Chapter 2. Nim

Sunrise | Masterlist

The Tanaka sisters have lived in Forks their whole lives, it's a quiet town where nothing interesting happens. That is until the night of Mitsuko's graduation. Now both Mitsuko and Hoshiko Tanaka find themselves entangled in the world of the supernatural. As the pair learn more, one mystery still remains. Why is Mitsuko immune to the bite?

Chapter List

I. The Tanakas II. Jasper III. Deadly Party Crasher IV. A Sisterly Agreement V. Minor Complications

Can also read on: AO3 and Wattpad

Doing Time | Criminal Minds S.R

Chapter 6. Vegas

Spencer and Hana should probably talk about the other night, if only their wan't so important and distracting. Or maybe they're just coming up with excuses. Chapter Title: Vegas by Doja Cat

Spencer and Hana hadn’t spoken about the drunken kiss they’d shared only a few weeks ago. It had only been a three days after that night they’d been sent out on another case in , but once they’d gotten back to DC neither knew how broach the subject. Even now as they sat next to each other on the jet heading to Las Vegas, New Mexico, they both struggled to start a conversation about that night; so they didn’t.

“I wish it was the fun Las Vegas.” Hana complained as she ate the salad Sasha had made her that morning. 

“Did you know I’m from Vegas?” 

“Really?” She turned to him, perking up in interest, “Does this mean I should bring you with the next time I head to the casinos?”

“I would sat yes but I’m actually banned from majority of the casinos in Vegas.” He informed her nonchalantly. 

“Holy shit!” She exclaimed in surprise, “I was wrong you got a little bad side to you, Doctor.”

He laughed at her, which encouraged Hana to laugh as well. Out of habit she hit him slightly on the arm as she continued to laugh, before catching her breath. The pair were soon joined by the rest of the team in order to get a general profile before they land.

“Is there even anything interesting about this Las Vegas?” Hana questioned to start the discussion, which Spencer was happy to contribute.

“In the late 19th century, it was a booming railroad hub with a reputation for lawlessness, and apparently, outlaws are a part of the town's genetics. Billy the Kid lived there, and Doc Holliday himself had a saloon there before going to meet Wyatt Earp in Tombstone.”

“The more things change, the more things stay the same.” Rossi chimed in, looking through the case file.

“All the victims in both instances were teenagers, except for Jose Rivera.”

“A younger staff, that's pretty typical for a night shift.” Morgan chimed in, to add extra information.

 “The unsubs might have considered that. It would be easier to subdue a group of kids.”

Tara leaned forward slightly so she could contribute, “Almost an identical M.O. Copycat or no, why go back to this town and do this again?

“They could be sending some kind of message to announce their return.” Spencer suggested, followed by Rossi’s other idea.

“Or it just might be criminal ego. They got away with it the first time. Why not do it again?”

“Could also be about reliving it, if it is the same unsubs they might be wanting to relive the ‘glory days’.” Hana noted although she didn’t consider killing teenagers and arson as something someone should see as their ‘glory days’

“With unsubs this violent, how do you just disappear and go dormant for 6 years?” Morgan questioned, continuing to build the profile.

Hotch turned towards Morgan before speaking, “They may have been in prison. That would explain the criminal experience.”

“Crime U., best education taxpayer money can buy.” Rossi uttered making Hana smirk slightly, yet she hid it behind her hand at the glance she received from Hotch.

“When we land, I'll have Garcia compile a list of recently released convicts in the area. Morgan, you and Reid go with Federov to the coroner when we land. Lewis, you're with Dave and me at the local PD.” 

With that the team waited until they landed until they wait their separate ways. Hana followed Spencer and Morgan to one of the 3 cars waiting for them before heading off to the coroner. The arrived only a few minutes later, exiting the vehicle the trio made the way towards the building. The wind was slightly strong and kept blowing Hana’s hair into her face. She gather her hair and went to tie it into a pony tail only to realise that she didn’t have a hair tie on either wrist. Sighing heavily, she released her hair, allowing to flow in the wind. 

As they continued walking, Hana felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to face Spencer to her right. He handed her something before continuing towards the building. She looked down to see that he had handed her a small black hair tie. Smiling slightly, she pulled her hair backup and tied into a messy ponytail.

“Thanks!” She called over to Spencer, who turned and smiled in reply.

Once they entered the building the met with the coroner who led them through to the morgue where the three victims laid on separate metal autopsy table. Hana felt a strange feeling as looked at the victims, this was the first time she’d seen someone younger than her. They had so much life left in them, so much potential. She wanted to catch these assholes. Or maybe just kill them. 

Spencer leaned in to assess the victims, “Several antemortem wounds, facial lacerations, fractured jaw, a fractured skull.”

“Yeah, it was a brutal beating. All 3 of them had broken ribs, too.” The coroner responded as he read from his autopsy report.

“And ligature marks.” The doctor noted as he continued look over the bodies.

The coroner nodded before continuing, “Looks like the boys were bound with their own belts and electrical wires. I found leather and melted plastic in their clothes.”  He spoke as he lead them towards the female victim, “Renee Acosta was different. There's evidence of sexual assault.”

“Any recoverable DNA?”, Morgan asked.

“None. Whatever wasn't destroyed by the fire got washed away by the sprinklers. But she was recovered without clothes on. And based on the cotton and nylon fibres I found around her wrists, I think they restrained her with her own underwear.”

Spencer looked up from the female victim, “That's precisely what happened to the female victim 6 years ago.”

“Those details weren't released to the press. These aren't copycats. These are the same guys.” Morgan noted in reply.

Hana looked between the two other agents before speaking, “The question still stands, I mean why come back now?”

As it turns out only one of the unsubs was the original perpetrators from 6 years ago. Duke Mason had returned due his old flame, who most likely gave birth to his son before he was imprisoned all those years ago. Garcia, the wonder that she is, was able to find Tammy Vasquez’ address, and now Hana was sat next to Morgan as the team drove their way over there.

When they arrived Chief Montoya reached the house first and made his way to the door to knock, everyone else gathered behind him. 

“Ms. Vasquez! Police! Hello? Anybody home?” He called multiple times with seemingly no answer, “Nobody here.”

They turned to leave before Morgan heard a muffled cry in the distance, causing him to pause, “Wait a minute. You hear that?”, He moved towards the door before knocking, “FBI! Anybody here?”

Hana moved closer to the door and heard more sobbing coming from the house, she nodded at Morgan to show she heard it too. “There's somebody in there.”

The officers went around the back as Morgan kicked open the door. Moving through the house, Hana made her way through following closely behind Morgan. Turning a corner the pair found an older woman tied up with duct tape across her mouth.

“Guys.” Morgan called as he made his way to the woman tied up, “It's ok. It's ok, I got you. I got you. Are you hurt?”

“No. I'm fine. He took them. He took them both.” 

“We need to issue an Amber alert.” Rossi stated a turned around back outside the house. Hana stayed for moment longer making sure the other woman was okay, before following her team outside.

She walked towards Morgan and Rossi who were speaking to each other. While she didn’t catch the beginning of the conversation she heard Rossi’s question to Morgan. “What happened to Turner?”

“I bet it got pretty ugly when they split up.” Morgan suggested, car pulled up the scene and Spencer step out running slightly towards them.

“Hotch is out coordinating roadblocks and canvassing the area, but so far nothing.” Spencer spoke, giving them an update.

