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elentari-celestaire · 1 year

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✧unyielding pillar, fleeting mist✧

ii. blooming mist-flower amongst golden peaks and azure sea.

[ previous ll masterlist ll next ]

pairing: morax x f!reader, osial x f!reader

synopsis: a story of a human female from Earth, who was thrown into the world of Teyvat during one of its most dangerous era. despite being bestowed with a power far stronger than any Teyvat mortal could wield, y/n decided to use her gift of mist to hide away from the burning and bloodied war-filled world. but, what will she do when Morax, the warrior god, one of the seven victors of the archon war and future geo archon waltzed into her mist-concealed island, that she had hidden away from the inhabitants of Teyvat for decades?

author’s note: or u can call this the chapter y/n almost die from constantly being breathless. this is kinda rushed since I’ve been sick and busy the past week. tbh this chapter is mostly just y/n being on a roller coaster of emotions the whole time. also, i apologise that my writing isn’t as well written as other writers though i’m hoping with time and practice i’ll improve. i hope you’ll enjoy this.

When those glowing molten ambers focused on her, y/n felt as if she had forgotten how to breathe. Fortunately for her, her brain remembered how to.

As her chest heaved to compensate the prior lack of oxygen, the unsettling feeling from before dug deeper within her. Those golden hues brought her back to the very first time she had laid eyes on them, many decades ago.

His history as the feared god of war was something she was well aware of. Yet, even knowing that, she could not help but feel intimidated — wanting to shrink and hide away like she had always done.

And so, ran away she did.

Taking in a deep breath, y/n turned to the young man next to her, breaking eye contact from those golden ambers.

“Hirotaka, tell Seiran to serve the two outsiders tea and to treat them with the utmost respect,” she spoke with the calmest voice she could muster.

The young man next to her, whose name was Hirotaka was surprised for a moment before hastily responding, “yes, my lady…” His eyes glancing towards the direction of Seiran and the two outsiders. “But, my lady, shouldn’t you -”

Not giving the male a chance to continue, the divine priestess exclaimed, “I just remembered that I have some urgent matters to attend to!! There is nothing on this island so, they will probably get bored soon and be on their wa-”

Y/n paused mid-sentence when she noticed Hirotaka, whose eyes were wide and his form trembling at a presence behind her.

“Taka?” her brows furrowed in worry, which then turned into a look of dread as a shadow loomed over her.

“Found you.”

E/c hues widened at the sound of the familiar baritone voice yet, the lack of gentleness that she was accustomed to made her heart ached.

Even after decades having not heard the future geo archon’s voice since she arrived in Teyvat, his voice never fails to make her weak — turning her legs into jelly. Speaking of jelly, she really could use one at that moment.

‘Think, Y/n! Think!’ snapping her thoughts away from the dessert, the divine priestess mentally screamed at herself, her body slightly shaking as she willed herself to find for the best course of action.

Her anxious thoughts were cut short when she felt her wrist being grabbed, eliciting a high-pitch squeal from her lips.

“Are you going to run away again, mist flower?”

“W-what?! No!! I wasn’t inten-”

As y/n’s worried mind was trying to comprehend whatever that had transpired, she unconsciously turned towards the owner of those hands — those very hands decorated with geo markings that she had only admired seen through images or the game.

“Did you just called me mist flow-”

The divine priestess inhaled sharply as her e/c eyes travelled upwards to meet golden ambers. He had removed his hood, exposing his umber locks, his low ponytail swinging in the chilly breeze.

Y/n let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding. He looked exactly the same as he had been that many decades ago — intimidating but still, breathtakingly beautiful.

The staring contest moment between the Lord of Geo and y/n was cut short when Seiran came running towards the divine priestess — worry etched on the younger priestess’ features, and trailing after her was the other outsider, his long azure tresses flowing behind him.

Y/n’s eyes widened as she moved her gaze from the god towering over her to the blue-haired male, who had just arrived at the scene — his bright cerulean hues assessing the situation — seemingly asking for an answer as to why the god of war was holding on to the divine priestess’ wrist.

“Morax. What are you doing?”

Slightly irked at being interrupted, the younger god in question grumbled, “I merely spoke to her…Osial.”

“Do you grab everyone's wrist when you speak to them…Morax?”

Morax glared at the older god, like a child caught red-handed, before letting go of the divine priestess' wrist. But, y/n was too distracted by a certain name that she had just heard to notice the lack of pressure on her wrist.

“What?!”

The sudden outburst from the divine priestess took everyone by surprise, even the two gods standing in front of her. “Osial?! Even the Lord of Vortex is here?!”

For a moment, y/n swore there was a deadly glint in those crystal blue eyes when they met hers. Slightly parted lips turned upwards into a faint smirk.

‘Why is he smirking?’ cue the start of another mental breakdown for y/n. She was aware of Morax’s personality based on what she had read. But, Osial? The only thing she knew about the Lord of Vortex was that he’s a huge hydra-looking sea creature that got speared by Morax and then, stoned by the jade chamber centuries later.

Never would she have thought that she would meet Osial. At least, not expecting to see him in human form — a very good-looking form at that. At first, it was the Lord of Geo, now with Osial as well. She just wanted to scream from how beautiful these two gods are, but she had to maintain her dignity in front of her people.

“Oh?” the azure-haired god hummed as he held his chin in his fingers — the smirk still plastered on his lips. ”It seems our host knows who i am?” he continued, his voice a mixture of curiosity and amusement as he side-glanced the younger god next to him before returning his gaze towards y/n.

Both of their attentions were then focused on y/n and solely on her — Osial’s expression was one of interest while Morax’s demanded answers.

“And yet, we know nothing of you or your island, divine priestess y/n.”

‘Heart, please stay strong,’ y/n pleaded internally, having long given up on praying to any gods.

#genshin impact #genshin fanfic #genshin x reader #genshin x you #reader insert #genshin morax #morax x reader #morax #morax x you #morax x yn #zhongli #zhongli x reader #zhongli x you #osial x reader #genshin osial

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bee-writes-stuffs · 5 months

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hey, it’s okay- Javid

(Note: Enjoy some Javid comfort <3)

Everything’s falling apart.

Jack couldn’t stop the whirlwind of thoughts running rampant through his brain, worry and regret eating at his mind until he could barely hear a logical thought over the emotions screaming in his head. He’d just barely been able to find a place quiet enough to try and sort them out- little did he know that the isolation only served to worsen the spiral.

It must have been hours that he sat there, though it was probably only minutes. Eventually, the volume in his head lowered to a dull roar, and Jack stared numbly at the wall in front of him in the dark, lonely alleyway that he’d chosen to sit in. Despite the heat of the summer night, cold worry chilled his bones, seeping into his hands as they ran through his hair.

Everything’s falling apart. The strike was as good as over. They hadn’t even been able to get Brooklyn on their side, nor had that article gotten anyone else to even bat an eye at their cause. Crutchie was gone, his boys were beaten half to hell by Pulitzer’s goons, and Jack had all but lost hope.

He suddenly heard the crunch of a step onto dirt and gravel, and he glanced up to see Davey standing in the mouth of the alleyway, frowning into the darkness until his gaze caught the other boy’s.

“Jack?” he asked, and Jack didn’t dare answer for fear of his voice breaking in response. “Are you okay?”

Jack still didn’t reply as Davey sat down next to him, taking in his disheveled clothing and red-rimmed eyes. “You’re one hell of a sight,” Davey commented, trying to lighten the mood but failing as his pleasant expression turned to one of concern. “How long has it been since you slept?”

“Dunno,” Jack muttered. “Why do you care?” His voice came out more aggressive than planned, and he felt guilt stab through him at the sight of Davey recoiling. God, I can’t do anything right, can I?

“I’m worried about you, Jackie,” Davey admitted. “Well, I’m worried about a lot of things, but mostly you.” He took a deep breath before meeting Jack’s gaze with an intensity Jack had never seen before- a sort of caring look in his eyes that felt more like a glare. “Things aren’t great right out there right now, and those boys need their leader.”

“And it’s one hell of a leader they’ve got.” Jack sighed, trying to keep the prickling at the back of his eyes at bay. “I failed ‘em, Dave. It’s my fault that Crutchie’s locked up and the rest of them are hurt.” His voice wobbled, and he choked out the last sentence as if it were poison. “They’re better off without me.”

“Jack.” Davey’s voice was soft, and his words seemed more of a whisper as he set a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “That isn’t true, and you know it.” He smiled kindly. “It’s not like we’ve done this before, Jackie. When was the last time you led a strike?”

“Never.” Jack knew it was a rhetorical question, but he was too tired to care.

“Exactly,” Davey encouraged, wrapping his arms around Jack and pulling him close. He smelled of cinnamon mixed with fresh-baked bread, and Jack closed his eyes and relished the warmth of the hug.

“We’re all scared,” Davey admitted. “Damn it, I’d be lying if I said I’m not terrified right now.” He chuckled, and Jack couldn’t help but smile as he continued. “They need someone to let them know that they’re gonna be alright,” he said seriously, holding Jack at arm’s length to look him in the eye. “Your boys trust you, Jack. You make them feel safe, protected, cared for.”

Jack nodded, still not completely at ease. “What if I fail ‘em again?” He worried aloud, feeling helpless and humiliated that he couldn’t stay strong- even in front of Davey, even for the kids that were counting on him.

Davey shook his head. “You won’t,” he decided. “No matter what goes down after this moment, I know that you haven’t let us down. You’re going to be okay,” he promised, and Jack felt a strange but not unpleasant warmth blossom in his chest as Davey hugged him tighter, resting his chin on Jack’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Dave,” Jack whispered, and Davey pulled back with a smile.

“You’re my friend,” he replied. “I care about you.”

Jack closed his eyes and smiled as Davey pulled him into another embrace, laughing softly and burying his face in the taller boy’s neck. After a while, Davey stood up, offering his hand to Jack.

“So, what do you say?” Davey asked as Jack let him pull him to his feet. “Are we going to win this damned strike, or what?”

#david jacobs #newsies musical #jack kelly #livesies #newsies #javid newsies #javid #javey #newsies live #davey jacobs

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ethereal-bumble-bee · 6 months

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heyy uh… idrk how this works but could we maybe get some Javey hurt/comfort where jack gets really overwhelmed by everything during the strike and davey calms him down? something like that. if not that’s totally ok! love your work <3

(Note: Thank you so much for requesting something! Super sorry that this took a while, but I really hope you enjoy! Anyone who’s reading this, feel free to request anything you’d like to see- I’m always happy to write requests! 😁)

Everything’s falling apart.

He suddenly heard the crunch of a step onto dirt and gravel, and he glanced up to see Davey standing in the mouth of the alleyway, frowning into the darkness until his gaze caught the other boy’s.

“Jack?” he asked, and Jack didn’t dare answer for fear of his voice breaking in response. “Are you okay?”

“Never.” Jack knew it was a rhetorical question, but he was too tired to care.

“Exactly,” Davey encouraged, wrapping his arms around Jack and pulling him close. He smelled of cinnamon mixed with fresh-baked bread, and Jack closed his eyes and relished the warmth of the hug.

“Thanks, Dave,” Jack whispered, and Davey pulled back with a smile.

“You’re my friend,” he replied. “I care about you.”

Jack closed his eyes and smiled as Davey pulled him into another embrace, laughing softly and burying his face in the taller boy’s neck. After a while, Davey stood up, offering his hand to Jack.

“So, what do you say?” Davey asked as Jack let him pull him to his feet. “Are we going to win this damned strike, or what?”

#newsies #fanfiction #newsies musical #davey jacobs #david jacobs #jack kelly #javid newsies #javid #newsies broadway #jack x davey #jack kelly newsies #davey newsies

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halorocks1214 · 2 years

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i was difficult to reach (but you picked me)

Fandom: Double Life SMP

Pairing: Pearl & Jimmy, Jimmy and Tango, Tango & Pearl can be seen as either Team Rancher or Solidaritek

AO3 Link in a self-reblog

Word Count: 4855

“At least the people I don’t wanna be with leave me alone before I even have to worry about them bugging me,'' Jimmy laughed. It didn’t sound all that funny, “One of the first things Joel did with me was say he hoped I wasn’t his soulmate, so…”

Pearl just stared at him, a voice ringing in the back of her head. There’s something wicked within you! “That’s not very nice of them to turn you away before you even did anything.” Unlike her. "Maybe you aren't the 'cursed' one anymore, how would they know?"

Pearl's not the first one in these games to be stuck with the worst luck imaginable.

She let out a deep sigh.

This sucked.

Where did Pearl even start? Her literal soulmate found her so reprehensible he didn’t want her, the first person she made a real connection with dumped her, and then when she reluctantly tried again, she got them killed! Now she was stuck in a hole, her leg injured from her idiot self trying to climb a tree earlier and failing spectacularly, and about to be shot dead by skeletons. Closing her eyes, Pearl gripped the random bow she picked up from one of the skeletons she managed to take out at her chest, making her knuckles white in a vague attempt at getting rid of frustration.

The worst part of the whole thing was that she was somehow still concerned about how Scott was taking it. How pitiful. She was the one dying and she had to be concerned for a guy who didn’t even care outside of the fact that he would have to die too.

Maybe Ren was right; maybe she really is cursed.

But when the sound of dying did not come from her and instead the skeletons that were about to encroach on her potential grave, her brain was so shocked she managed to release her death grip on the weapon and sit up a little. Peering at the edge of the hole, she watched as none other than Jimmy Solidarity stepped over to look down at her. “Pearl?!”

She grinned pathetically, happy she was no longer in immediate danger but still in pain from her injuries, “Hey Jimmy.”

Jimmy moved back and forward rapidly like he wasn’t sure whether to help Pearl directly or sprint off to find someone else for backup. In the end, he slid down the hole by himself, his wings fluttering anxiously, “Oh my gods oh my gods oh my gods-” His hands hovered above Pearl, unsure of where to start or even if he should at all, “What hurts? What’s your health look like? Do you need-”

“I’m okay outside of my leg, really,” Pearl finished for him. At some point, she went back to laying completely flat on her back. “I think Scott’s still awake and eating, so my health hasn’t entered any danger zone levels yet. You should probably get back to your soulmate; I can figure out how to handle myself.”

Jimmy reached into his inventory, pulling out some bandages and chuckling weirdly. Like he has a very obvious secret he’s not telling her, “Don’t worry about that, fair lady, I think your predicament should take a little precedent right now.”

He also pulled a stick out to gently place against her injured limb, apologizing when she hissed at the contact. Otherwise, she mostly stayed silent as he wrapped her up, focusing on his determined face. The way his brow was furrowed suggested that he was a little too into focusing on her leg, meaning he was finding excuses not to think about something else. Pearl could spot that expression from a mile away; she was very familiar with it on herself and Grian as well.

She wondered how Grian was doing occasionally. They never really got the chance to meet up all that often during these games. Though maybe she dodged a bullet with that, she noticed that he tended to get… a little bit frightening in these servers.

“Aaaand there we go!” Jimmy suddenly spoke, placing his hands on his hips triumphantly. “Sorry I don’t have any potions on me right now, but your leg should be okay to go for the time being.”

Pearl took this time to fully sit up and examine his handiwork, finally putting the random bow away into her inventory. The splint was nicely secured on the outer side of her leg, the bandages wrapped not too tight but not too loose either. Pearl even poked it a little like a curious small child and promptly winced at how tender it felt. She supposed that was to be expected.

She looked up and gave Jimmy a genuine smile, “Thank you for doing this, it’s a great patch job. Probably better than anything I could have done, ha.” She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, unsure of how to continue, “Seriously, you can go back to Tango. I bet he’s worried about you right now.”

Jimmy waved her off with an air of faux confidence, “Don’t worry about us, Pearl! We’re two big boys who can handle a little alone time, and I would prefer helping you get to safety. I highly doubt you’ll be able to walk properly, and doing so at night is an absolute recipe for disaster.”

Okay, now this was getting weird.

Jimmy has so far dodged two mentions of his soulmate, someone Pearl had seen him be very happy with. Had something happened since the last time she last hung out with them to split them up? She heard about The Ranch burning down, but she was pretty sure neither of them caused that, so there was no reason for them to feel animosity toward each other in that regard.

“Welp, the night’s not getting any darker!” Jimmy proclaimed, pushing himself up on his knees to stand before reaching down to grab Pearl from under her shoulders, lifting her to be standing as well. Once she was up, he adjusted her so she only needed to have an arm around his shoulders to be able to walk with minimal support. He was extra careful not to touch her leg in any way, and she could hear his wings readjust constantly to counteract the changes in weight as they occurred.

Pearl didn’t feel good about this, “Are you sure you wanna spend your night with me? I can figure it out if you want to get back home.”

Jimmy nodded his head a little too enthusiastically, “Never been more sure-rier in my life! Besides, we all know the best feeling in the world is a freshly made bed, and I don’t know about you, but after a crappy day like this, I want nothing more than to soak in the cushy goodness of those sheets.”

As they trekked forward, she heard in the distance the sound of Tango’s unique horn. She almost opened her mouth to ask him if he was going to respond but decided against it. Jimmy would probably answer with some excuse about needing both hands to make sure she didn’t fall. She could ask later when they weren’t in the middle of heavy mob territory.

She did have all night to figure it out, and that bed sounded really nice.

---

Pearl watched from the sidelines as Jimmy made a fire for them.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was jittery about something. His movements appeared to stutter like he was double and triple-checking in his mind whether or not what he was doing was a good thing. It was like how Grian got when he was failing at hiding the fact that he set up a prank on someone except with an air of negativity around it.

She didn’t have too long to worry about it when the sound of a flint and steel creating sparks broke her out of her thoughts, followed by a bright albeit still kind of small light appearing in front of her. Jimmy stood up from where he was kneeling, depositing the tools back into his inventory and brushing his hands free of soot and dirt, “That should do it! In just a few minutes, that’ll become a hearty fire hot enough to keep the entire server warm!”

Pearl nodded her head, still playing along, “Thanks, the nights do tend to get cold around here.” She would know.

Jimmy nodded just as enthusiastically, sitting down on the opposite side of the flames to her. He aggressively rubbed his hands against his sides in his armpits, exhaling some air that was somewhat visible due to the chilly night, “Of course.”

Then it was silent again, no noise outside the eerie whistles of the wind and the crackling of the slowly growing fire. Jimmy kept his line of sight toward the ground, his irises flickering about nervously. Pearl squinted at him ever so slightly so you could barely see she was doing so, just in case he randomly looked up and saw her staring him down. She noticed that his foot was tapping and that his hands never seemed to stop fidgeting.

That’s it; she was getting to the bottom of this.

She started speaking, “Are you okay?”

“Martyn said you had a golden apple!” Jimmy blurted his interruption.

Which took Pearl back by a little. She promptly clicked her mouth shut, her original imaginary alarm bells dying off but brand new ones ringing just as loudly in her head taking their place, “Why are you asking?”

Jimmy shrugged his shoulders jovially, like asking for one of the only forbidden things on the server was something completely and totally nonconsequential. He started wrapping his wings around him for extra warmth, “Just curious. Thought you would have used it by now considering your… predicament.”

At that comment, part of Pearl’s brain short-circuited. Why hadn’t she used it? There was no losing if she took it out and bit a chunk off right now. Not only would she not have to be connected to Scott anymore, thus not having to worry about taking damage for no reason, Scott could no longer show up out of nowhere to get on her case when her damage hurt him. Jimmy had every right to question why she was holding onto it…

“Jimmy, do you want to use the apple?” The idea hit Pearl so hard that she almost fell over.

At Jimmy’s sputtering and his wings shooting out behind him in surprise, she knew she hit it right on the nose. He flailed his arms around like he was trying to stop a ravager from charging at him, “W-What?! What brings you to that conclusion?!”

Pearl could only look at him with a blank stare, “Every time I’ve asked if you want to go back to Tango, you avoid it, you haven’t even touched your horn once while we have been together, and now you’re suddenly wondering if I still have the one thing that can break our soul-bonds.” It was hard to imagine Jimmy wanting to get away from Tango, but then again, Pearl and Scott had a decent relationship last game. It wasn’t that hard for people to turn on each other in the blink of an eye here, “I’m not going to stop you if that’s what you want, I just want you to know why you’re so avoidant of admitting that’s what it is. Did… did Tango do something-”

“Gods no, it’s not him, it’s always been me!” Jimmy rapidly stood up, furious at the mere suggestion of Tango doing something wrong. As soon as the confession left his lips, though, he covered his mouth with both hands, and his wings slightly wrapped around himself again, like those actions could make Pearl forget what he just said.

Pearl could only blink at her friend, “What do you mean by that?”

Jimmy’s expression suddenly became downtrodden. He brought his hands back to his sides so he could use one to rub the back of his neck. As he sat down once more, he deeply inhaled through his nose, “I’m not… People can’t be around me. Time and time again it’s been proven that I’m not… good. I think it would be best for us if Tango had the option to… get away.”

But that didn’t make any sense, “Jimmy, you’re one of the sweetest people I know. Sure, you’re a little mischievous, but so is everyone else on this server. This place is awful, it makes sense if you needed to do some shady stuff to survive, so I wouldn’t say you’re bad for that either.”

