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ak8shi · 4 years

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FWB HQ Boys: In which you beat the player at his own game!

warnings: Time skip spoilers, mentions of sex(all characters are 18+), alcohol, stupid people in love

a/n: ahh I’m sorry I’ve been a little MIA!!! But I’m back with this pls enjoy ! I think the fandom really make germaphobia his only personality trait sometimes which makes me sad because I think he’s actually a quirky/classy dude and very functional in social situations,, I hate to say it but ya’ll would get played by him… sorry.

━Sakusa Kiyoomi

Some of you may be like ???? Omi fucks around ?? how ?? BUT he definitely does in his own way

He probably doesn’t do much in high school to be honest, he’s mostly focused on improving as a volleyball player and achieving his goals

Once he reaches pro level though,,, it’s a different story lmfao

I can see him being picky as hell about his hookups, but just because he’s a bit of a germaphobe doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel attraction or doesn’t have needs…

….He’s so hot too… girl

His hook-ups are always taken seriously though… like he’s the type that feels like he has a professional image to upkeep, so he always arranges things beforehand; he’s definitely not messy about it and sets clear boundaries

I think what makes him kind of a player is how standoffish he can be…and he doesn’t really give anyone a chance because he doesn’t think they what it takes to deal with his lifestyle lmao

He’s just like, its easier to call the uber right after, get into the shower, and wait until he can hear the front door of his apartment shut I’m screamingg

Sakusa also isn’t one to kiss and tell, even with the boys… he doesn’t think its tasteful and would rather not have Atsumu up his ass about his flings

ANYWAYS,, let’s get into this, so you know Atsumu through mutual friends and met during college, and the two of you just instantly clicked since you also were a part of the same sports medicine program as him

Atsumu signed with MSBY and you were so happy for him, but you were bummed because you were busy with PT graduate school and couldn’t really attend any of his games

A year passed and you found yourself texting Tsumu to see if he could meet up and grab coffee since you were on winter break!!

You: hey I’m back in town wanna grab coffee sometime?

Him: who is this

You: I see you haven’t changed ❤️

LMFAO, so you catch up with Atsumu and he talks about his new career and his teammates, he seems so happy :(( we love to see that!!

He invites you to MSBY’s game the following weekend, and you’re pumped to go!! Tsumu got you great seats, and he meets you before warmups to make sure you’re okay finding your way around

Atsumu: don’t take yer eyes off me <3

You:

He’s so…

You’re enjoying the match and you even go to grab Onigiri from Osamu’s stand, but you can’t seem to look away from number 15 on Atsumu’s team

He’s .., scrumptious to say the least 🥴

Like he’s so composed and calculated on the court, and you find it so funny how he rolls his eyes whenever Tsumu says something to him and how Tsumu gets so heated about it 💀

The match ends and you go down to meet Atsumu near the lockers, showing the security your family/friend pass 😌

You walk through the halls trying to locate the setter, but you can’t seem to figure out where he is

The only person in the hall is the tall, dark haired man that caught your eye earlier; he is already walking towards the exit with a mask covering his face, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, sweats embroidered with “Sakusa” adorning his body we’re all looking..... respectfully

He’s truly so intimidating but you’re like….highkey lost… so you don’t really have another option

You catch up with him, poking his shoulder gently; he turns around and his attention on you is almost STARTLING.. like his eyes are SO dark

Him: can I help you

You: sir… if you don’t rail me, I’m gonna have to intervene‼️😈😹

After getting over your initial shock, you hear multiple footsteps rumbling down the hallway towards the both of you

Sakusa lets out an annoyed sigh, muttering about how he has to go, but before he can escape you hear Atsumu’s loud voice LMFAO

“OMIIII, where are you goin’? Its team karaoke night remember?”

Tsumu sees you and slings an arm around your shoulders, “Oh-? So I see you’ve met our outside hitter Omi?”

You glance over at Sakusa, his expressionless eyes glued to your face, then slowly trailing down to analyze the way Atsumu casually has you tucked under his arm

Atsumu nudges him, and he grumbles that he’ll meet them after changing at home before walking off in the direction of the private parking garage

You meet the rest of the MSBY boys in the uber, and find them super friendly and welcoming; Bokuto and Hinata buy the first round of drinks at the karaoke bar, but you only have one because you have work to finish the next day WE STAN

Atsumu already has a pink glow setting into his cheeks when you see the boys turn their attention to Sakusa walking through the front door, looking as handsome as ever in his dress pants and fitted white t shirt

They all shout out incoherent hello’s, and he takes the only open seat next to you with a glass of gin and tonic in his hand he smells so good god

You’re unsure what comes over you, but you find yourself turning towards him, and you just start asking him about himself and his career, and surprisingly he’s very polite and much more animated than you previously thought

His voice is like…so alluring and he never looks away from you when you talk, its like he’s absorbing every word

Meanwhile, Atsumu is stumbling over the stage with Bokuto belting Love by Keisha Cole LMFAOO😭

Tsumu kind of ‘warned’ you in the car ride over that Sakusa was a germaphobe, but you know that Atsumu tends to invade people’s personal space sometimes and it probably wasn’t as dramatic as he made it out to be

However, you weren’t expecting the outside hitter to lean over from his seat after checking the time on his phone, whispering in your ear, asking you if you wanted to meet him at his place later than night WHEW

Girl I would be sweating… and you say yes ofc because who’s going to pass up this type of opportunity-

He gives you a charming smile and is like,, okay cool, I’ll see you later then 😊 I’m dead

Ya’ll exchange phone numbers and he’s like if you need any help with my idiot teammates let me know before he takes off

You don’t tell Tsumu about your little… entanglement plans dsnjaknda but honestly he wouldn’t even remember based on the way he’s slumped against you in the uber he owes you big time

You get home after dropping off Tsumu at Osamu’s, and operation dick appointment with the professional volleyball player is put into action 😈

He sends an uber over to get you ladies do not settle for less please, and you’re BIG nervous but in a good way as in you know this dick is about to be bomb af

SO you’re standing in front of his apartment door, and when he opens it, he’s still in the clothes he wore to the bar and its like 1 am he’s so powerful

Um I feel like he would get straight to it honestly, probably starts with a little convo on the couch and then…

YOU WEREN’T AWARE HE WAS SO DIRTY,,, it was SO good too like after getting home that night you’re going through a crisis… like you had so much chemistry together for having just met, and you wonder if he feels the same way🥺

You caught yourself in sleepless states some nights, kept awake by the thoughts of the way his hands felt against your skin, the way his five o’clock shadow gently rubbed against your face when you kissed, and how he would hold you(only after a thorough shower together of course)

As it happens more and more, he lets you into his life little by little, and you notice and remember small facts about him and he often remembers a lot of the things you tell him about you, its really enjoyable for both of you

Its weirdly domestic to a point but that’s why its so good for both of you???it adds a bit of spice ??

