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husbandhannie · 2 years

Text

for now

pairing: jeonghan x reader

word count: 2.4k

genre: fluff, mild angst, mildly suggestive

warnings: some very mild suggestive descriptions, reader wears a dress at some point but no explicit references to gender are made, angst about catching feelings, a stalker situation that is barely described, mild injuries, some homesickness

a/n: i don't know where i got the motivation from, but i started writing and just didn't stop. this isn't the kind of writing i do generally, so i'm not sure how this went. this is entirely unedited. thanks @starlightjoong for proofreading!

taglist: @itsveronicaxxx @zurikyo @husbandhoshi @junhui-recs

the realization that you’re in love with yoon jeonghan hits you like sinking in warm water - softly and gently, then all at once.

it shouldn’t have surprised you, not really - not with all the already blurred lines you were crossing with him. friends-with-benefits is a hard enough endeavor to maintain even when you stick to your limits and original agreements - something you and jeonghan definitely didn’t do.

you remember the first time you met jeonghan. as a member of a popular dancing crew, you had met plenty of idols before, but not many of them looked at you as keenly as jeonghan did that night. not that you mind, everyone has been civil to you for the most part, treating you as what you are - a member of staff, a choreographer, someone to help them deliver a better performance. when jeonghan looked at you, however, it was like being put in a shimmering spotlight - right there in the trusted walls of your studio, his eyes glinting as he complimented you on your routine. “i saw your recent video”, he had said, a polite but impressed smile glowing his face, “we’re lucky to be able to work with you”.

save a few stolen glances you’ll never admit to, you manage to keep your eyes away from him that night.

you remember the first time you voiced out your attraction to him. it wasn’t direct and you would deny it if asked, but both of you knew what you meant. he was present for a joke between you and your crewmate, one about your favorite criminal minds character, and how she was the ‘perfect woman’. “what do you see in her?”, jeonghan had asked once your friend left to take a call, curious eyes searching yours. “oh”, you chewed on it for a second, “it’s hard to put it in words. she’s fun and easygoing, i think that’s definitely a part of it. but she’s also - “, your eyes met his intent ones, “serious, when required. deliberate”, you wondered who you were talking about now, “understands people, and gets along with everyone but”, a pause, “very few know her, and she wouldn’t trust most people to love her”. he had cocked his head, analyzing your words before murmuring, “and you like that?”

your friend entered the room before you could answer.

you remember the first time you saw jeonghan angry. a stalker had managed to enter your studio, on a night when there were very few people in what you thought was a secure space. you and a crewmate dealt with the intruder, managing to get the situation under control with minimum injuries. one look at jeonghan and his members showed that they were infuriated - at the perpetrator, at not being able to do anything themselves, at the small harm that it caused you. outside of a cursory glance at your friend, jeonghan’s eyes didn’t stray from you though, his stern jaw in sharp contrast with the gentle fingers that fluttered over the bruise on your wrist.

you’ll never say it out loud, but you’ve thought about those tender touches often. and that jaw too.

you remember the first time jeonghan held your hand. since the stalker incident, it had become a regular occurrence for him and his members to show up at your apartment for movie nights - for some reason they thought they owed you their company (not that you minded). you were sitting on your usual seat next to jeonghan when an emotional argument between a mother and daughter came up on the screen, and you were holding back tears before you knew it, slowly taking deep breaths and digging your fingertips in your thighs. nimble fingers intertwined with yours after a minute, jeonghan’s eyes not straying from the television screen while he gave you a gentle squeeze. you rested your head on his shoulder for a few minutes while you closed your eyes to collect yourself, hoping the darkness in the room made your actions unnoticeable.

that night you wondered if you had imagined the feeling of his lips on your hair.

you remember the first time you kissed jeonghan. you were at a somewhat exclusive restaurant with a few of your friends, and had run into jeonghan on the way to the bathroom. almost like you couldn’t help it, your eyes scanned his elegantly dressed form while he took in your maroon dress and black heels, his gaze stilling for a moment on the red of your lips. “you clean up nice”, he had said with an appreciative smile, his fingers running through the tips of his hair when you returned the compliment. when you mentioned you were leaving early because all your friends had partners they wanted to get back to, he had offered to drive you home. “please, i insist”, he had said when you protested, “let them go back to their warm beds”. a car ride and a few more compliments later, he was on your couch - his lips pressing open-mouthed kisses on your neck while your gasps filled up your living room, the hands on your thighs almost making you forget that you hadn’t talked about, well, this.

almost, but not quite. one honest “let’s stick to sex because neither of us has the time for anything else” later, he was in your bed, running his hands on your skin like he couldn’t get enough.

you remember the first time you slept in jeonghan’s arms. he had shown up at your door after an especially tiring day, dull eyes missing their usual sparkle. ignoring his feeble protests, you had helped him wash his hair before ordering dinner, gently coaxing him to your bed when he mentioned leaving. with his frustratingly sensitive ears, he lays as far away from you on the bed as he can, to be able to sleep at all. this time though, he stayed close to you, drifting off with his face nestled in your chest and his arms wrapped around your waist, slurred whispers of gratitude leaving his lips before he fell asleep.

jeonghan has a key to your apartment now, so he can let himself in when you’re asleep or not there - even if it’s just to lay down on your bed.

looking back at it now, it shouldn’t be a surprise at all that you’re in love with jeonghan. your time with him reads like something you’ll find in a buzzfeed article titled “9 activities to do with a lover”. from having impromptu dinners to being each other’s sounding boards to watching insignificant movies before drifting off entangled in each other, ofcourse you were going to fall for him. it wouldn’t surprise you if you loved him before his lips touched yours for the first time, if you loved him when his fingertips traced your bruised wrist so tenderly.

and yet, when you wake up at dawn to jeonghan’s form next to yours, one of his hands lightly resting on yours while his face barely touches your shoulder, it takes you a minute to realize that a) you feel much better just by the sight of him in your bed and the feel of his weight snuggled against you, much better since you texted him you were having a bad day, and b) that you’re hopelessly in love with yoon jeonghan.

it’s quiet for a moment while you ponder on your unsurprising discovery, your eyes tracing his lines in the dim light, your mind recalling past instances where you thought you felt something more for him - more than attraction, more than companionship, more than friendship, more than fondness. it was love, you know now.

then it hits you - holy shit, you’re in love with yoon jeonghan. in love - with someone who you agreed to not have feelings for. if he’s kept up his end of the agreement then he doesn’t feel the same way about you - and the notion is enough to make your chest ache, your body going rigid while you consider the possible heartbreaking situation you’re in.

you’re in love with yoon jeonghan, and he might not love you back.

jeonghan must’ve sensed your ordeal, for he moves then, sleepy eyes fluttering open, his thumb rubbing the back of your hand slowly. “go back to sleep”, he nuzzles your neck and whispers, “it’s early”.

your heart constricts a little before a small smile breaks on your face, giddiness bubbling up inside you. it can wait, you think as you press a kiss on his head, it can wait until later.

first rays of sunlight shine through the curtains on your window while you lay snuggled in jeonghan’s arms, his slow breaths on your skin tickling you just right. you’re in love with yoon jeonghan and he’s asleep in your arms - and for now, that’s enough.

the night of the long-awaited first rainfall of the season is when jeonghan realizes he’s in love with you. how fitting, he thinks.

he’s not surprised by it, not really. he’s been suspecting this for a while now, the possibility crossing his mind more and more frequently as your relationship progressed. when the realization finally arrives, it’s like downpour after weeks of humid haze - a foregone conclusion, yet something that you can’t look away from.

it was autumn when jeonghan met you for the first time. you were wearing your thin purple jacket that october night, one that you had shed when the dance class started. if he has to nail down what made you so irresistible that day, so much so that he barely managed to look away despite the professional setting, it would be how you tried to make your friends smile - trying to lift some weight off of heavy shoulders and bring some light in tired eyes, you shot off gentle jokes in an effort to lift the spirits of your crewmates. whether it was your humor or the fond smile you accompanied it with, it worked - and before he knew it, jeonghan was enamored.

he likes that jacket. it doesn’t do much to stop the cold, but he feels warm in it.

it was early december when jeonghan realized that his feelings for you ran deeper than just simple attraction. he had looked up at the sound of your laughter, his mood instantly souring when he saw the source was some joke your friend had made. i want to make you laugh like that, his mind had supplied before he could stop it, and he knew then that there was more to his feelings than he had been willing to acknowledge.

he knows what it’s like to make you laugh now, and how your body trembles in his arms when he’s cracked a particularly egregious joke.

he kissed you for the first time later that month. the car had been hot inside because he had cranked the heater up to warm you up, the dress you were wearing probably didn’t do much to keep you at a comfortable temperature. all of that slipped away, though, when you leaned in to press your lips on his in front of your apartment building - the heat of the car, the slight discomfort from his shirt, even your damned legs that he had a hard time not staring at. for a moment, it was just you - enchanting and lovely, dreamy and real. it was just you, with your tentative fingers touching his cheek, your lips moving slowly against his, stretching into a smile when he pulled you closer. it was just you.

he’s addicted to it now, how you smile against his lips.

it was a spring afternoon, the first time jeonghan saw you cry. he had seen you tear up from movies before, but he had never seen you cry. he had expected the urge to protect and comfort that took over him, pulling you in his arms instantly and pressing kisses on your hair while you cried about an argument you had with your mother. he wasn’t expecting the sense of privilege that came over him though, of being allowed to see you without your carefully constructed armor. you had called him deceptively private once, while you were talking about a tv character you like. you would know, since you’re not much different.

he’s had that privilege many times since, and he cherishes it more than he can say.

no, it’s not a surprise at all when the realization finally hits him. after months of suspecting and wondering and waiting, the certainty is almost a relief: he’s in love with you.

the two of you have spent the last couple of hours in your bed, tucked away under the blanket while rain pattered on your windows. your face is devoid of its usual liveliness as you talk about how much you miss home, and how hard it is to hang up every time your sister calls. he makes a small joke after a few moments of silence, and for a moment your eyes brighten as some of the sadness slips from your face, your features morphing into a fond grin. your laughter mingles with the sound of july rain, and jeonghan doesn’t think he’s heard a more joyful sound before. i love you, he almost says it loud, giddy eyes unable to look away from you, god, i love you.

he’s silent for a few moments then, pondering on this entirely expected discovery. you must’ve noticed the change, as you always do, for you touch his cheek lightly, his name tenderly falling out of your lips. say it again, he wants to say, say my name again.

“i’m alright”, he gives you a wink, pulling you closer so your nose touches his, “just realized something”.

“oh?”, you smile indulgently at him, “may i know what it is?”

“not yet”, he rubs his nose against yours, “soon. not ready to tell anyone”.

something fleeting shadows your face before you mask it with an easy smile, a look that jeonghan has seen for the past week. he wonders: is it love?

“alright then”, you chuckle, “when you’re ready”.

he needs to think about this, he knows. he needs to evaluate the possibilities, needs to prepare himself for rejection if you don’t feel the same way. but that’s for later. for now, he has you in his arms, laughing at his jokes while rain pours down outside. for now, you’re here and he’s in love with you. for now, that’s enough.

“yeah”, he whispers, hand moving to squeeze yours, “you’ll be the first to know”.

#seventeen fluff #seventeen angst #svt fluff #svt angst #jeonghan fluff #jeonghan angst #jeonghan #yoon jeonghan #seventeen x reader #jeonghan x reader #seventeen imagines #jeonghan imagines #this might be entirely shit honestly #but i read something very evocative today and was filled with just. a lot of emotions.#and im not good at writing two povs or this kind of emotional stuff but suddenly i had words and i thought i should type them out #anyway have the meager offerings of my sick brain #my head hurts now i will lie down

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ikehoe · 2 years

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Love Bug [Ikemen Prince][Leon Dompteur][Fluff]

Characters ↬ Leon Dompteur x F!Reader

Rating ↬ General

Tags ↬ Fluffy fluff fluff!

Warning ↬ Mentions of Menstrual Cramps, Reader has a bad day in general

Description ↬ Count on your boyfriend, the fourth Prince of Rhodolite, Leon Dompteur, to be the thing that cheers you up after everything goes wrong in your day.

A/N ↬ Hi friends, I'm sorry for being MIA. My life hasn't gotten much less hectic, but I want to pick up writing again so here's a fluffy fic for a dear friend, @devildomwritersposts.

Disclaimer ↬ I do not own the rights to Ikemen Prince or any of the Ikemen series games.

Wordcount ↬ 1k

Tag List ↬ @and-then-she-died-tm @kpop-and-otome @curious-skybunny @lordsister @aquagirl1978 @kleeps @ikesimp100 @chaosangel767 @rhodolitesroseforclavis @themysticalbeing @randonauticrap @violettduchess

Few things in the world could cheer you up when you were in a mood as terrible as the one you were in right now. The downward tug of your bottom lip formed a pout that could rival that of the most temperamental child. Not even the trays laden with sweets that Rio had brought in could improve your mood. It wasn’t just that your day had been bad – it’d been terrible. First, it started off with one of the most frustrating Rhodolitian political affair lessons that Sariel had ever given you. Then, it only got worse when you accidentally spilled piping hot tea on your hand during your regular tea party with Yves. Finally, the darioles you’d been poring over for the entire afternoon turned out absolutely terrible. The cherry on top was the fact that you were having some of the worst cramps you’d ever experienced in your life. Pain wracked through your body, sending jolts all along your lower back and causing your torso to wrench in an attempt to shed yourself of the unpleasant feeling.

“Belle? Are you in there?” A familiar, deep timbre cut through your thoughts and brought you out of your pain-induced daydream.

“Leon, I don’t want to see you right now. I don’t feel good, and I probably look even worse than I feel,” you grumbled, voice muffled by your heavy duvet cover. Your loving boyfriend’s presence would be an absolute godsend any other day, but not today.

“Are you sure? Even if I tell you I’ve brought you a little gift that might cheer you up?”

A pause drew between the two of you, and despite the pain wracking through your body, you wanted to see what your lover had brought you. “Fine, come in,” voice nearly inaudible.

With a gentle push of your bedroom door, your lover entered, looking as devastatingly handsome as always. His golden eyes gleamed in the sun’s rays, trained upon you with all the concern and love in the world. And despite how sickly you felt, you had to admit that the sight of Leon comforted you. Crossing the room in mere seconds, he settled himself beside you; body pressed up against yours gently as he ran his large hand soothingly down your back.

“Hey, how’s my pretty girl doing?”

You swore you could’ve melted with the way your lover’s dulcet tones sounded. “Not good, but better now that you’re here.”

“Will you let me see you? I came straight here after morning training just so I could be with you,” Leon murmured, pressing a kiss on the top of your head. “I missed you, and Rio told me you had a bad day. So why don’t you let me spoil you for a little bit, hm?”

Slowly, piece by piece, you could feel your resolve breaking away in favour of drowning in your lover’s affection. “Fine, but I’m serious, Leon, I look like crap, and I feel terrible….”

“You always look beautiful to me. You could be passed out, drooling up an entire lake’s worth of water, and snoring louder than Jin, and you’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world to me.” He carefully reached out and peeled back your blankets, revealing your unkempt, tear-stained cheeks. In response to his blatant pandering, you rolled your eyes and tried to pull the covers back up over your head, only to have him stop you halfway through. It took every fibre of his being not to coo at how absolutely adorable and vulnerable you looked. To his credit, all he let out was a quick twitch of his mouth pressing loud, open-mouthed kisses on your cheeks until you were giggling and pushing him away.

“Leon, stop!” You cried out, trying your hardest to push him away. However, this wasn’t an easy feat to do, given that your lover was 6 feet of pure, toned muscle.

“Not until you’re not grumpy anymore,” he replied breezily, continuing to place wet kisses on your cheeks until you finally relented. The pure, unbridled joy in his golden gaze was enough to draw you out of your funk. Yet, as hard as you tried not to give in, you felt the corners of your lips twitching up.

“That’s the smile I love so much,” Leon said, finally stilling his attack against you. He wrapped his arm around your body and gently cradled your head against his shoulder. “If you’re ever having a bad day, I’ll be here to cheer you up and bug you so much that you have no choice but to be happy again, and that’s my promise to you, love. I’ll be your little… love bug.”

“You’re such a dork, Leon,” you grumbled as you nestled yourself further into his chest. “Now, what’s that gift you were bribing me with earlier?”

“Ah, how could I forget? You’ll remember a couple weeks back when we passed by a certain bookstore in the town square, and your eyes lit up like a child seeing candy?” He smirked, using his free arm to produce a beautiful, gilded, leather-bound volume of your favourite Arthurian romance. “I’ve decided to read to you. I’ve been getting better with my… little… quirk, and I can get through at least two chapters now without falling asleep.”

And true to his word, at the exact conclusion of the second chapter, you heard Leon’s voice get drowsier and drowsier until his head gently knocked against yours and his breathing evened out. It was a wonder your lover had even managed to get this far into the book without passing out. Of course, you didn’t know what it was, the fact that Leon remembered the exact moment from weeks ago when your eyes lit up, despite you not saying anything. Or if it was the fact that he rushed straight to you after practice, not even stopping to complete his regular duties. Or was it that he always made sure he had enough time for you despite how busy he was? Whatever it was, you knew that whatever situation it was, or how terrible your day could be, as long as Leon Dompteur was by your side, then there was nothing to worry about.

#ikepri #ikemen prince #ikepri fluff #ikemen prince fluff #ikepri leon #ikemen prince leon dompteur #leon dompteur #leon dompteur fluff #ikepri fic #ikepri writing

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hotch-stufff · 3 years

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Meet the Parents

Gif is not mine

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x f!Reader

Warnings!: angsty, mentions of neglect, bad parenting, fighting, arguing, lots of yelling, parents saying degrading things towards reader, but happy ending between reader and hotch obviously

Description: Hotch meets your parents that have never approved of you or anything you do, how will he react when they begin picking apart your life?

A/N: not rlly sure if i love this one, but I hope you guys do. Probably a bunch of spelling errors, just warning you.

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It was a bad idea.

Of course it was a bad idea.

You really didn't know why you had to go through with this.

You never wanted to have to introduce him to your parents. You had hoped this day wouldn't come. They were... not the best parents in the world, to say the least.

But you were engaged, getting married in only a few months, and your parents had of course heard of your engagement from your older sister. She had accidently let it slip on her last visit.

And now you had to introduce him. And God you were terrified. They had belittled and picked apart each and every aspect of your life.

It wasn't really your father, more so your mother. But he had never stopped her and joined in occasionally.

They had always hated your decisions. You had joined the marines straight out of highschool, and went to the FBI academy after 4 years of service. You had then quickly made your way to the FBI's behavior analysist unit, and that was where you had met your now fiance, Aaron Hotchner.

And of course your mother disapproved. She had always wanted you to go the traditional route. Be a stay at home mom, married with kids by the time you were 20.

You were now 28 and just getting engaged, so of course your mother was going to have some complaints.

But you had never expected how the night actually had turned out.

You had been wringing your hands the entire way there. Aaron had been worried about you for the entirety of the trip. Constantly sending you glances, taking your hand in his own and squeezing reassuringly.

"It will be alright, love." He would tell you. You would simply glance at him shaking your head.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

Soon enough you pulled up into the driveway of your childhood home. Your heart beat widely as you stepped out of the car, meeting Aaron on the other side.

"I'm sorry." He shot you a confused look.

"For what?" he had asked.

"Just apologizing in advance." And with that you rang the doorbell. You heard footsteps and the door was yanked open. Your mothers shrill voice rang through the air.

"Honey! They're here." She sent a smile Aaron's way, and glanced at you dissaprovingly. "Darling. What on earth are you wearing?" You looked down at your simple dress and rolled your eyes.

"Good to see you too mom." She shook her head.

"Of course of course. Good to see you as well. And you must be Aaron? We have heard nothing about you." You scoffed, quickly covering it with a cough, as Aaron responded.

"Yes, Aaron Hotchner ma'am. Its wonderful to meet you."he stuck out his hand for her to shake, but she just turned around and strutted away.

"Do come in, we wouldn't want dinner to get cold. You're already 20 minutes late." She scolded as she walked through the kitchen door.

"Mom, we are 5 minutes early." You stated simply. She laughed like you had said the most absurd thing in the world. You just rolled your eyes.

Aaron shot you a glance and you smiled softly at him.

You gathered around your table, hoping for a somewhat pleasant meal. You father walked in glancing at Aaron before doing a double take.

"Ah you must be Aaron." Your father held out his hand hesitantly. Hotch shook it respectfully introducing himself.

"Yes sir, Aaron Hotchner." He nodded politely.

You all sat around the table and began eating in silence. Small talk here and there but mostly silence, until your mother finally spoke up.

"So, you two met at work?"she asked, disdain present in her voice.

"Uh, yes we did. We work together at the BAU." You replied, catching your mothers eye roll but electing to ignore it.

"Yes, I'm the unit chief, and Y/n is one of our best agents." You couldn't stop him before he made his mistake. And you saw the realization flashed in your father's eyes.

"Unit chief? Like the boss?" He asked.

"Shit." You muttered under your breath. "Yes dad, like the boss." You said a bit louder.

"You're dating your boss!" Your mother exclaimed.

"Mom, its not that big of a deal, he isn't my direct boss, another agent is." You tried explaining.

"Ugh, this government talk us just too much at the dinner table." She sighs dramatically and you shut up, not wanted to start a fight so early in the night.

You all continued eating until your dad spoke again.

"So Aaron you must be significantly older than Y/n." Your father continued. Aaron nearly choked on his drink.

"Um, there is a small age difference yes. But we have never let it bother us." God this was painful.

"No but, why on earth would you bother with a young, disappointment like Y/n? I mean she's obviously gained some weight. She had a dishonorable job for a woman. She doesn't have a family, and jmis just now getting into a serious relationship. I mean seriously Aaron, you could do so much better than, her." You could not believe the audacity of this woman. Your mother effectively silenced the entire table. You felt tears gather in your eyes. As you tried to stop them from falling down your face, Aaron set his wine down calmly and stood up.

"Your daughter is very far from a disapointment." He stated matter of factly. "She is by far one of the Best people that I know. She is the love of my life. She is one of THE most prestigious agents in the FBI, and is apart of one of the best teams in the country. She is the most amazing partner in the world, and had become my favorite person. I dont know how you consider yourselves decent human beings when you can sit here and degrade your own daughter like this. And I feel sorry that you can't see how amazing she truly is." He was nearly breathless when he finished. You stood up beside him.

"Aaron's, right. You guys are the most indecent human bei-"

Anger had flashed in your fathers eyes as he stood angrily, slamming his hands on the table, effectively interrupting you.

"How dare you come into our house and speak such words towards us!?" He yelled at Aaron and you with a furociousness you hadn't seen since you joined the marines.