Jimmy shook his head vehemently, “I mean, I’m an okay person, my skill level notwithstanding, but there’s this… aura around me. It hurts people.”

Pearl was in no way qualified to handle at least three-fourths of that sentence, so she decided to focus on the one-fourth she managed to parse, “‘Aura’?’”

Jimmy leaned back on his log, “I tend to bring bad luck wherever I go. It’s such a problem that no one wants to be near me. It’s like a deadly version of cooties, in a way.”

A faint ringing began in Pearl’s ears.

Pearl just stared at him, a voice yelling in the back of her head. There’s something wicked within you! “That’s not very nice of them to turn you away before you even did anything.” Unlike her. “Maybe you aren’t the ‘cursed’ one anymore, how would they know?”

Jimmy paused for a second. “Haven’t you noticed that when I die,” Jimmy spoke carefully, “everything goes to shit?”

She opened her mouth to respond, then slowly closed it when she started thinking more about his question. She was not there for the first game, but she remembered back in the second one when Scott, tipsy off half-brewed potions and so very tired dealing with all of the chaos, mentioned being close to Jimmy in the first one, and that when he died, Scott was not the only thing that fell apart. It was almost like a domino effect, as Scott described it as.

Then, the second game came and went, which she was there for, and she got to see Jimmy’s death pop up in chat personally. Scott’s admission never came to mind during the battle of the Reds where they all went to town on one another, but looking back on it now, it horrifically came together. Jimmy’s death occurred immediately before they all became wild animals on the prowl for blood and murder.

“You understand it now,” Jimmy broke her out from her thoughts. “Everyone knows what kind of menace I am. All except for Tango. It would be selfish of me to hold onto our connection when it could cause him grief at any moment. I mean, look what happened today! I stole Scar’s horse like an idiot and got our home burned down!”

Pearl thinned her lips at that statement, “It sounds like you just picked a fight with the wrong person at the wrong time. That’s not indicative of any sort of evil magic surrounding you.”

Jimmy wasn’t done, “That’s not necessarily my point. Tango saw me stealing the horse and went along with it, even cheering me on. Would he have done that if I wasn’t there? Was I just influencing him somehow? I don’t think I should stick around long enough to find out.”

It sounds like you two just need to talk, Pearl thought to herself. They should talk not just because it looked like their life was going to shit, but because Jimmy didn’t seem to know Tango very well. Tango loved pulling those kinds of pranks, even without the threat of a death game looming over their heads.

And yet Pearl still could not make an argument. It was hard to think past her own experiences in this game so far. Her experiences that involved getting people and things killed just by being in the vicinity. She could sympathize with Jimmy for wanting some kind of connection but knowing that it was ultimately selfish when it only brought hurt into someone’s life. With those spiraling thoughts, Pearl reached into her inventory, confusing Jimmy a whole lot before a shiny golden apple was suddenly in her hands.

“If you take a bite,” Pearl proposed, “then I will too.”

Jimmy blinked, shocked that Pearl had given up so easily. Like a lightning strike, Jimmy held his hands out and made “gimme” motions with his fingers. When Pearl threw it across to him, he caught it and began rotating it around like he couldn’t believe this was real. Pearl held her breath as he slowly brought it up to his mouth, getting ready to do the unthinkable before a sudden flash of purple particles appeared behind him, a familiar vwoop hitting Pearl’s ears like a brick to the face.

“JIMMY STOP!” Pearl shrieked, holding a hand out like she could telepathically pull him away. No, not again, please not again. He did as told, probably hearing the same thing Pearl did, and his open-mouth, slouched-over-an-apple pose would be funny if what was causing it wasn’t so terrifying. “Put the apple away for right now and come next to me.”

Jimmy swallowed the spit in his mouth, securing the apple safely into his inventory and slowly standing up. He was doing everything right, being absolutely perfect, and it was Pearl that fucked it all up. Tried taking just one measly second to peek at the enderman to see if it was about to leave, only to have her line of sight land directly on its eyes. She closed her own, biting her lip so hard she tasted iron. Her hoping was futile.

The angry, demonic growling sounded at the same time Jimmy bit out a whispered, “Pearl!”

Before she could even breathe, she was being slammed to the ground onto her back, her head hitting the dirt so hard the stars in the night sky weren’t the only ones she was seeing. In her blurry vision, she could barely make out the dark silhouette of the enderman’s clawed hand stretching as it primed itself to rip her heart out. Or claw her face off. A sad part of her mind was glad the enderman she angered this time was at least killing her, and a twisted part of it hoped the experience was going to hurt if only so it would annoy Scott.

Except the only thing that started hurting was her ears when the enderman shrieked in pain, its grip on her chest loosening when Jimmy shrieked just as loudly, “GET AWAY FROM HER!”

If she wasn’t so busy trying to stop her brain from bouncing around in her head, she would have told him to shut up. This was a problem she created, and she needed to reap the punishment fair and square. And if she were to be honest, for more reasons than one.

Yet when she managed to sit up to survey what was happening while she was a pancake, she found that Jimmy was doing nothing to run away like he rightfully should. He had his shield and iron sword out, his face sporting an expression of pure fury directed at the enderman. As if the mob had no right to attack Pearl the way it did.

As she expected, though—the enderman won before, there was no reason it wouldn’t now—Jimmy was quickly overwhelmed. In a flash, the enderman was back behind him, grabbing his shield and flinging it out of his hands. The force turned him around just in time for the enderman to grab his shoulder and stab him with its sharp claws. Jimmy let out an ear-piercing scream of pain as he was also pushed to the floor, albeit much nicer than Pearl was.

As she tried standing up, she let out her own noise of pain. Right, shit, her stupid leg! As if she wasn’t useless enough as it was. Looking back at the fight, she almost let out a sob when she saw the enderman digging the claw that was in Jimmy’s shoulder even further in while it used its other one to grab the front of his face. Gods, she was going to watch it break Jimmy’s neck and there was nothing she could do about it-

Wait, she had a projectile weapon. That bow she swiped from the skeletons that nearly took her out in a vague attempt at turning the tide of the fight to her side. Pulling it out from her inventory, she noticed that she also had exactly one arrow. Loading the weapon and aiming at the mob, she took a deep breath, absorbing the fact that if she missed, Jimmy and Tango would already lose their second life.

She released the bowstring at the same time she released her breath.

She almost couldn’t believe the sound of the arrow nailing the enderman in the forehead was real, nor the sound of it poofing out of existence and its XP getting absorbed by Jimmy.

Jimmy.

Throwing the bow to the side, she proceeded to crawl over to Jimmy’s prone form on the ground. Through much agony, she eventually made her way over to sit at Jimmy’s side, examining his damage. He was breathing heavily, the few scratches on his face where the tips of the enderman’s claws reached not even coming close to the damage on his shoulder. The blood rushing from the wounds was endless, and if she didn’t come up with another miracle like she did previously, all her efforts would be for naught.

She needed Tango over here. She needed him now. But what would achieve that? Neither she nor Jimmy was in a state that could safely achieve that. She didn’t even know what Tango’s state was after all of this, he might be just as incapacitated as-

The boys’ unique horn sound burst through the air like an angel, causing some tears to leak happily from the corners of Pearl's eyes. Thank gods, Tango was coherent enough to use his horn, and because of it, Pearl knew exactly how to get him to their location.

“Jimmy, I’m so sorry, I know you’re in pain,” she lightly grabbed his non-injured shoulder to get his attention, “but I need your horn for now. It’ll help me fix you up, okay? That’s all you need to do. Get your horn from your inventory and then you can rest.”

For a second, she worried he was so far gone that he couldn’t even do that, but eventually, with shaky hands, he carefully reached into his inventory to grab his horn and set it on his stomach with not much energy for anything else. That was fine, though, because all Pearl needed to do was grab that horn and send out the loudest possible blare she could muster.

Sitting there anxiously, the night sounds threatening to fill the air once more, she felt immense relief at hearing Tango’s reply to her reply. It was ever so slightly louder than his last call, and with that reassurance, she sent out another one. The two went back and forth until Pearl was met with the sight of Tango bursting through the bushes to meet them. Pearl noticed out of the corner of her eye that the red splotches on his shoulder perfectly mirrored Jimmy’s.

Tango went from fearful to horrified in the span of half a second, “Oh gods-”

“Tango, I’m sorry,” Pearl interrupted to get straight to the point, “but please help.”

Tango wasn’t even listening to her as he jumped onto his knees, sliding over to Jimmy. He immediately pulled out an iron axe, a bottle of water, and some bandages from his inventory, ripping Jimmy’s shirt apart to get to cleaning the wound. “It’s bleeding too much, we have to cauterize it directly,” Tango explained. Pearl knew what was coming, so she sat forward to firmly push down on the side of Jimmy that Tango wasn’t on. She also pulled out a stick from her inventory and nudged it into Jimmy’s mouth until Jimmy was biting on it.

She flinched a little when Tango heated his axe with his powers before placing it against Jimmy's shoulder. Jimmy attempted to shoot up away from the pain, crying in agony, but both Tango and Pearl kept him in place. Despite what was happening, Tango managed to reach up to run his hand through Jimmy’s hair comfortingly and shush him, “I know, I know, I’m sorry. Just a few more seconds, shh, I’m sorry-”

It was hard for Pearl to watch, so she shamefully turned her head away while Tango finished up. Eventually, with Jimmy’s wound cleaned and bandaged and everyone with full stomachs, they all sat silently around the fire, unsure of what to say. Pearl watched from the other side as Tango was deep in thought, Jimmy sitting next to him so he could rest his head on Tango’s shoulder.

“This is all my fault,” Tango eventually admitted.

Well, Pearl wasn’t sure where the night was going to go before but it certainly wasn’t that, “Why?”

Tango let out a depressed sigh, turning his head so he could look over at his soulmate, “While The Ranch was burning down, I didn’t even pay attention to him. I can stand in fire, but he can’t, so while I was fuming about killing some stupid pandas, he was over there trying to get me to calm down and was injured while doing so. We cleaned and fixed ‘em up but… I don’t blame him for wanting to get away from me.”

Pearl was starting to think that whatever those two were going through was way out of her ballpark of capabilities, “That’s not… why he wanted to leave.”

Tango blinked like his worldview got flipped upside down while Jimmy suddenly made a noise of displeasure, reaching over to grab one of Tango’s hands. He didn’t open his eyes as he turned his face to nuzzle it into Tango’s shoulder, “It’s not you, it’s me… ‘m bad for people. Didn’ want you to haf’ to deal with that.”

Tango’s eyes flashed a violent red for a brief second, making Pearl worry that their campfire was about to be a lot bigger, but then Tango calmed down and instead gently wrapped Jimmy in a gentle hug, placing his nose into Jimmy’s hair, “I knew I should have talked to you more after you got back from Grian’s place. How many times do I gotta say that you’re fine just the way you are, okay? We make a bomb-ass team. How many of those idiot Horn Club members got sweet unique horns, huh? It’s the two of us for the long haul whether you like it or not.”

And just like that, Jimmy was gripping Tango back as tight as he could despite his aches and pains, using his wings as an extra set of arms to also wrap around Tango, and releasing all his emotions, not just from the day’s events, but also from all that happened in each and every game. From being labeled the stupid and weak one, from feeling like he’s the reason everything has constantly gone to shit, he was finally able to let it go in the arms of the one person who attempted to understand him as his own person.

Watching the scene, Pearl figured she would ask for the golden apple back later. Asking for it now would open a can of worms, and besides, it seemed like she didn’t need to worry about Jimmy using it any time soon. Those two clearly got the soul-bond thing down locked. Maybe they would need to talk about it at some point because it was a pretty big thing Jimmy was about to commit to, but for right now, all was well.

Pearl was thinking about the best way to fall asleep tonight when Tango spoke to her again, “Hey, Pearl?”

Looking back at the guys, she noticed Jimmy had passed out in Tango’s arms. Probably tuckered out from all that happened plus all of the sobbing uncontrollably he just did, poor guy. His wings were tucked safely behind him now, but they did hang a little loosely because he wasn't actively awake to keep them up. After noticing that, Pearl finally acknowledged Tango, “Yeah?”

Tango had a tiny grin on his face, “I just wanted to say thank you. If it weren’t for you, we’d be in a lot of deep shit right about now.”

Pearl couldn’t help but object to that, “U-Uh, thanks, but I don’t think you should be giving me your gratitude. I’m, like, at least eighty-five percent of the reason Jimmy was in the position he was in tonight. It was really luck that saved us, I’m kinda terrible at doing that otherwise.”

“Well, I think it’s unfair to say you’re completely terrible,” Tango said honestly. “You got me and Jimmy our special horns when we weren’t able to. Horns which now are also responsible for saving our lives, so… You’re free to stay at The Ranch whenever you want. When it’s rebuilt, of course. It’s the least we can give back for all you’ve done.”

Pearl… never thought of it that way.

Turning to look up at the stars, Pearl felt a small smile tug at her lips.

(A canary and its miner weren’t complete without a mine, after all.)

#mcyt #traffic series #pearlescentmoon #jimmy solidarity #tangotek #team rancher #solidaritek #my post #my fic #time to go get breakfast with my friends wooyeah

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paigedarling0506 · 9 months

Text

Ephemeral: Chapter 04

Broken Ride ❁

*.☽.*

It had almost been a month since that fateful day I saw the guy who turned out to be The Byun Baekhyun of this country.

Believe it or not, I went back to the Hiking Place the very next day. Though I knew that there was a big possibility that he might not show up again because he wouldn't be that careless after bumping into a stranger, I did it anyway.

The truth was, I started to like his music. The way his voice sounded like honey whenever he sang love songs. The way it left a little tug in my heart when he sang a sad ballad. And before I knew it, almost half of my playlist was already filled with his songs.

I just knew there was a fangirl slowly growing in me and I certainly wanted to see him again. Not that I knew what to tell him or to react when I see him again. I just wanted to see him, maybe just to confirm that meeting him last time wasn't a dream or a product of my imagination.

Then again, as expected, I never saw him up there again. It made me sad a little of course. I continued to hike anyway, telling myself that he was not the main reason I went there in the first place. Which was mostly true. It was my healing place even before he showed up. Meeting him up there was nothing but a pure coincidence.

*.☽.*

It was a late Saturday afternoon when I decided to climb up the old hiking place again. I thought it was a good idea to come here a little later to avoid the scorching sun. It was almost Autumn but it was still hot which was starting to be annoying. That, and the thought that my bike chain broke made me think otherwise. It broke down fifteen minutes away from the entrance of the hiking place. As a result, I was forced to walk from there. I felt like a fool not checking it before coming here.

When I finally reached the entrance, I leaned it next to the signage. I fished for my hair tie inside my bag and made a messy ponytail. I bent my knees to examine it afterward. To be honest, I didn't know what to do with it since it was the first time it happened to me. Like any normal human being who had a broken bike, I started to do what I thought was the right thing. To try and fix it. It appeared to me that the chain got detached from the crankset. Roaming my attention on the ground around me, I saw a stick near me. It looked quite useful, so I grabbed it.

It looked easy at first until my first attempt failed. The second one was not any different and the third failed attempt followed. I huffed the loose strands of my hair falling on my face out of frustration.

"Will you cooperate, please?" I pleaded not knowing if it was for the bike or my inexperienced self. "I need you to go home."

I roamed my attention around once more and instantly got worried imagining what it'd be here like when it started to get dark.

Shaking the scary thought away, I made my fourth attempt to fix my injured bike. I was in the middle of trying again when I heard something that halted what I was doing. Stopping halfway, I listened.

It sounded like a car coming in my direction and it kind of freaked me out. Knowing that not a lot of people knew about this place anymore, I didn't waste any time. I suspended what I was doing immediately. I stood and looked for a place to hide. My brain lagged for a brief second before I ran and hid right behind the nearby bushes. Since I was about 165cm, I needed to make sure my head wouldn't give me away. I crouched as low as I could to cover my entire profile. My hands landed on the ground which I also retrieved and proceeded to place on my lap. I was certain that anyone who would see me now would laugh at me. Honestly, what would my parents say if they found out that their daughter left her stable job and life in Australia just to hide behind the bushes like this? I dwelt on the thought for a few more seconds until the vehicle reached the entrance of the hiking place.

I briefly watched as a sleek, black car stopped right next to my bike. My eyes were on it while my mind was also busy thinking of a way for me to escape. My head filled with images of a goon coming out of the car. Tilting my head to the right, I saw a medium-sized rock a foot away. I struggled to stretch my arm and grabbed it. Held it close to me like it was supposed to save my life.

At least, I had something to defend myself with.

"Don't let me die, please don't let me die." I chanted silently as I slouched more, pressing my eyes closed.

For some reason, it became really quiet and I could audibly hear the car's door is opened and closed. My heartbeat was speeding as I bit my lower lip.

The footsteps came afterward leaving the dried leaves crushed under the person's feet. I was fighting my curiosity, convincing myself not to take a peek but then again I had always been a curious cat. I slowly lifted my head to check only to have my jaw dropped.

I almost poked my face with the stick, which I was still holding by the way, out of surprise when I recognized who the newcomer was.

It was him.

It was Byun Baekhyun.

He was the exact person I saw on TV and on the videos I watched that day I found out who he was. Only now he looked more casual and laidback. He was wearing a navy blue cap, gold round specs, and a loose, plain, grey shirt paired with pants and sneakers.

I was still staring at him in disbelief. He roamed his attention around, probably looking for the owner of the broken bike. I ducked, shutting my eyes closed not knowing why I had to do it.

The next moment I get to open my eyes, I happen to have an eye to eye contact with a hideous, crawling bug next to my foot on the ground. My breath hitched as I looked at it unbelievably. I blinked my eyes a few times hoping it'd magically disappear but it was still there. I hate bugs and this one right here made me feel so uncomfortable. I watched its legs make slight movements towards me and it gave me goosebumps. Without having second thoughts, I shrieked and jumped away from where I was hiding, obviously and voluntarily revealing myself out in the open.

I sure made a few incomprehensible sounds as I flee from the tiny bug. By the time I came back to my senses, I was panting. My hands, still holding the stick and the rock, were on my chest trying to calm myself due to the sight of the bug. I bent a little, my hands landed on my knees for support.

"I... hate...bugs," I said in between my heavy breathing.

I was so busy trying to compose myself, completely forgetting that I was not alone anymore.

"Where did that come from..." I trailed off as the realization hit me.

My face started to feel hot, fully remembering why I was hiding earlier. My eyes darted to the objects in my hands which probably made me look like I was a character from Flintstones.

I slowly looked up and saw him already gaping at me. The shock was written all over his face too. His attention lingered on my face before he looked at me from head to toe. He probably recognized me because his face relaxed a little bit.

"Hey." He greeted me, giving me a small hand wave.

"Hi," I replied nervously as I straightened my awkward posture.

I was almost two meters away from him and I didn't know whether to come closer or give him more space.He was a celebrity after all. It even felt wrong to stare at him right now.

"Uhm." He scratched his neck. "You're not going to hit me with that stone, are you?" He wondered as he pointed to the stone I was holding.

"Uh, no," I replied as I immediately dropped the stone, as well as the stick I was holding.

I saw his lips curve into a small smile while he shoved his hands inside his jeans' pockets.

"What were you doing behind the bushes?" He asked once more.

I bit my lower lip, debating if I should tell him the truth. Then I realized that there was no time for me to make up stories and to be honest I doubt my mind would be able to come up with coherent thoughts.

Yes, not when I have a whole Byun Baekhyun staring at me right at this instant.

"Well...I.." I paused as I hesitantly pointed at my bike. "I was trying to fix my bike when I heard a car approaching. I got a little scared so I hid." I answered.

He chuckled, obviously laughing at me. I couldn't blame him.

"I realized that it was a bad idea when a hideous bug decided to keep me company," I explained trying to sound as rational as I could.

"What were you so scared of?" He asked followed by a lopsided smile. "Aside from the bug, I mean."

"Well, people don't usually come up here anymore. So, I was just being careful." I told him. "If you know what I mean."

He nodded as he took a hand out of his pocket to point at my bike.

"Did you overwork your bike or something?" He told me, a slight tinge of teasing in his tone. "Looks like it finally gave up on you."

It was my turn to nod. I wasn't sure if I had the right to laugh at his remark.

"Let me take a look." He presented, walking towards my ride.

I saw him bend his knees in front of it, ready to check on it. I immediately ran and stopped beside him.

"No!" I protested bending my knees next to him. "No, please. It's okay, I can fix it." I insisted.

Thinking how huge of a celebrity he is, I definitely shouldn't let him fix my stupid bike. Ji Hye would probably hate me if she knew I made her idol fix it.

He threw a puzzled look at me.

"Okay." He agreed anyway, signaling me to go ahead and fix it.

I hesitated for a bit before I tried to make my fourth attempt. I knew he had his eyes on me while I was trying to work on my bike. For real though, it was making me a hundred times more conscious and uncomfortable now. I probably looked like a fool who kept on failing m attempts.

"You already know who I am, right?"

I froze.