Sakusa: can you come over tonight

You: sorry the retainer is in already <3 no dick sucking for me tonight <3

Him: I bought pastries from that cafe you like

You: say less✈️ I’m coming💃

AND he HAS jokes okay, like he’s funny as hell and very witty when his true self comes out; but he’s also a HUGE tease and he’ll say something completely straight-faced that someone else might take offense to like “you look ugly,” but you just know he’s kidding from being around him long enough and from seeing the little glint in his dark eyes

It becomes a routine thing while you’re home honestly, and you try your best to hide it from Atsumu because you just KNOW you would never hear the end of it; for all he knows, you met him that one time at the bar and that was that

Everything is going smoothly until you slip up at one of their games

You were sitting in the waiting area with the team (mostly talking to Atsumu), when he just says something that makes your short circuit

Atsumu: what kind of animal do ya think omi would be? An octopus maybe?

You: yeah I mean with those flexible wrists it makes sense

Atsumu: what the fawk🤠

He’s like… how do you even know about his flexible wrists IT TOOK ME 6 MONTHS TO GET TO THAT STAGE WITH HIM-

Oops, lmfao so you kind of tell him about everything and he’s literally shocked for you, mostly because he doesn’t want you to get hurt :(

Atsumu: So I see he’s just sleeping with ANYONE anyone

LMAO noo he definitely thinks you’re too good for him and he kind of lectures you, telling you that he had a hunch that he messes around with girls like that, but also you’re an adult and you can take care of yourself, and it isn’t like it’s a serious thing!!

Meanwhile, Omi is like going through a bit of a crisis all alone because everything around him reminds him of you or something you said when you were together

He got with people who were compatible sexually often, but he never had the urge to have them stay over after the deed; he usually immediately called them an uber and wouldn’t speak to them again

He found himself thinking about seeing you in the stands at his games, wishing you were there to cheer for him only, and he adored the way you respected his boundaries unlike many of his hookups

Atsumu probably notices something is off with him at practice

Atsumu: hey…if ya ever want to talk about somethin’-

Sakusa: no

Girl… he doesn’t disclose any of this to anyone

Its nearing the end of your break, and you head over to sakusa’s for probably the last time before you go back to school

You’re kind of at the point where you don’t think anything will happen and you know you shouldn’t get your hopes up, and it goes how it usually goes? Except he kind of hugs you goodbye and your heart goes: 🦋🦋🦋

You go back to school, occasionally texting Tsumu about your graduate program, and before you know it, like 5 months pass by and you’re back for summer!

Tsumu texts you and is like… sorry but I’m forcing you to be my plus-one tonight for this dinner thing I have to go to

So you dress up and he comes to pick you up, and you’re really not sure why you were surprised to see Kiyoomi sitting at the table when you arrive you give Atsumu a nice smack on the back of the head for not warning you

You sit down at the table after greeting everyone, trying your best to not act awkward when you shoot sakusa a small smile that he returns politely (but you don’t see it because of his mask)

Atsumu sits weirdly close to you the entire dinner with his arm around the back of your chair, and he’s just acting strange in general??? Like he’s bragging about your degree program and about your accomplishments, you just know he’s trying something funny; but you don’t really say anything because you don’t want to disrespect him in front of the team’s staff as a guest

You almost choke on your wine and you catch on when Bokuto starts making comments after Atsumu says something,

Atsumu: …so yeah, pretty much she should be our next president in my humble opinion

Bokuto: 🙈WOAH. WHAT?😍 HOW COULD SHE GET ANY BETTER⁉️🙄 OR HOTTER⁉️💪🏼💋

You, sitting there: 🧍‍♀️

He’s so bad at acting I’m crying..,, it becomes so obvious that they’re trying to make Kiyoomi jealous

(the boys plotted beforehand, trying to get Omi to ask you out officially; after you left, he literally would never shut up about you whenever Atsumu mentioned you, and it was just obvious he was in his feels when it came to you)

Atsumu: she’s studying at a café tonight for finals

Sakusa: Yeah so I’m glad you brought it up, because I’ve been thinking about it for days. Fine I guess I’ll say it. Her favorite coffee blend is French roast and she only likes a dash of sugar with a lot of cream, but it has to be hazelnut creamer or else she doesn’t like any-

Everyone in the gym: 🗿

LMAO ANYWAYS ITS LOWKEY WORKING you look over at him and his face is like stone.. girl..

The dinner is almost over and Atsumu gets up to go to the restroom with a wink I hate him, and you get up to catch a breath of fresh air outside

You sit on a bench for a minute, calming yourself down after the eventful dinner, but then you see the door to the restaurant swing open, Sakusa looking around the corner before spotting you

Your heart pounds in your chest as he walks over and asks if he can join you, inspecting the bench before sitting down, pulling his mask down as well

He eases into a conversation by just asking you how you’re doing, basic stuff, but then in the middle of you going off on a tangent about your stupid professor, he stops you

“I missed you.”

He crosses his legs, not looking at you as he takes your hand, intertwines it with his, and places it in his lap

You gaze at him, taken back at his confession, noticing the slight pinkness tinging his pale cheeks

You say you missed him too, and then he’s asking you if you would like to go on an actual date with him

You: wait are you asking me out officially?

Him: Yes. No I’m not. Yes I am❤️

SKSLD Please he’s awkward help him a little, you agree and then you hear a tap on the window behind you, you turn around to see Tsumu, Bokuto and Adriah behind you with big grins on their faces LMFAO 🤡

Kiyoomi rolls his eyes, but you don’t miss the small upturn of the corners of his lips as he hears Bokuto happily scream through the glass

#dont even get me started w this i dont want to look at it anymore ❤️#JUST TAKE IT LMFAOOOO #sakusa #sakusa kiyoomi #sakusa x reader #haikyuu!!#haikyu headcanons #hq #sakusa kiyoomi x you #haikyuu x reader

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anianimol · 4 years

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okokok id like to request somethin from the fluff prompt pls hehehe ushi & 11? or asahi if u dont wanna write for ushijima:) thanks bb!! 🤍🤍

a/n: ALLI BB!☺️!! I haven’t gotten to write this man in SO long so ty! (p.s. this was supposed to be a drabble but oops I got carried away)

warnings: I think there’s like one swear word, lol + like slightly spicy kissing?

!!premise: spending your mornings enjoying your neighborhood’s botanical gardens, a certain captain begins to join you, and not just to cultivate his green thumb.

prompt #11: “I think I’m in love with you.”

Ushijima Wakatoshi checked his watch as the doors to the gym swung open, signaling the end of practice.

“11:47 AM.”

Shit. He was late.

Slinging the maroon duffel across his body, he broke into a sprint, the swishing of his warmup jacket and the whistle of the wind the only audible sounds of the crisp summer morning.

You heard his presence before you saw it, those familiar heavy footsteps pounding against the concrete, only pausing a few paces away from you as his heaving chest found a calmer rhythm.

You thought it was cute, how he tried to make it seem like he hadn’t dashed all the way here from Shiratorizawa’s campus—a twenty minute walk from the gardens, an even longer one for anyone coming straight from a grueling three-hour morning practice.

