling brightly or nervously adjusting his tie. It was a tad annoying really.

So, after finishing up the game, he decided to help him a bit. "Ya know."

John reached over and grabbed Dylan's tie, "Adjusting this when you have a bad hand is a dead giveaway, right?"

Dylan blushed, "W-Wha?? Oh. O-Okay."

John sighed, "If you want, I can give you some tips. Maybe discuss it over boba later?"

"U-uh, yeah. Sure!" Dylan exclaimed, a bit too excitedly.

John wasn't sure why he reacted like that, but shrugged it off nonetheless. They were just going to discuss card game strategies, right?

Right?

Chapter Text

'A nice, relaxing vacation. Is that too much to ask for??'

Elaine thought to herself as she sat down in the hall outside her hotel room. Just moments ago, she was kicked out after Arlo and John rolled up and asked to speak to Seraphina. Of course, she was concerned, but her girlfriend reassured her that everything was fine.

Not that Elaine believed it, but what could she do?

While she rested her head in her hands, she thought about what they could be talking about in there. She was skeptical about trusting John after everything he did, but again, Seraphina vouched for him. All she could do was sit back and watch from afar.

A door clicked open and Elaine jerked her head up to see the trio leaving the room. John and Arlo were ahead of Seraphina, who was ready to close the door behind her. However, Elaine stopped her.

"Excuse me! Can we talk in private now??"

Seraphina was a bit surprised. She turned to the other two and nodded, "Alright, you know what to do. Just, go get ready."

John nodded while Arlo raised an eyebrow. He was about to question Elaine's behavior when John pulled him away and dragged him down the hall back to their room. Seraphina sighed before leading the way back into her and Elaine's room.

Elaine followed suit. When the door closed, her girlfriend asked her a question.

"Elaine, we're gonna be late if we talk for too long. What's going on?"

"What's going on?!" Elaine exclaimed, "I should be asking you! You've told me nothing about what you've been doing outside of Wellston lately, yet John, the one who put you in a coma knows more than me?!!"

Seraphina could see her girlfriend's frustration. Ultimately, she needed to keep Elaine out of it in order to keep her safe. She tried that with John, but he's stubborn. Elaine should be a bit more understanding.

"Look, John figured it out on his own. Which was against my wishes. As for you, you're the last person I want involved in what's going on. It's dangerous."

"So then why are you doing it?!" Elaine yelled, "It worries me that you flat out refuse to tell me about it, so why are you even doing it?! What's the purpose??"

Seraphina swallowed her own frustration about this conversation, "...My ability."

Elaine calmed down a bit, "Wha?"

"My ability, hun. If I stop what I'm doing, then I'll lose it again. If I lose it, then I won't be able to protect those around me. Including you."

Seraphina had her arms crossed, hugging herself as she looked towards the ground. Elaine could see that Seraphina had regret for not telling her everything. In a way, knowing that what Sera was doing was to help keep her ability in order to protect others was a bit heart warming.

It still didn't stop her from worrying, but if she had to do it, then Elaine couldn't stop her. Painfully, she had to accept that she won't get the truth out of her girlfriend and decided to drop the conversation.

She walked up to Seraphina and kissed her cheek before taking her hands into her own. "Alright. Do what you have to. But.....Promise me you'll come back to me in one piece?"

Seraphina stared at Elaine before smiling, "I promise."

Chapter Text

The night was dark, only lit up by the lights surrounding the streets. A college Junior from Wellston University has just received word of an Ember Agent scouting the area for any potential buyers for the drug they were developing.

Remi knew she had to stop the transaction, but she didn't know if she was ready to fight such a foe. She had to try, though. So, she entered the streets with a hoodie and mask on to cover her features, then leapt up onto the nearest building. She traveled the rooftops, before coming into contact with her target sooner than she was preparing for.

"You!"

Remi recognized her. A tall woman with blonde hair and large earrings stood before her, her trench coat flowing with the wind while she adjusted her hat.

Valerie (or Volcan) smiled under her mask, "My~ What's a pretty young lady doing here? Interested in my wares?"