"Sit down and shut up!" Aaron yelled right back, furious that your father had just interrupted you.

You decided it was time to step in and leave.

"Me and my fiance will be leaving now. I hope you have wonderful lives. And the next time I hear from you it better be an apology otherwise you will never be meeting your grandchildren. And my my wouldn't that just be very indecent." You finished in a mocking tone, spinning around and walking away, Aaron hot on your heals.

You somehow held off your tears till you reached the car and pulled into your driveway and then you completely broke down.

Aaron held you the best he could over the console, trying his best to make you feel better

"Sshhh, sweetheart, its okay." He whispered into your hair. "That was so brave. I'm so proud of you." You smiled slowly pulling away from him.

"Thank you Aaron, for everything you said in there. I never would have had the courage to say anything to them if it wasn't for you. So thank you." He was about to protest, but you shut him up quickly by pressing your lips to his in a passionate kiss.

"I love you." He mumbled against your lips.

You just kissed him harder, getting your message across loud and clear. You pulled away, wiping away your tears.

"I think they liked you." You mumbled a few seconds later, causing him to burst into laughter.

"Especially when I told your dad to shut up." You giggled at his statement.

"Especially then." You continued laughing as you leaned in kissing him again.

Never had you been happier for having a man like Aaron Hotchner.

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Check out my Blurb Weekend!! Only accepting blurb requests for the weekend, but regular requests will be open afterwards.

Thanks for reading! Requests are still open, so ask away! If you would like an idea of what to request, here is my prompt list, and if you would like to read more of my work, here is my masterlist.

#aaron hotchner x reader #imagine #angst #fluff #reader insert #hotch x reader #aaron hotchner #criminal minds #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds x reader #sit down and shut up #hotch being hotch

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7soulstars · 3 years

Note

Hello :) I hope it's okay to send a request (if not, then I'm sorry about it ) So maybe where Bucky lives on Clint's farm to get away from everything but then there comes this woman, Clints best friend besides Nat and he immediately wants to know her better.. after a while they get really close and develope feelings for each other but dont talk about it. So one night, she stays over and needs to share a room with Buck, things get heated and passionate between them ? :) then it's all cuddly? ❤️

Hey darling! Thank you so much for requesting! I am so sorry it took me so long! I blame it on my lazy ass and also on the many pending requests. Thank you so much for being this patient with me! I really hope you like this one!

Мой целитель

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Broken Bonky Babie, Avengers are teasing little shits, Steve leaves like in the movies and doesn’t come back (I want to kill him for that), Fluff, Shy Bonky and Y/N, Liddle angst, Both idiots doubt themselves, Y/N likes beating the fuck out of bullies a.k.a Violence, steamy stuff but not smut ( cuz I don’t write smut”

Summary: Someone managed to make Bucky accept the fact that everyone can heal.

..............

Мой целитель ; (pronounced: Moy tselitel') Russian for My Healer

War never ends. It just rests. One day someone will come to ask your help that is when the rest of war is over again.

That is what Bucky has always been of the belief ever since before and after endgame. Ever since Steve left, most of Bucky did too. Yes, he had Sam and the others but Steve was the only part of his original past left and he couldn’t even stop him.

He decided that the rest period for his war conflicted heart had started when Clint had offered him a place to live at his farmhouse to ‘heal and stay away from the space bullshit’.

Not to brag but he had fit right into the little family. The kids loved Uncle Bucky and Laura appreciated the extra help she got with the house. Sam and Natasha would come by every two days and the rest every once a week. They would go visit a bar and hang out. That was Bucky’s life now. That was his routine.

Clint had sudddenly announced one fine weekly team hangout day that his long time best friend would be joining them. Bucky couldn’t care less. He had seen people come in and out of the Barton house all the time. Most sending him glares due to his past. He couldn’t blame them. Not when he knew he would do the same in different set of circumstances.

But he was proved wrong. Y/N was an angel. More so to him. Not a single glare was directed at him by her the entire time. She just smiled sweetly. Maybe he did care a little bit.

Y/N turned out to be Lila and Cooper, Clint’s first two children’s godmother. She had finally come home after 15 years of being in and out of the country for her job. Clint had mentioned that every time she came back she would first visit the kids not forgetting to bring them gifts from everywhere and how the snap had worried her. So Bucky was not surprised when he had to get three kids off of her as she entered the house. His heart swelled when she said ‘Thank You’, although everyone said that.

He was unusually getting attached to her and that scared him.

After Steve attatchment was difficult. Trust was difficult. But Y/N made it seem like child's play. She somehow completely saw through him. Almost as if she knew everything about him and he was confused by that.

Especially at those little moments when he felt hesitant.

Bucky was a handsome man no doubt and that meant some women were confident enough to ask hit on him everytime he was out at a restaurant or a bar with the others. Y/N would join them quite often and on one such day she saved Bucky from his anxiety issues.

"Hey.....you come here quite often.....can I buy you a drink ?", a very confident girl had managed to come up to the table and asked Bucky who looked at her with eyes as blown out as big as saucers and immediately looked down stuttering as he tried to politely reject the lady. A hand carefully wrapped around his metal arm as he realized Y/N had said "I'm sorry he's taken", before sending the girl as kind smile which had lead to Bucky's hair-hidden neck to go red.

Bucky had excused himself to the washroomas the rest relentlessly teased his popularity but he had not noticed Y/N following suit.

"I'm sorry", she had apologised leaving the other puzzled again. "W-why?" "I should have asked before touching you....I know-I know you don't like being touched....I'm sorry". There was pure sincerity in her voice "NO!",his own voice startled him and her as she looked at him in confusion. "I-I mean I'm glad....You helped me out there......Also.....",there was hesitation in Bucky's heart, "Also....I don't mind if you touch me Y/N".

That day onwards something changed. Significantly so, Bucky found himself calling and hanging out with Y/N more. She filled his thoughts would be one way of saying that and the Avengers noticed. So the next time Bucky tried to sneak out of the farm when the others were there Sam noticed, “Hey Hey Hey ! Where are you sneakin to ?”. The other stood frozen like a deer in the headlights staring down at his best friend like he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t be. Nat smirked as she bit on her grilled cheese sandwich sing songing, “He’s going to meet Y/N~~”Bucky grumbled a little ‘Shut up Nat’ before taking the car out towards the bar.

“Buck !”, she had yelled waving as he smiled and pulled her into his arms for a hug and staying like that for a few minutes both eventually hesitantly letting go. Joe the bartender already having set up their regular drinks showed how often they frequented the place, even having seats that were almost always empty for just the two of them.

After meeting Y/N, Bucky realised new things about himself. He liked sweet stuff more than savoury. He liked playing games at the arcade. He was definately much more open to technology than Steve ever was. He liked being spoiled and babied. And he was extremely serious about board games. He knew all this because Y/N made him realize that.

That day he found out another thing. He likes staring at Y/N looking at the sunset. In other words he likes Y/N. But he had promised himself to not act on it. He didn’t want to loose her. Not now, not ever.

Walking through a dark alley way was not something Bucky liked but with Y/N it was something he was starting to hate. Y/N is beautiful. Obliviously so. He could sense sleazy men staring at her but chose to stay put. But we all know that rouse wasn’t going to stay put for long considering a group of 3 men surrounding the two of them all eyeing Y/N. “Hey sweetheart why don’t you come with us ? We counld have a darn sweet night”, exclaimed the one that looked like the leader as the other two laughed behind him. “Back off”, Bucky had warned. He didn’t want to fight. He felt like he’d embarrass himself before Y/N. “Ohhh look who it is The Winter Soldier”, the other said mockingly. “What are you going to do? Kill me? You don’t have Captain America now to back you up do you ?”. Before Bucky could even reply the third guy let out a scream at which everyone turned to look at him to see him cradling what seemed like a freshly broken wrist and before he could even react the second one went flying into a pile of trash (where he belongs) and the main commentator’s head was being bashed strait onto the road by Y/N’s hand. “No, but he does does have an ex-black ops now turned into a CIA Agent to back him up”, she quipped seethingly through her teeth.

Bucky said nothing. His brain was still processing the information he was bombarded with. He walked Y/N to her car and drove back to Clint’s all while still processing.

So when Sam (who was just about to leave) asks “How was it ?” Bucky looks him in the eye and goes.

“I’m in love with Y/N.”

Tony had decided to prank Clint one fine day and told everyone that Clint was hosting a sleepover. So that meant Clint had to accomodated several idiots into his farmhouse. Within this chaos he also had a very great idea.

So when Y/N was pushed into Bucky’s room both stopped functioning.

Y/N spotted him angrily whispering into is phone as she got out of the shower. Throwing his phone into oblivion ,startled, when she called name out suddenly. “Y-You’re done ? Uhhhh you can take the bed doll, I’ll take the floor”,Bucky hates the floor but if it meant Y/N would be comfortable, he’d be ready to sleep on a block of ice. “Nope definately not ! We can share the damn bed Buck the floor uncomfortable !”, she argued. “ No Y/N you don’t understand I can’t !” “WHY! IS IT BECAUSE I MADE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE AFTER THAT DAY ?”, there was a grave silence between the two. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Bucky’s eyes soften and for the first time he realizes that he had never thaken the effort to know more about Y/N. He was focused on her helping him find himself. “Why would you say that ?” ,he said softly as he moved towards her and she moved backwards. “Because it is what it is isn’t it?”, she retorted. “NO IT IS NOT !”, Bucky sighed as he sat on the bed and watched the woman of importance as she paced around the room. “Why then Bucky ? You’ve been distant from me since that day....” “You won’t understand.....” “Try me” “I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU OKAY !”

12 minutes. It had been 12 minutes since Y/N had froze and stared at Bucky.

“Shut up. You’re lying” , she finally said.

“What ? No ! Why would I lie about that”,Bucky argued

“Because ! You are James Buchanan Barnes ! One of the most attractive men I have seen in my life period.”

“And here I’m the one firmly believing someone like me doesn’t even stand a change with someone as pretty as you.”

“See, you’re lying again”

“Doll, shut up before I will have to make you”, he warned

“Don’t make empty threats that you won’t fulfill James”, she challenged.

And with that Bucky has Y/N slammed into the bed , his mouth moving roughly along her’s as she puts her arms around his. There was something different about this Bucky. Y/N felt every single pent up frustration that the man kissing her had felt supressing his feelings had felt.

Soon enough they seperated, finally gasping for air. Bucky plopped beside Y/N as she placed her palm on his cheek rubbing a thumb over it while smiling at him blissfully.

“Take my hand

Take my whole life too

For I can't help falling in love with you”

“I love you...”, she said and somehow Bucky knew he had tears running down his cheeks. He curled into her arms. Clint’s loud speakers playing Elvis as the two dozed off to sleep. But Bucky waited for her to doze off, kissing her forehead as he ran his metal arm through her hair.

“Мой целитель, I love you too”, he said.

He wasn’t alone anymore. He was healed. His internal war had ended forever. That’s all he ever wanted. That’s all he was thankful for.

---The End---

Guess who almost cried writing this fic? That’s right! ME. Now I need myself a Bucky to hug. I really hope you liked this fic and I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH ON HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU BEING SO PATIENT WITH ME! Please like, share, comment and reblog if you like my work to support me ! Please do not plagarise my hard work and thank you so much for reading!

~Love, Hri

#ask hri #ask response #ask reply #james bucky barnes #Bucky Barnes #bucky x you #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes fanfiction #marvel x reader #mcu x reader #avengers x reader #ask me anything #SEND REQUESTS #send me asks #send asks

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musedblues · 3 years

Text

A Taste Of Honey (Part 2)

summary: A 1920's Deacy au! In which the reader, who comes from a family heavily involved in the American temperance movement, meets John, a bootlegger from overseas.

a/n: Well here it is. I'm fully aware interest may be completely lost in this fic but I'm very proud to have finished it. Im not sure where my writing journey will go from here. All I know is that this has been a very long time comin'... enjoy if you dare!

part 1 - 2

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

"If anything happens, Deacy, I'll have your head!"

Ivan shook his fist from the front porch, illuminated by the light flooding from the opened front door.

"I'll be fine!" You dismissed, skipping toward the car, still getting used to the sway of the heavy golden dress you borrowed from Alice.

"I'm talking about my car!" Ivan shouted, correcting you. John let out a laugh at the remark, and gave your brother a nod, while he opened the passenger door, nudging you toward it.

Your brother and his wife had loaned the essentials to send you and John away for the party a man you never met was throwing. It was a small thrill, the prospect of such fun to be had, in comparison to the sickening exhilaration that coursed through you at the thought of spending any kind of evening at John's side. And the fact he'd asked you to.

The ride was quiet and short, but dragged on with each new glance you dared to steal at the man driving. Both of John's hands relaxed on the wheel. A hint of that deadly smile on his lips.

By the time you got to where you were going, you'd been so preoccupied with thoughts of the man by your side, that you'd nearly forgotten your plans for the evening.

If you had any expectations, they were blown clear away. Before you was an estate made up of too many windows to count, draped in vines and hanging lights.

Even the crunch of the gravel that decorated the winding path you entered into sounded oddly elegant.

Inside was a fever dream of all the things you'd imagined on your short journey into the threshold. Across a giant winding staircase and below the shimmering chandelier were people from all walks of life, crammed together to have one grand time. Different music came from different corners and wild laughter filled the gaps, if there were any.

And before you, John led the way. You couldn't recall the moment your hand found the bend of his arm, or if he cared that you'd reached out to him as he weaved through the crowd. But the grin on his face when he turned back to catch your eye had to be a good sign; despite the way your heart nearly burst at his look.

John led you past hoards of people and trays of half full glasses. There was only one way to go, further inside the home, but John seemed to move as if he had an idea of where he was headed. Sure enough when the pair of you met the landing of the staircase, the host of the party was there to greet you.

The host's initial booming hello was focused mostly on John. And without more than a glance your way, the party thrower shuffled John away from your side, insistent on sharing a chat with him on the top landing of the stairs.

You were left to linger, stalling at the base of the stairs and studying the crowd around you. Girls in beaded skirts and men with slicked back hair passed you by flashing well meaning but entirely distracted smiles.

You'd felt mesmerized enough by the scene to slowly start to drift into it yourself. Reaching to brush your finger across meticulously carved bookcases and daring to take a glass from the extended hand of the first person to smile directly at you.

You reached for the stem of the blue stained flute, and managed to make your talk small enough for the interested lad to wander far off. But offers kept coming. Glasses of this and that shoved in your face. You accepted the offers more out of respectful politeness than any eagerness to lose your wits.

By the time you lost track of everyone's kind gestures, and a man was leading you closer to a table decorated with cards and chips, another hand intervened.

John was back, letting his fingers curl around your shoulder and nudging you in another direction of his choosing. Thrilling as it was for you, to have been handled just so by him, you were a little taken aback.

Funny how after the sips of this and that, you felt steady as ever. But one look from John and your knees threatened to give out and all your cares too.

In the middle of the packed house, with John looking at you that way, you felt like the only person alive. And somehow this all added up to equal your new found courage to speak a little bolder than usual.

"Are you on strict orders from Ivan to steer me clear of any strange attention or do you maybe fancy me a little, John?" You dared wonder. You almost didn't care of the answer. So long as he kept guiding you through this evening with a strong steady hand.

"Both." John seemed to decide, continuing to guide you along. The pair of you had reached the patio doors by now, and the cool night breeze rushed through in perfect time to ease the heat that had rushed to your cheeks at John's response.

"Let's go see the gardens!" You decided at first glance of the sprawling greenery that surrounded the estate.

John let you tug him along, darting between couples and groups who'd come to ruin the fresh air with all their smoke.

He followed along, a very good sport, smiling as you pointed out flowers and trees you didn't realize could bloom in this part of the country. As you turned from marveling over a certain rose's colour, John seemed almost enraptured. Maybe not by your subject but certainly by some part of you. His gaze was fixed, and he seemed to bite back a wider grin. And your already lightened spirits seemed all the more weightless as your eye's met his.

"If you keep looking at me like that, John, I'm going to have to kiss you." You let a small laugh escape, as the foreigners' expressions remained steadfast.

He'd kissed you only the night before, on your brother's staircase. It was the only reason you felt free of regret enough to lean in and brush your lips against his again. John reciprocated fondly, letting one of his hands creep around the bend of your waist. You never realized it was possible to feel so happy.

"Did you do that because you've been drinking? Or do you perhaps fancy me a little?" John mocked your earlier statement, when the kiss died and your eyes locked.

"Both." You smiled, charmed enough to try it a second time. But this kiss was broken much sooner than you reckoned any kiss ought to be.

"You know I'll be leaving soon. Just a week's more time." John killed the mood with a few words. You glanced to your feet and muttered understanding, noticing his hand still clutched your waist.

"I just don't want to see you disappointed." John spoke up after a beat of heavy silence, and the words seemed hard for him to piece together, but he spoke them all the while.

"Then don't disappoint me." You shrugged, glancing back up to the perfectly handsome man, who's smile seemed sad now.

"Come on, then." John said, moving his hand to find your own. "Not even I get to enjoy parties like this too often."

And you let him guide you back inside. You let the sun set on all the pretty flowers. And you let yourself feel grateful for the rest of the evening at John's side.

///

He rode the train home with you the next day, sitting across the bench from you, and not saying very much.

You felt the need to chatter at the pass of every few minutes. You got John to ramble a little about the other places he was due to visit in the states. The guy only one more stop at some.fancy hotel after your town, in the big city, next week. Then he'd head home.

After explaining as much, the man went quiet again. But you couldn't let the silence last. It was as if you didn't work to hold his attention, it would be lost the next time you looked up. Maybe that wasn't true. But you couldn't risk letting John slip away so easily. Not when your heart practically lept from your chest each time his eyes met yours. If it wasn't meant to be, then so be it. But you were going to fight for the chance that you had, while it was still within reach.

So when the train pulled into your neighborhood, and John stepped onto the platform, you stopped him waving goodbye.

"Will you be back? To our shop, I mean?"

John took a step closer toward you with a very serious expression that softened just before he spoke.

"I wouldn't dare leave before telling you goodbye." He promised, in a low, sweet manner.

John pressed his lips to your temple for one brief heavenly moment. And then he turned away to hail a cab.

At least now, in your terrible mix of emotions, something very bright and warm burned within you. And you got to believe, for a moment, that the same reigned true for John.

///

But all was not well at home. How could it ever be?

Your mother was horrified that you'd up and left for the night without so much as a word about it to her, and to your brother's home no less.

Her disdain for her first born left you sick to your stomach more and more each day.

But this was nothing new. You knew to give the woman a showy apology and to stay silent as she confined you to the kitchen table as she lectured about morality. Tomorrow things would be back to her regular sort of unhappiness.

What really stopped you cold in your tracks that night, though, was the sight of your father stood in the doorway of your room with his arms crossed.

To bring a frown to his face was your greatest fear. For he'd loved you and shown it. And you dreamed of doing good by him every chance you got. As you stalled in the hall and waited for him to speak his mind, you hoped this would only be a reprimand for causing your mother unnecessary grief, for her madness made you all ten fold more miserable.

"I know you've been with your brother..." Your father nodded with understanding, not looking right at you as he spoke calmly. "But that also means you've been with John. And I don't like that."

Oh. Ivan had warned you this might be your fathers mood. But you'd ignored his warning in hopes it wouldn't have been true.

"You know John!" You countered, "You work with him! You're telling me you get to work with a man you don't like but I can't see him?"

"He's a fine man. But all wrong for you."

"You're supposed to be the one who lets me find these things out on my own." You reminded. Your mother did plenty of directing you from day to day. Your father knew of what you spoke and nodded reluctantly, uncrossing his arms and looking you square in the eye.

"Well not this time. Stay away from John, you hear me? He'll be gone before you know it anyhow."

Your father rested a hand on your shoulder, giving you a reassuring squeeze as if to ease the blow of his demands. But as he walked back down the hall, the uncertainty that had stormed within you since John left you at the train station, raged wilder than before.

What a jam...

///

There was nothing stopping you from returning back to the depths of the coffee shop, the next time Ivan started up his business.

Your mother was sound asleep, and your father was already there, serving the last of the coffee up top. Once you arrived you knew he'd be cross but unable to march you away.

So you slipped on your finest dress and twirled down the rickety staircase that led to the party your brother charged for.

There were already a good deal of friends jam packed into the small basement; dancing to swells coming from the gramophone and lining up to grab a glass from Ivan's makeshift bar. Your brother flashed a grin when he saw you sauntering in, but his smile turned somewhat more into a worried grimace when he saw you march up the man near the end of those overturned book shelves.

So was everyone concerned over your connection with John? Even the man who'd held your interest sort of frowned at the sight of you demanding his attention.

John had his fingers curled around a glass. You took it from his grasp and the action made the bootlegger grin oh so slightly. But his frown returned after you slammed back the swallow of liquor in his glass- unsure yourself by what had come over you.

"Hey, come on, don't be that girl." Ivan called to you from behind the bar. You couldn't be sure if he was commenting on the way you'd claimed Deacy's drink for your own, or on the way you seemed too eager to get the stuff in your system.

Before you could snap back at your brother's comment, though, John spoke up.

"Don't worry about it," He insisted in the charming draw of his. "Just pour me another." And as the man who you adored stepped past you to hold your brothers attention, John sort of let his hand brush across your waist. And he left his fingers to linger along your sides as Ivan, disgruntled, poured another for John.

"Is that all you cut in line for?" Ivan sighed, nodding toward the few people, impatiently waiting to fill their glasses, stood in a row behind John.

And you hadn't really considered this before your brothers prompting. But at his asking, you were moved to pull out a twenty dollar bill from your coin purse, and demand he give you your money's worth.

Ivan was reluctant, going on for a bit how once your father spotted you here, like this, that he'd surely be disappointed. And you didn't want that, did you? But little did Ivan know, you'd already disappointed your father. And you were determined to get something you wanted tonight, one way or another.

So with a sigh, Ivan poured you a tall drink and informed you were good to come back for a few more, to match your payment.

So began your evening of ignoring John's worried remarks about slowing down. And as you kept the drinks coming you weren't even sure why. Perhaps it was to test your very own limits. To somehow prove you were more in control of your path than all the others who seemed to have something to say about the direction of your life.

And damn John, for the way he kept his eyes locked on yours between the distance he silently kept insisting upon. And damn him for helping you find your balance, despite the steps he kept taking away from you. For letting his hands stay secure around your waist, long after you'd straightened up from stumbling.

And damn your father. He had to have been behind John's change in attitude. From the moment you'd met, John had been a flirt. And steadily, his quips kept getting bolder, until the last party you attended. Ivan's rambling about your fathers dislike of your fondness of John had to be what caused him to step back.