Peeking at your phone, you glanced at the time;

“11:54 AM.”

Well, Toshi wasn’t exactly your average human.

The wooden planks of the gazebo groaned under his heavy trod as he padded up its steps, his movements slow and deliberate, as if not to disturb you.

He was silent for a moment as he sat, settling his bag beside you.

The quiet between the two of you was routine—not awkward, or forced, but comforting. You seemed to have an unspoken understanding of one another, each relishing in the calm of the garden’s hidden oasis.

Getting lost on your way home from classes, you had stumbled across the spot coincidentally years before, immediately proclaiming it your new hideaway—your very own secret garden.

Though it wasn’t long before a certain upcoming volleyball superstar from your school discovered your best kept secret.

You remembered the moment as if it were yesterday—heading back from campus, you jogged briskly up the winding path, slipping through rows of trees, whistling to yourself as you made your way up the oak steps. You froze at the entrance, hand clamping over your lips as your gaze settled on the boy before you.

Stretched out upon the bench, he lay with an arm shading his eyes, his broad chest rising slowly, breaths even and deep. Toffee brown locks feathered his forehead, ruffled messily by the wind. You noticed the familiar garments he wore, the inky purple hue against a stark shade of ivory, eyes flitting over his loosened tie and forgotten blazer.

Ignoring the heat that began to rush to your cheeks, you tiptoed to a spot across from him, settling yourself on the bench and slipping a bound leather notebook from your bag. Fingering through pages covered in sketches of greenery and blossoms, you decided it was time you attempted a new subject.

Ushijima’s eyes fluttered open, squinting at the sunlight which poked out from between the branches of a large fern nearby. Rubbing his temples, his ears perked up at a sound, something like a soft scratching, or maybe...?

Eyes wide, he shot up, his gaze immediately landing on the figure that sat across from him.

Head bent in concentration, your hand moved skillfully against the paper, the graphite sliding smoothly, etching silky lines upon the blank surface.

A breeze blew through the wooden fortress, blowing small strands of hair into your face, tickling plush skin, brushing past faintly flushed lips, as if they had just been bitten.

He felt a breath catch in this throat, clearing it with a low cough.

At the sound, you glanced up, your eyes locking immediately.

Smiling warmly at his flustered expression, you greeted him with a shy laugh;

“Hi!”

“Toshi. Toshi! Helloooooooo!”

You chuckled as the man beside you blinked, looking to you in surprise.

The brunette dropped his gaze, mumbling a low “Sorry.”

Placing your sketchbook to the side, you glanced over, intrigued by his strange behavior.

“Something wrong?” you mused, poking at his bicep, which you hadn’t recalled being so muscled the last time the two of you had met.

He shrugged, not meeting your eyes, his hands fiddling with something you couldn’t see.

“What’s that?” you asked, leaning forward against him, a hand reaching out; “Let me see!”

Ushijima stiffened beside you, his large palms instantly clamping shut, concealing the hidden object.

“No.”

Pouting, you tugged at his sleeve, whining, “Come onnn, I let you look at my drawings all the time!! Nobody else gets to see them, so just show me once!”

Wakatoshi felt his cheeks begin to burn as you brushed against his arm, looking up at him with those shining eyes he found extremely hard to resist.

“Fine. Close your eyes.”

Slightly puzzled but not wanting to push him further, you squeezed your eyes shut.

A soft gasp slipped out as something cool feathered your wrist, peaking your curiosity.

“Open.”

Upon your left wrist lay a delicate bracelet, a beautiful thin, golden chain adorned with handsome white blossoms. As you held your hand up to the light, tiny fuchsia petals smiled back at you beside the brilliant alabaster of the apple blossoms.

“For me?” you murmured incredulously, glancing to the man at your side.

He nodded, a soft smile dancing upon his lips at your glowing expression.

“Thank you, it’s beautiful!”

Without thinking, you threw your arms around his neck, leaving the captain sputtering in surprise, his face now buried in your hair. Had you always smelled this good?

“I love it,” you laughed, amused by his bashful reaction. Cupping his cheek with one hand, you pressed your lips gently to his skin, the soft peach fuzz tickling your nose.

Pulling away slightly, the gaze you were met with brought that same feeling of butterflies you had experienced the first day you had met, all those years ago. His chocolate irises were focused, filled with the kind of warmth you had never seen in them before.

“Toshi, what—“you started, freezing as his calloused hand rose to brush against the apple of your cheek, palm so wide that it grazed against the side of your jaw as his fingers wove with your hair.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now.”

Bridging the gap between you, his lips met yours, unsure at first, catching your bottom lip between his, the gentle pressure of his hot mouth leaving your head spinning.

Allowing the electric feeling to take over, your lips moved against his fervently, the hidden desire that pooled within you surfacing, sending waves of goosebumps across your body at the thought of Toshi’s soft lips melting against your mouth.

As his touch seared across your skin, your body moved of its own accord, yielding to his warmth and allowing him to clutch you to his strong chest, his arm supporting your waist.

Cradling you in his arms, Toshi broke away after a long moment, his breathing heavy and eyes glazed with longing.

Resting your forehead to his as your breaths began to even out, you leaned into the hand that caressed your face tenderly, inhaling his heavenly scent.

“Rest.” His voice was hoarse, almost a whisper as he tucked your head into the nape of his neck.

Lids growing heavy, you nuzzled against him, sighing contently.

As he peered down at your sleeping form, his lips came to rest at your crown, murmuring into your hair;

“I think I’m in love with you.”

The apple blossom symbolizes preference. When gifted to another, it says, “I prefer you before all.”

🍄taglist: @janellion @stcrryskies @kuronekomama @the-kool-aid-man-is-real @fandomwriter73 @deadontheinsidebut @thirsthourdemon @bokutoskb ☺️

#haikyuu!!#ushijima x y/n #ushijima wakatoshi #haikyuu x you #haikyuu ushijima #ushijima fluff #haikyuu x reader #hq anime #ushijima smut #haikyuu fluff #anime #hq imagines #haikyuu hc #fanfic #haikyuu ushiwaka #hq fluff #hq ushijima

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scarecrowsbasementceiling · 6 years

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Hunt Me Down And See What Happens: Prologue

A Marvel/Beauty and the Beast crossover

(Y/N) Quill, Peter’s sister on their father’s side is sent by Fury to another world to retrieve a magical item. Thing is, it’s in a different dimension all together.

No pairings yet.

Words: 3,053

Characters: You, Nick Fury, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Wanda Maximoff, Peter Parker.

Mentioned: Belle, Gaston

The sunlight shines through my curtains, successfully blinding me into wakefulness. I let out a light groan as I slowly sit up and stretch my upper torso, sighing at the cracking sound it makes. Jumping out of bed, I stretch each leg out.

My clock reads: 8:30am

Holy shit! Did I seriously oversleep again?!? How can one human oversleep as much as I do? Oh wait, I’m not human. Oops, guess that slipped my mind.

