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husbandhannie · 2 years

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old times

pairing: scoups x reader

word count: 1150

genre: fluff, angst

warnings: talks of breaking up and making up, food

a/n: ah it's here! i had a scene in my head and i just wrote it. honestly this is so self-indulgent, i don't know if it'll get to anyone like it gets to me. it's the feels, you know? i'll proofread later.

taglist: @itsveronicaxxx @zurikyo @husbandhoshi @starlightjoong @kimhyejin3108 @junhui-recs.

part 1 (later)

"oh, it's good to see you two together again. it was so sad seeing you alone here".

seungcheol's fingers pause in his wallet, his head snapping to look at you while you try to maintain a neutral expression. you used to come here, you can almost hear him think, you visited our places too. you give the owner a polite smile, choosing not to respond to the comment directed at you.

he hands her the money, tilting his head and following you to the water dispenser to make ramen. you had tried to argue with him about the bill, but he had waved it away. "i'll take this one, you get the next", he had said, averting his eyes from yours. taking turns, just like old times.

"so", he starts, pulling up a chair, "what have you been up to?"

[...]

"'you're so valid'?", you tease, repeating the phrase he had uttered, "hanging out with vernon, are we?"

"actually, yeah", he chuckles, adding soberly, "believe it or not, since we - you know, i'm assigned someone every week".

"oh?", you murmur, "i don't know whether to feel glad they care or to feel sorry for you".

"that was my reaction too", he laughs, "but i got annoyed quickly. they kept wanting me to talk and i just - i didn't have anything to say, you know?"

"yeah", you give him a small smile, your eyes mirroring his, "i get it".

how bad has it been for you?

"vernon never tried to get me to talk, he's just....there", he adds, seemingly to himself, "jeonghan is the worst. he knows me too well, he sneakily kept trying to get me to talk to you".

you stop yourself from asking: why didn't you?

"well", you clear your throat, "you aren't the only one suffering. i think i've talked to my family more in the last few months than i have in years. the worst part? none of them even mention what happened".

"oh no", he shakes his head humorously, knowing exactly how much you hate talking on the phone.

"there was one positive though", you raise a finger, "my aunt sent her fried rice recipe".

"no way, the secret one?", his eyes light up and he leans in subconsciously, "the one she said she'll leave in her will?"

"uh huh", you match his smile, "wanna know the secret ingredient?"

he nods excitedly. you wonder if the temptation to kiss him will ever lessen.

"it's just one thing", you lean in and whisper conspiratorially, turning your head and checking for eavesdroppers, your heart skipping at seungcheol's fond giggles, "virgin honey".

"virgin honey?", he repeats, astonished, "in fried rice?"

"uh huh", you lean back and nod sagely, "surprised me too. but apparently, a bit of honey makes all the difference".

[...]

"how are you feeling about master's?", he asks, referring to the news you had given him earlier, "excited? nervous?"

like i want you to drop me off to classes, you think, like i want to talk about it, about everything, laying in your arms.

you've completely lost track of time, sitting on the old plastic chair for hours while empty food containers lie on the table. the urge to reach out your hand to hold seungcheol's has only gotten stronger, the safety and familiarity brought by his presence not helping matters. you wonder if it's the same for him.

"i don't know, really", you decide to answer honestly, finally mentioning how you've been since the break-up, "i haven't felt much since we - since we", you swallow, hoping the lump in your throat goes away.

seungcheol's hand reaches out to cover yours. you close your eyes, sure you'll break down if you look at his.

"i missed you", you murmur tearfully, "so - so much. i missed you so much".

"oh baby", plastic scrapes on the old floor and you feel his arms around you, the awkward angle not doing anything to hinder his warmth, "me too", he returns shakily, pressing a kiss on your hair, "so much".

[...]

"so", you start, exhaling quietly, "what now?"

seungcheol hums, not surprised at your question. the two of you have finally calmed down, sporting matching red swollen eyes as you sit comfortably entangled. just like old times.

it was a little embarrassing when the owner silently placed a bottle on the table, waving away your apologies for the scene you had caused. a closer look revealed the bottle to be honey lemonade, accompanied by two straws. just like how you used to drink it when you were together.

"i want to try again", he answers after a moment, his voice resolute, "i know i fucked up - no", he shakes his head when you open your mouth, "let me finish. i know i fucked up, i know i should've done things differently. i know it might happen again", he inhales a sharp breath, composing himself, "but i love you. as much as i did before. that hasn't changed. i love you, and i've missed you. so much. i want to try again".

he looks at you, anxious eyes waiting for your response.

"me too", you give him a half-smile, "i fucked up too. and i - well, ofcourse i love you. i've never loved you more. i want to try again too. let's try again, cheol".

"okay", he smiles then, the most unconstrained smile he's given you all night, "okay. but first", he adds seriously, "we need to talk about what happened - why we broke up, how we can not repeat it".

"okay, yeah", you answer, feeling a little anxious about bringing up old issues, "makes sense".

"i can't promise i will never cancel", he swallows, "with my schedule, i - "

"cheol, i know. i don't expect that".

"i'll try to make plans only if i know i'm sure i can make it", he looks at you apologetically, "but that'll mean most dates will just be random nights in convenience stores and creameries".

"those are my favorite", you smile, "listen - i get it. i don't really care about the fancy ones anyway. i just - i think i resented how many were cancelled, you know? and it was bitchy of me to only bring it up - "

"no, i should've known - "

"let me finish", you bring a hand up to cover his mouth, almost losing your train of thought when he presses a kiss on your palm, "less planned stuff, and only when we're both kind of sure we can make it. and i'll tell you if i mind anything, how about that?"

he raises his brows meaningfully, his lips pouting under your skin. you remove your hand, the stupid grin on your face probably matching his.

"sounds good", he nods.

"okay", you nod back, "good".

"so"

"so?"

"am i your boyfriend now?", his cheeks redden slightly, his eyes hopeful.

"yeah", you giggle, "yeah, i guess you are".

"okay, so", he leans in, "can i kiss you?"

#seventeen fluff #seventeen angst #svt fluff #svt angst #seungcheol fluff #seungcheol angst #scoups fluff #scoups angst #seventeen x reader #seventeen imagines #svt imagines #seungcheol imagines #scoups imagines #scoups x reader #seungcheol x reader #scoups #seungcheol #choi seungcheol #not satisfied with the picture maybe ill change it later

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ickynights · 8 months

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Sketchy Seafood

"Doyun, are you sure about this place? I mean, it looks a bit sketchy," Daniel hesitated, peering through the restaurant's dimly lit entrance. He couldn't help but feel a wave of uncertainty wash over him as he watched the worn-out sign and flickering neon lights.

Doyun couldn't help but roll his eyes at his boyfriend's overdramatic response. "Can you just trust me for once?" he retorted, as he grabbed Daniel's hand and began to pull him toward the entrance. "I know it might look a bit dingy, but the Yelp reviews are incredible, and my cousin said it's the best Korean food in town. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, babe."

Daniel nodded reluctantly but he knew Doyun was right. Perhaps the owners just used all their resources on the quality of the food instead of their restaurants aesthetics. It didn't really matter to him how the decor was set up, as long as the food was authentic and tasted well, he could ignore just about anything.

As they settled into their seats, Doyun couldn't help but notice the lingering fishy aroma in the restaurant. It wasn't entirely unexpected, given that a majority of the dishes listed on the menu were seafood-based. Still, the pungent scent had an unsettling effect on his stomach, making it churn with a hint of discomfort.

But he wasn't going to let some scent get in the way of his date. So what if the scent was bad, the neighboring tables seemed to be devouring their dishes just fine.

The food arrived at their table surprisingly quickly. Daniel chose to stick with his go-to favorite, Galbi-jjim (braised short ribs), not wanting to take any risks in a place he still considered somewhat suspicious.

Doyun, on the other hand, decided to step out of his comfort zone and ordered Nakji Bokkeum, a spicy stir-fried squid dish he had never tried before. Normally, he was quite cautious about trying new things considering his testy stomach, but he loved eating squid plain and it had never been a source of concern for him, so he figured it was a safe bet.

As Doyun took the first bite of his meal, he couldn't help but notice that something didn't taste right. The squid, while tender and cooked to perfection, carried an unfavorable flavor that made his taste buds cringe. It was a unusual flavor that he couldn't quite place. He was no stranger to plain squid but perhaps the sauce was making it taste bad? Whatever it was, it surely didn't taste well at all.

He glanced over at Daniel, who was thoroughly enjoying his food, and hesitated for a moment, debating whether to voice his concerns or not. Maybe he just let his boyfriend's words get to his head. It wasn't fair to consider something off tasting if he hadn't actually tried it before.

"You were right, baby, this stuff is amazing," Daniel said with a warm smile, taking another bite of his Galbi-jjim. "How's your food? The spice isn't upsetting your stomach, is it?" Daniel asked, noticing the younger had barely touched his plate.

"My food is good too, I think I'm still a little full from lunch though." Doyun awkwardly replied, trying to lie his way out of being wrong.

Daniel noticed a hint of discomfort on the younger's face but decided to ignore it for now. "Your mom really did make a lot of food earlier. I'm surprised she even let us eat out tonight; I thought she was gonna cook for us this whole trip. Honestly I wouldn't mind if she-"

Doyun struggled to concentrate on Daniel's

conversation as the all-too-familiar unsettling sensation continued to bubble in his belly. The

combination of the unfamiliar dish and the rice porridge he ate earlier churned uncomfortably within him. Despite having eaten only a quarter of his meal, Doyun feared that if he took another bite, his stomach might not be able to hold back, and an unpleasant outcome might be inevitable.

Doyun discreetly pushed his plate aside, his appetite vanishing under the weight of his discomfort. He didn't want to draw attention to his growing nausea, especially not in a place he had chosen for their date night. Instead, he focused on listening to Daniel's blabbering, hoping that the queasy feeling in his stomach would eventually subside soon enough.

The night went on for what felt like forever in Doyun's opinion. Daniel insisted on getting desert, even somehow coaxing Doyun into trying some. The banana flavored ice cream was delicious but even just a spoonful was enough to set his stomach off.

As they settled into the backseat of the taxi, Daniel couldn't help but notice how bloated Doyun's stomach had become. Even though he was wearing Daniel's oversized hoodie, a subtle curve was unmistakably poking through the fabric. A pang of guilt washed over him as he realized that he should have paid more attention to the warning signs earlier in the evening.

"Are you feeling alright, love?" Daniel asked, his voice a gentle whisper, not wanting to draw attention towards themselves.

Doyun replied in a hushed and somewhat uneasy tone, "Not really, I don't think my food was made right. I thought it was just the spice, but I'm feeling pretty nauseous now."

Daniel frowned and reached out to hold Doyun's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Just try to relax for now, love. When we get back to your mom's place, I'll make you some tea." he murmured, his thumb gently caressing Doyun's hand. "Hopefully that'll help settle whatever's going on in there."