And damn your father, for finding you all dizzy in John's well meaning clutch, now. Your dad pointed to the door and demanded you find your way out of this scene.

"I know you're not taking her back to your hole in the wall you've been staying at, in the state she's in." You father grumbled in a low curse, his eyes searing into John's. You tightened your hold on the fellow, shooting your father a glare all the same. He couldn't tell you where to go or with who.

"Take her upstairs if ya like. But don't step foot past the alley. I'll be up in a minute."

After a shared look, John moved, pulling you alongside him. You moved, happily leaning into him, disgruntled by the course of the evening all the while. Even Ivan seemed to shoot you a sorry grin when he noticed you being marched away, from across the room.

The alley was a little cold. But John's figure was warm. And as you followed his lead pausing just beyond the backdoor, you could feel this chance waiting to slip away.

"You like me, don't you?" You wondered, turning to face the man you'd been so taken with since the moment he showed up at your door.

"Of course." John nodded, and answered so softly and with such care truly felt as though it were melting.

"Then kiss me, John."

"You're drunk."

"But we may never get the chance again. One or both of us are about to be beheaded. Either way, that'll make kissing hard to do from now on." You implored, letting your head fall to rest precariously on his shoulder as you finished your plea. You heard John let out a somber little chuckle as he dared to tighten his arm around you.

And then you heard a shuffle beyond the backdoor, and let out a sigh at the timing of your father coming to ruin everything.

But instead, the door bursts open to reveal Rita in a fluster. Her usually perfect makeup streaking down her cheeks. At the sight of the girl you'd always admired, a pang shot through your chest. But not immediately for her upset, whatever it was, but because you realized you'd failed to see your friend here all night, until now.

Before you could apologize, or ask what the matter was, Rita sucked in a breath and let out a string of words for you.

"He was a snitch. He-he told my parents everything." She stammered, wild eye'd.

"Who?" You begged to know, having turned away from John, but not having totally turned your attention away from his hand still rested on the small of your back.

"The pastor's son. Cole. He- he said he was alright with this whole thing. But he... He told your mother. She's on her way here, she's-"

Sound of a car roared closer, and the engine died away, drowning out the last of Rita's warning. For a second, you thought of making a break for it. But then the click of heels on the pavement seemed to count down your fate.

And then she stood there before you. Your mother, dressed to the nines, complete with her usual scowl.

You couldn't let go of John. Your nails seemed to dig into his side on their own accord. The pair of you stared ahead to the woman who gave you life, and kept you from living it all the same. She stood and stared too, almost like she was giving you a chance. And that was the scariest bit of it all.

As time seemed to pause, John let your name escape him in a nervous breath, like a warning. Trying to alert you that your hanging off him wouldn't help. But there was no way you were gonna let him go now.

It was then your mother decidedly sauntered up to the two of you, letting her eyes search your from the top of your head to the tips of your toes and back up again.

When she let out a scof, you realized you'd been holding your own breath. And when you opened your mouth, willing oxygen in, or words of mitigation out, your mother decided what was next.

Before you could blink, one of her strong hands was digging into your arm, and she was tearing you away from John's gentle hold.

And despite his caution earlier, you could feel John's hand still trying to keep hold of you, as you were yanked away. The sensation of being taken from the man's clutch was horrid, but what was more painful was the feeling of his fingers trying and failing to keep hold.

So when your mother tossed you aside, toward the brick of the coffee house wall, you were hardly affected; not like you'd only just been.

And when you looked up, after steadying yourself and dusting your stone imprinted hands of dust, John was stepping closer toward your mother. He shouted something at her, about how she didn't have the right to treat you just so. But before he could finish defending you, he was shut down.

Your mothers hand flew across his cheek, and the sound of the slap and John's shocked hiss echoed through the alley and caused something vile to rise in your gut.

You pushed yourself from the wall then, indifferent to the dizziness you felt, desperate to reach out to the man you'd been so fond of; calling his name.

But your mother was there, more sober and more angry. And she halted your mission to make it to your man, digging her nails into your sides and forcing you in the other direction.

"John I'm sorry, John..." You called past the lump in your throat. That was when Ivan came upon the scene. He darted from the doorway and did his damnedest to block your mothers storming off.

"You're a monster. Let her go!" Your brother fummed, as your mother managed to storm around her first born, pushing you along.

"I'm her mother. And I'll do as I see fit to keep my child out of harm's way." Your mother stated, almost calmly.

"You're no mother. You're a walking nightmare. She's not your plaything-"

"Word's won't fix this, Ivan." You said, reminding him that his defying of the woman only ever made her ten times more evil.

"I'll pray for your children, son." Your mother nodded, opening the passenger door of her car, and flinging you toward the bench. "They're going to need it."

You didn't look to Ivan, as your mother drove off. You didn't dare look to John. You only hung your head and cried silent tears while your mother peeled down the road. And the whole way home, she spat vile things about you and Ivan. Her own children. About your father, her beloved husband. And aout John, a man who, since his arrival, had only tried to help out.

You let your tears dry when the car pulled up to the house you'd never really felt at home in. And went willingly from the ride to the door, knowing you would get very far in the countryside if you dashed away now. You'd need a wiser plan. Still, your mother dug her claws into your arm and marched you up the staircase to your room, like you were a girl no oler to know better.

"Stay here." She demanded after pushing your further into your bedroom, her fist around the doorknob, establishing total control.

You expected to be banished here. What you didn't expect, however, was the return of your mother with boards to nail against your windows. You might've laughed if you weren't the one being all locked up. Wasn't this sort of thing only supposed to happen in twisted fairy tales? You're life was twisted enough, you supposed.

She left you there, trapped in the space that was meant to be your own, meant to be safe. As you sulked in silence, the memory of your mothers assault on John haunted you. The horrid sound her action resulted in. His gut wrenching reaction, the small hiss, his stalling in the place she put him in.

And the way he watched you being dragged off, helpless and sorry for you. It was pathetic, the situation you found yourself in. So you let your tears bubble up again and you cried and cried; until exhaustion set in. Tomorrow was a new day....

///

There was a pounding at your door, loud enough to jolt you from slumber.

"Open up!" The sound of your father calling from beyond the hall stirred you fully conscious. In one swift dash you were stood before your door, jiggling the handle, feeling silly for hoping that would work.

"She's locked it." You groaned. "Do you have a key?" Your wonder was nearly frantic, and so were you- trying still to twist the knob. At the sound of your fathers grumbled cursing, you began to bustle about for some hair pins, but quickly realized you wouldn'tve had a clue to how to finess the tools into working like another.

Then you heard your mother. She shouted down the hall, telling your father to get out of her sight, to leave you be. Shouting that you were better off confined. That you'd be locked away until she found the right reformatory to ship you off to. You knew she meant it. You knew she'd send you away without a care of your consent.

"She's not a child anymore. You can't just treat her like a bad pet who needs training."

"I'm her mother. And I'll be damned if I don't do what's best for my child. I failed the first time. God knows you never cared about either of them like I care." Your mother spat, breaking your heart and your fathers too no doubt.

Their bickering lasted a while longer, and you spun away from listening in to force yourself to think. There had to be a way out of here, out of this life. There had to be a way to a better world.

And the best you could do was wait. Until dinner. Wait until your mother brought you a tray of soup and bread, trading a few put downs before she twirled from your room. And then you checked the time, and counted down the hours to her always predictable nightly routine.

And you waited still, until your bedside clock ticked well passed after midnight.

And then you used a lamp to pry the nails away from windows. You could tell her bedroom light was out by leaning against the sill.

With no time to spare, you tossed a change of clothes in your purse, and the envelope stashed with tips you'd been saving for over a year.

It wasn't a very long way down. With the help of a lattice panel and the dark of night, you found grassy freedom in no time. Your heart beat heavy as you crept toward the road. It wouldn't be safe, not until the city lights were in view. But your shoes were flat and your hopes were high.

Miraculously, no one stopped you. Not the truck who zoomed by somewhere still deep along the dark country road. Not the school kids on the edge of town, tossing bottles off the bridge. And not the sleepy clerk at the desk of the hotel you raced into.

"Be here, be here, be here..." You prayed under your breath, hurrying to the room you remembered John booking. And right as you rounded the hall, the door of the room you'd been in search of opened.

But the squeak of wheels gave away the presence of a maid, pushing her cart of cleaning supplies out into the hall.

"He's gone?" You sighed, stopping at the end of the hall, your feet aching after moving so ceaselessly through the night.

"Whoever was here left a while ago." The maid stopped for a moment, looking to you with a sorry expression. "Around dinner time."

"Right. Is there a phone at the desk?"

The maid nodded and wished you luck, and you thanked her for it. You'd need as much as you could get.

The clerk who was still kicked back, sleeping, startled at your ringing the bell on the desk. And though they didn't seem pleased at your begging to use the phone, they let you.

It only rang twice.

"Hello?" Your fathers voice was a pleasant surprise. Of course he'd gone to stay with Ivan, in the midst of all this chaos.

"Dad, Im-"

"Where are you? Does she know you've gone? I'll come fetch you."

"No." You implored, holding up a hand as if he could have seen your insistence. "No I've phoned to let you know I'm taking the train to the city. I've got to find John before he leaves. And I'm sure of where he is. I've got to try."

John had told you where he was headed next, on your last train ride together. And you'd felt silly for keeping the details at the front of your memory... until now.

The other line went quiet for a beat. And you'd fully prepared yourself for your fathers disapproval. But then he just said,

"Okay." Your father seemed to realize the weight of your feelings, you thought, by his tone of voice. "I knew you'd get out of there, eventually." And once more, you could tell by his tone he wasn't just referring to the room you'd been locked in for the last couple nights. "Phone us again, when you're safe and sound. I know you will be."

At his blessing, tears sprung in your eyes. You were going to go no matter what. But to have your father on your side made you even more determined to fly out of this hotel, and to the next one you knew John was meant to be staying at.

///

Booking a train ticket was nearly impossible. And if you had spent much longer pleading with the station, you would have missed the bus pulling up down the block, offering rides in the right direction.

The couple hour journey was maddening, and thrilling, and terrifying all at once. You were on your way to change your life. No matter what John said, or how he greeted you; no matter if he fell into your embrace or left you in the hotel lobby, you'd never go back the way you'd come from.

And luckily, you managed to find the hotel John had briefly spoken of, without much trouble. It was the grandest of the business booming on this side of the city. Folks flooded in and out of the revolving doors, as you considered the past set of days that had led you to standing before here with such an erratic heartbeat.

But you only stayed paused for a moment. Your feet were darting inside before your mind caught up with how close you were to the mission at hand.

The lobby was just as full of people as the revolving doors had been, lines forming near the desk, groups fighting to fit their luggage into golden elevators.

And though you hated to be the person you'd decided to be, you dashed to the end of the front desk, hoping the clerk would spare you a minute at most.

"I just need to know if someone's booked a room." You begged to know, shooting sorry looks to the people you'd cut in front of. The clerk seemed to have no patients for you, but miraculously, another set of hands swooped in to help. Some nice older woman flipped through the bookings to find John's name, after you gave it, and came up short.

"What about Deacy?" You hoped all of a sudden, quickly beginning to lose your ambition the longer she shook her head.

You'd done what you could, rudely so. And scurried away so your unwelcome presence would no longer be in the way of things.

And as you sauntered away, giving one last pathetic glance about the crowded lobby, you reminded yourself that it was all alright. You might not have found John. But you were finally free.

And then you pushed through the revolving door. And past your ghostly reflection, you spotted a familiar set of grey eyes.

John seemed to wait until your gaze registered his own, before spinning around to make it indoors. You ignored the chilly night air and pushed on until you were right back where you'd just started to leave from.

There he was, before you as real and sure as the sun and moon.

"You never gave me a proper goodbye." You reprimanded through a growing smile. He'd promised to give you a farewell, once.

"How about a rain check? I've got lot's more important things to tell you, as a matter of fact." The man you'd come to adore smiled then, and offered his arm. You held on without hesitation and managed to follow his lead through the crowd, to the room he'd been staying in.

It was a humble little space, his suitcase opened on the coffee table and a yellow lamp left on by the window. John shut the door behind you with a soft click, loosening the pale blue tie round his neck, as you glanced about the room.

"I came by. Your place, I mean." John admitted, leaning against the closed door, as you turned from admiring the wall art to face him.

"You did?"

And then John said your father had dragged the Brit along, that night he'd knocked at your door. John was outside with high hopes. But your mother had caught your father before you'd even known there was a plan.

"So you did try to come and tell me goodbye." You laughed a little, kind of glad he wasn't able to. This reality where you'd run to him was much more befitting to the situation, you thought.

"Well, no." John pointed, not laughing along with you. "I never really wanted to say goodbye."

You stood there, taking in the sight of him. Watching John's brows oh so slightly furrow upward, hope pouring from his expression. You considered the gleam in his eye and the way he slowly seemed to shift his posture a little closer to you.

"So we haven't got to part ways in a hurry then?" You wondered. Asking more than if you could linger a while longer in his rented room.

John seemed to know what you were asking. He seemed relieved, too. His shoulders loosened as the man crossed the space between you, in no big hurry. It seemed the two of you had all the time in the world at your disposal, now. John took his time, reaching out to tuck away some loose hairs near your ear. And his smile grew steadily too. By the time the guy pressed a kiss to your lips, you'd been wondering if the dawn would be breaking any time soon.

But the longer John went on kissing you, the less you thought of the sunrise. As John enclosed you in his arms, all your thoughts were of the man you'd come to adore.

And as laid next to him and closed your eyes to the rising sun, you couldn't recall ever having experienced such a bright morning.

"So you're not too eager to head back home, yeah?" John asked, once you'd both stirred from a restful slumber.

"I think I found a much more suitable place to be." You smiled, referring to the spot you'd settled under John's arm.

And it didn't take much convincing on his end for you to agree on catching the next boat across the pond.

///

The other line rang so long you'd almost decided to hang up. Then your brother answered.

"Helllooooo!" He sang in a chipper timbre, making you wonder if he'd been expecting you at exactly this time, or if he answered everyone that way.

"Well I was going to ask how you were but it seems you're so well I don't have to wonder." You laughed into the receiver.

The morning was early, and a breeze blew back a sheer curtain, obscuring your view of the grey English morning.

Ivan spent the next few minutes yaking about how glad he was to hear from you. And you were glad to listen. On your rather spontaneous journey overseas, you were bogged down for a brief moment, at the thought of being so far from your dear brother. But as he rambled in your ear now, you'd never felt closer to him.

Ivan asked how things were. He asked after John, and that mattered so much more to you than his concerns for your well being. And when you had had your fill of the attention being on you, you begged your brother to give you all the details of what happened after you ditched home.

He said your mother was as furious as expected. Said she tried to blame your brother and her husband for your running off. Said she tried to get the police to shut down the coffee house for hosting such an undignified business after hours.

"You should'a seen her face when she found out officer Willard was our most loyal customer." Ivan chuckled.

"We did have to pay a fine, in the end, so she'd quit her raving. It was almost everything we'd saved away for the baby."

Your brother sighed. And you cooed his name in commiseration.

"But my friend who owns that estate, the one who threw that party John took you to," Ivan explained. "He was good enough to loan us a bit of cash to stash away." Your brother said the man tried to give the money away outright, as a thank you to Ivan for helping start up his own speakeasy of sorts. But Ivan was dead set on paying him back, one day.

"Now we can't decide to name the babe after him, or John." Ivan chuckled.

"And what if it's a girl?" You mused.

"That'll just have to be a surprise." Ivan said, and just then the line went dead. You called your brother's name with a little hope he'd come back to tell you more.

But you didn't worry when the line went on buzzing. You'd see him and his darling wife and his child to be, one day. You'd see your father too, if he was still hiding out at your brothers place. Hell, maybe they'd all come over here.

Maybe you'd build a life with John, in his humble little English flat. You certain felt at home, watching the guy of your fancy stay dreaming as the sun rose.

John had been kind to you. He'd been your friend when he didn't have to be. He'd let you lean into him, and he laughed at your jokes. He invited you into his world and smiled wide the closer your ship rolled toward London.

And he'd treated your shoes as if they'd always been stored in the middle of the welcome mat. John opened his space up to you, and asked every night for the first few weeks, if you were happy, if you needed anything more. Your answers were always yes and no.

And he didn't need to ask for honey in his coffee anymore. You just knew to add a little in the warm cup you'd have ready near the place he liked to sit in the morning.

It was familiar and it was sweet, and so was John. Maybe he liked honey in his tea, too. And dear God, how you prayed every year from here on out; got to be spent guessing at life alongside the man who'd thrilled you by wondering all your answers all along.

#john deacon #john deacon x reader #john deacon imagine #john deacon fanfiction

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mongoose232323 · 3 years

Text

So #MoscowMitch McConnell Just Told Large

Corporations To Just STFU And Stop Trying

To Commit Economic Blackmail But Interjecting

Themselves Into The “Right To Vote” Issue Or

He’ll Blackmail Them By Taking Away Their

Big Tax Cuts.

Basically He Said Just “Give Us The Money And

Shut The Hell Up Beaches!!”

Mitch McConnell Threatens Businesses

Of 'Serious Consequences' After Many

Condemn Georgia's Restrictive Voting Law

From The Article

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned big businesses they would face "serious consequences" after accusing them of employing "economic blackmail" in attempts to influence voting laws as the backlash over Georgia's elections law that imposes voting restrictions intensifies.

"From election law to environmentalism to radical social agendas to the Second Amendment, parts of the private sector keep dabbling in behaving like a woke parallel government," the Kentucky Republican said in a statement Monday. "Corporations will invite serious consequences if they become a vehicle for far-left mobs to hijack our country from outside the constitutional order."

"Businesses must not use economic blackmail to spread disinformation and push bad ideas that citizens reject at the ballot box," he added.

His statement comes after Major League Baseball's decision to no longer host the All-Star Game in Atlanta, potentially sparking other boycotts of the state, and several businesses including Delta and Coca-Cola condemned the new Georgia elections law following public pressure.

The statements by McConnell are particularly notable not only because he has long championed the involvement of corporate money in politics -- a past position he attempted to square with new remarks on Tuesday -- but because the Republican Party traditionally has been more sympathetic to big business.

During a news conference in Louisville, Kentucky, Tuesday, McConnell reiterated his warning to corporate America to "stay out of politics" and to not be "intimidated by the left," blasting the MLB and other corporations' decision to "jump into the middle of a highly controversial issue" as "stupid."

McConnell has previously supported businesses involvement in politics, including backing the US Supreme Court's 2010 decision in the Citizens United case, which allowed big businesses more power to spend freely in federal elections. In 2014, he spoke out against Democrats' attempts to allow Congress to set limits on corporate campaign spending in federal elections, calling it a threat to basic speech rights.

Asked about how he squares his support of Citizens United with his call for corporations to stay out of politics in the debate over election laws, McConnell said, "They have a right to participate in the political process. They do."

"But selecting how you do that in a way that doesn't completely alienate an awful lot of people who depend on your products strikes me as not very smart," he said, adding earlier, "Republicans drink Coca-Cola too, and we fly, and we like baseball."

In his statement Monday, McConnell accused Democrats of lying about the Georgia law hastily passed by state Republicans and signed into law last month by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp.

He disputed the claim from President Joe Biden and others that the Georgia voting law is reminiscent or worse than Jim Crow-era laws, arguing that "nobody really thinks this current dispute comes anywhere near the horrific racist brutality of segregation."

"Our private sector must stop taking cues from the Outrage-Industrial Complex. Americans do not need or want big business to amplify disinformation or react to every manufactured controversy with frantic left-wing signaling," McConnell said in his statement, adding that "it's jaw-dropping to see powerful American institutions not just permit themselves to be bullied, but join in the bullying themselves."

McConnell also slammed congressional Democrats' sweeping elections legislation, the "For the People Act," as a "power grab" of all 50 states' election laws and the Federal Election Commission that "is impossible to defend, so the left wants to deflect." The measure, which does not have enough votes in the US Senate to pass, would override many of the restrictive provisions in the new Georgia law and others like it.

The Georgia law imposes voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, allows state officials to take over local elections boards, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to give or offer voters food and drink as they wait in line to vote.

Republican advocates for the law argue that it makes Georgia's elections more secure and that it expands access to voting -- pointing to the law's requirement for each county to have a minimum of one drop box for absentee ballots and expansion of early voting in many counties.

The law, however, dramatically reduces some large counties' number of drop boxes, significantly shortens both the overall length of runoff campaigns and the early voting period for runoff elections and shortens the duration of the absentee voting period.

MLB's move to relocate the All-Star Game, potentially costing Georgia $100 million in lost economic impact, was the first in response to the state election law. Atlanta Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on CNN Saturday predicted that it would be the "first of many boycotts of our state to come."

During a news conference Saturday, Kemp vehemently defended the Georgia elections law and said he would not waver or be swayed if Georgia were to lose more events, thus costing the state more business and tourism dollars.

He accused MLB of putting Democrats' wishes "ahead of the economic well-being of hard-working Georgians who were counting on the All-Star Game for a paycheck."

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, like other Democrats, said he respected MLB's decision, but hoped businesses would protest the law not by boycotting the state, but "by coming here and fighting voter suppression head on."

After the law was passed, some of the nation's most prominent Black business leaders called out their Fortune 500 peers for their muted response to new laws that restrict voting across the country, and challenged them to be more forceful in condemning what they said were deliberate attempts by Republicans to limit the number of Black Americans casting ballots in key states.

Last week, American Airlines and Dell Technologies spoke out against a Texas elections bill that would place new restrictions on the voting process, particularly for those living in densely populated counties.

At an event in his home state Monday, McConnell said he "found it completely discouraging to find a bunch of corporate CEOs getting in the middle of politics."

"My advice to the corporate CEOs of America is to stay out of politics," he added.

During his Tuesday event in Louisville, McConnell said he supports CEOs contributing to politicians.

"That's fine. It's legal, it's appropriate. I support that. I'm talking about taking a position on a highly incendiary issue like this and punishing a community or a state because you don't like a particular law they passed? I just think it's stupid," he said.

Cliff Albright, the co-founder of voting rights group Black Voters Matter Fund, accused McConnell of "hypocrisy."

"Mitch McConnell and others have demonstrated their hypocrisy on this issue, whether it's the issue of not wanting businesses to be involved in politics -- which is a first for Mitch McConnell -- or whether this is an issue of saying, they don't like 'canceling' stuff, although they are on a regular basis, trying to cancel our voting rights," Albright told reporters during a virtual news conference Tuesday.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/04/06/politics/mcconnell-businesses-georgia-elections-law/index.html

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judgement-free-sideblog · 5 years

Text

Bucket list

I can't deal with this, in less than 1 hour I have to face the most fucked up exam that will determine if I'm worth it as a doctor or if I have to spend another year in an emotionally wrecking job where I will never get recognition nor professional growth... So I'm writing this bit since I have nothing else better to do and my anxiety actually gives me inspiration. Also this is deeply personal so feel free to ignore it, is just an outlet for my conflicted brain.