His question was unexpected that the stick that I was using broke, probably because I suddenly became tense. We both darted our eyes to the broken stick as we heard the cracking sound.

I took a deep breath before I glanced at him only to turn to my ride once more as soon as I met his eyes.

"Byun Baekhyun," I muttered.

I casually turned away to search for a replacement stick. When I found what I judged was a perfect stick, I heard a clicking sound. Turning to check on it, I saw him already working on it. He was already working on the bike chain using his bare hands.

"What are you doing?" I asked unbelievably with a small gasp escaping my mouth.

"This is why I hoped you won't figure out who I am." He replied without paying me a single glance as he continued to do what he was doing.

"What do you mean?"

"You're all awkward and tensed around me now." He briefly turned my way to meet my eyes. "I liked it better the last time."

I didn't know how to respond to what he just said. Was I that obvious around him? Did he notice how much I wanted the ground to just eat me alive right now?

I decided to keep quiet as I watched him. I was fully aware that I couldn't stop him from doing what he was already doing. It would be so wrong to whine about it.

"It's not just the chain, it's the crankset too. It's loose, maybe broken. You have to have it fixed." He announced after a few minutes of examining it.

"We can't fix it here?" I asked, worried.

He moved his head sideways.

"You need to have it changed."

I slumped upon hearing it. My bike was the only means of transportation I had to take me home since there wouldn't be any public vehicles around this area.

"I should've checked it before I left," I muttered, regret evident in my voice.

My attention fell on his grease-covered hands.

"Your hands," I exclaimed. "You didn't have to use your bare hands."

"It's okay." He answered. "Don't worry." He added as he tried to get rid of the grease but only made it worse.

"No, of course, it's not okay. And it's all my fault." I protested.

"It's really fine." He insisted, probably not wanting me to feel bad or something.

"Ah wait," I said as I stood, fishing for a pack of wet tissue from my purse.

He also stood next to me. Without thinking straight, I hastily grabbed his hands and started to wipe the grease off of them. I was concentrating on taking off the grease and was halfway done when I realized what I was doing. I was holding his hand and found out that he was staring at me intently when I looked up to check his reaction.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, letting his hands go as I got burnt from touching them. His lips formed into a subtle curve. I had to force myself to ignore how handsome he looked when he did that by giving him the pack of wet tissue.

His smile was glued to his face as he took it from me. He finished what I had started and wiped his hands clean. I turned the other way hoping he wouldn't see the pink tinges on my cheeks as I felt myself blushing in embarrassment.

"Here." He said handing the wet tissue to me. "Thanks."

I took it from him and was about to put it back inside my bag when he stopped me. I just stared at him waiting for him to explain to me why he did it. I probably looked confused as I stared back at him. He took the pack again and pulled one out before handing it to me.

"My hands are okay," I said as I checked them in front of him.

"Not your hands." He replied as he pointed at my face.

My forehead creased trying to figure out what he meant exactly. Before I could even say a word, he already extended a hand to wipe something on my right cheek using the wet tissue.

What's happening?

All I could do was to continue looking at him, I was too surprised to even move or protest.

I wasn't sure this time if it was because of embarrassment brought by the dirt on my cheek or because of what he was doing that my face started to feel warm. I was certain I'd look like a strawberry any moment from now.

"There, all clean and..." He said when he finished wiping my face. "Beautiful."

The corner of his lips turned upward which made me focus on that little mole right above his lip.

"Oh my god, stop," I told him as I turned away.

I couldn't take it, the need to fan my face was strong.

"This is so awkward."

I heard a small laugh from him. "I'm sorry."

*.☽.*

"Are you done?" He asked, changing the subject which I was secretly thankful for. "Hiking, I mean." He added.

"Not yet," I said moving my head sideways.

"Me too." He announced. "Obviously."

I didn't respond because he was right, I felt tense around him. I didn't know how to act naturally, this was crazy.

"Shall we do it together?" I heard him ask.

"Uhm..."

My mind practically lagged because of his words.

"I'd like that..."

"But?" He asked as he must've sensed the reluctance in my tone.

"But now that my ride's broken, I have to get going since it's," I paused to check my watch "almost five already. I have to walk to the town." I reasoned out.

"Not if you let me take you home."

His reply was brief and confident.

"What?" I muttered.

Was he kidding? He was, right?

"Well my ride's not broken so..." he trailed off, his eyes trying to read my expression. "I can take you and your bike home."

"No. Please don't do that." I refused.

"Wow, how could I be rejected two times in a row." He laughed, moving his head sideways.

"Oh no, no, no," I said in a slightly panicked voice. "I mean I know how careful you people are with your private lives."

He stared at me as if waiting for my next words.

"What if someone sees you, takes your picture, and posts it online?" I went on, hoping he'd get what I meant. "It's not safe for you. Really I just don't want to put you in a tight situation that's all."

He nodded at me, seemingly getting my point.

"Actually, if you're so into protecting my identity, which I appreciate, by the way, thank you very much. I can take you home without getting off the car." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. "In that case, no one will see me, take a picture, and post it online." He paused to make way for a smile. "So, no you're not going to put me in a tight situation."

I contemplated for a few seconds as if my life depended on it.

"I'm a good driver too." He added, obviously trying to convince me.

"Okay," I said, finally giving in to his idea. "But, you can drop me off near the entrance of the town. It wouldn't be that far from my Aunt's flower shop so I can walk from there."

I saw him smile widely upon hearing my reply.

"Copy that."

We exchanged looks and of course, I was the first one to look away. I needed to do that or else I'd start melting right away and it wouldn't be because of the scorching sun. *.☽.*

#baekhyun #baekhyun fic #bbh #exo #kpop imagines #writing fanfic #writing #byun baekhyun #baekhyun fluff #baekhyunxoc #ephemeral baekhyun #ephemeral

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kingsuckjin · 3 years

Text

Company Policy -JJK

- Pairing: coworker Jungkook x reader

- Genre: established relationship? Sort of

- Rating:18+

- Words: 5k

- Summary: Eight months. Eight months you have regretted breaking off being fuck buddies with your hot coworker. You were so afraid of being caught with him but now that you’ve had time to think, would it really be so bad as long as you could have him all to yourself again? Does he even like you anymore? Has he moved on? All you know is it’s been eight months since you’ve had sex, he’s been all you could think about. Now he’s looking pretty hot at this office party.

- Warnings: pining, explicit content, public sex, they fuck on a coworker’s desk, public sex, unprotected sex, vaginal fingering, heavy dirty talk, brief mention of oral sex and a ton of other past sexual acts like thigh riding and hair pulling, kind of jealous tattooed kook, not voyurism but someone else is there at some point, and finally a dash of fluff.

- A/n: This post is a commission for the ARMY for AAPI Justice and Advocacy Event. Please click >here< to find more resources and consider donating to the cause! Thank you so incredibly much to the donor @lcksndkys for donating and commissioning this, you are an absolute angel, I hope you know that. I might’ve gotten a bit carried away and wrote a few thousand more words than planned, but you deserve it.

“Morning,”

“Morning.” Was the greeting between you and Jungkook every morning when you stepped into the elevator, coffee in hand.

That was it, that was all you ever said to each other anymore. His smell always floated around the confined space making your mind flashback to what once was before you quickly pushed it away from your brain.

Neither of you ever said anything about it, it was like it had never even happened and sometimes you wonder if it even had or if your brain had made up everything that had happened eight months ago from your frequent dirty thoughts of your coworker. It felt like a lifetime ago. The familiarity of him, his smell, his smile, his voice along with the cold distance, avoidance to even look at you, and the constant wonder of him having someone else made you a little sick at your stomach.

You had decided to break things off… as if either of you were any more than fuck buddies. You knew that if anyone at work had ever found out about the two of you, you’d most likely both be fired. No banging other employees was a pretty strict policy there and you remembered the two nice ladies that were fired last year for it, you remembered it because your boss had made such an example of it.

You had been more than paranoid when you and Jungkook were boning for a whole month, you both had been so secretive even going as far as to have each other park down the street from your houses when the other came over. It didn’t help that you lived with your sister and didn’t want her to know you were sneaking someone in the house and screwing them. It also didn’t help that his roommate worked there too and didn’t get along at times. It didn’t seem like all the effort to sneak around was worth it at the time, but now you felt like you had a mistake.

As you took your seat behind the reception desk and began to put away your things for the morning, you just kept stealing glimpses of him doing the same at his cubicle. Every morning he would put his black messenger bag under his desk, turn on his computer, and roll the sleeves of his white button-up shirt up to reveal one very tattooed arm. His wavy hair was usually put back into a half ponytail for professionalism and probably so he could see, but there were always strands that managed to escape his hair elastic throughout the day. It was painful mentally at times having a view of him but trying not to look, it was painful knowing he wouldn’t look back at you anymore. You could still feel what it was like when he had glanced at you and smiled at you, your heart sped up at just the thought.

“Ugh why are you always here so early, you leave before I even wake up.” his roommate,Jimin, had walked in, looking great as usual but a bit tired in the face. He was lingering around Jungkook’s desk with his things still in hand.

“I like to be prepared, unlike you.” Jungkook joked back with a smile but you knew it was just more than a joke, Jungkook really didn't care for Jimin, he was a bit too spiteful towards him sometimes.

He had always come in early, you both were typically the first ones here besides the janitor. You had to be, your boss liked you here nice and early to greet everyone as they walked in.

“You coming to the thing tonight? The boss is letting us have booze.” Jimin asked him.

You felt like you really shouldn’t be paying attention to the conversation so you went back to sipping your coffee and getting ready to start the day.

“Hey.”

It nearly scared you to death as you rummaged through your bag under the desk for your chapstick. Your body jolted up to see Jimin leaning one arm on the reception counter.

“What?” you asked in confusion, wondering what he was now doing hanging around you with such a sly smirk.

“Well good morning to you too. Are you going to the party tonight? Boss is having a thing to celebrate meeting our yearly product sales goal.”

“I… haven’t thought about it, why?” you were honest, it didn’t mean anything to you.

“I know we have this policy, but you should think about going with me.” he gave you a wink that made you raise your eyebrows in surprise. “We could come here and have a few drinks and a good time, then we could go back to my place and-”

“How about we don’t? We could just not do that.” you gave him a very fake smile.

Sudden loud coughing erupted through the room making you both look over at the source.

Jungkook was doubled over with his coffee still in his hand.

“You good?” Jimin asked him casually and Jungkook gave a thumbs up to show he was fine, even though his big eyes were slightly teary before holding up his coffee cup to signify he had strangled on his coffee.

“Anyway, if you’re worried about someone saying something about us, you could just come separately and we could just see what happens…”

“I’m not worried because there is no us, Jimin. I’ll come, but let’s not see what happens, and let’s not even speak.”

“Your loss. At least I’ll have Jungkook there with me.” Jimin responded along with a shrug to your savage words before walking away.

You looked over to Jungkook to make sure he hadn’t died because he was no longer choking, you just wanted to make sure he was still breathing but your eyes were met with his. He was giving you this gaze before he raised his eyebrows at you with a slight momentary smirk, it all only lasted less than a split second before he adjusted his black tie and turned back around to face his desk.

How could he be so casual with a look like that at you? How could he be so casual with everything that had happened between you? You had no idea what that look was about but it had your brain so frazzled. It could’ve been nothing, but it was the most interaction you’ve had with him in so long, all it had done was remind you how starved for him you were.

You looked down at your desk feeling your face get a little warm.

Images of that very shirt he was wearing right now, being unbuttoned rapidly with those tattooed fingers in some dark, sketchy hotel room ran through your mind.

“I wish you knew how much I’d go through to be this close to you, to be inside of you.” The memory of his words and hushed voice into your skin gave you goosebumps.

The same man who had said that now sat right over there, not even having tried to flirt with you in the past eight months as you sat here and wondered why you do this to yourself.

Did he still feel that way or had he just meant it at the moment? There were plenty at the moment things that he had said that would flood into your mind just to hurt you when you saw him.

You glanced at him throughout the day as you often did.

You avoided each other on your lunch break, stepping around each other to get to the vending machines in the break room.

You ate at your desk alone while he ate with Jimin in the break room.

Things were the same as they had been, the look he had given you earlier meant nothing, maybe nothing that had happened in the past meant nothing to him too.

Maybe it was all just fun like you both had planned for it to be, if so, why were you still so stuck on it? Why were you stuck on him? You told yourself it was just because he was attractive, the most gorgeous man in the office, but there were just these little things about him you couldn’t get over. The way he stretched and grunted in the morning, you knew the way he liked his coffee, you knew his parents’ names. You had both shared so much of your lives for an entire month almost constantly until you ripped it away from yourself so stupidly. You had both agreed to delete each other’s numbers, but the truth was, you still kept his name in your phone with little hearts by his name. You needed this to end, you needed to stop being so hung up on him because he wasn’t with you. You decided to go to this thing tonight and at least hope for some answers, if you failed to get any you would do your best to stop thinking about him.

------------------

You had talked yourself out of this more than five times already, but you had gotten dressed and ready and made the drive over.

You now sat in the office parking lot just picking lint off of your black dress, not looking forward to how awkward this might be. In your years of working there, you had mostly just kept to yourself… until the thing with Jungkook happened.

“Are you nervous? You look nervous” he gave you a little smile from across the table from the coffee shop. He had asked you to get coffee after work and he could see right through you

“A little.” You had admitted.

“Don’t be shy, it’s just me. It’s just Jungkook, we work together every day.”

“Don’t be nervous.” You found yourself saying out loud to yourself as you gazed out your windshield at the building. “I shouldn’t be. I work with him every day and nothings going to happen anyway.” You hurt yourself a little with the last part. You put a lot more care into how you looked tonight than you wanted to admit.

“It’s just a stupid office party,” you grumbled to yourself before unbuckling your seatbelt and getting out of the car, if it was horrible or boring then you could just go home.

-----

You didn’t know what you had expected, but it wasn’t this. You had followed the signs to the floor that had held a large meeting room, but it didn’t look like a meeting room now.

It was just a room full of people with a snack table and alcohol. The room was dimmed but there were some cheap party effects lighting things happening. People were laughing and talking over some pop music that wasn’t eardrum-bustlingly loud but you still had to strain to hear over. You spotted a lot of coworkers you saw every day, more that you didn’t know from different departments though. You kind of just went and stood by a wall with your eyes searching faces, not stopping too long on any just in case they might think you were staring at them. Before you had left you wondered if you had been too dressed up, but now you were glad for your little black dress as you saw what the others were wearing. Everyone looked so nice and not at all what you were used to them wearing.

While your eyes were going over who was talking to who, you found him.

In the corner of the room on the opposite end, talking to some girl you had only seen a handful of times. She was touching her hair and smiling at him. He looked so dressed down in his ripped black jeans and a black t-shirt. His tattoos were freed as you had always liked seeing and his hair wasn’t being held back. You had seen him like this multiple times, but had anyone else? He had always looked so good like this, so himself.

Just seeing his hair down reminded you of all the times you had grabbed at it while moaning his name. Seeing him in those black ripped jeans reminded you of all the times he has made you ride his chiseled, hard thighs until you came multiple times.

You felt like you had been kicked in the heart as your brain went back to the present moment and saw her placing a hand on his shoulder.

He laughed at something she had said but took a step back out of her grasp smoothly before giving her a small wave. A few more words were exchanged before she apprehensively walked away from him, heaving him alone to stand at the wall on the other side of the room.

Your eyes darted away from him and over to the snack and drink table, you weren’t planning on getting any, but you wanted to make it look that way.

You felt nervous, he looked good and at least one other person had noticed. You told yourself that the lady who had just spoken to him didn’t know him as you did, she probably just saw a hot guy dressed in black with tattoos… just like you had when you both had started whatever happened. He was more than all of that, to you especially now after you had a lot of time to think about it all.

Although you didn’t want your eyes to, they had darted to him for a split second to see he had his phone out… until he looked up from it at you.

He had seen you, he had seen you looking at him from across the room, but he didn’t react. Instead, his eyes went back down to his phone, and yours went back to the table.

Your phone buzzed in your bag and you decided to fish it out thinking it could help you look busy.

“Hey, it’s Jungkook. I see you :)”

Your heart nearly jumped out of your mouth as you read the text.

He hadn’t deleted your number just like you hadn’t his.

You felt his eyes watching you but you didn’t look up. He was waiting for your reply, but you just stood there dumbfounded that he had just sent you a text from across the room.

“I know.” you had nervously typed different versions of this reply over and over only to erase each time before settling on the most simple reply.

“You look good.” it had taken him no time to reply in comparison to you. You stood there in shock and lost as to what to say to him. You were taking too long because he sent a second text.

“I know that dress. I remember it.”

You had been hoping he would. You had worn this dress on the first night you both had ever done anything. You made out in his car after your coffee date. He had just kept telling you how pretty you looked even with his hand in your underwear. It was hard to resist him from even the first date, you had no idea how you had made it eight months now.

“You look nice too, you always have.” You typed and sent it quickly before you could change your mind.

You watched him run his inked fingers through his hair as he read the text. You could swear you saw a flash of a smile on his face before his thumbs went to work on his phone.

“I miss you.” Popped up on your screen.

Part of you felt like crying a little. You felt his eyes on you once again and you looked up away from your phone to see that your feeling had been correct. You were sure your mouth was open as you locked eyes from across the room. Your phone vibrated again in your hand.

“We should talk.”

“Hey, gorgeous!” Jimin stepped in front of you making you lock your phone. “I know you said let’s not talk but-“

“Then why are you talking to me?”

“How could I not? You’re the prettiest one here.” He smirked but you could smell the alcohol on his breath. You couldn’t help the roll of your eyes.

“Oh hey! I’ve been looking for you!” Jungkook now walked up with a smile at you. “You found her for me and didn’t even know I was looking, thanks, man.” Jungkook seemed to be thanking an equally confused as you Jimin.

“Sorry to bother you about work stuff at a party, but I forgot to earlier. I need the contact info to a client I’ve been working on to sell more products to. It’s wild, it’s like I went to the bathroom one day and the info to this big buyer just kinda… disappeared I guess. So weird, almost like someone has it out for me.” Jungkook gave the fakest joking laugh you had ever seen and Jimin looked a bit wide-eyed. “Anyway, You’re the receptionist so I know you have the contact info for everyone anyway so I was wondering if you could maybe help me out and get it for me? It’s kind of really important and I need it ASAP. Already asked the boss and he said it was cool.”

Jimin had just kind of slinked off silently, but you knew what Jungkook was doing.

“Yeah, Uh of course.” You nodded.

He tilted his head in the direction of the door before you followed him out.

He led you towards the elevator in absolute silence and even as he pushed the button for the floor you both worked on he said nothing.

You were beginning to think he was wanting your help. And then you thought about it more in the silent ride and you felt so stupid. Of course he was wanting your help, he had never said he actually didn’t, not even when Jimin had walked away.

“I can’t believe that asshole sabotaged me like that. My roommate sabotaged my sale.” He mumbled before scoffing as the elevator door opened.

“I-I’ll help.” You said but he passed right by your desk.

“I’m glad you said that.” He replied as he walked over to Jimin’s cubicle.

“What are we doing?” You finally asked.

“Depends…” he raised an eyebrow as he looked back at you. “What do you want me to do?”

You swallowed the lump of nervousness in your throat to speak as you looked into his mischievous-looking dark eyes.

“Whatever you want I guess.”

He lifted you in almost an instant and sat you on Jimin’s desk.

“You know he’s always liked you, right? He would tell on us if he ever found out. You were willing to risk it, right here right now?” He dared.

Instead of speaking you grabbed a fist full of his t-shirt and tugged him down until his lips met yours.

God did you want it. You have wanted for eight long months. You were willing to risk everything after so long without his lips on yours.

You were still nervous but his kiss brought it all back for you and how natural it felt.

“Fuck me.” You pleaded against his lips.

“You need it? Tell me you need it.” His lips moved to your neck as he ran a hand through the back of your hair.

“Ah, fuck I need it. I haven’t fucked anyone since you.” It slipped out of your mouth and got a second your body went rigid.

“Me neither.” He nipped at your neck.

The second thing he had done tonight that had stunned you.

“Wait.” You stopped him and he backed up to look at you.

“I missed you too. Not just… not just this, I missed you. I don’t know if you feel the same but-“

“What did you think I meant by I missed you? I didn’t just mean the sex or your body. I meant you as a person.”

“I-why didn’t you just say?” You wondered out loud.

He dropped to the floor on his knees between your legs.

“Cause you dumped me.” He let out a snort “you told me to delete your number, which surprise, I didn’t. You wouldn’t look at me. Plus this went two ways you know. You didn’t contact me either.” He stated as he looked up at you while ghosting his fingers over the skin of your thighs as he spoke.

“I dumped you?” You were surprised by this news. You know neither of you had had the relationship talk before.

“I mean, I like to think we were together.”

“Then we should be again,” you decided. You were tired of wanting him and not having him and something told you that he felt the same.

“I think so too,” he whispered, inching his lips closer and closer to yours before smashing into them.