Doyun offered a weak but appreciative smile. "Thank you, babe," he whispered, leaning his head on Daniel's shoulder as they continued their way home.

The moment they arrived home, Daniel took charge, gently guiding Doyun to the guest room. He gave him a reassuring smile and said, "Why don't you put on your comfiest PJs, and pick whatever tv show you want to binge-watch tonight? I'll make that tea for you, and you can just relax and take it easy."

Doyun nodded and wasted no time in getting ready for bed. He threw on the first pair of pajamas he could find, and settled into the bed, putting on a random variety show that he knew him and Daniel loved watching.

Daniel returned to the guest room with a mug of tea and a pack of pills. He sat them down on the bedside table and explained, "Your mom says these pills should help calm your stomach if you aren't already feeling super sick." Careful not to jostle Doyun's stomach, he gently climbed onto the bed, sitting close to his partner. "She also said the restaurant we went to is known for bad seafood so you probably have some form of food poisoning. I guess your cousin must have gotten lucky when she went."

Doyun wanted to puke at the mention of bad seafood, "Never let me pick a restaurant again." Doyun groaned and curled into himself; the memory of the unsettling dinner was still too fresh in his mind, and he wished he could erase the experience entirely.

"Just make sure to do more research next time," he teased, before wrapping his arms around Doyun's waist and pulling him closer. He planted a soft kiss on Doyun's forehead and continued, "Don't dwell too much on it, baby. We still have a week left here, and I'm sure we'll find much better places to eat. Besides, it's the time we spend together that matters most, even if that time is me making sure you don't fall asleep on the toilet again."

As the night wore on, Doyun and Daniel found themselves growing drowsy in each other's arms. The soothing embrace and the comforting ambiance of the Doyun's childhood room made it easy to for the two to succumb to sleep. They drifted off together, tangled in each other's warmth.

Doyun, however, was growing increasingly restless as the night progressed. His stomach seemed to have a mind of its own, gurgling loudly, and the cramps he experienced became more frequent and painful with each passing moment. The few sips of tea he had managed to drink earlier offered no relief, and only upset his tummy further.

The constant turning and the increasingly loud noises coming from Doyun's direction, eventually stirred the older out of his sleep. He blinked his eyes open and, with a concerned frown, noticed Doyun's discomfort, "Love, are you okay? Your stomach sounds really upset." he asked, gently reaching his hand out to touch Doyun's shoulder.

Doyun turned to face Daniel, eyes welling up with tears, "Feels like I'm gonna puke." Doyun whined, digging his head into the crook of Daniel's neck.

"My poor baby," Daniel whispered, he slid his hand under Doyun's shirt, fingers lightly tracing circles on his belly in a soothing, caressing motion. "You wanna try going to the bathroom, love?" Daniel suggested, "Maybe getting it all up will bring you some relief."

Doyun nodded weakly and slowly sat up, allowing Daniel to guide him towards the hallway bathroom. With each step he took, Doyun could feel the contents of his stomach slosh dangerously, as if it was threatening to come up any second.

The moment they entered the bathroom, Doyun's stomach had reached its breaking point. As he sat in front of the toilet, a loud belch escaped him, a precursor to the discomfort that was about to unfold. Then, without warning, a thick stream of vomit erupted from Doyun's mouth, splashing into the bowl below. He barely had a second to catch his breath before a second wave of nausea overtook him, sending him retching into the toilet once more.

"It's okay, love. I'm right here," Daniel murmured, his voice a steady and calming presence. He was used to taking care of Doyun but something about the unfamiliar surroundings was making him feel uncomfortable. He had no time to feel uncomfortable, as his boyfriend was seconds away from collapsing into the toilet.

After what felt like hours, Doyun's belly finally decided to give him a break. Completely exhausted and drained, Doyun allowed himself to fall back into Daniel's embrace, "I think m' done." Doyun mumbled, snuggling into Daniel's shoulder.

Daniel held Doyun even closer, his arms wrapping protectively around him as he whispered soothingly, "It's okay, love. You're done for now." He pressed a gentle kiss to Doyun's forehead.

With Doyun nestled in his embrace, Daniel gently stroked his partner's tummy. Doyun's shallow breaths gradually deepened as he started to relax, his body beginning to recover from the physical strain.

"You think you're ready to go back to bed, baby."

Doyun nodded weakly still too exhausted to form any real response. Daniel scooped Doyun into his arms and carried them to their room, making sure not to jostle the younger's stomach.

Once they were back in the comfort of their room, Daniel gently settled Doyun onto the bed, making sure his partner was comfortable. They cuddled closely together, and Daniel's touch became a soothing presence as he rubbed gentle circles onto Doyun's lower belly.

"Try to get some sleep, love." Daniel whispered softly, his voice filled with tenderness. With his free hand, he gently stroked Doyun's hair, a comforting gesture that had always had a calming effect on him.

#emeto #doyun oc #daniel oc #belly ache #food poisoning #tummy ache #belly rubs #stomach ache #caretaking

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wallacejwriting · 1 year

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descent snippets; #4

From Chapter 4

cw for: panic attack and anxiety

I honestly just picked Liesel stuff. There's a scene after her in the chapter but screw that, have some Liesel.

(Please let me know what you think!)

#1:

Hand, door, turn, and Nat pulls open the door and stumbles into the brighter space of the apartment, proper. First, it is nothing but bright light and the smell of chicken and soy sauce and green onion. There is noise, the rise and fall of television voices, and Nat puts one hand to their head and wishes it would go away. The noise falls away, the lights dim, and Nat manages to squint and see. On a dark blue couch is a woman who looks mildly familiar. She holds a white carton and a pair of chopsticks. Her hair is a mane of black curls that make her round face seem rounder. She is tiny — slim and short and with her body all pulled together into one little place. All around them both, the mess of living, amplified. Several bins of sorted recycling next to a door that must lead to the hallway or outside. Dishes are stacked up, like with like, along the counter. There are no pots or pans among them, just plates, bowls, and mugs. And chopsticks. Maybe a dozen pairs, each different, each artistic. “You’re awake,” says the woman. Nat drags their gaze back toward the woman and stares at her. At her shirt, at her jeans, at her ankles and feet, exposed and bare— oh. The skin tone registers, deep rich brown that reminds Nat of summer, and a memory from earlier clicks into place. Her name is Liesel. They are roommates, now. What sort of city is this, that Nat can get a room in a place with a stranger when no one knows anything about them?

#2:

“I know you probably have a lot of questions,” says Liesel. Yes, Nat has a few. Like what spices are in this fried rice, and what is fried rice, and also where can Nat get more. Rice was near impossible to get up north these days, so Nat never had reason to learn how to cook with it. The carton is half empty. Nat sips water and tries to remember what they wanted to ask about, before the food consumed them. It’s hard. The food’s warm and delicious, and the smell blocks out any of the awful smells Nat’s been dealing with over the last few days. Like the copper smell. The smell that started after the— The lights flicker. Nat’s fork clatters into the carton, which thumps onto the coffee table. Nat grips their head and closes their eyes. Don’t think about it. “Nat?” Liesel’s voice is steady. She doesn’t sound scared. “Are you okay? Can I help?” Can she? The copper wire smell is back. A whimper slips from Nat’s throat. Nat opens their eyes. They turn enough so that they can lift their head and stare at Liesel. Not at her eyes, but at everything else. Details. Use the details. Nat’s head pounds. The too-fast drumbeat of their heart booms in their skull and behind their ribs, threatening to burst at any moment. Nat takes a deep breath. Focus. Liesel’s chin is square, her jaw sharp and angular up to flat ears decorated with golden hoops. Her cheekbones arch strong beneath her eyes, and her expressive eyebrows are pulled tight over the bridge of her wide, sharp nose. Nat’s gaze slips to Liesel’s. Dark brown with flecks of reddish brown. Like river mud mixed with clay. A rich, earthy colour that speaks of summer. Nat breathes in. They smell campfire smoke and taste the sharp juice of a roasted apple slice. They break their staring contest with Liesel and stare, instead, at her hands. They’re small. The nails are painted a soft lilac. “Um… do you feel better?” asks Liesel. Nat nods, quick and jerky. They return to their food, less enthusiastic than before. Their heart is slowing, but it’s still too fast. It aches against their lungs. They can’t breathe shallowly enough to stop aggravating it, so they stop trying.

#3:

“Just give me a few minutes,” says Liesel. “I promise this won’t take long.” Nat frowns. Learning a whole alphabet? Maybe some of it, but there’s no way she can memorize and recognize the whole thing in just a few minutes. Nat sneezes. Campfire smoke tickles their nose. The smell of it, anyway. And that sharp apple scent is there, too, mixing into memories of some of Nat’s favourite summer nights. They watch Liesel watch the video, curious what she’s trying to do. Nat’s mouth twitches up on one side as Liesel mouths the letters and moves her hands in time with the person on screen. Then, Nat blinks. They watch her hands more closely. Those gestures aren’t clumsy or novice at all. Liesel forms each letter with the grace of a pro. Each twist of her fingers, each shift of her wrist, all with the practiced ease of someone who’s been signing for years. Nat stares at her hands. Then, they stare at her mouth. It still mouths. They drag their gaze higher and watch her eyes. With Liesel staring at the screen, it’s easier to look at her eyes than before. She watches the TV, scarcely blinking, her gaze darting around the screen. The video ends. In the sudden silence of the room, Nat finds they’ve leaned forward and their chin is too close to Liesel’s shoulder. They jerk back, ears burning hot and loud, and stare at their lap.

#4:

A slow, wide smile stretches Nat’s face and they bounce slightly in place. Liesel’s a metahuman. Nat knows another metahuman. Nat can ask someone else about being a metahuman! The lights flare and the TV flickers channels before shutting off altogether. Nat squeaks and the lights dim again. Liesel is grinning. It’s clear in her voice even before Nat looks up. “You are amazing.” She stares at the ceiling, lights reflecting in her deep eyes. So are you, Nat wants to say but can’t. Instead, they wave until Liesel looks at them, then point to her and smile. She beams, dimples appearing on either cheek as her mouth stretches wide. Her front teeth are a little crooked. They bend toward each other, just slightly. Nat’s smile grows. What else can they ask? What else do they want to ask? Nat’s fingers flutter in the air. Static dances across their tongue and their teeth. There’s a lightness in their chest and Nat understands, in that second, what they’re feeling. Human. For the first time since… since before they’d left Heron, they feel human again. Like a person and not a shadow. “What’s your power, anyway?” asks Liesel. “I mean,” she gestures to the ceiling, “something with all this, but how wide is it?” Nat thinks. How to use one word to describe it all? E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C-I-T-Y. Liesel’s eyes widen. “You mean it’s not something within it? It’s just… all of electricity?” She gestures widely, painted and chipped nails flashing. Nat watches her hands move, swaying with her motions. Their ears swallow her words and Nat nods. “Wow. That’s amazing.” Nat’s face warms. No, they still think she’s cooler. To understand people, just by looking at them? Nat would give anything for that.