Bill Hader x Reader

Warnings: Cursing, alcohol consumption.

The bartender gives you a meaningful look and you nodded "no" one more time that night, take another sip of your drink and finally let go a small laugh received by a roll of her eyes.

"What's wrong with that one?" She asked looking discreetly at the man that sited a couple spaces from you. "He is single, not bad looking, and also a good tipper, I mean I'm not saying marry him, but you said you wanted to meet new people so that's a good chance"

"His socks don't match his outfit" you said obviously lying, the man was indeed good looking, and that was what actually scared you, buying a drink for such handsome men and getting unapologetically rejected.

"That's bullshit and you know it, the last one was wearing too much green, and the other one had... a bad personality was it?" She was actually enjoying teasing you about the lame excuses you use. "You know what? You are buying that drink to the next man that crosses that door, no more excuses"

You were about to object her decision when the bar door opened and nice gentleman walked in, he was probably 87 and had a cane and a nice hat, he actually reminded you of your grandpa.

"Fine, I would gladly bought him a cranberry juice" you said to your friend and you both started laughing and made a polite wave to the man that was already siting in a table far from you.

"Ok the first one you can actually have a conversation with" She said once you were calmed "Seriously Y/N you were the one of the idea, and I'm truly done with your attitude..." She stoped mid sentence and looked at the door for a brief second and you immediately try to look but she didn't let you "Oh no baby, you sit here, and let Y/BF/N do the rest, don't even dare to look"

She quickly moved to the other side of the bar and you could not see who had come in, no matter how hard you tried, you only hoped your friend didn't try to set you up with a stranger, but as she had said earlier that day most of the people in that bar were regulars, so she probably knew him, it was the wicked smile on her face when she walked away what scared you.

After five minutes she came back triumphantly and your concerned grow wider, why on earth you have suggested this dumb idea? You could have chosen a bad tattoo, or something with less consequences to your selfesteem.

"Well he said thanks, and asked why the nice gesture, I said just because" She said with a smug on her face, then she pointed behind her back and you could see a silhouette with jeans and a light brown corduroy jacket "He is over there, so you can pretend that you are going to put a tip on the jar and casually say to him I hope you enjoyed the scotch, and see what happens, or you can walk out of here and I would never take anything you said seriously in my life" She had that way to say serious things and make them sound innocuous.

"Ok fine I'll go, I'm serious if this go wrong I will fucking kill you" You said and stood up walking towards the mystery man, you were hiding your nerves making your hands into fists inside the pockets of your jacket, and repeating in your mind I hope you enjoyed the scotch over and over again. Finally you approach the fishbowl filled with money and took a twenty out of your pocket, you took a deep breath and put on your best approach to a smile before turning around and looking at the handsome man in front of you "Hi, I hope you enjoyed the sco... Y/BF/N you little shit!" The words came out of you mouth and you look angry at your friend that was laughing desperately.

There holding back his laugh and looking at you completely surprised was none other than Bill Hader, in any other occasion you would be looking discreetly from the distance and definitely not screaming profanities in front of him, your friend knew about your eternal crush on him and she obviously took her opportunity, once she turn her back and start taking an order for other costumer you realize you had two choices, either walk away embarrassed or actually talk to him.

"I must apologize" Your mouth chose before your brain again "Hi, I'm Y/N and this is a tragic incident I'm so sorry I will go away now" You said trying to escape with some dignity.

"Oh that's too bad, I thought you have actually send me a drink, I can still drink it right?" He said and you suppressed the urge to laugh with the excitement that he actually spoke to you.

"Of course, that's not what I meant, I ... I made a... sort of a commitment with my friend to be more social, and one of those things were to invite a drink to someone I found attractive..." You could feel your cheeks turning red and you look anywhere but him. "So anyway I chicken out so she chose for me, and I'm so sorry again for disturbing your night" you were once again about to leave when he talked.

"So does that mean your friend finds me attractive and you don't?" Apparently he was having the time of his life with this whole interaction so you felt some form of confidence and you could answer less embarrassed.

"Oh no, she knows I found you attractive, that's why she didn't tell me it was you here, in other circumstances I would be over there" you pointed to a booth behind a corner "Taking a million pictures and not talking to you"

"Well that wouldn't go well with the promise you make to your friend" He sound sincere and you were happy to talk to him as well "What's that about, why do you need to be more social?"

"It's a sad, long and boring story" you answered suddenly feeling anxious again.

"Well I haven't finish my drink" He started and then two other drinks appear in front of you from the hands of Y/BF/N

"On the house" she said with a wink and quickly walked away.

"Ok, prepare to be bored to dead" Yo said taking a sip of the tequila she served.

"I don't think I will, so your name is Y/N, and you wanted to buy me a drink, thanks by the way" He said signaling the stool in front of him so you could seat.

"Yeah, well I turned 30 last week, and I don't know the whole what am I doing with my life? thing started to take a toll on me, I realized I haven't done anything remarkable or fun or meaningful in years, I don't have a husband or kids, nor like I want a husband and kids, but I thought at least I'll have an offer by now, so I make this bucket list of things I must definitely do before I turn fifty and I have another existential crisis." You told him and he seemed genuinely intrigued by your story.

"What sort of things?" He asked taking a sip of the new glass of scotch. "Apart of course from speaking to strangers in a bar"

"Point a place in the map and just go there, learn to speak Chinese, date a guy with a six pack, some are childish, some are important, like quit my job and do what I actually want to do" they were all dreams, but actually made you feel better on bad days.

"Date a guy with a sixpack?" He said laughing.

"Yeah, you know to see why people make such a big deal about it" you said. "Anyway, that's my story, pathetic and sad'

"I don't think it is" he was looking straight at you with those piercing blue eyes of him, there was something about that unshaven jawline that hypnotized you and you were praying he wouldn't notice "It takes courage to actually do what you want, and on the husband and kids thing if you don't actually want it maybe you shouldn't measure your success on whether or not you have them"

You kept talking for another hour until the clock at the bar marked 11:00 and even when yo didn't want this moment to end you had to pop the bubble and face reality.

"So this was really fun, but I have to work tomorrow" you started not sure where you wanted to get.

"And I have to pick up my children tomorrow, hey I don't actually have a six pack" he started and you thank the bar for holding you because your legs stopped working "But if you want to get coffee sometime, or talk, or buy me another drink" he wrote his number in a small card and put it on your hands "Good luck on that list" he said with a wink and walked out of the bar.

While the excited screams of Y/BF/N sound far away you hold on to that card thinking this was the absolutely best idea she could ever have and that maybe, just maybe there was some better things waiting for you.

#bill hader fanfiction #bill hader imagine #i love bill hader #bill hader edit #bill hader #bill hader x reader #bill hader x you #im about to have a breakdown #100

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toomuchbroadwayquotes · 4 years

Text

This might be ignored,its a long read, but if you want to have your forces restored on feminism my dead feminists i really wanted to share something that is making me tear up every 5 seconds.

As some of you might now, in my country (Brasil) we currently have a situation where our "president" is a misogynist (said he had a bunch of boys, they he went weak and have a daughter that's a "small" example for yall), homophobic ( said he would beat the gay out of his son if he ever "got it"), racist ( talking about killing native Indians and saying slaverism was a choice yadayada) anyways, just a piece of crap, we call him Bozo, like the clown. Well ever since his election we have been feeling so down (I'm sure my American friends can share the feeling). We are the country that kills more transexual people on the world. And it's not even illegal here, that would put into perspective. So, all this are real, serious problems, but bear with me as I get I little... naive maybe?. Well we had 20 seasons of BigBrother over here (Or BBB, Adding the Brasil at the end) and the show is on "the liberals tv channel, all the conservatives try to boycott it yadda yadda ") . But this season is just a gem. I feel like a revolution is happening and (I'm crying rn) I can't even put into words. Its gonna sound ridiculous, but you have to understand that 1) TV is a huge part of our culture, and is 100% connected with politics for us. 2)This show has been silencing woman, making men do anything they want without consequences and put woman as simple objects for their enjoyment. And somehow every year we wouldcomplain about how that was the reflection of our country. Something like this year edition NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.

Our LGBT movies, Theather and books are being censoreds right now. Our country is on the verge of becoming a conservative doom.

The secretary of health system said :abstinence of sex is the best way to avoid DSTs and pregnancies. THATS HOW DEEP IN SHIT WE ARE. And we feel voiceless. Is like they are the majority you know?

Is like, you know when Katniss made every distric rebel by leading an example on the hunger games? Is THAT KIND OF SHIT. So, firsts things first:

I will introduce you the leaders of our current feminist movement

First, Thelma, she is not just ya regular powerful black queen. She is a doctor, with a bunch of degrees on stuff I can't even pronounce,she is specialized on anesthesia and she is a resident like those bad ass ones in grey's anatomy. She she is A BOSS. She is strong, and even though she is not 100% familiar with the feminism in "theory" she lives it in practice with out even knowing it ( now she knows, cause the other two are teaching her!) I want to make clear that on this reality show, the majority of the public has always been racist, and black people normally are eliminated first, yes it sucks and is one of the reasons I stopped watching a long time ago, as most of us millenials, but thank God we came back. She isn't going ANYWHERE CUZ WE ARE NOT LETTING THAT HAPPEN.

The second one is Marcela, every since the first we saw her she said loud and clear:I AM A FEMINIST, she is also a Doctor. She calls her self doctor unicorn, she is an OB/GYN and choose her career because she wanted to fully support her transexual brother /yess/, she is also expert on female sexuality and give classes about it, think Carina Deluca. She also takes care of sexual abuse victims. Oh yeah, she is bisexual as well. And everyone is shipping her with the next one btw.

Now our last warrior: Gizelly, She is a Lawyer, and she advocates for woman, she has suffered all the types of abuse from her ex husband and after all the trauma, she decided no one would do that to her again. Feminist, we call her the hurricane, she just shoots fire and defends any woman that is being belittled.

What happened was, some guys decided they would "seduce"any woman who was in a relationship outside the reality show, so they would look bad, and be eliminated easily. Wellx those 3 heard that, and they just couldn't get quiet. They went and tell all the girls about it. Some of them didn't believe them, the guys said they were CRAZY, and were LYING (what a shock)

The confrontation scene:

So one of them said: If I am lying, I will be eliminated this round. If I'm back, then you are the lier. So, regular reality show stuff right?

Here are some things you should know: Marcela, the leader ( as she was the one with the initiatives) was anonymous when she first got on the show, and 13 days later, she had 2 MILLION FOLLOWERS. Every feminist, every LGBT+ and ally on this country just woke up ya know?. We were all mad as hell that they were being treated as liars, but, and that's a HUGE but, the guy mentioned earlier was against one that was even worse. He was touching inappropriately the girls while they were completely DRUNK at the parties ( they wouldn't remember later), he was the one who actually made said plan mentioned before, but they didn't knew at the house because he was a completely different person when he was alone with the guys. A complete scumbag, he mocked and made fun of every woman on the house because of their looks etc. Sooo, all those millions of feminists watching were like : "do we take the biggest jerk and make the girls think we think they are lying or ?" Well, we decided to take the bigger toxic monster first, and left the other one for the next. But we had a special card. Every year, after the show starts, they put a glass house in the middle of a mall, with 4 candidates inside, we vote for 2 of them to be on the actual show yada yada. What happened was:people started showing off by the mall, with posters, begging for whomever got in the house to :"PLEASE TELL THE GIRLS EVERYONE BELIEVE THEM. THAT THEY ARE NOT LYING. THAT THEY HAVE MILLIONS OF SUPPORTERS. THAT HE ONLY CAME BACK BECAUSE THE OTHER WAS WORSE ETC"

So, last night was elimination day, the worst one got out with 80% elimination A victory for us (there were 4 people on this run, and one of them is a Black guy, fat, older than everyone else, and by history, he would obviously be the first eliminated but he was the one with LESS VOTES. AGAIN THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED IN OUR COUNTRY SPECIALLY SINC THE FOURTH PERSON COMPETING IS A CARISMATIC YOUNG KOREAN MAGICIAN YOUTUBER WITH A NETWORTH OF MILLIONS, BUT THE BLACK GUY WAS LESS VOTED THAN HIM, GUYS I CAN'T STOP WRITING IN CAPS.The second worst one tho, comeback celebrating, saying he knew he was right. Singing victory. The girls were crashed. No one understood and they all started crying and talking about how it was a reflection of our country, but that they wouldn't change their ideals etc. (Again, they didn't knew everything trash bag number one did, cuz he did it in secret so they thought it was an answer)... well, 2am, the couple from the glass house got in. And they told them. They said everything. How the public loves them, and the why the other one got out first, and how we knew they were saying the truth. This part is just a sweet ending for y'all. They then proceeded to get all the woman in one bedroom and talked and talked, they even explained to the ones who had some deep patriarchal mindset and were believing the boys up until that point, they had conversations about feminism, about not accepting to be treated that way, they cried, they were so relieved, it's silly because is a reality show, but last night everyone felt like we were supported. Like, people got our backs! People agree that we wont take that bullshit anymore. In other editions those guys would be the handsome guys that all the girls would die to be with, you know? But know they are the villains. It happened. The girls are not the crazy ones. They are not the powerless wones. They were the STRONG ONES forming OPINIONS, moving the big pieces on the board.

I can't even talk about how this will impact on many young girls, especially with all those girls having such strong stories you know? Today is a reality show but whatch us on the booting vote! Watch us at the March's. Just watch us. I'm telling y'all. Brasil is gonna turn this shit upside down.

Anyways here is a little clip of when our guardian Angel Dan, told the girls that they should trust Marcela's word

The relief the felt, we all felt. Having your word taken seriously after being called crazy and lier...

( even the production of the show tryied to deny the guys plan was real before the videos started pouring up, and they had to take back after saying on national television that Marcela was lying. Because that was the standard)

#big brother #BBB #Big Brother Brazil #big brother brasil #marcela mc gowan #Feminism #third wave feminism #inclusive feminism #liberal feminism #lgbt+

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asking-jude · 4 years

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I've been... really angry lately. Which makes sense, considering everything going on, but it's gotten to the point where I'm angry at everyone and everything, not just the things and people that deserve it. I see a post from someone with a different opinion about a fucking cartoon and I get pissed. I don't want to be angry all the time, but I feel like if I let myself stop being angry, I'll just be depressed, and I prefer anger. I just don't know what to do.

Hi Friend,

I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been feeling extra angry lately. This year has certainly been full of many distressing things, and feeling overwhelmed by them is perfectly acceptable. A lot of people are feeling emotionally tapped-out, and this sounds like you as well. Some common signs of emotional exhaustion are: increased irritability, lack of patience, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, stomachaches, and more. Your threshold is reached, and you’re in desperate need of a break.

Although the world has some serious stressors, you may be surprised to hear that the culprit to your increased irritability may not be the state of the world at all, but instead, the steady stream of social media use. Research shows that being on social media exposes us to more negative feedback than what we’d experience on an ordinary day. This high intensity causes us to have less margin to contain our anger. One psychologist likened it to driving. When we are driving, we are more keyed in to what we are doing to avoid injury. However, this intensity level can also make us snap at drivers who drive too slowly or cut us off. People can often be surprised at the level of abusive behavior a person is willing to succumb to while driving. Higher stress environments equal lower anger thresholds. When we chose lower stress environments, our minds are more capable of containing our anger, and our mental health will thank us for it. Social media, unfortunately, is not one of those low-stress environments.

Another psychological phenomenon you are likely falling prey to is the power of groupthink. People in crowds are more likely to exhibit angry, aggressive behaviors. This is why protests gain such momentum, and “Twitter mobs” can cause such terrifying results. When one emotionally tapped-out person tweets a disapproving post, that post gets retweeted and retweeted until pretty soon the original tweeter is some sort of pariah, receiving death threats or losing their jobs. Meanwhile, the angry mop of equally tapped out tweeters gets high off their assumed righteous justification. Anger, and then validation for your passion is addictive. People are less likely to exhibit moral behaviors when in a crowd.

The best thing you can do for your mental health and recharge your emotional batteries is to take a break from social media and create better boundaries for its use in the future. Boundaries can look like: Only posting content that isn’t social or political or turning it off if you feel yourself getting worked up.

The second thing I suggest is learning more productive ways to cope with your inner anxieties. Processing your emotions is healthy, but instead of turning to social media, talk to a parent, best friend, guidance counselor, or licensed therapist. Other coping strategies can be writing in a journal, getting regular exercise in the fresh air, going to bed before midnight and waking up early, avoiding stimulants such as excess caffeine, drugs or alcohol, eating a balanced diet, and participating in hobbies you enjoy. Good mental health requires a holistic approach.

There are certainly many things in this life that are distressing, but there is plenty of good stuff too. Take time each day to verbalize at least three things you’re grateful for. Our minds are plastic, and negativity like any addiction needs to be rewired. With practice, you may realize that the world isn’t so bad, after all.

Links for more information on content shared:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-social-media-makes-us-so-angry-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

https://www.mentalhelp.net/internet/social-media-anger/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/friction/201807/why-social-media-makes-us-angrier-and-more-extreme

https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/how-generation-z-became-americas-most-intolerant-generation/

https://medium.com/@marleyk/how-social-media-encourages-groupthink-e4b4b2f2a5f8

Counseling:

www.betterhelp.com

www.talkspace.com

http://www.psychologytoday.com/us

Stay safe,

Emily

Asking Jude needs YOUR help! Donate pocket change here and save our safe space.

#ask #advice #mental health

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amusedyan · 5 years

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I'm loving your blog. So listen, I'd die for some Ouran content. Maybe a Kyoya falling for a guest at some Ootori party, she was brought along by some wealthy friend of hers and is not into the wealthy elite at all, something that bothers but intrigues Kyoya. I'd love to see him try to woo her, become protective of her, because she lives such a dangerous regular commoners life without body guards. Then try to save her from that life. How would he react to her misbehaving or being generally 1/2

Unhappy with the situation he’s put her in? Whether it’s him micromanaging every aspect of her life or him having actually locked her up in some corner of the Ootori manor? Personally, I always saw Kyoya as someone who enjoyed old-fashioned punishments. Like a spanking over the knee. But it’s totally up to you. I love where you took that Bakugo fic, so I trust you to take this where ever. Honestly, I’d just be so grateful if you had any Ouran content to offer. Again, love your work so far 2/2

Yay my first Ouran request! Thanks so much nonnie for requesting this, I love Kyoya- his deadpan humor and general attitude just give me so many ideas and make him such a great character! And those same traits make him terrifying as a yandere!

Bitter

You hated fancy parties.

You picked at your collar and tried not to look like you were bored out of your mind as all the rich people mingled and laughed discussed business over food and drinks more expensive than your family’s monthly grocery bill.

It was funny. You could write off your friend’s eccentric behavior, but in a group of rich people? Well, the bitterness crept back in and left a sour tang in your mouth.

You glanced down at your flute of champagne. It would be, what, your third? Reluctantly you returned it- you were a guest, getting blackout drunk was not on your shortlist of ‘great ideas for parties full of rich people’. So you just mingled politely, staying close to your friend.

“Mr. Ootori!” She declared happily, waving over a dark haired man with a calm smile and glasses. There’s half a moment of hesitation on his part before he approaches- you can’t blame him; a brief word with your friend turns into half an hour with her.

“Glad you could make it,” he offered dutifully, and oh that was interesting- he had that same look in his eyes you did- like he couldn’t stand his own kind. It had to be some kind of joke.

You found yourself smiling for the first time that night, and caught the way his eyes flashed at you for the briefest of seconds before it was gone.

Maybe you’d imagined it.

“I see you’ve made use of the plus one on your invitation.” He remarked, and your friend laughed and introduced you.

Ootori nodded and looked back at you with a raised eyebrow, “I don’t believe I’ve heard of you.” His tone was just detached enough that you couldn’t be sure if it was a joke or an insult.

“You wouldn’t- I’m not pedigreed.” You wished you could take a drink as a mic drop. Instead you just had to content yourself with your friend’s horrified look.

But Ootori just looked amused.

“Man people prefer mutts to purebreds,” he said in that same level tone.

As a person who’d had several mutts growing up, you could confirm that they were better. Less health problems.

He asked what your job was and you mentioned the field, notwanting to stray into talk about work. Work was work, and frankly here wasn’tthe place to talk about it. Thankfully Ootori accepted it and didn’t push,instead managing to draw you into aconversation that didn’t make you want to beat your own head in. It was nice.

Finally, he had to excuse himself and see to his otherduties as host, but before he left he caught your hand and brought it up to pressa gentle kiss there. It stopped you short, as did the small smile playing onhis lips.

“Until we meet again,” he promised cryptically, before goingoff to join his people.

Your friend was gawking at you.

You decided maybe one more glass of champagne wouldn’t hurtyou.

Two weeks after the Ootori party Kyoya Ootori himself walkedinto your favorite coffee shop, saw you and invited himself to sit at yourtable after taking his order. The man was far out of his element but didn’tseem in the least bit uncomfortable, exuding a calm confidence and sense ofcontrol that made clear why he was so good at his job.

(And yeah, you had gone the creepy route and looked him upon the internet, rather than just asking your friend; they might have gone toschool together once upon a time but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t misreadyour questions as interest and let him know about it on a lark.

Despite being the youngest Kyoya had managed to earn hisplace as heir of Ootori conglomerate. He was ruthless in business but one hellof philanthropist, setting up multiple scholarship programs for elite schoolsthat lower income students wouldn’t have access to, on top of the dozens ofother charities that the company donated to on the regular. And that was whatyou could track down in maybe 45 minutes)

“Pretty far from your side of town,” you observed, addinganother packet of sugar to your coffee.

“I had business in the area and needed a coffee.” You hummed and watched him watch you.

He was quiet for a minute and you took the time to drink your coffee. His was pure black, you’d heard him order it.

“You remind me of a friend I had.” He said suddenly, and you stayed quiet, although you were a little confused because he didn’t seem like the type to have friends. “She wasn’t impressed by money either.”

“Smart of her.”

He chuckled a little bit, no more than a huff.

“I’d like to take you out for dinner sometime.” Now that actually made you look at him properly. He hadn’t taken his eyes off you yet.

“Because I’m not interested in money?”

“Because I find your conversation relaxing and I’d like to think you feel the same way.”

It was a bit weird; you’d had maybe 20 minutes total of talking with this man. Technically those twenty minutes were enjoyable. Kyoya was blunt and composed and intelligent; you could appreciate that in a man.