I grab a grey tank top, along with a black sports bra and some black spandex shorts then head to my bathroom for a shower. If I’m late I might as well take my time. Besides it ain’t like I’m missing anything special today, as far I can remember I don’t have any meetings and I know Tony won’t say anything to me about not being there.

The hot water hits my back and I feel my muscles relax almost instantly. Damn hot showers feel good, but I can’t spend too much time in here, I’ve got some training to do. Well not training, just working out, but I consider it training.

I lather my head with shampoo, running it through my hair and roots. The soap swirls down the drain as the water washes it out of my hair and scalp. I begin to rub my entire body with Winter Candy Apple body wash from Bath and Body Works, it might not be winter but it still smells good.

Turning off the water and wrapping a towel around my body, I got to the mirror and begin to dry my hair. Thanks to being part god I don’t need a hair dryer. Take that girls! As soon as my hair is fully dry, I run a comb through it to get all the tangles and stuff out of it before going to brush my teeth. I normally brush them before and after I eat, I can’t stand how my mouth feels when I first wake up in the morning, it’s honestly disgusting.

A noise rings from my room, it’s my cell phone. It was probably Natasha wondering where I am, she knows I’m at home so I don’t worry too much about it. I usually zone out her lectures sometimes, if they aren’t important of course. Oh well I’ll call her later.

Quickly getting dressed and heading out to my room, I pick up my phone and head to the training room, time to get some action, wow that sounded wrong.

As soon as I enter the training room, I begin my warmups:

Squats

Climbers

Jumping Jacks

Push Ups

More boring stuff.

Panting and slightly out of breath, I call out to FRIDAY,

“Alright sweetie, time to start the real stuff. Begin simulation number 4 please.”

“As you wish (Y/N)”

Suddenly the scene changes. The training room is no longer visible, instead it’s a deserted street in Florence, Italy. I smirk at the scene change, straight out of Assassin's Creed. I snap my fingers and music fills the room in an instant. (Fox On The Run by Sweet)

Guards come out of the alleyways and from the roofs of multiple buildings, quickly surrounding me. I grin and click the button, allowing my mask to cover my face as I take out my sword. This is only the first part of the simulation, but my adrenaline is already sky high.

They run at me, shouting in Italian. This one never fails to trick me into believing it’s real. Tony’s technology is almost as good as my illusions, they fool me sometimes.

I tap my foot to the beat while I dodge each sword strike, countering them with a slice from my own sword. It isn’t long before half of them are down. Child’s play, but it will get harder. More will come soon, I know it.

I feel a hand reach for me and I duck, grabbing ahold of the guard’s leg and throwing him at the guards in front of me, knocking them all down. I allow my energy to flow to my hand, creating electricity throughout my hand and down my arm.

The guards are quickly taken care of as I shoot the energy at the fallen pile of men. I whoop as I continue taking out guard after guard.

After that, guards come out, two with swords, and a few others with different weapons; along with new moves and faster reflexes. Now it becomes challenging.

I flip and take a guard between my legs and slam him onto the ground hard before stabbing him. Another one charges at me full speed, catching me off guard. He hits me, throwing me back into the wall of a building. Wow these dudes have gotten a lot stronger now. Time to step up my game.

“How about some target practice? I could use it,” I taunt them as I whip out my gun blasters. My mask and guns were identical to Peter’s, a gift from him once I helped him kill our father. What a bonding moment.

I begin to shoot each guard one by one, watching as they all fall down continuously. Oh yeah, I still got it. I fly up and look down at all of them as they scramble to reach me, guess flying hasn’t been added into this one. That’s a shame, oh well guess I should get this over with and go see what Nat wanted.

After all of them are taken out, the simulation ends and I’m back in the training room. I notice how hard I’m panting, wow I really wore myself out didn’t I?

My phone rings, knocking me out of my euphoria. I check the caller ID, looks like I don’t gotta call Nat after all. I take my mask off and put the phone up to my ear,

“Hello?” I answer with a sickly sweet tone.

“Did you just get out training (Y/N)?”

“You know me so well,” I giggle as she lets out a groan.

“Well you’d better be here soon, Fury has a mission for you.”

Natasha hangs up and I roll my eyes, a mission huh? Oh boy I wonder what it could be this time around. Probably taking out some HYDRA agents or tailing a lead on some magical object they need. Boring. Better head to the meeting anyway I guess.

As I stroll leisurely down the hallway, I pass by the youngest member of my little team, Spider Boy. His real name is Peter Parker but I call him Spider Boy most of the time. The kid hates it, always insists on me calling him Spider MAN, and I always tell him the same thing. Not with that voice you’re not.

“Hey (Y/N)! Where you headed?” He asks curiously, a little bit of drowsiness in his voice. He’s so cute. Always wondering what’s going on all the time, he just wants to be included in things, I have respect for him. He’s honestly just happy to be here and that’s okay.

“Just to a meeting, nothing special. Sorry kiddo, maybe we can do something cool another time, yeah?” I tell him. I gotta admit, he is fun to hang around with, even if there is a HUGE age gap.

“Oh ok! Have fun with that, you didn’t do anything bad this time around did you?” Peter asks me with concern. I laugh and shake my head.

“Not this time around Spider Boy.”

He pouts a little at the name, but nods his head and goes on his way. I watch his figure fade into the distance with a small smile on my face, I have a great team. Better than the other Quill’s for sure!

Speaking of him, I haven’t seen my half brother for awhile now. That’s odd, he usually visits me once a month. He’s probably busy collecting bounties on random criminals across space, flirting with Gamora the entire time.

Finally, I get to the meeting room in the tower and bust through the doors with a smile on my face. I make my way to my seat and put my feet on the table like I usually do, ignoring the scowl on Fury’s face.

“I see you’ve gotten comfy haven’t you agent?”

I smirk and nod my head, “super comfy sir! Thanks for asking.”

He rolls his eyes and begins relaying the mission to me. I perk up when he mentions an important object with magical properties. He wants me to retrieve it? Awesome!

“I’m in! Where is it though?”

“It’s not only a matter of where, it’s also a matter of when too,” Fury tells me. My brows knit in confusion, time travel? I can do it, but I’ve never had to before. This thing must be super important then.

“Alright. But first before you tell me when and where, what exactly is it again?”

“A mirror.”

“A… mirror?” I question him slowly, not knowing if this is a joke or not. Is it April the first yet? No no, it’s June.

I look into Fury’s eyes and see that he’s dead serious. What the hell does the thing even do? Well, judging from the fact that it’s a damn MIRROR, it probably has some sort of glamour effect perhaps?

“What does it do exactly? Change appearances?” I inquire quietly to myself, only to be heard by Fury. Damn, I gotta work on being a lot more quiet. But then again, it is a valid question. Ugh I’m tired I want to take a nap, but I can’t, this mission is important. At least I think it is.

“Close, it can show you where anything or anyone is at all times should you wish it. We believe it could come in handy for future use,” Fury answers me. I frown at his answer, disdain clear on my face.

“So you’re gonna use it to spy on people?”

“Yes, but only when needed. Don’t worry, we’re not going to do routine spy checks on any of you, agent.”

