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#I should be heading to school by this hour
copperbadge · 17 hours
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I went to the library this afternoon, intending to get a study room and do some work on the novel, but I got distracted and ended up spending the two hours working on a short story instead.
Georgie has said that Michaelis hired her after she rescued his friend's child from a kidnapping, and it was suggested to me recently that the friend could be Oliver McAllister, Michaelis's old school mate from Pirates of the Riviera. I was skeptical because the timing didn't quite work out, but I couldn't stop thinking about the idea, so I decided to try making it work.
And let me tell you, these messy bitches.
In 2015, Michaelis is deep in his Kingbot 3000 phase so he doesn't have to Have Feelings, and Gregory has coerced him into taking a vacation by threatening a coup. Meanwhile, Olly is fresh from his second divorce, from a woman who just tried to kidnap their child. Georgie is the most together person in the room and she's an unemployed twentysomething who just beat three men unconscious to prevent said kidnapping.
And the most amusing part to me is that because of how I set it up, Michaelis is just trying to be friendly but inadvertently keeps coming across like he's trying to seduce Georgie. Which also makes Georgie joking about trying to marry him for his money in Royals/Ramblers even funnier.
"Ma'am, the police would like to take a statement," Lael said to Georgie.
"I can have Lael find you a lawyer if you want," Michaelis added. She gave him a sardonic look. 
"All right, let's get it over with," she sighed. "There goes my visit to the Musee D'Orsay."
"We'll give you the room. Olly, why don't you go in with your boy, so the police can speak with you if needed. Lael and I will be at the cafe next door when you've finished."
Georgie nodded, but he stopped as he passed her and put a hand on her arm.
"Come see us when you're done," he said quietly, ducking his head so the police at the doorway couldn't see their faces. "And cancel your job interview in London."
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"Stay in Paris. You can see the museum this weekend. The palace will cover your lodging and food."
"I...don't want to offend," she said slowly, "but I'm not -- " 
"I'm not flirting with you," he said, realizing belatedly how it might seem to her, and taking his hand from her arm. She looked faintly relieved. "I'm going to spend the time you're giving a statement assembling a job offer for you with my security office. Any young woman who can spot a kidnapping before it happens and soundly beat three grown men should not be leaving Askazer-Shivadlakia to do a job she hates in London. Now, regardless of that, and I say this as a concerned friend, not as king or employer: be honest and helpful with the police, but...economical."
"Just the facts?" she asked. 
"Exactly." He gave her an approving nod and followed Lael out. They were silent in the hallway and lobby, until they stepped out into the street and Lael exhaled.
"That was impressive," he said. "Young lady has a great right hook."
"She's certainly very alert," Michaelis agreed.
"It's been a long time since I've seen someone throw a punch like that."
"Say it and you're fired," Michaelis said good-naturedly. He'd known Lael since the head of security had been a young palace aide during Michaelis's first days as king -- if still years older than the king himself -- and he knew what was coming. 
"Not since our last trip to Galia," Lael said, voice full of relish. "That time a young hothead punched Duke Tomas in the face."
"Utterly fired. I've found your replacement. I'm putting you out to pasture with no pension." 
"You think she'd make a good successor to me?" Lael asked. He was joking but, simultaneously, he was not -- they were both getting older, and Lael was as aware as Michaelis that when a new king was elected in a few years, whoever it was, they would need someone younger, someone who could more easily keep up with them. 
"You tell me," Michaelis said. "You're the expert." 
"Oh, I've been fired, clearly my opinion isn't wanted," Lael said, as they settled into a table at the cafe, Lael with his back to the wall, eyes always scanning behind Michaelis. There had never, at least as far as Michaelis knew, been an attempt on his life, but he'd become used to never getting direct eye contact in public from the man whose job it was, after all, to watch his back. 
"Fine, I withdraw your firing. I suspect purely on her ability to sass me, she is your equal if not your better," he added, as the waitress approached. He ordered coffee and pastries briskly, then turned back to Lael. 
"Well, it's difficult to tell on two minutes' acquaintance," Lael replied, "but actions do speak louder than words." 
"Agreed. Perhaps a contingent offer? She has a law degree; she could likely earn more than we could offer her for a job like yours, but I think she's looking for the right job, not the right pay. Say three months of probation with guaranteed six months of pay to ensure she takes it, and a firm permanent offer at the end if you approve? Conditions non-negotiable but a bit of wiggle room in the salary, I think." 
Lael considered it, then nodded. "I suppose it's paranoia to imagine she might have arranged all this to get into the Palace employ."
"As what, a spy? I love a thriller novel, Lael, but they are fiction," Michaelis replied, amused.
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tfmerc · 2 days
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Just want to expand a little on Artist!Konig as hinted towards in my camera roll series
Like he's just a cutie pie :((( coming home from long missions with his sketchbook filled with little doodles, enthusiastically explaining all the little details :<
masterlist
read bellow cut :3
Loud thudding footsteps echoed throughout your small apartment, soft huffs and groans bouncing off the hallway walls; Konig was home.
The thought of seeing him made you giddy, a pink hue brushing across your cheeks; giggles already bubbling in your throat. It was an adorable sight for Konig to come home to, his partner sprawled out on their shared bed - cooing and dotting over him as if they had some school kid crush.
“Schatz… what’re you doing awake?” For such a large and intimating man, he was the epitome of a sweetheart. Voice soft and almost as though he was talking to a child, fingers brushing across your cheek; lips ghosting over your forehead.
A soft shake of your head had him sighing, pulling away gently as he slowly packed away his gear. A very particular routine that he followed almost religiously each time he returned home, “Kleiner Liebling, you should be asleep.”
“I was waiting for you,” Tilting your head slightly you tried to get a good look at his, now unclothed, face. Each scar and divot of his body on full display, nothing but a pair of boxers now covering his body, “Any new sketches to show me?”
Konig’s eyes lit up within seconds, reaching for a leather clad sketch book; hidden in the side pocket of his duffle bag. A wide smile spreading over his lips as he made quick work to lay beside you.
Having you tucked under his left arm, bicep flexing as he flicked through countless pages of drawings, poorly written poetry in Austrian and flowers being pressed between pages.
His thumb brushed over certain drawings and words, translating and whispering soft explanations of what everything meant; why he felt the need to write or draw them. His sketchbook was practically second skin to him, a window of who he truly is.
The hushed whispers continued for what seemed like hours, your lashes batting against his chest; tracing gentle patterns over his scars and tattoos, relishing in his muscular frame. You were eager to have him fed, for a soft layer of fat to cover his toned body; to look loved and cared for.
“Zeit zum Schlafen, mein süßes.”
✧・゚: translations were made through google translate, apologies if grammar isn’t correct *✧・゚:*
Schatz, sweetheart
Kleiner Liebling, little darling
Zeit zum Schlafen, mein süßes Mädchen, time to sleep, my sweet
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oceaneyesinla · 3 days
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This was written in the span of about 2 hours, after I saw this video and HAD to make it about Satoru and his little girl. The idea was too cute for me to ignore! The adventures of Gojo Catoru and his darling daughter might continue, because I loved writing this so much
Constructive criticism welcome, but please be nice
Divider by @/cafekitsune
Enjoy!
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You just barely bit back a coo at the sight greeting you in your little one's room. She was fast asleep in the fancy crib Satoru insisted she needed, white hair splayed out around her head like a halo. Right next to her, a giant cat, with fur the same colour as her hair. His back was pressed against the length of hers, and you could feel your smile tugging almost painfully at your cheeks. The two biggest loves of your life, safe and sound in your shared home.
See, the cat just so happened to be your dear husband. Satoru had suffered an … incident on a recent mission and that meant that for the moment, you had a giant fluffball where your husband was supposed to be. He made for a beautiful cat - soft, white fur and those same blue eyes you had been staring into since your school days. However, the energy of Gojo Satoru and the energy of the average cat were things that never should have been combined. He was getting far too much joy out of bothering the students, and you couldn’t count the number of times they had brought his fluffy butt back to you over the last few days, thrusting him into your arms and scowling at the pleased expression they just knew he would be wearing.
You were privy to something they weren’t, though. Satoru was struggling. As much as he loved being a menace to the kids, he also loved watching out for them. You had been taking them out for their missions and every time you left the school, you could feel his eyes on you. It wasn’t something the great Gojo Satoru was used to; watching the people he cherished most walk into danger while he could do nothing but wait and pray for their safe return.
The worst part of all this, and the thing you knew was bothering him most was your daughter. She was his mini me, and she was getting to the age where she began to notice if one of you were absent. The first day you came home down one husband and up one cat, your little one had waddled around the entire house, Satoru shadowing her every step of the way. She ended up back at your feet, staring up at you with teary blue eyes, “Daddy?”
Even in cat form, you swore you could see Satoru’s heart breaking. All you could do was crouch down and cradle her against your chest, quickly spinning a tale that Daddy was away for work. It wasn’t like you could explain to a toddler that Daddy was actually now a cat for an undetermined amount of time, until Auntie Shoko figured out how to fix him or the effect wore off. She was smart like her daddy, but she was still just a little girl.
“Daddy call?” The building tears began to fall when you shook your head and she buried her face in the crook of your neck. Even when Satoru was working, he was just a phone call away. One particularly memorable video call had you scolding him as he dodged blasts of cursed energy, pulling faces to make your then infant daughter smile.
You looked between your sniffling daughter and Satoru, who managed to look despondent even in cat form, and a little idea formed, “Look at me, baby.” It was adorable, the way both sets of blue turned your way, looking at you as if you had the answers to the most complex questions of the universe, “Daddy had to go away for a little while, but that’s why he left Catoru for you!” You gestured to Satoru, “He’ll keep you company while Daddy isn’t here, okay?”
“Ca-to-ru?” She sounded out the syllables of the name you had pulled out of thin air, and you smiled as her expression brightened, little fingers reaching out to pet white fluff. Satoru seemed happier too and once your daughter had toddled off to get her favourite plushie to introduce to her new friend, he climbed into the spot she had just vacated, pressing as close as he could get and butting his head into your chin.
That little white lie was what led to the current situation. Since that day, your daughter and her new cat/father had been attached at the hip. Wherever one went, the other wasn’t far behind. Of course, there were still occasional tears, when all your daughter wanted was a hug from Daddy and she couldn’t understand that he was right there, shoving himself into her hold and letting her tears wet his fur.
You let yourself enjoy the moment, glad that your daughter was resting peacefully. It had been a bad day; with her missing her daddy and you missing your husband. Really, you should wake her if you wanted her to sleep later, but you couldn’t bring yourself to. Instead, you decided to just move her into the pack and play in the sitting room. It would satisfy your selfish urge to keep her close, and it would mean you could keep an eye on her in case she woke up still upset.
With practised ease, you lifted her up into your arms, cradling her to your body and moving through the house, gently laying her out in the pack and play before making sure her favourite plushie (a gift from her daddy) was tucked into her arms. Pressing a kiss to her head, you pulled away and turned to carry on with your day. You were expecting empty space but instead you were met with one fluffy cat, staring at you with a level of betrayal you didn’t think was possible for a cat to express. You just knew that if he was human, he would be pouting.
“What is it?” You spoke softly, not wanting to wake your daughter. Satoru ignored you, pointedly looking away from you before hopping up and over the side of the pack and play, making himself comfortable.
Oh. He was upset you took away his cuddle buddy. With a barely hidden smile, you reached out to rub his head in apology but your hand was batted away. He wiggled closer to your daughter, staring up at you accusingly.
“I’m not moving her again, don’t worry.” You rolled your eyes - at least his flair for dramatics was still intact. As you watched, your daughter rolled over, releasing her plushie in favour of grabbing hold of Satoru, snuggling into his warm fur. As quietly as you could, you pulled your phone out and took a few pictures. Yeah, this was difficult and you missed Satoru and you wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in your husband’s arms, but this would make for a hell of a story for your daughter when she was older. Besides, this had inspired you. Maybe once Satoru was back to normal, it would be time to get a family pet.
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newtonsheffield · 1 day
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The Wimbledon AU was truly one of a kind. Your sports fics are so very good.
Question for you friend - how does Anthony show his support for Kate in moments where she's overwhelmed/panics/on the verge of a meltdown?
Would love to see it!
Hilarious as I am famously bad at sports. I nearly injured a teacher with a javelin in high school.
Anyway,
I think when it comes down to it Anthony has to do very little. Just him being with Kate calms her down, helps her feel less alone in all of this.
He can tell when Kate gets too stressed. He can hear it in her voice, recognizes it in the set of her shoulders when they video call. And he knows how hard it is for Kate to talk about it, to be vulnerable with him even if she’s getting better at it.
Anthony always makes sure that he’s home when Kate gets home from therapy as well. He makes sure he’s sat in the sofa with Newton, ready to be present for her because he knows she’d never say it but coming home to an empty house when she’s just unpacked her deepest insecurities is the last thing she wants.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not yet.” Kate said quietly, her fingers tugging at the hem of his polo.
“Should I run the bath?”
“Please.”
He’d sit in the bath with her for hours, if that’s what she wanted, her head against his chest, the warm water moving gently with the pressure from the jets, the scent of the soap and bath oil hanging in the air.
“I love you.”
It still feels so nice to hear it. Even though she’s said it hundreds of times since the time she hadn’t been able to. Anthony felt his eyes flutter closed as he took a deep breath, kissing her neck gently.
“Yeah, I love you too.”
“Can you come with me?” Kate swallowed, “I know I’m leaving on Sunday and you were supposed to come in a few weeks but-”
“But I have a break before the new term starts so if you need me, then I’ll be there.”
She relaxed against him, her fingers intertwined with his pressed against her stomach. “I can tell you’re really disappointed about missing out on weeks of phone sex.”
Anthony chuckled, “Eh, I’ll find a way to make do.”
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songsbygumi · 14 hours
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Choso bakes you a birthday cake
| Choso x female reader
This was supposed to be super short, but here we are. Lots of fluff, since I was in desperate need of it.
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The house is in utter disarray. Baking flour coats every surface, milk cascades over the counter's edge, eggshells litter the floor, and frosting adorns the ceiling like abstract art. Despite the pandemonium, Choso's gaze remains fixated on the oven.
This marks their third attempt at baking a cake; the first two ended in disaster as he intervened to stop Sukuna from tormenting Yuji.
The sound of his brothers' squabbling lingers in the air. Choso can visualize Sukuna's hand hovering near Yuji’s face as he indulges in a spoonful of frosting. Though he longs to help the toddler, Choso cannot risk another burned cake. With time slipping away, they still have to decorate the cake and tidy up the apartment. Then, suddenly, 'ding.' the oven's timer chimes.