#writeblr #snippets #urban fantasy #queer writeblr #my writing #the metahuman initiative #snippet: descent #wip: descent #c: nat carter #c: liesel jaeger

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feral-cooking · 2 years

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Dinner tonight was a stir fry I made! Beef with veggies, fried in BEAR LARD (very cool and like half the reason I braved making this) sent to me by my amazing friend @losech, who rendered it from a bear she caught with her dog Flint! Anyone who starts shit about hunting will be blocked, this aint the place for me to have that energy and I won't tolerate people harassing my friends. I will allow polite, good faith questions and concerns, but will be liberal with the block button 💕

I took a couple of shortcuts I won't take next time, but made it much less daunting for the first time making it, so I don't regret them. I bought a stir fry meat slices package at the store, which was easy but very tough. I'd like to get a less tough cut next time and cut it myself. I also bought a veggie pack that was precut and combined, which was also easy and made the decision of what veggies to add very easy; just the ones in the pack! The pack had a lot more onions and bell peppers than I'd like though, and I wish I'd taken a moment to cut the broccoli up a bit more. Not a big fan of soft bell pepper and there was way too much onion for my taste, and I wish the broccoli had gotten a bit softer. I wish there were more snap peas as well, I rather liked those.

I think I'll add more peas (maybe snap peas and string beans? 🧐 definitely at least a higher quantity of snap peas though), more broccoli in smaller chunks, and another vegetable or two (zuccini? Idfk) next time, and add the onions (in less quantity!!) and bell peppers later so they're not as limp. I also forgot the rice until kinda late so i need to remember to do that earlier so it's all ready around the same time.

The bear fat worked GREAT, I honestly wish it had a bit more of a distinct taste to it 😂 didn't smoke up or taste weird or anything, 10/10 would recommend.

I definitely need to go get some more seasonings, i used salt, pepper, thyme, and basil on this and it was... Lacking. I wanna start growing some of the herbs I like using so I have them fresh. I started a solid list of seasonings i want to get though, so I'll actually remember while shopping next, instead of forgetting while I stare blankly at the spices. Soy sauce, ginger and turmeric, sriracha and chili oil, fish sauce, sesame seeds, etc.

Overall I'm very proud of myself for making this, and am happy with it. I feel a lot more confident in making this again and making it my own now, and it was remarkably easy. It took about as long to make as box maca, though it took more babysitting, and prep work of cutting meat and veggies will definitely add to the time it takes. Nothing super delicate or anything though, and very satisfying to eat. I have another large serving or two smaller meal servings left for that effort as well, instead of it being one just adequate serving if i had made maca. Well worth the extra time and energy when I have that energy to spare :)

#my cooking #stir fry #bear fat #beef #veggies #rice #medium effort meals #first time cooking #making a new blog with new tags like haha i hope i remember these in the future

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recoverywithgh0ul · 13 days

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Welcome back to the second installment offfffff what i eat in a day >o< (hopefully with some pictures)

Again basic TW for mentions of food and thoughts related to food~ also please apply the disclaimer from my last post to this one,, my body is not your body, and please provide it with what you need~/lh

(So generally speaking the last couple of days the night before I’ve kinda sat down a predetermined what i was going to have the next day, big three wise. I’ve noticed this helps me a tooonnnnn, especially since sometimes when i don’t know what to make i can grab something quick and easy, or possibly order in :/ also, I’m prewriting this part at like 4:11 am bc i can’t sleep lmao. )

Breakfast~

Okay, so for breakfast i had/am having right now lol, one egg on toast with cottage cheese, topped with chili crisp. As a side i have some tomato, and some air fried potatoes. Oh, and the dip is ranch.

(I like to put it in this portion plate both because it’s honestly adorable, and because it helps me feel fuller since, as I’ve mentioned in another post, I’m a volume eater. So plating it like this, for me can control my portions and honestly just make things a whole bunch easier because i usually have a problem over serving myself. This will not work for everyone, my portions will not be equal to everyone’s, but i can assure you, i am eating until I’m full and satisfied. Which on that note can be kinda scary. This morning was kinda rough, I wasn’t able to fall back asleep so i kinda struggled with that hunger feeling until around 6 and then just got sick of it, so i made a coffee with protein powder to hold me over to a “acceptable time for breakfast” knee jerk reaction on this thought? Stupid. Like, there’s no acceptable time to eat, you eat when your body needs food. Compassionate thought? You had a bad morning, everyone does. Good thing about it, is even though it might’ve been delayed and you went through some hurdles, you still ate, and that’s a victory in itself. Recovery is a beast, but I’m determined to show it, I’m stronger.)

Snack~

Okay, so snack, some dried pineapple, and saltines with PB and pumpkin pie seasoning. Pretty good honestly 8/10( i ended up only eating eating two of the crackers, but all of the fruit)

(I hated that i was hungry, plain and simple, but i owe it to my body to eat- and it’s not a bad thing to have a snack. Am i internally freaking bc i have no idea how many this or that and- it goes on, yes, yes i am. But, it’s what i wanted, it’s not over board, and in the long run taking care and honoring my hunger now, will prevent a binge in the future. <3 )

Snack~

Piece of habanero cheese, and two of those PB crackers from earlier made into a sandwich(like put together), no pics bc I’m lazy. I’ll do my best to get a pic for lunch tho~

(Today is proving to be a wacky day to say the least, i do want to preface this and say, all my days are NOT like this. But at this point it might seem like I’ll be eating lunch a little later in the day, so im going to have another small snack to tide me over, because that’s what my body deserves, and I’m honoring my hunger >.< for context i have to get groceries delivered because i don’t drive, and they were taking longer than expected- so yeah :/ )

Lunch~

For lunch i had a honey turkey wrap, with a side of sweet bell peppers, chips, and a dollop of ranch for dipping. Super simple, super easy, and super filling. Also helped me battle a craving for fast food, so extra feeling of accomplishment :>

(So groceries finally got here, chaos adverted, lunch has been made and eaten 10/10 the only thing with this meal is just the pure anxiety that feeling full has left. Did i over indulge? No, i ate until i was full, which is perfectly okay and normal. Today really is a day of pushing. My limits and just for lack of better words, being okay with it.)

Dinner~

Chili crisp oil garlic soup with rice, drizzled with garlic spicy sauce

(For dinner i was having really strong cravings to binge honestly, i think the stress just generally from the day is starting to get to me. To combat this, im going to partake in a coping skill to distract myself, most likely writing :> )

Snack~

PB toast with some type of topping(not sure if i want sweet or savory yet >.<)

(For snack I’m going to leave it as a option for myself, so i know I’ll be full through the night, to avoid whatever this morning was :/)

Drinks~

Protein powder with iced coffee

Aloe coconut drink with a bit of a strawberry peach crystal light flavoring packet

Aloe pineapple drink

Water throughout the day

So that was another complete what i eat in a day, today was definitely different, and 100% more stressful, but overall, I’m trying to create healthy eating habits, and eating healthy is eating in moderation, and i can still do that, and feel happy with my food choices both in a satisfied way, and my body getting what it needs way~

I hope if you’re reading this, you have a great day/night, stay strong, and love yourself~ and remember recovery is never hard, but it’s always worth it,,/g /lh

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avelona · 5 months

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Today I made stir-fried snow pea leaves! :)

The challenge was finding them honestly. They weren't in any grocery store I ever went to, not even Asian grocery stores. Then earlier this week I finally went to a new one my friend told me about and found them. They were delicious! :) Had them with gyoza, orange chicken and white rice.

https://thewoksoflife.com/stir-fried-snow-pea-leaves-with-garlic/

#moi

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alexracheltravel · 1 year

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Day one: Welcome to Vietnam

Well it's time once again for the two of us to recap our days. We lifted our heads to a quiet morning, hearing the sounds of traffic on the street below. Breakfast was served in the hotel. Fried eggs for Rachel. Beef Pho for Alex. It was 8:00 a.m. Vietnamese coffee was strong, resembling a French Roast with notes of chocolate. It would not be his last caffeinated beverage.

The morning began with a brief excursion around the Old Quarter. Crowds were small, and traffic was mild. We started with the Dong Xuan Market, located not far from the hotel, although we didn't buy anything. We stopped into a small, yet ancient temple: Bach Ma, dating back about a thousand years. We had to return to our hotel, as we had a date with Chris, our guide on an excellent street food tour.

Chris led us through back alleys and open streets, along the top of Hoan Kiem Lake and across busy intersections. We are plentiful and in excess.

The "ultimate menu" as he called it, consisted of:

1) Spring Rolls with pork, petite, steaming hot and crispy.

2) Dried beef salad - flavorful jerky over shredded green papaya, served over a seasoned fish sauce.

3) Summer rolls - an experiential make-your-own wrap filled with mango, lettuce, herbs, pork, and rice noodles. Dipped in peanut sauce.

4) Freshly made juice at a local stall in one of the many city alleys. The citrus of the pomelo and pineapple reminded us of the hot spring rolls, which burned the roof of our mouths earlier.

5) Bún Cha - one of Hanoi's local favorites. Grilled pork and noodles mixed in sauce. Garlic was added by the fistful. Thai chilis by the fingerful.

6) Banh Mi - you already know what it is, and yeah, it was good.

7) Sticky rice with coconut ice cream - sweet and delicious.

8) Egg coffee and ginger tea. The egg coffee was a thick, flavorful cappuccino-style drink. The tea was spicy.

It was quite some feast, and we weren't hungry for the rest of the day, if you can believe it. But the sun had not yet set and we had more to see. So we hopped into a taxi and rode down to visit the Temple of Literature, an ancient school, honoring the teachings of Confucius. We got there not long before it closed, so we had to rush a little though the meditative gardens, but at least we got to see the old texts on display, including woodblock prints and old, old books. Alex sat in one of their small hits and wrote for a moment in his planner.

We had one more stop, as exhaustion and jet-lag kicked in and that was to visit the railroad street. Someone apparently had the great idea to build a bunch of cafes and bars close to railroad tracks, so that you could pretty much touch the train as it passed while also holding onto a bottle of beer. No trains came while we waited, but perhaps the quiet was what we needed as the sun went down and our eyes grew heavy. Total distance walked: over nine miles.

Tomorrow, we have another early start. This time we take a bus to Ninh Binh, Vietnam's ancient capital. We'll be back in Hanoi for dinner.

Rachel: we need to elaborate on our food stops. The people want to know!

Alex: I honestly just copy-pasted what our guide did. Wasn't Chris the best?

R: Yes. And I particularly liked that giving food tours is his career passion and the conversations we had about that work being his true calling. You can take the girl away from work but that doesn't mean she'll stop thinking about people's career happiness and satisfaction.

A: Well, we made it to Vietnam. What surprised you the most about this country so far?

