#randomdrabbles

Random drabbles 8/?

"It's a little cramped."

"......Can someone open a window?"

"Hey Fullmetal, shouldn't we switch seats?"

"Al, do you ever wash yourself? The armor is a little stinky."

"Are we there yet?"

Riza finally sighed and turned around. "Can you suck it up for like five minutes?" she asked him calmly. She could feel Ed's look of surprise piercing through her for that tone, but that was alright.

To think that the ever so great Roy Mustang had this little pride to behave like a kid in front of the Elric brothers, all because of what was indeed quite a cramped car ride.

It was also going to be short, though, and she thought he could at least pretend to be fine.

"I am sucking it up," Roy complained. Riza sighed. It was even Roy himself who asked her to give them a ride. It was easy to forget Al's big size, but she still thought he was being unreasonably annoying.

Roy made a funny noise when she parked the car somewhere on the side of the road.

"Are we there?" he asked, but Riza turned around and reached out to find a part of Roy to access in his cramped position. She wriggled her hand in between Al's harness and found a handful flesh; Roy's side. She squeezed firmly.

"HAYAH!" Roy's funny cackle filled the car.

"He's ticklish," Riza whispered in Ed and Al's directions, loudly, so Roy began to struggle and flail.

"Really! Hohoho!" Ed laughed.

"Hehehey whahat! D-don't you dahahare- hehehey! NO- FUHUH-aahck!" Roy wailed when Ed also turned around and poked him. Al merely sat there, leaving Roy immobile on the backseat while he was getting tickled.

Riza made sure not to keep it up for too long. In the end she turned back around and while Ed continued to laugh and make fun of Roy, she smirked at Roy's blushing face and said:

"Any more complaints, sir?"

He squinted his eyes at her and smirked back. "No, I think I'm fine," he said calmly despite the embarrassment and humiliation in front of the giggling Elric brothers.

There was something icy about the tone in his voice, almost like a warning, and Riza felt some tingles as she anticipated that he might punish her for this later. Not that she would allow it without a fight.

What happens one day when a normal visit with Barry Allen turns into a confession?

y/n= your name

l/n= your last name

Jitters rings with the typical sound of a crowded coffee shop: voices ringing, coffee beans being ground, the fresh smell of baked pastries, not to mention the pleasant smell of java in general.

"Okay there, Barry?" You look at your best friend quizzically, taking in his rapidly tapping foot.

Barry looks at you with a small smile, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Your foot," you point out. "Nerves?"

"You could say that," Barry admits in a sheepish tone.

You sit yourself down in front of him, taking a sip of your pumpkin spice latte. "Tell me more."

"Nothing to tell," Barry shrugs you off.

"Maybe it's just a side effect of being struck by lightning," you laugh.

Your ears perk up as you hear a random stranger mention the word "Flash". You fold your hands professionally on the table in front of you. "Mr. Barry Allen, what is your opinion on this new phenomenon called The Flash? Hero or menace? Protagonist or antagonist? Or perhaps a vigilante maybe?"

Barry laughs at your reporter voice, taking on his own formal voice. "Well, Ms. l/n. I find the Flash a seemingly controversial topic for many civilians. Some say he's a mutant, perhaps a normal human being caught and tortured by evil scientists. Others say it's a hoax, some sort of well done CGI in use. But me personally, I think he's a real man. Some sort of meta-human, that's for sure."

"But Mr. Allen, a meta-human in itself is defined as a human with super powers, practically the same thing as a mutant." You smile, slyly.

"Whatever he is," Barry rolls his eyes. "He has certainly preserved the city, especially from all these other meta-humans appearing."

"Very true," you say, dropping your reporter voice. "I find him interesting, in fact I wouldn't mind writing a blog about him, one in which I could record all the sightings of him."

"Iris is doing something of that nature," Barry nods. "She has a lot of viewers."

"Well shucks," you laugh. "Guess I'm once again too late."

"What do you mean once again?" Barry furrows his eyebrows.

"Oh you know, she always had some of the highest grades in school. Killed it in the creative writing classes, reporting classes, literally any class that dealt with writing. And now she once again beat me, not only in snatching a job in the news world, but in starting a blog that is sure to interest every civilian in Central City."

"Hey, you know a key essential part that she lacks in her blog?" Barry sips his coffee.

"What's that?" You say, skeptical.

"She only writes about the Flash, not about the other meta-human sightings. Not about the antagonists or villains of modern life, that's a side door still open for grabs."

You nod thoughtfully, "That's true, Barry. Good idea, I'll beat her yet!"

"You guys could collab together even, send your readers to each other's websites. It'll help you both gain more readers and therefore more views." Barry suggests.