A hush falls over the apartment. Each breath is held as Choso cautiously removes the cake from the oven, placing it on the only available spot on the counter. His younger siblings watch in anticipation as Choso expertly divides it in half. “It’s perfect,” he announces with satisfaction.
Yuji's cheers fill the room, his tiny hands raised triumphantly, while Sukuna wears a smug grin.
“Told ya it would be easy,” he remarks, catching the subtle side-eye from his older brother. “What?!”
For the ensuing hour and a half, they allow the cake to cool on the kitchen counter, the aroma of vanilla wafting through the air as Yuji peacefully slumbers on the sofa. His head nestled upon Sukuna’s thigh while Sukuna busies himself with inflating balloons. Choso, in the meantime, takes charge of tidying the kitchen and organizing little Yuji’s toys, neatly arranging them in a basket.
Once he's certain everything is in its place, he turns to find both of his brothers fast asleep. He nudges Sukuna's arm, and without a word, Sukuna understands Choso's silent request. He gathers Yuji into his arms and gently carries him to bed. Sukuna returns a minute later, leaning against the doorway as he watches his older brother retrieve the frosting from the fridge.
"Want help?" he offers.
"No, you should get some rest. You've got school tomorrow" Choso replies, and Sukuna can't help but grin.
"You're really whipped, man" Sukuna remarks, observing Choso expertly decorating the cake. "She'll love it" he adds before leaving the kitchen.
Choso's hands move with practiced skill as he decorates the cake. Ever since he can remember, he's been the one responsible for decorating both of his brothers' cakes, and now yours. He calmly covers the cake in delicate purple frosting flowers, a small smile gracing his lips once he's satisfied with the results.
You've confided in Choso that you don't really celebrate your birthday. The date serves as a painful reminder of your lack of friends, most of whom don't even live in the same town. The same applies to your parents, who have never shown much interest in your birthday. After years of disappointed celebrations ending in tears, you made the decision to stop celebrating altogether, and it breaks Choso's heart.
He grapples with the incomprehensible notion that someone as remarkable as you, who has the power to make his heart race so fast he fears it might leap from his chest, has never been properly celebrated on your birthday, let alone the other three hundred sixty-four days of the year. Your birthday, the one day that should be all about you, seems to have slipped by unnoticed—not only by your friends but also by your family, the ones who should be taking care of you unconditionally.
Once he finishes the cake, it's late. He places it in the fridge, and the clock reminds him that it's already your birthday. Hurrying, he retrieves the "Happy Birthday" poster Sukuna and Yuji have chosen for you, along with the balloons Sukuna has blown up and the drawing Yuji has made, arranging them in the living room.
He's happy to see how much his brothers adore you, almost as much as he does. He loves the way Yuji's eyes sparkle with excitement when he sees you, how he throws himself into your embrace. Even Sukuna's tough facade seems to soften around you. You're the only one who can handle him when he starts arguments.
As he switches off the lights throughout the house, he retreats to his room, looking to catch some rest before your arrival the following morning. His anticipation is met with the image of you, adorned with one of his favorite smiles, a radiant expression that illuminates his world. If those before him failed to make you feel Loved, he pledges to worship you endlessly. There's nothing else he'd rather do than demonstrate to you the depth of his love for you.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫
The next morning, Yuji's hurried steps rouse him from sleep. Blinking a few times, he watches the little boy open the door and scurry to his side on the bed. "Cho, she's early."
"What?" He asks, still groggy with sleep, glancing at Yuji's hand reaching for his, pulling him to stand up, failing in the process.
"Sukuna's distracting her downstairs" Choso sits up, rubbing his eyes. "We saw her through the window. He told me to wake you. Hurry" Yuji urges, pushing Choso's back.
"Ah, fuck" he mutters, and Yuji chuckles at the curse word he's only heard before from Sukuna. "Alright, let's go." He scoops Yuji into his arms, setting him on a kitchen counter chair once they're in the kitchen.
Taking the cake out, he places the candles on top. Uncertain whether to light them yet, but they hear your and Sukuna's voices in the hallway, so he decides to go ahead and light them.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫
"You're acting weird" you remark to Sukuna, who's now carrying the groceries you bought for them. "Did you fail your math test again? I won't tell Choso this time," you tease, and Sukuna rolls his eyes.
"I didn't fail it. Last time, the teacher failed me because he doesn't like me" he retorts, stopping in front of the door and holding the knock for a second before muttering, "God, I did my part."
You're about to add something about his comment when the door opens, and you're greeted by little Yuji, smiling so big his eyes are almost fully closed. Next to him stands your boyfriend, in his sweatpants, a soft smile on his face, and a beautiful lilac cake between them.
"What's happening?" You can't recall how you made it inside the apartment, your eyes too busy fixed on the cake with "Happy Birthday" written on it.
“We baked you a cake” Yuji says happily, trying to reach for you. “H-aapy birthday” he adds, stuttering a bit. You take him in your arms and kiss his cheeks loudly.
“You did?” you ask, nudging his cheek with your nose, earning a couple of giggles from the toddler.
“Blow the candles” Choso says softly, lifting the cake so you won’t have to bend.
You look at the three of them for a moment before blowing the candles out. Sukuna is trying to hide a smile, and Choso looks at you with hearts in his eyes, while Yuji's arms are hugging your neck.
“Hope you wished for money, lots of it” Sukuna interrupts, and you laugh.
“Thanks, you guys. You didn’t have to—” you start to say, but Choso interrupts you.
“Of course, we had to, love” he says while placing the cake down.
You share a lingering gaze for what it feels like the eternity, each attempting to convey your adoration and love for the other through silent communication.
“Alright, let’s grab her gift, brat” Sukuna declares, stealing Yuji from your arms and leaving you and Choso alone in the room.
Choso watches as you approach him slowly, your eyes never leaving his. As you draw near, his hands pull you close, your face tilting upward to admire his beautiful features. One hand cup his cheek, and he leans into your touch.
Every day, you're grateful for your boyfriend. Every passing moment, you marvel at how this tender, caring boy belongs to you. Since the first day you met, the world seems brighter in his presence.
Choso loves with his entire being, and he's never shied away from demonstrating it to you. Whether it's through affectionate touches, surprising you with your favorite treats, or expressing his pride in you, he's always there. Even on the days when you feel overwhelmed with sadness or anxiety, he's right by your side, comforting you and ensuring you're taken care of. He's just perfect.
“You baked me a cake” you murmur softly, drawing your face closer to his.
"Yuji and Sukuna helped" he replies eagerly, longing to feel your lips against his.
You're aware he's not giving himself enough credit, even though both of you know he probably did everything while his brothers just watched. He loves his brothers too much not to acknowledge their efforts, no matter how small they were.
"Well, thank you, all three of you" you say before he takes your face in his hands.
He cradles your face with such delicate care that it sends shivers cascading down your spine. Seeking your approval, he meets your gaze, and as you nod, his lips find yours, soft and tender.
His thumbs trace gentle paths along your cheeks, igniting a sensation of warmth inside you. Slowly, his hands wander across your body, caressing your skin. A playful pinch to your sides induces a surprised squeak from you, prompting him to draw you closer. You throw your arms over his shoulders, tangling your fingers in his untied hair, and letting out soft moan as he nibbles on your lip.
“Not in front of the kids” Sukuna interrupts, covering Yuji’s eyes.
You quickly pull away, composing yourself, while Sukuna grins teasingly and Yuji tries to push away Sukuna’s hand.
“Should we open the presents?” You say watching Choso blushed cheeks trying to change the subject.
Yuji's agree pulling Sukuna’s arm his excitement is contagious, and you gladly take Choso's hand, following the little kid's lead. You can already tell it's going to be a fantastic birthday.
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probably-writing-x · 2 days
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Better For You
Spencer White x Reader
Summary: You knew Spencer outside of his ‘Spider’ persona. You knew the boy he was outside of the school crowd. But when the two worlds collide, will you see him for who he actually is?
Word Count: 4.3k
Warnings: Alcohol, mentions of spiking, cursing
———
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“Spencer White?” You glance up from the diary in front of you, “Starting today?”
The tall boy in front of you clears his throat, scratching the back of his neck, “Yeah, yeah, that’s me. You can call me Spider.”
You scrunch your nose at his request, “Yeah I’m not gonna do that.”
He scoffs, “Alright, and what do I call you?”
“(Y/n),” You respond, “It’s just us two today so I can show you the ropes.”
“Can’t be that hard right? Sell people tickets, serve popcorn, pour a few drinks?”
You stare at him with a black expression, evidently unimpressed.
He looks down at his feet and then back up to you, “Okay, where do I start?”
Spencer was about the same age as you, you assumed. Your boss had said he came across as ‘confident and enthusiastic’ in his interview but both of those things seemed a little uncertain now.
You’d been working at the movie theater for nearly a year now, your uncle knew the manager so you’d been a shoo in from the moment you were old enough to work. It was long hours, late days, annoying customers, but it earned you money and that was all it needed to do.
“Let’s start with popcorn.”
———
That was two months ago now. You now spent nearly every shift with Spencer. He made the long nights feel like they ended earlier. He snuck you free food, dealt with the annoying customers for you, sped around the screens quicker than you so you didn’t have to do as much cleaning. He took extra hours so he could work when you worked.
You’d learnt in that two months that he was working here after an argument with his mum where she told him he’d never worked a day in his life. He’d taken this job to prove her wrong. That was on one of your late night shifts after a midnight screening. It was just the two of you and he was evidently down, evidently in need of someone to talk to. He’d opened up to you. You’d told him that you were sorry, though you weren’t exactly sure what for. He’d laughed and told you that if his Mum saw him like this she’d tell him this wasn’t work.
He drove you home that night, same as every night. And he thanked you before you got out of the car. He didn’t tell you what for, just said ‘thank you”. He needed it more than you did.
Now, he had your number and you had his. And you texted when you weren’t at work together. He sent you songs he thought you’d like, mainly from rock bands he’d heard at a concert that weekend. You sent him films he should watch and he forced himself to watch them, giving you a running commentary with text updates every few minutes.
You spoke to him more than you spoke to your other friends. You told him things before you told them nowadays too. But you two never saw each other outside of work. Separate schools, separate lives.
“Here,” You hand him over a stack of medium cups to add to the supplies at the counter.
Spencer takes them from you, loading them up onto the pyramid of cups you’d been making. It was a quiet day.
“You know if these fall you’re picking them up,” You comment, handing him another two cups.
Spencer adds them too and steps back with his hands raised as if he’s going to catch it, “Yeah, yeah, I figured.”
You grin, both of you admiring your handiwork.
“So,” He steps back to lean against the machine behind him, “I had a question.”
“A question,” You repeat, “Mysterious.”
“I know we’re not working on Saturday. My mates are having a party at the weekend, it’s stupid really, like this graveyard thing,” He shakes his head, “I was just… would you… would you want to come?”
You frown a little, as if taken aback but not wanting to admit it, “Are you…”
“You don’t have to, it’s a stupid idea really, I don’t know why we-“
“Yeah, I’ll come,” You nod, “I’m not here, so I’ve got nothing else to do.”
He smiles, “Alright, well then it’s a date.”
“Is it?” You cock a brow, folding your arms over your chest.
“I-“ His cheeks turn a dark shade of pink, “Shut up.”
Spencer rolls his eyes and steps forward, collapsing down the pyramid of cups into stacks in front of him.
———
Spencer texts you the location and you walk there as the sun’s going down - a little later than he’d suggested so you didn’t look awkward and eager.
It’s eerie when you think of it - a clearing in a graveyard converted into a party location. There’s already a crowd building, a mismatched stack of alcohol at one side and a littering of people you didn’t recognise mingling around.
Why had you agreed to come? You didn’t know a single soul here beyond Spencer. And surely he had other friends he’d want to see? The thoughts of turning around and pretending to have never arrived start coursing through your head. Your feet come to a stop, as if you’re preparing to disappear back into the surroundings.
“There you are!”
And there he is.
Through the crowd, you spot the familiar sight of that blonde floppy hair. The way his face curls up into that signature smile. He’s holding a red solo cup in each of his hands, extending them wide as if hugging you through the air.
“Was starting to think you weren’t coming.”
“Yeah, I’m still not sure about the whole… graveyard thing.”
Spencer laughs, “Yeah you just need to drink enough so you don’t think about it.”
He hands one of the cups to you and you take a sip.
“Careful, they’re probably spiked,” A girl walks past the two of you, eying Spencer with evident disgust.
She’s got dark short hair and a brightly coloured jacket with a black dress and she looks at you as if shes worried about you.
“Fuck off Amerie,” Spencer snaps, rolling his eyes at her.
You glance up at him and back to her and she offers you a small smile like she’s trying to warn you of something. She walks off over to another group of people and Spencer turns back to you.
“What was tha-“
“Come on, I want to introduce you to some people,” He places a hand gently on the middle of your back as if guiding you through the crowd.
There’s a group of boys over the other side, shouting loudly at each other and making vulgar gestures to go alongside whatever conversation they were having.
“Oi dickheads,” Spencer calls over, “Be normal for a minute, ay?”
The boys stop and turn around, both of them looking at you and then back to their friend.
“This is (Y/n),” He looks down at you and then back to them.
“(Y/n)!” One of the boys grins widely, “We’ve heard a lot about you. You moved in by Spider right?”
“Wh-“
“This is Ant, and that’s Dusty,” Spencer gestures between the two of them before you can say anything else.
“Nice to meet you,” You smile softly, “You know Spencer from school?”
“Yeah, basically since we could walk,” Dusty smiles at you, “We can tell you all the gory details.”
“Alright, alright, I’m right here,” Spencer shakes his head, standing close enough to you that his side is against yours, his arm still placed on your back.
He’s got that way about him. The feeling that you could just melt into his connection. You couldn’t explain it, but in a crowd of people you didn’t know, you were glad he was still beside you.
———
“So how does the dunny situation work here?”
Spencer turns to you and laughs, the two of you now at the edge of the party as people had started dancing in the middle. It was dark now, and you were stood just inches closer to Spencer to make the most of his radiating warmth.
“You find a spot where nobody can see you, and you put in some squat training,” He smiles, the kind of smile that creases his eyes.
“Oh how glamorous,” You wiggle your brows, placing your cup into his hand, “I’ll be right back.”
His fingertips linger on yours as your hand pulls away from his, his eyes lingering on you for even longer as you walk away.
You trail out away from the crowd and down a small path away from any prying eyes until you bump into the sound of giggling girls just ahead of you.
“Oh shit, sorry, I was just looking for somewhere to piss,” You clear your throat.
“Hey, wait, wait, wait,” One of the girls looks over to you, “You’re the girl that Spider was with right?”
It was the girl from earlier. The one Spencer had told to fuck off.
“Yeah, I’m (Y/n),” You offer a smile.