I lean back in my chair and ponder to myself, should I decline? Nah, this is too good to pass up! Well, it could be dangerous, I don’t even know where the thing is! I look up at Fury and nod for him to continue explaining.

“It’s in France. But not our France, a certain fairytale France,” Fury informs me. Fairytale? Like Disney and stuff like that? Wait a minute…..

“NO WAY I’M GONNA GET TO MEET BELLE?” I scream out in joy. Ever since I was little and I got away from the insane father, I’ve always loved the Disney princesses. Now, Belle was never my favorite, I was an Ariel fan myself, but I did admire and respect her. I will never admit it to anyone, but I’ve always had a little crush on Gaston.

Yeah he’s the villain and a seriously evil dude, but I couldn’t help myself! I’ve always attracted trouble so it was only natural to like the bad guys and girls. Now I can’t believe I’m gonna get to possible meet him, this is almost unreal. But then again since I’ve been working for the Avengers and knowing my lineage nothing really seems unreal that much anymore.

“Now you will be leaving here shortly since you don’t really need to pack anything. Plus it’s going to be just you, don’t let me down on this (Y/N)”

I shoot him a big grin and nod my head and stand up from my seat to face Fury. Oh this is going to be so much fun!

“Don’t you worry bout a thing boss, I’ve got it covered!” I wink at him and give a mock salute with two fingers, skipping out of the door and into the living area. I’m then interrupted by a growl coming from my stomach. Oh yeah that’s right, I haven’t eaten yet. Looks like I have one thing to do before I leave.

I bump into Tony as I enter the kitchen, I give him a wave as I move towards the fridge to get the milk for cereal.

“I heard you had a meeting with Fury, what was it about?” Tony asks me while peering over my shoulder.

“Oh nothing really serious, just a little mission.” I lie, but doesn’t last long as I let out a loud squeal and jump into the air, almost hitting my head on the ceiling.

“Doesn’t seem like it from that jump,” he jokes with a finger pointed at the ceiling. I snort and roll my eyes playfully before hitting him lightly on the shoulder while I pass him with my cereal.

“I’m gonna get to meet one of my favorite Disney princesses dude! Imma meet Belle yo! THE Belle! I can’t wait this is gonna be awesome,” I bubble with joy as I let him in on the news. He raises an eyebrow at this. Dude probably doesn’t believe me, which is kinda weird for him but it’s Tony so…

It isn’t long before more of the team shuffles into the kitchen while I sit at the island enjoying my cereal. I can hear Tony announcing my mission to the gang, which produces gasps from some of the team and silence from others. Clint bursts out of the kitchen and slides into the stool next to me.

“You’re gonna see a damn princess and you’re not taking me? I am OFFENDED!” Clint complains and I only point at him and snicker in victory. A hurt expression forms on his face before it’s quickly overtaken by laughter.

“I’m just kidding, not really but I know I can’t come with. Good luck and don’t give away too much information. Also get me an autograph from Gaston and Belle. Thanks, I gotta go now.” He waves at me before leaving. I shake my head and take my bowl and put it in the sink.

Once I finish cleaning my bowl and putting it away, Nat comes up behind me and grabs my shoulders, causing me to jump and scream.

“Damn it Nat, don’t do that! I could’ve shot you ya know,” I mutter while catching my breath.

She lets out a quiet laugh and lets go of my shoulders while taking a step back,

“No you wouldn’t. If you had though I could stop it with ease.”

“Yeah but can you stop my guns AND my foot?” I question her.

“We’ll see when you get back. If you get back that is,” she says, I detect a bit of worry in her voice.

“I will be back Nat, have no fear,” I assure her gently. She smiles and touches my hand gently before walking out of the kitchen to who knows where.

I’m left to my own thoughts before I feel another presence coming towards me.

I perk up as Wanda comes near me, I really like her, she has powers almost similar to mine so we could relate a lot easier than anyone else in the tower.

“Come with me (Y/N), I’ll be teaching you how to get to your destination for the mission,” she tells me. I give a small bow and motion for her to lead the way.

We walk along a hallway that leads to an enclosed space, with walls made of metal. There wasn’t anything in the room, minus us and a pad in the middle of the room. Jeez this place looks boring, it is in serious need of a makeover.

All of a sudden I feel really blue, I haven’t gotten a chance to see my brother before I leave. He’ll probably worry his ass off once he finds out what I’m doing. He knows I can handle myself, and I know he can handle himself, but we’re siblings it’s our job to worry about each other.

“Wanda, can you do something for me?” I ask her gently.

“What is it?”

“Can ya tell Quill where I’m going and that I’ll be back soon, I don’t want him to worry too much.” I say, “Just a little bit of worrying is good enough,” I add, trying to lighten the mood.

She squeezes my shoulder and gives me side hug, that meant yes in Wanda language I suppose.

“So what are we gonna be doing?” I probe, staring at her with a glimmer of adventure in my eyes, the sadness slowly disappearing.

“This is how you will be travelling to the world. I know you can do it on your own, but the thing is you haven’t done it at all, so you are out of practice. The pad will help you direct your energy to a spot so you can make a portal and get there, it’s simple. All you have to do is imagine creating a portal that will take you to the place you need to go and focus the energy on the pad.” Wanda explains, pointing at the pad and staring at me.

I swallow, slowly becoming nervous. Wanda was right, I had never done something like this before. Will it even be stable enough for me to go through? Your eyes widen as another thought crosses my mind, when will I be getting there?

What if the whole Belle and the Beast thing will have already happened when I get there? Will that make things easier or harder?

“Do not worry, you will be in control of that too,” Wanda assures me with a short smile.

I nod and give her a thumbs up, signalling that I’m ready to do this. She takes a step back and allows me to get in front of the pad. I close my eyes and begin to focus my energy on the pad.

I can feel the energy course through my veins as I direct it onto the pad, the place already burned into my mind. A whirring noise begins to appear, getting louder with each blast of energy I pump into the pad.

“Good, it’s ready. You can go through now (Y/N), good luck,” Wanda tells me. Once my eyes are open, they close instantly at the bright light now in front of us. I slowly walk towards it, and then take a big leap into the portal.

Let’s get this party started...

Next Chapter

Tags: @antlers-inallofmy-decorating

#beauty and the beast #beauty and the beast imagine #gaston #gaston imagine #marvel #marvel imagine #tony stark imagine #tony stark #clint barton #clint barton imagine #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff imagine #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff imagine #peter quill #peter quill imagine #peter parker imagine #peter parker

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justlookfrightened · 7 years

Text

Neighbors AU, Part 3: Chapter 6: Dec. 31 and Jan 1: New Year’s Eve and Day, New York and Providence

Read it on AO3

Or read chapter 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5

Eric settled into his seat at Madison Square Garden and took a good look around.

He was already tired from spending the day wandering Manhattan with Ransom and Holster, including a stop to skate at Rockefeller Center. Holster had urged him into a few spins and simple jumps in his new figure skates, and Eric had blushed at the admiration of his fellow skaters.