“Why switch directions are risk coming all the way back here?”

Rossi shrugged slightly before answering, “He's strung out and believes that boy Cole is his son. He's capable of anything.”

“We should extend the Amber alert.” Spencer suggested to which the team all nodded in a agreement.

Chief Montoya shouted as he made his way over to the team, “Agents! Tammy Vasquez' pickup truck was spotted heading south on Route 34.”

“Is that far from here?”

“About 10 miles or so. State police have major roadways on the other end blocked off so he can't get out, but it cuts through the Santa Fe National Forest. If he knows what he's doing, he can hole up out there for weeks.”

“Where would he go to access fresh water?”

“There's an old abandoned campground. It doesn't get used much. Sometimes the kids go up there to drink.”

“He'd want to go someplace familiar.” Rossi observed

“That’s probably where he took them.” Hana stated as Spencer turned to her, a strange expression on his face.

“Agents, if you don't mind me making a suggestion,” Montoya spoke as he lifted a map for everyone to see, “I know that place like the back of my hand.”

Hana stood next to Rossi as her and the team listened as he pointed to the map at a certain point where they could move if they wanted to catch Mason by surprise. After the plan was set up, they separated into small groups and headed towards the campsite. 

When they arrived Hana noticed the car park up, and two figures that appeared to be arguing, she turned to Rossi who nodded to indicate it was time to intervene. Signalling to the other groups who moved in to the figures.

Noticing the guns each of them was holding, Morgan stood out slightly to announce their presence, “FBI, drop the weapon!”

In response, Hana heard the one with the long hair shout something before the pair began to fire at the police and agents in the trees. In the firefight they were able to take the long haired with one sniper shot, but Mason stayed up longer. 

Hana step out for one moment in attempt to get mother shot in, when she felt red hot pain exploded in her right side. She moved back behind the tree and put her hand against the pain source; only to find her hand coated in blood. The asshole had managed to get a shot clean through her shoulder. 

“Shit!” She cursed as she put her back on the wound, “You motherfucker!”

“Language!” She heard the Rossi shout over from his position. 

“With all due respect sir,” she replied, “I’ve been fucking shot!”

While she was shouting back she noticed the firefight had finally ended and saw Mason lying on the ground. The lack of bullets firing allowed Rossi to make his over to where she was now sitting against the tree.

“Don’t worry it was clean shot, I’ll just need stitches.” She reassured as her unit chief looked at her shoulder in concern. 

“Someone should still take a look at it before we leave.” He ordered as he grabbed her uninjured left arm to help her up. 

She smiled wryly at him, the pain still making her dizzy. “Careful, Sir someone might think you like me.” 

Rossi laughed slightly before replying, “Oh we wouldn’t want that.”

After Hana was patched, she joined her team at the funeral of the victims, dressed in black sat between Spencer and Tara on a wooden church pew. That strange feeling that she felt when she saw the bodies had came back, causing her to clench the skirt of the simple black dress she was wearing. As she listened to the singer, and watching the parents say their last goodbyes; she realised it was sorrow. She’d felt sorrow before, but this was the first time she had mourned not only for these young victims but also for the lives they could’ve lived. 

So, around some of the few people that she trusted, she allowed one tear to fall. Noticing the need for comfort she felt Tara reach out and grasp Hana's hand gently, to which she squeezed it in thanks. At least this time she felt sorrow; she wasn’t alone.

Prev Chapter // Next Chapter

La Vie En Rose | MasterList

Rosie has been the PA for the infamous Bruce Wayne for the last 5 years. Although closer to Bruce than anyone else at Wayne industries, the closer she got to him and the Wayne family she realised she didn't know her boss as much as she thought. Honestly I basically made Batman into a K-Drama but I don't not care. No connection to any pre-existing Live-Action Batman Media, also yes Lee Pace is the fan cast for this Bruce Wayne.

Playlist || Concept Board

Chapter 1. A Normal Morning

Chapter 2. The Tenth Near Death Experience (WIP)

Also read on: AO3 and Wattpad.

Doing Time | Criminal Minds

Chapter 1. Looking at me

Back to Masterlist

In which Hana goes to a job interview at the FBI which is 'totally' where an ex Assassin should work. Chapter Title: Looking at Me by Sabrina Carpenter

Hana first day was as uneventful as one could be as a BAU candidate, she'd exited the lift to what she hoped was the correct floor and approached the front desk. She was clutching the strap of her small black bag tightly in her hand.

"Hey, is this the BAU?" She asked the young woman at the front who was likely around her age.

"No this is Baskin Robbins how can I help you today" she replied not looking up from her phone. 

"Well can you either get me a ice cream or point me in the right direction otherwise I can go elsewhere"

She look up at her for the first time seemingly impressed someone had actually played along with her. "Not bad, we'll get along just nice. Oh and don't worry you're in the right place. Just through those doors" she pointed towards the glass doors just to the right of the main desk. 

"Perfect thank you so much..." 

"Gerry"

"Thank you Gerry, I'm Hana"

"Have a good day Hana" she smiled, waving her off before glancing back down to her phone. 

Hana moved away from the front desk and entered through the glass a look around the large bullpen. There were at least ten main desk scattered around the room, and on the higher platform section there were seemingly three rooms. Hana presumed these were the rooms for the section chief, supervisor and of course the conference room. 

As she was looking around Hana was soon approached by a tall man who was well dressed in a simple smart suit, his badge on display showed the named A. Hotchner; Unit chief. 

"Can I help you?"

"Are you SSA Hotchner?"

"I am, and you are?"

"Oh okay, well I'm Hana Fedorov one of the new candidates ... I got an email saying I have a interview today"

"Of course thank you for coming, but I must let you know that we're currently on a case so it may be a long interview process."

"Not to worry sir, I'm known for my patience." Hana replied to the imposing man. Aaron was younger then she'd pictured, but was definitely someone of authority. He had a simple but smart haircut alongside a clean shaven face, and his wardrobe were all clearly a way to subconsciously make others know he was in control.

She subconsciously shook her head in order to stop herself from profiling further, she'd heard rumours in the academy about how the BAU wasn't all that fond on profiling their team mates; especially their bosses.

"So erm where should I wait?" 

"Just outside are some seats, the other candidates should be there as-well" Hotchner said before pointing towards the glass entrance doors. 

"Ok, thanks" she smiled brightly at the tall man before making her way out the doors he had pointed to. She immediately saw the line of candidates either sat or standing down the hallway, and as much as she'd deny it; Hana was a little intimidated. These people were older than she was by a significant amount in terms of experience both in life and on the field. In reality she had just as much experience too but she couldn't tell anyone what that experience is let alone the FBI. 

Taking a deep breath as her father taught her, she stepped down the hallway and found a spare seat next to another woman. She took another deep breath, once she sat and placed her bag down in front of her legs. 

"Nervous?" The woman next to her asked, causing Hana to turn towards her before answering.

"Just a little, I think I'm youngest one here..." She joked as she scanned.

"I'm just glad I'm not the oldest",at this both women turned to look at each other smiling softly, before falling into quiet laughs. "I'm Tara by the way"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Hana"

"Hmm both double a, sounds like fate"

"Maybe I'm not a huge believer in that"

"Well either way, I should get your number in case we never see each other after this. You seem a lot of fun"

"I'd like that", It was shame the BAU was one looking for one spot, it would've been nice for Hana and Tara to be teammates.