The girl’s friend stands up and zips up her trousers, both of them walking closer to you.
“I don’t want to sound like a cunt, but just be careful with him,” The girl, Amerie says.
“Am,” The other girl hits her arm, “You’re going to scare the poor girl.”
You look at her and fold your arms around you as if shrinking away from them, evidently uncomfortable.
“He’s just…” The other girl begins, “Very outspoken. He’s not exactly the nicest guy at Hartley.”
“He’s a grade A cunt,” Amerie adds, “And you seem like way too good for him.”
“Alright, we’re gonna go before Amerie says anything worse,” The other girl confirms, “Have a good night yeah?”
They both walk past you and you stand stuck in your spot, repeating over everything they had said. Spencer had been the nicest boy ever since you’d known him. He was thoughtful and funny and he was who you looked forward to seeing every shift. But everyone here seemed to be talking about a different boy when it came to him. To the girls, he was like the worst guy they’d known. And why had he lied to the boys about how he knew you?
“(Y/n)?”
You turn in your spot to see him stood behind you, far enough away that you can only make out his silhouette in the dark.
“You’d been a while, I was just making sure you were okay,” He speaks so softly you feel your heart skip a little.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good,” You clear your throat, walking towards him.
“Do you want to get out of here?” Spencer offers, “I reckon the coppers will be here soon.”
“Yeah,” You smile at him lightly, “I’ll probably book an Uber-“
He holds his cup out towards you, “I’m not drinking. I’ll drive you home.”
Spencer tugs his jacket off from his shoulder and places it around yours his hand slipping down beside your arm until his hand is hovering beside yours. You interlock your hand with his and he smiles once more, like he’s relieved at the contact.
———
The drive back isn’t far, and the empty roads make it even quicker. Spencer still indicates every time he needs to, drives the limit rather than anything over, glances at you every so often to make sure you were okay in the passenger seat.
He pulls up in front of your house and shuts off the engine.
“So, will you be rushing back to a graveyard party any time soon?” He leans his head back against the headrest and turns it towards you.
“I think I’ll stick to the beach or a house party for now,” You nod, running your hands over the cold skin of your thighs.
Spencer laughs, “Yeah I-“
“Can I ask you something?” You interject, the thought practically spilling from your mind.
He frowns, nodding slightly.
“Why did the boys think I was your neighbour? Did you not tell them we worked together?”
Spencer swallows the lump in his throat, “I didn’t tell them about the job.”
You furrow your brows, “Is working at a movie theater really that bad?”
He lets out a deep breath, “It’s not that.”
There’s a stillness in the air between you. That sort of tension that he always managed to dissipate. He’s calm and yet the air seems to be full of all the nerves he could muster in your presence.
“I don’t really talk to them about anything with my Mum, or home, or anything. And I guess I figured if they knew about the job they’d start asking questions and it’s just… not something I tell people.”
“You told me.”
Spencer chuckles a little, “You’re easier to talk to.”
You smile at him and the tension in his shoulders seems to relax a little, “I guess I can pretend to be your neighbour next time.”
“Next time?” He raises his brows, “So you did like the graveyard.”
You laugh, your gaze averting to the darkness looming over your house, not a single light on.
“So, my parents are away,” You say quietly, like you’re now the one holding all of the nervous energy, “Do you want to… I mean you could…”
“Yeah.”
You laugh, unsure at what point in your time knowing him had it become so easy for Spencer to make you nervous.
———
He sits at the end of the bed whilst you get ready in the bathroom. You take off your makeup, wash your face, tie back your hair and change into your pyjamas. They were one of the cuter sets you owned - different to the normal baggy t-shirt you’d wear. But if there was ever a time to wear a nicer set, it was whilst Spencer would be the one you were sharing a bed with.
When you walk back in, he looks up from the book he had in his hands - one he’d taken from your nightstand.
“Didn’t think that would be your kind of thing,” You nod towards it, walking over to your side of the bed.
“Too many big words,” He smiles, setting it back down and shuffling backwards on the bed.
He was wearing only his t-shirt and boxers now - his other clothes folded in a pile on the chair in front of your vanity.
“Okay we’ve got a problem here,” You comment, looking down at him.
“What’s that?” He asks, swinging his legs around so that he’s sat at the side of the bed facing you, his knees bumping against your legs.
“This is my side of the bed,” You mention.
“Oh is it?” Spencer cocks a brow at you and you hum in response.
His hands reach out and gently brush the skin of your thigh, trailing upwards towards your waist as if drawing you towards him. You let him guide you, shifting until you are straddling his lap. Neither of you speak, Spencer’s hand moving around to hold your back, one remaining on your waist. Your breath catches in your throat, eyes focused on his like you’re seeking that comfort.
“Can I kiss you?” Spencer whispers, the words seeming to tumble from his lips.
You nod, swallowing the lump in your throat, “Yes.”
The corners of his mouth upturn just slightly, his eyes flicking between your eyes and your lips. And then, he closes the gap just enough. His lips press against yours, soft and cautious but somehow so certain of themselves. His hand moves to cup your jaw, drawing more of you to him as his fingertips tangle into your hair. When he pulls away, his lips curl into a smile, forehead pressing against yours.
“You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to do that,” He whispers, as if not wanting anything else to ruin the moment.
You laugh, leaning into him, “This is still my side.”
Spencer chuckles, holding one arm tightly around his waist to shuffle you both back across the mattress. He shifts to lay you down on one side of the bed before settling down on the side beside you, his arm outstretched to pull you into his chest. You can feel his heart beating against your ear and you’re relieved for a second he is sharing in the same adrenaline that you are.
His fingertips trail up and down your arm, the most delicate touch he could muster.
“I’m sorry I lied to the boys about you,” He speaks the words quietly into the air of the room.
You tilt your head upwards just enough that you can see his face, “We already spoke about this, you don’t have to-“
“Yeah but I didn’t apologise properly and I should do,” He nods, “It shouldn’t be your problem to have to lie to them too.”
“Would it really be so bad if they knew you had a job?”
Spencer shakes his head, tucking his other arm beneath his head on the pillow, “No, it wouldn’t. I just don’t like the thought of them knowing everything that goes on at home. It’s easier to go into school and act like none of that exists.”
You lean up onto your elbows and turn to face him, reaching up a hand to run through the hair falling at the side of his forehead, “Would it not be easier if you could talk to them about it?”
He wraps an arm around your waist, his eyes flitting between each of yours, “I don’t think I’d even know what to say.”
Spencer leans up just enough to kiss you again, gentle and fleeting.
He pulls you back down to his chest and tugs the blanket up over both of you. The pair of you stay there, like that in each other’s arms, until his breath starts to even out and he falls asleep - though, even then, his arms don’t loosen from around you.
———
Spider is back at school on Monday morning. He’d spent all of Sunday with you - waking up at your house, driving you both to work, and then taking you to dinner afterwards. It was the first time he’d ever woken up and instantly wanted to text someone, sending you a quick ‘good morning’ along with his complaints for not wanting to go to school today. He felt like a child with his first crush. Though, when he thought about it, maybe this was the first proper crush he’d had. No other girl had made him feel like this. And he’d savour it for as long as he could.
“Oi dickhead, are you listening?” Dusty interrupts his thoughts, the two of them walking towards the locker room to get changed.
“No,” Spider shrugs, “Do I need to be?”
“You missed a killer end to the party man,” Dusty points out, pushing the door open to where the rest of the boys already were, “I can’t believe you left early.”
“Oh come on I think Spider had other things on his mind,” Ant points out as soon as he overhears the conversation.
“Yeah who the fuck was that chick?”
“Does it matter? Either way Spider was going to fu-“
“Cut it out,” Spider snaps, to nobody in particular, just hoping for anything that would stop the topic of conversation.
“Aww is Spider precious about his latest conquest?” Ant frowns, “You’ll be onto the next one by this weekend.”
“Have you ever just thought of shutting up Ant?” Spider questions, reaching down to tie the laces of his trainers, “I mean, seriously, is it so hard to think (Y/n) might just be a good person? Someone I actually like hanging out with?”
“I don’t think that’s what they’re doubting,” It’s Malakai that speaks this time.
Spider looks at him, uncertain.
“If she’s a decent person, the last guy she should be around is you.”
For a moment, he feels the silence around him. The same tightness in his chest that he got at every dinner with his Mum. The same voice in his head telling him it was impossible for him to be good.
“Well,” He clears his throat, standing up from the bench, “Good thing I don’t need to listen to you cunts.”
When he walks out onto the field, the girls are already crowded around in conversations with each other. Spider walks over, crossing towards the opposite side of the field.
“Oi Spider!”
It’s Amerie that yells after him. He turns around to see her and Harper making their way over.
“You know we told that girl from the party to stay away from you,” Amerie states strongly, offering him her most judgemental look.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“You might be able to put on an act for her but she deserves to know how shitty you are.”
“Are you kidding?” Spider scoffs, “You don’t even know her, why’s it your place to say anything?”
“We don’t know her,” Amerie shrugs, “But we know you. And no girl deserves that.”
He glances around at the rest of the people on the field, across to where the boys have just started filtering outside too. Not a single person here thought well of him. Even the boys, his friends, they saw him as the boy that said what they wouldn’t say. He was funny to them before he was good. He was someone to laugh at before he’d ever be someone to talk to. He’d become a show piece at this school. The controversial one that said what nobody else would.
“Ever thought that I might want to be a decent guy? That if I actually liked someone it’s genuine?” Spider shrugs, swallowing the lump in his throat.
“Oh fuck off Spider, are you even capable of that?”
“Maybe.”
———
You’d been on Spider’s mind for the whole day. And, as soon as the final bell rang, all he could think of was getting to you.
It’s not a far drive, just the other side of town. But he speeds as if it’s some sort of last ditch attempt to get to you. He hadn’t thought to text, or ask where you were, or ask if you were free. He just knew he needed to get to you. And when he pulls up in front of your house, he realises this is as far as his thoughts had taken him, he wasn’t sure what that meant now.
He knocks on the door, harshly as if he’s channeling his nerves into the sound.
It’s not you on the other side. Instead, an older woman, bearing some resemblance to you in the brightness of her eyes.
“Hi, can I help you?” Her brows furrow but she smiles at him welcomingly, warmly.
“Um-“ He clears his throat, scratching the back of his neck, “I just-“
“Are you (Y/n)’s friend?”
Before he can respond, you come up behind the woman and grasp her shoulders, “I’ve got this one Mum.”
You glance to Spencer and smile, instantly relaxing the tension in his shoulders.
“It was nice to meet you,” Your Mum nods to him, turning to you and giving you some sort of knowing smile as if exchanging silent words.
You step out of the front door and pull it almost-closed behind you;
“What are you doing here Spencer?”
“You didn’t tell me what the girls said to you at the party.”
“I-“ You wrap your arms over your chest as a breeze courses past both of you, “I didn’t think it mattered.”
“Didn’t matter?” He half laughs, his shoulders dropping, “They practically told you to get as far away from me as you could.”
“Yeah. And that doesn’t mean I believed them.”
Spencer smiles at you just a little, but it falters quickly.
“Why do they hate you so much Spencer?”
He pauses, taking a deep breath as he looks at you like even the sight of you is enough to calm down all of the worry coursing through him.
“My whole life it’s just been me and my Mum. I didn’t have siblings, my Dad was never in the picture. And so I had this one person left that was meant to love me. You know? That was her job, right? She’s my Mum, she just needs to love me and we’d figure the rest out. My Mum treats me every day like I’m the worst guy on the planet. I’m a guy and she thinks that’s enough for me to be someone she should hate. To her, I’m destructive and thoughtless and I have all this potential do a world of wrong. She reminds me of that every day, with everything I do. She’s reminded me of it so much that I started to believe it. That’s the guy I am to them at school. That’s the guy they know. And I’d hate me too if I was them.”
You feel a lump forming in your throat, wanting to reach out for him and tell him everything he needed to hear. To heal all those years of hurt that sat on those young shoulders.
“I don’t want to be that guy when I’m with you.”
You feel it then. The way your heart skips a beat once more.
“I want to be better.”
Your face breaks into a small smile, an instinctive response.
“I believe you,” You practically whisper the words, “Everyone else might have a lot to say about you but I know the person that you are with me.”
You step forward towards him.
“And I don’t think that guys so bad.”
You watch as he visibly relaxes, grasping out for you as soon as you are within reach, his hands snaking around to your waist. Your hands move up to his chest, linking around the back of his neck.
“You deserve a chance to be better Spider,” You smile, reaching up onto the tips of your toes to press a kiss to his lips.
He hums against the contact, pulling away to say, “I prefer Spencer.”
You chuckle and he wraps his arms tighter around you, burying his head into the crook of your neck. He breathes in the scent of you in his arms, feeling his heart slow in your hold. He’s sure he could stay there forever. And you’re sure that you would let him.
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morganski-19 · 1 day
Text
The One With Mother’s Day
Eddie trips out of his room, rubbing at his eyes, to answer the door. Someone choosing nine in the morning on a Sunday to knock very loudly on their front door.
“Yeah,” he says blearily as the door swings open.
“Eddie, it’s so nice to see you again.” Karen Wheeler says from the other side of the door. “I remember Nancy saying that you moved in with her about a year ago.”
Eddie tries to blink the tired away. “Mrs. Wheeler, hello. Sorry, I didn’t know you were coming to visit.” He steps out of the way so she can enter the apartment.
She walks in and stands awkwardly in the walkway between the kitchen and the living room. “Well, I didn’t know I was coming here until this morning. Is Nancy home?”
“You drove all the way from Indiana to here, that’s quite the trip. And yeah, she’s probably up, hold on a second.”
“Well, it’s been forever since I visited Nancy, and I thought since it’s Mother’s Day, I might spend the day with my daughter. My other kids are either too busy with school or too far to drive so suddenly.”
“Yeah, uh huh,” Eddie mutters as he knocks on Nancy’s door. “Hey, Nance, you up?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
Eddie looks back at Karen with a polite smile. “Could I come in for a second?”
“Sure,” Nancy responds suspiciously.
Eddie quickly opens and shuts the door behind him. “Your mother’s here.”
Nancy sits straighter in the chair by her window. Shutting her book and placing it on the small table beside her. “What. She didn’t tell me she was coming.”
“She apparently didn’t even know she was coming until this morning. It’s at least a five-hour drive from home.”
“She got up at four in the morning just to come visit me. Why?”
Eddie shrugs. “Something about Mother’s Day and her other kids being too busy or something. I don’t know. She looked, ok? Like every other time I’ve seen her. But like, with that crazed fluster she would get when Mike’s friends were over, and your dad refused to get off of that lazy boy he had.”