Now his former captains were joining him for the 6 p.m. game, which should end in plenty of time for the crowd to get out and join the masses waiting for the ball to drop. Or celebrate the New Year however.

Eric wouldn't be caught dead in Times Square, even though that's where Ransom and Holster were heading after the game. He was going to meet Jack at his hotel, order room service, and celebrate by watching the revelry in the streets below. In all honesty, he couldn't think of a better plan.

Holster plopped into the seat next to him with a beer and a frankly alarming pastrami sandwich. Ransom had a steak sandwich on garlic bread and his own beer. He passed Eric a pretzel and bottle of water.

“Bro, you sure you don't want more to eat?” Holster said. “Growing boy like you has got to keep his strength up.”

“Haha,” Eric said. “I'm 23. And a half.”

Oops. That sounded less petulant in his head. “Anyway, I'm going to eat later with Jack. Food that doesn't come from an arena.”

“You sure man?” Ransom said. “They have some tasty offerings. Not just hot dogs and pizza.”

“Really, I'm fine,” Eric said. “Thanks for coming to hang with me today.”

“Bits. You got us primo seats to watch the Rangers at the garden on New Year’s Eve. We are going to experience the ball drop in Times Square,” Ransom said, somehow making it sound dirty. “Believe me, we should be thanking you.”

Eric narrowed his eyes.

“Watch the Rangers?” he said.

“Only in that they'll be playing the Falconers,” Ransom said, gesturing to his Mashkov jersey.

“All right then,” Eric said, with fake huff and a smile to show he was kidding.

The smile brightened by an order of magnitude when the Falconers took the ice for warmups, and on one of his laps, Jack stopped and tapped the glass in front of them.

“There’s your boy,” Holster said. “That is one fine hockey ass.”

“I know,” Eric said.

The three of them were a knot of Falconers’ blue and yellow in a sea of the Rangers’ darker blue, and they drew more attention by cheering when Poots slipped a puck past Lundqvist to open the scoring. Eric caught a some eyes lingering as they settled back down, but no one said anything directly to him. Well, besides the fans booing and yelling at them to sit down, but that was to be expected when you were rooting for the visiting team. Especially in New York.

The ones looking at him might know who he was, as in, he was Jack Zimmermann’s boyfriend, not that he was Eric Bittle, baker from Providence. Last spring, that would have bothered, even frightened, him. Now, as long as no one was rude, well, it was fine.

That might have something to do with his seat between two very large men wearing Falconers’ gear.

Still, when he caught the eye of a young man a few rows away, who looked at him and offered a smile, Eric nodded back.

The game went to the first intermission with the Falconers’ still up 1-0.

In the second period, the Rangers tied it on a Mats Zuccarello goal.

“Shit, Bitty, he’s like your size,” Holster said. “Maybe you should have tried for the NHL.”

Eric laughed and said, “He’s about my height, but I’m pretty sure he’s got like 30 pounds on me. And it wasn’t like there were any teams scouting me. It was you they were coming to see, but you didn’t end up signing anywhere either.”

Holster shrugged.

“If I tried to play, I know I would have been down in the minors for a while,” Holster said. “It’s not much money, and I could get hurt, and I wouldn’t really have any control. I could be traded and end up anywhere. I’d rather make decent coin helping companies figure their shit out, and be able to share a lovely apartment with Ransom here. And be pretty sure both my knees will work when I get home. … I loved playing at Samwell, but to go pro? You have to really want it, and when I thought about it, I decided I didn’t want it enough.”.

Eric nodded. Hockey was never going to be it for him either, no matter how encouraging Jack and the other Falconers were about his skill. But he’d been willing to take a part-time job in a bakery to find a way to use his interest in pastry and the social media expertise he’d developed. It probably wasn’t what his parents envisioned when they sent him up north for college, but it had worked out well so far.

***************************

Jack found Eric sitting between Adam and Justin on a sofa in the hotel lobby, all three still wearing Falconers’ jerseys.

Justin was talking about his decision to apply to medical school after two years out of college.

“I think I want to practice medicine, but even if I don’t, the degree will help with the work I’m doing now,” he said. “It will actually open up more avenues for me, and they could be really lucrative.”

“Is that why you’re doing it?” Eric asked.

Justin stared at him for a long moment, but Eric just looked back steadily, until Justin shrugged.

“It would be way cool to help a kid get better from being really sick,” he said. “Or to save someone’s life … I could do that, I think. But maybe I’m better doing research. I don’t know.”

“You don’t have to have it all figured out, bro,” Adam said. “One step at a time.”

“That’s right, Rans,” Eric said. “I think you’ll be a great doctor, whatever you do with it.”

“I have to get in first,” Ransom said.

“You will,” Eric said.

Jack chose that moment to approach, saying, “You guys have some courage, wearing those out here.”

The game had ended in a 3-2 win for the Falconers, with Jack’s goal with five minutes left making the difference. Blocking a shot at the other end -- with his face -- had also contributed, and won him far more chirps in the dressing room.

“Oh, honey,” Eric said, leaping up. “Look at that. It must hurt.”

Eric stood in front of him, hand hovering near Jack’s cheekbone, now sporting three neat sutures and starting to purple.

“It’s alright,” Jack said. “I would have come back to play if there was time.”

Adam and Justin stood behind Eric.

“Jack, nice game,” Adam said.

“Sweet goal, man,” Justin added. “Wicked block, too.”

“Thanks, guys,” Jack said.

“We’re going to head out,” Adam said. “Bits, don’t be a stranger. Jack, good to see you again.”

“And don’t do anything we wouldn’t do, boys,” Justin chimed in.

Eric blushed, reached up to hug both of them and said, “Happy New Year, guys. Thanks for coming today.”

“We wouldn’t have missed it, Bits,” Holster said.

Jack gave a nod and a half-wave. “Happy New Year,” he said. “And really, thanks.”

Once Eric’s friends pushed through the revolving door and into the throngs of revelers, Jack laced his fingers through Eric’s and tugged him towards the elevator.

“Come on, bud,” he said. “I can’t wait to get out of this suit and have some dinner.”

“Mmm,” Eric said. “You out of that suit sounds good to me. Seriously, though, how bad does your face hurt?”

“Not too bad yet,” Jack said. “They gave me lidocaine before they stitched it up. I still should ice it to keep the swelling down, though.”

“Did they give you anything else?” Eric asked.

“Ibuprofen,” Jack said.

“When are you due for more?”

“Any time it hurts enough that I want it after, what, about 1?”

“OK,” Eric said. “I’ll get some ice when we get upstairs while you get comfortable.”

“I can get the ice,” Jack said. “You order dinner. Get what you want. Get dessert if you want it.”

Jack opened the door and ushered Eric in. He watched as Eric took in the champagne already chilling and the vase of roses.

“Oh. my Lord, Jack, what did you do?” Eric said.

“I wanted tonight to be special for you,” Jack said. “Romantic. Sorry about …” he gestured to his face.

“It’s still romantic,” Eric said. “It’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me. Now you get that jacket off. Sit there while I get the ice. Then I’ll call for dinner.”