At that moment, Agent Hotchner came back out from the bullpen and approached the group again. "Can I have everyone's attention, please." 

Everyone, including Hana and Tara, promptly turned their full attention towards the imposing figure stood by the glass doors.

"The BAU is working an active case, so this interview process may take some time." He explained before continuing,  "Does anyone need to return to their field office?"

After that majority of the group either shook their head or verbally responded no. Pleased with this response Hotchner turned towards Tara, "Good. Dr. Lewis, we'll start with you."

At this Tara quickly stood before she responded a simple "Absolutely." and moved to follow him through the glass doors, but not before turning back to Hana and waving bye. 

After Tara left spent the next thirty minutes in the same seat reading through her past few messages on her phone. Most were from either her phone provider or random promotional offers that she opted to ignore. The one that she focused on was a message from a unknown number, likely from a burner phone. It simply read 'Been missing the Black Lion, are you ever coming back to play?' and Hana knew exactly who it had come from.

She had no intention of returning to her past she hadn't done a job since she was 17 and that was almost 8 years ago. After she'd been brought in and given a second chance, how could she throw it all away for people she hadn't seen in years. Also, those were the worst fucking years of her life. So fuck that.

With a sigh, Hana made the decision to quickly block the number and close her messages. Opting instead to play one of the random games she had on her phone, it wasn't very productive but it would at least pass the time and relax her.

Eventually she saw Tara come back through and make her way back over. "Hey!"

"Hey, how it go?"

"I think it went well. He said I had a good amount of experience"

Fuck. 

"Oh really? That's sounds good"

There's no way Hana was getting this job.

"Yeah but who knows I was the first one interviewed anything can happen." She smiled softly at Hana. It was clear she was doing this to make her feel better but Hana knew that Tara was incredibly happy with how her interview went. 

"Agent Fedorov" She quickly moved her head towards Hotchner at the end of the hall who had called her name. "You're next, if you'd just follow me"

"Okay... sure" Hana stood to follow him making sure she didn't leave anything behind. As she walked through the bullpen she noticed it was full of activity with people moving between the desks and speaking rapidly to each other. Whatever case the BAU were on was high profile that much was clear.

When Hotchner approached the door to his office he held the door open for her. As she stepped in first she couldn't help but analyse the room and in turn the man was interviewing her. The office was incredibly well kept and clearly belonged to someone in control, but there was also a single frame on the desk that although facing away from her, was clearly some form of family photo so he wasn't a complete robot. 

"You can take a seat" He began as he took his own seat behind the desk. Once Hana a took one of the chairs opposite he continued, "I must say first of all you're not like the other candidates we have lined up" 

"Young?"

"Yes but also, your past history is curious" He flipped open a file that was on his desk. "It seems there's no record of you before age 17. Why is that?" 

Hana wondered if this how suspects felt in the interrogation room. "I was living in Russia for the first 16 years of my life, I was taken to the US after escaping a pretty bad situation." 

"Do you have any records of your time Russia?"

"My father was off the grid, he hated the government so he refused to be on record" She let out a sigh before continuing, "It also meant he didn't want me on record. I mean I was homeschooled for most of my life" 

"Well considering I must say I'm impressed by what you've achieved since." He flipped to another page as he continued, "You graduated at the top of your class at the academy and is currently one of our youngest agents active in the field" 

"I was told to aim for greatness" 

"Well with these credentials you could go on to do great things, so why join the BAU?" 

Hana clenched her fists tightly as she thought of an answer, "I've seen a lot of bad things happen so I'm not ignorant to the type of people you guys deal with, and I wanna help be the reason those types are put away for good" 

"You think you have what it takes? This job can be hard for most, let alone someone fresh from the academy"

"I know I do." She steeled her face making sure to show how serious she was, she could see that he was watching her carefully trying form some type of profile. 

Yet before he could continue someone knocks on the door before entering. "We're ready to deliver the profile" 

"Thanks, We'll be right there Rossi" Agent Rossi nodded before heading back out into the bullpen. "I want you to hear the profile too, all the candidates actually"

"Okay" Hana stood and followed Hotchner out into the main bullpen where she could all the other candidates crowded round the BAU as they stood waiting for the pair to join them. After spotting Tara in the crowd, Hana quickly made her way over and stood next to her. As she found her place Agent Morgan began the briefing 

"The unsub that we're looking for is a contract killer who is doubling back to kill his former customers." 

Fuck.

"This man is highly skilled and well-trained." continued Morgan "Under no circumstances should he be engaged without back-up."

"So is this a case of organised crime tying up loose ends?" Tara questioned bringing Hana's attention back to the room instead of the ringing in her ear.

"Organised crime's got nothing to do with this, 

At least not in the traditional sense. " Agent Rossi answered before Dr Reid continued. 

"In 2013, the bureau took down the silk road network " Hana had heard of this, the dark web was almost unusable during those months. Most people like her had to kick it old school. "Our initial assumption was that it was an encrypted online market for illegal drugs, which it was, but upon further inspection, we were stunned at the breadth of goods and services being traded online. Weapons, child porn, even hit men." 

Hotchner then chimed in, "And the payment scheme was escrow based, in which the buyer would put down half as a deposit and the other half when the seller delivered." 

By this point Hana was going through head of all her previous 'acquaintances', immediately striking off anyone she knew was either dead or incarcerated. 

"We've now confirmed that all 3 victims hired the unsub over the past year through a similar escrow system."

"So why is he killing his old clients?"

"Hit men don't leave a message unless you pay them to." Rossi answered quickly, "The exception is to leave a warning for customers or competitors."

"This unsub suffered some sort of injury to his jaw or voice, most likely as a result of something these customers did. The pulcinella mask is his statement on revenge and justice" Dr Reid continued once again, Hana was impressed with how rapid fire and precise these guys were giving this profile. 

"Betray the oath between customer and contractor and you pay the price. Now, normally a man with this kind of defect would attract attention." Reid continued to explain "The fact that he hasn't indicates that he has deep pockets and a network of resources at his disposal."

"Share this profile with your local divisions and with law enforcement." Hotch ended the briefing speaking directly to everyone in the room. "Search for escrow payments to match the unsub to his clients. One of those clients will be his next target."

At that everyone dispersed in various directions, while Hana followed quickly behind Hotchner as he made his way back to his office.

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*Tardis Noises* | S.R Oneshot

Spin-Off Oneshot of my main series: Doing Time

Hana gets roped into going to comic con, but at least she has good company

After the team was given a whole week to recuperate after a particularly challenging case. Penelope had spontaneously asked Hana to come with to a ‘science convention’, but this wasn’t what she had in mind. As it turns out Penelope had neglected the ‘fiction’ part of a Sci-Fi shows convention. So here Hana stood outside waiting to enter the convention centre, standing next to Penelope and Spencer who were both dressed in Doctor Who related costumes. 

Unaware of the dress up plan, Hana was dressed a simple red shirt and black jeans combo. The leather jacket draped across her shoulders protected her skin from the intense solar rays. 

“Is it always this crowded?” She asked Spencer, knowing he’d have the answers she was looking for.

“Well statistically, New York Comic Con takes around two hundred thousand attendees a year.” He began to explain, “So yeah I guess you could say it’s always this crowded.”