R: Honestly, it's different from what people had told me. I feel like a lot of Hanoi reminds me of certain neighborhoods in New York.

A: Yeah the Old Quarter, which we didn't really leave, is like if every street was Mott Street in Chinatown. Traffic is chaotic. Motorbikes going every direction. Delicious food on every corner. Outside, it's apparently very different and quite modern as well, but I liked this city so far. Of course the food was great.

R: Agreed. I think my favorite meal was the summer roll platter. Not only was it interactive (assemble your own roll) but it had every contrasting texture and flavor combined in a single bite.

A: I might say the summer roll was my favorite of the tour. I also really like pho for breakfast but who doesn't?

R: I think I was most surprised by the dried beef salad, a close second for me. The beef jerky with the really fresh shredded green papaya, soaked in fish sauce, was a perfect contrast to the fried spring roll we had just earlier.

A: I drank a lot of coffee today.

R: Are you going to sleep tonight?

A: Yeah I'm pretty jet lagged. How about you?

R: I felt a little like a walking zombie for the last hour of our tour

A: Well if we're tired tomorrow we have a bus ride to sleep. I think that'll be helpful.

R: Day one was a huge success. My feet are tired. My eyes are tired. But my heart is full.

A: So are our stomachs.

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suckitsurveys · 1 year

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Is it currently raining where you are? No, but it is snowing, though. I think it’s going to be a mix at some point today, though.

What’s something that you have been wanting to say to someone? I REALLY want to fucking say something to my brother in law but I don’t want my relationship with my nieces to be strained. What’s your favorite thing to do at the end of the day? Just chill out? Maybe have a small sweet snack and play something on my phone or computer or watch TV with Mark. When did you last use a lighter or matches? The other day.

Do you or anyone you know have covid or the flu? Not currently. Do you have a hard time letting things go? Yeah. What did you last have to eat? The last thing I ate was last night’s dinner which was cajun chicken sandwiches. Are you allergic to anything that is unusual? Some medication called bactrim or something. It’s for UTIs. When did you last feel fear? Always in a stare of some kind of fear/panic honestly. What did you last drop? A food container. Luckily nothing spilled out of it. Have you ever been to a Halloween themed amusement park? Fright Fest at 6 Flags? What’s something about your health that you would like to change? My weight. When did you last look on the mirror? This morning. What color is your favorite shirt? Black. What last made you smile? A picture I saw on IG. Have you ever walked through a sunflower field? Yes. How often do you listen to music? At least once a day, in some form or another. Are you a fan of Taylor Swift? What’s your favorite song from her? She has some incredibly catchy songs and I’m actually digging her new album a lot. My favorite song off of there is probably Maroon. But All Too Well (10 Min Version) is definitely my favorite of her’s. Would you be happy if you got a lifetime supply of the last thing you purchased? A lifetime supply of gas would actually be amazing. What’s something great that has happened to you recently? I mean, a small handful of things. How old were you when you had your first best friend? Kindergarten. Do you believe that anything is infinite? No. What did you last order from a fast food restaurant? I took my nieces to McDonald’s the other day after school and I ordered a small root beer and some fries for myself; a double cheese burger (with JUST pickles, Auntie!!!!!!!!!), fries, and a small root beer for my 9yo niece; and a4pc McNugget Happy Meal with fries and a chocolate milk for my 4yo niece. How often do you have to purchase shampoo and conditioner? Maybe once a month or more? Mark has like no hair and I don’t wash mine that often (dry shampoo is my best friend), especially when it’s freshly dyed. What was the last pain you’ve had on your body? My feet are killing me. Is there anything currently bothering you? ^The aforementioned feet Would you ever paint your bedroom bright blue? Certain shades of it, perhaps. What’s your favorite way to eat rice? Weird, this question was on the last survey I did too. I think I said “with my mouth” as the answer like a smart ass, but now I will say “rolled up in sushi.” Do you currently have a window open? No, its freezing here. What kind of jacket do you like wearing most? A puffy one that goes past my butt. Do you own a sherpa blanket? Yes. Are you currently wearing something green? I am not. Have you recently lost something? I can’t remember. What’s something that has really impacted your life? My brother in law entering my sister’s life. What scents can you currently smell? The perfume I used a bit of this morning. What did you last have as a snack? A Snickers bar. Are you currently listening to music? No. Would you say you’re a strong person? In some ways, sure. What’s something you miss from the past? Road trips. When did you last rush for something? ...this was in the last survey too....I rushed to get to work again today. I absolutely need to work on this. I need to go to bed earlier. Do you require a lot of personal space or do you enjoy being around people often? I like space, but I do like being around people today. Have you drank enough water today? I am starting to think this survey stole exact questions from another one, or vise versa, because this one was also in the last one. Anyway, it’s still early. Do you like lima beans? I’m not sure, actually. I haven’t tried them in a while. What was the last lie you told? Uhhhh. What did you last plug into an outlet? The Christmas lights in the office. Do you have anything due soon? The credit card bill is due tomorrow. How many bottles do you see from where you’re sitting? I can see two water bottles, a bottle of some sort of cleaning agent, and a bottle of hand sanitizer. What was the last thing you took a picture of? A couple of ornaments on the tree.

#surveys #at work

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emcon-imagines · 3 years

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a real charmer

gif characters: Wanda Maximoff x reader words: 1624 summary: you’ve tried your best to hide your feelings for Wanda, but when you’re assigned together on a mission, the butterflies become hard to ignore... and you’re pretty sure she knows it a/n: I couldn’t resist writing some fluff for Valentine’s Day adfhjdfhajkf I hope you all had a good one I love you all very much and also happy one year of this blog!

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

You hardly knew the day of the week, much less the date, each day of the mission blending into the next as you tried your best to adjust to the strange hours needed for surveillance, the late nights and the early morning wake up calls.

“It’s busy out,” you remarked to Wanda as you walked back to the hotel room that night, each of you clutching a bag of take-out in your hands and trekking through the thin layer of snow on the sidewalk. Your exposed hands were growing numb out in the cold, even as you tried to tuck them into the sleeves of your coat and continue holding onto your food. I should have worn gloves like she said. “Where did all these people come from?”

“Probably because of the holiday,” Wanda said, glancing at one of the restaurants as a peal of laughter escaped from inside, a couple opening up the front door.

“Holiday?” It took you a moment, and you felt the heat rising into your cheeks as Wanda laughed, watching you think.

“Valentine’s Day?” she finally reminded you.

“Oh, right,” you said, shrugging and trying to conceal your embarrassment, somehow just talking about the day itself made you freeze up in a way you didn’t around the others. “Somehow I thought February just started. That whole week before this mission was a blur.” Everything felt so easy around her. It’s only because we’re teammates. We work well together.

“This is us,” Wanda said, reaching out to grab you and steer you back to the door of the Airbnb, behind it a staircase that led to the studio apartment on the third floor. You had almost walked completely past it, the place hidden between a late-night café and a pub that had only just opened.

“I wonder how Steve and Nat are doing,” you said as you placed your food down to lock the door behind you before starting up the stairs. “They’re on watch tonight.”

“I’m dying for a full night of sleep,” Wanda said, ahead of you, ducking her head into her shoulder as she yawned and unlocked the upstairs door. “I’m just glad for that tonight.”

“I’ll probably stay up and listen in on the comms anyways.” You kicked your boots off on the mat inside and tugged off your coat, too tired to even hang it up and instead tossing it over one of the chairs. “Might be something interesting.”

“Uh-huh,” Wanda said, like she didn’t quite believe you. “One hour. One hour and you’ll be asleep.”

You sat down on the floor, back up against the bed and cracked open the plastic container of fried rice, before rummaging through the bag to pull out the two crab rangoons you had gotten on the side. Not even using a plate, you bit into one, savoring the fried goodness. “Sleep is for the weak. You know, as the strongest Avenger... shit.” You looked down at your shirt, where filling from the crab rangoon had fallen. “Shit.”

“You were saying?” Wanda asked, sitting down across from you, passing you a napkin before you even asked. She looked around the small Airbnb, taking it all as she ate, looking out the window behind you, where the city lights appeared almost frozen in the chilled air outside. “Well... Happy Valentine’s Day,” she said, and as you dabbed at your shirt with the napkin, you realized that her eyes were on you.

“Oh, yeah,” you said, laughing. “What a way to spend it.”

“Rude,” she said, completely deadpan, causing you to look and see the twinkle in her eyes. “I’m kidding.”

“I meant the fact that we’re stuck on a mission! Not because--”

“--you’re stuck here with me?” Wanda asked, clicking her tongue as she opened her water bottle and cocked her head with an easy smile. “Has anyone told you what a charmer you are, y/n?”

“All the time,” you said, pushing down the butterflies in your stomach, the way she was looking at you making you feel pinned down to the spot, unable to move. Lightheaded, even. “Yeah, had tons of dates lined up back in New York before this mission came up.”

“Mm. Sure.”

The conversation moved on and you relaxed again, back into the normal, joking persona you used to deflect any other feelings you may be having. You discussed the mission, movies that you loved, the tiny dog you saw on your way back to the apartment, Tony’s faux pas in the meeting the other week, the two of you laughing as you recalled Steve’s expressions and Tony’s attempted recovery.

You leaned your head against the bed, wiping a tear from the corner of your eye as you tried to stop laughing and throw away the trash from your dinner, collecting Wanda’s as well and washing out the containers at the sink. “If they ever crack time travel, that’s the first place I’m going,” you said. “February 6th, 2016. Noon. The Avengers Compound. The conference room. Just to see that play out one more time.”

Wanda sat down on the bed, and even though you had shared a bed before (as teammates, we’re teammates) something felt different as she turned on the television and flipped through the channels while you finished washing up. You paused in the kitchen alcove, away in the dark, biting your lip as you stared down at the floor. It’s all in your head. Just act normal. You’re friends. Teammates. Nothing’s changed.

With an quiet sigh, you returned to the main area and changed into more comfortable clothes before opening up your laptop on the desk and tuning into Natasha and Steve’s comms. Avoidance. That’s what you did, that’s what you always did. You looked out the window as Wanda got changed for bed, the comms silent and the TV chattering quietly in the background, the lights going out one by one until the room was only illuminated by the television and your screen. You rubbed your tired eyes with your thumb and index finger and looked back at the bed to see Wanda watching you.

“Hi,” you said, though it came out more like a question.

“Hey,” she said, and the butterflies started again as time seemed to stop entirely. She lifted up the corner of the comforter, inviting you in. “I know you’re tired. I’m sure Steve and Natasha can handle whatever comes up just fine.” You looked back at the laptop, and just as you did so, it close with a click, red energy dissipating around you. Wanda laughed, and you glanced over at her shyly, more shy than you had even been in your life.

“I’ll rest, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep,” you mumbled, staring at the floor as you walked over to her and climbed in. “Why do I feel like this is a trap?”

“Probably because it is,” she replied, wrapping her arm around you and turning you to face her, Wanda’s hair tickling the side of your face as your breath hitched in your throat.