“Alright.” You agreed, surprising yourself.

Kyoya’s smile unfolded into something a little more open. You wondered how often people saw this one.

You exchanged numbers and the promise of detail exchange later; you had to get back to work soon, and even though he didn’t say he needed to leave you were sure that he needed to get back too.

There were flowers on your desk at work the next day.

The bouquet was gorgeous; lavender roses and baby’s breath- you didn’t even know that lavender roses this nice were in season.

The card on the vase (a very nice, very expensive looking vase) confirmed your suspicions.

I saw these and thought of you.

-Ootori Kyoya

And you smiled because it was really thoughtful.

But…how did he know where you worked?

Ootori: Did you receive the flowers?

Me: Yes I did! They’re beautiful, thanks!

Me: How did you know where I worked?

Ootori: You told me at the party, remember?

Me: Ah, sorry, I must have forgotten!

Me: Thanks again, Ootori.

Ootori: Call me Kyoya, please.

You work out a good night for the both of you to go out. It took some shuffling on your part, but at least Kyoya seemed willing to work with you.

He meant what he said at least- he was serious about dinner.

And it was dinner at a really nice restaurant; one that had a really long wait list ordinarily and didn’t have a price on the menu.

Well, you get to break out your formal clothes again, and it was nice to watch the way Kyoya’s expression changed when you entered the dining area. The softening of his mask maybe.

“You look nice.” Was all he said about it, though, even as he stood up to pull out your chair for you.

“Thanks, so do you.” And he did. Kyoya could have worn anything and pulled it off, probably.

The server came by moments later with wine and glasses. That was nice at least, but again…

“You ordered for me?” You asked, smiling. He nodded.

“I thought it more convenient.”

Pushy, but whatever, he meant well.

Except…

The pushing didn’t stop.

It started with the wine, yeah, but it just got worse.

Kyoya didn’t understand how to not overstep his bounds, and he always looked amused when you started to point out that looking up your girlfriend’s home address was still creepy, even when the intent was to send you flowers. And he sent you a lot of flowers.

But no, Kyoya, having several bodyguards walk you home from work didn’t make you feel safe, especially when they weren’t allowed to talk to you.

And he just…he didn’t get it.

You wanted to break up with him, but the problem was Kyoya, when he wasn’t disrespecting your boundaries at least, was charming, intelligent, and honestly you liked him a lot. You just figured it was one of those things you would work out with him, or maybe it was new relationship jitters.

When Kyoya tried to give you a watch more expensive than your apartment, you finally, firmly, put your foot down.

“It’s too expensive,” you argued firmly.

“I already bought it.”

“Then return it, because I can’t possibly accept it.” It made you uncomfortable, how willing he was to drop so much money on you so fast.

“I can’t return it, it was personalized.” He said, frowning. And…okay, touching, but still…

You turned it over in your hand and blinked at the elegant writing

For my darling

“That’s…really sweet, Kyoya.”

He hugged you gently, awkwardly. You got the feeling he wasn’t used to initiating, but that was fine.

“I just want you to have the best.”

“I know.”

(Your first time with Kyoya is…wonderful. He worships you and breaks you apart gently and puts you back together with his touch. The whole time he looks at you like he’s having a religious experience, doesn’t break eye contact, doesn’t close his eyes.

For a minute you could have sworn he was crying)

Kyoya started inviting you to parties and events with him three months into your relationship.

The idle speculation and blank smiles from your time as a normal guest were gone, replaced with biting comments and passive aggression. It sucks, but it gave you an excuse to stay with Kyoya, and he didn’t seem to mind.

It was nice though, watching that dark look flash in his eyes when someone made a comment.

But he kept your hand in his and doted on you in his own way all evening.

You split away from him, briefly, to use the bathroom and check how you looked in the mirror. Not a hair was out of place and you didn’t look a thing like yourself.

On your way back, not 10 feet from your boyfriend, a guest flush with bourbon and bolstered by his friends inquired “how much the Ootori runt paid for you” because he’d “pay double”. You flushed with rage, but before you could get a word out Kyoya was the one to appear and drag you out of his sight.

“I could have handled it, Kyoya.” You promised, but he shook his head.He didn’t stop, handing over the tickets to get your coats. “The party isn’t over yet, don’t you still have business-”

“They don’t deserve to look at you,” he snarled, and it was with a vehemence you never would have expected from him, it startled you so bad.

“Kyoya-”

“No. We’re going home and they’re never going to see you again.”

Oh.

You took your coat, quiet, letting Kyoya guide you to his car and opened it for you, sliding into the backseat with you.

“Are you ashamed of me?” You asked quietly, watching him roll up the tinted divider between you and the driver.

Are you going to leave me? Went unasked. That fear just…it crippled you. He wouldn’t, would he? Just because his associates didn’t like you?

“Never.” He promised firmly, pulling you into his lap. You hesitated but moved to assist, curling up against him. “I would never be ashamed of you. You’re mine.” And those words were so cold, despite the warm look in his eyes.

“But you said-”

“They’ll never set eyes on you again because they don’t deserve to look at you. I’m going to take you home and you’re going to stay there where I can keep you safe and away from their filthy eyes. Alright, darling?”

His lips were on your neck, his whisper made your bones warm. But you shook your head no.

“Kyoya, it’s fine, people are going to be rude-”

“They don’t have a right to be that way to you, not when you’re mine.”

You laughed a little, trying to diffuse the tension, squirming, trying to get off his lap. Kyoya’s arms were iron around you though, holding you tight, so tight you couldn’t breathe.

“Let go of me, Kyoya,”

“No, we’re going home and I’m going to show you how much you’re worth.”

“As romantic as that sounds, I really have to get back to my place-”

Kyoya’s grip on your jaw was punishing, his nails digging in and bruising you for for sure.

“Shut up.”

“Kyoya-”

He kissed you harsh, it was biting and angry and you were sure that you tasted blood.

“You are mine. I’ve let you wander long enough, so be quiet and be good and everything will be fine. If you don’t then I will have to hurt you, do you understand?” When you didn’t answer right away he shook you.

“Understand?”

#ouran hshc #ouran host club #kyoya ootori #yandere ohshc #yandere kyoya

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artificialqueens · 5 years

Text

Royals 4/9: I'm a Star and I'm Burnin' Through You (Branjie)- athena2

A/N: Thank you to everyone that’s read and left feedback! B and V are getting closer in this chapter, and I hope you all enjoy! A thousand thank you’s to Writ for betaing, you’re absolutely awesome! Your comments mean so much to me, and I would really appreciate it if you leave some for this chapter!

Chapter title from Love song by Lana Del Rey

—

In hindsight, the eggs were probably a step too far.

But this ‘spend a month with Brooke’ plan sounds exactly like something her mother would dream up, and it most likely would have happened even without throwing eggs at Brooke’s door.

They had definitely moved it along, though.

Hopefully Brooke knows she’s not to be messed with now, and won’t try to murder her in retaliation. Just because she didn’t follow rules as intensely as Brooke, or turn rigid as a soldier around her parents–she noticed Brooke do that this morning, there’s definitely some secrets in the Hytes castle–didn’t mean she wasn’t a good princess. Since when did following rules and doing well in lessons become the only qualifications of worth anyway? Though throwing eggs definitely wasn’t on the list, either.

Vanessa has always known she’s lovable, grins and handshakes and agreements blooming where she tred. She’s won over lords and ladies, princes and princesses. Her parents said she could walk into a room and have people on her side in minutes. So why couldn’t she act that way towards Brooke? Vanessa had fun skirting the rules for all they were worth, but what about Brooke made her take it to the point of throwing eggs? She thinks back to their interactions, trying to picture them clearly this time, not tinged with hatred. Brooke has been polite to her, if a little cold and condescending, but she probably didn’t deserve what Vanessa had done. She had overreacted. Again. It’s been a problem the past year—overreacting, letting her temper take control, not knowing when to stop acting out. Maybe she can be nicer tomorrow, turn on some of her charm. She knows the alliance is important to her parents, and she doesn’t want Brooke and her family angry at them. Besides, the month will only be even worse if she and Brooke aren’t on speaking terms.

Her thoughts are pierced by howling outside her window that chills Vanessa to the bone. Inside this creepy castle, where it already feels like the walls watch her, she can’t be sure the howls don’t sound like her name.

Great. Not only does she have to worry about Brooke poisoning her breakfast, but there’s also a chance she might get eaten by wolves. They probably wouldn’t even find her body out in the woods.

She rolls over in bed and sighs. This damn wedding couldn’t come fast enough.

—

Vanessa pulls on her favorite dress, gold swirling around her like the sun’s rays. If she has to spend an entire day with Brooke, she’s at least going to look good while she does it. She always wore her sun necklace with it, but that’s long gone now.

A knock at the door signals the start of the day’s suffering.

Brooke stares at Vanessa’s dress so long it’s like she’s trying to find the individual fibers in it. Vanessa’s cheeks burn as Brooke’s eyes take her in; it’s probably just anger. “You can’t go out there like that,” Brooke says, matter-of-fact, and all thoughts of being nice fly out the window.

The heat in her cheeks spreads to her whole body. “Now you’re telling me how I can dress? It’s bad enough I have to spend the day with you. I’m wearing what I want.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, I just…if you go out there obviously dressed like royalty, people might not be happy to see you.”

That’s not something she had considered, admittedly. She gave up on pretending to be someone else last year and flaunted around the city square in fancy dresses, not caring who saw her. People were always excited to see her, talking and smiling with her, telling her their stories. Figures that can’t happen in the north. This is the place where joy comes to die.

She can tell Brooke is serious–who is she kidding? Brooke is always serious. Vanessa thinks her whole face might crack if she were to smile. But there’s something–maybe an ounce of fear that passes across her face before it resumes its steely mask so quickly Vanessa might have imagined it–that makes her think she should listen, that Brooke knows what it’s like to have people unhappy at her presence.

“Fine. Do you need to watch me change?”

Brooke leaves and Vanessa exchanges the gold dress for a dull gray one, pulling her black winter cloak tight over herself. She can’t say they don’t fit her mood.

“Let’s get this misery over with,” she brushes past Brooke.

—

The village is a few minutes’ walk down the road, and it’s nothing like the bustling village home. The cobbled streets are a dusty gray brushed over by people with scowls plastered on their faces and eyes staring icily. Everyone seems hunched over, like the same force keeping their lips downturned is also dragging them toward the ground. It’s much quieter than her village; no children laughing or merchants chatting with customers. Two guards dressed in regular clothing trail a few feet behind them.

“Why did guards have to come with us? I thought no one is supposed to know who we are.”

“Well, not all of us parade around and fight people without guards–”

“I could handle myself,” Vanessa insists. She doesn’t bother telling Brooke that she wasn’t even the one to get in those fights. “Obviously you can’t take two steps from your door without someone watching you. Do you faint like an old lady or something–”

“It’s my father’s orders. They come in normal clothes and no one notices. It’s for our safety,” Brooke informs her, leaving no room for argument. “Look, I don’t like them any more than you do. I wish I could do one thing without people watching me.”

She’s about to retort that Brooke probably loved having people watch how perfect she is, but something holds her back. Brooke is less steel and more silk today, bags under her eyes dulling some of her sharpness. Maybe Brooke is just pretending to be nice, trying to talk normally to her, but maybe she really does mean it. And maybe Vanessa should do more to make this work and keep her parents happy. Either way, Vanessa understands, and she nods in agreement.

“Sometimes it feels like I can’t even take a bath in peace.”

“Yes,” Brooke agrees, nodding fiercely.

“It’s like you can’t just be you. Nothing you do is your own. There’s always something else involved.” It’s a feeling she was born into, royal rules and standards dictating a lot of her life, but it didn’t settle into her bones and cloud her mind, didn’t really squeeze her like a vise, until last year.

Brooke doesn’t speak, but her eyes are deep with knowing, and it occurs to Vanessa that she’s probably the only other person who can understand something like that.

Any further connection is interrupted by a woman swinging her basket in rage after leaving a butcher shop, almost beheading Vanessa. Another miserable northerner with a scowl, eyes on the ground rather than the light blue sky above.

“Is there a law against smiling here?” Vanessa demands.

Brooke shrugs. “It’s not a common practice. People mostly keep to themselves.”

“Well, I’m hungry,” Vanessa whines. “Do they have lunch in the village, or is that not a common practice either?”

And she swears, just for a second, that Brooke’s lips quirk up into a half-smile.

—

Brooke doesn’t talk freely; Vanessa discovers that their second day, as they chew roasted chicken sandwiches for lunch in a silence that makes her restless, but she answers questions like they’re in a lesson and she’s receiving marks for her responses.

When Vanessa’s voice grows hoarse after a day of rambling to fill the silence, she asks Brooke questions about the north and its villages. Brooke gives her answers like a human history book, and Vanessa is back in lessons all over again.

“Alright, let’s talk about something else,” Vanessa cuts off Brooke after her innocent question about northern trees becomes a lecture on tree bark exports. She wracks her brain for something to get them through the next hour until they went back to the castle as painlessly as possible. “What’s your favorite color?”

“I hardly see how that’s relevant,” Brooke splutters. “Surely there’s more important things–”

“Just answer the question.”

Brooke’s mouth opens but nothing comes out. It’s the first question she doesn’t have an answer ready for, and Vanessa wonders how she knows a dozen uses for tree bark and history going back several centuries but has to think about her favorite color. Was it possible that no one had ever asked her?

“What’s yours?” Brooke counters.

“Yellow,” Vanessa responds without hesitation. Yellow like the sun, like the lemon candies in her village, tart and sweet in the same bite, like the birds welcoming the morning outside her castle window. “Now you answer.”

Brooke bites her lip. “White,” she says finally.

“White?”

“Yes. Like the snow when it falls all fluffy like a cloud.” For a second, her voice has the wonder of a child and her eyes shine.

Vanessa nods, glad she didn’t laugh at Brook for choosing a boring color before hearing her explanation. She guesses the snow can be pretty, when it’s not numbing your legs. She’s just a little surprised that Brooke likes it so much when she sees it every year, but Vanessa supposes that just because something’s familiar doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful. Maybe it was even more beautiful when you saw something countless times and still appreciated it for all it was.

“Favorite food?” Vanessa asks.

Brooke describes the honey cakes and crusty rolls Nina makes, and Vanessa tells her about the roasted chicken with beans that she devours back home.

If this is what she has to do to make Brooke stop hating her, this is what she’ll do.

Only after exchanging favorite seasons (spring for Brooke and summer for Vanessa) does she think that maybe the questions are making her stop hating Brooke.

—

Vanessa didn’t think it was possible, but somehow the nightly dinners with both their families are more painful than days with Brooke. Tonight, Thomas has been talking about the wedding so long it might be here before he finishes, and the bread with roasted garlic that Nina made is the only thing keeping Vanessa from sprinting out of the dining room. She reaches for her fourth slice as Thomas lists names off the mile-long guest list, watching Brooke fiddle with her knife.

A clang sounds underneath her. Brooke has gone completely rigid and stares intensely at her empty hand, lips parted and brow furrowed, as if she’s trying to understand how she could have dropped it.

Vanessa’s body reacts without thought, sliding her own knife over to Brooke as heads turn their way.

“My apologies,” Vanessa offers. “The knife slipped right through my hand.”

From how tense Brooke is, Vanessa expects shouting, but there’s no reprimand from anyone. She doesn’t know if Brooke would have gotten in trouble for that, but she thinks of how stiff Brooke got when her father scolded her the day of the eggshells, how scared she was after the knife hit the floor, and Vanessa figures it’s better to let everyone think she’s clumsy if it keeps that fear from Brooke’s eyes.

One of the kitchen staff brings her a new knife, and the dinner continues like nothing happened.

Brooke’s fingers brush against hers, light as a bird’s feather.

“Thank you,” she whispers, and Vanessa knows she did the right thing.

It’s not until she’s in bed that she thinks of how last week she would have paid a bag of gold to see the Ice Princess slip up like that, to see a crack in her perfect exterior. But now that it’s happened, she wants to patch that crack up and keep her whole.

—

“Are there any shops that sell candy here?” Vanessa asks. They’re in a different village today, a little farther from the castle. This one is even more gloomy than the one they normally go to. The snow is a dirty gray and many shops are closed, empty behind broken glass. It’s been a week and though she no longer hates Brooke, they’re far from friends. Brooke is still too guarded, too composed for Vanessa to really know her. When Vanessa asks questions she always expects Brooke to say more, but she doesn’t; she just gives simple, exact answers. Vanessa considers if she just doesn’t want to talk or if she’s hiding something.

“There’s one on the next street. It has chocolate truffles,” Brooke says, and Vanessa needs no more.

She turns the corner to see the sign reading Scarlet’s Sweets hanging off its hinges, rocking in the wind. Thick dust and grime coats the windows. Looks like she isn’t getting chocolate today.

“I think it’s been closed for a while.”

“I didn’t know,” Brooke replies. “I don’t know much about the stores or people here, really.”

Vanessa knew all about the people in her village. She knew Honey, who appropriately owned the candy shop where Vanessa bought lemon drops and chocolates by the pound. She stopped in Ariel’s tailor shop to talk to her, bearing raspberry chocolates for Ariel’s little sister. She knew Ra’jah at the apothecary and Mercedes at the butcher shop, has listened to all their stories and helped her parents enact laws that protected merchants.

“You don’t? Thought you knew everything,” she teases, wondering what has changed over the past few days for her to venture teasing Brooke. Or what has changed that leads to Brooke not yelling at her, but flashing a half-grin–Vanessa doesn’t think she has any others–before resuming her frown.

“I don’t really go out much,” Brooke explains. “My parents like me to stay inside and do my lessons and go to meetings because that’s more important.”

She couldn’t imagine being stuck inside all day like Brooke. She was like a caged animal when she was inside too long, eyes flitting to the sky and dense green trees when she was in a meeting. Running along the village cobblestones or through the cornfields where the stalk towered over her was the best part of her day. Her parents had always let her, setting aside time each day for her to go outside, knowing how important freedom is to her.

“Oh.” she says, things starting to make a little more sense. Brooke’s parents keeping her inside all day, forcing her to study, is another piece that helps add up to the puzzle that is Brooke. It explains why she knows so much about history and commerce but so little about the world or even herself, why she seems uncertain of the shops they go in.

“There’s chocolate truffles in the candy shop closer to the castle,” Brooke offers.

“Let’s go then.”

—

The howling is back, jolting her out of a somewhat decent sleep. Now that she’s awake, the cold returns and digs into her bones like tiny knives, back aching as she shivers.

Maybe there’s more blankets somewhere. She grabs her robe and opens the door, only to narrowly avoid bumping into Brooke. Vanessa notes the deep bags under her eyes.

“What are you doing stalking around in the middle of the night?” Vanessa asks, holding her robe closed.

The light pink tinge to Brooke’s cheeks glows rosily in the light of the wall torches.

“I-I couldn’t sleep. Thought a walk might help. I’m sorry if I woke you.”

Judging from those bags, Vanessa suspects this sleeplessness is nothing new. But Brooke looking so vulnerable, so small and lost without her glittery jewelry or dresses is new, and she softens, uncrossing her arms and waving Brooke off. “I was up anyway. Some animals outside woke me.”

“Right,” Brooke nods. “I’ll just be moving along then.” She turns smoothly and shuffles back down to the other end of the hall.

Sleep well, Vanessa thinks but doesn’t say, surging with a sudden warmth that makes her forget the blankets.

—

Vanessa’s grown bored with the village today, drumming her fingers on the tabletop in the square, and she jumps when Brooke asks if he wants to return early and have tea with Nina.

Snow is fluttering to the ground on their way back to the castle, sticking to her cheeks and landing bright on the shoulders of her black cloak.

“It’s so pretty when it falls.” Brooke is so quiet Vanessa isn’t sure whether she’s meant to hear.

“It is pretty,” Vanessa admits. “We don’t get it at all down south. It’s socold though. Especially at night. I’ve been sleeping with three blankets and I still can’t get warm,” she laments, but she lacks any real bitterness. It’s hard to be bitter about it when it’s falling so thick, fragments of a cloud like Brooke said, pearly-white and delicate as it lands on her forehead. Brooke nods, and Vanessa again gets the idea she’s holding something back, that she wants to say something but isn’t sure she should.

Regardless, Brooke is a little looser as the snow settles in her wavy hair, head lowered until they stride across the castle’s stone floor, when it snaps back up like she’s on a string.

Thomas is there to greet them. Brooke pales, her mouth twisting as she appears to bite the inside of her cheek, before becoming the perfect princess again, face a blank canvas. Thomas’s eyes are rimmed with hatred when he first sees her. He forcefully brushes the snow from her hair, muttering under his breath about presentation and that she needs to change for dinner. Brooke nods and Vanessa knows tea with Nina is out of the picture.

She considers the defeat in Brooke when she saw Thomas, and Vanessa’s thoughts have to regroup. Had she gotten it wrong? What if it wasn’t Thomas that was stuck with Brooke, but the other way around? It wouldn’t be the first time she had completely misread a relationship, seen things that weren’t there, missed the problems staring her in the face, changed the narrative to fit her emotions.

At least this time it wouldn’t cost her anything.

–

That night, there’s a stack of thick, fluffy blankets on her bed. She plucks the note off the top.

Stay warm.

The handwriting is so elegant and precise there’s only one person it could be from, and Vanessa finds her mind tracing the curves and swells of the letters all night.

—

“You’ve been watching every other day, correct?” the correspondent asks the man.

“Yes. I think I’ll increase to every day. I need more time sizing that one up, picturing that arrow going in,” the man says.

“If you think more surveillance will help, do it. Just make sure you aren’t seen. I’ll increase castle surveillance as well. Neither of them expect anything, I’m certain of it. And don’t forget to keep working on your aim.”

#rpdr fanfiction #brooke lynn hytes #vanessa vanjie mateo #branjie #princess au #lesbian au #royals by athena2 #royalty au #tw unhealthy relationship #concrit welcome #submission

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dontreadthistrashgarbage · 5 years

Text

G O T 7 PT.6

A couple days passed and Guerin met JB for the open mic night. She was a good ten minutes early but he was already at the quaint coffee shop, seated in a hidden corner booth. As soon as he saw her, he beckoned her over, gesturing at the drinks he had already ordered.

"You didn't have to get me something." She said, wandering over to him.

He shrugged, and patted the seat next to him for her to slide in. She hesitated for a moment. "It's so we can both see the stage." He explained.

"We'll look like a couple..." Guerin said, uncharacteristically shy, but she still slid into the booth next to him.

He shrugged again, "So?"