“Great.” Hana sighed already feeling slightly claustrophobic as the line continued moving. She suddenly stumbled forward slightly when the group behind her got too excited and knocked into her accidentally, but was thankfully caught by Spencer. She uttered a small thanks as the doctor kept his hand firmly on the small of her back, pushing her in front of him. 

“You okay sweetie?” Penelope asked, turning around at the commotion. 

“Yeah don’t worry,” she waved her friend off, “It was just an accident and Spencer caught me before I fell on my face.”

The lovable blonde smiled brightly at her friend’s assurance, “Good, I’m so excited there’s so many places I want to check out.”

Hana listened intently as her two friends talked animatedly about all the different features of the convention they were most excited to see. While she didn’t understand half of the stuff they were taking about, she was just happy to see them happy too. Security was relatively easy process, especially since Penelope had strictly advised Hana not to bring her firearm. She had still brought her official badge though just in case, which raised some eyebrows from the older man that had checked her small bag of belongings.

When the trio were finally able to make their way into the main hall Hana was blown away at the grandiose nature of this event. Banners hung from basically anywhere you could hang a banner, dozens of signs directed people around the entire building of which the event was held, and the crowds were giant. 

Despite her friend’s excited and easy going attitude, Hana was still tense. There was so much happening around her, so many sounds, smells and sights. For someone trained to be aware of everyone around her and spending so long with the BAU it was difficult to relax. 

“So where are we going first?” She asked, before Spencer grabbed her hand to keep her close. 

“Penelope wants to check out all the stalls in the artists alley.” He explained as he led her forward.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s where independent artists have small stalls set up to sell different things they’ve made whether it’s paintings or knit work.” He explained without any signs of annoyance at her lack of knowledge, “Maybe you’ll find something cool too.”

Spencer, as always, was right. At a stall tucked in the corner of the artists alley Hana found a stunning painting depicting one of her favourite movies she’d watched as a kid. 

“You watched Friday the thirteenth at five years old?” Spencer asked in amusement, after the young agent had explained her interest in the portrait of Jason Voorhees.

“Yeah!” She stated, still walking hand in hand, “I mean there wasn’t much else to do in the middle of the woods, so I convinced Grisha to buy a dvd player.”

“So you like horror?” He asked, making sure Hana didn’t get too focused on her past.

“Oh I love horror especially the supernatural stuff.” Spencer noticed her eyes sparkled when she was excited. “I mean have you haven’t lived until you’ve had a horror movie binge on halloween.”

“I agree.”  He nodded as he spoke, before pointing with his free hand to where Penelope stood excitedly talking with one the artists at their stall. “We should catch up her before she disappears.”

She smirked slightly before replying, “I know someone would not be happy if we lost his ‘Baby Girl’”.

Spencer laughed loudly at Hana’s quip his eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiled widely. Her smirked morphed into a smile, watching his reaction.

As the pair approached their friend, Penelope turned around and waved them over enthusiastically. While both began to increase their pace, Spencer 6’1 height compared to Hana’s 5’2 meant that she ended up being dragged behind him. They had almost made their way over to the brightly dressed blonde, when Hana stopped suddenly causing Spencer to also stop and looked back towards the dark haired woman. 

She’d stopped in front an artist’s stall two down from the one Penelope was in front of, most notably Hana was staring in awe at a hand knitted plush of a fruit bat. Like with the Jason painting, Spencer noticed that her sparkled with joy as she let go of his hand to picked the plush. He could tell how much she wanted it.

So, he asked the artist the price and pulled the right amount of notes from his wallet. Hana then looked up to asked the seller the price, earning a simple reply of, “He already bought.” As they pointed at Spencer.

“You bought this for me?” Hana asked as she held the little bat close to her chest with her right arm.

“Consider it a birthday present.” He shrugged before taking her free hand again and leading her over to Penelope, who was still waiting.

“You do know my birthday isn’t for another four months right?”

“I know.” 

“You know what?” Penelope asked as she met the pair half-way

“Penn look what Spence bought me!” The younger agent explained as she showed her friend the adorable bat plush.

“Oh my god that is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” Penelope squealed as she looked at the plush, “Usually I think bats are icky and weird but this is really cute.”

“What did you call us over for?” 

“Yes I forgot,” She began as she dug three small things from her purse, “I bought us matching keyrings”

“Is that the-“ Spencer began asked as Penelope handed them one each.

“Tardis?” She finished his sentence before continuing, “Yep it sure is and if you press it makes the noise.”

Hana scrunched her nose in confusion, “The noise?” 

As if to showcase it, Spencer pressed the button on his keyring and Hana looked one in surprise as it began to make a strange whirring noise and lit up. She let out a simple “huh” in reply before gently placing the keyring in her small bag.

The trio spent the rest of the day touring the entire exhibition hall, Hana was still amazed at the sheer scale of this event in front of her. There was even a promotional stall for a game Hana had never heard of, but it had a virtual shooting range so Hana was naturally drawn to it. She also enjoyed the shock and applause she received from the people around her when she achieved a perfect score. 

All in all, it was a perfect but tiring day. They’d stayed until latest as possible, which it was already slightly dark when they made their way to the Uber that would take them back to hotel they’d booked for the weekend. Sliding in second, she found herself sandwiched between Spencer and Penelope, and despite her best efforts her eyes grew heavy and she soon found herself asleep.

With her eyes closed, Hana missed the soft smile from Spencer as her head slip to fall on his shoulder. He didn’t move for the entire journey back.

When Snow Falls | F.O

Back to Masterlist | Next Chapter Chapter 1. The Opening Ball

Summery: Valeria is forced to attend the 73rd Hunger Games' Opening Ball, maybe a certain blue eyed victor will make her a little happier she came.

TW: Attempted SA, Threats, Referenced SA

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It was the beginning of the 73rd Hunger Games, which also meant that today was the annual opening ball held before the Reapings occur. The highest in Capitol society attended, as did many previous victors; and by requirement, so did Valeria Snow.

As she walked through the ballroom doors, she immediately felt out of depth. She didn't normally attend these events; as a result, she had no idea what to do at them. She wasn't interested in the gossip of the Capitol's upper class, and she had nothing in common with any in attendance.

For quite some time she stood to the side of the grand room, close to the corner. She observed those around her and noticed that despite their extreme dresses and makeup, none of them actually stood out. They all just blended together as a kaleidoscope of fabrics and powder.

As Valeria stood there, she remembered the words her father had spoken to her during her dress fitting.

"I want you to actually speak to people tonight," he'd said firmly, "It's about time you made friends with people of your own stature."

Except, despite being a member of such a high-born family, she never enjoyed the company of her peers. Growing up, she always hated the attention she got just from her name being read out in every class she ever took.

Now she was of age; however, the attention now came from men who wanted the fame that came from marrying into the Snow family. It was why she avoided these events like the plague; those types of people practically filled the entire room.

She glanced hopefully over at the victor's table, only for her expression to fall when she realised Wattson wasn't in attendance. Without him there, she wouldn't dare approach them; the last time she attempted to speak with the others, they'd been polite, but it was clear they didn't want her near them. Her surname likely drew them away, although she wouldn't be surprised if her grandfather had warned them to stay away.