"Oh joy, working with Iris West." You say sarcastically. "Don't get me wrong, Barry. Talented writer? Yes. A person worth befriending and collaborating with? I think not." 

Barry chuckles slightly, "You guys never did like each other, did you? Why is that, y/n?"

"Conflict of interests?" You shrug.

"That's not what I see." Barry leans over the table more, "I see it as too similar of interests, always trying to outdo one another. Always trying to show who's superior, who's the better writer. A typical girl fight." "I beg to differ," you refute.

"I thought you guys would outgrow it once we all graduated from school, got occupations, started life as adults; seems I was wrong."

"Hey, I'm happy where I'm at." You defend, "Like I may not be writing as much as I wanted to, not writing articles like Ms. Iris West over there,  but I still do what I love. I help other aspiring journalists, writers become better. I edit their work, critique it, push them to reach their full potential."

"I can't argue with that, but I still say you two are jealous of each other." Barry says simply.

"Why would she be jealous of me?" You scoff.

"Why wouldn't she be?" Barry counters, "Probably for the same reason you're jealous of her." "I'm not jealous."

"Convincing," Barry smirks.

"I don't know," you say, irritably. "Sounds to me like you already have a guess, so why not share your observations?"

"You were jealous of her once you figured out I liked her, now the tables have turned."

"Wait a minute, how-" Your eyes widen as you comprehend the last part, "What do you mean the tables turned?"

Barry's brown eyes meet yours, "I like you, y/n."

You laugh, "You're joking, right?"

"Iris and I don't meet as often, we've lost the bond we had. After she rejected me, I started to see things in a different light. It just took me awhile to realize what I saw, I saw a future, a future with you."

"So you admit I still am second best," you shake your head angrily. "It took her rejection to realize that you maybe found me attractive, that I could be part of your future."

"That's not what I'm saying," Barry sighs. "You're not making it easy, y/n. I like you, I see something different in you, something that Iris lacks. You have a pure heart, a sweet kindness in your whole being, you're amazingly funny, you're literally beautiful in every way."

By now your anger had been calmed by Barry's soft words. "You actually like me?"

"Yes," Barry laughs. "You're beautiful, gorgeous even. The way you laugh, it's adorable. The way the corner of your eyes crinkle as you smile, the way a simple blush rises to your cheeks every time someone compliments you. The way you cock your eyebrows when you decide to get cocky and show some attitude, it's honestly heart-melting."

You blush at his words, and stare hard at the table in front of you.

"See? You're even doing it right now, blushing madly. You make it hard for a guy not to fall for you."

"Could say the same thing about you," you finally say. "You make girls blush without realizing it, make girls go weak at the knees for your chivalry, charm girls with your good looks and humor, not to mention those dimples you possess." "Awww, y/n." Barry laughs, however you notice how red his cheeks have gotten.

"Kiss me?" you ask with a small smirk.

Barry leans over the table, his cologne filling your nostrils at the closeness between you two.

Your eyes close involuntarily as you feel his lips meet yours, it wasn't a needy or lust-filled kiss, more of a gentle one. "Mmmmm," you say as he pulls away.

"Like it?" Barry struggles to maintain his calm voice.

"Let's do that more often," you giggle and shyly tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear.

Muffled piano notes drift through the midnight air, and Vi blinks. Her arm reaches out, only to find cold sheets. A lurch shifts in her stomach, and she claws out of the blanket. Moonlight dances through the window, playing over the patch which still holds the imprint of Caitlyn’s body. Bleary-eyed, Vi stumbles to her feet. She almost trips on the threads of the floor map, cursing when she stubs a toe against a stray pin. Eventually she barges opens Caitlyn’s door, and the music soars. The delicate notes soothe Vi, the throb in her toe forgotten. Curious, she follows her ears, her barefoot steps matching the tempo of the music. The door to the music room is ajar. Vi pokes it open, and her breath catches.

Caitlyn sits at the piano. The warmth of an oil lantern bathes her shoulders, her fingers flying over the black and white keys. There’s sheet music in front of her, but her eyes are closed. Her head bobs, lost in the rhythm, a song she must have played many times to know so intimately. Vi taps her finger against her bicep, resisting the urge to hum along. She’s heard Caitlyn play before, but this is something else. There’s no hesitation, no stumbling; a perfect flow. The melody climbs, about to reach its crescendo. And suddenly it stops. Caitlyn huffs, blowing a strand of loose hair out of her face. Her hands still, and she stares at the sheet music. Her eyebrows crease, yet this isn’t the frustration of a perfectionist.

Something’s missing. “And when it was just getting good.” Vi siddles into the room, putting her arm around Caitlyn. “Did I distract you?”

“No.” Caitlyn doesn’t turn around, but she does lean into Vi’s touch.