Remi didn't even respond. She activated her ability and charged at Volcan at full speed. Volcan easily dodged it, jumping down to a nearby alleyway in the process. Remi followed her, still trying to think of a plan of attack.

Valerie continued, "Honey, we've got to stop meeting like this. This is, what? The third? Fourth time? At this point, it might better if you asked me out on a date?~"

Remi was baffled by her demeanor, "What?! Why the hell would I date you?! You people killed my brother!!"

Volcan acted like she was hurt, "Dearie, I had nothing to do with it. It was an order from the higher-ups. On top of that, I've never actually committed the act."

She walked closer to Remi with a sway of her hips, "Come on~ It could be fun. Going out for drinks. Wearing our best dresses. Wouldn't it be a grand time?~"

Remi slowly backed up, not sure what was coming to her as she started to actually consider it. Her ability slowly became discharged as her back hit the wall. Valerie had her cornered, and for some reason, she liked it.

The older woman pressed her forearm on the wall, overshadowing Remi with her immense height. The difference between them was staggering.

Remi was heavily blushing now, unsure of how to proceed. "V-Valerie..."

Volcan dropped her mask and hat, showing a grin, "So you remember me?~" She lifted Remi's chin up, "Come on, doll. Let's have a wonderful date together~"

Remi was extremely tempted. Eventually, she caved and slowly puckered her lips. Valerie removed her mask for her and leaned down for a tender kiss.

Suddenly, an ice cream truck came out of nowhere and ran into Valerie. Her body rammed into the nearby brick wall while Remi stood there very confused and very heartbroken.

Then, she woke up.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Remi took some deep breaths, looking around her room and seeing that she was back in her dorm. She realized very quickly that everything that just happened was, in fact, a dream.

She slowly calmed herself down before she was wrapped in the arms of her lover.

"Everything okay, babe?"

She sighed, "It's fine, Rei. Just a nightmare."

She took a double take, "Wait, REI?!"

Another ice cream truck crashed into the dorm, crushing both Rei and Remi.

She awoke again, this time in a cold sweat but back in her dorm yet again, but this time, alone. Remi looked around until she spotted an empty bowl and a spoon.

She laid back in bed, 'Mama always warned me about eating ice cream before bed. It always brought out the worst dreams.'

Chapter Text

Luck doesn't even describe what John has. It was straight up just a dream. One he was living in.

He didn't know if he had some kind of high charisma or something, but the fact that he had two girlfriends was mind boggling to most of the Wellston students.

They firmly believed he was cheating on Remi and Seraphina. So imagine their surprise when they found all three of them sitting at a lunch table while spoon-feeding each other. Not long after that, a few of the other boys got jealous and went to give John a piece of their minds. Of course, this didn't end well for them since Remi or Seraphina, or both, were in his presence at all times.

Instead, everyone kept their mouths shut and continued watching as the throuple tightened their bond.

By this point in their relationship, Seraphina and Remi learned that John had an ability, but refused to use it out of fear that he could lose control of himself again. Remi always knew he had some problems after the incident in the hall during Sera's suspension, but after he personally apologized to her about his reaction, she decided to get to know him more.

It didn't take long for the girl to fall for him, as he held the same standards as her family, wanting to see the best people had to offer. It just seemed like, because he was a cripple, he wasn't getting their best, but their worst. So, Remi convinced him to stay close to her so she could show him the best of her friends. John was skeptical because it was Blyke and Isen and he didn't have the greatest interactions with them so far.

But with Remi with him, he felt safe. When they went to the mall, the two boys kinda distanced themselves from him. Understandably too, since one was still upset over John's outburst and the other discovered something he shouldn't have. By the end of the day (and a terrorist attack), however, everyone seemed okay with each other.

Remi was most proud of this.

However, things escalated when Arlo had John dragged out to the Turf War field. Remi caught wind of the act and immediately went to stop it. However, she was completely taken aback by what she saw.

John was standing there, his foot on Arlo's cheek as the King of Wellston laid there, moderately injured despite his near indestructible passive. Near the two were the unconscious bodies of Meili and Ventus, likely here under Arlo's orders. When John deactivated his ability, he turned around to see Remi standing there, still coming to terms with what she saw.