“Oh. Hi,” you said again, laughing, not sure what else to say, your brain completely shutting down. “Did you... did you read my mind earlier?” you murmured, lifting your head up.

“With you, I don’t have to,” Wanda said. “You’re not exactly subtle.” She smiled a little. “Even though I know you try very hard to be.” Her green eyes were wide, as if she had just asked a question and was waiting for an answer.

It only took you a second to answer, you closing the gap between the two of you as you kissed her, feeling her widening smile against your lips as she kissed you back, placing her hand on the side of your face, your cheek warm and tingly just from her touch.

Her kisses were slow, tender, as if you two had all the time in the world, tucked away on that snowy February night. When the two of you separated, both of you started giggling again, her laying back on her pillow and pulling you down with her, hand just below your ribcage and you curled up next to her. Her thumb rubbed gently near your lowest rib, back and forth, back and forth.

“I’m... not to change the subject like this,” she said, “but what the hell is that?” she said gesturing at the television, where some extreme lifestyle show was playing out, sending you two into another fit of laughter, the absurd late night program only adding to the strangeness of it all.

“You put it on!” you exclaimed, your head tucked just below her chin, her laughter coming from her chest and resonating in your head.

“Honestly? I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Well, don’t turn it off,” you said, yawning and shutting your eyes. “This is... absolutely riveting.”

“Thought you said you weren’t going to sleep,” Wanda teased, her hand combing through your hair as she placed another kiss to your forehead, causing your cheeks to flush again.

“Well, you trapped me, so I guess I have no choice,” you joked drowsily. “Guess I’ll have to sleep.” You opened your eyes, tilting your head to look up at her. “Um... Happy Valentine’s Day.” There was so much more you wanted to tell her, but for now it was all you could muster. “I’m glad I’m spending it with you.”

“Me too.”

#one shot #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff one shot #marvel #mcu #marvel one shot #mcu one shot #scarlet witch #scarlet witch x reader #scarlet witch one shot #imagine #wanda maximoff reader insert #fav

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blackbat05 · 3 years

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Day by Day

Shangqi x Reader

A/N: My love for this man has hit an all time high so let me capitalize on it while I still can! If you read everything, I sincerely thank you for doing so!!! And holy cow 2 fics in 2 days have I gone back into my prime days?

Genre: PG-13

Notes: As the title mentioned, I’ll probably set it some time after endgame. You could see it as a prequel to my first post! Reader is a social worker and she’s just dealing with all the mess that the snap bought back. The reader’s name as Jen Lee. I also apologize in advance for the potentially long fic.

***

‘Excuse me, I’m looking for my child? Her name’s Wang Yiman and she’s seven.’ Another frazzled-looking parent fought her way to the front of the receptionist, approaching the helpless intern who looked like she was going to be on the verge of tears if another request came in.

‘I got this,’ a hand calmly reassured the young intern as she beckoned the relief parent. ‘Mrs Wang? My name is Jen Lee and I’m the social worker here.’ I offered my hand for the anxious mother. ‘Oh thank god! Is Yiman ok? She must have been so scared!’ I slowed to a stop outside the room at the end of the corridor, gently sitting her down.

‘Yiman has been a very brave girl Mrs Wang, but I will not lie to you. The sudden disappearance of their parents has traumatized a lot of kids. We’ve managed to explain to them what was going on but they will need a lot of support.’ I gave a glance over Mrs Wang’s shoulder, nodding to my colleague, Tammy who was holding the hand of a little girl in pigtails and a floral dress.

妈妈! mā ma (mommy!)

The young girl ran into her mother’s open arms, allowing the floodgates to open from both ends. I turn to Tammy as we shared a silent agreement to leave the area. ‘That’s the last one for the day,’ Tammy unceremoniously plops herself onto the chair, letting out a groan. ‘Thanks for your hard work Jen.’

‘Right back at you.’ I entered the last bit of paperwork before uploading Yiman’s case file onto the portal. Yiman’s reunion with her parents meant the Children and Youth Centre were halfway in getting every displaced child back to their parents. Looking at the dingy television that was hung on the walls at the waiting room, despite not being able to hear anything, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on. S.W.O.R.D was apparently in a stand-off against Wanda Maximoff? Reported rumors that Sam Wilson didn’t want anything to do with the shield? It’s been a crazy few weeks but that was utter-

‘Bullshit! If anything it’s the government. They must have psyched him into giving up the shield.’ My chair swiveled to face Tammy who returned a nonchalant shrug. ‘What? You know I’m right. Doesn’t matter if half the world’s gone or our universe gets split into two - they’re the true evil here. I’m still struggling to find a place after I found a couple making out in my apartment! And you know what the global repatriation council told me? We’re only dealing with urgent cases right now. Well I say f-’

The incessant ringing of the bell interrupted our conversation, replacing Tammy’s tirade into a cheeky grin. ‘Look who’s here!’

Shangqi stands behind the counter, dressed in his usual red varsity jacket and jeans, holding bags of what I could only make out as takeout from the Chinese restaurant that was run by a friendly Singaporean couple. ‘Did I interrupt something?’ He scratches his head nervously. ‘Nope, in fact you just saved me from Tammy’s monologue, any further and she’ll explicitly tell me what she saw in her apartment when she got dusted back that day,’ I shivered in mock fear. ‘Still haunts me up till today.’ Tammy meets us by the door, bag in her hand.

‘I thought you were staying? We got fried dumplings and 泡饭 pào fàn (poached rice).’

‘Last minute duty - A parent called, gotta run! Enjoy your dinner date.’ She waggles her eyebrows suggestively, much to our embarrassment. ‘What? It’s not...’ Shangqi stutters, trying to form intelligible sentences. ‘Get out before I throw a fried dumpling at your face Tammy!’ She winks at me, before darting out of the door. Once my nosy colleague was out, I turn towards a red-faced Shangqi. ‘I’m so sorry... just don’t mind her.’

‘Huh?’ The man was knocked out of his stupor. ‘Oh yeah... sure,’ in an attempt to forget everything that had just happened, he opened the packets of fried dumplings. ‘Ready for war?’

‘I was born ready.’

Thirty-five minutes later, all that was left were the remnants of fried dumplings and three empty containers.

‘This should be illegal,’ I patted my stomach in satisfaction to his amusement. ‘Laugh at yourself! You lost track of how many dumplings you had and ended up taking my share!’

Raising his hands in defeat, Shangqi starts to clear the table up. ‘So how’s the center? Everything alright?’ I nodded numbly.

The past five years had been a blur. Hazy, even. All I remembered was a kid running into the office telling me that half of the staff disappeared during a school holiday program that we were running with a dozen other kids. Parents who survived the snap rushed to our center, demanding to see their children. We couldn’t give them any answer as we too, were equally perplexed. Maybe the only thing that made sense was Shangqi and Katy bursting into the center to help us with the chaos.

Coming back from what could be the 1000th phone call, I got a glimpse in the children’s playroom where the five years old kids were at, treating myself to an amusing sight. They all had red cloths draped around their neck, each holding a stick that was from the abandoned prop box. Katy wasn’t spared to as she was wearing her own red cloth that seemed a few sizes to small for her. Not that she didn’t seem to mind.

‘Alright my warriors! Chargeeeeee!!!!!!’

In unison, little pairs of feet pattered across the room towards their ‘enemy’, a cardboard cutout of a monstrous creature who was really just Shangqi in disguise.

‘RAWR! I’ll eat anyone who stands in my way!’ He stands up, mimicking a dinosaur that was about to trample an entire city. I decided that the paperwork could wait, standing near the door to watch an Oscar-worthy performance. With great effort and bravery from the kids, they finally managed to take down 5 foot 10 worth of muscle.

‘Again! Again!’

I chuckled upon seeing Shangqi on the floor, about to drift off into wonderland. It was time for me to step in. ‘Alright kids that’s enough for today! Dinner’s here.’ As the kids dispersed with the help of Katy, it was just the two of us left to clear up the mess. ‘Thank you so much, both of you. I honestly can’t think of what would happen if you guys didn’t come to help.’

Perhaps my body language was screaming ‘I’m dead tired, please just knock me out’ as Shangqi takes a cloth from me, folding it back into the box. ‘It’s what we would have done, this place, it means a lot to us - to me.’

A small knock on the door diverts our attention away from the trash. Little Yiman stands at the door, as she stares at the both of us with big round eyes.

‘Yiman, it’s late, what are you doing here?’ I squat down to her eye level. The little girl beams, ‘ 妈妈 said that I could give this to you!’ She passes me a juice box together with a handmade card with colorful scribbles. Maybe I was carrying too much on my shoulders, as I suddenly felt a boulder lifted off me. ‘Thank you,’ I smile at her sweetly, ‘I love apple juice.’ Happy with the response, she runs to Shangqi. ‘Shangqi 哥哥 gē ge (brother)!’

He breaks out into a smile, opening his arms wide. Yiman nuzzles her head into his shoulder before breaking out into uncontrollable giggles from his sudden attack of tickles. ‘Are you hear to help Miss Jen?’ I took the trash from his hands, giving him some time with the girl.

‘Yes I am. Miss Jen needs some help so I’m here today!’

‘Are you her boyfriend?’

Shangqi freezes on the spot. He had undergone what could be the toughest training by his father, fought the greatest assassins in the world and here he was - stumped by a question from a seven year old. ‘Well... I’m her close friend since when we were very young,’ Yiman looks at him expectantly. ‘She helped me when I was in trouble so I had to be a good friend when she was in trouble too.’

‘Like how Ningning helped me when I injured my knee?’

‘Yeah... something like that.’ He breathes a sigh of relief, thankful to escape his first crisis. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure if he was telling himself the truth.

‘Yiman! Your mother’s here!’ The little girl gives him one last hug before running to the waiting room. Shangqi takes a moment to recollect himself. ‘Here I am thinking that you finally managed to have some stamina while interacting with young children, maybe I was wrong.’ I teased as I sat beside him.

‘Har har, hilarious.’ He tosses me a straw for our peach teas, as we were greeted by the amazing night view of San Francisco. ‘Enough about me, you good though?’ Looks like he didn’t forget the conversation that was cut off earlier. My mind goes back to a few minutes earlier, eavesdropping on the conversation.

‘I had to be a good friend when she was in trouble too.’

Life has been so unpredictable, I don’t even want to think too far into the future. With appearances from more superpowered beings, I don’t know what’s real anymore.

‘Yeah. To be honest, it’s been so crazy and overwhelming but I’ll get through it. I have you don’t I?’ Giving him a wink, I slowly sipped on the sweetness of the tea, savoring the pearls. He pauses for a moment, nodding thoughtfully.

Life isn’t the same as it was before. But maybe, just maybe... if I had Shangqi, I’ll take each day on one at a time. Day by day.