His hands squeezed at the meat of your thighs before trailing them up the sides, up under your skirt, and hooking them in your panties. Your tongues whipped together in each other’s mouths. You managed to move so that he could get your panties down, but he only pulled them to your knees. He grabbed your hips and pulled you closer to the edge of the table, so close you thought you might fall off if he wasn’t right there between your legs.

His fingers now slowly ran from your inner thighs to your folds. As soon as he touched you, you unlocked your lips from his and let out a shaky breathed whine.

“I can tell you missed me. You're so wet for me,” he whispered so quietly just for you to hear even though no one else was in the room.

You did your best to stay quiet as his fingers teasingly and slowly ran over your clit and back down to your cunt.

He lifted his slick fingers to his mouth and you watched with a slightly open mouth as he let them slide past his lips and then out of his mouth altogether, coming out more glossy from his spit.

“I missed the way you taste”

His even more wet fingers that now teased at your pussy were making you want to grab his hand and force it to do something more. You were practically shaking under even the slightest of his touches. You were nervous for someone to walk in at any given moment and all he was doing was drawing things out and letting his fingers kill precious time playing in your folds.

“I'd love to make you cum right now with my mouth” he pressed a kiss onto your neck where his face had been camping out while his fingers tortured you. “But I know how that makes you scream and we have to be very…” another kiss to your neck “very” his fingers finally slowly slipped into your cunt “very quiet.” his whispers tapered off to quieter and quieter, so much so that your shaking breaths felt loud between the both of you.

You were doing your best not to break out into full-blown moans so that maybe if someone walked in you could play it off as just talking or something else, as long as no one heard your moans on the way up the both of you could have time to look normal.

His fingers curled inside of you with his palm grinding down onto your clit slowly.

“Oh God.” you breathed not knowing how you were supposed to survive this. He was all you wanted for months upon months and now that you had him here, tattooed hand knuckle deep in your pussy, his lips on your skin saying nothing but filth, you felt like you couldn't even let go as much as you wanted to, but you were trying.

His hand sped up its movements as you could feel how hard he was now in his jeans against the inside of your thigh.

Your lips squeezed together but it couldn’t stop the small whimpers he forced out of you. You could hear him breathing in your ear along with the wet sounds of your pussy. You were close but so scared. Doing this out in the open was such a thrill but it also made you paranoid.

“Cum for me. I hear the way you’re whining, you’re so close I know it. Just cum for me. Cum around my fingers, no one will know.”

You couldn’t stop it now.

You grabbed a hold of his shirt and forced his chest harder against yours, you wanted him closer, impossibly close as you came undone, clenching around his fingers rhythmically as each wave of pleasure pulsed through your body.

He let out a little moan at the sound and feel of you coming.

“I missed that too.” He whispered to himself before pulling his fingers out of you slowly.

He reached between you and you felt him quickly yet nervously fiddling with his button and zipper with his hand that wasn’t soaked in your wetness.

He made a show about taking his thick, veiny cock out of his pants and rubbing your juices from his hand over it.

In seconds he was back in your ear.

“Can I fuck your brains out?” The whisper was soft, his voice was sweet but the words themselves were as hard as his dick he still stroked in his hand.

“You're always allowed brains out.” You whispered back “just do it.”

You felt his head run over your folds teasingly as he continued to play with you and himself.

“Do you still think about me fucking your brains out?” He asked. You could hear how much wetness had spread from you to his cock with each pump of his hand.

“Every time I need to get off.” You admitted. “So give it to me so I don’t have to keep wishing anymore.”

He pushed into you slowly, letting out a deep sigh and throwing his head back for a moment so you could see his perfectly sculpted throat.

You missed how full he made you feel while he was inside of you.

He pulled out almost entirely, the head of his cock was the only thing left inside of you, pushing on your g-spot before the thrust back in hard. This was the way he fucked, pulling out almost entirely so his head hit where you needed it. You had experienced guys that just flopped around, but he knew you, he knew your body, he paid attention, he had a very special handcrafted way to get you off over and over until you were shaking.

One of his hands grabbed your hip while the other went to your clit to play with using his thumb.

“You miss this, baby?” You miss my dick between your legs?” His lips brushed with your parted and panting ones as he spoke.

You let out a whimper as you focused on your second orgasm, his hips were not letting up and neither was his lips that whispered pure filth.

“Want me to cum inside of you, make you not want to forget me and who you belong to? Right here on Jimin's desk.”

Your eyes squeezed shut and you clutched at the fabric of his shirt as you were once again thrown into pure pleasure.

You couldn’t help it this time. The way he touched you, the way he felt inside of you, his grunts and words were all too much.

“Please, fucking cum inside of me, I want it all fuck you feel so good.” You cried out way too loudly.

“Oh my god, fuck.” He breathed through pants as his hips pounded into yours. You felt him release inside of you. Your walls clenched around him upon hearing his long deep guttural moan.

“I haven’t cum like that in…” he panted before letting out a little chortle of laughter “well in eight months.”

“So,” there was a loud voice in the room making your heads turn and your stomach’s sink. “You fucked on my desk.” Jimin looked beyond angry as he sat in an office chair across the room with his phone in his hand, pointing it at the both of you. You had no idea when or how he had come in, but you knew you were both beyond physically fucked.

Jungkook had already scrambled to pull out of you and zip his pants back up as you jumped off the desk, pulled your underwear up, and smoothed out your dress.

“That's fine, I have you both on video. I really liked you y/n. Jungkook, Looks like I’m moving out.” he stood from the chair and headed towards the direction of the elevator. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to speak to our boss about this. He probably won't be too happy to see you two are breaking company policy.”

“Fuck company policy and fuck you! You were an awful friend, roommate and you've always been jealous of me!” Jungkook yelled at him back.

“Not anymore, jobless.” Jimin turned back to give Jungkook a smirk before he stepped into the elevator.

With that, you were both just left there.

“I… I am so so sorry…” Jungkook began apologetically and just as stunned as you were.

“Don’t be, we’re too good for this job anyway, we can find new ones. It looks like you need a new roommate now though.”

You watched his face as a small smile grew on it.

“Yeah, looking for someone prettier and nicer, maybe someone willing to be my girlfriend? I don't know though, I don’t want to make too many demands.”

“Well I could meet all of those demands.” you played along. “We won't have to sneak around anymore.”

“Yes, please, yes. I uh- don't want to ruin the cute moment, but I think we should get out of here before Jimin brings the boss up.”

“Oh fuck, right. Uhh, we should probably just never come back too. Let’s just grab our stuff from our desks and make a run for it.”

“Let's go. You know, this is simultaneously the best, worst, most exciting, and most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me,” he said and you couldn't help but laugh and agree.

Maybe the both of you had made a big mistake, but perhaps there could be good that came from it. You had him back and honestly you didn’t feel too bad about trading your dumb job with its dumb company policy for him.

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struggling-with-time · 4 years

Text

Stressful streaming [Corpse x reader]

Paring: Corpse husband x Female!reader

Summary: “What if y/n isnt a good gamer (they do something else on yt and never really got into it) so they just really suck at being the imposter? And everyone is trying to make them feel better but they feel super crappy about ruining the game for everyone- especially when they get paired up with corpse?” Requested by anon

“can I request something where y/n and corpse are dating, she is the group's baby and everytime she kills everyone's like 'yeah, that's cute bUT YOUR BOYFRIEND THO'.” Requested by anon

Warnings: Idk, this took a complete 180 midway through, and even idk what’s going on anymore. Fluff? Comfort? Cuddles???

Words: 2k

A/N: Open for requests. And a two for one, you know me at this point.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The two of you had been living together for quite a while now. And you had been public about your relationship for a long time, had it been up to either of you, nobody still wouldn’t know. But it’s definitely better on both of your nerves not having to tiptoe around each other when you recorded, or he streamed.

You really enjoy books, so that’s what you naturally made the topic of your YouTube channel, book reviews. You had always recorded yourself reading and made it into a time-lapse after, it was when easier now that you didn’t have to worry if Corpse said anything and you looked up to answer him. You weren’t really into gaming so it surprised you a lot when Corpse had sat you down yesterday and asked if you wanted join them in the game today. The other had been bugging him to get you on call for longer than just saying a quick hi and then leaving him again. You weren’t much of a people person, honestly neither of you were. But Corpse was still better at interacting with others. Both of your setups was already in the studio, due to you liking edit your videos when he streamed, so you could still be together. Despite you mostly reading whenever he streamed, because then there wasn’t a chance he accidentally got caught on your camera.

Your routines worked for each other, but this was new territory for you. Both being live and gaming. You were nervous. To put it out there you were straight up shaking of nerves. Sure you wouldn’t be live yourself, and it was just among us, you had seem him play it a million times, but it still scared you what if you said something stupid, or did something stupid. Then you wouldn’t be able to cut it out, everyone would know in an instant.

Corpse greet his stream, as you load up your game, you’re fiddling with the hem of his sweater, makes him feel like he’s closer than the short distance that’s between you, because right now he seemed like an ocean away.

He shows you how to join the call and you accidentally squeak in chock as someone yells into their microphone. You can feel Corpse moving beside you, as he tries his best not to laugh at you.

“Shut up.” You mumble, and lightly shoves his shoulder.

“Me?” A guy with an irish accent asks.

“No! Not you, I’m so sorry that wasn’t to you- Corpse stop laughing at me!” You cut your own sentence off. As he now is completely failing at keeping himself from laughing, inviting everyone and their mom to listen to his beautiful laugh. You sulk for a bit, before he composes himself.

“But you’re just so damn cute.” He pets the top of your head, and walks back to his own setup, where chat is going rocket speed. He tries to read a couple in passing, but he turns his attention back to you when you whine.

“I’m not a child!” you pout at him and sticks out your tongue. A smile right on your lips as he copies you. You just love this man with all of your heart.

“Never said you were.” He teases back, before he starts to greet the people in the call. You realise most of your nerves have disappeared, no longer shaking, you’re getting a bit excited to do this. You listen closely when corpse says the name of each of the people in the call. You only knew the names before joining, but not what voice that belonged to whom.

When you’re finally in the game, Corpse suggests you put on the white skin and a flower. Your reply?

You lean close to the microphone and goes. “No.” And picks the yellow skin with the plant hat, declaring you’re now a citrus fruit.

“Corpse, how in the world did you catch someone like her?” you think her name was Rae asked.

“I didn’t she caught me.” He admits, happily. “Still having trouble believing she chose me.”

Earning an awe from the rest of the call. Two lovebirds.

“Simp!” someone yells in the call, you’re not really sure who, in the sea of mixed noises. Earning a laugh from you.

Crewmate flash across your screen, and you didn’t totally mean to peak, but you saw the red flash from his pc. As the game starts up and your character isn’t moving you realise you don’t know what you’re doing. Corpse realises too when his character starts to circle yours and nothing happens.

“Babe you good there?” He looks over at you, as you’re pressing each key on your keyboard testing out what happens. He chuckles at the sight. “let me help you.” He gets up, and leans over you, as he shows you how to move. His own character standing still, as he helps you around the map and shows you how to do the tasks. You happily let him guide your hands, enjoying the warmth he radiates as he stands near you.

That’s when a warning flash over the screen. Emergency meeting. You think it said. A screen with a portrait of all of your characters comes up.

“Corpse you good there, you haven’t moved all game?” Felix asks.

“Oh, sorry, I was helping Y/N with how to play.” Corpse answers over your mic.

“Hey guys, how do I make my name red like Corpses?” you innocently ask, with a gleam in your eyes as you look up at Corpse knowing damn well why his name is red. He’s the bad guy.

Corpse furrows his eyebrows at you. Glaring at you, as the rest of the call is laughing, it doesn’t take long before his astronaut is floating across the screen ejected into outer space. He leans close to you, making sure to mute your microphone first.

“You sure you want to play like this kitten?” He whispers to you, you respond by smacking his shoulder, and once again telling him to shut up.

Corpse helps you through the rest of the game. He makes sure you’re good before walking back to his own chair and greets his chat, finally paying attention back to them. Another game starts and the two of you are imposters together. Corpse quickly goes over the rules of impostors, and it doesn’t take long before you have made your first kill, not noticing Sean was in Nav together with Rae. But before he’s able to report it,Corpse comes to your rescue by venting into the room and killing Sean. The relief is short lived as Felix comes running into Nav and see the two of you standing over Seans body, quickly reporting.

“Y/N you’re doing good, but you need to press the report button when it comes visible.” Felix starts out. “Also, it’s Corpse, there was a body in Nav, Sean. Wait Rae and Mark is dead too.” You smile to yourself as you realise he didn’t discover Raes body in there too, you feel a bit of pride.

Corpse looks over to you grinning at him. “We walked in together I was showing her where the report button is and how to use it.” Corpse defends himself. “She never found a body in the last game.”

“That’s true.” You choose to ignore he fact you’re lying to these strangers, and tell yourself that you’re technically speaking the truth. You never found a body in the last game.

“I’m sus of you Corpse, but we have no other evidence.” Felix says,

“And we shouldn’t vote on 7.” Toast comments. Everyone votes skip, and the two of you live to see another round.

The next kill is by Corpse, and you immediately report it, stating you found it in… what was that room now called?

“We found it in… that room?” You try and look over at Corpse for help.

“Electrical, headed there for wires.” Corpse quickly takes over to cover for you. Knowing full well the rest very much knows it’s the two of you.

“I think it’s a self-report, Y/N you’re trying out some big brain strats, but I saw you vent from med bay.” Toast tells the rest. You curse underneath your breath; you are starting to catch on the rest are trying to be nice. But you get it, you’re ruining the game for them, especially Corpse. A few seconds passes as everyone votes and your astronaut is sent into the vacuum of space. You sigh. You watch as Corpse, gets one kill before it gets reported.

“What was everyone’s last task?” Grease asks the group. He gets an array of answers, but all to him seems nowhere near the body.

“I’m still sus of you Corpse.” Felix says, “You either failed card swipe twice, or forgot you already faked it.”

“How could it have been me? I was with you the entire time.” Corpse responds.

“That’s not true, when lights went out I couldn’t find you, and we just split up before I found the body now.” Felix tells the other incriminating Corpse. It doesn’t take long before he gets voted off. He looks a bit annoyed at the outcome. Knowing it was a risky kill. But instead in your mind you take it as he’s annoyed you were his partner. You reach out for his hand, and he takes it, you stroke it a few times and he seems to calm down again.

“It’s been fun you guys, but I’m not really good at this, I think I’m going to get back to do some reading. It was fun though.” You announce to the rest, Corpse watching in confusion over the sudden need to leave. The others bid their goodbyes. You get off the discord call. And closes up the game and shuts off your pc.

“Hey chat, I’ll be right back, I’m taking a quick break before we continue.” Corpse mutes his setup and walks over to you. While doing that you’ve frustratedly put your head in your hands, and is onboard the blame train for ruining the game for the others. Corpse wraps his arms around you and brings you right back to reality and where you belong, in his embrace.

“Babe, are you okay? Do you need me to stop the stream?” He carefully asks.

“I’m sorry I ruined your game. I really tried my best, I promise.” You sigh, looking at him, and leaning into his hug and the warmth.

“You didn’t ruin anything, Y/N. You made it better, I had a fun time with you, even if we weren’t the best pair.” Corpse starts peppering you in kisses alround your face until you start giggling.

“There is my beautiful Y/N.” He smiles at you, he knows he’s so whipped, and he wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world when he sees that smile of yours.

“Thank you.” You mumble as you put your neck into his neck, cuddling up against him. “Can I stay for the rest of your stream?” He doesn’t need to answer, he just sits back down in his own chair, and you automatically and easily, swing a leg over him. You cuddle into his chest and listens as he starts talking to his chat again.

“Y/N says thanks for everything, but this is really out of her comfort zone, and I’m proud of her for having done it.” He praises you to the rest of the world. He looks down at you smiling. He mute his mic as he whisper to you. “You’re still my favourite impostor, kitten.” You giggle, and he turns his attention back to the game. Getting ready to be a crewmate.

#corpse husband #corpse #corpse husband x reader #corpse x reader #corpse husband fic #corpse husband fanfic #corpse fanfic #corpse husband x y/n #corpse husband fanfiction #delias own writing

2K notes · View notes

visd3stele · 3 years

Text

Remus image - angst & fluff

*mostly angst with a tinsy bit of fluff

*forced marriage trope

summary: you're a Slytherin pure blood dating Remus Lupin, but your family has other plans

TW: none

A/N: any thoughts and opinions are welcomed. I'd love your reviews. Requests are open, too, if any of you are interested in that

masterlist

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

You're staring at the high ceiling, wide awake and way past the middle of the night. In your hands, an envelope is twitching with every move of your fingers, twisting its corners anxiously. You received it at dinner that night, the letter from your family. And wisely waited until the privacy of your room to open it. Around you, pure bloods Slytherins were sound asleep. You made sure not to let any emotion show, on your face or voice. Something everyone in between the walls of the Slytherin residence could most likely do.

You read it once. Then again and again until each word, each letter carved its mark in your brain. Carefully, you folded it back, wrapping it in the thick layer of the envelope. Despite having stopped reading it, the news your family dropped on you kept on repeat in your mind. Over and over and over. Marriage. They found you a perfect, pure blood spouse to marry. No matter that you were still in school. And only sixteen. And already having a boyfriend.

But of course, that last part might be exactly why your blood supremacist family decided to take your love life in their hands at last. For you were dating Remus Lupin, head boy of Griffindor. Involuntarily your lips moved upward at the mere thought of him. The way his soft brown hair feels under your palms when he lays his head in your lap in the afternoon – that is when you convince him to take a break from learning for a change. Your smiled deepened. The way his scarred hands stroke your face right before he leans in to kiss you. You blushed in the dark. The way his eyes sparkle after one of the Marauders notorious pranks. The way he rolls his eyes and leave a snarky comments to any Slytherin who mock your relationship and how it only masks his own fears and self doubts.

Now you were crying. You'll have to break up with him. You'll have to break up with him without bringing the marriage up. You didn't want him to think back on what could have been years after. It's better if he thinks there is no chance anymore to be with you. And you had to do it quick. News spread in the pure blood community and risking lying about your parents intention only to fool yourself a bit longer with stolen happy times was as self destructive as it can get at this point.

You slipped your body on one side. And tossed. The envelope fell off your bed. You didn't bother to pick it up. But someone did. You felt it rather than hear it, someone picking it up and placing it on your nightstand.

" 'Morning," that sweet voice you loved so much whispered. And you snapped your head towards it in shock. Only to find a very uncomfortable Remus Lupin, switching from leg to leg, smiling awkwardly at you.

"It's five in the morning." He stated before you could find your words through the foggy veil of your thoughts. "And the sunrise is about to start..." Remus went on, looking anywhere but at you.

More tears sting your eyes, threatening to slide down your cheeks and getting completely out of your control. Here he was, your perfect boyfriend, sneaking in your bedroom to take you to see the sunrise. For you, this boy defined romance and no amount of scars, secret disappearances on the full moon and mysteries surrounding it could change that. You were more than willing to give him time, let him open up to you when he feels like it. After all, he has great friends to share secrets with and you wouldn't get in between them.

Biting your lips, you closed the distance and hugged him tight. After less than a second of hesitation, Remus put his hands around you as well. You needed it, the proximity, the safety, the warmth and love. When you were sure your voice won't break, you breathed a question to him. "And how are you planning to sneak me out?"

Remus saw right through your attempt. He pulled back a little, enough to brush his fingers over your swollen face. "Have you been crying?" Worry clouded those beautiful brown eyes. You shook your head, snatching yourself from him and desperately wiping your tears. You should do it now. Tell him it's over. Spare him – and yourself – for the pain and torture of stretching it longer. It was time to face it: your relationship was doomed from the start.

But you couldn't. Not yet. Just a little more time, you bargained with yourself. Just that sunrise together. One last date. You promised to no one. So you made yourself swallow and said instead "My family," dismissing any further remarks.

Remus pulled you back into his lean body, long arms the only thing holding you together. He needed no other explanation. Thanks to that friend of his, Sirius, Remus knew exactly what those two words meant coming from a pure blood kid. He pressed a kiss on top of your head, caressing your back in soothing large circles. Voice dipped with concern, he asked "Do you want to talk about it or do you want me to distract you?"

"What about taking me to see that sunrise you mentioned and we'll figure it out from there?"

He nodded, led you to the now slightly opened window and motioned for his broom flying within reach.

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

The sun beamed from between rare clouds, spread amongst a royal blue sky. Orange light crowned the ascending golden disc, fading into a soft purple and light pink at its edges. The curtain of morning mist broke the rays in matt bliss, wrapping around your entangled figures.

A wet coldness flew on with the tentative mist, but Remus planned everything ahead, it seemed. He had a wool blanket at ready, different bits and pieces of clothing, threads and patches sewed together.

"Don't tell me you picked up knotting, Moony." You didn't know when it happened, but you had taken on calling him by the silly nickname his friends did.

"No. My mother made it, actually." The scar on his lip pulled up as he patted the spot next to him. He had laid a blanket on the freshly cut grass near the Black Lake and held his mother's gift in a silent invitation.