Within minutes, Jack was reclined on the bed in sweatpants and a soft T-shirt, a bag of ice wrapped in a hand-towel against his face. Eric had changed to sweats and T-shirt as well, but he put Jack’s jersey back on.

“I just like to see you in it,” Jack had said, almost shyly.

“Whatever you want,” Eric had said.

Dinner was on its way, and Eric had poured each of them a glass of champagne and sat next to Jack on the bed. Jack picked up the remote to click off the hockey highlights he was watching.

“You don’t have to,” Eric said. “I know they’re important to you.”

Jack turned the TV off.

“I can watch them later.”

“I just wanted to say this year turned out so different -- so much better -- than anything I ever expected,” Eric said. “And it’s all because of you.”

“No,” Jack said. “I mean yes, this year was so wonderful, but I don’t deserve all the credit. It’s all you. You make me better. You make me want to be better. And for the first time in a few years at least, I can’t wait to see what next year brings.”

****************************

Eric answered the door when the waiter arrived with their dinner: a filet mignon for him, a New York strip steak for Jack.

He’d only half-jokingly asked if Jack wanted the chicken tenders from the children’s menu. Jack seemed to consider it for a moment, then said, “No. It’s a special occasion, and as much as I like them, chicken tenders aren’t special-occasion food. I can have red meat every so often.”

Eric had nearly choked when he saw the menu prices, but Jack had reassured him that it was fine.

If anything, Jack seemed surprised that Eric chose the smaller cut of meat, and strawberries and cream for dessert, along with a side of grilled vegetables.

Eric shrugged.

“It’s an eight-ounce filet, Jack,” he said. “A half-pound of beef is plenty for anyone who doesn’t routinely use up 10,000 calories in a day.”

“But no decadent cake? Where’s the Eric I know and love?” Jack asked.

“Please. Anything we order in a hotel now will have been baked this morning at the latest,” Eric said. “I’d like to think I’ve got you spoiled enough to appreciate fresh baked goods. Besides, I want to see whether $16 can actually get you tasty strawberries in December.”

The waiter had pushed the cart in, and Eric took the check in its folder to the bed for Jack to sign it. He raised his eyebrows at the size of the tip Jack added.

“Clearly, I’m in the wrong line of work,” Eric said, after the waiter set their plates on the table and withdrew with the cart.

Jack shrugged.

“He’s lucky if he’s even getting minimum wage in a job that gets tips,” Jack said. “And in a place like this, lots of foreign travelers with different tipping customs, probably not everybody tips at all.”

“But there was a tip included!”

Jack shrugged. “It never hurts to be generous,” he said. “That’s what my parents always taught me. And, well, it’s self-serving, but people know my name, and the last thing anyone wants is a reputation for being cheap.”

“So wait, you think Enrique is going to go back downstairs and tell everyone that he just brought dinner to Jack Zimmermann and his boyfriend, and got a $50 tip?” Eric said.

“Maybe,” Jack said. “Maybe not. But I sure don’t want him to go downstairs and say Jack Zimmermann was there with his boyfriend, couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed, and gave him a lousy $5.”

He paused.

“Enrique?”

“He was wearing a nametag,” Eric said.

“Should I be jealous?” Jack said. “I suppose he was kind of cute …”

“Oh, hush,” Eric said. “It’s just good manners to call people by their names, especially people in hospitality who wear their names on them, for Pete’s sake. You get tired of people not even noticing you’re actually human, you know? For what it’s worth, I’m glad you were generous. He’s working New Year’s Eve, when he’d probably rather be with his own family or girlfriend or boyfriend. Now eat. You need the food to recover after a game like that.”

Jack got up and sat at the table with Eric, and Eric watched him eat.

The injury to his face was high enough that chewing didn’t seem to bother him, and it did nothing to ruin his looks. Really, Eric sometimes thought, it wasn’t fair for one person to be so good-looking, with his glossy dark hair, clear blue eyes that always drooped just a bit, bone structure that models would kill for -- and that was just his face.

From the neck down, he might have been carved from marble, he was so perfect. And somehow, he thought Eric was attractive.

Jack was quiet while he ate, which wasn’t unusual. Still, if Jack was ever going to be chatty, it would be after a game, especially if he had a drink or two. The combination of the adrenaline wearing off and the alcohol usually loosened his mouth, showing Eric a flirty, sometimes goofy side that Eric had come to cherish.

Now, on his second glass of champagne, Jack worked his way through his steak and just looked at Eric.

“You OK, honey?” Eric asked. “If your face is bothering you, or you’re too tired, we could go to sleep as soon as you’re done eating. We don’t have to stay up.”

“What? No,” Jack said. “It’s our first New Year’s together. Aren’t we supposed to kiss at midnight? Isn’t that what people do?”

“Sure, sugar, but not if you’re in pain,” Eric said. “We can kiss anytime. As much as you want.”

“Kiss me now?” Jack asked, smirking.

So Eric leaned across the table and gave him a small peck.

“I want to kiss you at midnight,” Jack said. “And for as long as possible afterwards. Really, my face will be OK. It’s not as bad the one I had that first time I saw you.”

“No?” Eric said. “Same number of stitches.”

“But the rest isn’t as bad,” Jack said. “This one didn’t nearly break my jaw, or loosen any teeth.”

Eric shook his head.

“And you went out running that afternoon.”

“It makes me feel better,” Jack said.

“Fine,” Eric said. “No running tonight.”

“I think I can come up with better things to do,” Jack said. “Like kissing you.”

****************************

Jack licked the cream off a strawberry before popping it in his mouth, and smirked at the blush that rose on Eric’s face.

He hadn’t done it on purpose -- well, not entirely. And if he could distract Eric from his injury, so much the better. He had plans for the holiday, and they didn’t include Eric tucking him in with an ice pack. He could live with the pain.

He dipped another strawberry in the cream and held it out for Eric.

“Open your mouth,” he said.

Eric did, and managed to wrap his lips around Jack’s fingers as well as the berry. Then, once he swallowed it, his tongue darted out to lick a drop of cream from the corner of his mouth.

“Two can play at that game, Mr. Zimmermann.”

Jack knew he was as red as Eric had been, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“That’s the best way,” he said.

Eric then scooped up a berry and fed it to Jack, before popping another one in his mouth.

“Mmmmm. Not bad, especially for December, but nowhere near as good as a ripe strawberry in June, fresh off the plant and all warm from the sun. Have you ever gone strawberry-picking, Jack?”

“Can’t say I have,” Jack said. “In good years, June’s kind of busy.”

“Strawberry season’s a little later in New England,” Eric said. “And playoffs end before the end of June, right?”

“Usually somewhere around the 20th,” Jack said.

“Then it’s a date,” Eric said. “We’ll go as soon as you’re available.”

Jack felt warmth radiating from his stomach as though he was eating those sun-warmed berries now. Eric was talking about a date nearly six months in the future. He didn’t care if it was strawberry-picking or going to a black-tie gala. Eric was counting on them being together. That made his plan that much easier to follow through on.