Seeing the panic and tears slowly fall from his eyes, Remi immediately rushed over to him. She had a million questions, but now wasn't the time or the place. She knew Arlo started this, but she wanted John to explain himself too. So, she insisted that they took this back to John's apartment.

Arlo laid there, defeated. He looked up to Remi for assistance, but was given a disappointed glare instead.

Back at his place, John was barely holding it together. Remi knew his secret and now, she likely wanted answers. But things were about to get worse once he found out that he had a guest waiting for him at home. Remi held him up, then when they rounded the corner and saw Seraphina, she had followed him to the ground as he fell out of guilt for what he had done.

Seraphina quickly joined up with them, seeing her best friend/crush hurt and helped Remi get him inside. Once inside, they laid him on the couch, letting him come to terms with what happened. As they went into the kitchen to grab some wet towels and a glass of water for him, Sera demanded to know what had happened.

Remi explained what she saw, even admitting that she saw John with an ability before clearing up that Arlo forced this side out of John. When they returned, John already knew the jig was up and he had two concerned friends waiting to hear the truth. So, he told them everything. From New Boston to the Readjustment Courses. He even went so far as to say he needed them at the time, but Sera and Remi silently disagreed.

Fast forward a day later, Remi had found out that Seraphina was living at John's place for the rest of her suspension. Of course, this didn't sit right with her, so she joined up at the apartment and insisted on having a sleepover with the both of them. But behind closed doors, things escalated and feelings were shared, ultimately leading to John having two loving girlfriends by the end of the week.

Now, the three of them share the apartment, as they haven't had anything strange or terrorist-like happen in this house and it was considered safe. Currently, John was seated in the middle of the couch with a bowl of popcorn. Seraphina was to his right, checking her phone. Remi was on his left, cuddled up to his arm and watching the movie with him. Soon, Sera joined in the cuddle, being too sleepy to watch the movie or browse her phone anymore.

John smiled, feeling like the luckiest man alive.

Chapter Text

Seraphina was sleeping soundly in John's bed. Her dreams were filled with John and herself, either taking a peaceful stroll in the park with their pet pig, Sir Porkington, or one of the kids she dreamed about having with him. Sometimes, it was both!

However, her fantasy was interrupted by the sounds of grunts and mumbles. Her eyes fluttered open as she tried to locate the sounds. She looked to her right and found her boyfriend on the floor where he slept. He was tossing and turning about, lost in his own dream,

She slowly pieced it together and realized he was beginning to have a nightmare. So, without skipping a beat, Seraphina slipped out the bed and held him from behind.

"It's okay. I got you." She whispered softly, not sure he would hear her.

A few moments went by as John slowly calmed down. His body began to loosen up as he relaxed in her arms. Seraphina decided to stay there for the rest of the night, to make sure he wouldn't fall back into that nightmare again.

When the morning came, John slowly rubbed his eyes and found himself being held down by a pair of arms. He twisted his head around as best as he could and caught the sight of Seraphina's body behind him. He lifted her arm off of him and turned around completely, seeing her sleeping peacefully.

That is, until she couldn't feel her arms wrapped around him anymore. Suddenly, while she was still asleep, she latched her arms around him again, this time burying her face into his chest. John went to resist for a second until she whispered something.

"I won't......let.....you go......."

At that moment, John remembered his nightmare.

"You've caused too many problems, John! I don't even know who you are anymore!!" Sera screamed at him.

"Sera, please! I didn't-"

She cut him off, "Save it! We're through!"

She walked away from him. He ran towards her, but her distance kept increasing no matter how fast he went. He was about to stop and give up when something grabbed him from behind. He tried to resist it, then it whispered to him.

"It's okay. I got you."

John didn't realize it was the real Seraphina responding to him. He thought it was something else. He was a fool to think so.

He smiled warmly before placing a kiss on her forehead, "Thank you, Sera."

For the rest of the morning, the two laid there, sleeping through the first half of the school day.