You snuggled in, circling his waist with your arms and nuzzled your nose in the crook of his neck. "Y/n!" he exclaimed, a shiver running through him at the contact with your cold skin. You sent him a grin that had nothing to do with apologies and you both snickered before turning awe filled eyes to the sunrise.

Remus let his own head lean down on your own, brown hair slightly brushing your forehead. His hand found its way to yours and as your fingers laced together he rubbed his thumb on top of your palm.

Content silence settled in. Only birds dared sing a sharp note once in a while. Your boyfriend knew how to choose a date spot, you were more than happy to give him that. The marvelous sight the sky presented doubled in the lake's still waters. Calmness washed over you. Here and now, with Remus' hand in yours, your head resting on his shoulder, everything pieced into place.

You turned your face, meeting the warn off material of his shirt and placed a kiss there. Lifting your lips upward, you kissed his exposed neck as well. Then his cheek, lingering close to his lips before stopping to murmur "I love you, Remus Lupin! So, so much."

He met your lips with his own and you were thankful he said nothing about the pang in your voice. "And I you, my darling." His glittering eyes, filled with adoration and care, were too much for your heart to bear. It was all you could do to close your eyelids tight and press into his side even more.

"Is something wrong, y/n?" Remus asked, shifting his arm to welcome your new position.

"No. Nothing. Just overwhelmed by everything I feel for you." And in a way, it was true. Not the whole truth, but as you couldn't give him that...

An unsure smiled played on your lips. He brought your face to his again, laying a kiss on your nose. You scrunch it up and made a face at him. He tried to bit back his laugh, but failed as a bundle of it escaped in a soft breath, tingling your flushed cheeks.

Remus kissed you again, this time on the bridge of your nose. Which earned him a giggle and a wide smile. Bringing your hands to his face, you cupped his cheeks and touched your noses together.

"We're missing the sunrise. And you put so much effort in this."

"Hmmm," he mused, leaning in your touch. "The sun does much of the work, to be fair." You burst in laughing at that, shaking your forehead against his.

You two traded more kisses – and then some more, bathed in the dawn light of a new day.

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

"Where have you been?" You heard James Potter asked your boyfriend when you bumped in him and the rest of the Marauders in the hall.

Peter waved at you, while Sirius gave you a knowing smirk at which you rolled your eyes. Truth be told, their demand wasn't misplaced. You and Remus didn't show up at breakfast, and run late for the first class.

"Down at the lake, Prongs. I should know better than to ask for notes, right?"

"Not to worry, Moony, you didn't miss much."

You left Remus to his friends, brushing your lips to his as a form of good-bye. You headed to your room. Thoughts swirled in your mind, flying by so fast you barely registered them. You passed Narcissa and Lucius on your way. They have been married since year four, something you found very unsettling. At that time, you belittled Narcissa for not fighting off her families wishes, like her sister and cousin. But now, that you found yourself in her place? You started to understand. To understand that courage is not so easy to haul up from whatever pit it lays dormant in one's being.

So lost in thoughts, you haven't noticed the guy sitting on your bed until he spoke, voice laced with disgust. "You better kick that sorry excuse of a wizard away before we make our engagement public, honey."

You startled. "Who...?"

"Why, your new husband, of course."

"Future husband. And Remus is a fine wizard, greater than you could ever hope to be."

The stranger only rolled his eyes and huffed. "Whatever you say, honey. Just make him gone by noon. I have plans for us before the ceremony."

A ceremony that would take place in a few months, once summer blooms, you realized, dread chilling your blood in your veins. The tight line of your lips followed your betrothed until he left and swiped the door close.

Noon. Break up with Remus by noon. Make it look like it's over because there is no love anymore. Let him think you choose this smug, full of himself, brainless, boorish brute over him. It's the right course of action. So you told yourself. And so you did. Any hope for standing up against your family gone.

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

Wind howling outside, rain pouring, you thought the weather mocked you. It just happened to turn gloomy and morbid all of a sudden, when you were about to break the heart of the most precious boy in the whole school. And yours too in the progress.

"Remus, can we talk for a second?"

"Sure, what is it?" He turned his whole focus on you, dropping mid conversation with his mates about whatever prank they were up to next.

"Moony!" three offended sighs followed you as you dragged Remus to a more private spot. The way he no more than waved at his friends, giving all up for you, knowing you had a bad day, strung a painful chord in your soul. You did not deserve this boy. Maybe the wedding was a good thing after all.

"Hey, y/n, talk to me," Remus whispered when you came to a halt. His fingers searched for yours, trying to turn you around to face him. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm here for you. We'll fix it."

"No." You said, and cursed your weak voice. You still didn't face him. "No we won't fix this." You spoke again, this time with more surety, allowing a sharp edge to it.

Bless his too kind soul, he didn't balk away. Instead, he took one stop forward, resting his head on your spine and bringing his long arms around you. "Everything's gonna be fine, y/n. I promise."

It took a superhuman effort to break free of his embrace. And you finally swirled to meet his soft brown eyes. Tears rolled down, dripping from your chin, but you didn't let him comfort you. Shacking your head, you took another step back, building distance between you, as if the following words would hurt less that way.

"Everything's not gonna be fine, Remus. Not with us. Not anymore."

For a couple seconds, he stared at you, confusion painting his beautiful features. Then, realization sunk in. And in that moment, you were sure nothing could ever hurt you as badly as his pain struck expression. His parted lips, moving in vain to form words that doesn't exist. His frenzy eyes, looking all over yourself, searching for any sign of a cruel joke. For a trace that you weren't being serious. Eyes that begin to water when he found none.

But he refuse to let the tears flow. Remus led his stare to a dark, far away corner of the empty hall. Heat colored his face, a light shade of pink that not even the cool from the open window couldn't beat down. "So that's why you were distant this morning?" Your boyfriend asked, bitterly even as his voice was small, lost. "That's why you avoided me all day and didn't look me in the eye once, more than a passing moment?"

You knew better than answer. You had nothing to say anyway. "I'm sorry, Remus. I've been meaning to tell you earlier..."

A razor sharp laugh bit your words off. "But you took pity on the poor half-blood."

No, no it wasn't like that, you wanted to say. Those remained only thoughts as you wiped your face and crossed your arms to keep them from reaching out. Reaching out to him, reassure him, hug him. Whatever he believed, you'd roll with it. If he thought you an evil pure blood, then fine! You'll be that.

An image of your mother's face, lips curled in disgust at the last Quidditch match when Slytherin lost again in favor of Gryffindor, served as model for the expression you forced your own face into.

"I didn't want it to be like this. Goodbye, Remus Lupin."

You turned. And left. Just left. You kept your back straight as you walked away from the boy who tickled your heart. Who placed feather light kissed on your cheeks, and nose and forehead for days into your relationship, too shy to initiate something more without your worded agreement. The wizard who helped you with assignments, not thinking anything less of you when you weren't perfect. Who let you fall asleep in his lap at Hogwarts' few parties that you couldn't stand due to your family. This guy who gave you everything you were too afraid to dream of. And you just walked away, as if couldn't be bothered to care.

His fist thrumming once on the hallway's wall filled your ears, a sound forever carved in your brain. The thud that followed, of him sliding down on the floor you guessed, printed an image in your mind you'll pray to forget. Remus' silent sobs, though, almost made you turn around and run towards him.

You didn't so much as cast a glance back, knowing what you'll see and too much of a coward to bear it. His body shaking with crying, knees cradled to up to his chest where his chin digged in, covered by lean arms with palms crossed over his head.

His friends would find him. They'd help him. Remus will move over and forget you. Each sentence was another step. Each step, another crack in your heart. By the time you reached your room, collapsed in your bed and twisted in a similar position to your boyfriend's – ex boyfriend. It made you understand, showed you far too clearly why he'd sit like that. The pure devastation and despair, the attempt to contain a hollowness within, to replace a part where a whole, happy heart used to beat.

You broke Remus Lupin's heart. And yours was just as shattered. And there was no going back from it now.

PART 2

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mintmatcha · 4 years

Text

reupload because tumblr decided my readmore link on the original shouldn’t work anymore!!!!

Late Night Chat

MattsunxReader

CW: mentions of depression, established relationship, angst/fluff (happy ending)

You know Mattsun’s awake before he even speaks. The way he’s lying- face up, hands neatly folded in his stomach- is so strangely stiff compared to usual, it makes your skin crawl with worry. It’s cold without Issei wrapped around you, without his soft steady breathing, without his nose buried into your hair. You can hear the soft sound of fingernail against skin and, even with sheets and night shrouding him, you can tell he’s picking at his hang nails again. Your eyes dart to check the clock. 3:14. Has he slept at all?

“Can I talk to you about something? It’s important.” the shake in his voice, the unfamiliar tremor that immediately shakes off the cobwebs of sleep, tells you he can’t wait until morning. You turn, admiring how the ambient light peeking through your blinds from the street below catches his profile. His brows are knitted together, lip is caught between his teeth. Maybe it’s a trick of the light, something about the soft orange glow, but he seems older now, almost worn.

This is unfamiliar territory. Mattsun is always so nonchalant with his feelings, so dismissive about any sort of concern. It was rare to see him upset about anything; in fact, you could count the number of times he was anything other than pleasant on one hand. If you noticed a distant look and heavy sigh, Mattsun would consistently dismiss your concerns with a peck and a hollow laugh. The laugh. It made your brain buzz with worry whenever he pulled it out. It was high and tinny, obviously practiced. He was a bad liar, you knew something was weighing him down from the droop of his shoulder, from the scabs on his nail beds, but it seemed wrong to press further. Every time you did, he would retreat further from you, reinforcing his facade, hiding behind a wall impossible to break.

“Of course, Issei.” you murmur, somehow feeling if you raised your voice louder than a whisper, you would break the spell.

“I just.. Sometimes.” His eyes shift to meet yours, then dart back to the ceiling, like he was caught breaking some unspoken rule. “Ah, geez, can you turn around, maybe? I can’t say it when you’re looking at me.”

Your own anxiety is building, fears that you can’t quite form into tangible thoughts squirming around in your head, but you oblige, turning face the wall. He shifts as well, mirroring you. Pressing his back against you, he loops a leg between yours, tangling himself. You turn your head slightly, catching only the outline of his shoulder against the darkness.

“Hey, no peeking.” With every breath he presses farther into your back, searching for the comfort of your presence. Silence weighs heavy between you and, for a second, you fear that the moment has passed- that Mattsun has retreated back into his shell. “I just wanted to let you know…”

He breathes out slowly as he pulls the blanket closer to him.

“Sometimes, I get sad.” he’s almost swallowing his words, trying his hardest not to be heard, face pressed against the pillow. The soft picking sound of his nails against skin grows faster as he continues. “Like, really sad. So sad my body aches ‘nd my brain feels numb.. And there’s no reason to feel like that, but I do.”

You resist the urge to turn over, instead just tilting your head back into the space between his shoulder blades. He only hums at the contact before continuing.

“It’s just hard.” he continues. His voice is so unusually delicate, teetering on the brink of breaking. “Because sometimes I- I- god, it sounds so stupid,” he hisses out ‘stupid’ like it’s a curse. “but I get so tired. I can’t even bother to do basic shit some days. It’s pathetic.

“ They said the meds would help, and they do mostly, but sometimes it still feels like there’s this- this- blanket over my head, weighing me down and I just wanna lay down and sleep. But, I’m trying not to be like that, for you, ‘cause-."

“Can I look at you now?”

Mattsun snaps his jaw shut so hard that the sound makes you jump. “Fuck. Not yet, I just-” Silence lulls over him before he draws in a shaking breath. Mattsun rolls over carefully, enveloping you in his long limbs. One arm drapes over your chest limply, as if he’s afraid to hold any tighter. You lift your head instinctively to let him prop his arm underneath, but instead his fingers find your hair. He twirls a loose strand between his fingers, inspecting the way it moves with almost too much curiosity. He’s distracting himself, you decide. Even though he’s next to you again, the comforting feeling of warmth against your skin back, he feels so far away. “I just wanna say a little more. I can’t say it if you’re looking at me.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re going to look disappointed.” he breathes, “And that’s gonna hurt me.”

Instinctively, you begin to move again, but the way Mattsun recoils, fingers flexing, shoulders bunching, reminds you of the boundaries. “Issei, why would I ever be-?”

“Because…” he grumbles, trying to gather his words, “I’m going to keep talking and you’re going to realise you’re too good for me. That I’m not as good as you think I am.

His hand flexes into a fist, resting under the soft dip of your breast, with a heavy sigh. “I just wanted to let you know now.” he says finally. “Before you, like, plan a future with me or something.”

“Issei, don’t say that.” you whisper, placing a hand over his. He tenses for a moment, before pulling you into him, tucking his knees into the backs of yours.

“I’m sorry.” he says to the hair in between his fingers as he continues his ministrations.

“Issei.” strain your neck to see him, searching his surprisingly flat expression for…. Something. Anything. "Can I please turn around now?”

Mattsun answers by relaxing his grip, giving you the freedom to roll into his chest and clutch at the fabric of his shirt. For a split second, you’re acutely aware of how he smells- the lavender body wash you had bought him to replace the 3-in-1 he used to love, the dryer sheets that he always uses too many of, and, underneath it all, the scent of him. Breathing deep, you nestle further into him. Despite how composed he managed to keep himself, his heart betrays him; you can feel the way his heartbeat tattooed across his skin even through his clothing. You open to speak, but words fail you.

Instead, you tug on his shirt and in the dim, you can see his eyes widen ever so slightly as he comes to you. With only the tilt of your head, your lips meet, only slightly off the mark from each other. The kiss is sloppy, disjointed and desperate, barely clinging on to each other. His breath, hot against your face, hitches as he swipes his tongue against your own and you can’t ignore how he tastes like cinnamon and salt. The kiss says nothing, but everything you couldn’t all at once. The kiss dissolves, along with some of the tension in the air, but he doesn’t pull away, instead resting his nose against your cheek bone.

“I’ve already planned a future with you.” you say after a beat, blindly reaching up to wipe his cheeks, the moisture there surprising you. A finger brushes too close to his eye and he flinches with a broken laugh. “And nothings going to change that.”

Mattsun just nods. He audibly swallows before letting out an airy laugh, cracked slightly from his tears. “Fuck, this is why I asked you to turn around. I didn’t want you to know.”

“Hey, now, don’t cry. I’m here.” he tightens his grip around you, crushing you into his chest. Whether the shake of his limbs is from effort or emotion, you can’t tell.

“I was worried.” he admits, “Fuck, I was so, so worried you’d, you’d-”

His lips find yourself this time. It’s deeper, searching for an intimacy neither of you can vocalize. “I’m right here.” you whisper into him. “I know I can’t take it all away from you Issei, but I hope I can at least make it a little better.”

“You always do.” he presses a kiss against your brow. “You always do.”

#mattsun #matsukawa x y/n #matsukawa issei #mattsun x reader #mattsun x you #depression #haikyuu fic #haikyuu #seijoh #cryings #mattsun fic #mint's musings

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crushed-like-an-ant · 3 years

Text

how to calm down an angry billionaire

Step 1. Deflect.

Peter was good at deflection. Always had been. It was a skill he'd picked up after people constantly tried to ask him about his feelings after his parents died, then again when Ben died. Any questions he didn't want to answer quickly turned into an animated conversation about whatever his mind thought of first (there had been that awkward time he'd asked a fellow orphan how their parents were), an apology and fast excuse to get the hell out of there (mostly worked except when he was panicking and the best he could come up with was a cheese making competition, that had caused a lot of questions Peter would rather never deal with again), or just flat out running away (sometimes he ran into poles or walls which was always a bit embarrassing given he was literally Spider-man). Sometimes Peter had to use all three options. So Peter knew when Tony finally decided to have the dreaded conversation about the whole not-my-first-time-holding-up-a-building thing, he would be able to deflect it. Or so he thought. Turns out, Peter had drastically underestimated the sheer stubbornness of Tony Stark.

It was a lab day, around three weeks after the incident where Peter and Tony had been stuck under a building and Peter stupidly let slip that he’d held up a building before. Peter had thought Tony had forgotten about his words. He was comfortable, tentatively confident and optimistic that it wouldn't be brought up again. He had no idea how wrong he was.

"Hey kid?" Tony said, cutting the comfortable silence between them as they worked, tone slightly hesitant. Peter should've picked up on it. He should've realised. But he'd grown complacent. So Peter ignored the dread pooling in his stomach and lifted his head from the mess of wires in front of him to look at Tony.

"Mr Stark?" he replied with a smile that Tony didn't return. Nor did he try to tell Peter to call him Tony. And that was how Peter knew something was wrong. Nerves skittered down his spine, clod fingers of dread snaking around his neck as nervous energy filled him and he began to tap on the desk. Anything to distract himself from the sorrow and worry shining in his mentor's brown eyes.

"Look kid, uh, I," Tony fumbled for words. Shit. This was bad. If Tony Stark was struggling to say something, you knew it was serious. Peter just stared at him in silence,unsure of what to say, anxiety coursing through his veins at the grimace that clouded Tony's features. What could possibly have gotten him into this mood? Had Peter done something wrong? Was he gonna, oh god, was he gonna take the suit? "Pete, I need to know what you meant when we were under the building," Tony finally managed to say, Peter relaxing. Oh. That was all?

"I just meant that I'd lifted a lot of heavy things," Peter half-lied, looking Tony straight in the eyes and lying to his face, mindful to make sure his tells were carefully under control. Training with Daredevil - despite Tony's misgivings about Double D - had been one of the best decisions Peter had ever made. He felt a twinge of guilt as he lied to Tony but it's not like he could tell the truth. And he wasn't really lying. Just withholding the entire truth. He shrugged nonchalantly, "Anyways, you reckon you can help me with this? I'm stuck. My mind kinda decided to go and die on me." Peter chuckled quietly. Tony wasn't laughing.

"I want to believe you, kid," Tony told him, "I really do. But I can't. You had a panic attack under there. What aren't you telling me Peter? Whatever it is, I'm here for you. You can tell me anything. And I don't want to pressure you into telling me anything until you're ready but I-I just-I need to know what happened. I need to know what you meant." Peter's resolve almost broke as Tony's voice broke. No. He couldn't tell Tony. Not only would Tony think he was weak, but Peter knew that Mr Stark would blame himself because he took the suit. Peter couldn't let him do that. Option one had failed him, so it was onto option 2. Make a quick exit without raising any suspicions. Yeah, he didn't think that was gonna work. Worth a shot though.

"Hey, Mr Stark," Peter said after checking his watch and pretending to look shocked at the time, "I'm really sorry but I have to go. I promised Ned we'd work on our Bio project tonight and I'm already seven minutes late." Mr Stark raised an eyebrow and pulled up a picture of Ned on his holiday in California.

"Nice try kid," Tony replied drily. Peter sighed, shoulders slumping. Time for option three then.

"I-I don't really know how to tell you, uh," Peter deliberately stuttered, guilt eating him up inside as he put on an act for Tony. For option three to work, Peter had to catch Tony off guard otherwise he'd react too quickly and lock the tower down. His act work, Tony's features softening and body relaxing.

"It's okay, bambino, take your time." And if that didn't make him feel like a horrible person, nothing would. Peter stood and padded over to some machinery near the exit, pretending to be trying to busy himself as he worked himself up to answering Tony when he was actually getting closer to the door.

"I, uh," Peter stumbled. Tony was now far away enough that Peter could easily run without being grabbed and stopped. The door was right there. Peter took his opportunity. He ran. Out the door, down the hallway, flying to the elevator. Pressing the button frantically, Peter groaned when nothing happened. Great. Tony had stopped the elevators. Sighing, Peter pulled the mask from his pocket and pulled it over his head, sprinting at the window. Peter burst through the window in a shower of glass, activating his web shooters as he fell, quickly shooting a web and catching himself. And he was swinging, swinging, swinging. Allowing himself to smile at his escape, Peter was unprepared when he was grabbed from behind by two cold metal hands. Thanks for nothing spidey sense. Tony flew a sulking Peter back through the broken window and into one of the meeting rooms, setting him down firmly in a seat. Peter crossed his arms, pouting as he pulled off his mask, Tony's Iron Man suit unfolding around him and the man stepping out, an unimpressed look painted across his features.