Nancy rolls her eyes. “This could go one of two ways, and I’m not sure either of them will be good.”
She gets up and heads to the living room. Where her mother still stands, hands rubbing together anxiously. “Nancy, I’m sorry to show up out of the blue, I didn’t want to wake you up in the middle of the night with a phone call.”
“That’s ok,” Nancy says with a partially fake smile, giving her mom a hug. “Eddie said you just drove here this morning, you must have left pretty early.”
Karen shrugs. “Yeah, well, you leave early enough, you miss all of the traffic. And the highways are so nice to drive on when no ones around. But, anyway, how are you doing, it’s been a while since we talked.”
“Pretty good. Just working a lot, trying to be able to write something other than stupid tabloids and junk articles. But mom-.”
Eddie groans in the kitchen, opening the empty coffee container. “I’m going to rob Steve and Robin’s for coffee.”
“Ok,” Nancy replies as he shuts the door.
“Steve and Robin still live across the hall,” Karen smiles. “That’s so nice. Do Jonathan and his college friend still live across the street?”
“Argyle,” she reminds. “And yes, they do. Mom-.”
Karen claps her hands. “Oh, I am starving. Why don’t we go out to breakfast? You know, catch up, my treat.”
“It’s Mother’s Day, shouldn’t it be my treat?” Nancy eyes her mother skeptically. Wondering why she really showed up out of nowhere. Got up in the middle of the night just to have a surprise visit.
“Just spending the day with me would be a treat. Go on, get ready, I’ll just wait out here.”
Nancy nods and returns to her room.
-
When Eddie uses his spare key to go into Steve and Robin’s apartment, he expects them both to be asleep. Robin never gets up before noon if she doesn’t have to, and Steve always has the weekends off, so he should be relaxing. Instead, Steve’s sitting in the kitchen, phone pressed to his ear and fingers pinching his nose, pushing his glasses up to his forehead. He barely notices when Eddie enters the apartment.
“No mom, I haven’t seen her since college.” Steve sounds utterly exhausted. “Because we never really talked then either other than that time you came to visit me. Maybe because I’m happy being single. It’s a perfectly respectable job, and I love it. I didn’t want to work with dad.” He sighs as his mom drones on about something. “I didn’t call for this, I called to wish you a happy Mother’s Day. You know, it’s late where you are so how about I let you go. Love you.”
Steve hangs up the phone, placing it face down on the table and letting his head fall into his hands. He stays like that, frozen.
“That didn’t sound fun,” Eddie breaks the silence. Spooning a serving of coffee into a plastic bag.
Steve huffs out a laugh, fixing the glasses on his face and sitting back on the chair. Crossing his arms and shaking his head, avoiding eye contact. “Oh you know, just normal chats with my mother. She can’t go one conversation without trying to set me up with some rich family’s daughter she knows.”
Eddie winces. “Never a nice rich boy in that mix.”
The glare Steve gives Eddie is tired and chilling. “What do you think?”
“I’m sorry.” Eddie sits across from Steve. “Sounds like it sucks.”
“Yeah, it does.” Steve sighs, looking at his phone. “I love my parents, I really do. But sometimes it’s hard to. Especially when they keep trying to set me up with people I don’t even know or get me to change careers. I just wished they respected me more than they did.”
“They should, you have a job you love and so what if you’re single. That’s a pretty great deal if you ask me.”
Eddie’s phone dings.
Nancy: Me and my mom are going out for breakfast
Eddie: Cool, have fun
Nancy: I will try
“If it makes you feel any better, Nancy’s mom showed up unannounced and now they’re going out to breakfast.”
Steve’s eyes widen. “Like she drove here this morning?” Eddie nods in confirmation. “That’s not good.”
“Yeah, I know. Still don’t know why she’s here.” Eddie’s stomach rumbles. “God, I’m starving.”
“I haven’t eaten yet, you want to go get something? Unless you have somewhere else to be.”
Eddie smiles. “I do not. Let me get changed, I’ll meet you in five.”
-
Nancy thanks their waiter when he brings them their food. Silently piercing the yolk of her egg and watching it run over to her hashbrowns. Karen talking for the both of them.
“Have you talked to your brother recently? Him and Will are settling in well over in New York, their place looks nice. Small, but nice. I’ll have to take a trip out there some time to visit them.”
She just nods along to her mother’s ramblings. Watching as she pauses to take a bite and just continues. Always dodging around the subject of why she’s here whenever Nancy tries to ask.
“It’s so nice that they’re still together after all these years. Not that being alone is anything bad. I miss the single life. Well, I never really had that much of a single life. I met your father in high school and that was that. Part of me wishes I had a few years to explore, like you did. Get to live life before having a family.”
“Yeah,” Nancy interrupts. Coldly. “Why are you here mom?”
Karen looks taken aback. “Is it wrong to visit my daughter?”
“No, it’s not. But you’ve never just drove here on a whim. There was always at least a phone call, booking a hotel stay. Not waking up at four in the morning one night and deciding to drive five hours to come visit me.” Nancy softens her face. “This isn’t like you, what’s going on?”
Karens mouth twitches as she places down her silverware. Fiddling with her napkin. “You know how it was you father’s and my anniversary last week.”
Nancy nods, listening.
“Well, he forgot, again, and I didn’t want to make the plans again this year. I wanted him to surprise me like he did when we were young. With none of the kids in the house anymore, it gets kinda lonely me and him. When I asked that morning, he scrambled to make plans but couldn’t get a reservation anywhere until last night. Where we basically had a silent meal, paid, and left. No surprises, no anything.”
“I’m sorry, mom. I know how dad can be with the romantic stuff.”
Karen sighs. “Any stuff. If it wasn’t me doing everything, nothing would get done. We haven’t even slept in the same bed since Mike went off to college, and that was years ago. I thought maybe we could try and rebuild what we had. Guess I was wrong.”
Nancy frowns. “I didn’t know that.”
“How could you? You never really came home once you graduated, on to bigger and better things. Not that I blame you, I am so proud of you and the life you’ve built here. I just, didn’t want to bore you with the problems in my life. In my marriage.”
“You could have. I would have listened.”
“I appreciate that.” Karens pauses, closing her eyes. “I’ve decided to leave your dad, Nancy. That’s why I came out to visit you.”
Nancy can’t say she’s surprised. “I’m sorry, mom.”
“Don’t be. I haven’t been happy in years, we all knew it was coming. I just don’t know what I’m going to do now.”
“Whatever you want,” Nancy smiles. “You get to do whatever you want. Go back to school, get a shitty part time job. Get back out there and find a man you deserve. Find new friends, anything. You get to build a new life.”
Karen smiles, tears shining her eyes. “Well, that’s all true, I guess. Thank you for not judging me for this.”
“I never would.” Nancy goes back to her breakfast. “So, what else would you like to do while you’re in town. I have tomorrow off too.”
“I don’t know. But I am excited to find out.”
Tag list (let me know if you want to be added or taken off) @slowandsteddie, @annieofhearts, @cacdyke, @ubpd, @captain--low,
@thespaceantwhowrites, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @anne-bennett-cosplayer, @lunaticparisianlady,
@apomaro-mellow, @dolphincliffs, @dragonmama76, @maggiebug417, @stevesbipanic,
@fearieshadow, @eightpackdiaz, @au79burger @bookworm0690 , @practicallybegging,
@potato-of-the-lord, @autumncrocusandladybug, @estrellami-1, @ilovecupcakesandtea, @gregre369
@my2amgaythoughts
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foolsocracy · 16 hours
Note
Hi, hello, I’m new to your blog. I’ve made myself at home. Lovely carpet.
Can I please know more about your spider Robbie pie? Can’t seem to find the silverware.
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but of course, kind anon
Spider Robbie is an au in which Robbie Robertson takes up the spider mantle after the death of the one before him. He is the third, following Ben Urich and, most notably, Peter Parker.
This au is very much canon divergence from Eyes Without a Face, where Peter makes it in time to save Robbie from his original fate but dies in the process. Peter is shot while rushing Robbie and the others out. In his panic and elation at finding Robbie physically unharmed, Peter outs himself as the Spider Man to his best friend. Robbie stays with him as he bleeds out and resolves to continue to hide Peter's identity.
Peter is buried and remains that way for... an undetermined amount of time.
Robbie is left with a mask, a jacket, and the question of just who was this other half of his friend. As he learns more of who this... Spider Man was, he gets more and more involved in the spider's cases and conflicts. Robbie gets more sure of his own abilities and makes a bit of a name for the Spider Man within his own community, though the people of Harlem are largely unaware that the appearances of a masked vigilante match the interests of one Robbie Robertson.
It is to be noted that none of these aforementioned abilities are spider-god-induced powers like Peter's. Robbie, especially at the beginning of his spidering career, leans more into Urich's role than Parker's. To me, Robbie has been passionate about the press and journalism in a way that Peter never was. For Pete, his job as a photographer and reporter was a job he took until he could get into college and study science. Robbie has a way with words and communication that Peter frankly lacks. Of course, that isn't to say that Robbie won't be kicking ass, because he will. It will just take him a bit of time to get some of those skills as he's, well, a normal guy. Not everyone can get their biology scrambled like Pete.
And just because Robbie hasn't been scrambled doesn't mean he's completely separate from all things supernatural either!
I think the marvel noir universe is at its best when there's a magical, supernatural undercurrent. This concept isn't super prevalent in the actual comics, but HoplesslyLost on ao3 has done some really cool world building with it.
I think in Robbie's case, where he would be the narrator, "magical realism" would be an interesting avenue to take it. I use this term in particular because I most closely relate it to Toni Morrison in my head, when I first learned about it through her work in high school. For Morrison, the concept was inseparable to blackness and I think for Robbie, where his blackness is so central to his character and his motivations, drawing on that could be more of a service to his character. It feels better to do that than ignore how incredibly racialized his society and story is. It will make his relationship with the spider god, Peter (who I will get to very very shortly), his community, and his own mythos as The Spider Man really interesting and complex.
So it's been established that Robbie doesn't have spider powers. And we all know that Peter did-- or should I say does. One of the spider god's abilities is to bring Peter back to life. She does this in the comics, but not in any of the runs from 2008-2010 (the runs that make up this au). When Peter dies on Ellis Island, he does not think he is coming back from that. Waking up again is a surprise.
Here's where I think the au really takes a left turn. Do I think the Spider God is purely evil and spiteful and has it out for Pete? No, not really. Will I be ramping said traits up to 11 for the au? Yeah, I guess I might. This is because I love a little bit of horror and the came back wrong trope. I will hopefully be fleshing the spider god out in the near future, but I really haven't given her the many hours of thought I have the other characters. For that I'm sorry spider god </3
Peter digs himself out of his grave, more spider than he ever has been. For much of his new, waking life he is more animalistic than not. There is clearly something wrong with him; his joints are too flexible and loose, he's got some eye-shine going on, his skin is pale and his veins are starkly dark beneath it. He's possessed. Someone is puppeteering him, someone who knows a lot-- almost everything about him, but it's clear that the someone isn't him.
And Peter--- the body, it can't be Peter. At least, that's what Robbie thinks when the figure catches his eye the first time. Because Peter is dead and buried, and he has been dead and buried for weeks.
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lilithhb · 15 hours
Text
🫀Experiences;
One night, in a room.
Years ago I went to a school trip with some friends.
I had these friend who I loved a lot during that time, I am a very loving person so I remember hugging him a lot and he would do the same. It was nice because he was taller than me so I could listen to her heart every time I wanted to by hugging him.
As I’ve had a heart condition for a time now he always took care of me making sure that I felt okay. Something that beyond cardiophilia I always found it cute.
“Did you take your pills?” “Make sure not to eat much junk food” “How is your heart?” “Everything okay with your dumb pump” are small examples of the things he used to say to me. I had that trust in which I would lie next to him and sometimes he would put his hand on my chest while doing stuff, feeling my heart. Something that I told him made me feel safe.
I remember the movement of his hand going up and down following my heartbeat as Ive always had a visible heartbeat.
I remember him getting worried when my heart decided to skip some beats while his hand rested on my chest. “Its fine” I would say, “It does that sometimes” and the he would say that it should not happen again as if I could control my heartbeat hehe….
During that trip he was extra careful with me. We had long walks and he would always walk next to me as I would get tired easily because of my condition. My heart always beating erratically with skips and pauses with the sun making me a sweat mess. He would take my wrist to feel my pulse just to know about my condition. One time he even putted his palm against my chest to feel it directly while he told me I should follow his breathe to calm my heart.
One afternoon after one of those long walks both of us sneaked into his room (girls and boys could not share room during this trip for obvious reasons) to rest and talk. We had small conversations but I was too tired to keep the dialogue going, so after a small silence he got closer and laid his hand on my chest once again. My heart beating strong following a fast pace.
“Does it hurt?” He asked, I started blushing for some reason, it never actually mattered to me that he put his hand on my chest but somehow I felt more vulnerable this time. “No, I mean yeah kinda” I reply. “You should rest then…”
I don’t really remember who things went, but we lay down on his bed, where after some time trying to sleep he would sit and watch me straight to my eyes asking me if he could listen to my heart. My heart started to race more in answer to the question, which I stuttered to reply with a yes.
He would lay his head on my chest while his hand rested on my wrist. I remember that I was having an arrhythmia during that time, so he would comment about every skip and rhythm change my heart would make, he told about how beautiful it was for him to listen the one thing that keeps working so hard, and kinda poorly, to keep me alive.
I remember his breathing, his head moving up and down my every shake my chest had in response to hard little pump. His attempts to follow my heartbeat with smalls “pump pum” coming from his mouth.
I loved every second of it. I never felt soy listened in my life. And we stayed like that for hours until the night came. I did fall sleep at the end, when I woke up I was hugging his head against my chest, with my heart beating slowly with the same pace of his breathing.
This was my attempt of writing some of my cardiophile experiences, sorry for the bad English I am not a native speaker;;; I have many more to tell so perhaps this is only the first of many posts with my experiences, who knows?
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jocelynscrazyideas · 16 hours
Text
Just friends? pt. 2 | Matt Rempe x Reader
pt. 1
Summary: making your way up to your dream job was difficult, but leaving it may be harder that ever.
Warnings: language, small portion of smut, eating, THE NOTEBOOK IS MENTIONED😛🥲
A:N- it’s really short but yuhh
━━━✦❘༻༺❘✦━━━
It’s been a good month of dating my bestfriend. I’m just scared that if anything goes wrong, that we wouldn’t be the same.
I’ve understood that when or I should say, If we breakup, we of course won’t be friends, but I wnat to talk. Keep up in life. Support him.
Matt has made it clear that it’s me, and only me. I know, dating an nhl player will be hard, because there is always someone out there thinking your boyfriend is cute.