Vi strokes her shoulder. “So why’d you stop?”

“I reached the end.” Caitlyn reaches for the piano lid, but Vi catches her wrist.

“I don’t know, Cupcake. Still sounds...unfinished to me.”

Caitlyn falls quiet. She plucks the sheet music, offering it to Vi. Vi takes it, squinting. She recognises some of the notation- thanks to Claggor’s teaching after he fixed up an old saxaphone- but this looks far messier and more complicated.

“It’s a duet,” Caitlyn explains. “It was one of the first songs I played with Mother.” She runs her fingers across the keys. “I was...awful. Mother refused to play it again until I got better. So I practiced and practiced, but time always eluded us. I kept telling myself ‘there’s always tomorrow’. And now...”

Her voice trails off.

Vi sucks in a breath.

“I’m sorry.” Vi lets her fingers trail down Caitlyn’s arm. “Still sounds beautiful to me.”

Caitlyn catches Vi’s palm with her own, squeezing.

“Thank you.”

“You know...” Vi rubs the back of her neck. “Why don’t you teach me the other part?”

Caitlyn quirks a brow. “You want to learn how to play?”

Vi flashes a lop sided smile. “Sure. You know I’m a fast learner.”

Caitlyn smiles back. Before she can respond, a long yawn grips her.

“Perhaps tomorrow.” She closes the piano lid.

“It’s a date.” Vi winks, kissing Caitlyn’s temple. “Now come back to bed.”

Random drabbles 2/?

Chalk on the floor. Pieces of paper scattered around in a mess. Loud inhumane noises that filled the room. Good thing they were alone... This was an unsightly chaos no one should walk into.

Jayce was the one who started it. Of course, he always did. It was a natural chain reaction of things as he would call it. Stress because of deadlines and the council whining for results. Frustration because of failed experiments and dead ends. Long working hours, lack of food and sleep.

Maybe later, on some lower priority, they should invent something that could help people with their stress relief. Like something to squeeze in or for restless hands to fondle with ー since not for the first time, Jayce had resorted to digging his fingers into his lab partner as a way to cope.

And his partner, that silly Viktor, well.... It wasn't Jayce's fault that he was so ticklish. But it was his fault for not keeping up that momentum.

Random drabbles 1/?

"Vi... Did you mean it?"

Caitlyn was just thinking that her question may have been a little unclear when Vi answered with "what exactly, cupcake?", and she chuckled.

"You said you don't care, when I told you I...." Caitlyn paused as Maddie's face flashed before her eyes, just briefly.

"When you told me you saw someone?"

Caitlyn nodded. Vi hummed and turned her head to stare at the ceiling. While Caitlyn didn't expect the I don't fucking care answer to be repeated, she also didn't expect Vi to make a big deal of it, so when she took a moment to answer, her heart started to race just a little bit.

"Does it bother you?" Caitlyn asked when she even noticed the smile on Vi's face slowly faded.

Luckliy, Vi shook her head and that lovely smile was right back again.

Random drabbles 3/?

He held both her hands, she didn't refuse.

She closed both her eyes, she didn't complain. Or cheat.

Ekko slowly walked backwards, guiding Jinx further and further towards his surprise for her.

He couldn't believe that he needed his experience in another universe to be reminded that Powder wasn't lost. That he didn't want her to be lost.

And even though he knew Jinx wasn't going to be the same after all she went through, there was something else he believed: with time, and with love, warmth, and friendship, he might be able to see glimpses of her.

"Alright, open your eyes."

Jinx opened her eyes and she immediately gasped. Ekko stood proudly next to his artwork of Isha.

"What do you think?" he asked smugly, but the smile he had hoped to see, or even the smug giggle while acting like she wasn't impressed at all, they both didn't come.

Random drabbles 4/?

Music, dancing, loud cheers. Tonight was definitely a good night.

But....

Vander watched Ekko and Powder in the distance. Powder was like herself, even more lively than before, but something was off about Ekko.

He caught himself staring at the guy until Silco stood next to him and patted his shoulder.

"Hey. Don't worry. He's just tense about the competition," he said, as if reading his mind. Vander nodded. Yeah that might be the case. Still, his comment just now had been a little sudden and rude.

"I liked your answer though," Vander said, putting down the glass he just dried before heading off to the storage to fetch some more booze. Silco chuckled and followed him.

"Hm? What answer?" he asked, even though Vander was sure he remembered it correctly. He just wanted to hear him repeat it.

"Greatest thing we can do in life... is find the power to forgive."

Vander stood in the storage while Silco stood by the door. "I don't think I ever thanked you properly. For forgiving me."

Silco hummed. "Many times, Vander. You did thank me. You also tried to kill me multiple times, remember?" he said. Vander frowned. Multiple times?