She puffed her cheeks out slightly, feeling awkward before covering it up with a sip from the iced americano he had bought for her, "Thank you for the drink." She said, setting it down. She couldn't help but be hyper aware of him while he was so close to her, but it helped she didn't have to look directly at him. JB was easily one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen and today was like putting a magnifying glass on that fact. He was wearing a black dress shirt, more buttons than necessary undone under a stylishly patterned blazer. His hair looked freshly cut and styled. She felt even more strange appreciating this side of him after Jackson's confession and her promise to consider it.

"You look nice." He said after a few more moments of awkward silence and Guerin realized she had been looking at him despite being relieved she didn't need to. She started and looked straight ahead as though it would undo her being caught. "I like the orange lipstick." JB's voice gave away his smile of amusement.

Guerin chided herself for being so weird. There was no reason for her to feel conflicted. They were friends and had spent a lot of time together already. Why would this now feel like such a date? She inhaled and fell back on old habits.

"Thanks." She puckered her lips and poked her cheek with a wink. "It's one of my favorites, and it matches my sassy shirt and neon shoes." Guerin showed off her favorite shoes.

JB gave a close lipped smile at the dorky response, trying not to laugh outloud, "How old are you again?"

"Old enough that you better respect me." She bumped him with her shoulder making him laugh, "and here I was going to say how nice you looked too." Her sass turned to a small sulk.

"I'm sorry." He said respectfully and bowed as much as he could in the small space.

"Oh god no stop that." She laughed and pushed him again, wondering in the back of why she felt so aware of each time she made physical contact with him.

JB looked up at her with a smirk and amusement in his eyes before straightening up and dropping the gag.

"What are you singing tonight?" Guerin changed the subject, focusing her gaze back on her coffee as she took another sip from it.

"A couple new songs. Each performer can sing up to three. I actually just finished one today. It's called Rainy." He answered.

"Appropriate." She nodded, referencing the weather outside. Since her walk with Jackson it had been raining on and off for days now. JB nodded along with her. The two sank into a comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts. The booths at this particular shop were somewhat oversized and cushy, an oddity for Korea. It enabled Guerin to relax and cross her legs under her as she took in the decorations. JB was sitting in his signature slouch, one leg crossed over the other as he toyed with the straw in his drink.

The performances started, JB was much more critical and sparing of his responses but Guerin openly enjoyed most of the songs each artist played. She found something positive about each song, sharing with JB at the end and asking for his input. He couldn't help but appreciate her enthusiasm.

"I don't have any creative talent or skill of my own, but I am an avid consumer of art." Guerin explained between sets when he voiced his opinion on her perspective, "Each one of these people is working hard and improving. It does so much more to bolster creativity and exploration if they're encouraged rather than constantly corrected or told they're failing."

JB cocked his head, "Most successful artists I know where trained very harshly."

"Sure, there's people who survive the process but think of all the talented people who gave up because their learning style wasn't catered to. Just like the animal training we've talked about, you get more successes with patience and kindness than you do with punishment. The people who are successful are that way in spite of the harsh teaching methods, rather than because of them. In the meantime we lose out on so much potential art. So I just... do what I can to encourage it." She trailed off with a shrug realizing she was lecturing. JB was looking at her with a thoughtful tilt to his head.

"Sorry, I'm rambling." Guerin let out an embarrassed laugh and looked away self consciously. If JB was planning on saying anything he was unable to as the next artist started up. Finally JB was up as the last performer of the evening. Guerin let him out of the booth and he grabbed his keyboard case from the bench across the booth from them. As he set up Guerin checked her phone, responded to a couple texts from Charlie and Jackson. She felt a pang of guilt again thinking of Jackson but buried it quickly. -I have nothing to feel guilty about- she reminded herself as she put her phone away.

JB's two song set left her breathless. As he performed he rarely made eye contact with anyone, even closing his eyes for a good portion of the time. When he did look up it tended to be in her direction and those moments stopped her heart. Guerin had to physically stop herself from clutching the front of her shirt defensively. His first song was Be With You. Its sweet lyrics and melody made her smile without realizing. It was a direct contradiction to his second song, Rainy. The song was close to perfection and his performance clinched it. Guerin was fighting off tears, cursing her eye makeup silently as she dabbed at her eyes with a spare napkin.

"Why are you crying?" Asked a surprised JB. He had seen her and moved quickly to her side, squatting next to her at the end of the table.

Another embarrassed laugh escaped her, sounding a bit water logged this time, "I'm sorry, this is nothing. That was just a really good song." She took a shaky breath and straightened up, smiling through watery eyes, "They were both excellent, but Rainy got me good." She laughed again.

"Noona, don't cry." JB said serious but tinged with his natural cuteness as he appealed to her. He used the extra long sleeves of his shirt to dab at the neglected tears that threatened to spill.

She laughed again, shaking her head, "No it's a good thing. I really liked it." JB dropped his hand from her face as the tears slowed, still looking somewhat concerned as he stared at her. "You're drawing attention to me." Guerin scolded, covering half her face with the hand holding the napkin, "Go pack your stuff up and greet your fans." She insisted, pushing his shoulder lightly. He hesitated so she gestured again, "I'm fine I promise, hurry hurry."

JB did as she said, glancing over at her as he packed, catching her using her phone to check her appearance. He didn't realize she would cry and he felt bad. Guerin certainly emoted her way through life and he couldn't help but find it fascinating and endearing. He finished putting away his keyboard and stared down at it for a moment wondering what to do now. He needed the evening to continue.

The cafe staff was announcing closing and putting away the equipment around him. A few patrons and fellow performers, both familiar and new, came up to chat with him. He stayed as long as was polite before excusing himself back to the patiently waiting Guerin.

"I thought you'd still be crying." He teased.

"I'm soft and weak. I cry all the time. I exist in a perpetual state of holding back." She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed.

"Let's go for a walk, since the rain stopped." JB suggested suddenly.

"Sure." Guerin agreed with minimal thought.

"I just need to drop this at my studio." JB hefted the keyboard case and Guerin nodded as the two headed out, thanking the staff as they left. JB was a regular, and even chose his personal studio location because it was just around the corner. Once empty handed, the two wandered aimlessly. They stopped at a convenience store and picked out a few beers to share.

"The lyrics you sing in english for Rainy I find incredible." Guerin gushed. The topic had turned back to his performance, "When you say 'I love you alone' it's such an interesting way to express one sided love, or a doomed love?" She mused, looking at him, expecting an answer.

"Thank you." JB responded simply instead, flattered with her praise but unfocused. Guerin pressed her lips together thoughtfully, watching him before her gaze caught something behind him.

"Oh, JB!" She was so excited she grabbed his long sleeve peaking out from under his blazer.

"What?" He asked, startled, eyes wide as he looked at her and looked around.

"Swings! Let's go!" She cut past him, still holding his sleeve and forcing him along with her.

"Seriously? How old are you?" He asked again, rolling his eyes.

"Depends on the situation." She quipped, not bothering with sass this time. "Right now I'm whatever age it is appropriate to be happy about swings."

"You startled me. I thought something bad happened." JB chastised her but still didn't pull out of her grasp.

"Aww, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She looked back at him with an exaggerated apologetic expression. He sucked air through his teeth and cocked his head, making her giggle with his feigned disapproval, "I'll buy you a drink to make up for it." She promised as they reached the swings, only then releasing his sleeve as she sat on one of the two swings.

JB set their bag next to him, pulled out two beers and sank down on the second swing, handing one of the beers to Guerin who was already starting to swing gently.

"I wrote that lyric thinking I had to give up on a love." JB answered suddenly, cracking his beer open and taking a sip.

Guerin paused, taking a moment to piece together the sudden change in topic before figuring it out, "You mean from Rainy?"

JB nodded.

Guerin looked thoughtful, swinging gently again, this time from side to side, "Did you pair it with Be With You because you were telling a story?"

JB nodded again.

"Did someone hurt you? Do I need to fight someone?" She shook her fist and JB laughed at the unexpected mood shift.

"No, I wouldn't say someone hurt me. I think I did most of the hurting." His smile faded and became more forced.

Guerin let him have his thoughts for a few moments, drinking more of her beer before speaking again, "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

JB hesitated then nodded a third time. She waited and the two continued drinking in silence.

"There's someone I like a lot. I wrote Be With You inspired by our time together. Then someone close and precious to me said that they liked her too." He started. Guerin nodded as he spoke, offering quiet sympathetic sounds as he continued, "I thought it would be best for everyone if I just let it go. No one knew my feelings except me." He sighed and stopped again, pressing his lips together and casting his gaze to the treetops.

"I thought I needed to withdraw and instead it made me seem distant which was hurtful, then it made me angry and I lashed out which was even worse."

Guerin had gone completely quiet and still as he told the story, convincing herself that this story was becoming more familiar by coincidence.

"I told my friend the truth. I told him I couldn't give up without trying, that I had to tell the truth. Even though I accidentally already did." JB looked sheepish, "I remember going to your house Guerin. I remember what I said. It was vague enough to play off. I let you believe I didn't remember. I'm sorry I deceived you. But I wanted to do this right." JB was looking at Guerin. Her gaze met his, still in disbelief as she switched her gaze between his eyes. Her face felt tingly and her chest tight, like she couldn't catch her breath.

"Do what?" She asked tightly.

"Those songs were inspired by you. By us. I like being with you, I want more. Rainy was me trying to deny my feelings and I don't want that song to be true."

JB stared into Guerin's eyes for a beat. His expression was genuine and serious. The only hint of nerves was the swallow he gave before licking his lips and saying the words he had been saving.

"Go Guerin, I like you."

Her mouth opened and closed as she blinked, eyes flicking around while she tried to process this unexpected turn of events. She managed a strangled laugh, "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you. It's just. I'm so surprised. And the timing?" She laughed the strange laugh again.

"Timing?" JB asked, curiously.

"Uh, is Jackson the friend you were talking about?" Guerin asked and JB nodded, "He also confessed before he left for China."

JB looked surprised, "I thought he would have said something if you two were dating."

"He probably would have. If we were dating." Guerin said somewhat guiltily.

"Did you reject him?" JB still sounded surprised but a little hope peeked through.

"No... he told me to think about it... he said I should answer him when he gets back." She exhaled, still feeling guilty.

"Good." JB said, Guerin glanced at him questioningly, "I mean... do you have an answer for me?" He asked.

Guerin felt bad, he must have been anxious that whole tangent but she still was processing the information, "I... I... JB..." Making words was suddenly the most difficult challenge to overcome. Of course she liked JB. He matched her introverted qualities, he was talented, funny, cute and sexy in the worst way. She also liked Jackson, despite her reservations, and it's not like she didn't have reservations for JB too. He was working on his anger and while he seemed to be doing well according to those who had known him a while, what would happen if they spent more time together?

Guerin must have been quiet longer than she intended because JB spoke up again, "You don't have to answer now. Take your time to think about it." JB shrugged, probably intending to seem nonchalant but looking stiff.

"Thank you." She said quietly. "I'm sorry to make you wait." She apologized as JB finished his drink and he shook his head.

"I got to take my time to figure out this. You should take your time to respond." He reassured her, "I'd be lying if I said I'm not disappointed it isn't an immediate yes." He shot her a wry smile.

Guerin stood, walking over and picking up their bag taking his empty can along with hers and switching them for full ones. "Come on, let's go get a late night snack." She handed him the new drink. He stood and walked along with her. Despite the silence neither of them felt awkward. The mood was pensive but a bit relieved. As they headed toward the busier city area JB took the bag Guerin was carrying between them. He bit his lip, looking straight ahead and trying to stay cool before clearing his throat and speaking.

"Would it be okay if I held your hand?"

Guerin fought back her grin at his adorable and respectful request that he very clearly was trying to maintain a chic demeanor for. Instead of answering verbally, she stepped in closer to him and took his hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. Both of them smiled without looking at each other.

"What do you want to eat?" JB asked after a few paces.

"Tteokbokki." Guerin answered decisively with a single big nod.

JB swung her hand back and forth with his gently, "Okay. I know a place nearby. My treat."

"No, you already got coffee." Guerin protested.

He shrugged and kept walking until she tugged his hand for attention and stopped in her tracks. JB faced her as she pouted at him and he laughed, "Fine, you can get drinks." He walked backwards, leading her along again.

"Deal." She tapped her beer against his, held in the same hand as their bag and took a deep pull, "But don't get drunk and confess again. Twice is enough for me to get the point." She avoided eye contact with him to prevent herself from bursting out into laughter.

"Ya..." He said in disbelief, now it was her turn to pull him along as he stopped and stared after her. Guerin's lack of poker face won out and she let out her typical loud laugh.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist, I'm sorry. Come on let's go." She said between chuckles.

He feigned being hurt but fell into step beside her as the two continued their trek, still hand in hand.

Mark didn't look up from the computer screen when the seat next to him was pulled out and someone settled into it. He knew Jinyoung would be coming since they had texted earlier. Jinyoung wanted wanted to meet up and said he would go to Mark. He stayed focused on the game since, well, he WAS a gamer, but also partially because a part of him wanted to avoid the conversation. Too soon the round ended with him losing. He exhaled and leaned his head back against the headrest, closing his eyes for a few moments before reaching up to remove his headphones and turning to Jinyoung patiently waiting next to him.

"Hi, Hyung." Jinyoung greeted the older man.

"Hi Jinyoung-ah." Mark greeted in return, "You distracted me so I lost."

Jinyoung looked amused, "You didn't look distracted. You didn't even seem to notice me arriving."

Mark shrugged, not really feeling the small talk. Jinyoung waited a few beats before changing the subject. "I'll get to the point. Charlie-ssi and I are dating now."

Mark glanced at his dongsaeng from the corner of his eye before looking straight ahead and nodded slowly a couple times. "Okay."

"I wanted to tell you in person." Jinyoung said seriously.

"Okay." Mark said again. His expression was masked but Jinyoung knew him well enough that he recognized the clear displeasure.

"I... suspected that you also had feelings for Charlie. That's why I wanted to tell you." He added.

"You know..." Mark started and tilted his head in annoyance, "You are making this gesture of kindness after you already disrespected me. I find it almost more annoying."

"You mean when I insisted on walking Charlie home." Jinyoung said. It wasn't a question.

Mark nodded.

"I'm sorry hyung." Jinyoung said genuinely.

"Bullshit." Mark verbally sniped the apology, "You admit you knew how I felt, you pushed me out and now you're here telling me that it all paid off and expect me to believe you're sorry?"

Jinyoung went quiet for a moment before speaking again, "I can see why it might be hard to believe... hyung please believe me, my intention wasn't to upset you. I insisted on walking her home because that had been my plan all along. I had made the decision to confess and I didn't want to have to stress over it again. I should have taken your feelings into consideration and I didn't. My thoughtlessness hurt you, but that wasn't what I wanted. I'm sorry."

Mark clicked through a few screens after Jinyoung finished talked, hitting the mouse and keyboard buttons a bit harder than necessary before sighing again and leaning back. "What's done is done." Mark said frankly, "I'll accept it. But for now I need to be mad. So go away or it'll just get worse."

Jinyoung hesitated, wanting more but knowing Mark well enough to not push him when he was so close to the brink of anger already. With a sigh he stood, adjusting his long tan coat back into place and turning to go.

"Jinyoungie." Mark said suddenly, "Don't give her a reason to leave, cause if she needs one I'll be there. You owe me that."

Jinyoung looked down at Mark, "If I give her a reason to leave I'd prefer that option over any other." He chafed at the idea of losing Charlie, but in that undesirable scenario at least Mark would be happy. Mark started to put his headphones back on but Jinyoung quickly spoke up again, "Hyung, will we be okay?"

Mark looked annoyed, glancing up at Jinyoung, "Of course."

Having turned back to the computer screen he missed Jinyoungs visible relief. For now, he would give Mark the space he requested, hopefully soon they could repair the damage he had carelessly caused in their friendship. He was grateful to learn that it wasn't the end of such a bond. On his way out he ordered some snacks to be delivered to Mark and paid before leaving to meet his new girlfriend for a date.

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hawaiianhalfwolf · 7 years

Text

So what you're saying is, I'm your brand of heroin? | Noah & Reza

About three things Noah was absolutely positive.......

Toweling off his hair a little more Noah looked in the mirror for one last time checking to make sure he was presentable. If this was any normal night he’d be most likely be naked by now, obviously company warranted proper clothes. Or at least a pair of basketball shorts and a muscle tee. Hanging up his towel in his bathroom, Noah padded back across his room human ears pricked for the doorbell. He’d told Reza he could come over like an hour ago though maybe it took more time for the kid to get here than 30 minutes. Shrugging it off Noah went to scoop up the little foster pup from his position snoozing on his bed figuring it was best to just move everyone downstairs to wait. And of course it was only when he was halfway down the stairs did he hear it the faint chime of the doorbell that was only installed for Noah’s benefit, the little pup tucked under his arm starting to stir from all the noise. “Coming!” the boy called out as he ran down the last of the stairs Kea already beating him to the door “Back,” he commanded looking straight at her expecting her to do as she was told. And she did paws moving back a few steps, tail still wagging profusely. “Good girl” He praised before going for the door and opening it wide upon Reza. “Hello hello, long time no see.”

Reza would never admit to it but he'd shown up to Noah's house at the exact time given -- half an hour from their conversation-- and then proceeded to loiter around for another half hour. Mostly to avoid any unbearable situations, like accidentally disrupting Noah's shower early, but also because he didn't want to seem too eager. Which he was. Hanging around in that smelly hole of a basement he called home got lonely. Way lonely and cuddling it up with a dog was without a doubt the perfect solution. Talking to Noah didn't make things worse, either, since the older boy seemed to exist purely to spread positivity and kindness; something Reza really was lacking in his life at the moment. If only his traitorous thoughts would stop making him feel like hanging out with an admittedly handsome friend was in some way betrayal to a dead person. And really, person was a stretch. Jittery hands finally knocked on the door and Reza could immediately smell the mixed scent of dog, fresh shampoo and something his nose told him was Noah. "Hey," he greeted with a touch less enthusiasm, smile getting lost as his gaze quickly turned to the ground. "Thanks for letting me come over." Reza shifted on the doorstep, shrugging off his jacket as soon as he did to avoid it getting covered in dog hairs because no way was he not getting on his knees to pet the gorgeous dog wagging its tail, leaving him in the traditional black, skinny jeans and an even darker T-shirt (a personal favorite decorated with a sleeping cat and the words 'not today'). A sensation he knew by now, but was no less uncomfortable, told him that he couldn't pass the doorstep just yet. Noah hadn't explicitly invited him in which meant... yeah.

Moving away from the entrance so Reza could pass through Noah went to stand next to Kea happy she was waiting patiently. “It’s totally no problem dude.” He brushed off the gratitude smiling at the boy, because it really was no problem. “Plus you caught us on a quiet night, most of the time there’s at least 3 extra people milling about the kitchen eating our food, isn’t that right?” Noah cooed down at the little pup in his arms, his little snout giving a rather large yawn that made Noah’s heart practically melt in his chest. God he love puppies so much. Glancing back over at the kid he noticed he’s gotten rid of his jacket, a funny shirt and his general punk skinny jeans look underneath. And Noah would be lying if he didn’t feel that tingle, that small little wolf inside of him kinda wondering what all those clothes would look like on the floor. But he pushed that down. God. He really needed to get laid sometime soon so that shit stopped happening with his fucking friends. Shaking off the inner turmoil though Noah cocked his head at the boy outside. “So what are you a vampire now?” Noah teased looking at Reza standing stock still on the doorway. Most of his regular friends would have barged in by now, but then again Reza was not a normal friend, and maybe he just was super polite, yea maybe that was it. “Come on get in here before Kea explodes from excitement.” Noah said before turning and walking towards the couch making it plainly clear the Reza should come inside now. Oh and shut the door behind him too.

Reza quickly began to fidget, weighing the option of just turning on his heel and walking the other way because this was just... the worst. The puppy yawned with excitement and Reza decided to stay, if only for the dog. Something shifted in Noah's eyes for a second, pupils darkening and for a moment Reza wondered if it was realization dawning behind his eyes. Did Reza's reluctance -- or inability-- to enter somehow out him as a vampire? Holy... “So what are you a vampire now?” A... a joke? Noah was joking. Obviously. He didn't know, how could he. The offer to step inside was accepted without hesitation, Reza shuffling inside with an awkward laugh. "A vampire. Yeah, for sure. I'm the one creeping outside your window every night." Cringing at himself, Reza simply turned all his attention to the dog instead of trying to fix that mess of a sentence. He was greeted vigorously by the door, a genuine laugh slipping past his lips as paws scrabbled for Reza, tongue slobbering towards his face. "Hey, there, girl How are you? You are absolutely gorgeous," he cooed, the built up tension and nervousness easing slightly as his cold fingers wrapped into the soft fur.

“You know if you wanted to see me naked all you had to do was ask.” Noah quipped playfully over his shoulder as he walked over to the couch the little foster puppy in tow with him while Haukea stayed by the door. Blanching a little though at the realization of what he just said, to Reza, someone who thought he was weird for giving a compliment Noah instantly backtracked “And I swear that was totally a joke” He said turning around so Reza could see the seriousness in his eyes. Holding it for a moment Noah resumed his task, sitting down and making himself comfortable. That and reminding himself that Reza was not one of his bros. He didn’t get the humor and the subtle gay undertones that were a part of Noah’s everyday life with his friends. Looking over at Haukea though (as she totally ignored her training and jumped on Reza, hed had to go over that with her again) Noah realized again where he was failing “Oh my god. You’ve never met Haukea have you.” Noah asked over the side of the couch practically face palming himself “Wow. My total bad dude. So yea that’s Haukea, she loves long walkies and taking up half of whatever you are sitting on. So don’t say you weren’t warned” Noah grinned over at the pair happy that Kea might have have a part in making the poor kid smile.

"That's not what I..." Reza started defensively, cutting himself off short as he remembered that Noah liked his jokes a bit underneath the belt. So this was a joke. Obviously. Noah quickly confirmed that he hadn't been serious but Reza was still rigid as a stick. Man, this was exhausting, wading through weird hoops of compliments and sexual jokes delivered so casually that they made him sort of choke on his own spit. His attention turned back to the dog, a much safer area than pretty much all conversation with Noah, a smile returning to Reza's face. "She can take up all the space she wants." Nuzzling her head with his forehead before the dog bounded back to Noah, Reza stood up and brushed off his jeans. He felt pretty exposed wearing nothing but a T-shirt but putting on his jacket would make it seem like he was itching to leave right away. Hands in his pockets, Reza loitered over to the couch, glancing to the puppy joining Noah on the couch. "And, uh, who's that then?"