"You done deflecting yet?" Tony asked, a single eyebrow raised. Damn. Peter wished he could do that. Alas, no amount of practising in front of a mirror had ever given him the talent to lift one eyebrow and not look like a demented monkey. Time for a different strategy. Deflection had failed him. But Peter would not go down easy.

~~~

Step 2. Deny.

The unfortunate thing about this step was that Peter would always over-deny. He would deny everything or nothing. There was no in between. For example, he was once denying eating the last bit of chocolate and ended up accidentally telling May his name wasn't Peter and that he was an alien from outer space with a severe lettuce allergy. Don't ask. Peter really didn't want to relive that trauma. So although Peter always tried his best with denial, it never really worked out in his favour. Honestly, it was through sheer dumb luck that he managed to keep Spider-Man a secret from his friends and family for so long. It was probably some good karma that had been waiting for the perfect moment to help him out. It was a little late but hey, better late than never right?

"No," Peter blurted in a panic. Shock splashed across Tony's face as he folded his arms.

"Kid, you know you can tell me anything, right?" Tony told him gently.

"No," Peter exclaimed again, hurt painting the billionaire's face. "I mean, yes." Shitshitshitshitshit. Peter was an idiot. He had to deny everything - but not everything, Peter, remember the lettuce incident - so Mr Stark wouldn't find out. But Peter had always been shit at denial.

"Look, I know this is probably hard for you to talk about," Tony continued on, oblivious to Peter's internal panic, "but I won't judge you. I love you, bambino. You know that right? And I'll support you no matter what but I can't help you if you don't let me."

"No," Peter said. It was the only word he knew. Any more and he would have another lettuce incident or he'd end up rambling the truth. He couldn't do that. So his current vocabulary was limited to 'no', 'no', 'no' with a side of 'no'. Which wasn't suspicious at all. Totally.

"What the hell, kid?" Tony asked, mostly confused, slight irritation colouring his tone. Peter was hyper-aware of the thundering beat his heart was drumming to, the way Tony's slightly picked up when he said 'no', the sweat covering his body like a second skin. Tony's sigh sounded like a bomb to his sensitive ears, the sharp intake of breath before he spoke like a blaring alarm. "What did you mean when you said it wasn't your first time?"

"I didn't," Peter responded, brain not quite computing, "nothing happened." Tony's gaze narrowed. Shit. Was Tony going to take the suit if he didn't tell him? But Peter just couldn't tell him. He couldn't.

"Fucking hell Peter, just tell me dammit!" Tony exclaimed, running a hand through his messy brown hair in frustration. Peter knew - with the certainty that he knew his own name or the colour of his eyes - that denial had failed him. Time for Peter's next strategy.

~~~

Step 3. Stretch the truth.

When Peter's other strategies failed him, he turned to stretching the truth. It was simple really, just take the truth and dial it down from boiling hot to freezing cold and give it to the person on a silver platter with a charmingly innocent - and only slightly nervous - smile. Half-truths were easy to fool people with. Someone had said that the best lies were the ones based on truth. Peter couldn't remember who exactly had said that. He had never been very good with that sort of stuff, unlike MJ. So although stretching the truth was Peter's third option, he'd always been surprisingly good at it. People seemed to believe he was too innocent to be able to lie. Which was absurd because he'd spent ten years living with his Aunt and her terrible cooking and she still didn't know he hated her walnut date loaf.

"Okay," Peter conceded quietly and the rage slowly left Tony as he deflated like a balloon, looking smaller without all the fury. Peter sat down in front of Tony. "It was back in the fight with The Vulture and he threw a wall at me. I caught it and threw it back at him but he dodged it with his super awesome flying skills." Tony looked him straight in the eyes for a few seconds, Peter holding his gaze before Tony leaned forward.

"Cut the bullshit," Tony whispered, dangerously quiet, tightly compressed anger stemming from worry swimming in his brown eyes. "A wall wouldn't stay together if it was thrown, caught and thrown back. Even then, you wouldn't say it wasn't your first time while holding a building up unless you'd held up a fucking building already. And you wouldn't have a panic attack from holding up a building about something thrown at you. So stop lying to me, Peter Benjamin Parker." Damn. The full name. Peter released a heavy exhale, knowing he was beaten. He had to tell Mr Stark the truth.

"It actually was in the fight with the Vulture," Peter began, "so I wasn't lying about that. And I did have to catch a few walls." Tony raised his eyebrows at Peter's weak attempts at defending himself. "I went to his warehouse and he sent his flying suit at me. It wasn't particularly good at attacking 'cause it hadn't even touched me. I said that and Toomes told me it wasn't trying to." Tony inhaled sharply, clasping his hands together to stop them from shaking, Peter trying not to listen to how Tony's hands still hit each other gently. Enhanced hearing sucked sometimes. "He had directed the suit to take out all the supports in the building." Tony gasped, expression contorted into one of such extreme guilt and sorrow that Peter wanted to shelter Tony from the world for the rest of his days because goddammit he's seen too much and been through enough and couldn't the world just give him a fucking break for once? No one deserved one more than Mr Stark did.

"I took the suit," Tony whispered, voice thick with emotion, "I took the suit. It was your only protection, damn it, and I took the fucking suit!" Tony was yelling now, self-hatred and rage dancing in his wild brown eyes.

"It wasn't your fault, Mr Stark," Peter tried to tell him.

"How?" Tony scoffed, laughing bitterly, "How was this not my fault. I took the suit and you got hurt because of my mistake."

"It's okay, Mr Stark, you didn't know," Peter said.

"But I should've," Tony replied, "I should've known." Peter's features hardened, spine turning to steel. He wouldn't let Mr Stark blame himself for this. The blame was on Toomes and only on Toomes.

"Did you pilot the Vulture suit?" Peter asked firmly.

"What?"

"Did. You. Pilot. The. Vulture. Suit." Peter repeated, staring defiantly at Tony.

"No, of course not," Tony replied, slight confusion clinging to his features.

"And did you cause the building to fall?" he continued.

"No."

"Then it's not your fault," Peter told him simply.

"Kid, I shouldn't have taken the suit," Tony began, dropping his head into his hands. He opened his mouth to continue but Peter cut him off before he could say anything equally self-deprecating.

"Maybe," Peter allowed, "but then I wouldn't found out I was strong enough to get back up again. 'If you're nothing without the suit then you shouldn't have it'. You told me that. I thought the suit made Spider-man and I lost sight of what Spider-man really meant. God, I started out in a fricking onesie. That's what Spider-man represents. Not a hero with a multi-million dollar suit, but someone with nothing but their will to save others. Without you taking the suit, I never would've remembered everything Spider-man stood for.; With great power comes great responsibility. You gave me that tough love moment and I needed it. Now it's my turn to dish out some tough love for you." Peter took a deep breath. "You, Tony Stark, are being a fucking idiot. The blame of what happened in the past lies with Adrian Toomes, and Adrian Toomes alone. So stop this self-deprecating bullshit and use your fucking brain for once in your life. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault." Tony looked up at him, the self-hatred drained from his features, a slight smile adorning his lips which Peter returned.

"You're right, kid," Tony said, "when did you get this wise?"

"I've always been this wise, Mr Stark, I just wanted you to feel better about your lack of common sense," Peter joked, Tony chuckling.

"It wasn't my fault," Tony repeated. Peter tilted his head, confused at the strange undertone in Tony's voice only to see a fire lit in his caramel eyes. "I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."

And it was then that he knew he fucked up.

~~~

Step 4. Try some breathing exercises.

Peter had always been shit at breathing exercise. He just didn't have the patience for them. While he was breathing, someone could be getting raped in an alley, a shop could be getting robbed, or a kid could be getting beat up. So - despite the constant reminders to just try the damn breathing exercises for the love of god - Peter had never done anything of the sort. How could he? With his enhanced senses, it was impossible to relax. Would you be able to sit there and breathe while screams rang in your ears and sobbing pounded in your mind? Naturally, this meant that Peter wasn't the most experienced when it came to said breathing exercises. Maybe he should've practised. Life always had a funny way of throwing Peter in the deep end headfirst and tied to a ten ton weight and expecting him to swim. However, he had once read in a self-help book that breathing exercises were good for calming people down, so he decided to hit fuck it for the sixth time in the last 48 hours and try it out. I mean, it was that or release an angry billionaire in a metal suit decked out with the most advanced weapons in the world (except for maybe what HYDRA had because honestly Peter knew better than to underestimate them and he mildly respected their cockroach-like survival skills) who was hell-bent on revenge and gave zero fucks into the world. The second option was beginning to sound quite tempting, Peter would be honest.

"Mr Stark, you need to calm down," Peter told the man gently, placing a hand on Tony's shoulder. Tony tilted his head up to look at Peter - rage splashed across his face, tension lining his body - before he shrugged off Peter's hand and jerked into a standing position. And the room was suffocating, suffocating, suffocating, because damn had Tony always been that scary. A cloud of darkness surrounded Tony, filling the lab up and winding itself slowly around Peter's neck, stealing the breath from his lungs. Tony stormed through the lab, footsteps like thunder, anger crackling like lightning. Desperately, Peter followed the billionaire. "Mr Stark, Mr Stark, please calm down," Peter pleaded with him.

"No," Tony spoke, voice cold and flat, tone totally devoid of emotion, so totally opposite to the fury painting his entire body like a second skin. "No I will not calm down, Peter. He dropped a fucking building on you. He deserves to die."

"But you don't deserve to live with the guilt of killing him," Peter begged, tugging at Tony's sleeve in a desperate attempt to stop the man from his warpath. Peter knew he could easily overpower Tony. But he was hoping it wouldn't come to that. "Trust me, I know how it feels to want revenge, I really do, but you have to let it go. Please, Mr Stark."

"Dammit Peter, he hurt you!" Tony shouted, whirling around to face Peter, features twisted and manically furious. "He hurt you a-and I wasn't there and you had to deal with being crushed by a fucking building and then you got up and kept fighting because of that sick son of a bitch so I swear to fucking god I will murder him." Tony's eyes held a frenzied wildness in them, chest heaving up and down, Peter could hear his heart racing.

"Mr Stark, try some breathing," Peter said out of desperation, completely and utterly out of ideas. "Just breath. In and out, in and out." Tony's momentary surprise shocked him out of his anger, confusion flickering across his face momentarily before the anger was back, stronger than ever. Tony pivoted on his heel and walked away from Peter, heading towards where he kept his suits and leaving a heavy sense of dread pooling in Peter's stomach and twisting his insides in knots. So breathing hadn't worked. Thanks for nothing self-help books.

~~~

Step 5. Hack the most advanced AI in the world.

When in doubt, do something potentially illegal. A mugger had once told Peter that after Peter caught her trying to rob a young man. That lady had been fucking badass. It was honestly a shame she's gone to prison but a criminal is a criminal. Turns out the lady had been responsible for a string of high-end bank and jewellery robberies. Peter wondered how she was doing. Probably not well, considering how shit the American jail system is. Peter always tried to find alternative ways to stop criminals, only really sending in the pedophiles, rapists, murderers and the more professional robbers. Sometimes people had no choice in the shitty hand life had dealt them and goddamn if Peter didn't get that. People were just pushed and pushed until they were left with nothing but desperation. Maybe if the government or any of the fucking American systems were better or did their jobs properly then people wouldn't have to steal just to keep themselves and their families from starvation. Maybe Toomes wouldn't have started his alien tech business and then none of this would have even happened. Peter wouldn't be in this situation right now. And Peter was now out of options. He had an angry billionaire on his hands and absolutely no idea what to do. So, he took the lady's advice and decided to do something potentially illegal. He hacked the most advance AI in the world. (What, like it's hard?)

"Hey FRI?" Peter called with a wince.

"Yes, Peter," the AI replied.

"I'm really sorry," Peter told her before bringing up FRIDAY's code. (A/N - I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT COMPUTERS SO THIS IS GONNA BE SOME VAGUE, QUESTIONABLE AF HACKING) Fingers flying across the keys of the laptop, Peter bit his lip in concentration, brows furrowed. He had to hurry and shut down Mr Stark's suits before he reached them and left to murder Toomes. Adrenaline coursed through his body, brain whirring to life like the computer before him as he deleted lines of code, rewriting and altering the code that created FRIDAY as he tore down the firewalls Mr Stark had built. Peter vaguely registered that this was probably illegal and that Mr Stark would most definitely be mad about this later but he quickly waved the thoughts away. He didn't have time for them, he didn't have time, he didn't have time. Barely registering what he was doing, Peter submerged himself into the world of numbers, immersing himself completely in the ocean of lines of code, fingers instinctively knowing what t do as though he'd been born to hack. Again, probably not a great thing that this was so easy. But computers had always made sense to Peter. After what felt like hours but was really only a few minutes, Peter was into FRIDAY's system. And with a few taps, Peter shut down the suits. Quickly exiting the browser, Peter dropped his head into his hands. He'd done it. With a long exhale, Peter relaxed, leaning back into his chair and running his shaking hands through his hair. An enraged roar broke the peaceful quiet surrounding Peter and he squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe if he ignored it, Mr Stark's anger would go away. He couldn't deal with this shit. Peter was too young to die.

"Peter Benjamin Parker I swear to fucking god-"

"You probably shouldn't fuck god, Mr Stark," Peter couldn't resist remarking with a shit-eating grin. "People might get a bit mad. And who knows, you may even end up pregnant which I can't imagine will be very fun."

"What the fuck?" Tony whispered into the silence that followed Peter's statement. "I don't even want to know what goes on in your brain." Peter hummed in agreement. To be honest, he had no idea what was going on up there half the time. He was just along for the ride. And hey, if it distracted Mr Stark from his anger then it was a win win situation right? (How Peter won in this scenario he didn't know but he didn't question it).

"It's the trauma," Peter replied flippantly, as casual as one would be if they were discussing the weather.