But not yet. It was 11:50, and in 10 minutes it would be midnight, and he was going to kiss Eric and wish him a happy New Year, and he was going to kiss Eric again, and take him to bed.

Eric was standing by the window, watching the crowds thronging in the streets below.

“Come over here,” Eric said.

Jack filled Eric’s champagne flute again; his own was still half-full. He carried both with him to the window, setting them on a side table, and wrapped his arms around Eric from behind. He rested the unhurt side of his face against Eric’s hair while he looked outside.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people,” Eric said. “This is so different from Madison, or even Samwell or Providence.”

“It is crowded,” Jack said. “Do you think you’d ever want to live in a city like New York?”

He was honestly curious. He could imagine how many baked goods Eric could sell here, or if he didn’t want the day-to-day job of running a bakery, he could do something with a cooking show. His vlog had added viewers by the thousands over the last several months, and if people came because they heard Eric was Jack’s boyfriend, they stayed because Eric was a warm, friendly presence who made baking (or sometimes cooking healthy food) seem easy and fun. Jack sometimes watched it when he was on the road, especially during the day when didn’t want to bother Eric at work. He’d never actually asked if it was all right, but he figured it was the first time he came home and made a recipe Eric had shared on the vlog while he was gone and Eric just smiled and told him he’d got it right.

“New York?” Eric asked. “I don’t think so. I like Providence for now. Although it was fun to wander around today. I think Holster posted some pictures of me skating. We kind of have the best of both worlds, don’t we? A smaller city to live in, but close to Boston and even close enough to visit here?”

“I like it too,” Jack said. “Look -- the countdown.”

Eric counted along.

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 --”

“Eric, I love you so much,” Jack broke in. “Happy New Year.”

He pulled Eric in for a long kiss. When they broke apart, Eric said, “Happy New Year, Jack. For the record, I love you so much too.”

Jack handed Eric his glass, they toasted, sipped, and kissed again.

Tomorrow, they were going to sleep late, at least for them, and maybe go out for a run, and go out for breakfast, and then drive home together.

They could stop for fish tacos, and watch the Winter Classic and college football. It was going to be the best New Year’s ever.

*************************

Eric supposed he was lucky that Jack let them sleep until 8:30. Then it was out of bed, lacing up trainers and pulling on hats and jackets, and a quick run through the streets of Manhattan and the paths in Central Park.

Back to the hotel, shower, check out, head out for breakfast and to pick up Jack’s car from the public garage where Eric had left it the day before.

Eric curled into the passenger seat and watched Jack drive. He was a restful driver to watch, handling the wheel with the same easy grace he did anything physical. Eric found a quiet, restful playlist to the match the mood and let himself zone out.

He’d left the bakery in Dex’s hands again yesterday, and everything seemed to go fine again. It was the second time in a week, but Eric consoled himself with the knowledge that last year, he’d taken nearly two weeks vacation at the holidays. Matthew had covered by moving someone down from the Boston bakery, which had a bigger staff.

This year, with Eric spreading his time off out by taking a day here and a day there, creating the daily menus to fit with Dex’s skills and making sure ingredients were on hand, he’d been able to manage with the staff he had.

Maybe in a few months, Dex would be able. to cover for a whole week, and Eric could accept the Zimmermanns’ invitation to visit with Jack in the off-season.

He knew that technically, it wasn’t really his problem. Matthew had promised him two weeks of vacation a year, and how to cover for him should be Matthew’s problem. Realistically, the longer he was at the bakery, the more he put his own stamp on it and the less involvement Matthew had in the day-to-day operations. Now nearly everything the bakery served had been at least tweaked by Eric, and several of his creations were on the menu in the Boston bakeries too.

He thought about what Alicia had suggested at Thanksgiving -- that he buy the bakery and make it entirely his own. He really didn’t have any money, though. He’d graduated with his savings nearly cleaned out, and lived paycheck to paycheck at least until the last six months. Once he’d paid up on his security deposit and last month’s rent, he could put a couple of hundred away each month. Actually, he’d been able to save a little more; Jack insisted on paying for most of the groceries that ended up in his kitchen, and anything they did together when they went out, and it was hard to argue that they should go dutch more often.

But a one-paycheck cushion was not enough to look at buying a business. No bank would look at him, 23 years old with an American studies degree, for a loan. Maybe in a few years, he told himself again.

By the time he took notice of where they were, they were making their way through Connecticut, almost to New Haven. Jack hadn’t spoken at all, which was quiet even for him. He seemed to be wrapped in his own thoughts as well, and concern prickled at Eric. He knew Jack could spiral into anxiety when he was like this.

“Did I ever tell you about our game against Yale when I was a freshman?” Eric said. “That was when I scored my first goal in college. I couldn’t believe it.”

Jack roused himself from his reverie.

“Why not? You’re a sniper,” he said.

“I had my eyes closed, Jack,” Eric deadpanned. “It was a lucky shot.”

Jack grunted. “Maybe,” he said. “But you must have been in the right place at the right time, and you did take the shot. You know, my Uncle Wayne says you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

“Did you -- Uncle Wayne?” Eric sputtered. “I know who said that, Jack. What am I going to do with you?”

“Take me home and have your way with me?” Jack teased.

“Hush, you.”

Eric’s gambit seemed to have worked, as Jack spoke more freely about his hockey “uncles” as they made their way home.

Jack stopped for fish tacos at the same place he had the first time they skated together before they reached the building, and opened doors and waited for Eric to enter and exit the elevator before him.

It felt like a date, Eric thought, like Jack was courting him. Didn’t he know that he already had Eric, hook, line and sinker?

After Eric stowed his bag in his apartment, he came back to Jack’s to eat and watch the Winter Classic. He was just getting up to put the plates in the kitchen at the first intermission when Jack said, “Eric, wait. There’s something I want to ask you.”

Eric stopped and felt the blood drain from his face. Was Jack going to propose? Please not yet, he thought. I need time to prepare for this.

But Jack wasn’t on one knee or anything. He was still seated on the couch, looking earnestly at Eric.

“I was thinking that it might be easier if you moved in here, like full-time,” Jack said. “You like to cook in the kitchen, and most of your equipment is here by now. There’s laundry in the unit, and there’s plenty of room, and I know you like the shower.”

“Jack, why do you sound like a real estate ad?” Eric said, laughing. “I think we know that your apartment is superior to mine in every possible way.”

“Not if you don’t live here,” Jack said.

“But honey, it’s good for us to have different places,” Eric said. “And our schedules are so different.”

“I know,” Jack said. “And you should keep your place. Just move more of your clothes here, and sleep here more often. You know you’re comfortable here, and I sleep better with you. But it’s your decision, of course.”

Eric smiled, then let out a sigh that was meant to sound put upon.

“Fine, Mr. Zimmermann, if it helps you sleep,” he said. “I’ll tell you a secret: I sleep better with you too. Then again, it might be the mattress.”

#my fic #zimbits #neighbors au #omgcheckplease #omg check please

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