"What's a girl dressed like that doing without a line of men?" She turned to see Cinna; he'd designed the dress she was wearing. The older stylist had been working closely with Valeria since she was eighteen, but she knew deep down his true desire was to style for the games, to be able to make a real statement.

He'd done a phenomenal job. She was dressed in an elegant peach ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and draping sleeves, but the most unique feature was the waterfall of pink and white roses that cascaded down from the bodice to the skirt.

"Cinna, oh, I am so glad to see you!" She embraced him, careful not to cause any damage to the dress. "I'm sorry; I'm just not great at these things."

"Oh, don't worry, darling; I know this isn't your kind of scene."

"You're right about that. God, how do people do this?"

Cinna simply laughed in response before whispering, "I guess some people are better at pretending than others are."

"You could say that again."

"If you ever want to escape, I'll cover for you; just don't hurt the dress," he whispered before winking and walking away.

Valeria smiled to herself as she watched Cinna stroll away to speak to a group of stylists that had gathered to inspect each attendee's dresses. She let out a sigh as her eyes continued to wander from the stylists around the room inspecting each group to find a fit somewhere. Her friends didn't go to these events, and her grandfather had told her that she couldn't just rely on those she already knew; he wanted her to make connections.

She took a breath before walking further into the ballroom and moving towards a small group of women, their bodies covered in bright fabrics, several even covered their faces in various equally vibrant masks. One of the women noticed her moving towards them and whispered to the others before standing straighter than a flagpole and turning towards Valeria.

"Oh my dear, it's so lovely you could join us tonight."

Valeria remembered the girl in her academy, Slykie Moss, or 'Killy', as her friends liked to call her. She spoke like she knew Valeria personally, yet they'd never so much as glanced at each other before. Nevertheless, she replied as politely as she could, "Oh, well, it's my pleasure. Whoever planned this has done a wonderful job. It's beautiful."

"Oh, Alicia planned it!" She exclaimed, reaching behind her to pull the girl with midnight black hair forward. "This is Alicia Crane; you may have heard of her. Her brother's the head gamemaker this year. Can you believe it?"

"It's definitely incredible for them. You must be very proud of your brother."

"Ah yes, he's the pride of the family now," Alicia stated with her chin raised in the air before leaning and whispering to the group. "Now I'm not supposed to say this, but he's got some positively nefarious tricks for this year's games."

Excited giggles spread through the group while Valeria simply smiled awkwardly. She never understood why, but she never got the same excitement from the games others in the Capitol did. At least not after becoming close to Wattson.

Wattson Stein was the victor of the 64th Hunger Games, and four years ago on Valeria's eighteenth birthday, she had saved his life. Feeling a sense of duty for the victor, Valeria checked on him almost every day for three months afterwards. They'd become close friends ever since, although only in secret.

Now every time she watched the games, she couldn't help but picture her friend's sixteen-year-old self taking each tribute's place. So young and thrust into a game of death and fear.

"Oh Valeria, my dear, you must tell me, are the rumours true? You're District Four's newest escort?" Ophelia asked, breaking Valeria from her thoughts.

"Um... yes, it's true." She replied, "I'm very excited; I've never had the chance to visit Four before."

A woman with neon green hair scrunched her face in disgust before speaking, "Eugh, I imagine it smells like nothing but fish."

"Oh goodness, yes," Sylkie agreed with her friend. "Plus, I've heard the sea air is absolutely terrible for your hair."

"Well, I'm not so bad," Valeria tried to advocate on District 4's behalf. "After all, Finnick Odair is from there."

"Are you ladies gossiping about me?" A voice from behind her called, causing her to turn around. There was Finnick, the 'Capitol Darling', in all his glory. His stylist had surprisingly dressed him this time; instead of something outrageously revealing, he wore a suit similar to that of other capital attendees. It was a dark blue with intricate silver embroidery of waves crashing against a rockside, and the buttons were in the shape of silver seashells.

Behind her she heard the women whisper rapidly to one another, followed swiftly by high-pitched giggles. Ignoring them, Valeria took the initiative, and after a deep breath, stepped forward and greeted the victor, "Hello, Finnick, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm-"

"Valeria Snow," he interrupted, "Believe me, I'm aware of who you are."

Stepping in front of Finnick's view, almost blocking Valeria entirely, Sylkie excitedly asked Finance, "Are you aware she's District 4's newest escort for this year?"

"Well, what an honour it will be to have the Capitol princess visit my district." Finnick replied, a smirk spreading widely across his face; he then stepped around Sylkie carefully so he was facing Valerie once more.

In that moment as her golden brown eyes connected with Finnick's own ocean blue, Valeira couldn't help but inhale sharply. She'd never been this close to District 4's youngest victor before, and he was certainly striking.

His sandy blonde hair had been left reasonably untouched, allowing for his soft curls to frame his lightly tanned face. If Valeria could describe him, it would be the ocean personified.

As she continued to take in his appearance, Valeria's eyes moved back to focus on his face, more specifically his expression. His left eyebrow was raised slightly in a way that showed he was expecting something. It was only then that she realised he had spoken to her again, and she hadn't heard a single thing he said.

"Sorry?" She asked, cursing the heat in her cheeks, and a blush spread across her face.

Finnick chuckled slightly at her before repeating himself, "I said you look very pretty this evening."

Valeria knew he was simply being polite and his usual flirtatious self, but she still uttered a simple "Thank you" and smiled brightly. She was happy someone thought she looked good, especially since it was Cinna that had styled her.

"I suppose it would be wrong to compliment a lady and not ask her to dance."

The blonde raised her head to look at him in surprise to find his hand outstretched towards her. "You want to dance with me?" She couldn't help but ask; after all, she and Finnick had attended many of the same parties, and never before had he so much as spoken to her.

"Well, we will be getting to know each other a lot over the next few months; it seems only right," Finnick reasoned before tilting his head in a teasing expression, "You do know how to dance, right?"

"Yes, of course I know how to dance."

"Good," he said before grabbing her hand and leading her to the centre of the room. "So long as you don't step on my feet, we'll be just fine."

Finnick placed his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. In turn, Valeria moved her hand upwards towards his shoulder. They began a slow and gentle waltz to music softly playing; they glided across the floor and between the other couples. Valeria found it difficult to look anywhere but at Finnick; they were close enough to feel the breath of the other on their skin.

"Are you really excited to see four?" Finnick said so after a few minutes of them dancing in silence.

Valeria narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "How long were you eavesdropping on the conversation?"

"Long enough," he responded simply before pulling away and raising his left arm to gently twirl her around. Valeria couldn't help but giggle as her hair swished around her face before Finnick pulled her close once more. "Now are you going to answer my question?"

"Well, I've never seen the sea or even a beach, at least not a real one."

Finnick laughed before speaking, "So you became my district's escort because you wanted to see the beach?"

"No!" Valeria exclaimed, "I just... actually, can you keep a secret?"

"Princess, that's exactly what I deal in."

"Really?" She leaned back slightly to look up at him more clearly. "Seems like a bad business model."

"You'd be surprised at how much secrets are worth." Finnick answered vaguely with an air of mystery, as if he knew more than even Valeria about the underbelly of the Capitol.

"Capitol has lots of those," she couldn't help but murmur under her breath.

"Huh," Finnick laughed.

"What?"

"You're just..." he paused as he thought on what to say, "not exactly what I expected."

Valeria hummed in response before looking directly in his eyes, "And what did you expect?"