“Dumper?” Matt calls out for me. I’m getting ready in his bathroom. Today, it’s the first day in off season. The rangers had won the third round of playoffs, but we didn’t make it to the end.
You might be wondering why Matt calls me dumper. It��s a long story, taht im glad to walks down with you.
~memory~
“Matt!” I groan as he thrusts into one last time. He releases into me, I feel I’m going to cum as well.
“You cum dump.” Matt laughs out. He cleans us up, and stands up to throw the tissues he used to clean up away. “I do not!” I yell out, I know I do. It makes sense to me.
Why would I cum in like five different times if I feel I’m going to release at one time?
Matt comes down onto me and kissed me from my knee up. He hits my neck and sucks down until I feel nothing.
“Nice hickey.” He chirps at me.
“Oh yeah? I wonder wher i hit it from.” I sarcastically joke with him. He gets hurts from that and lays down on my bare chest.
His brown hair all over.
It’s dark. Bedroom lights are off and the only thing lighting the house is the stars.
He cuddles into me for a few hours while I talk and yap about school, and when I should get my job.
~
“Where are you?” Matt yells for me.
“Bathroom! I have the interview today!” I let Matt know that I’m fully booked, and don’t have time for him.
“Well can we watch a movie tonight? Play some uno!” Matt asked me as he walks into the bathroom. His warm chest connects like a puzzle into my back. He leans into me and kissed my neck. He lays his fluffy hair into the crook of my neck. “I love you.” Matt whispers into my ear.
“Three months.” I say. I pushed him off my shoulder and cussed at him.
“Hey shithwsd?” I laugh at him.
“Hm?” Matt moans in his sleepy voice.
“Go shower. I’ll drive you down to the office.” I follow up. Matt has locker clean out today, many last minute interviews and press conferences.
~
I dropped Matt off at the arena and sat in my car.
Maybe he’s the one for me. The one guy that I won’t mess up with.
~
“Hey baby! How was the interview?” Matt asked me as I walk into the kitchen. Matt is cooking us some dinner and I set my purse down. I fall on the couch.
“That bad?” Matt questioned.
I felt my heart drop. How do I tell him, “No it was good… it’s the fact they don’t have an official employment spot for me here in New York. If I took the job, I would have to move to Wyoming.”
Yeah, no.
“Um, it went pretty well.” I replied, my high pitched cracky voice squeaked out. I think Matt knows I’m stressed. I’m sure I have actual sweat droplets swimming down in my face.
“You’re lying.” Matt looked down at me. He standing above me form the couch.
“No im not.” I laugh out. I stand up and dance with him back to the kitchen.
“Oh my love. My little baby.” I say as I rest my head into his chest. He smiles down at me and he picks me up.
“Give me.” Matt gestured to my foot as he set me down on the counter top.
I eye the stove that he left on. “What are we eating tonight?” I ask him. I try to distract myself.
God. Maybe I shouldn’t take the job.
He looks back at the side over his shoulder, and continues to take off my left shoe. My right foot is hanging and I kick him.
“Oh, uh I made some eggs, just so we could eat some toast and eggs. I was lazy, sorry.” Matt explained. He turned red in embarrassment.
“No. It’s perfect.” It’s the little things. I have to take things into consideration, not just the fact he does big gestures. He does this small thing that matters to me. Like, cooking dinner every night. Or just listening to me talk. Even if he doesn’t care, or deep down isn’t listening, he still looks like he cares.
Matt smirked and he dropped my left foot, only to un tie my right shoe. Once he finished he picked me up and kissed me. “What movie?” Matt asked me as I sit in our couch.
He plates everything into a large bowl and hands me a few slices of apples. “You’d be such a great dad.” I muttered.
“I’m sorry. A father?!” Matt exclaimed. He looks me up and down, smirking. Teeth out. His eyes look at me, I feel him leaving closer.
He grips onto a blanket as he sits down on the couch right beside me.
He turns the TV on to play the notebook.
~
I cried at the en of the movie. Matt holds me as he sleeps in my arms. He snores and he shakes as I weep and cry.
Matt looks up as his head rested on my breasts. “Are you okay? Why are you crying?” Matt mumbled. He rubs his eyes once he kissed my left boob.
He gets up and puts out dishes away. He cleans up the couch, and picks me up. “The movie that sad?” Matt asked me. I understand this season was hard so I let him sleep during the movie.
“You’ve never watched The Notevook?” I inferred, I look outside our window and Matt sets me down.
“I have, but I always fall asleep.” He looks at me and he pulls his clothes off. He’s left in his under set and I do the same. I unclamp my bra and lay in bed. I slide my panties off and lick them to the floor.
Matt fliers with me and he tightens his arms around me.
“I love you.” Matt reminded me, for the hundredth time.
“I have to move, if I take the job.” I let out.
Matt loosens his grip and he breaths in. “So take the job.” He said.
“It’s hard, but we can always fly out together.” Matt implied. We lay in bed. Not thinking about anything, well other than the fact I could leave.
Right when life gets good.
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Text
Sold To The Mafia - Pt. 1
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Mafia Straykids x Fem Reader
Warnings- squirting, rape, chocking, a bit of blood, shock collar, torture, use of pet names, nude, blow job and any other stuff you can think off in smut idk
Gente - Smut, some angst and some fluff
Summary - you were kidnapped at the age of 17 and when you had just turned 18, you were sold on a bidding for a lot of money to a famous mafia group. What happens next?
Bad grammar so don’t make fun do me 😭
Very short because it’s like 11 in the morning so-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“ZIP YOUR FUCKING MOUTH OR I’LL BLOW YA FUCKIN HEAD OFF!” He said as he cuffed your hands to the bed and his other men stripping your clothes off with ease leaving you nude.
~ before whatever this happened ~
You had just gotten a new job at a caffe. You had a good life, a good family, good school, good friend and etc. Until-
“Oi, baby girl, be quiet for me and so what I tell you okay?”
A random dude pulls you aside and out the caffe, ragging you into a hallway. You were knocked out quickly and thrown into a truck, no where to be seen after that. After a good hour or so you woke up in the van, tired and sore. The guys in-front of you were observing your body and one of them slapped your ass making you whine in pain.
“Your a cutie. What’s your name?”
One of the guys said as he grabbed your chin and pulled you close to his face making you flinch. You decided to spit in his face making him drop you and slam your back against the hard metal floor as you winced in the stoning feeling.
“Why you little shit!”
The guy said as he swung his arm up to punch you right across the face, knocking out a few drops of blood and tears from your face.
You then passed out
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ back to the future ~
So here you were, blind folded, limbs tied to the bed, stripped naked and a chick collar around your neck 24/7.
“I-I’m begging you, please do-“
BZZZZZZZ! ⚡️
You screamed in pain and your knuckles went white from the way you gripped the bed sheet tightly.
“Shut the fuck up. Now we’re gonna fuck you dumb until our boss comes back okay princess?”
Before you knew it, a thick veiny and long shaft entered your tight cunt making you squeal and shimmy at the pleasure and pain. The men smiled as he suddenly pounded into you making you jolt and moan loudly, screaming and begging too.
“S-STOP I-“
BZZZZZZ! ⚡️
“I- I CANT HANDLE I-“
BZZZZZZ! ⚡️
“…”
The men were taking turn on fucking you endlessly, pounding into you like horny animals. They never realised you had fainted due to the intense orgasm you had at the beginning. They un blind folded you and saw you weak and helpless. They were furious that you had just fainted throughout all that. However, they had a brilliant idea.
When you started to wake up, you felt your leg numb and your throat sore align with your lungs and your stomach. You heard nothing but mumbles but why started to clear.
“We should make a bet for her.”
“What? Why? She’s such a good little bitch to us all. We have our own stress toy or whatever.”
“Yeah but how about this! We can say that she’s a good little assistant and loves to be fucked and since like mostly mafia people, who also have a-lot of money, need a stress reliever, they would believe it and spend thousands on her and then we can be rich.”
“…holy shit…that’s pretty shit but also pretty cool. Sure, let’s do it.”
“I have invited all of you mafia groups for a special occasion because of this wonder slut. She is an absolute beauty! She loves being fucked and played over. Sounds like a good stress reliever for all you mafias! She is great in bed and loves being teased. So, let’s start the bidding shall we?”
“…2 thousand.”
“No! 10 thousand!”
“No! 40 thousand!”
“Fuck- a million!”
“A million sir?! Okay! Going once-“
A million won for…me? Over me. They just set me up for this just to get money didn’t they. I’m not even good in bed I dont even know how to cuddle with a man! I-
You start to realise that they just want money and your worthless. You start to tear up but before a tear rolled down your face, a man shot up and stood on the table making you lift your face up.
“100 MILLION!!!TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT!”
“100 MILLION?!?! SOLD TO MR BANGCHAN AND STRAYKIDS THEMSELVES!!!”
…who?
Pt. 2 later 🤭
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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jenniferjareauwife · 2 days
Note
Would you maybe write something in the cowgirl au about something about the guy from the bar coming up again in reader’s life and she tries to hide it from JJ but is so upset and can’t?
Officer Davis
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pairing: jennifer jareau x cowgirl fem reader
category: hurt/comfort
warnings: rape
word count: 1088
summary: your rapist comes up in your life again and jj comforts you
I flopped down on the hotel bed, happy to visit Texas. JJ was here for a case and I decided to tag along so I could visit my hometown.
I lifted my head off the pillow as my phone rang. I grabbed it from the nightstand and answered the call. "Hey baby." I heard JJ's sweet voice and my heart fluttered.
"Hi."
"I'm gonna go down to the police station. I've heard you might know a few of the guys." I could hear her smile through the phone.
"Tell me their names and I might be able to give you a few pointers."
"We've got...David Stafford."
"I went to high school with him. He's a cool dude. I didn't know he was a police officer now. He's really into football. He's gay though. So you shouldn't get hit on by him"
"Thank God. Trent Porter?"
"No. Never heard of him."
"Ok last guy...Brady Davis?" My heart stopped as my blood went cold. "Y/n?"
"No I uh...I don't know him."
"Ok." I knew she could tell I was lying but didn't want to press. "I'll be back in a few hours. Text me if you need anything, ok? I love you."
"Love you too." I hung up and pulled my knees to my chest, my brain felt loud but quiet at the same time. It was him. From the bar. The guy who raped me. How did he even become a police officer? Someone like him was supposed to be protecting the citizens? How fucked up was the system here?
I had no idea how much time had passed but I had just sat there in bed, alone with my thoughts until the hotel door opened. "Hey babe. I brought back some Panera." She handed me a bowl of mac n cheese, leaning over to kiss my cheek. "Everything ok?" I just nodded, not saying a word. "Do you still wanna go out and walk around?" She took off her coat.
"I just wanna stay here." My voice was quiet and no matter how much I tried to make it stable it still wavered.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I took a big bite of mac n cheese.
"Ok...but you were really excited to walk around since you haven't been here in a few months and now you just want to stay in the hotel room. That isn't like you and I'm concerned." She sat down next to me.
"Well you don't have to be concerned. Can we just go to bed? I'm really tired and I haven't seen you all day and I wanna cuddle and go to sleep."
"Ok. We can do that." She kissed my temple and took my food so she could put it in the fridge. She came back over and laid on her back so I could crawl on top of her. "Good night my love."
"Night night."
I couldn't fall asleep that night, no matter what position I slept in. I had been trying to sleep for 6 hours and it just wasn't working. I thought of him. I thought of him knowing I was here and wanting to talk to me. To torment me. "Baby...why can't you sleep?" JJ yawned and rolled over to face me.
"Hm?"
"You've been tossing and turning all night." She lazily wrapped an arm around me. "Come here. I wanna cuddle." She gently kissed my shoulder before resting her head in the crook of my neck. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"It's clearly not nothing." She kept her voice gentle, tracing soothing patterns on my belly. Her eyes were still shut as she cuddled up against me. "I always know when you're upset. It's like a sixth sense. But I know it's really bad this time. I wanna help you. Can I please help you?"
"I don't...it's not something you should be worried about."
"You're my girlfriend. I'm always gonna worry about you." She kissed my neck tenderly and I could tell she was fighting off sleep. When I stayed silently she picked her head up from my neck and kissed my lips. "You can tell me anything baby."
"It's Officer Davis." I whispered.
"What about him?"
"He was..." I put my hand over my mouth, covering my face. She grabbed my hand gently and brought it to her lips, kissing it softly before kissing my shoulder.
"He was what, baby?"
"That guy. From the bar." My bottom lip trembled but my body relaxed as she scooped me into a big hug. "I thought I would never have to see him again but now I'm in the same town as him."
"Well you don't have to see him my love." She kissed my temple. "We can go back home if you want."
"But you're on a case."
"It's ok. They'll understand if I need to go home." She stroked my hair, holding eye contact with me with so much love in her eyes. "Just say the word and we can go home."
"But I don't wanna tear you away from work."
"Hey...baby that's not what you would be doing, ok? I would much rather go back to DC and make sure you're ok than stay here where you're not ok. You'd do the same thing for me." She pointed out.
"Ok. But I don't wanna leave. I'll stay."
"Are you sure?"
"Mhm."
"Ok." She kissed my forehead. "But you have the right to change your mind at any time."
"Thank you." I leaned my forehead against her chest, really wanting a hug. She got the message and wrapped her arms around me.
"Of course." She pulled me into her lap, kissing the side of my face a few times. "Just tell me if you need anything, alright?"
"Mhm." I leaned into her as much as I could, wanting to feel her body against mine.
"I love you so much." She gently grazed her fingertips over my back, wanting to make me feel as comfortable as possible.
"I love you too." I rested my chin on her shoulder and shut my eyes, feeling so tired after all the anxiety. "I wanna sleep."
"Ok baby we can-" She started to move me to lay down but I stopped her.
"No. I wanna stay like this."
"You're like a toddler." JJ laughed, stroking my hair gently. "We can sleep like this if you want."
"Thanks." I tucked my face into her neck, feeling myself start to drift off. "Love you."
"Love you too. Good night."
"Night night."
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burnthatbridge · 2 days
Text
illicit affairs
buddie | E | chapter 6 of 10 | 8k (of 43k and counting) | just a boy helping his boy bestie figure out gay sex, with a side of infidelity In the end, Buck almost renders all Eddie's preparation for naught.
Chapter 6: you showed me colors you know i can't see with anyone else
He and Buck plan for– it to take place that week, in advance of Buck’s fourth date with Marcus. They schedule it for a day off, a weekday where they’ve been off shift for at least twelve hours, have managed a full night’s sleep in their own beds, well-rested. Theoretically, at least. Eddie takes a long time to drift off after getting home from the station and spending some time with Chris. He’d been relaxed on the couch watching cartoons with his son at his side, but as soon as he’s in bed alone all he can think of is being in Buck’s bed, and very much not alone.