[END]

A/N: Hoho! I literally spent the whole afternoon writing because I just had to get this idea out and also because work was pretty slow today. I have no idea what is up with my first two fics hinting at unrequited love? I guess I got inspired by Shangqi’s and Katy’s platonic relationship because I thought it was so well written but I also love Shangqi so I guess is a compromise kinda thing. Again, do like and comment if you wish! Really thankful that y’all have been so kind to me so far!

Perhaps I’ll try my hand at shorter ones like headcannons before this girl exhausts herself out and I don’t want to do that because I believe I have more to show!

#xu shangqi #shangqi imagine #shangqi x reader #katy shang chi #shang chi #shang chi x reader

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iu-jjang · 3 years

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[FANCAFE] 210918 IU replies to uaenas on fancafe

Fan: How does it feel to watch your own projects??

IU: I wasn’t able to fully feel (enjoy) it cause I was nervous when the show was running, so it’s twice as much fun now that I can watch it comfortably....🥺

Fan: You said it’s so fun to be born as IU? Honestly I envy you... for real

IU: So fun 🐣

Fan: What did you eat after the live (session)?

IU: I ate Kimchi fried rice 😛

Fan: I want to sing along to ‘Heart’ with you ㅠㅠ

IU: All of you can even sing the full song lyrics as soon as you wake up from your sleep now, right?!

Fan: Blowing out candles on unnie’s debut anniv without unnie heheh love you. Thank you so much for the past 13 years 🤍 [attach IU cake pic]

IU: Omg! The cake is so pretty 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Fan: Let’s play the balance game!!

IU: Devote myself completely as a ‘Uaena’ vs Inscribe ‘Uaena’ in my bones (mind)

Fan: Unnie, have you taken dinner after the voice live?

IU: I had kimchi fried rice (as dinner) and apple as dessert afterwards 🤤

Fan: Unnie, thank you for answering my question today. I feel close to you now that I know you’re also someone who uses towel with words on it keke It feels nice cause I feel closer to you now. Congrats on our 13th anniversary 💜 You said you were hungry just now, what did you eat? I ate shabu shabu at home!!!!

IU: I like eating shabu shabu at home too 🤤

Fan: Wow, explosive reactions kekekekekekekekeke

IU: my busy fingers...!

Fan: Do you feel energised now that you’ve had your meal? I managed to get away from my cousin’s disturbance to watch the live session and right now, i’m playing badminton in the middle of the night ㅜㅜ

IU: It’s a good weather to play badminton.. 🥰

Fan: Unnie’s crying face... It’ll be hard for me to catch the first concert, but even I can, I’ll be the one crying more cause I probably can’t bear to see unnie cry... 😭😭

IU: Wailing loudly during the first song and watching the concert with a hoarse voice the entire time vs Watching concert in your best condition by never crying and expressing your excitement

Fan: They say kids these days don’t use Heol / jjang but I use them more than a hundred times a day. What about unnie???? 🤓

IU: Heol, seriously? That’s jjang (incredible)...

Fan: I guess unnie left... I should’ve come (commented) earlier 🥲

IU: I haven’t left yet

Fan: Do you still like purple these days?!?💜

IU: I tried pretending not to like it? But it turns out that I still like purple..

Fan: Unnie, someone said I’ll never get a reply from unnie... Can you please reply to me once..? ㅠㅠ

IU: Hey that someone!! Please self-reflect!! 😤

Fan: ㅠㅠ I cry a lot in an ominously sorrowful manner these days... How do I hold back tears?

IU: Drink lots of water and let tears fall as they do!! If you hold back, wouldn’t they pile up in other forms inside you (r heart)?

Fan: Tie hair up vs hair down

IU: Hair down if my hair stylist teacher blow-dries my hair, hair up if I go by myself

Fan: Unnie, how did your phone screen break this time 🥺

IU: People who often break their phone screens usually don’t remember that kind of thing.....

Fan: Unnie, please share an emoji that you’re into these days hehehehehhe

IU: 🦁🦁

Fan: Unnie, which subject did you like as a kid??

IU: Korean language!! Keke

Fan: Unnie, did you purposely make effort to take the donation selfies with different expressions? 💜💜 (They’re all different expressions.. 😆)

IU: Yes, I put in lots of efforts to make it diverse... kekeke

19th Sept update:

Fan: Out of all the dishes unnie made, show us the one that screams mad visuals.

IU: Soybean Paste Stew that’s good to eat on a Sunday morning [Attach soybean paste stew photo]

Translated by IUteamstarcandy with love

#IU #replies #fancafe

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nocturnalazura · 3 years

Text

Stay

Aizawa Shouta x GN Reader

Warnings: A little cursing and Fluff?

Summary: It's Aizawa's day off and you decide on a simple little stay at home date.

tumblr seems to have eaten the ask but I believe this is what you were hoping for! For @notchesandbullets

Slightly chapped lips pepper little kisses around your face, slowly working to pull you out of your very peaceful sleep. Raising a hand you bat at the bothersome set of lips that dare try to take you away from your peaceful slumber. Easily the person attached to those lips grabs your hand and pin it to the bed before pressing another kiss to your forehead.

“Nnnn stop it. ‘M sleepin.” You mumble as you try to shove your face into the pillow below you. “What time is it?”

“I know but it’s my day off kitten. It’s 10 in the morning, I wanna take you out.” Whispers Aizawa as he kisses at your face again.

“Unless taking me out means you’re going to smother me with a pillow, it can wait a few hours so I can sleep next to you for once.” You mumble peeking a tired eye up at him. The circles under his eyes seem to be darker than normal today. “You need to sleep Shouta, at least for a couple of hours. Come cuddle.”

“Fine, but we’re going out when we wake up ok?” He states before climbing under the covers next to you.

“Mhmm.” you half hum snuggling into his chest eagerly leaching off his warmth.

Within minutes you’re once again passed out happily only this time curled up against your lover. Roughly four hours pass as the two of you sleep wrapped around one another, until finally you start to stir. Peeling your eyes open you’re pleased to find yourself tucked under Shouta’s chin as he snores softly above you. Resisting the urge to curl further into his warmth, you slowly wiggle your way out of his arms and crawl towards the end of the bed only to be stopped by a strong arm wrapping around your waist.

“You better be getting up to go get ready so we can go out.” Comes a low sleep filled voice.

“I’m getting up to go use the bathroom. We’re not going out.” You state, attempting to be sturn you turn around to glare at him softly only to be met with a rather apathetic looking Aizawa. “Don’t look at me like that, you work so much and I know how tiring your class is. Let's just stay home and have date night here. We can cook together!”

“Kitten I haven’t actually taken you out in weeks you deserve it.”

“What I deserve is to spend time with you, I just want to stay home and watch crappy movies and eat curled up right here in bed.”

“Kitten , I just want to treat you right.”

“Please Shouta! This is what I want!” Giving him your best puppy dogs eyes. " I want a simple stay at home date with you."

One huff and over dramatic eye roll later you found yourself happily cuddled up again with your favorite movie playing on the bedroom tv. Calloused fingers run slowly through your hair as you tangle your legs with his. You pick at the random little assorted of snacks the two of you gathered occasionally feeding him little pieces of whatever you’re eating.

Two movies later you can no longer ignore your need for real food and thankfully Aizawa seems to have slightly dozed off. As you let the credits roll you successfully slip away from him and shuffle quietly to the kitchen to look for something to make for dinner. Digging through the fridge you pull out leftover rice from your dinner last night and decide on a simple fried rice, that can’t be too hard right?

Wrong, god were you wrong. It was going so well, you had everything you needed and it was going smoothly. Until you look away for just a little too long and the pan gets just a little too hot. Honestly you never knew rice could burn so quickly, in retrospect you really should have known it could burn like that. The fire alarm screams above you as you scramble to throw the pan in the sink and open the window all at the same time.

“I get it! I suck at cooking, stop screaming at me!” You scream helplessly at the loud alarm attempting to fan the smoke away.

“Y/N?! Kitten jesus are you okay?” Screams Aizawa as he slides in the room, minor panic on his face.

“I’m fine, But can you help me turn this thing off please!” You stop flapping your hands around as he quickly reaches up to stop the shrill noise. Finally the loud noise stops and you can think and hear again. “Thank you.”

“What the hell happened? Did you hurt yourself?” He questions looking you over. Once he sees that you’re fine, he lets out a sound of relief and looks around only to find the charred pan in the sink. Shaking his head his eyes fall back onto your sheepish looking form. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah M’fine. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, I just wanted to cook you dinner as a surprise.”

“Y/n, my love, my universe, you are a terrible cook. You said you wanted to cook together.”

“I changed my mind and wanted to surprise you and I’m not that bad!” You yell attempting to defend yourself. Raising an eyebrow he looks over at the sink where the hot pan still rests. “Ok point taken, I’ll get the take out menus.”

An hour later the two of you have since cleaned up the kitchen and situated yourselves on the couch with your freshly delivered food.

“You seemed pretty worried about me. Figured you’d be a little calmer after what your class puts you through.” You tease shoving Aizawa slightly with your shoulder.

“Yeah, well I care about the kids but don’t intend to keep them forever.”

“Awww you know you could just say you love me, and want to spend the rest of your life with me you know.”

“And why would I ever tell you that.”

“My love, my universe.” You say lowering your voice to mock his earlier words.

Rolling his eyes at you he sets his food down and throws an arm around your shoulders. Laughing at him softly you pretend not to notice the little smile that creeps it way onto his face as he stares at the tv in front of you. Leaning over you set your food down on the table and adjust yourself to throw your legs over his lap and rest your head on his shoulder. Resting a hand on your legs he squeezes softly and kisses your forehead.

“Love you kitten.”

“Love you too, Shouta.”

#bnha aizawa #aizawa imagine #mha x y/n #aizawa fluff #bnhacity

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h0tch-r0cket · 3 years

Text

Infatuation (18+) {a.h.}: chapter 4

summary: you needed a job. aaron hotchner needed a baby sitter. the rest was inevitable.

word count: 5.2K

warnings: explicit language, mentions of smoking

table of contents

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

A few days had passed since your first day babysitting Jack Hotchner. You both were slowly developing a routine each day that you picked him up from the bus stop; he would fill you in on the details of his school day as you walked back to the Hotchner home, you kicked the rocks on the street back and forth to one another, snacks were always eaten when he would do his homework, and while you waited for Aaron to come home, you occupied yourself and Jack with movies or board games.

Of course, you still were having a hard time reading Aaron. Most times when he came home, he would greet you with typical conversation niceties and then the awkward silence would fall between you two in which you could never tell if it was because he did not want to talk or if it was because he was still uncertain about opening up to you. Either way, you still found yourself gazing in his direction too long at times trying to figure out what he was thinking.

You officially had made it through your first week with Jack and you were thankful for the weekend that you had time to spend with Esmé and unwind. You were eating some Chinese takeout together on the couch, watching whatever you landed on on the TV. You watched Artemis lay down underneath your feet, in hopes that some sort of food would fall down on the floor in her favor.