"Well, I don't think I should really tell you the truth." Finnick, he responded after a long minute of thought; it was clear on his face that he was being genuine.

Leaning slightly closer, Valeria whispered into his ear, "I thought we were sharing secrets, Odair."

He winked before continuing, "You've yet to tell me this big secret of yours."

"Oh right, I became an escort becau-" Valeria was able to continue as she was suddenly pulled away from Finnick, only to be faced with a clearly angry Johanna.

"Just what the fuck do you think you are doing?" She refused to release Valeria's wrist, holding her in place.

"I'm sorry, we were just dancing..." She was confused; why was it such an issue to dance with Finnick? She'd seen him dance many times before at other events with several women.

"Don't play dumb with me; you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Johanna, stop." Finnick began to step in to try to pull her away. "You know who she is; this is only going to end badly—"

"No Finnick, who she is, is exactly my problem." She was continuously glaring at the girl opposite her. "They're all the same."

While Johanna and Finnick continued their exchange, the latter now whispering harshly to the District 7 victor, Valeria looked around and realised that all eyes were on her. The women she had spoken to just minutes before were smirking at her embarrassment and had begun to whisper to each other. Another glance, and she found the other victors looking at her with the same hatred she saw in Johanna's eyes. She continued to look around as her breath slowly left her, as the sound began to fade out until there was only a dull buzzing.

This feeling was building and building, and it was only when she felt the tears begin to well that she suddenly moved into action. With a strength completely unknown to her, Valeria wrenched her hand from the victor's grasp and sprinted out the ballroom's door.

She ran from the ballroom, needing peace to think after the accusation from Johanna, the glares of the other tributes, and the whispers of the crowds. She still didn't understand what had occurred or even why.

She moved quickly to the other side of the manor she was in, finding a sitting room that was empty. She closed the door behind her before moving to the glass doors on the opposite side of the room; it led to one of the smaller balconies that looked out onto the manor's extravagant gardens. Despite being one of the most famous people attending tonight, she couldn't have been more alone as she leaned over the small balcony. No one would bother her here, and she was far enough from the ballroom that she could no longer hear the music.

God, she hated the Capitol; if she could, she'd move far away. As she stared into the night sky, the stars barely visible from the various lights throughout the Capitol, she thought of her childhood dream of moving from Panem to have a peaceful life for her and her siblings and never having to attend a ball like this again.

Behind her the door to the balcony creaked open, and Valeria quickly turned to see who it was; it was an older man, likely a friend of her father's. His bright pink hair was gelled back, and his equally pink moustache was finely groomed; the only thing out of place was the opened and half-empty bottle in his hand. He stumbled onto the balcony, squinting as he looked around; it didn't seem he had noticed she was there, and Valeria was planning to quickly move away until he suddenly locked his eyes onto her.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes? What is a fine lady like yourself doing so far from the party?"

"I'm sorry?" She exclaimed in disgust, Not only was this man drunk enough that Valeria could smell him from across the balcony, but he was clearly over double her age, possibly even older than her father.

"Oh, don't be like that, dear." He smiled widely before approaching her. "A girl dressed like that is asking for at least a little attention."

Whether he didn't recognise who she was or simply didn't care, this strange man made his intention very clear through that one sentence, and Valeria instantly felt a sense of fear wash over her. Trying to diffuse the situation, she simply smiled politely and responded, "Well, apologies, but it's not the kind of attention I think you're offering."

"Hmm, I like them feisty; please keep talking."

"Sorry, but I think someone is looking for me, so we're done here." Valeria tried to move around the man to exit the balcony, but he suddenly grabbed her arm and pushed her against the balcony rail.

"What do you think you're doing?" She tried to push him away, but he held her firmly in place.

"Now I wouldn't fight too hard if I were you." He moved his hand towards her neck to hold her in place, forcing her to look at him. "See, I was a peacekeeper back in my prime, and I've seen plenty of pretty girls like you out in the districts, so I know what to do when a pretty little thing puts up a fight."

"My grandfather is President Snow... Touch me and... you'll regret it..."

He just laughed into her face; the smell of alcohol was making her feel sick. His other hand was wrapped around her waist, squeezing her tightly. She couldn't breathe, and her mind was starting to shut down. There didn't seem to be a way out of this. As he leaned in to whisper in her ear, his hand on her neck was slowly moving down. "Don't worry; it won't hurt after a while."

He grabbed her dress by the front and pulled, ripping her bodice down the middle and revealing her undergarments. She never felt more naked as the cold air chilled her exposed body and tears streamed down her face. She moved her hand in front of her and tried to push him away, but he was stronger than she was and moved to restrain her arms. With her hands restrained behind her, she decided to close her eyes, afraid to see what would happen to her.

It was then Valeria felt a rush of air as the pressure against her body was pulled away from her; she heard a scuffle before she opened her eyes. It was Finnick who had pulled that man away from her and had seemingly knocked him out with the lamp he still held in his hand.

"Finnick?" She spoke in a hoarse voice, her throat still sore from being gripped so hard.

He turned to look at her before placing the lamp back down on the small table. He began to walk towards her but quickly stopped. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"H-how did you..." She began to question, looking back down at the pink-haired man now laid prone on the floor. "W-hat?"

"Valeria," he spoke firmly, making her eyes focus on him once again, "I need to know if you're okay."

"Yeah... I'm okay," Valeria responded, stunned hearing him say her name, "Thank you for... doing that."

"It's fine." They were both out of breath from the surge of adrenaline. Valeria quickly realised her chest was still exposed and moved her arms in front of her. Finnick slowly moved his way towards her.

"Do you want my jacket?" He had already taken it off and was holding it towards her. She took it from his grasp slowly before pushing her arms in and holding it tight to cover her chest.

"Thank you so much." She smiled at him softly before looking down at her dress, and her lips moved to frown.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"He ruined Cinna's dress, and I thought it was so beautiful. What am I going to tell him?" Her voice was high-pitched, almost a whine, and she desperately tried to bring the fabric of her corset back together again.

For a moment Finnick was silent as a stunned expression crossed his face before it fell into a look of genuine kindness. "I'm sure he'll be more than understanding."

"You think?"

He smiled softly and nodded, "Yeah, I think so?"

Valeria smiled before looking to her left and seeing that man still unconscious on the floor; her anxiety began to creep up again, afraid that he may wake up suddenly.

"Do you want to come with me?" Finnick spoke up as if sensing her growing anxiety. Turning back to him, Valeria noticed he was watching her carefully.

"Where?" She sniffed out before wiping tears from her eyes.

He took another step closer, holding his hand out for her to take. "Just away from here, we can find another empty room to sit in."

"But you'll miss the party."

"Believe me, that'll be a blessing." He smiled softly at her, which she returned in kind. She took the hand that he held out towards her and allowed him to lead her out of the room.

They moved further down the hall until what they both agreed was a long enough distance and opened the door closest, which, luckily, led to an empty room. It was a simple sitting room similar to the one before, only this one didn't have any balcony attached. Two ornate sofas faced each other, which Finnick and Valeria chose to sit on. As they faced each other, they began to relax, and they sat contently in the other's presence.

"Why did..." She trailed off, thinking carefully about her question.

"Why did I help you?" Finnick finished her thought for her.

"Yes"

"I'm not a monster, Valeria," he muttered to her, "and you don't deserve that... no one does."