In the morning, he takes Christopher to school and then drives over to Buck’s. He’d wanted Buck to come to his, to be at home with him while they did this, but he had no reason for the bizarre preference, so he hadn’t argued when they’d discussed it and Buck had said he should come to the loft.
He parks up outside and sits in his truck for an extra minute or two, obstinately debating taking in the backpack he brought, the one he shoved the tube of lube and box of condoms into. But Buck will no doubt have supplies of his own so, really, he’s taking a moment to breathe. Once he and Buck start, getting enough air is going to be as difficult as it is in a room full of smoke.
Leaving the bag behind, Eddie exits the car and heads up to Buck’s apartment. He hesitates outside the door. He’s got a key; has had one for years. Buck knows he’s coming and, even if he didn’t, Eddie doesn’t normally knock. This feels like it might call for knocking. But that would mean something is different here, when it’s not. This is just Eddie helping Buck out, no different from coming over to make sure he’s bothering to ice a black eye or to assist in setting up the Ikea couch he finally caved and ordered after the last one got blood and amniotic fluid all over it.
Eddie slides his key into the lock, turns it, and pushes the door open, steps through.
“Eddie?” Buck appears at the top of the stairs, practically trips down them, two at a time.
Hey, Eddie means to say, to greet him, but the word gets stuck. Buck looks– He’s clearly freshly showered, face flushed pink from the steamy heat and hair damp-darkened, starting to curl as it dries, loose and product-free. He’s wearing grey cut-off shorts, the little frayed strings at the end of each leg brushing against his kneecaps, and an old, threadbare white t-shirt, so worn thin it’s practically translucent. Eddie’s seen him like this before, has perhaps seen him in exactly this outfit, in this precise same state, so it shouldn’t leave him speechless, shouldn’t steal his words. But Buck looks– Buck looks like Eddie could reach out and touch, take. Eddie is going to do that.
read chapter 6 on ao3 or start at chapter 1
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swan-of-sunrise · 3 days
Text
...Is Love, Sweet Love (Part II)
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Summary: Eight months later, (Y/N) and her daughter Molly have settled in well at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, with (Y/N) teaching a Classical Literature class and six-year-old Molly taking courses while learning more about her telepathic skills. Charles, having fallen head over heels for the school's new professor, debates whether or not to act upon his feelings.
Pairing: Charles Xavier X F!Reader
Word Count: 5.3k
Warnings/Disclaimers: None
A/N: Yes, I know, it's slightly unhinged to write a Part II to a one-shot that I published over 2 years ago, but I couldn't get this idea out of my head and here's what I came up with! Again, "What The World Needs Now Is Love" by Jackie DeShannon partially inspired this fic, so you should totally give it a listen if you haven't heard it before :)
…Is Love, Sweet Love May 1980 Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester (Previous Chapter)
Despite living in his family’s mansion for the majority of his life and spending countless hours of his childhood eagerly exploring its sprawling grounds, Charles Xavier hadn’t truly grown to appreciate the tranquility that the estate provided until he’d re-started Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. The sight of young mutants happily playing on the playground and partaking in group sports without feeling the need to hide their differences away brought a smile to Charles’ face, and the cheerful laughter of his students paired with the beautiful spring sunshine inspired him to once again enjoy his lunch outside with a good book…although, it was difficult to deny that he spent far more time listening in on Professor (Y/L/N)’s nearby Classical Literature class than actually reading his novel.
“Can anyone tell me why the characters of King Lear worship the pagan gods and not any form of Christianity?” (Y/N), who was sitting cross-legged on the grass in front of her small class, arched a brow as she surveyed the silent group of teenagers before her. “C’mon, guys, you know this. We went over the background of the play during our last lecture, and I seem to remember some of you even taking notes…” After a moment, a timid hand went up from the red-headed girl in the front and (Y/N) smiled. “Yes, Jean?”
“The play is set in ancient Britain, long before the arrival of Christianity.”
“Very good, Jean!” Jean Grey’s shoulders relaxed and beside her, her friend Jubilee gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “Now, why would Shakespeare choose to set this play in this specific time period? Think about the time period in which Shakespeare lived, and what the social and political climate in England was like.” A dark-haired boy towards the back of their group raised his hand. “Go ahead, Remy.”
Remy LeBeau lowered his hand and began fiddling with his deck of playing cards as he spoke in his distinct French-Creole accent. “Well, Professor, that was when there was a lil’ trouble brewin’ ‘tween the Catholics and Protestants over there, right? He prob’ly didn’t wanna ruffle any feathers by puttin’ a popular religion in his plays, so he had his characters worship the gods from ol’ Roman mythology; anybody who’d be offended would’ve been long dead, so Willy did what any guy’d do to keep his head on his shoulders.”
Charles smiled to himself as the class laughed and (Y/N)’s lips curved upwards into a reluctant grin. “A little unorthodoxly put, Remy, but you’re absolutely correct. In the play, Lear states that-” She was cut off when the familiar sound of the school bell rang out and her students started to pack their things away. “Remember, on Monday we’ll begin performing your assigned scenes so be sure to work on memorizing your lines with your groups over the weekend. Have a good rest of your day!”
While they laughed and talked amongst themselves, the students headed back towards the mansion for their next class and with a fond smile on her face, (Y/N) looked away from them and finished packing her binders and books into her messenger bag. The novel in Charles’ hand was all but forgotten in favor of admiring his colleague and friend, who’s effortless beauty almost always succeeded in making him stutter over his words and caused him to blush in a way that he hadn’t since he was a schoolboy; she was dressed casually in a striped button-down blouse tucked into a faded pair of high-waisted jeans and well-worn Birkenstocks, with her (Y/H/C) hair pulled away from her face by a blue headband and her reading glasses dangling around her neck by a colorful beaded chain. Charles took in all of her striking figure, but it was her content smile and the happy gleam in her (Y/E/C) eyes that made him release a lovelorn sigh and look down at his lap.
Charles was infatuated with Professor (Y/L/N). Well, it perhaps started out as a simple infatuation, back when she’d first arrived on his doorstep pleading for him to help her daughter; her kindness and caring nature in regards to Molly’s safety and well-being was touching, considering how many parents he’d met who were overly eager to pass their mutant children off to a complete stranger just to be rid of them. After hearing their story, he knew that she couldn’t bear to be separated from her five-year-old and so, he asked that she stay and teach at the school to ensure that they would remain together. That was eight months ago and since then, the infatuation had evolved into a full-blown romantic crush; Charles was captivated by (Y/N)’s capacity for compassion, enchanted by her quick wit and natural beauty, in awe of her progressive idealism in regards to mutant rights and more than appreciative of her boundless consideration in regards to his disability.
Yes, Charles was enamored by his school’s newest professor, but he was also plagued by insecurity. The last woman he was romantically involved with was Agent Moira MacTaggert of the CIA, all the way back in 1962 when he was a dashing young man who’d just earned his doctorate and possessed an egotistical streak wider than the English Channel; nowadays, his ego was tempered and his youthful good looks were beginning to give way to wrinkles and streaks of silver. While a ten-year age gap between two consenting adults was hardly an insurmountable obstacle to a happy relationship, a part of him couldn’t help but think that (Y/N) would be happier with someone younger than him. Both Alex and Hank thought that he was overthinking the situation, and perhaps they were right but whenever he started to consider asking her out, that little voice of doubt whispered on in the back of his mind.
“Hi Charles!”
Looking up, Charles’ face reflexively broke out into a grin when he saw (Y/N) approaching the bench he’d parked his wheelchair beside. “Hello, (Y/N)! Holding your classes outside today, I see?”
“It’s such a beautiful day, so you could hardly blame me for taking full advantage of it.” The professor adjusted the strap of her messenger bag and tilted her head as a teasing smile played across her cherry-red lips. “Enjoying your lunch outside today, I see?”
“Touché, Professor,” Charles chuckled, slipping his bookmark into his novel to mark his place and tucking it into his wheelchair’s saddle pack. “Hank seems to believe that my vitamin D levels are too low, so I decided that eating outside was the quickest way to get our resident worrywart off of my back. Not only did I soak up plenty of sun, I had the added pleasure of listening in on your fantastic lesson on Shakespeare’s King Lear; no offense to the Bard, but it’s refreshing to see an Classical Literature professor teach her students about one of his historical plays instead of one of his romances.”
(Y/N) shrugged nonchalantly, but the way she began to fiddle with her pendant revealed the bashfulness she was attempting to mask. “Well, I remember what it was like being fourteen; you’re around the same age as Romeo and Juliet, yes, but you don’t know a damn thing about love and it’s not easy to understand why they do the things they do.”
“As a former fourteen-year-old, I heartily concur. At that age, I could scarcely understand myself let alone an emotion as complex as love, no matter how beautifully Shakespeare described it,” Charles replied, looking out across the manicured grounds as he recited, “‘My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep-’”
“‘-The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite,’” (Y/N) finished and when their eyes met, Charles’ heart fluttered and he could feel his face beginning to warm; his brows rose in surprise when the professor hastily turned her head to try and hide her besotted smile, a flicker of hope igniting within him at the sight. “I, um, I-I should go and find Molly…”
“She’s at the playground with Alex’s second graders. Speaking of which, I need to speak with Alex about tomorrow’s scheduled book delivery…” Charles awkwardly cleared his throat before giving (Y/N) a tentative smile. “Would you allow me to escort you there?”
(Y/N)’s own smile widened at that. “Of course!”
While Charles wheeled himself along the stone pathway and (Y/N) kept in step with him, they eagerly discussed the school’s ongoing library expansion and all the new books they’d obtained for the students; any progress made at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters filled him with a sense of accomplishment, but expanding his ancestral home’s library was one of his greatest desires and he was thrilled that the children would soon have access to more knowledge than many of the country’s best private schools and universities. (Y/N) was just as excited about the expansion as he was, and he couldn’t help but admire the enthusiasm written across her beautiful features while he listened to her talk about all the lesson plans she’d brainstormed involving their new books.
They reached the playground sooner than Charles would’ve preferred, but his disappointment was set aside by the sight and sound of his school’s youngest students happily entertaining themselves on the elaborate structure; so many of them came from broken homes and were sent away without any second thoughts by families that couldn’t care less about them and while Charles couldn’t change their heartbreaking pasts, he did all in his power to give each and every one of his students a loving home and bright, promising futures. For the first time, I find myself truly understanding the blinding rage that fills Erik in regards to mutant rights, he thought with an inward grimace before glancing over at (Y/N) and smiling as the human woman affectionately watched her mutant daughter play, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve lost my faith in humanity’s innate goodness.
“Hi Mommy!” Molly exclaimed from the top of the structure, a toothy grin stretching across her face as she gave them both an enthusiastic wave. “Hi Professor ‘Zavier!”
“Hi Molly-Bear!” (Y/N) called back while a beaming Charles returned the little girl’s wave with one of his own. He’d always maintained that a good professor shouldn’t have favorites, but no one would blame him if he came out and admitted that Molly (Y/L/N) was – hands down – his favorite student; she was as exuberant and carefree as any human six year old, but her mutant abilities as a psychometric telepath meant that she was more insightful and tended to see the world around her with sage eyes. In truth, Molly reminded him so much of himself when he was a child and knowing first-hand how challenging having telepathic abilities at that age can be, he was grateful that he could help her by teaching her how to control and accept her gifts.
While Charles scanned the playground for Alex, he caught (Y/N) looking over at him and the tender expression on her face nearly took his breath away; she quickly looked away and pretended to adjust the fasteners of her messenger bag, but not before Charles noticed the glimmer of affection in her gorgeous (Y/E/C) eyes. A familiar whistle cut through his racing thoughts and when he glanced over, he spotted Alex leaning against a light pole that bordered the playground; a knowing smirk curved across the younger man’s face, widening as he brought a hand up to his temple and wiggled his fingers to signal for Charles to read his mind.
“I told you so.”
“Alex…”
“(Y/N)’s into you, Charles, and you’re clearly into her. So, what’re you gonna do about it?”
After taking a steadying breath and running an anxious hand through his hair, Charles cleared his suddenly dry throat and hesitantly spoke. “(Y/N)?” The professor looked over at him expectantly and his finger drifted upwards to loosen his shirt’s collar while he clumsily continued. “I, ah…well, I-I was wondering if I…(Y/N), would you and Molly care to join me for dinner sometime? There’s a wonderful Italian restaurant in Salem Center and a little movie theater just down the street from it that I think you’ll enjoy…”
(Y/N) blinked, looking dumbfounded but slightly hopeful as she took a moment to find her voice. “Charles, are you asking me out on a date?”
Charles nodded and offered her the barest of smiles. “Over the past few months, I’ve grown…immensely fond of you; I wake up every morning looking forward to our usual discussions over breakfast, I find myself spending far too much time styling my hair and picking out what to wear in the hopes that you’ll take note and every time you smile at me, my heart skips a beat.” The professor shyly smiled at that and he couldn’t help but lightly chuckle, the weight in his chest already feeling lighter with each confession he uttered. “Yes, just like that.”
“And you…you wouldn’t mind Molly coming along?”
The anxiety that filled (Y/N)’s eyes as she awaited his answer nearly shattered Charles’ heart; based on what little she’d disclosed to him about her past, he knew that she’s struggled with dating as a single mother and he could only imagine how disillusioned with romance she’d become as a result. “Of course not, (Y/N),” He softly replied and in a bold move, he reached forward and took her hand in his. “You two are a team, after all; Molly is your entire world, and I want you to know that I respect that more than anything. It’s also…well, let’s just say that it’s been quite a while since I’ve gone on a date, and I’d…”
“Like to go slow?” (Y/N) gently offered and when Charles wordlessly nodded, she gave him the smallest of smiles before looking over her shoulder and calling out, “Molly? Sweetheart, can you come here for a second, please?” After coming down the slide, Molly skipped over to them and the professor knelt down so that they were eye-level, her hand still holding onto his. “Professor Xavier wanted to know if he could take us out for dinner and a movie. Does that sound all right to you, Molly-Bear?”
The little girl’s head tilted to the side as her (Y/E/C) eyes studied Charles, and he was forced to mask his amused chuckle with a cough when she brought a mitten-clad hand up to her mother’s ear. “Like on a date?” Molly loudly whispered, and (Y/N) pursed her lips to keep from chuckling as she nodded; her daughter lowered her hand to reveal her excited smile and she gave her mother an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “Sounds good to me!” Molly looked back at Charles with a conspiratorial giggle. “Mommy likes you, Professor ‘Zavier.”
Charles arched a playful brow as his eyes flicked between the embarrassed elder (Y/L/N) and the beaming younger (Y/L/N). “She does, does she?”