Ignoring the slightly awkward atmosphere that came about with his joke Noah focused on making himself more comfortable on the couch.Turning his back toward the armrest Noah spread his legs slightly placing the small pup on the space between his chest and his knees. Yea that was a lot more comfortable, though that still left Reza over by the door while Noah was taking up half the couch.. “You shouldn’t say that.” Noah replied to Reza with a playful shake of his head hoping the kid would get the memo that he could come into the living room. “Because next thing you know she’ll be pushing you out of a queen sized bed. Huh you little bed stealer ” He gave Haukea a nice head scratch as she passed already jumping up into her usual spot at Noah’s feet. But that’s not what Noah wanted. “Down.” Noah commanded with a finger snap the second her paws touched the couch. “Reza gets to chose where he sits first then you can squeeze your ass in whatever space is available” He told her as if she understood, but he guessed that was less for her benefit and more for Reza’s. Because while there were few of fluffy pillows strewn about the floor (from the last pack meeting), and a rather large looking armchair tucked in the corner (Cahill’s chair) Noah kinda wished Reza would sit with him on the couch. You know. Like Friends did. Looking down at the speckled puppy trying to find a good sport on his chest Noah huffed a little, the pups name a sore spot in his eyes “Well technically his name at the barn was Granite, but I’m not sure if I like that for him.” He frowned at the puppy slightly “Though I probably shouldn’t rename him if I’m fostering, don’t want to become too attached you know”

"I don't need..." A bed? Sleep? Not things you can say, Reza, "...that much space, to be honest. Perks of being a skinny, small guy." Usually, he was more comfortable curled up on the edge of a mattress, anyway. As Haukea was commanded to the floor, Reza frowned, her big, sad dog eyes tugging at his sympathy. Noah's following statement made him shift awkwardly as he wondered if Mister Big and Burly wanted Reza to squeeze into the couch with him. That plan had so many flaws, including but not exclusive to Reza's cold skin, Reza being that close to someone with a beating heart (blood bag or no, his gums still itched at the thought) and Reza being mildly terrified of the thought of human contact since... Yeah, Reza on the couch wasn't happening. "Aw, I don't have the heart to leave her on the floor," he excused himself, taking a seat crosslegged on a pillow facing Noah. It felt instantly more comfortable, perhaps in part because this was the similar set up he'd had with Heath while watching TV and no, comparing Noah to him in any way or form was not an option. "What if I rename him?" he blurted out to escape from pit in his head that had slowly cracked open, "that way it's not exactly yours but you get to call it something else?"

Noah couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at Reza chalking up the small pause in between his phrases as just the punk teen being awkward again. “Well the concept of not needing much space that has become completely foreign to me since puberty,” He admitted with a shrug ruffling the fluffy ears of the puppy in his lap. Watching closely as Haukea used her eyes Reza though Noah opened his mouth to say something but instantly shut it, knowing that he probably had fucked on on this one. Because offering couch space to Reza was too forward wasn’t it? It was too intimate and too. It was too much of what Noah liked and what Noah needed, and probably none what Reza needed. So taking the small sense of hurt and rejection and burying it deep down Noah just spread his legs out in front of him the pup in his lap nipping lightly at Noah’s leg as it moved. “Well your loss dude.” He joked out casually “Especially since she’s definitely manipulating you.” Noah looked over towards Haukea the lab smiling between both Noah and Reza almost happy she got her way. But he could never be mad at that face for long “Yea cuz you would have been just fine spread eagle over the top of us on the couch wouldn’t you?” He cooed as he gave her a couple good neck scratches with his outstretched hand. Feeling Granite start to puppy chew on his other hand Noah glanced over to Reza mulling his proposition over in his mind “I mean if you want to? I mean. I guess. I don’t know.” Noah rambled knowing he was making no sense whatsoever, “But I guess what I mean to say is If you feel like you have a good one I’m definitely open to it.

Reza watched the dog for a moment as it made itself comfortable, wondering if he was really that easily manipulated that a canine could overpower his will. No, this had been a decision based purely on not having to plop onto the sofa next to Noah. Reza wasn't the pushover he'd been -- how could he be considering what he'd become? Besides, that big ball of fluff wasn't capable of real manipulation, anyway. Brushing off the cord the statement had struck within him, Reza focused on the name-giving instead. "Hey, woah, I never said I had a good one. Just trying to be a problem solver." Leaning back, palms flat against the floor, he thought it over. A lot of names he'd have given his own pets came to mind but this was Noah. Maybe it didn't need to be too complicated, though... "I think, and don't cite me on this, that in Hebrew, Caleb means like, wolf or dog or something. So it's like naming your cat Cat."

“Well you’re in the Kalani household now kid, we expect perfection” Noah teased out towards Reza a sly grin on his face. It was hopefully taken as the joke it was, mostly because he really did appreciate the help however small. And he was glad reza was starting to get comfortable with him enough to suggest things. Contemplating the suggestion though Noah bit his lip slightly “You know I never thought about Caleb. I mean I usually name my animals funny things in Hawaiian and not funny things in Hebrew.” Noah smiled looking down at Haukea (aka little miss Snow White) fondly. Well that was before Granite puppy chewed at his fingers again bringing the older boy’s attention back to him “But maybe you could be the one that breaks the mold huh buddy.” He cooed moving his hands a bit so the pup had to move some to pin them. “So hebrew huh? Do you actually know the language or are you like a name researcher” He asked glancing over at Reza.

Reza felt immensely relieved that Noah liked the name, feeling pretty happy to have put something nice into this household. Even though it wasn't permanent but maybe the name would stick. Eyeing the dog with envy, knowing that there was no way he could take care of a dog -- not to mention a puppy-- Reza ripped himself out of those thoughts. Yes, having something to cuddle in the damp hole of a basement would make everything tremendously improved but he couldn't do that to the poor thing, bringing it into those living conditions. He didn't want to think about what else could go wrong, having a live animal around him at all times. The blood bags weren't necessarily going to be a plan forever. "Uh, neither? I do know some Arabic and the two are pretty similiar in a lot of ways so... I mean, I have researched names but like... only pet names since that was kinda all I wanted when I was younger. And now, too, I guess." He smiled, eyes flicking back to the puppy trying to devour Noah's hand and failing completely.

Glancing over toward Reza Noah could see his eyes on the pup, the longing almost palpable and Noah knew what he had to do next. Lifting Granite/Caleb off of his chest the older boy placed him on the floor in a small unceremonious gesture scooting the pup toward the boy “Here go terrorize your sister and Uncle Reza for a change.” He mock whispered to the pup as Haukea lifted her head from her spot, tail thumping against the ground in anticipation for puppy play time with her new little foster brother. Settling back into his dog free zone on the couch Noah scooted forward his head now resting on a pillow against the headrest, his long ass legs dangling slightly from the other end. “Thats pretty cool.” He commented though once Reza started talking about his language skills “I mean I’ve never tried Arabic, but I give you mad props for trying, cuz it looks hard as fuck.” Turning he resettled himself so he was facing Reza and not the ceiling “I do get the pet name thing though, cuz my dad was always asking me to name the strays left at his clinic. So I’d go online and take a few days to pick out like what I thought was the perfect name and he’d be like… you know you could have just picked something easy like Bob” Noah recalled with a smile, heart aching slightly at the fact that that was only a memory now.

Reza accepted the pup trotting over with welcoming arms, chuckling as it stumbled over his legs. "Hey," he whispered to Caleb, scratching his head. "Hmm? Oh, it's easier when your parents speak the language. I mean, I'm rusty as fuck these days but..." Shrugging, Reza saved his fingers from the relentless puppy's chewing to pull down the collar of his shirt. "I kid myself that I'm keeping the language alive by getting tattoos in urdu, like my mom's name here. I also have a quote on my ribs but, uhm..." Reza let his shirt fall back over his collarbone, clearing his throat. "Yeah, you can just imagine that one. So, uh, Bob the dog. Doesn't have as good of a ring to it as Caleb the dog." Smooth transition there, big guy. Reza really did like talking about his tattoos but he wasn't going to start... stripping for Noah to show them off.

Looking at Reza Noah smiled a little glad that the Caleb was having a good time with his guest. “Yea i’ll bet” Noah mumbled out into the couch a little sad that his dad didn’t speak more Hawaiian to him, or that his mom completely forgot her Turkish due to being adopted young. Eye tracking Reza though he stared at deft fingers pulling down his shirt collar to show him his urdu tattoo, that was actually quite beautiful. Trying not to stare to hard though Noah focused on the symbolism of the tattoo and not the pale skin underneath especially when Reza started blushing about the quote on his ribs. “Dude don’t kid yourself.” Noah shook his head sitting up on the couch “I mean first thing I’m doing when I get off of football this year is go and get my family’s tribal pattern on my chest and shoulder in honor of my dad. So like I get it.” He grinned at the other boy before the light bulb went off in his head “Which speaking of, do you know any good artists that know about polynesian tattoos?” He asked Reza ears perking up slightly at the sound of the door opening. It was Charlie one of the pack members coming through the door. “Looking for extra poker chips?” Noah called out to him pre-empting the mans questioning. It was poker night for Cahill and his male pack members, and of course the Alpha would send someone else to collect the things Noah told him he should bring in the first place. Typical. Standing there like the lumberjack wonder he was Charlie looked a little confused, hand rubbing in his beard, before he nodded, eyes never straying from Reza “Up the stairs in the hall closet” Noah pointed, as if this was the most casual thing in the world to him. Slowly Charlie climbed the stairs leaving Reza and Noah back to their talking “Don’t mind him, that’s just Charlie, a friend of my Uncles” Noah said waving it off as it if was nothing.

Reza perked up when Noah asked about a tattoo artist, the thought of actually being able to give someone good advice on something he knew and knew well filling him with a euphoric purpose. "Dude, yeah! I've seen so many great tattoos when I've been browsing and--" The door slammed and Reza's newly found energy escaped his body like a deflating balloon. Someone was home? Reza hadn't been prepared for anyone other than Noah and some dogs. The very tall, very burly man that appeared in the door caused every muscle in Reza's body to tense, his fingers wrapping up in Caleb's fur. The fact that this bearded man wasn't moving his eyes off Reza's face despite how uncomfortable the vampire clearly looked wasn't helping the situation. Even when the freezing stare left him, Reza still sat completely still, almost inhumanly so, only snapping back to reality when Caleb started to squirm. "Hmm? Yeah, it's... fine. Just... fine." Caleb starting licking at Reza's hand, clearly sensing the discomfort. With his brain slowly calming down after the disheartening staring contest, Reza became acutely aware of the smell in the room that seemed to have intensified with Charlie's arrival. It was the same smell Reza had subconsciously started connecting to Noah, only much stronger. Was this... were the both of them not... human? Did Reza's nose know more than he did?

Smiling at the boy Noah tried to keep the conversation going, mistaking Reza’s silence for the possibility that he was just uncomfortable. Which Noah thought was fair enough, not everyone lived with such an open door policy as the Kalani Pack did after all, and that could be startling at first. Just all the people coming and going. “That’s good though,” Noah commented after Charlie bounded up the stairs “I mean I want to make sure it’s done, well, respectfully and as authentically as possible though so it’s like.” Noah shrugged “I almost feel like i should fly to Hawai’i and get to done there just to be safe or something”

"Yeah, mhm," Reza replied with disinterest, ears now perked for any sound from the broody Charlie. Something in him was tingling, telling him to run, probably just his paranoia but he was definitely on edge. "Hawaii sounds fun and--" Footsteps thumped back down the stairs and Reza tensed, with Caleb cuddling into his lap, probably expecting something dangerous to happen just because of Reza's reaction. Charlie appeared back downstairs and Reza's eyes locked onto the dogs, in the hopes of avoiding another staring contest. As soon as Charlie left, Reza could politely excuse himself and bolt. Even though he could already imagine Noah's big, sad eyes reacting to that announcement.

Watching Reza tense again as Charlie came back down the stairs Noah couldn’t help but be concerned. He didn’t know much about Charlie only that the 30-something man had swept in from Montana 5 years ago after his wife left him. Apparently she wasn’t a fan of werewolves, which was sad, but luckily Charlie found the right man to bring his car into for repairs. Funnily enough the rest was history. But that didn’t mean Noah felt as at ease around Charlie as he did other members of the pack. Charlie was. Well he was just Charlie. Stoic and obedient. Didn’t talk much. Which was a shame because he always looked like he had something to say under that rugged beard. Like he did right now standing at the bottom of the stairs a troubled look on his face. “Hey before I go,” Charlie paused coming a bit closer “Um did you happen to tell Cahill about this?” He asked swinging a finger in both of their directions. Glancing over the side of the couch to where Charlie was standing Noah gave a confused stare. “Tell Cahill what? About me having someone over?” He asked not really knowing what the big deal was about. He was 22 after all well past the age where he needed to tell Cahill about each and every one of his playdates “No I meant about you being here with” Charlie’s eyes flickered slightly toward Reza, giving Noah the all so subtle hint that it had something to do with the boy on the ground “I dont know what you’re-”” Noah until. Shit. Fuck. Did Charlie mean, no, he couldn’t be. Trying to stop his brain from exploding inside of his skull Noah stood hand in the air the a look of pure panic written all over his face “we’re totally not like dating or fucking if that’s what you mean I swear we’re just friends I mean I’m not even g-” “Stop,” Charlie stopped him with his free hand eyes wide “I totally did not mean that,” He clarified before his face soften “though If you were to be dating men now I would be totally fi-” Noah could feel all of the blood rush out of his body at that exact second. “Do not finish that sentence for the love of all that is holy,” He blurted over the top of Charlie, the look of panic still caught in his eyes. Because nope he was not doing this here, like this, in front of Reza ok. I mean not that he minded coming out to Reza since it seemed like the boy wouldn’t judge but just. Yea no, Nope. Not the time not the place “Just tell me what you meant before and we’ll consider everything good.” Noah continued lips pursed in a line now. But it was Charlie who now looked confused “You mean you can’t feel it?” Looking at Charlie and Noah couldn’t help but shake his head, an eyebrow raised to illustrate his own emotions on the subject “Feel what?” He asked turning to Reza wondering if the boy had any insight.

It was definitely time to freak out now, Reza decided, as Charlie asked his 'before I go' question. Really, it was some sort of miracle that Noah hadn't found him out yet, since Reza felt like he just radiated these awkward vibes of 'I'm not human.' Avoiding Charlie's accusing gaze, mind screaming fire and setting off every alarm, Reza couldn't help but wonder just how this very large man had deducted Reza's secret after being here for literally five minutes. It had to mean that he wasn't human and neither was Noah... Noah, who was now on his feet and Reza realized he hadn't been listening to what was transpiring, instead just preparing for imminent doom, but his friend (?) was blushing like crazy and maybe this wasn't about him being a vampire? Did Charlie think this was a... date? Noah was close to screaming now and Reza's muscles were all tensed for escape, his eyes starting to flit to the door. Charlie had made it clear that he wasn't showing an interest in Noah's love life. He was showing an interest in the vermin Noah had brought into their house. “Feel what?” Noah asked and as soon as his attention turned to Reza, the vampire was on the move, scrambling to his feet around the confused puppy and bolting to the door. He heard Charlie approaching before he saw him, barrelling into the muscular chest now blocking the door. His stance went defensive -- primal-- as Charlie growled deep from his throat. The other dogs whined at the sound and Reza could feel his eyes flashing red. Shit. “You let him invite you into his home. His den-” Charlie paused, taking a deep breath, his hackles coming down slightly. Reza didn't relax one bit. “You owe him an explanation. You owe him that much at least. And if you don’t tell him I will." Shoulders still hunched, eyes red and narrowed, Reza resisted the urge to hiss. He should just let him leave, this was completely unnecessary. "Just let me leave," he half-growled under his breath, for Charlie's ears only, voice almost pleading.

Watching it all unfold like a bad horror film, Reza must have been supernatural with the way he moved Noah’s eyes barely registering he’d left before he was clashing at the door with Charlie. And Noah was up in an instant mind going straight to how he could de escalate the situation instead of anything else. Or rather just get Reza to somewhere safe and not staring down the barrel of 250 pounds of angry werewolf. Wedging himself in between the two men Noah kept his eyes on Charlie, hands reaching out behind him to start pushing Reza’s torso, hoping the other boy would get the hint that he needed to back away and back away now. “Stand Down Charlie” Noah growled out a certain venom to his words. In purer werewolf terms he was outranked for sure. But this was still his house, and Noah was. Well Noah was the punk ass kid who challenged his Alpha all the time, so he wasn’t going to let some lowly pack member try to tell him what was best for his world. Not now, not ever. “Noah” Charlie growled out as if to test his resolve. But noah was not backing down No sir. “Do not fucking Noah me right now. This is my house. I outrank you by default.” He was staring straight at Charlie now as if daring him to challenge his authority in his own fucking house. Luckily for all of them though Charlie had enough sense to know when he was beaten and silently looked away waiting for Noah to clean up the mess he’d just made. Taking a deep breath Noah kept his eyes on Charlie but spoke for the boy behind him. “Reza, if you need to leave the back slider is open. You can go down the porch, and take a right around the struts, there’s a gate to the drive way in that general direction. If you just need somewhere safe my room is at the top of the stairs 2nd door on the left. No one but me is allowed to be in there.” The last part was emphasized not for Reza’s benefit but for Charlie’s, as they all knew the house rules. Noah’s bedroom was off limits unless invited. Even for Cahill the alpha.

Noah's hand on his torso made Reza cringe away, his body still pulled taut like a string waiting to snap. A part of him wanted a fight, convinced he could at least get a few good hits -- or bites-- in, but Noah being in the way stopped him. It took his panicked and anger-run brain a moment to realize that Noah wasn't trying to defend Charlie; he was defending Reza. Deflating like a popped balloon, Reza took a few steps back, eyes fading back to brown. The word 'leave' snapped his attention because yes, yes Reza needed to leave. The primal part of his brain was still lit up like a Christmas tree and that scared whatever logic was left in his brain; no way did he want this situation to escalate. He backtracked a few more steps, feeling Charlie's gaze burning his face. "I'm sorry," he muttered under his breath, turning on his heel and bolting for the back slider. As soon as he burst outside into the fresh air, his head cleared, managing to work through some of what he'd just witnessed. Charlie was an... animal. A werewolf. Which had to mean that Noah was one, too. And Charlie could have killed him. But he didn't. Because of Noah. Noah had protected him, even after most likely realizing that Reza wasn't human either; that Reza had lied. Realizing that he was still sprinting, Reza slowed down, finally slumping down to the ground. He could still see the barnhouse in the distance but he couldn't find the strength to get up, mind still reeling. His secret was out to Noah. And Reza had no idea what would happen now.

#pre finale #touchofchatzy #storyline: sun and moon #rezathevamp #tw: drug mention #for the title?#//ALSO PROPS TO WHOMEVER GETS THE REFERENCES #XD

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houseisekai · 3 years

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House Isekai: A Realm Reborn - Part 2, Through the Maelstrom (1 of 3)

House Isekai ARR Masterlist Here

—

Client: Hilda Valentin Goneril

Refusing to work with the newly reformed House Isekai due to Class VII, Duvalie takes her orders and storms off to Goneril territory, trying to get home faster. Not wanting to leave Duvalie completely alone, Raelyn and Fireteam Alpha-Nine accompany her.

Reports indicate of a giant serpent-like beast terrorizing the ocean trade routes near Goneril territory, and an unknown entity accompanying it...

---

[The Ocular - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers OST]

Sitri tried to calm herself as Sothis powered three floating crystals in front of her.

They were alone in the Listening chamber, but it was still somewhat nerve-wracking to call the world leaders everytime.

She looked down in slight disappointment of herself. What would Byleth have done...?

(Sothis) “You shouldn’t compare yourself to him, you know.”

Sitri sighed in response.

(Sitri) “Right. I forget you can hear my thoughts...”

(Sothis) “He forgot all the time too, so it isn’t just you. And more importantly, just because you’ve taken his mantle does not mean you have to be exactly him.”

She unsheathed the Sword of the Creator, and it faintly glowed and hummed with her touch.

(Sothis) “The circumstances are completely different and the world has changed, for better and worse. You will be a worthy successor. I promise.”

(Sitri) “...Thank you.”

(Sothis) “We can discuss the rest of this later, for now...”

Sothis snapped her fingers and the crystals sprung to life, radiating a bright blue aura as transparent images of the world leaders began to form.

(Edelgard) “Connection is established here.”

(Dimitri) “Mine as well.”

(Claude) “Eh, pretty sure it’s working. Sitri!”

(Sitri) “Hello, everyone.”

Sitri bowed before clearing her throat.

(Sitri) “Emperor Edelgard, King Dimit-”

(Dimitri) “You do not have to be so formal around us, you know.”

(Claude) “Yeah, you can drop it if it's just us."

(Edelgard) “Hmph. Some professionalism wouldn’t-”

(Dimitri) “Time and place for all things. Now apologies, I did not mean to interrupt.”

Sitri sighed in relief as her shoulders began to relax and she put her hand to her chest.

(Sitri) “In that case, my top students have investigated the Zanado Tower at your request. There were some skirmishes, but nothing serious. We also have found groups from other worlds present. None of which we are familiar with.”

Sothis floated next to her and crossed her arms.

(Sothis) “We called in help from the original House Isekai, but so far only four have responded. Rean, Towa, Kazuma, and Aigis."

(Dimitri) "That is a bit...troubling. I figured more would have come to our request."

(Edelgard) "Troubling, but not surprising. They do have to worry about their own world's well being again after all."

(Claude) "We should be grateful they showed up to begin with. But anyways, there's probably a bit more to the story right?"

Sitri nodded and told the three what had happened inside the Zanado Tower: meeting the new groups and the creatures that had attacked them.

(Sitri) "-...And it seems at least one group is aware of what they are. We plan to hunt them down ourselves, and reinstate House Isekai while doing so."

The three leaders looked surprised after hearing her plan.

(Edelgard) "Hm...An interesting proposal."

(Claude) "A second generation, eh? How are the kids handling the news?"

(Sothis) "So far, we have only selected a handful of the very best the three houses have had to offer. Their reactions are...mixed to say the least."

Dimitri furrowed his brows as he crossed his arms.

(Dimitri) "After what happened during the original's time here, I cannot blame them."

(Edelgard) "Indeed. We are the only ones who know the truth, besides our militaries."

(Sitri) "Despite their problems, I have full confidence that they will come around in time. As head of Garreg Mach, I will see to that myself."

(Claude) "Of that, we have no doubt, Sitri. I am more concerned with how everyone else will take this news..."

Claude sighed as he shook his head.

(Claude) "We're already having problems with getting our people to work together as it is, doubt this is gonna make things any easier."

(Edelgard) "And it is something we will deal with ourselves. Sitri has an important task, and we do not have the luxury of time to drop our political problems on her."

(Sitri) "Worry not, I will make sure everyone is kept in line during their time at Garreg Mach."