"So, how is the little squirt?" Esmé asked as she bit into her eggroll.

"Jack is great, honestly. He's such a sweet kid and I honestly was expecting a lot worse," you admitted as you twisted your chopsticks around in the lo mein you ordered.

"That's good. You could have ended up with a little shit that doesn't even know how to wipe their own ass or always cries when they want their parents to come home from work." She raised her eyebrows at you, as if to say Thank God you lucked out.

You chuckled at her, shaking your head in agreement. "I guess it could have been a lot worse." You took a bite of your food before continuing. "But he really is such a great kid. He does this thing when we walk home from the bus stop and he kicks rocks and he started passing them in my direction so I started to kick them back to him. It's become a part of our daily routine now." You smiled softly, thinking about the amount of concentration Jack always had on his face when he would play that game with you. Sure it wasn't anything special, but to Jack, it was something that he could look forward to sharing with you.

"That is cute, I have to admit." She pushed her fork around in her fried rice and looked up at you, a smirk growing on her face. "And the dad? How's that coming along?"

"I still don't know. He doesn't interact much no matter how much I try." You shrugged your shoulders and twirled your chopsticks around in the lo mein. "It kind of makes me wonder if he still isn't sure if I am a good fit to watch his son or not." You stared down at your food, thinking about how hard you have tried to build some sort of rapport with Aaron, only to time and time again feel as though you would get nowhere with him.

"Is he hot?" Esmé asked, taking another bite of her eggroll.

"Esmé!"

She shrugged her shoulders and a cocky grin replaced the smirk that was there a few moments earlier. "I mean, is he?"

You poked around your lo mein aimlessly, trying to avoid the question.

Did you think Aaron Hotchner was hot? There was no denying that he was a very attractive man. He easily was one of the most attractive men you had seen in a long time. The way that his jawline was so defined, his hair always changing from floppy and unstyled to slightly gelled and parted depending upon the day, and his eyes. God, his eyes. You felt like you could spend an eternity looking into them, especially when they were framed perfectly by his rounded glasses.

You even found the way he smoked occasionally to be insanely attractive, glancing at him every once in a while when he was grading what you presumed to be his students' papers. There was just something about the way he always took long drags of the cigarettes and the grip of his hands on the actual cigarette.

His hands. Lord, that was a conversation for a different day.

"I'll take that as a yes," Esmé surmised when you wouldn't officially give an answer.

You placed the lo mein on the coffee table in front of you and patted your lap, urging Artemis to come sit with you. The bulldog happily obliged and sat down on top of you with a plop and you felt her breathing steady as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

"He is attractive," you muttered under your breath, hoping that Esmé wouldn't hear.

"I'm sorry. A little louder for the people in the back," she teased, leaning closer to you and cupping her hand around her ear as if she was trying to amplify your voice.

"Fine!" you surrendered, throwing your hands up in the air. "Aaron Hotchner is attractive."

Esmé laughed darkly, accepting victory with your little confession. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"Absolutely nothing! He's my boss, Esmé. I can't jeopardize losing this job when I have nothing else lined up for the time being."

"So find another job, quit this one, and then jump his bones," she teased.

You reached over on the couch and swatted at her leg, growing fed up with the playful banter about Aaron. "Shut up!" you laughed. "He doesn't even want to have decent conversations with me, so I highly doubt that I would ever get to that point with him."

"But if you did?" Esmé asked, wiggling her eyebrows playfully.

You stood up from the couch, Artemis moving to sit next to Esmé. "Goodnight, Esmé." You headed down the hall to your bedroom and heard Esmé's voice in the background calling out to you.

"Oh come on, Y/N! You never know what will happen!"

You shook your head, laughing quietly to yourself as you leaned back against your bedroom door. Leave it to Esmé to think that of all the things in the world that you should pursue a relationship with your boss.

Even if he did fit your ideal standards of tall, dark, and brooding with some degree of authority.

------

You were woken up from your sleep to your phone ringing. Rolling over and throwing your arm across the way to grab your phone, you read the called ID.

Aaron Hotchner.

You sat up quickly in your bed, the ID waking you up faster than you had anticipated. You pressed the phone against your ear, hoping that the sleepiness you were feeling was not evident in your voice. "Hello?"

"Y/N? Sorry to call so early. I hope I didn't interrupt anything," Aaron said through the phone.

You shook your head no, not that he would even see it, and continued on with your conversation. "Nope, nothing special going on here. Did you need me to come over early today?" You figured that was the purpose of the call, being that it was only 7:30 in the morning when you glanced at the clock that rested on your nightstand.

"No I, uh, actually need a favor," he explained, his voice sounding like he was nervous to ask whatever it was he needed from you.

"And that would be?" you asked, your voice emphasizing the last part of the sentence.

"You can absolutely say no if you don't feel comfortable. But, I forgot that today Jack actually doesn't have school. It's supposed to be a day for faculty to catch up on grading and assignments and the students do the same at home. I've just been so busy grading my own assignments for my students that I didn't realize that it was coming up so soon." He paused for a moment, giving you a moment to process what he was saying. "I was wondering if it would be alright if I dropped Jack off at your place this way you don't have to waste a trip out here."

You were taken aback by the request. Just the previous night, you were concerned that he didn't think you were the right one for the job but yet here he is. Calling you at 7:30 in the morning. Wanting to drop his son off at your apartment.

"That's not a problem, Aaron. I just—" your voice trailed off for a second. "I don't know if I have a lot of things to occupy him though. It's really not a bother to come to your house and spend the day."

"I'll tell Jack to bring some toys or games for you guys. He doesn't need much to keep him busy to be completely honest. But in all seriousness, if it's too much of a hassle or intrusion for him to spend the day, I can see if his aunt is free."

"No, that won't be necessary, Aaron. I don't mind. What time will you be dropping him off?"

"Is about an hour or so from now alright?"

"Sounds good. I'll text you my address once we get off the phone."

"Thank you, Y/N. I really appreciate it. See you soon," he said swiftly.

"See you then." You ended the call and bolted out of bed. You only had an hour to make yourself and your apartment look presentable for when the Hotchner boys arrived.

You quickly changed into a plain sweatshirt and jeans, taming your messy hair from the way you had slept on it. "Okay," you exhaled. "Let's try to not make this place look like a bomb went off in here."

You started with the living room and straightened out all the loose papers you had on the coffee table. You even fluffed up the pillows on the couch, draping your fleece blanket over the back of it.

Artemis was under your feet the entire time, quite honestly getting in the way. You shooed her away on multiple occasions as you cleaned more of your apartment.

Heavy footsteps and a loud obnoxious yawn startled you as you were cleaning the kitchen. Esmé sauntered down the hallway in her scrubs getting ready to head into the ER for the day.

"Good morning, sunshine," she said groggily. She blinked her eyes a few times, furrowing her brows at your manic actions as you wiped down the counters with such speed. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked bluntly.

"Aaron is bringing Jack over here today. Something about schools being closed. Have to clean," you muttered as you worked to scrub what you assumed to be spaghetti sauce out of a bowl that rested in the kitchen sink.

"Ah," Esmé said, clicking her tongue. She grabbed a banana from the fruit basket and flipped it around in her hand. "I see. Have to impress good ole Mr. Aaron Hotchner and the pipsqueak?"

You shot her a glare and paused your actions cleaning the dishes. "Apartment had to be cleaned anyway. I just wasn't expecting to have to get it done in only an hour."

Esmé nodded and peeled back the skin of the banana. "And when are the Hotchners arriving at our humble abode," she teased as she gestured to the apartment surrounding the two of you.

Three firm knocks landed on your door. You let out a frustrated sigh, your shoulders sinking in disappointment that you couldn't do more to make your home more presentable. "I'm assuming now," you replied, swooping up Artemis in your arms.

You walked over to the door and unlocked it, revealing the Hotchners waiting for you. Jack's face lit up when he saw you and his smile grew even wider when he saw Artemis. You smiled at the two of them, noticing that Jack had his backpack with him which you figured he brought some things to keep him busy throughout the day.

"Hi, Y/N! I didn't know you had a dog too," he said excitedly. You stepped to the side and let the two of them walk in before you placed Artemis back on the ground. She sniffed your guests excitedly, going back and forth between father and son.

"Your dad knew about her," you chuckled softly, trying to make light of how you had first met Aaron at the dog park.

When you glanced over at Aaron, you saw that he clearly was not amused. There was not even a sliver of a smile on his face. He cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest.

Esmé stepped forward, extending her hand out to Aaron. "I'm Esmé, Y/N's roommate. Pleasure to meet you."

Aaron nodded his head and shook her hand quickly. "Aaron Hotchner and this is Jack." He pointed down to his son who was playing with Artemis who brought him a rope toy to play tug of war with.

"It was nice to meet you both but I gotta run. ER doesn't wait for anyone," Esmé said. She waved goodbye as she walked out of the apartment, not before smirking at you when she shut the door behind her.

"What's her name?" Jack asked, looking up at you from the floor.

"Artemis," you responded. You saw Aaron's eyebrows raise at the name and he turned his attention towards you.

"Artemis?" Aaron questioned.

"Yeah. Artemis as in—"

"The Greek Goddess of the hunt and wild animals," Aaron interjected, finishing your thought.

"Exactly," you said. You couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement through your veins that Aaron actually knew the significance of the name of your dog.

"Interesting," he said softly. His face was softer than you had ever seen it and you swore for a brief second, you saw a tiny smile curl up at the end of his lips.

Aaron was just as surprised as you were that you knew and understood the importance of the name you chose for your dog. At no point in time did he ever question your intelligence. But a part of him became curious with the fact that you seemed to have some sort of knowledge of Greek Mythology. That same part of him even admired the fact that you named your dog something as unique and powerful as Artemis.

He figured someone as clearly career driven as you wouldn't even blink and want to learn about Greek Mythology. And yet here he was in your apartment, almost transfixed in a state of surprise that there was more to you than you led on at times.

"Why is that so interesting?" you asked, pulling Aaron out of his thoughts.

"I actually teach Greek Mythology at the university," he admitted.

"You're joking, right?" You couldn't believe it.

Mythology had always been a passion of yours and the fact that Aaron Hotchner, the professor, your boss, was a fan of the same material as you were made your attraction for him grow a bit stronger.

Brains and looks.

A dangerous yet satisfying combination.

"He's not. He's got a whole bunch of books on all those stories at home. I like them too," Jack interrupted. He pet Artemis on her head as she laid down next to the boy, already tuckered out from the few minutes of playing with him.

"Well, then I think we should discuss that topic further when you have time," you suggested, hoping that this would be your way to get a better relationship with Aaron.

He nodded, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "I think we'll have to," he said softly. You felt adrenaline rush through your veins when he finally showed some sign of wanting to get to know you and your interests better, even if it was only about mythology to start. You hoped that it would grow to be something more.