“Mm-hmm, she likes your eyes and your smile and your hair and your-”
“Okay, young lady, that’s enough out of you,” (Y/N) hastily interrupted, tickling her daughter’s neck with both hands and smiling when she shrieked with laughter and scurried back to the playground. Shaking her head in fond exasperation, she stood and glanced back at Charles, who was trying and failing to muffle his laughter. “Well, I guess that settles it. Does six o’clock this Friday work for you?”
He emphatically nodded. “Yes, of course, it’s perfect!” He felt himself begin to blush at his obvious enthusiasm, and it was (Y/N)’s turn to chuckle as he awkwardly cleared his throat and tried again. “…I-I mean, Friday at six o’clock works for me.”
“Good. I guess that Molly and I will see you then.” The professor turned to walk away but took Charles by surprise when she turned back around and bashfully smiled at him. “I’ve…I’ve grown immensely fond of you too, Charles.”
Before he could say or do anything, she’d bent down and pressed a feather-light kiss onto his cheek, an infatuated gleam in her (Y/E/C) eyes as she flashed him one last smile and left to meet her daughter on the playground. A broad grin slowly spread across Charles’ face and while he watched her walk away, he leaned an elbow onto his wheelchair’s armrest and rested the side of his head against his palm, releasing a love-struck sigh and barely taking note of the familiar figure that moved to stand beside him.
“See what happens when you actually take my advice?”
Charles straightened his posture and glanced over at Alex, who was wearing the smuggest of smiles on his faces as he stared back at him. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re an impertinent ass, Alex Summers?”
Alex’s smirk widened. “Heard it all my life. So, when’s the big date?”
“This Friday at six o’clock. And since you and Hank have taken such a keen interest in my love life, I’ll be requiring your assistance on Friday.” The younger man quickly sobered and with a grin of his own, Charles chuckled and patted his arm. “There’s a good chap. Now, about tomorrow’s book delivery…”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although it was a far cry from the hazy evenings spent at Oxford’s many lively pubs and in the company of the college’s most flirtatious female students, Charles’ date with (Y/N) and Molly was undoubtedly the most enjoyable one he’d ever been on. He’d met the mother and daughter in the mansion’s foyer with two bouquets in his hands – daisies for Molly and vibrant pink roses for (Y/N) – and he happily watched them admire their flowers while simultaneously hiding the fact that he was studying (Y/N)’s figure; the professor was wearing a knee-length yellow dress with long billowing sleeves, a bright pink sash tied around her waist and matching high heels, and her carefully styled hair was pulled back by a pink headband. She was beautiful, far too beautiful to be going out with the likes of him, but his fears of inadequacy were quickly alleviated when she looked over at him and smiled.
Hank and Alex drove the three of them to Salem Center in Charles’ maroon 1959 Jaguar Mark IX, the pair of them opting to stay in town and catch a showing of the newly-released The Empire Strikes Back while they dined at La Mensa. Sensing Molly’s apprehension with being around so many non-mutant strangers, Charles distracted her by playing ‘tic-tac-toe’ and ‘hangman’ with her on her paper place-mat and (Y/N) threw him a grateful look as she asked her daughter about her schoolwork; while they enjoyed their food, (Y/N) entertained them with stories of her students’ antics and after some goading by Molly, she even balanced a spoon on the end of her nose much to her daughter and Charles’ delight. After dinner, they made their way down the street to the small movie theater and while many of its patrons were queued up to watch the latest Star Wars film, the three of them decided on watching the re-release of Disney’s Lady and the Tramp; Molly adored the classic cartoon and while Charles was impartial to the film, he thoroughly enjoyed exchanging enamored glances with (Y/N) over the little girl’s head.
Molly fell asleep on the drive home, cuddling against her mother’s side as she lovingly brushed her fingers through her daughter’s (Y/H/C) hair. In low whispers, (Y/N) assured Charles that Molly had a wonderful time and that she hadn’t seen the little girl so happy since before she’d come into her mutation; although aware that Hank and Alex were clearly eavesdropping from their front seats, Charles quietly asked her if she’d care for a quick nightcap in his study after putting Molly to bed, and he was thrilled when she readily accepted his invitation. When they arrived back at the mansion, (Y/N) carried the still-sleeping Molly inside, but not before giving Charles one last smile as he maneuvered into his outside wheelchair.
“So…” Hank arched a curious brow as he walked beside Charles’ wheelchair and steadied it when they reached the top of the ramp, where Alex was waiting with his motorized indoor wheelchair. “How was it?”
“Charming, but I could’ve done without the rather offensive Asian and Italian stereotypes-”
“Not the movie, Charles, the date,” Alex interrupted and when Charles chuckled in amusement at his friends, he leaned a shoulder against the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest. “C’mon, you finally ask out the woman you’ve been head over heels for and you’re not gonna give your two best friends the four-one-one?”
Shaking his head in faux exasperation, Charles shifted himself into his motorized wheelchair and arranged his legs as he airily answered, “(Y/N), Molly and I ate a truly magnificent meal at La Mensa that we followed up by watching a classic Disney film at the movie theater. What more is there to say?”
Alex heaved a sigh but moved to allow Charles to wheel himself into the mansion. “A little help here, Hank?”
“Oh, he’s having far too much fun messing with us to stop.” The scientist tucked his hands into his jacket pockets while a mischievous smirk played on his lips. “But speaking as the school’s resident genius, I couldn’t help but notice the good professor clearly checking (Y/N) out before we left and blushing when she smiled at him just now.”
A reluctant blush warmed Charles’ cheeks at that. “Don’t you two perverts have morning classes to prepare for?”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday, lover boy,” Alex smugly countered, nudging Hank’s arm with his elbow as they walked beside Charles’ wheelchair down the vacant hall to his study. “Well, Beast, there’s no doubt about it: Charles here’s got it bad for our lovely Professor (Y/L/N).”
When they reached his study’s door, Charles nudged it open and wheeled himself inside, but not before giving both men a look of genuine sincerity. “Thank you, for your assistance tonight and for your encouragement; the pair of you can occasionally be a pain in the ass, but tonight couldn’t have happened without you.”
Hank’s smile softened. “You’re welcome, Charles. We’re just happy that we succeeded in making you do something selfish for once.”
“Yeah, you’ve helped us both out so much over the years and it was high-time we returned the favor,” Alex added as he clapped Charles on the shoulder, his earnest expression morphing into a knowing smirk while he continued. “Enjoy your nightcap with (Y/N), and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, lover boy.”
“Oh, and don’t forget protection!”
“Goodnight, gentlemen.”
Chuckling, Alex and Hank left the study and closed the door behind them; after pausing for a moment to take a calming breath, Charles wheeled himself over to the oak cabinet near his cluttered desk and unlocked it, pulling out a glass decanter of scotch and two glasses and setting them down on the coffee table. He bit his lip as his eyes surveyed the messy state of his study, cursing himself for not tidying up earlier, but a part of him knew that (Y/N) wasn’t the type to mind a little clutter; she liked to joke that the best professors had the messiest studies because they spent all their time teaching instead of worrying about how others perceive them. It was the good manners instilled in him from birth that saw him gathering stacks of loose papers, binders and leather-bound books and unceremoniously shoving them behind his desk before lifting himself out of his wheelchair to sit on the couch; with nothing else to distract himself from the anxious anticipation building up within him, Charles plucked the maple-colored queen off the chessboard and nimbly twirled it around his fingers as he waited for (Y/N).
Minutes later, there was a quiet knock on the door of his study and after scrambling to straighten up his chessboard, Charles called out, “Come in!” The door opened and (Y/N) stepped into the room, her gentle smile widening when she spotted him seated on the couch. “How’s Molly?”
“Out like a light.” (Y/N) crossed the room and sat on the couch beside him, her fingers playing with the flowing yellow material of her dress’ skirt as Charles poured their drinks. “She wanted me to tell you that she had a really fun time tonight, and she wanted me to thank you.”
“She’s been working so hard these past few months to complete her schoolwork and training, so if anyone deserves to have a little fun it’s undoubtedly her,” Charles replied, a surge of fondness for his youngest student and her kindheartedness bringing a smile to her face as he turned to (Y/N) and offered her a glass of the amber-colored liquid. “As do you, Professor.”
Accepting the glass, (Y/N) hummed thoughtfully before holding it up and angling it towards him. “In that case…to having fun.”
“To having fun,” Charles repeated, lightly clinking his glass of scotch against hers and taking a sip, his eyes appreciatively roaming along the professor’s figure while she took a sip of the strong liquor. “Do you like it? It’s top shelf scotch whiskey, all the way from Scotland.”
(Y/N) arched a playful brow as she crossed her leg over her knee and angled herself to face him. “Expensive, imported liquor? Are you trying to impress me, Professor?”
“Well, that all depends…” Following his instincts, Charles set his glass down and rested his elbow on the couch’s back cushion, his lips curving into a playful grin. “Is it working?”
Her (Y/E/C) eyes softened and after setting her own glass down, she rested one of her hands on his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Charles, I was impressed by you before the top shelf scotch, before the fancy Italian restaurant, and before I ever laid eyes on this beautiful mansion.” His brow furrowed in confusion but she merely smiled and rubbed small circles along his knuckles with her thumb. “Eight months ago, the letter that I sent you asking for help with Molly was my Hail Mary; I had nowhere to go and no way to protect my daughter from the people who hated her for who she was, so I decided to write to the one person I knew could help her. And when you sent me a letter back – that incredibly kind and empathetic letter – you gave me hope, hope that I hadn’t felt in so long. So, you see? You managed to impress me before we’d even met, Charles Xavier.”
Charles, touched by her sincerity and feeling a little emotional, reached forward with his free hand and carefully cradled her warm cheek in his palm. “Oh, my darling (Y/N)…you’re not the only one who’s had their hope restored; I gave up any hope for romance not long after I lost my legs, choosing to focus my attention on the school and my fellow mutants. Over these past several months, however, you helped me to see that there was still hope.” His thumb traced along her cheekbone as he smiled and slowly began to lean in. “And now, I would very much like to kiss you, (Y/N) (Y/L/N).”
(Y/N)’s smile widened. “I’d like that very much as well, I just…” He could feel her cheek flush beneath his touch, and a look of embarrassment flashed across her face. “God, it’s been so long since I’ve done anything like this. Would it be silly to say that I’ve got butterflies in my stomach?”
“Not at all, darling. Truth be told, I’m a little nervous myself,” Charles murmured, his eyes flicking away from hers to stare at her enticing lips before glancing back up. “The last time I kissed a woman was in 1962, so you’ll have to forgive me if my technique has gotten slightly rusty over the past eighteen years.”
“Well, we won’t know unless we give it a go, will we?” (Y/N) breathed and her (Y/E/C) eyes burned with desire as they both inched closer. “Charles, dear…please kiss me.”
Wanting nothing more than to please the professor, Charles’ eyes fluttered closed as he tentatively brushed his lips against hers. (Y/N) wasted no time in returning the kiss, kissing him softly and sweetly as her hand left his to rest on the back of his head, her fingers tangling in his hair and eliciting a blissful groan from him; with one hand still cupping her cheek, he rested the other on her waist but soon found himself winding his arm around her in an effort to bring her closer. (Y/N)’s lips were soft and oh so addictive, slowly but firmly caressing against his as her fingers carded through his locks, and Charles surrendered himself over to the woman wrapped in his embrace.
Eventually, they were forced to separate for some much-needed air, the both of them out of breath and almost dizzy from their impromptu make-out session; Charles felt a surge of pride as he took in (Y/N)’s kiss-swollen lips, heaving chest and the dazed smile on her face, and he couldn’t resist leaning forward to lightly rub his nose against hers. When he pulled back, he huffed out a breathless chuckle at the incredulous look that she was giving him. “That’s a rusty technique?”
“Mm-hmm. Dreadful, wasn’t it?”
(Y/N) giggled at his joking question and pretended to consider it. “You know, I think I need another example before I can definitively say.” They both laughed but when Charles moved in for another kiss, a sharp twinge in his lower back caused him to recoil with a hiss of pain. “Charles, are you okay?!”
He mutely nodded, his eyes squeezed shut as he straightened his posture and leaned his back against the plush couch cushions. “I’m fine, it’s just a muscle spasm.”
“Is it…?” (Y/N) trailed off and when Charles finally opened his eyes as the pain began to fade, he could see the worry written across her face. “Is it because of your spinal cord injury?”
“That, and I’m afraid that I’m getting on in years; I’m not as young and spritely as I was in 1962.” Instead of stammering out a string of apologies and getting up to leave as Charles feared she would, the corner of (Y/N)’s lips curved upwards into a lopsided grin that left him slightly confused. “(Y/N)?”
The professor shifted closer to him. “Did you know that Molly’s father was fourteen years older than me?” Charles’ brow rose in surprise and he silently shook his head, watching as she reached over and brushed a lock of hair behind his ear. “You could say that I’ve always had a thing for older men…” Before he could think of something witty to say, (Y/N) swung her leg over his to straddle his lap and rested her hands on either side of his face; Charles couldn’t help but grin and, inspired by her delectable boldness, he placed his hands on her waist to hold her securely to him, his grin widening as her breath hitched. “Go ahead and read my mind if you don’t believe me, but it’s true.”
Shaking his head, Charles rested his head on the back of the couch so that he was staring up at her, softly smiling as one of his hands traveled upwards to cradle her cheek. “I believe you, darling. Would it be too sappy to say that I don’t want this night to end?”
“Not at all, dear,” (Y/N) shook her head before closing the distance between them and captured his lips in another passionate kiss; when they finally broke apart, she rested her forehead against his and returned his blissful smile with one of her own. “We can make this work, can’t we? Balance the two of us with running the school and raising Molly?”
“I believe that you and I can do just about anything, so long as we’re together,” Charles replied, his thumb and forefinger moving to guide her chin forward and pouring all his emotions into another kiss; there was no place on Earth he’d rather be than in the arms of the lovely Classical Literature professor who’d captured his heart and judging by the way she kissed him back, it was clear that she was thinking something along the same lines.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: I had so much fun dipping my toes back into the Fox X-Men Universe (I still have a massive thing for 80's Charles Xavier and his flowing brown hair lol) and I loved that I finally resolved Charles and (Y/N)'s mutual attraction with this cute Part II! I may or may not have a few ideas for a possible Part III, so let me know if you'd be interested in reading more! Thank you all so much for reading and enjoying!
Story Tag List: @mostlymarvelgirl Marvel Tag List: @brooke0297​​​​ Permanent Tag List:​ @momc95​​​​ @crowleysqueenofhell​​​ @groovy-lady​
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bloodyhoon · 2 days
Text
the love club [ep 10]
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genre: high school fanfiction, love triangle (park sunghoon x female!reader x sim jake) angst, fluff.
warnings: english is not my first language so there may be grammal or spelling errors.
words: 2.9K
masterlist.