"Well, thank you; I think you probably saved my life."

"Don't mention it." He smiled softly before changing to a look of mock sternness. "Where were your guards, anyway?"

"My what?"

"Guards. Would've thought the president's precious grandchild would have some kind of protection."

"I requested not to have any tonight. I find it a bit suffocating, having someone breathing down your neck the whole night," Valeria responded before looking down in embarrassment, "Although I can see now that was a bad idea."

Finnick couldn't help but let out a sarcastic chuckle, "You might be right about that." And then his face suddenly grew serious, "Don't do that again."

Caught off guard by his intensity, Valeria struggled to form a sentence before blurting out, "Why do you care what I do?"

He seemed genuinely stunned by her impulsive question, as if he didn't understand why she asked it in the first place. Shaking his head, Finnick schooled his expression and shrugged, "You're better than Four's last escort; if anything happens to you, who knows who I'd be stuck with next?"

"Careful," she responded sarcastically, "someone might think you actually like me."

"Oh, we don't have to worry about that, Miss Snow." He replied equally as sarcastic as the blonde sitting in front of him.

"Just call me Valeria." She responded quickly, looking him dead in his bright blue eyes.

Instead of looking away from her intense eye contact, Finnick leant forward, bringing their faces closer together, his eyes never moving from hers. "Alright, Valeria, you can call me Finnick."

"I was already doing that."

"Well, now you have my permission." After he spoke, he smiled again, but it wasn't a bright smile like all the others he made that night; this was different. Valeria would even dare to think it seemed genuine.

It was that moment Valeria realised that the Finnick she knew was never real; like most things in the Capitol, it was perfectly crafted to appease a specific audience. She also realised that she liked the version of Finnick she was seeing; he seemed brighter. If she thought he shone on cameras before, he was like the sun now.

A few moments later the spell was broken when the doors to the room Finnick had hidden her away in slammed open. The Victor stood at the loud sound and instinctively moved so he stood in front of Valeria, who was still sitting on the couch, staring wide-eyed at the now open door.

"Where in God's name have you been?" The man said immediately as he stepped further into the room.

Breaking out of her shock, Valeria quickly stood from her seat and moved around Finnick. The Victor began to move again to block her movements, causing her to speak up, "It's fine, Finnick; this is Blaze, one of my family's bodyguards."

"You were told to stay inside the ballroom." Blaze began to rant at Valeria furiously, "How is it your younger siblings can follow instructions but you evidently can't?"

She spluttered slightly at his words, trying to figure out what to say before deciding to be defensive. "Are you allowed to speak to me that way?"

"I've known you since you were still in diapers and shuffling around on your butt; I've put up with your antics far too long to care about how I should speak to you." His face remained serious, but the left corner of his mouth twitched slightly, which was as close to a smile as Valeria would ever get.

"You make a good point." Valeria sighed, "Are we leaving now? Is that why you came for me?"

"Yeah, the car's waiting outside for us, and it's getting pretty late."

She turned to her left where Finnick was standing. "You need a lift home at all?"

"Oh" He seemed surprised at her offer, breaking his eye focus on analysing the stranger in front of him. "I'm alright, but thank you."

"Are you sure? I can ask them to stop by your apartment or wherever you're staying." She pressed further, feeling a sense of responsibility for the man who'd saved her less than an hour earlier.

Finnick smiled gratefully at her before nodding, "Yeah, don't worry; I have an appointment to go to anyway."

That made Valeria's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "It's almost ten o'clock; isn't that a bit late to have an appointment?"

Instead of answering her question, Finnick swallowed nervously as his expression darkened for a fraction of a second before softening again. "You should get home; you must be tired."

She tried to protest as Finnick stepped away from her, allowing for Blaze to grasp her arm and escort her out of the room. Turning back around as she crossed the doorway, her eyes focused on his own for as long as she could.

As Blaze led Valeria down the halls and into the sleek white car waiting in front of the front steps, her thoughts raced as she played back her entire interaction with Finnick, from their first dance to sitting next to each other in a small side room.

Back in that small side room, Finnick was still standing where Valeria had left him. It seemed that his mind was still catching up to what had just happened. Did he really just spend a night with President Snow's granddaughter?

Not only did he spend a night with her, but somehow within that one night Valeria had managed to shift his entire perception of her on its head. His mind then focused on her golden curls, how they gently fell from her shoulder in a waterfall, and how they faintly smelt of roses. In fact, Valeria smelt entirely of roses.

This time a knock on the door broke him from his thoughts, and he glanced up to find Alicia Crane leaning against it, looking at him with deep desire.

"I've been looking for you, Odair." She said in a sickly sultry tone, "You promised me a night of passion, so let's not waste any more time."

With a subtle resigned sigh, he plastered his trademark dazzling smile on and followed her out of the room.

Back outside, Valeria was fully settled in the car and was now staring out the window as it set off. Yet, even as they went separate ways, both knew that this night was the most memorable night they'd ever lived in the Capitol.

Sunrise | Twilight J.H

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Chapter 2. Jasper

Mitsuko had spent most of the weekend at home, both comforting and receiving comfort from her family. She’d also spent time with Riley’s parents, doing the same as she did for Charlie only a couple months ago. She even helped them with the missing posters.

Her friends had messaged to check on her after she’d left school early; she’d decided to be honest with them. In their friend group chat, she’d informed them about Riley and was thankful for the support they showed her. They also told her about how Edward had taken Bella out of town, explaining her lack of response in the chat.

By Sunday, she’d given herself enough time to comprehend the situation. Yet her dreams grew worse night by night. It was the same every time: blood was everywhere, upturned or smashed cars covered the car park, and people kept screaming. She saw figures clawing at each other, tearing them apart before throwing them into fires.

A particular shriek always shocked her awake, the same pitch every time, and Monday was no different. Her eyes flashed open in fear, and she quickly sat up, her pink floral duvet gathering by her legs. Bringing her hands to her face, she wiped the sleep from her eyes and moved the hair from her face.

‘Shit’ she thought as she looked to her bedside alarm clock; she’d woken up late. She scrambled out of bed to her vanity table, quickly putting on her everyday makeup and brushing her hair out.

After she was dressed in a simple white skirt and floral blouse, she made her way downstairs. She greeted her mom brightly and graciously accepted the piece of toast offered to her. Hoshiko was already sitting at the table eating a bowl of porridge, lifting her head to smile as her sister took the seat opposite.

They ate breakfast quickly and made sure to clear up their dishes after they ate. Hoshiko raced out of the house with a simple “Hurry up, we’re already late” before hopping into the passenger seat of the Mitsuko’s Mini. The drive to school was full of simple chatter and a mixture of pop and alternative music, a demand made by Hoshiko last year.

Hoshiko was busy telling Mitsuko about her classes for next year when they’d pulled up to school. The sisters parked next to Ben’s car, stepping out to greet their friends.

“Yo Suki, who do you think would win?” Mike immediately asked her instead of a greeting.

“What are you talking about?” She asked confusedly before turning towards where Mike then pointed, “Is that?“

“Edward and Jacob Black? Yep, I don’t know what they’re fighting about, but it seems pretty tense.” Jessica interrupted before she could finish.