He held his wrist up, glancing down at the Rolex that rested upon it. "I have to get going. My first class starts soon. I should be back here around 4 today to pick Jack up."

You nodded and walked him to the door. "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine here. Right, Jack?"

"Right!" He stood up off of the ground and took his backpack off. He held it tightly between his small hands and looked up at you. "I brought some movies to watch and CandyLand to play."

"CandyLand? I haven't played that in forever," you told Jack.

"I'm going to win that game since you beat me at Monopoly," Jack said, shaking his finger at you to try to intimidate you.

"We'll see about that," you said playfully.

"I'll see you later, buddy," Aaron said to his son. Jack waved at his father as he went into the living room to set up the board game. Aaron then looked at you and nodded his head slightly. "Thank you. For this. I know it was kind of sprung on you."

You waved your hand in the air in a dismissive motion. "It's totally fine. I'm just glad I can help."

You reached forward to grab the doorknob to open it for Aaron. Your hand brushed against his as he, too, was going to open the door. You felt as though your skin was tingling from his touch, a nervous pit of butterflies growing in your stomach. You retracted your hand quickly and pressed your arms against your sides as you shifted your weight on the balls of your feet.

Aaron cleared his throat quickly, staring down at his hand. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about that brief moment, the simple contact of your hand on his, that very quickly became burned into his memory. He placed his hand on the door knob, holding it tightly in his grasp for a moment.

"Have a good day, Y/N," he said quickly.

You nodded and wrapped your arms around your chest, waving your hand lightly at him. "Yeah, you too."

He opened the door and left quickly, making it just you, Jack, and Artemis the remaining beings in your apartment.

As soon as the door shut, you let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding.

You kept telling yourself that it was a simple accident. You both reached for the door knob without realizing the other one was going for it as well.

But his touch.

If you thought hard enough, you could almost feel the calluses on his fingers brushing over the back of your hand.

You shook your head of your thoughts, trying not to think of Aaron Hotchner and the very innocent accident that just occured in the entryway of your apartment.

You heard your phone ding and quickly checked it, seeing that you got a text from Esmé.

Esmé

-For the love of god, if you don't jump his bones, I will.

You stifled your laughter at her text, smiling down at your phone screen.

"Y/N!" Jack called out. "Are you ready to play?"

"Mhm. I'm coming now, Jack." You placed your phone on the kitchen counter, not wanting to answer that text from Esmé, because honestly, you were hoping that something, anything, would happen with you and Aaron Hotchner.

------

You and Jack spent the day playing games and watching movies. You were surprised how easygoing the kid was, considering the fact that your apartment had very little things that could keep him occupied.

You saw rather quickly that he was a huge fan of Artemis. The bulldog took a liking to Jack and followed him all around your apartment. He didn't mind. He thought that he had a little shadow following around for the day. He even suggested that the three of you go on a walk. He was excited to hold onto Artemis' leash, something that he could not do with Buster because he was too strong for the young Hotchner. You couldn't help but smile while on your walk because even now, in an area where he was not familiar, Jack still found some sort of pebble to kick back and forth between the two of you. It was almost as if he couldn't break away from your normal routine even though he was at your apartment for the day.

At some point during the day, Aaron had messaged you to let you know that he was going to be running late. One of his students wanted to go over their grade for their essay and he was going to stay for his office hours. You told him not to worry about it and that you were going to pick up some dinner for yourself and Jack since you figured that the groceries you had in your pantry were not going to be liked by the six year old.

"How does pizza sound for dinner?" you asked Jack as he sat down on the couch, completely enamored with Iron Man which you had set up on the TV for the two of you to watch together.

He held up his finger towards you, still keeping his eyes glued to the movie. "Only if it's got pepperoni on it."

"Pepperoni pizza it is," you laughed.

You made quick work ordering the food and it came a lot sooner than anticipated. As the two of you ate at the kitchen table, Jack was telling you about how the tadpoles were changing in his classroom.

"Kermit started growing his legs! It's pretty cool. Ms. Kingston has been taking pictures of the tadpoles each week in their tank so that we can see where they started and then where they ended once they grow up to be frogs," he explained as he focused on the pizza slice in front of him. He stared at it curiously and then picked it up, the end of it flopping down before he could get a bite in.

"That sounds like it will be cool to see them grow," you said to him as you picked off a piece of pepperoni from your slice and ate it. "Here, Jack. Do this with your pizza," you told him as you held up your slice. You folded it in half by the crust and showed Jack how much easier it was to hold the slice.

He followed your actions and was finally able to take a bite of the pizza now that he had a steady grasp on it. "That's so much easier. Who showed you how to do that?" he asked.

"My dad showed me when I was younger. And ever since then, whenever I eat pizza, I always fold it in half," you told him, glancing down at the folded slice of pizza.

"I'm going to do it all the time now, too." He placed the slice down on his plate in front of him and wiped his mouth off with his napkin. "Can we watch Iron Man again?"

"Sure. Just finish your pizza first and then we can relax for the rest of the night," you told him.

Soon after, you both were done eating. You set the movie up again for Jack as you straightened up from dinner, washing off the plates and wrapping up the leftover pizza. You glanced at the clock on your oven.

7pm.

As your mind drifted off to Aaron and when you thought he would be over, your phone pinged in the distance. After wiping off your hands with a towel to dry them, you checked to see who it was.

Aaron Hotchner

-I'm about 15 minutes away. Sorry about that. I wasn't expecting for the office hours to take so long.

-It's no problem. I'll gather Jack's things together for when you get here.

-Thanks.

"Hey Jack?" you called out from the kitchen. When there was no response, you headed into the living room to find the little Hotchner fast asleep on the couch, his arm wrapped around Artemis as the two of them slept.

You smiled at the sight and placed a blanket over the two of them for the time being. Jack instantly grabbed the blanket in his sleep and wrapped it tight around himself. You pushed the stray strands of hair that rested on his forehead out of his face, letting Jack get a few more minutes of shut eye before Aaron came to get him.

You straightened up the living room and grabbed Jack's things, putting them back into his backpack. And by the time that was done, three firm knocks, the very same ones from earlier that morning, rattled against your door.

You took a deep breath before opening the door, trying to mentally prepare yourself for seeing Aaron again after you practically thought about the incident earlier all throughout the day.

"Hi," he said softly. His lips turned up into a small smile, revealing the dimples that he had on both of his cheeks.

You pressed your finger on your lips to tell him to be quiet. He furrowed his brows as he stepped into your apartment. "Jack's sleeping," you whispered.

Aaron nodded his head, a small ah falling from his lips. He walked into the living room and saw Jack fast asleep. His face softened at the sight before he came back next to you in the kitchen. He took off his glasses and hooked them on his shirt while looking at you. "I'm sorry about being so late."

You shook your head to brush it off. "It's alright, Aaron. I promise." You reached into the fridge for a quick moment, grabbing the leftover pizza slices out of it. You handed them over to Aaron who stared at you with a puzzled expression. "We got pizza for dinner. I'm assuming you haven't eaten yet, so take these."

He grabbed the slices from your hand and smiled softly. "Thank you, Y/N. I'm assuming it's pepperoni. It's Jack's favorite," he said quietly.

You nodded your head and laughed lightly. "He insisted," you told Aaron.

He placed the pizza down on the counter and reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet. His fingers carded through the money in his wallet and he handed you an extra $60.

"What's this for?" you asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders and placed his wallet back before shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "For taking Jack so early, keeping him late, and letting me bring him here."

You shook your head no and handed the money back to Aaron. "Don't worry about it. It's all a part of the job, right?"

Aaron sighed in defeat and ran a hand through his hair, which was in more of its floppy stage today. "Then at least take money for the pizza," he insisted, sticking a $20 bill back in your direction.

You rolled your eyes playfully and took the twenty. "If it'll make you feel better," you teased.

He nodded his head and raised one of his eyebrows as if to say It will. "I better get going. Thanks again, Y/N."

"No problem," you said with a smile. You watched as Aaron went over to Jack, shaking his shoulder lightly to wake him as he squatted in front of where his son was on the couch. Tired groans escaped the little Hotchner. Aaron looked back over to you and rolled his eyes at the response.

"Jack? Hey, buddy? Come on. We gotta go home now," Aaron said sweetly. Jack only responded by holding his arms out for Aaron to grab him. "Alright. Up we go," Aaron said with a groan as he lifted Jack off the couch, Artemis hopping out of the way from Jack's side. Jack wrapped his arms tight around Aaron's neck and his legs dangled at his father's side.

Aaron bent over and grabbed onto Jack's backpack, throwing one of the straps onto the shoulder that wasn't occupied by his son. He headed to the door, gathering the blanket that was still wrapped around Jack in his hand. He looked at you and then back to the blanket.

"I'll just take that home tomorrow," you laughed, pointing to the blanket.

"Thank you," he said quietly as Jack nuzzled his way closer against his father's neck.

"Don't forget your pizza," you said to Aaron, holding out the wrapped up slices. He nodded silently, grabbing the slices from your hand.

"Hold this for me buddy," Aaron said softly to Jack, who tiredly grabbed onto the pizza slices.

"Do you need a hand?" you asked as you saw how full his hands were at that point in time.

He shook his head and smiled, his dimples making yet another appearance. "No, this is nothing. Thank you though."

You reached your hand forward to the door knob to open it for him, figuring that it was the least that you could do to help him out.

And yet again, his hand brushed against yours.

You felt the same electric feeling course through your entire body. This time, he was the one to retract his hand quickly.

"I got it," you laughed, feeling a slight blush fall across your face.

Aaron stood out of your way so that you could open the door for him. "Have a good night, Y/N."

"You too. Tell Jack I'll see him tomorrow."

Aaron nodded, his gaze almost piercing through your being. Not in the way that he may have disliked you. No it wasn't that. It was as though he was questioning everything that happened that day. Every interaction the two of you ever had.

It was like a switch went off and he was seeing things differently.

As soon as Aaron left with Jack, you flopped down onto the couch, throwing your head into your hands. You groaned dramatically as your brain would not stop replaying the moments where Aaron's hand brushed against yours. It was such a simple act, an innocent touch, but yet, you still found the two moments playing on a loop in your head.

It was as if you and Aaron were on the same wavelength, because as he was driving home all he thought about was you. The way your soft hands contrasted his much rougher ones. The way you cared about his son. The way you smiled.

His grip tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles turning white. He couldn't think of you like that. You were his employee.

It was wrong for you to be lingering around in his brain and occupy his thoughts as much as you had that day.

But if it was so wrong, why did it feel like things were only just beginning? Why did he get a gut feeling that deep down, your story was only just beginning?

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author's note:

hello! i hope you guys are enjoying this story so far! i'm really enjoying writing it and i can't wait for you guys to see what else i have planned!

all your likes and comments are much appreciated <3

see you guys soon with the next chapter!

-jordyn

#aaronhotchner #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner x you #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #cm #hotch #hotch x you #hotch x y/n

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