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The room was completely silent around, the light that illuminated the place came from the small and dim lamp on your nightstand. You tried hard to stay still in your place while you felt the soft strands of the black-haired boy's hair between your fingers. After the intense kissing session, you had not dared to look him in the eyes and much less had you dared to speak, causing Sunghoon to only laugh at you tenderly and hug you tightly while telling you that everything was fine and that you would not be ashamed, asking you in vain to please talk to him or look at him, desperate to see your embarrassed smile that he liked more and more.
In those moments, after almost an hour in silence, still with your eyes closed refusing to look at Sunghoon, you had fallen on your back on the mattress, looking up at the ceiling. The pale boy looked at you attentively, sitting next to you, waiting for a reaction from you and when he didn't get one, he decided to play with you a little, lying down next to you, hugging your waist and resting his head gently on your chest, but not before asking your permission to which you just nodded even without looking at him, then the boy held your hand and took it to his soft black hair, encouraging you to caress him. You couldn't believe what the boy was doing, but it didn't bother you so at that moment you were in that position and in just minutes Sunghoon's breathing became low and monotonous, his body relaxing and feeling a little heavy. He had fallen asleep on you.
You felt that you were in such an intimate situation in those moments that it was even embarrassing, but at the same time you were surprised by how the stress and nerves had completely left your body, feeling calm and comfortable. You no longer felt like you wanted to cry and mainly you felt accompanied, and that comforted you much more than anything else. A moment later you felt Sunghoon move in his place and cling closer to your body by his grip on your waist, accelerating your heartbeat which you were afraid the boy would feel when he was lying on your chest. You took a deep breath and buried your fingers again in Sunghoon's hair, which was as soft as cotton. The boy moved again and this time he squeezed your waist gently.
"You're awake, right?" he asked, his voice sounding almost muffled from having his face pressed against your chest and his tone was sleepy. You smiled unconsciously, feeling your cheeks heat up.
"That's what I should ask you" the boy moved a little and raised his head, looking at you. His eyes looked sleepy and his smile was warm. This time you didn't avoid his gaze.
"I'm sorry but you're very comfortable" he snuggled into you again. You thought it was logical to feel uncomfortable since the boy was lying on your chest like that, but for some reason it didn't bother you or make you distrustful. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine" you were sincere "I really feel better... thanks to you" you didn't understand Sunghoon's effect on you, how in a matter of hours at your side he had completely changed your mood and made you feel more accompanied and comfortable than you ever felt. You also didn't understand why you couldn't stop thinking about his lips joined to yours, much less did you understand why your heart beat so hard when he approached you. You were so confused and at the same time you wanted to stay like that forever.
"Y/n" the boy stood up from his place and you felt the cold on your body, then you sat next to him "From now on I want you to tell me when you are sad, I don't want you to keep that feeling to yourself. I will do my best to make you feel better, I promise."
"You don't have to do that, Hoon" you smiled sadly, you didn't want to feel dependent on anyone.
"Say that again" the boy demanded, you frowned in confusion.
"You don't have to do that?
"No, the other thing" he denied quickly, expectantly. You blinked a couple of times analyzing your previous sentence.
"Hoon...?" you repeated doubtfully. The boy smiled with his face still sleepy, looking extremely cute, and approached you, holding your hands.
"Say it again please" he asked. You giggled, making Sunghoon's heart race.
"Hoon"
"Oh my god" Sunghoon held your face and placed a peck on your lips. You blushed and wanted to push him away from you, but he held you tightly "It sounds so cute from your lips."
"Please" you closed your eyes embarrassed "It's your name, Hoon" you repeated. Sunghoon laughed again and kissed you repeatedly all over your face, causing you to let out the cutest laugh he could have heard from you and feeling on cloud nine.
"You're beautiful, everything you say sounds cute, I swear you have a smile that cures diseases" Sunghoon couldn't stop looking at you "What will I do with you?" that question was more to himself, you just smiled and leaned towards him, hugging him awkwardly. You knew that after that night things would change because inevitably something had changed between the two of you, you knew that you couldn't continue as if nothing had happened.
The next morning while you were getting ready to go to class, you couldn't stop repeating the scenes from the previous night, your stomach twisted and your face put on a silly smile. After hours of talking to Sunghoon about trivialities, he had to leave -mainly before your father came back-, but he refused to leave you alone, rather he refused to separate from you, trying to convince you to let him stay by his side, so you had to convince him by telling him that it obviously wouldn't be the last time you would see each other since the next day you had to go to class. Sunghoon refused to leave you and when you were saying goodbye, he kissed you again as if it were the last time you would see each other, awakening millions of butterflies in your stomach and accelerating his heartbeat.
You left your room and your father welcomed you with a smile and his open arms, you took refuge in the warm embrace of your father whom you had not seen for a few days. No feeling equaled that of being in your father's embrace.
"How have you been these days?" Your father was genuinely happy to see you leave your room with a smile on your face after those difficult days.
"I'm fine, dad" you answered honestly. "My... my friends accompanied me, they didn't leave me alone."
By 'my friends' you were mainly referring to Sunghoon's company but you chose to alter reality a little while telling your father what you had done, not wanting to give the poor man a heart attack.
"I'm so glad you made such sincere friends, Y/n" your father was relieved, he knew you didn't open up to him as much as you did with your mother so the fact that you found friends you could really trust and talk to made him feel relieved.
(***)
When you passed through the doors of the institution you felt a little silly. For some reason that morning when you saw yourself in the mirror you felt that you should dress up a little to see yourself with a little more color and liveliness, although deep down you knew that it was more for someone than for something specific, but you tried to convince you that it was for yourself. You had added some small waves to your hair to give it some volume and a pink lipstick, it wasn't much and maybe no one noticed, but for you it was because you didn't usually wear it or style your hair like that so you felt a little ridiculous.
The morning passed calmly regarding your classes, the exam period was ending so the teachers were much more flexible and gave you less content. You were next to Yeji, who kept looking at you making you feel uncomfortable.
"What's wrong?" You avoided her gaze. The moment you bumped into your friend, you started to feel nervous. You hadn't seen the girl for a few days and you felt extremely guilty for having seen his brother instead of her.
"Why do you think there is something wrong?" Yeji responded with another question, you decided to look at her and noticed the worried look on the black-haired girl's face "I won't ask anything other than... Have you been okay?"
You sighed in relief because you knew that this question was totally related to your isolated days living your grief and not contacting your friends much, so you nodded quickly.
"Yes, I'm really fine, I promise" you said "and I'm really sorry Yeji, I'm sorry for not talking to you and making you worry."
In just seconds your friend had teary eyes and had thrown herself on you, hugging you tightly. You felt in that hug the empathy, concern and affection that the black-haired girl transmitted to you and you felt completely comforted and lucky to know that you had someone like the girl in your life.
"You don't have to apologize for anything" she assured. "I was just worried, but I'm so glad to see you well and smiling with us." She rubbed your back gently. You knew that you had won the lottery with a friend like Yeji and you couldn't be more happy.
(***)
You left the classroom when the teacher gave you the notice that they wanted to talk to you in the principals' room about matters related to your change of school and address, so you found yourself walking down the lonely long hallway that took you to your destination. Everyone was attending their classes so the hallway was silent, the soles of your clean shoes were the only thing that echoed across the shiny white floor beneath your feet, while the draft of air gave you goosebumps.
"Hey, Y/n" a voice sounded behind you over the silence and you turned your face to respond to the call.
"Oh, Jaeyun" you stopped in your place to let yourself be reached by the brunette "What are you doing here during class time?"
"I'm the class president, darling" he boasted with a smile. You watched him for a few moments in silence. "Oh, what's that look? Are you surprised?"
"It's not that I'm surprised, it's just-" Jaeyun watched you carefully, waiting for your next words. "That personality of yours... you don't look like a class president at all."
"Who then? Sunghoon?" You both looked at each other and laughed at the thought.
"Well, not exactly Sunghoon" you rolled your eyes. "It's great that you're the class president, that means you're really smart."
"I told you to come to me if you didn't understand something!" You remembered the time you met and how Sunghoon had laughed at the thought, since Jaeyun wasn't as fluent in the language like you, but it didn't take away from the fact that he was very intelligent.
You nodded without stopping laughing, this time completely believing that you could go to the boy if you needed anything related to your classes. Jaeyun took a moment to look at you with her eyes shining with excitement as she saw you smile for him, he thought you looked more beautiful because in the boy's eyes you always surpassed how beautiful you looked the day before. He was happy to see you cheerful or apparently happy after the previous days in which he had talked to you and had heard you cry for your mother, it broke his heart just remembering your short breathing that did not allow you to speak clearly. As they laughed, Jaeyun had gotten closer to you without noticing it, so now just take a few more steps and your bodies would be rubbing against each other, as if a magnet was attracting him to you. He didn't think about it for a second, he quickly leaned over you and left a peck on your lips before separating and smiling at you innocently while crossing his hands behind his back. You blinked a couple of times and looked at him in surprise, your laughter suddenly cutting off.
"What was that?"
"Ah, I'm so sorry" his tone of voice was insincere "But I'm a little impulsive and I couldn't help it, I can't help but want to kiss you every time I see you."
You blushed a little and laughed, avoiding the boy's gaze. His words caused nerves in your body, and you felt stupid every time he gave you attention or kissed you because there was something about him that attracted you to him, and you couldn't stop smiling. His kisses were firm, but soft and they showed you that he wanted you to be comfortable, that made you feel a little weird in front of the boy, not weird-uncomfortable, rather weird that you didn't know how you felt about it. The memory of Sunghoon kissing you suddenly settled in your mind without you wanting it, remembering how the boy was much more intense the moment he kissed you, and so confident without giving you time to think about anything, holding you tightly in his arms and kissing you deep. Totally opposite to each other.
"Y/n?" Jaeyun caught your attention when he noticed your lost gaze, you looked at him and shook your head several times to come back to yourself, suddenly feeling bad for thinking about Sunghoon when Jaeyun was being so nice to you. Your head was a mess and you felt completely confused.
"I'm sorry, Jaeyun" you moved away from him a little "I'm in a bit of a hurry, I forgot, but I'll see you at lunch" you clumsily turned around in your place, saying goodbye without looking him in the eyes and cowardly leaving the place. However, Jaeyun hadn't noticed your discomfort and was still looking at you with a silly smile on his face and his heart pounding as you ran away from him giving him false excuses.
(***)
You entered the cafeteria with Yeji hanging on your arm. The girl had not left you all morning, accompanying you whenever you could and talking to you even if it was trivial, Yeji had the thought that you would feel sad if you didn't laugh or talk to them. Riki was next to you listening superficially to what you were talking about, only thinking about his lunch and how much was left until the end of class time. Inside, happy to see you smile knowing how difficult those days were for you. The three of you headed to the usual table where both older boys were waiting, looking at their phones.
"Hello, hello" Riki hummed and plopped down in his usual seat in front of Sunghoon, Yeji followed him by sitting next to him.
Both boys who were there raised their heads and looked at you as they greeted each other. Jaeyun looked at you smiling and expecting your attention, but you had your smile fixed on Sunghoon who was also looking at you. The boy frowned slightly at the image, for some reason he was uncomfortable with the way you and Sunghoon looked at each other, but he decided to ignore it. You walked over and sat next to Sunghoon still holding his gaze and murmuring a small greeting as you settled into your seat. Lunch was quiet, everyone shared their feelings and frustrations regarding the exams and planned to have a group outing and party once everyone is free.
"Next month is my birthday" you commented a little shyly, earning everyone's looks. Riki thought for a few moments and then his mind lit up when he remembered the date.
"And you just told us?!" Yeji pressed her hands on the table and leaned over it, staring at you.
"I'm sorry" you smiled guiltily at her, Yeji was ready to pounce on you with indignation.
"Hey, calm down" Jaeyun spoke to the black-haired girl. "There's still time, we can organize a party for Y/n" he added happily. Yeji looked at him smiling and nodded, then they began to discuss different options for celebrating.
You just stayed silent while they debated what they should do on your special day, a heavy look at your side caught your attention and when you turned your face, Sunghoon was leaning on his hand looking at you without any concealment. His complete attention on you as if he wouldn't have been listening to anything they talked about at that moment.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" you felt nervous, thinking that maybe you had something on your face or in your hair.
"Because today you are much prettier than normal" his smile was still on his face "Your hair looks beautiful and I really like the color of your lips" You couldn't believe that Sunghoon was actually standing out those details "It makes me want to kiss y-"
“Hoon” you cut him off and placed a hand on the table, you looked at him with panic in your eyes begging him not to say more. Sunghoon felt his heart race again at the nickname and smiled even wider at you. You both looked at each other as if you two were the only people at the table, or in the cafeteria, or in the world.
Yeji and Jaeyun had gotten lost in their happy conversation about your birthday and didn't pay attention to any of you in front of them, but Riki next to them was watching you carefully and remembering how excited and happy Jaeyun got every time he talked to you.
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tl: @minhypenreblogs @deobitifull @youresolivlie @oneheart-break @lol6sposts
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spade represents the tip of a pike; an implement for killing
alex’s
white void of doom
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sketch and background element/scribble that isn’t really visible but i’m sharing just in case anybody did notice it.
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#now i have to draw one for alex *sobs*#how tf do you guys come up with backgrounds for EVERY DRAWING?! oh my god. i’m not creative enough for this bullshit#two things i discovered with this drawing: 1) birds are hard af to draw. 2) wet black hair is hard af to draw#you guys have no idea how many purple hues are actually in this art piece#this is like if dream and jessamy happened to have met under way worse circumstances#anyway let me know if you guys have any ideas for alex’s (i have no idea when exactly i’ll actually get around to it but still)#bones and shit#a majority of this one was inspired by The Locked Tomb fanart and symbolism#6 hours and 34 minutes but i’m gonna guess that roughly an hour and a half of that was me trying to figure out a background#tom sturridge#like minds#murderous intent#like minds 2006#nigel colbie#art#fanart#drawing#digital art#nigel colbie fanart#artist of tumblr#like minds art#nigel colby#<- including the old tag bc why not#somebody get this movie out of my brain#scoop it out along with all the other useless shit i keep in there#i was thinking maybe alex’s should be the complete opposite of this#like instead of his head being turned down it would be turned upwards#maybe he should be wearing the clothes he did when we first saw him with sally rowe (or maybe his school uniform)#i ​definitely want both of them to be side profiles and the theme is going to have to be somewhat consistent as well#<<‹ these tags are mostly so i remember my own thought process but feel free to leave your two cents
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