Jacob's voice began to elevate as he got angrier, alarmed that her friend was close to a possible fight. Mitsuko stepped forward to try and intervene but was stopped by a strong grip on her wrist. Gasping at the sudden touch, she turned around, only to come face to face with Jasper Hale.

His face was stern and almost worried; brows furrowed, and he stared at her before speaking, "Don't; they know better than to get physical.”

“How do you know that?” She replied back, feeling confused again.

“Just trust me.” He smirked at her, causing a blush to spread across her cheeks.

“If you say so,” she conceded, pausing before continuing. “You have English first, don’t you?”

He didn’t speak, only nodding in reply. “Do you think I could walk with you? We’re in that class together.”

“I know.” Jasper spoke up. “And I don’t mind.” She smiled shyly at his response before gesturing for him to take the lead. It was only as they began walking that she realised Jasper hadn’t let go of her wrist the whole time they were talking, only letting go once she turned away from Edward and Jacob.

His touch returned as she walked up the front steps, a single hand placed on the small of her back to steady her as she walked. Jasper held the main doors open, which allowed her to step inside. It was then Mitsuko built up the courage to say what she’d been wanting to say to him since Friday. “Thank you, by the way.”

His steps faulted slightly as he turned to her, “What for?”

“It’s stupid,” she shook her head, “but on Friday you really helped me ground me, so thank you.”

“It’s not stupid, but you don’t need to thank me.” Jasper looked at Mitsuko deeply as he spoke. She had seen the Cullens eyes before, but Jasper’s seemed so much more intense than the others. It was like she could stare into the pools of amber all day.

‘You barely know him,’ she remained herself, unsure where these sudden feelings came from. Ever since Friday she’d felt a subtle itch under her skin as if her body was craving something; it only faded when she’d seen Jasper’s face.

Ignoring her rapid thoughts, she continued to walk next to Jasper down the corridor. Eventually, the pair arrived outside her English class. Stepping in, she noticed that her seat partner was absent today. Sighing, she sat down and prepared herself for a quiet class.

When she crouched to place her bag under her chair, she nearly jumped when she stood and found Jasper now sitting in the chair next to hers.

“You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?” He asked, looking intently.

“Not at all.” Mitsuko replied, smiling softly at him. They sat quietly next to each other while their teacher loaded up the movie on the monitor. As soon as he hit play, Jasper turned to her and whispered softly.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better than Friday, but I’ve been struggling with those episodes for a while, so I’m used to it.” There was something about Jasper that put her at ease; she couldn’t help but tell the truth.

“What exactly happened to you, if you don’t mind me asking?” He continued to whisper; neither was even attempting to watch the movie. Mitsuko hesitated slightly before answering.

“I get these... hallucinations sometimes,” she explained. “It’s not often, but when they happen, they tend to overwhelm me.”

“How do you deal with them?” Jasper asked, genuinely curious.

“Mostly medication, but it doesn’t work as well as it used to.” Mitsuko answered truthfully, and Jasper listened intently, his face full of concern. “I’ve kind of had a hard week.”

"Oh, do you want to… talk about it?”

“It’s…” She paused as a shot of grief ran through her. “My friend Riley Biers went missing in Seattle almost a year ago, and I’ve only just found out.”

“I’m sorry that happened.”

“I just wish I’d known sooner, you know?” Mitsuko explained, to which Jasper nodded in understanding, “Maybe I could’ve done something.”

Jasper lent towards her, cautiously placing his hands on her. She shivered under his cold touch but didn’t pull away. “Don’t do that to yourself; you have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“I don’t feel guilty.” She tried to state it firmly, but she knew it was a lie.

He smiled slightly. “Hate to break it to you, darling, but you wear your heart on your sleeve.”

She blushed and looked down at their hands were connected, noticing how he was softly stroking the back of her right hand. They sat there in silence for the rest of the lesson, just enjoying the comfort they felt from each other.

When the bell rang and the rest of the class began to stand, their hands finally separated. Jasper stood first, grabbing Mitsuko’s bag before grabbing his things as well. She smiled brightly as he helped her put the bag on her right shoulder before following him out of the room.

They walked side by side down the corridor, earning some strange looks from the other students. Yet the dark-haired girl paid them no mind and simply kept walking. 

"You know," Jasper started, "people are staring at us."

Mitsuko simply smiled at him before replying, “Just ignore them; they have nothing better to do.”

He glanced over to her again, studying her profile as they walked. "You never get bothered by people watching you?"

“Of course I do, but if I let it affect me all the time, I'd never go anywhere.” She explained matter of factly before continuing, “You know they’re probably only staring at you.”

“Me?”

The dark-haired girl looked at him with an amused expression. "Yeah, we’ve never hung out before, and now here you are escorting me down the hallways like a boyfriend does.” but before he could respond, she continued, "Not that I mind."

"Well, my apologies," he replied with a smirk, his southern twang coming out slightly. "Maybe I just realised you were someone worth paying attention to."

“Thank you.” She blushed slightly but played it off once she realised that they’d arrived outside my classroom. "Well, this is my class; thanks for escorting me here.”

“Anytime Ma’am.” The blonde replied, dipping his head slightly in a small bow.

With a bright smile, she made her way into the class, but not before giving Jasper a small wave goodbye. For the rest of the day, Mitsuko had an extra pep in her step but also couldn’t stop thinking about Jasper.

As much as she enjoyed his company, she was confused. Ever since the Cullens returned from wherever they had disappeared, Jasper had suddenly become very interested in her, and she’d definitely noticed.

At lunch it was the same as always, the group laughing together except with a new addition. Jasper had taken the seat next to Mitsuko again, listening intently as she joked with her friends, and gently placed his hand on her back again, following the same circle motions he used yesterday. She couldn’t help but lean into the touch, feeling wave after wave of comfort and contentment.

“So Jasper,” Jessica spoke up, causing him to finally look away from the girl next to him. “Will you be there at the graduation party?”

“Um, yeah, I’m sure Alice will find a way to make me come,” he answered a little awkwardly.

Angela looked at Jessica with a bemused expression. “You know it’s happening at his house, right?”

“Well, yeah, I was just wondering; he usually keeps to himself,” she responded before trying to Jasper, “no offence though.”

“None taken.” He replied politely with a small nod.

Hoping to diffuse the tension, Mitsuko turned to the blonde and smiled at him, “It’ll be nice to see you there.”

Jasper relaxed visibly when Mitsuko spoke up. It was clear he had been feeling a bit tense from the conversation with Jessica, but her words put him at ease.

"Yeah," he agreed with a small smile. "It will be nice to see you too.”

After Jasper spoke, the bell rung, so everyone began making their way out of the cafeteria and to the next classes. Jasper again took on the duty of escorting Mitsuko to her next class. The pair walked in silence until they stopped in front of her classroom.

“We probably won’t see each other after this.” She began, “I have a committee meeting after school, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, of course.” He nodded, “I will see you tomorrow.”

The two shared a smile, both excited for tomorrow but especially the party next week.

When Snow Falls | Masterlist

Valeria Snow is the 'Princess of the Capitol', as the oldest granddaughter of the infamous President Snow she's lived her entire life trying to make a reputation of her own. After she's assigned as the newest escort for District 4, she finds her life shifting completely off course especially after she becomes closer to the famous Finnick Odair.

Playlist || Concept Board

Chapter 1. Opening Ball

Chapter 2. Unwanted Attention

Also read on: AO3 or Wattpad