"The-" Tony broke off into angry, confused gibberish that Peter didn't even try to decipher. Crisis averted. Now to deal with the aftermath.

~~~

Step 6. Watch a movie.

Peter Parker wasn't good with emotions. Being a socially awkward sixteen-year-old genius had that effect on a person. Not to mention the fact that he had a crime-fighting, sarcastic alter ego. Yeah, he wasn't great with feelings. Especially not his own. And now he was attempting to help Mr Stark clam down after the whole Toomes-dropping-a-building-on-him-reveal thing. And the only way an emotionally stunted teenage genius superhero knew how to help an emotionally stunted adult genius superhero was something most people would not class as a healthy coping mechanism. Distraction. Preferably with a movie.

"Hey Mr Stark, wanna watch Empire Strikes Back?" Peter asked. Tony fell into a confused silence which Peter took as an agreement. "Yes? Perfect, let's go." Grabbing Tony's arm, Peter tugged him out of the lab and into the elevator, confusion splashed across Tony's features as they entered the movie room. Peter dropped onto the expensive yet incredibly comfortable couch in the centre of the room, pulling Tony down beside him. "Hey FRI? Can you please play The Empire Strikes Back."

"Certainly, Peter," FRIDAY replied, a hint of warmth in her robotic voice. The Star Wars theme filled the room, Peter lips kicking up into a smile at the familiar sound. And as the movie played, Peter reciting every single line with the characters, he felt the rage and tension slowly drain out of his mentor as he relaxed.

"Hey, kid," Tony whispered, interrupting Luke and Darth Vader's showdown. "I sorry for getting angry. I just... I just didn't know what to do. Instead of asking if you were okay I blamed myself and wanted to frigging murder a guy who's already suffering in prison."

"It's okay, Mr Stark," Peter responded with a smile, sincerity gracing his tone. "I get it. After Ben died, I found his murderer. I almost killed the guy," Peter chuckled without humour, Tony watching him with sad eyes, the movie forgotten. "Point is, I know how it feels to want revenge. Don't apologise for being human."

"You really are the best of us all, kid," Tony remarked, a smile adoring his face, features relaxed as he looked at Peter.

"I learned from the best," Peter replied with a shrug.

"Thanks, kid," Tony said, throat tight with emotion.

"I meant May," Peter joked lightly, the heavy emotion clouding the room vanishing as Tony laughed.

"Are you okay, kid?" Tony asked, seriousness settling over them again.

"Honestly?" Peter responded, "no. But that's alright. Because I will be." Peter held Tony's gaze, warmth blossoming in his chest at his mentor's caring eyes, as Darth Vader's voice filled the room.

"No, I am your father," Darth Vader spoke. Peter turned back to the movie, watching as Luke jumped and fell.

"You're gonna be okay, kid," Tony whispered, "we're both gonna be okay."

Because Peter would be okay. So Tony was okay too.

And if Pepper walked in three hours later to find them curled up against each other, fast asleep she never said anything. (She got FRIDAY to take a photo and saved it to Irondad and Spiderson - an unsurprisingly large file. She should probably get Peter to do a DNA test. They did look rather similar)

#fanfic #peter parker #spider-man #iron man #irondad #father-son #pepper potts #unhealed trauma #marvel #the avengers #spider son #bamf peter parker #tired dad Tony #tony stark #aunt may

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eligaxy · 3 years

Text

Wind

☆ℜ𝔢𝔩𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔭 : Venti x gn!Reader

☆𝔚𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 : near death experience, you’re confused asf about everything, bad writing cause i suck, spoilers for the we will be reunited quest!! And also for venti’s backstory, venti is serious for once (yes it’s a legitimate warning🤚)

☆𝔊𝔢𝔫𝔯𝔢 : Some angst, some fluff? Idk bye🤨

☆𝔖𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶 : "It's okay, it's over now" he kneeled to be at your level, his arms still wrapped around you, and you didn't have the energy to fight your urge of nuzzling into him. "I'll always be here for you, wherever there is wind, remember I'm here too. You only need to ask." (2.8k words)

♪𝔑𝔬𝔱𝔢𝔰 : i’m an idiot simp, i did this in one sitting and half asleep, english isnt my first language BLA BLA IM SORRY FOR MY POOR WRITING BUT HAVE THIS

basically you don’t know if you can trust venti or not, head says no, heart screams yes

Also, I was listening to stormterror’s lair ost while writing it, just because its fucking amazing, you might wanna listen to it too

I’m nervous to post this?/&:! This is the second fic i’ve ever finished in my whole life

i love venti and he’s hot in his god outfit i don’t make the rules

KAY ENJOY <3

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

"Please, anybody... Just help me."

Saying you were exhausted would have been an understatement. After reuniting with your sibling, you had been frantically searching for clues about khaenri'ah and ways to Inazuma. With no luck, you couldn't find any traces of Dainsleif or of your twin. The ruins had been sealed and you had no idea what happened to the inverted statue or the corpse you had found there. Desperately, you clung into every little information you had, you would have turned every rock on this archon damned continent if you had to, which is what led you into those ruins near Guilli plains.

Walking along the destroyed buildings your eyes caught sight of a dandelion and you froze. You missed them so much, why couldn't they go back home with you? All you ever wanted was to be by their side why, why were they running away from you?

You remembered your travels, the moments you shared together, their protectiveness over you, the fondness in their eyes when you smiled at them. You remember the times you got hurt and healed one another with your now missing powers. You remember sleeping by their side and being grateful to the universe to let you keep your ray of sunshine everywhere with you. How ironic.

What had they meant 'once you reach the end of your journey' ? What does that even mean? Stupid twin, if they knew you were here the whole time, why hadn't they come to you? Why were they always leaving just when they were within your grasp? Why? Did they know how much you missed them and how much your heart broke when you finally saw them? Did they?

You only realized you were crying when a small gust of wind had your wet cheek react to the cold, breaking your train of thought. Wind.

The wind is everywhere, you think, free as a bird, always accompanying every citizen of this world, never truly alone. With this in mind, you resumed your exploring, slower this time.

A sigh escaped your mouth. You didn't want to admit it, but the wind did comfort you a little. Almost as if he was here. God of freedom and of the breeze, he was more a singer than a protector and you couldn't bear to think about him. Was it true? What Dain said... Did he destroy this nation? Was he the cause of the scenery that still haunted your nightmares up until 500 years later? Your brain simply couldn't accept that Venti, your Venti, you catch yourself thinking, could have made such an act of wrath. He was the epitome of freedom, why would he take the very thing he based all of his existence on from mere mortals? Barbatos simply couldn't be afraid of being overpowered, he didn't even care about power. All he wanted was freedom and happiness for his people. Surley this couldn't be right?

But then again, who were you to deny the wipe out of an entire nation? The gods did it. They were afraid that Celestia would be overthrown by the pride of humankind, the destruction of khaenri'ah by divine beings was a fact. There was no misunderstanding about this. That was the one thing you were sure of. So why did you feel like crying even more now?

The mere thought of a gentle soul such as Venti committing innocent people to an eternity of suffering didn't sit right with you. Even when his dearest friend Dvalin had turned against him, he didn't try to stop him, didn't even ask the dragon to save him. He healed and helped him, gave him a choice.

'What is freedom if demanded of you by a god?' was the same person that asked this question the same one who committed mass murder? Genocide?

Did the little wine-lover bard you had grown fond of destroy all hopes and light your kin had?

You remember that night when he freed Stanley from his burden, freed his and his friends' spirits. You had marveled at his action, in that instant he was a god, and he definitely hadn't struck you as a murderer. You remember that look of silent pain and grief in his eyes when he sang the tales of the nameless bard he had taken the appearance of. You knew he trusted you enough to share his story, something so personal, you could almost feel the war that took down the tyrant of Mond. Oh how much you cherished that evening, treating him to some well deserved dandelion wine afterwards, his favorite, and asking him to sing you more about the time where was nothing but the spirit of a breeze.

Your heart broke a little, remembering his rosy cheeks and drunk smile, you wish you could talk to him, ask him what happened. What did he do, was he really as dangerous as you had been told? If so, then why did you feel so good around him? Why did you feel like you could give hi-

You stopped walking upon seeing a ruin guard up ahead in the distance. You're so stupid, you think. Feeling this way is not gonna get you anywhere, especially with how the bard had been missing for a few weeks now. Ever since you had last seen your sibling.

Where was he, where was he wandering off to? You walk towards the disabled ruin guard, not really paying any mind to it, still thinking about the god you longed to meet with. If you could see him, what would you even say? Would he even answer your questions? Why did your stomach feel so light and funny when you thought about seeing him, why aren't you angrier?

You're almost at the killing machine's level now, so lost in your thought you don't notice the five other similar robots hidden behind a wall next to it. You notice them only when it's too late and you've already turned them on while thinking about examining them and collecting their serial numbers. When you hear the familiar tick of the mechanism turning on, you internally panic and think about running away only to calm down moments later and think to yourself that you can simply beat it and take what you came here for. Even if you are emotionally and physically tired, you can manage, you think.

That was before hearing five other consecutive ticks right after it, and all around you.

Turning around, your gaze falls upon the small army of field tillers. Fuck.

Paimon wasn't with you today, you had asked for some time alone which she hesitantly accepted, so you couldn't ask her to go fetch help. You would have been worried if you had all your capacities but with the state you were in, you were wondering how you were going to survive this fight. You were alone, none of your companions with you, and deeply weakened by the busy day you had and the few hours of sleep you had managed to steal away from the night. Was it today you would meet your doom, with all your questions and uncertainties unanswered?

You tried your best to fight with the strength you had left, but quickly grew desperate after what felt like hours of efforts to swing your blade and being able to only take one monster down out of the six. It didn't help that you got injured along the way, their blows becoming harder and harder to dodge. After being thrown on the grown for the third time, you understood you had at least two broken ribs and that your shaking legs would soon fail you as well.

Fear crept upon you, you would die here today, alone. Alone. You couldn't talk to your sibling after all, couldn't understand. You didn't even get to talk to him one last time. Him... You would die without the knowledge of the truth about your bard. You would die alone. You didn't want that, you couldn't look death straight in the eye.

"Please, anybody... Just help me."

In Mondstadt, there was a musician, a weird singer everyone had heard about at least once. He lived off of his songs and was mostly known for having a great story-telling and being an alcoholic.

The number of people who knew the true nature of his identity were few and he was perfectly content with that. He didn't wish to be a god anymore, his gnosis had been taken away anyway and it's not like he had any power over the city of wind nowadays. Even if his people still worshipped him as Barbatos, it didn't sit right with him to be called a god anymore. It actually never did, he thinks to himself with a smile, he never really took any responsibilities that came with the divine title which is why he was so weak today. But it didn't matter to him, his smile turns into a soft giggle.

Sitting on a mill that was once born from his steps he looks fondly over the city he founded. Even if they were godless, the citizens were still thriving and free. He cared oh so very deeply about the place even if he rarely, if not never, showed the affection within his heart. He remembers the day he grew strong enough to dispel the storms over his actual Mondstadt, and made the weather gentle enough so that there was no need for fireplaces. Nowadays, he loves watching birds nest into the chimney tops and seeing them found their own home. It gave him a sense of belonging like no other, not above his people, but walking among them and watching them nest into this cocoon he created. He was proud of what happened to his land and would do it all over again if he had to.

Especially since it led to him meeting you. This thought doesn't catch him off guard, you often roamed around in his mind after all, and it's not like he didn't write at least three songs about you and your feat, your smile, your courage...

Ah there he goes again, rambling about you in a whisper. He turns around to the statue of him his people erected in his honor, chuckling at how they never made the connection with his signature braids. His, but not really his, since he had stolen this form from someone who was much more deserving of this power than him. Seeing his friend being honored with the statues of the seven around the land made him happy, he hoped that it was a good enough thank you gift in return for everything that the bard whom he couldn't even remember the name of anymore did for him.

Upon gazing at the statue, he remembered telling you of his long gone friend. It was the first time he had talked about him to someone else, he didn't even mention it to Venessa, she who made him believe in himself again. He could ask himself why, but he simply knew that you had something different, more than meets the eye. Perhaps it was because you weren't from Teyvat, or perhaps it was just you being as simple as your natural self but he was simply and utterly captivated by your being. You inspired him to no end, at first he thought it was because he had never met someone like you and he loved new things! But as time grew and he got to know you, he understood quickly the meaning and depth of his passions. He thought of it with a light chuckle, content with your presence alone. He really did need and want you around.

So why did he purposely avoid you like the plague?

The wind had brought to his ears that you had met with Dainsleif.

And your twin.

His first reaction was to search for you, talk to you, he wanted to be here to know what happened! You had searched so long, he couldn't contain himself, still listening to what the wind told him, he started running with excitement but... But wait, Dainsleif was... He told you what?

Oh.

So you heard about Khaenri'ah. He had stopped dead in his tracks and turned back, only sending a warm current of wind your way, hugging you from afar.

He wasn't ready to talk about this yet, not ready to face you and absolutely not ready to answer your questions. He was a coward, he thought, running away like that but what else could he do, really. It was only natural for him to be as uncatchable as air.

A sorry excuse to avoid the fact that even if his past had marvelous story like the one of the nameless bard, it also had its share of darkness, something he wasn't ready to dive back into. Especially not now when your arrival has been shaking this world up like it hasn't been since at least 500 years.

But oh, how he longed to see your face or to hear your voice. So he asked a breeze to report to him what you were up to, and where you were. Just in case! he tells himself, what if you needed help ehe? But he knows you're competent and you won't need the help of a weakling coward like him anytime soon. Or so he thought.

Because when the breeze only gives him a few words back, his blood runs cold.

"Please, anybody... Just help me."

As you murmured these words in your desperate state, not really for anyone but yourself as a last resort, a prayer of some sort, you tried to stand by leaning yourself on your sword and failing miserably. You didn't dare look up as you heard the loud footsteps of the metal giants coming your way. It was over, and you barely managed to accept it.

As you rested your forehead against the cold handle of your sword, you closed your eyes, tears starting to make their ways out of your closed eyelids. All you could feel was remorse.

A soft breeze moved your hair slightly and your chest felt like a black hole had taken place where your heart used to be, regretting to not have been able to meet him under the tree at Windrise one last time.

The breeze quickly grew stronger, until it felt unnatural and you looked up from the ground, only to close your eyes again immediately when you realized the wind was too powerful for you to keep them open. If you had struggled to see though, you would have been blinded by the white light that soon illuminated the whole ruins. You didn't have enough time to register the situation when you felt a hand being laid atop your shoulder, snaking around your collarbones and pulling you back into... nothing? Another arm circled your weak form and a voice you immediately recognized said

"I've dealt with things worse than you, now crumble."

You realized that if you couldn't feel a chest behind you while still being embraced by his arms, it was because he was floating above you, and not standing behind you. A look in his direction confirmed your suspicions but what stunned you wasn't the fact that he was flying, but the attire he wore. Barely covering his body, a white set made of materials that seemed like clouds and liquid gold contrasted perfectly with his regular green clothes. His hair was glowing green and his eyes that were focused on the ruin guards up ahead had a marvelous shine that you had never seen before. He had that same aura he did the night he freed Stanley, but there was also something different about the way his hands gripped you a little too tightly or the way his voice sounded.

"Venti.." You muttered his name, relief and affection flooding you all at once, in his presence you felt as if nothing bad could happen to you. How foolish could you be, just a few hours ago you were speculating wether or not he had wiped out an entire civilisation and now here you were, being saved by him and feeling safer than you had in months.

"Close your eyes, I don't want give you a headache" he said, slowly floating legs first towards the ground. His unusually serious voice surprised you (and him) but you did as he told you. Letting go of your sword and leaning back into him, you let him deal with the monsters ahead of you.

"It's okay, it's over now" he kneeled to be at your level, his arms still wrapped around you, and you didn't have the energy to fight your urge of nuzzling into him. "I'll always be here for you, wherever there is wind, remember I'm here too. You only need to ask."

Being protected by a god really didn't feel that bad. Especially when you were in love with said god.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

Thank you so much for reading whatever this is until the end :’)

Don’t hesitate to comment or reblog, tysm <3

Ps: venti loves u and so do i do pls take care of urself mwah

#genshin impact x reader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact #genshin impact angst #genshin impact scenario #venti x reader #venti x traveler #venti x lumine #venti x aether #el writes♡

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y0itsbri · 3 years

Note

Hi Bri 🥰

C-16 if you'd like to 👀

Coffee dates and disasters

au with college!lip and barista!mandy where ian is a frequent visitor at the campus café and meets mickey under rather unfortunate circumstances. don't cry over spilled milk, buddy.

which also fits under a.u.gust for @gallavichthings

words: 2.4k

"never would have thought you the type to come to one of these places," ian mused, looking around the small café with only lamps and string lights illuminating the space. "can't believe college changed you, man," ian clutched at his heart dramatically.

"don't worry. 'm still the annoying bastard you love so dearly," lip squeezed ian's shoulder before he sauntered up to the counter.

the barista's bored expressed brightened when she saw them. her perky demeanor was matched by a high pitched voice, "hey lip," she smiled, dark lipstick striking. she appraised ian with a somewhat predatory eye, "hello, lip's friend."

"uh, brother," ian coughed.

lip rolled his eyes, "and he's gay so don't even try it, mandy."

she pouted and flicked her hair behind her shoulder, "not that it's any of your business, anyways."

ian chuckled besides him, drawing another smile out of mandy, this one kinder, sweeter.

"what can i get you boys?"

the pink highlights glistened in her dark hair as she whipped up lip's cold brew and ian's caramel macchiato, then proceeded to insist that this one is on the house. neither of them argued, but thanked her before they settled down in some stools by the window.

"fucking the barista privileges?" ian asked, raising his eyebrow at his slut of a brother.

"i think of it more like fellow south sider charity," he rubbed his bottom lip, "but yours works too," lip smirked around the edges of his coffee cup.

"you're an idiot."

"can a man who got us free drinks really be deemed an idiot?" lip philosophized.

ian paused, taking a moment of thorough consideration. he looked lip straight in the eyes as he answered, "if that man is you, then without a doubt."

lip tried to knock ian's cup out of his hand, but failed at his attempt. ian thanked his well-practiced jrotc skills and a lifetime experience of growing up in a house packed with annoying siblings for his victory.

they chatted about the robotics classes lip was taking, how he got full-time access to one of the labs, and his weird ass roommate who may or may not be gay if ian is at all interested. ian scrunched up his face. after hearing so many horror stories about the guy, ian didn't want anywhere near him. he wasn't that desperate yet.

the second that lip was out of his seat and heading to the bathroom, the beautiful mess that was mandy descended.

"hiiii lip's gay brother," she leaned against the table.

"it's ian," he spun his empty cup in his hands. he couldn't help himself from smiling at her charisma.

"well hi, ian, i just wanted to say sorry if i spooked you earlier. i just had no idea lip's brother would be so cute!"

"his ugly mug's not too hard to beat." ian laughed. "he got the short end of the gallagher stick, literally."

"cute and charming. you're funny, ian gallagher, i like you." she placed her hand on his shoulder for a moment, a movement so soft compared to her rather frantic appearance. "come back here anytime and it's on the house, yeah? i work most evenings after three."

"oh. uh- okay," ian scrambled for words, "thanks."

she squeezed his shoulder once before lip returned with a rather obnoxious entrance.

"ayo mands, stop harassing him!"

ian ducked his head in embarrassment.

"oh, shut up! i'm just clearing your cups," she winked at ian as she left.

mandy was something else. but she was kind and good company. ian could get used to the chill atmosphere over the chaos of the gallagher house anytime. he might just take up her offer.

"you'd think with all the time you spend here, you'd be offered a scholarship or something by now." mandy sipped on her chocolate frappuccino as she laid her feet across ian's lap. he always made sure to come visit during her breaks at least twice a week during the past couple months.

ian shrugged, "guess they only had room for one gallagher."

mandy hit his arm in a way that hurt. lip was fucked if he ever broke her heart.

"does fiona even know that this is where you sneak off to?"

"yeah." mandy's look said she didn't believe him. "well, kinda. she thinks i'm visiting lip, brotherly duties and all."

"yeah? how are those brotherly duties?"

"fuck if i know."

she laughed.

"i still think you should apply here for next fall," she encouraged, "could take some art classes."

"i suck at art."

"chemistry?"

"failed that."

"business?"

"yeah, no thanks."

mandy flipped him off, "fine. botany?

"ya know what? sure." he had always wanted to grow tomatoes.

"really?!"

"heart wants what it wants, mandy. we can't all be psychology brainiacs."

"brains and beauty, what can i say?" she teased. ian laughed, eyes glistening towards his friend. mandy made things better.

"hey," she continued, "there's this concert on the main campus lawn this weekend, you should totally come!"

"isn't that just for students?"

"they don't card, dummy."

"right, right, i knew that."

"sureeee. you in?"

ian mentally checked his work schedule.

"i'm in."

lip and ian strolled into the café a few days later. okay, maybe ian had felt a bit guilty for abandoning his brotherly duties lately, but at least this way he could hang out with both his best friends. well he could have if he remembered the fact that mandy had the day off for her behavioral neuroscience midterm. they had literally spent her previous shift reviewing the terms, he should have known.

ian's couldn't help his face from falling as another blonde barista took their orders, mostly eyeing lip the whole time.

"hi lip," she smiled a little too sincerely, "what can i get for you today?"

ian had ordered something new at the recommendation of the blonde and he was not a fan. and to make matters worse, he had to actually pay for the atrocity that he wouldn't even be able to finish.

"so how's your little coffee dates with mandy?" lip asked over his cup.

ian nearly choked on his god-awful americano. "how'd you know?"

"please. she's obsessed with you. every time i see her, it's 'ian this,' 'ian that,' 'ian might apply here in next year.'"

"oh."

"yeah, oh. when were you gonna tell me?!"

“it’s all mandy’s idea, i’m not even sure i want to,” ian muttered, refusing to make eye contact.

“dude, i’ve literally shared a room with you since the day you popped out of monica’s wretched womb, you think I can’t tell when you’re lying?”

okay maybe ian had been getting increasingly more excited about the idea of attending school and actually learning things that he wants to learn. something that might actually lead him somewhere real since rotc was looking more and more like a poor man's fantasy the more that he thought about it.

“I was gonna tell you, swear on it.” and he was. once he convinced himself that lip wasn't going to straight up laugh in his face. but the look in his eye seemed genuinely supportive.

“mhm, i gotta catch my english lit class," lip stood up, swinging his tattered tan backpack across one shoulder. he patted ian's shoulder in his big brother ways, "don’t be a stranger, yeah?”

“yeah, yeah for sure! have fun learning a language you already know!” lip flipped him off at his smartass remark.

soon after, ian stood up to return his drink to the counter, the anxiety from the conversation making him entirely lose whatever appetite he might have had. plus, it wasn’t the same here without lip or mandy. he just wanted to be wrapped up in a cocoon in his own bed. but that was so far away. maybe he could catch an early ride—

thump.

ian crashed into a guy’s sturdy body.

the remnants of his shitty drink spilled in an americano nightmare over both of them, ceramic pieces shattering on the floor in a truly horrific manner.

ian yipped and the other man let out a grunt of irritation.

they were fucking soaked. well, at least the coffee wasn't hot? ian tried justifying the situation, but, nah, this was bad.

"shit! i'm so sorry, lemme," ian reached out and the shorter man flinched away.

they were now far enough apart that ian got a good look at him. a leather jacket.. now covered in ian's drink -- shit. and shockingly piercing blue eyes that lingered too long on ian's before his cheeks turned a shade of pink that made ian's stomach flutter.

he might have seemed cold if he didn’t make ian feel so warm.

"it’s cool, man. i gotta go, uh," and he walked out of the café without looking back.

fuck.

ian smelled like coffee the entire train ride to the back of the yards. he laid in his bed regretting his entire life.

no mandy. no lip. no dignity.

the day of the concert that mandy had invited him to rolled around. ian wouldn’t admit it, but he was nervous to spend a coffee-less evening with mandy, their entire friendship built inside that one room. his little bubble of safety was bursting.

well, to be honest, the bubble had burst the moment that his disaster of a coffee was spilled onto one of the most ridiculously pretty guys that he's ever seen. every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the guy’s face shift from hostile to something else. he was torn between wanting to know the his name and also on never seeing him again in fear that he would simply pass away of embarrassment.

hopefully mandy hadn't heard about it. they may not have been friends for a long time, but he already knew that she would never let him live it down.

"hey ian!" her familiar voice called. that sounded promising.

his face fell with relief as he finally spotted her at the corner. she embraced him in a warm hug before pulling back and giving him a once over.

"huh, could have sworn you'd still have coffee behind your ear or something after the description karen gave me of your little disaster the other day." she smirked, quite literally double checking behind his ears as they turned hot under her gaze.

"ugh, fuck, how much did she tell you?" he itched his forehead and scrunched up his nose.

"oh, calm your tits, it's funny as fuck." she giggled, punching his arm in a way that still unintentionally hurt.

"whatever. are you excited for the concert tonight?"

their reunion conversation lulled eventually, and ian noticed that they weren't necessarily standing alone.

no. fucking. way.

just his luck, if he was being honest. he probably deserved this.

there he stood. the man that has plagued his dreams the past few days. in a light wash jean jacket that was a little tight on the biceps, leaning casually against the wall, kicking the pebbles on the ground with his boot.

"uh, what's he doing here?" ian gestured towards the victim of The Coffee Incident.

“what, you know him?” mandy asked, walking them towards him.

“vaguely.” if that wasn’t the understatement of the year.

"huh. i didn’t think my idiot brother had any friends."

brother? how did ian not realize she had a brother?

"what, did you think i was going to babysit you all night? i can't let everyone here thinking you're my boyfriend, no offense or whatever, but you're in good hands!" she kissed his cheek, clearly not helping her own not-looking-like-her-boyfriend rule.

ian eyed said brother's good hands only to see the faded letters of FUCK U-UP on them. oh.

mandy pushed ian over to her brother, "ian, mickey. mickey, ian," she introduced before pushing and shuffling her way through the crowd of college students to find herself someone’s cheap ass fruity alcohol to mooch off of.

mickey. ian's brain repeated over and over, a chime against the murmuring sea of voices they found themselves enveloped by.

"nice jacket," ian pointed out, an awkward attempt to converse before shoving his hands back in his pockets.

"it's my second favorite." the corners of his mouth lifted like there was more to the statement. ian took the bait, as if he could resist.

"what's your first?"

"first is still airing out the fuckin’ coffee smell," he smirked as ian groaned. "oh c’mon, man, don't go crying over spilled milk."

how could he not? on the bright side, he didn’t seemed to hate ian for it.

“if it was anyone else,” mickey drawled, “they’d have to get a beat down for it.”

“why do I get a free pass?” ian mused.

“well, you’re mandy’s friend, right?”

“yup,” ian tried to suppress his disappointment. he really did. but fiona always told him he wore his heart on his sleeve.

“yeah, that ain’t why, though,” his eyebrows waggled suggestively and ian nearly felt his heart drop out of his ass.

ian blessed whatever coffee god was out there for sending him both mandy and the beautiful man in front of him.

“you wanna go listen to the band?” ian nodded his head towards the stage with passionate players jumping around like they were playing lollapalooza or some shit.

“lead the way, stud, just try to keep your drinks off of me this time,” mickey knocked into ian’s own flannel covered shoulder.

yeah, ian couldn’t believe his luck. maybe karma was finally on his side.

—

mandy smirked at her brother and best friend not-so-subtly checking each other out over the course of the night, bopping their heads to the music and downing whatever free booze they could get their hands on.

she hoped that adding mickey to the equation would be enough incentive to convince ian to stick around. things were better when he was near.

the way that ian followed mickey around like a lost puppy with that dopey moon-eyed look, it seemed like her hopes would come true.

and when both ian and mickey strolled into the café to come visit her at work the next week, mickey in his worse-for-wear leather jacket and ian in borrowed denim, she thanks the coffee gods for her luck.

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gamergirl929 · 3 years

Text

Expecto Patronum (Hermione Granger x Reader)

After following a number of Gryffindor students sneaking out of the Common Room one night, you inevitably stumble upon the DA and are quick to join their cause.

However, you soon find a spell you can’t quiet master, a spell that requires something that you don’t have, something that, with the help of Hermione Granger, you’re able to acquire.

“Bloody hell.” You mumble, sighing in exasperation as you flop to the Room of Requirement’s floor, your eyes narrowed.

You stumbled upon Dumbledore’s Army by chance one night when you saw a number of Gryffindor's sneaking out one night and decided to follow.

Following them was the best decision you’d ever made, because it brought you purpose, something you felt you lacked in your daily life.

You were rather quiet, though you’d caught one member of the DA’s attention, and that member was Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived himself.

You hadn’t had the best upbringing, something the two of you shared, and something that brought the two of you closer together.

Soon you and the boy were good friends, and being good friends with Harry meant you were friends with his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Ron was goofy, a bit dense at time, but he was fun to be around, and that was enough for you.

Hermione Granger on the other hand, was one of the brightest women you’d ever met, she adept at magic, excelling well above you and the others in the DA.

She was all too happy to aid you in casting certain spells when she saw you were struggling.

The specific spell you were currently having trouble casting, was Expecto Patronum, your Patronus refusing to take form no matter how hard you tried.

You huff, dropping your wand to the stone floor.

“This is hopeless.”

***

The following morning you’re barely able to keep your eyes, rubbing the heels of your palms into your bloodshot Y/E/C eyes.

“You look right knackered.”

You pick your head up, smiling when Ron takes a seat across from you at The Great Hall.

“You alright?” Harry asks, worried and you nod.

“Just didn’t sleep much.”

“Or at all.” Hermione says as she takes a seat beside you and you shake your head, your cheeks flushing.

“N-N-No, just didn’t get enough.”

Hermione stares at you inquisitively, her brown orbs narrowed.

You knew she knew you were lying, but you’d decided to keep up the ruse anyway.

“So, r-ready for Potions today?” You ask, taking a swig of your Pumpkin Juice and Ron scoffs.

“Who’s ever ready for Potions with Snape?” He snickers, his eyes widening when the aforementioned professor walks by, using a piece of parchment in his hand to smack Ron in the head.

You slap a hand over your mouth to stifle your laughter, as Ron pouts, rubbing the back of his head.

“Stop laughing you git.”

Hermione meanwhile is still looking at you inquisitively, wondering what it was that kept you up so late, and why you were so adamant about changing the subject.

She hums, taking a sip of her juice.

If you weren’t going to tell her what was going on, she’d find out on her own.

***

Hermione frowns when the light from your wand flickers out, the spell yet again failing.

“It’s alright Y/N, you just have to find a happy memory to focus on.” She runs a gentle hand down your back.

You swallow hard, nodding.

“I-I know...” You murmur softly, head hanging in defeat.

Hermione gives you an apologetic smile.

“We’ll get it Y/N, together.”

You turn to Hermione, a warmth spreading throughout your chest as you look at the Gryffindor who’s sending you the sweetest smile you’d ever seen.

“Together?” You ask and she nods, slipping an arm around you, before giving you a squeeze.

“Together.”

***

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that you were exhausted, and incredibly agitated.

You had, again, forgone sleep to practice on conjuring your Patronus, but you again, had failed.

The DA weren’t meeting that night, which gave you the opportunity to head into the Room of Requirement on your own to practice the spell.

You WOULD master it, no matter what it took, you WOULD find a memory to focus on, no matter what.

***

Hermione eventually finds you later that day, your head buried in a book in the library, though it’s not because you’re reading, it’s because you’re fast asleep.

She tiptoes over to you, the girl silently taking a seat beside you, smiling when she realizes you’re snoring softly.

She shakes her head, opening up the book she’d brought with her, ready for the world around her to melt away.

You mumble in your sleep, pulling Hermione’s attention away from the world currently resting in her hands and back to reality.

If she were being honest, you had a habit of drawing her attention, you were an enigma, and Hermione was never the type to leave a mystery unsolved.

***

The snarl that leaves you is absolutely feral as you throw your wand across the room.

“WHY CAN’T I FORM A PATRONOUS.” You say angrily.

You’re so angry in fact that you completely miss the Room of Requirement’s door creaking open, and Hermione Granger slipping inside.

You run your hands down your face as you stomp towards your wand.

Hermione crosses her arms across her chest as she watches you flick your wand.

“EXPECTO PATRONOUM!” You yell, growling when your wand’s tip doesn’t even light.

Hermione frowns as you flick your wand over and over again, growling the spell each and every time growing angrier and angrier.

It’s only after that, that you spot Hermione, your eyes widening in shock.

“He-Hermione.” You stutter, clearing your throat, your cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

“How long have you been standing there?” You ask, unable to look at the girl who moves closer to you.

“Long enough... This is why you’ve been so tired lately?” She asks and you sigh flopping to the floor, your back resting against the wall next to the fireplace.

“I can’t do it.” You sigh, your chin resting on your knee caps.

Hermione takes a seat in front of you, as you attempt to swallow the lump in your throat.

“What’s holding you back?”

Your eyes flutter shut, your chest tightening.

“I don’t have any.”

Hermione’s brows furrow, the girl scooting closer.

“Any what?” She whispers and you sigh.

“Happy memories.”

Hermione frowns sadly.

“Harry and I had a...”

You pause.

“A similar upbringing.”

Hermione scoots towards you until she’s sitting beside you.

“What happened?”

You swallow hard.

“Didn’t know my folks, I got my letter in a group home.”

You fall silent after that, your head moving to rest on Hermione’s shoulder, the action making her cheeks flush bright pink.

Nonetheless, she rests her head on top of yours.

“Sometimes, we have to make our own memories.” Hermione whispers and you smile, warmth yet again spreading throughout your chest.

“Yeah, yeah we do.”

***

That night you actually get some sleep, mostly because Hermione basically drags you to the Gryffindor Common Room and forces you to get some ACTUAL sleep.

The following morning you feel lighter than you ever had before, maybe because you finally got an adequate amount of sleep, or maybe it was because of the moment you spent with Hermione in the Room of Requirement.

Your cheeks flush, your eyes doubling in size.

“That’s it.” You whisper to yourself with a massive grin.

You make your way into The Great Hall, smiling when your eyes catch sight of a familiar head of bushy brown hair, its owner turning to you with a beaming smile.

“You look rested.” Hermione winks and you shake your head, cheeks dusted pink.

"Yeah, well you made sure of that.”

“Yeah, Hermione has a way of forcing people to do things they’re putting off.” Ron mumbles and Hermione scoffs.

“Is this about the Potion’s homework? You needed to get it done Ronald.”

Ron scoffs.

“Yeah, but you didn’t need to come into the Boy’s Dormitory and wake me up using Aquamanti!”

You slap a hand over your mouth, but are unable to bite back your laughter.

“Yeah! Laugh it up! Thought Fred and George had threw me out in the marsh around The Burrow again!”

Hermione giggles.

“He did scream rather loud.”

Hermione leans against you as she giggles harder than you’d ever seen, Ron unable to bite back his laughter at the girl’s case of the giggles.

You fall silent, instead choosing to stare at the girl beside you, the girl whose giggles are finally beginning to taper off.

You smile, Hermione’s words from the night before echoing in your head.

“Sometimes we have to make our own memories.”

Hermione falls silent, her brown orbs widening when she realizes you’re staring.

“Y/N? Are you alright?” She asks and you nod, your smile splitting into a grin.

“I am.” You shrug, taking a sip of your Pumpkin Juice.

“Just making my own memories.”

Hermione grins, cheeks tinged pink as she gives you a nudge, the girl leaning against you through the remainder of breakfast.

***

“You can do this Y/N, remember, happy memory.” Harry pats your back and you nod, taking a deep breath.

Weeks of trying to search for a single happy memory you had hidden deep within your brain had resulted in failure, but now, with thoughts of the Gryffindor girl standing beside you running through your mind, you knew, you knew this was it.

You glance at Hermione, earning a nod.

“I believe in you.” She whispers, your heart skipping a beat in your chest.

You grin, twirling your wand in between your fingers.

The remainder of the DA watches as you hold out your wand, the words that had been leaving your mouth for weeks now, yet again passing through your lips, though with a bit more confidence than usual.

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

Light bursts from the tip of your wand, the blue bright light swirling through the air as it takes form.

Your smile splits in a grin as a bright blue massive wolf forms before you, head held high in confidence, the epitome of strength.

It runs around the room before it stops in front of you.

The beast nuzzles against your palm until your stroke it’s fur, Hermione grinning, as she watches you interact with your Patronus, after trying so hard to get it to form.

“You’ve done it.” She whispers and you smile.

The massive wolf leaves you and prances to Hermione, nudging her hand with its nose until she strokes its head, the wolf licking her palm.

You huff.

“You like her more than me?” You ask, the wolf yipping as it vanishes in thin air.

“Blimey, what’s a wolf mean?!” Ron whispers to Harry, the two boys smiling when you launch yourself at Hermione, the two of you grinning, arms wrapped tightly around one another.

“Strength. Loyalty.” Luna whispers.

Meanwhile, Hermione squeezes you tightly.

“I knew you could do it.”

You grin.

“I just had to make my own happy memories, memories I made with you.”

The two of you reluctantly part, your eyes widening when you realize the two of you are rather close to one another, your noses inches apart.

You blink slowly, your cheeks flushed bright red.

“Uh...”

Hermione’s cheeks mirror your own, the two of you abruptly turning away from one another, both nervously fidgeting.

“Th-Thanks Mione, I couldn’t have done it without you, li-literally.” You stutter, shuffling nervously from foot to foot.

Harry claps his hands suddenly, the boy grinning.

“I think that’s a perfect way to end practice, see you all Friday night.”

The DA’s members slowly make their way out of the room, stopping to congratulate you until it’s just you, Ron, Harry and Hermione.

“That was absolutely brilliant mate.” Ron says as he claps your shoulder,

“Fantastic.”

Harry glances at Hermione out of the corner of his eye, his blue orbs narrowing when he sees the look of nervousness on Hermione’s face.

Harry gives his best friend a pat on the back.

“We should get back to the common room, mate.”

Ron nods, turning to you and Hermione.

“You coming?” He asks, though before you can answer, Hermione does.

“Actually, I’d like a moment alone with Y/N.”

The boy’s wave, taking their leave moments later, but not before Harry can send his old friend a wink, the girl sending him a glare.

The Room of Requirement’s door bangs shut, leaving you and Hermione alone for the first time all day.

“I can’t thank you enough Mione, I-” You stop midsentence when you see her nervously fidgeting.

Hermione’s gaze drops to the floor as you move closer, the girl’s eyes fluttering shut.

You weren’t used to seeing her so nervous around you, she’d typically been much like the books she was so fond of reading, and that was entirely open.

“Hermione... Whatever it is, we can-

You again fall silent, though this time it’s because Hermione’s brown orbs have finally locked with yours.

“Li-Listen...” She swallows hard, wringing her fingers nervously.

“I’ve never been good when it comes to relationships, I’ve never really BEEN in a relationship, I mean I talked to Victor Krum, but that doesn’t matter, we never dated, we-

Hermione rambles on, her hands flailing wildly.

“I’ve... I’ve never felt this way about, about a girl and I just-

You tune out, your eyes widening and cheeks flushing.

Hermione meanwhile is still rambling on, jumping from topic to topic.

“I just- I really like you and I- I'm not used to things like this, like I said I’ve never-

Hermione stills, brown orbs wide and hands frozen in mid-air as your lips brush hers, the touch delicate, as well as hesitant.

You pull back, your eyes flying open in fear.

Hermione meanwhile, is standing stock still, mouth agape and brown orbs wide.

She'd never expected a kiss to feel like yours had, yes, she’d been kissed before, but the tender caress of your lips was far more than a kiss from a boy could EVER be.

“Have I rendered Hermione Granger speechless?” You ask nervously, pulling Hermione out of her trance.

She opens and closes her mouth a few times, attempting to find her voice, though the thing that leaves her mouth when she finally DOES find her voice makes you laugh.

“Bloody hell.”

You bark out a laugh, your lips splitting into a grin.

Hermione’s cheeks flush.

“Forgive me for not knowing how to reply after a rather significant kiss.” She shakes her head and your brows arch.

You hum, eye glinting with hope.

“Significant?” You ask, the girl’s cheek flushing even a darker shade of red.

“Co-Consequential, I-I've never felt like th-that after a kiss.” She stutters and you swallow, your tongue swiping at your lips.

“Wo-Would you be interested in...”

You shuffle from foot to foot.

“Another significant, consequential kiss?” You ask, nonchalantly.

Hermione bites her bottom lip to stave off a smile, the woman swallowing hard.

“I-I would be rather interested.” She giggles, the Gryffindor's gaze falling to your lips.

This time, Hermione meets you halfway, the girl cupping your cheeks as your lips meet, your hands finding purchase on her waist.

A bright light causes the two of you to pull apart, your eyes widening when you see your Patronus happily bounding around the two of you.

Hermione grins as the wolf slips between the two of you.

“Another happy memory?” She asks and you smile.

“Any memory I make with you is a happy one.”

Your lips meet again, with no sense of hesitation from either of you, your lips melding together.

Your wolf disappears as the two of you part, Hermione’s forehead resting against yours.

“What do you think about making more together?”

#Harry Potter #harry potter x reader #hermione granger #hermione granger x reader #hermione granger imagine #I'd love to hear what you thinkkk!

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byulsgrease · 3 years

Note

if you arent too busy, can you write a idol!hwasa x idol!reader, wherein they both have to practice with each other for a special stage. However on the first meeting they become starstruck and cant believe somethings are real, but soon warm up to each other?

i'm not terribly busy but this still took a while anyway oops - sorry this took so long anon! here you go :D

if anyone has requests for the other members hmu cuz I've got 2 more hyejin reqs after this one (not that I'm complaining)

"who says we can't do something on our own?"

(hwasa x idol!reader, ~1.2k words)

cw: food + alcohol mention (y'all know how it is)

I named someone Minjeong - it's not Aespa's Winter, idk anything about 4th gen gg's - 민정 is my Korean name so it's just what came to mind

"Hey, wake up. You've gotta see this. GET UP," a voice piercing through the fog of your sleep.

What a rude awakening. Your shoulders being shaken vigorously by a pair of small hands meant they belonged to none other than Minjeong, your youngest group member. You rolled over to glare menacingly at her with one eye open, trying to pull your brain out of the slumber. All you could see was the bright light of her phone shining in your eyes - a video of some kind. But then you heard the audio:

"Have you seen the clip?" asked the interviewer.

"Yes, my members and many MooMoos made sure I saw it"— Moos? Oh, it's Hwasa. WAIT. Both your eyes flew open as you sat up and snatched Jeongie's phone out of her hand to stare at the video. Your mind immediately flashed back to the interview you did last week - they asked who you most wanted to collaborate with, if there were no limitations. Your ears started to heat up at the sheer thought of the flustered mess of an answer you gave - of course you said Hwasa. Both of you debuted relatively close to each other, within a year, but never interacted much over the years. Mamamoo as a group was a force to be reckoned with, but there was just something about Hwasa specifically. You mostly just admired her unique singing voice and undeniable stage presence, and her relentless drive to always be herself in an industry constantly trying to fit women into a box.

Finally snapping out of re-living that embarrassment, your attention turned back to the phone in your hand. The interviewer must've asked her to send a message in response to you, because you couldn't believe that she was waving and saying, "How haven't we gotten to know each other better over all these years? I'd love to work with you on something sometime," curtly dipping her head in a slight bow.

"SEE? You needed to see that," Minjeong rushed to say, full of energy. "And close your mouth, your jaw's on the floor," jokingly pointing.

You side-eyed her and shut your mouth. "Is this what Loco felt like when she called him during Hyena on the Keyboard?" you wondered aloud.

"At least she's not calling you while on camera," she commented, knowing full well that you'd probably embarrass yourself again if she did. "But hey, at least she noticed you! Can I have my phone back now?" It would be a dream come true to collaborate with her, but cross-company collabs... always a pain. that couldn't be helped. The fantasy abruptly ended with demands from your rumbling stomach. Done with your what-if's, you placed the phone back in your maknae's outstretched hand to get up and make breakfast.