(Dimitri) "Then we will pray for your success. We are counting on you."

Dimitri and Edelgard's figure disappeared while Claude remained visible.

(Sothis) "Is something the matter?"

(Claude) "...I think I know how to start this reformation off right..."

=====

House Isekai: A Realm Reborn - Part 2

Through the Maelstrom

[Raise Your Flag - MAN WITH A MISSION]

Raise your flag

With all your voice

Shout it out loud with all your voice

One day

Someday somewhere

Dream on as we wander

Under pressure, you are waiting for direction

Going on the road without your mind

All misleads they give ignoring our decisions

Killing yourself your soul we have inside

Continue the struggle and feel like you're discouraged

Rise up again to run to the end

In between the never-ending dream

We can struggle and muzzle the world before it fades away

Raise your flag

With all your voice

Shout it out loud with all your voice

One day

Someday somewhere

Believing that we will reach that goal

Come on and Raise your flag

So just Raise your flag

No matter how many times we feel defeated or lost

As long as we breathe

As long as we carry on

Dream on as we wander

Chapter 1

One day after the events of Part 1...

[Life at Garreg Mach Monastery - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

Mercedes, Recette, and Tear walked through the hallways of the main building as the bell rang across the Monastery.

Tear was hovering next to Recette looking at a clipboard and looking up at Mercedes.

(Tear) "Let's see, we are to accommodate new student dormitories, supplies, and equipment?"

(Mercedes) "That would be correct."

=====

(Recette) "So what do we do about the giant robot things?"

(Tear) "Knights, Recette. They are called Knights."

(Recette) "But we already have the regular guards called Knights too! Why do we have such confusing terminology?!"

(Mercedes) "Technically speaking, they are Armiger class knights. The real knights we have belong to our military and-"

(Tear) "Regardless, they are to be moved to the new dorm, correct?"

Mercedes giggled seeing Tear obviously annoyed.

(Mercedes) "Apologies, I am only teasing! Yes, they will be."

The three walked down the stairs as a mixture of students and guards passed them by.

After waiting for them to pass, they made their way towards the student dorms.

(Recette) "So...what is House Isekai like?"

(Tear) "I have been rather curious myself. Sitri speaks of them in high regard, as do you."

Mercedes looked up to the skies, reminiscing her time with the original House Isekai.

(Mercedes) "They were quite the odd group of people, of all sorts of origins and personalities. Many of their technologies and fighting styles varied wildly, some familiar to us while some were...well, otherworldly."

She had a smile on her face, though there was a tinge of sadness to it.

(Mercedes) "They weren't always the kindest, charming or...well, even the best people but...they cared for us and Fodlan. Even when some of their own perished, they continued to fight for us. I wish the circumstances of our meeting had not been so tragic..."

Recette and Tear remained silent as Mercedes had stopped walking, still staring into the skies.

(Mercedes) "...Oh, pardon me! I was spacing out, let us keep moving!"

...

Astrid was the last person to walk into the group.

The chosen Garreg Mach students were waiting near their rooms with bags in hand.

(Astrid) "Oh crap, are we already going?!"

(Kairos) "They let us know last night, did you already forget?"

(Helena) "Obviously."

Astrid stuffed the food she was carrying into her mouth as she dashed into her room, hastily grabbing her belongings.

(Elizabeth) "It amazes me how airheaded she can be..."

(Stefan) "Being honest, I almost did the same thing..."

(Elizabeth) sigh "Of course you did. We cannot afford to slipping up like this! We are supposed to represent our classes as the best of the best!"

Helena shrugged nonchalantly.

(Helena) "Think that's just you. Everyone knows how I act and yet I'm here."

(Elizabeth) "Yes yes dear, we know you just nap away all the ti-"

(Kairos) "Gods above, can you quit your whining?"

(Elizabeth) "When you all get your act together, then I will!"

Kairos and Elizabeth stepped toward each other, and before their argument could heat up, Stefan stepped in.

(Stefan) "Come on guys, knock it off."

Astrid ran back out with her bags hastily strapped over her back, completely out of breath.

(Astrid) "Whew, made it!"

(Helena) "Good job."

Helena rolled her eyes hearing Kairos and Elizabeth's shouting get louder, and saw Mercedes, Recettte, and Tear approaching them.

(Mercedes) "Afternoon! Is something the matter?"

Kairos and Elizabeth finally backed down and cleared their throats.

(Stefan) "Not anymore."

(Recette) "Yayness! Now, let's get going!"

(Tear) "Right this way."

The group began to move towards the former Cathedral, Mercedes in front.

The Cathedral turned into a hangar for the Knights to walk in and out of, alongside receiving and shipping supplies provided by the three nations.

Mercedes frowned a little upon arriving. She had honestly never gotten used to being around these things. They went from mere prototypes to deployed all over the continent in only a year.

Something wasn't right about all of this technology they had been getting either...

Her daydream was interrupted when a guard cleared their throat.

(Imperial Knight) "Ma'am?"

(Mercedes) "Oh, sorry. We are here to check in with the new arrivals."

(Imperial Knight) "Understood. You'll find them in the war room."

...

[Spider Web - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

Rean looked around the room, barely able to recognize it.

This room was previously dedicated to the four saints during his time in Fodlan, now it was converted to some kind of information center.

There was a table made of crystal in the middle, displaying all sorts of semi-transparent text and images.

Towa appeared to be thinking the same thing as she was unable to tear her eyes off the table.

Rean sighed and finally turned behind him, the students of Class VII all looking around as well.

(Rean) "What are you guys doing here?"

His question caught their attention, making everyone turn to face him.

(Juna) "Us? What about you and Instructor Towa?! You guys are acting as if this is all normal!"

(Altina) "Observations have shown that you have reacted with little surprise."

(Towa) "Well, to make a long story short, we have been here before under some...strange circumstances. But how did you guys even get in here?"

(Ash) "Valimar let us in that portal or whatever the hell you guys walked through."

(Rean) "He what?!"

Rean had to calm down for a moment, and sighed again.

(Rean) "Guess I'll be speaking to him about tha-...Wait..."

(Kurt) "Instructor?"

(Rean) "When Valimar teleported us in, we all arrived at the top of the Tower. Why were you all teleported at the bottom...?"

(Musse) "Huh. That's weird."

(Towa) "There shouldn't be anything messing with the Tower from Fodlan's end, right?"

(Rean) "Hard to say, honestly. If those other groups got here, then something must be wrong."

(Kurt) "...Instructor, if I may?"

(Rean) "Hm? Go ahead, Kurt."

(Kurt) "I wish to accompany you here."

(Everyone) ?!

(Rean) "No. Out of the question. You all need to-"

(Juna) "Hey, you're our instructor, right? Then that means you have to watch over us, not go into some weird freaking dimension for goddess knows how long!"

(Ash) "Besides, we'd miss all the fun!"

(Musse) "And you, Instructor~-"

(Altina) "And potential training that could enhance our abilities."

(Rean) "..."

(Towa) "Well, time is very unpredictable here. The last time we were stuck here, only a few minutes passed by in our world while years went by in here. Who knows what could happen this time?"

Rean silently stared at Class VII, not knowing what to do.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

(Kingdom Knight) "Pardon sir, Mercedes is here."

(Rean) "Let her through."

Mercedes opened the door and her group came in, Class VII stepping aside to make room.

(Mercedes) "Good afternoon, everyone!"

(Towa) "Hello, Mercedes!"

(Rean) "I see you got the students and...who's that?"

Recette and Tear stepped forward, Recette excitedly waving as Tear adjusted her glasses as she floated next to her.

(Recette) "Hiya! I'm Recette, and that's Tear! We run a shop and helping fund Garreg Mach's reconstruction!"

Class VII looked at each other awkwardly, not sure how to make of that. She looked even younger than Altina, how could she run a shop?

(Kairos) "Trust us, she's telling the truth. We thought the exact same thing when we first met them."

(Kurt) "...Noted."

(Tear) "I am her...friend. It is a pleasure to meet members of House Isekai. I have been told many things about you all."

(Recette) "We'll have everyone's new dorms up soon and a lot of information to share, but we wanna get everyone together first! Do you know where your friends are?"

(Rean) "They're downstairs I think. At least that's what Aigis told us."

(Towa) "The tomb?"

(Mercedes) "Ah yes, that is where we have our new supply depot. Any excess supplies that cannot be brought up are taken down below, alongside extra knight suits."

(Tear) "It would be best to reunite with your friends before we continue talking. I am sure you all have many questions."

Class VII followed the group out, and went down the stairs and into the depot.

...

Workers moved back and forth, carrying varying sizes of crates into organized areas, with Knights being brought in by horseback on giant wooden platforms.

Knight suits were also moving around massive cargo filled with all kinds of armor and weapons, the sound of gears moving and workers shouting.

Kazuma still struggled to process everything he was seeing.

(Kazuma) "Where the hell was all this when we were travelling around Fodlan?!"

(Aigis) "They most likely developed this while we were away. While some aspects of their technology is primitive compared to ours, we cannot deny the amount of progress since we last saw them."

(Kazuma) "Primitive? They have giant god damn robots! That's WAY more than what Earth has!"

Kazuma turned to the other groups who were not standing too far away.

(Kazuma) "And speaking of..."

Kazuma and Aigis looked at the group of soldiers who called themselves ODST's.

Their weapons appeared to use conventional bullets, but their armor was far more advanced than the military had on Earth during their time.

One ODST named "Mickey" was doing something to his helmet, repeatedly tapping its side.

(Buck) "Anything?"

(Mickey) "Not a single thing. No comms, not from UNSC or Covenant. Whatever's going on here, it's completely cut us off from our world."

(Romeo) "That's just great..."

(Dutch) "How do we get back?"

(Mickey) "I'm thinking..."

(Kazuma) "...Feels weird having actual soldiers here."

(Aigis) "Agreed. We are lucky to have been accustomed to Fodlan during our last stay."

Aigis turned her attention to the one soldier in massive yelllow armor, quietly watching everything around him.

(Raelyn) "..."

(Aigis) "I am unfamiliar with him. He appears to be aware of Earth and humanity, but what he is wearing is both extremely advanced and archaic, technologically speaking."

(Kazuma) "Is he even human? Dude looks like a gorilla in ceramite."

(Aigis) "Further data is required to make a proper assessment."

Aigis's eyes glanced over to Duvalie, who was pacing back and forth near the last group, calling themselves the "Knights of Favonius".

Aigis couldn't tell what she was saying, but she definitely knew she was cursing under her breath. She didn't seem terribly confused about what was happening, but it seemed like her appearance here was more like a major inconvenience.

Of all groups however, the Knights of Favonius appeared to be the least phased.

(Jean) "Hopefully the knights will be fine without us..."

(Lisa) "Relax dear, they'll be okay. I doubt too much will happen, we have people like Albedo in their care."

(Amber) "Is anyone gonna be watching over Klee?"

Jean suddenly grew pale.

(Kaeya) "Easy now Amber, don't give her a heart attack."

(Diluc) "We can't leave anyway. Abyss Mages got to this world and it's our job to get rid of them."

(Venti) "Yeah, whatever their plans are, we're gonna stop them!"

(Kazuma) "...Least someone knows what the hell those things were."

Aigis was about to say more until she saw Mercedes and the others walking down the stairs.

(Aigis) "They are here, Kazuma."

(Kazuma) "About time."

Kazuma whistled and caught the groups' attention, everyone going up to meet them.

(Rean) "Everyone here?"

(Jean) "It appears so."

(Buck) "Anyone gonna bother to explain what in the hell's goin' on here?"

(Towa) "Well to put it shortly: you've all come from your worlds to Fodlan, just like we have."

(Duvalie) "Why was it US, though?"

(Kazuma) "Hell if we know. To be honest, our groups showed up here by pure chance."

(Aigis) "There was no clear reason for us, but I suspect something may be different in your cases."

(Buck) "How long are we going to be here? We were in the middle of fighting a war back home!"

(Rean) "That's...not easy to answer. We were technically here for 6 years, yet only a few minutes passed in my world."

Many of the members looked at each other, unsure of how to process this news.

(Mercedes) "Whatever the case, we'll make sure everyone gets back! You're all part of House Isekai now!"

(Lisa) "Might I ask what this "House Isekai" means to this world? It seems very obvious that this title is held in high regard."

(Kairos) "To some anyway..."

(Stefan) "C-Come on now, Kairos. We can at least give them a chance!"

Rean made a mental note to ask Mercedes about the students later. They obviously did not like House Isekai's presence.

He was getting some unpleasant flashbacks to when his country occupied another, with similar reactions.

(Towa) *ahem* House Isekai was formed under Garreg Mach Monastery as a way to unite everyone from different worlds. The original House had people from all sorts of backgrounds working together, and we saved this world and ours from certain destruction."

(Kurt) "Had it not been for us visiting here, I am not sure we would have believed any of this."

(Aigis) "...If memory serves correctly, you and the other members of Class VII were involved during the Towers forming in every world."

(Juna) "Uhh...Think we would've remembered something like that happening."

(Ash) "Doesn't ring a bell."

(Towa) "We came face to face with them during the assault on the Zanado Tower. What...?-"

(Duvalie) "Bah, history lesson later! What are we even doing down here anyway?"

(Mercedes) "Well, we came down here to inform you that your dorms were soon to be finished!"

(Tear) "We only ask for a bit more patience. The transfer of resources to these new rooms was quite sudden."

(Elizabeth) "And what are we to do in the meantime?"

(Sitri's Voice) "Your first assignment."

Sitri walked up to the group, holding her sword's sheathe.

(Sitri) "Our first assignment has been given to us by Claude."

She turned to the Knights of Favonius.

(Sitri) "You said that you were familiar with the creatures invading our world, yes?"

(Diluc) "Abyss Mages. They were supposed to be our problem, so sorry that you all had to get involved."

(Raelyn) "If they are a threat to humanity, then it is our job to purge these witches."

(Sitri) "Claude has given us a report from House Goneril and House Edmund that these creatures and other objects were spotted within their territories. It is our job as House Isekai to take care of this offworld threat."

(Kazuma) "From classroom to full on hit squad, eh? Guess that was bound to happen at some point."

(Rean) "Not the first time anyway..."

(Duvalie) "OOOOH, NO."

Everyone turned to Duvalie.

(Duvalie) "I am NOT working with you all! I am perfectly fine of doing this on my own!"

(Ash) "Psh. Feeling's mutual."

(Rean) "Come on now, this is something you can't tackle alone. Even you."

(Duvalie) "S-SHUT UP, SCHWARZER!"

She stomped towards Sitri and grabbed a letter at random, pointing a finger at her.

(Duvalie) "I'll cooperate but you will NOT make me work with them! I'll be done with this faster than a big group!"

(Jean) "...Being fair for just a moment, it would be beneficial for some of our members to split up. The threats could be eliminated faster."

(Venti) "I'd be happy to help out with-"

(Duvalie) "NO. DEFINITELY NOT YOU."

(Kazuma) "Holy hell, would you quit whining?! Why does every person I meet that calls themselves a knight always act so entitled?"

(Helena) "I'm very sure that will get her calmed down."

Duvalie looked like she was about to pop a vein before Buck stepped in.

(Buck) "Alright everyone, stand down. How about this? You just tell us what we need to know about these guys, and we'll go put a few bullets in their heads."

(Mickey) "If bullets even work on them-"

(Raelyn) "From the one I encountered, a single Bolter round will do just fine."

(Lisa) "If it means less fighting, then there's no harm. Duvalie dear, do be careful at least?"

(Duvalie) "O-Of course, Miss Lisa!"

(Aigis) "That was a very fast change in attitude-"

(Rean) "You get used to it."

(Towa) "I suppose we'll just meet and explain everything more in detail later?"

A portal opened up behind Duvalie and she jumped straight through before anyone could stop her.

(Buck) "Tch, damn it. Didn't even ask about the mages. Whatever, which one of you knows the most about them?"

Kaeya raised his hand with a coy smile while Diluc nodded.

(Raelyn) "I will accompany her to ensure their survival. Until then, House Isekai."

Raelyn turned to the portal and walked through it.

After getting the minimum knowledge required about the Abyss Mages, Buck and his squad followed her through the portal.

(Kazuma) "...Wait a second, none of them knows anything about Fodlan. Why did we let them go anywhere alone?"

(Sitri) "...That's a good question."

[TO BE CONTINUED]

#House Isekai #House Isekai ARR #duvalie #raelyn amuto #buck

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oatae-blog · 6 years

Text

serendipity (m.) 2017

pairing─kim taehyung & bae joohyun

genre─romance, smut

warnings─age gap, sexual themes.

summary─when detective kim taehyung decides to adopt the daughter of his assigned partner after his death from a recent case, his daughter, joohyun has to move to a quiet land and one lonely, two-story house, far-flung from the city.

joohyun is reluctant of her new home until she gradually takes interest in the detective, to only realize that her situation is better off in the private space than the city.

word count─5,249+

prologue: there are only two things that kim taehyung could think about when he reaches the quiet land: what his assigned partner is like, and how long he would last his stay.

he reaches the last quarter of a sea of tiny rocks, when he decides to park his car once he notices the extending path lead to untrimmed grass, and larger mounds of rocks. turning off the engine he takes out a piece of paper and unfolds the small note, rechecking the address to confirm if he had the right location.

his supervisor assigned the twenty-one year old in training with an experienced inspector of eleven years. he took the opportunity to work in the spare offices that have been offered in his company, scribbled the house location, and packed his things for the next morning to move in. taehyung didn't oppose to moving in, he'd progress quicker and become a detective if he was paired with someone experienced.

looking through the windshield he sees vibrant shades of green and an extending lake that sheltered neighboring ducks. when he catches the traditional two-story house perched near the lake, he decides he'd check for himself and the note returns to his coat pocket. getting out of the vehicle, he makes sure not to leave with his light belongings in hand.

the walk wasn't long until he reached the first few steps of the wooden stairs in a matter of seconds. they we're moist and smelt like cardboard and sawdust creaking under his steps. adjusting his dresshirt and the disregarded coat hanging on a forearm, he finally musters up a chain of polite knocks on the door. five seconds waiting and taehyung looks around to take in the unfamiliar ground: it was a regular house that was designed with traditional wood, a small patio, and a balcony stretched over his head. he liked its design as it reminded him of an elder's house, a lonely home but came with a warm and welcoming feel.

he turns stiff when he hears a pair of feet scraping the floorboards in a lazy manner, each leading toward the door. he wonders if this man is stern and big, rough-spoken, leads a gang of his backboned detectives with a cigar in his mouth, or if he was like those in the cinematics where he would be skinny and tall, youthful and wore thick suspenders to the dinner table and read the newspaper─and the door finally opens, he rests his gaze on a middle-aged man with a business smile.

to his surprise, he was neither tall nor short; he was averaged-size and his name is detective oh, a grubby-looking man who grew an ungroomed mustache and had a beard stub.

he nervously shifts his sight aside for the second, searching if there was anyone else that could have been hiding inside the house. "my name is kim taehyung? i'm looking for detective oh."

the man immediately lights up at the mention of his name, "that would be me."

they both bow before taking each other's hand into a small handshake. it's dry but it feels warm, he thinks, like a fever. "i will work hard during my stay; please take care of me."

the man smiles and takes a good look at his face then his attire before he finally let's him into the house. he enters into the entrance, the room feeling short as if it has been cut abruptly. striped wallpaper, a small table holding a telephone and its withering flower vase and a pair of worned shoes hiding underneath. taehyung tries to take it all in.

he rounds the corner after the detective and enters into what he notes the living room: there's no television but a couch and a coffee table, then there is a shelf of neglected books and antique vaiselles.

the upright piano that squeezed itself in one of the angles of the room had caught his interest. the ivory keys were left exposed to the harsh sunlight that peaked through the laced curtains of a double-paneled window; small flakes dancing in the air and landing softly onto the instrument before they join the rest of the accumulated dust.

he approaches the piano with curiosity of a child, wipes off the head of its cover and his fingers hover over the clavier.

in the background detective oh folds his arms in amusement and leans against the frame of a non-existent door. he figures to give him a moment to map out the room.

"do you play the piano?" he finally asks. taehyung flinches and pulls away in embarrassment.

"of course not," he pauses, suddenly interested in the book shelf. His fingers absentmindedly play at the spines of the goods. "do you?"

he relaxs his position and beckons him to another room─the stairway. "i don't too bad," he shrugs.

taehyung follows after him and they end up both mounting the steps. he looks around: family pictures he guesses are hanging on the wall. when a picture of the detective, what seems to be his wife and a child gathered outside a house catches his eyes, he wonders if this is his family. returning his attention to his partner's back, he sees a near stop to the stairs, the rest is an empty hallway of closed doors.

"detective, do you have family here?" taehyung asks. he didn't mind the extra company, but he was curious of the silence in the house. the house seems too spacious to be lived by one man.

"i had a divorce. that was long ago, now they're living in the city."

"i'm sorry to hear that," He quickly apologizes and he notices the sudden tension in the atmosphere. he suddenly regretted asking.

"it's not a secret, don't worry if you think you offended me," he pauses when he reaches a specific door. "my daughter visits me sometimes, so I'm not always alone," he chuckles.

taehyung shyly nods, as if he understood the situation. when he catches up, he waits for the detective to unlock the door. "i'd like to meet her someday," he says.

"you will get to and when you do, i'll introduce her to you. her name is joohyun but we call her baechu─she is fantastic with the piano." the detective rambles, his eyes are brimmed with a new light and his hands fly over his ears for the moment. he chuckles before effortlessly opening the door to what seems like his new office.

that must be why the piano is there, he remembers.

taehyung hums in agreement and enters into the office after him. he was curious to hear what his daughter could play, the piano wouldn't leave his mind.

"here is your office, mines across yours," he points at the closed door across his office, "and here are the keys" he hands him his office key, and a spare to the house. the smell of old wood reaches his nose and the distant air was a sour wine.

taehyung thanks him and looks around the dusty office. detective oh carefully watches his reaction, hoping he would be pleased with the room. when he suddenly realizes that he is still carrying his belongings in a valise he continues, "oh," he calls out, "first i'll show you the rest of the house. you can unpack your belongings in your bedroom, then."

he walks behind the office desk and draws a line across the dusty surface to inspect his finger. when was the last time someone had rented out this office before him?

"that would be nice, thank you," he looks up and flashes a shy smile, scraping the dust off his fingers before enveloping them in the pockets of his dresspants.

"i hope you can get used to the silence in this house, I know it's different than in the city."

"i will probably adjust in no time, I am serious about being a private detective, so this won't be a bother."

detective oh smiles before finally deciding to guide him around the rest of the house.

when he sinks to the lower floor, he spares one more look at the picture in the picture that had earlier caught his interest.

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