~~~~

With award show season rolling around, the crazy scramble of rehearsing for special live stages without leaking sets and collabs began. Checking your email that morning showed a schedule to record the backing track for a special live stage, but that was it. With who? You texted your members a screenshot, but they all told you that block of time in their schedule was empty. A solo stage? The solo mini-album you released this cycle did relatively well, the title track got a music show win, but not a multi-week chart-topper by any means. Possibilities turning over in your mind, you stepped out from your place to head to the company, totally in the dark about what was in store.

The recording studio always smelled the same along with the couches, a comfort for all the insanely long nights and crack-of-dawn early mornings over the years. With a bit of time to kill, you plopped down on one and gingerly patted the worn cushions as some kind of symbolic thank-you for supporting you (literally).

A hesitant but loud knock sent your gaze directly to the door. Watching it slowly open, you leaned forward to see who it was. Needless to say, your jaw fell to the floor again as you clapped a hand over your gaping mouth, eyes widening. Like a soldier obeying a command, you immediately stood up as straight as possible and bowed profusely at Hwasa, sporting a very similar expression on her face (which you failed to notice, your mind running a million miles a minute).

After a series of frantic bows and miscellaneous utterances to each other, she spoke. "It's nice to finally meet you," she said with calm, surveying your frenzied state. "I guess we're granting that collab wish from your interview, huh?"

The red-hot embarrassment leapt to your face. "I...I definitely made a fool of myself answering that question. And our maknae showed me your interview clip too, which was cool, but never did I think it would actually happen," you stammered. I should probably stop talking.

"Well, here I am," she half-smiled coolly. "Let's get started, I'm really looking forward to finally work with you on this," a gleam in her eye and a hint of excitement in her voice.

The studio suddenly felt a lot smaller with her in it, despite there only being your managers, the producer, and the both of you - less people than you and your members alone. Both of you remained relatively quiet the whole time, rather unsure of what to say or talk about. You watched enough MMMTV to know that all the members on their own were shyer than together, and Hwasa knew the same was true for you. But the work basically took care of itself, seamlessly taking turns in the recording booth, witnessing each other's work style and process. The both of you knew your way in front of a mic, seasoned professionals by now. Upon wrapping up, you bowed politely to each other after a quick exchange of KaTalk info, a short and sweet goodbye.

That was... anticlimactic. I mean, it's finally happening - I can't believe it. But maybe I was too idealistic about maybe creating a meaningful relationship with her outside of work... What does she think of me?

~~~~

In the days leading up to the collab stage, you kept going back and forth on whether to reach out or not, despite now being in possession of her contact info. What would you even say? Thoughts of a witty one-liner or relatable meme came to mind, but maybe she'd assume the worst - that you were clout-chasing, or something. Anxieties abuzz, your phone vibrated in your pocket. The KaTalk notification sprawled across your screen. Speak of the devil, it's her.

"Hey, awards season has me stressed. I know you must pretty busy right now too, but I somehow get off early tomorrow if you wanna grab dinner after work?" You had to reread that one. Oh, what? She's inviting me?

Trying not to be weird about responding too quickly, you typed out, "Wow, yeah, that sounds great! ^^ wait, your company doesn't care about you going out to eat during award season?"

"nah, they stopped having that kind of control over us a while ago, we are the money-maker of the company, after all 😏"

"so I guess this means they don't check your phone either ㅋㅋㅋ"

"nope :)"

You proceeded to set a time and place to meet, someplace with meat.

In the process of feasting on an inordinate amount of gopchang imbued with a splash of beer, you learned a fair amount about each other. You talked career, professional aspirations, the weird habits of your members, and more. What surprised you most was the amount of things she already knew about you, having admitted to watching some of your behind-the-scenes content after seeing your interview clip.

"Ah... I'm sorry if I came across as distant during that first recording session," she confessed, pausing to sip her beer. "I honestly didn't know what to do with myself, I felt a little star-struck."

"Oh what?? I felt the exact same, so no worries - and sorry if I came off similarly distant," you rambled back. A bit of silence fell between you, acknowledging the mutual sentiment. You spoke up after a bit, "Thanks for inviting me out tonight, I didn't realize how much I needed this."

"Thank you for making the time, I had fun getting to know you better," she articulated with a smile. "Maybe it'll make the collab stage better," she added on jokingly. You responded with a nod and expression of mutual affirmation.

~~~~

After that, messaging each other became a regular occurrence, that gopchang outing having broken the ice. Honestly, you tried your best to talk about anything besides work, but the baseline of shared understanding connected you in a way that came more naturally than it did with your non idol friends.

You stood across the way from her at the sound check for the final stage, dressed in joggers and slides. Funny to think that you'd be recording this for real in a couple hours, making eyes with the blinking red light on the cameras surrounding you. It sucks that fans wouldn't get to experience the energy and atmosphere of the performance - Hyejin alone is one thing, but adding someone else into her stage presence? Unmatched. There's nothing quite like a live performance - and while you knew everyone in the industry dealt with the consequences of the pandemic, it certainly took a toll to perform and not feel the energy from fans. But realistically, nothing you could do about it. The sound check went over smooth like butter. The stage chemistry came flowing naturally between you both, even when bare-faced and dressed in just sweats.

And when the time came for the actual filming, you both absolutely killed it, an upbeat mash-up of TWIT and your title track. At the very end came a sliver of hesitation before throwing your arms around each other with a big smile for the ending fairy, proud of the work you accomplished together, and a mental fist-pump to yourself for making friends with one of the industry's finest.

Once again walking to a restaurant that served mostly meat to celebrate, you playfully proposed, "We... should do that again sometime." A little puff of air came out her nose in amusement.

"Yeah, we should. Too bad we're gonna have to wait a whole cycle before we can release anything else together again," she sighed longingly.

"Who says we can't do something on our own?"

#did not know how to end oops #mamamoo x reader #hwasa x reader #mamamoo hwasa #ahn hyejin #hwasa fanfic #hwasa imagines #hwasa #mamamoo fic #mamamoo imagines #mamamoo scenarios #girl group fanfic #girl group imagines #girl group scenarios #kpop #kpop fic #gg fic #gg fanfic #requested

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