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#IMPRESSED that i did this in uh... 8 hours+ one sitting........ probably not good for my health but w/e
3dfangs · 1 year
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lord forgive me. I may have gone to hard on this one.... <- guys who have never rendered and haven't painted digitally since high school BUT!!! @normalbirb ‘s dtiys attempt!!! : - D i hope you like it and i did okay!!! 🤞
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burnedbyshoto · 3 years
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for want of a bento box
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– It’s plain and simple, you see, someone is stealing your bento boxes and you will find your lunch thief! Or, in which Todoroki Shouto keeps taking your bento box and you declare war. 
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pairing: todoroki shouto x reader
warnings: fluff, cursing, shouto is a bad chef, I believe I made reader pretty gender neutral but I whipped this out in two hours and I can no longer remember if I used any fem!pronouns but im pretty sure I didn’t
word count: 3,060
a/n: this is for the wonder coworker bnharem collab! I had intended on writing a completely different theme and storyline but was very overwhelmed by how much time it actually needed to be written compared to the amount of time I actually had. that version will be out another time! but for now, enjoy some pure flufffffff!!!!
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Having a normal, functioning, well-paying job was probably the most desirable thing to you. It wasn’t to say that you were slacking or that you were homeless, broke, and never to be seen again because you were that in debt. But it was nice having a job!
When you entered the prestigious Toshinori Company, you joined not as an entry-level job employee but as a senior representative. You thought it was crazy.
It had to be crazy.
You had no prior experience, and now you were going to be in charge and the lead in certain areas?!
“And that was the entire layout of the office!” Mina chirped happily, throwing herself onto the desk chair across from yours with a big smile. “Any questions?”
“I don’t think so,” you mutter, brows creased as you look around the room again. 
The office space was ample, sleek, open. Each desk has its own grand computer that you currently could not afford with your own money, comfortable chairs, and beautiful wood desks. It was elegant, far superiorly fancy, and yet, you didn’t feel out of place. Strange.
“Oh!” you say with a roll of your eyes as you reach below your desk to bring up your packed lunch. “Where was the break room again? I need to refrigerate my food!”
“Omg, of course, come this way!” Mina grins, standing up and motioning you to follow her. You smile gratefully and do. 
The entire way to the office, Mina takes the time to point at the many different people on the floor and give them names. Everyone so far had sort of acknowledged you earlier as Mina was giving you the official tour. Some were much more open and friendly, and some had sneers or blank stares that left you dumbstruck. 
Definitely a personable group.
“Hm, well, I guess Todoroki-kun isn’t here today?” Mina mutters as you enter the break room that has couches and comfortable-looking chairs. “Such a shame! You would have loved to see the office hottie!”
You snort at that, lips curled into a granulous smile as you place your plastic container with food into the fridge. “I’m sure I’ll live,” you brush off the fact that there was an absent person on your floor today.
“That’s the thing, though,” Mina points a finger at you, a lone eyebrow raised and a confident smirk on her face. “You won’t be thinking that again the moment you see him!”
You laugh, eyes crinkling as Mina joins your laughter. Eventually, she motions for the both of you to leave, and you nod in understanding. And with a weird sense of comfort and belonging, you realized that this job was going to be good. 
.
.
Eventually, you had been working at Toshinori Company for two months.
Sixty-two days to be precise, and in all that time, you had only met Todoroki Shouto once. Even then, you had only seen the man walking through the office with a blank face, fingers in his pockets as two other men were walking in front of him, bickering lightly.
Had Mina not quite literally thrown herself across the table and gripped the collar of your shirt and twisted your head to look at him, you would have never caught a glimpse at the man with red and white hair. The three of them walked into the break room and came back out with their own lunches before leaving.
And that was it.
You had learned that the three of them (Todoroki Shouto, Midoriya Izuku, and Bakugou Katsuki) were within your department but worked very closely with the very high up members within the company. Many rumors pointed at one of the three taking over the company when the current CEO stepped down. They were, however, on the roster for your floor; they just never appeared except to pick up their lunches. Something they seemed to come to grab whenever you were a) way too fucking busy or b) not in the room.
You weren’t too bothered, though.
It wasn’t like you were trying to date one of them! You had only wanted to say hi.
.
.
.
Now, at ninety days, you had your first and probably most crucial evaluation. 
Toshinori Yagi, the man who founded and currently ran this company, sat before you, looking at papers within a folder with tired but kind blue eyes. He nodded, impressed (hopefully), making small comments about the work you had been able to accomplish, a smile becoming a warming grin as he looked up.
“I’m impressed by the performance you’ve managed to attend to despite the short while you’ve been here, y/l/n-shojo,” Toshinori spoke, his fingers threading together and placing them onto the table. “I knew it was an excellent decision to put you in that position, and you exceeded my entire expectation!”
You flushed at that, lips twitching as you attempted to suppress that smile of yours. 
“Thank you, Toshinori-san,” you practically wheeze as he waves off your thanks.
“No need to thank me, you’ve done all this work!” he laughs, tired eyes closing with a glorious supply of crow's feet blooming at the corner of his eyes. “Typically, at these evaluations, I ask a bunch of questions because there isn’t too much anyone can do in their first ninety days, I must admit.”
“Oh?”
“Mhm, but because I am curious, is there anything that has been happening as of late that you feel needs to be addressed with me?”
You felt yourself stiffen but knew your one and only complaint was not something to bring up in this setting.
“No, nothing,” you shrug, and Toshinori beams.
“I’m glad!”
Now, the problem.
The big, fat, stinky, hooligan, wanting to throttle someone problem.
For the past sixty of your ninety days, someone has been stealing your lunch.
Yes, you heard that correctly; someone was stealing your damn lunch! Every morning you woke up and prepared a delicious bento box for yourself. Some days you went as far as cutting shapes into your fruits and veggies just to make yourself grin. You weren’t the best chef in the world, but your bento boxes were pretty enough to make up for it, in your opinion. But the thing is, every day when you went into the communal fridge, you noticed two things.
One, your bento box was no longer in the same place, and two, the bento box was not yours at all.
The food was disastrously organized. Rice and lettuce spilling out in every partition in the box. The fruit and veggies often packed in this box had multiple cuts in them, implying that whoever did this was less than ideal with a knife. The meat was often oversalted, the sushi never sitting together, and everything was just… not it.
The first time you had sighed and eaten it, grumbling about how your precious lunch was stolen. But you had quickly figured out that it was inedible, and Mina, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu thank god, offered to share their meals. 
Seeing that you were distressed about how someone stole your egg and octopus sausages one day, Mina declared that they would watch the break room for whoever was stealing your light blue bento box. The first day you staked out, you had done it with Mina. But ten minutes into waiting around, you needed to pee. So you stood up and left in a hurry, leaving Mina alone.
But when you returned, Mina was gone, instead standing by Kirishima’s desk with a bright grin and a stance that screamed that she heard something she liked (gossip, possible in-office romance, a love confession?). Her jaw dropped as she noticed you and Kirishima had turned and waved in your direction as you raced into the break room to open the fridge, and sure enough, your bento was gone.
The next time, you staked out with Uraraka. Your arms were folded, your bladder cleared, and your lips twisted into a pout as you glared and stared down every single member who entered the room. Uraraka whispered to you her guesses about just who might be the thief, every other person rating an 8/10 likelihood of stealing your lunch.
But as the both of you sat there, your eyes narrowed at each passerby, no one came to collect your bento today.
“Deku-kun, no packed lunch today?” Uraraka asked as the green, curly-haired man you had only met once previously raced into the break room, grabbing the extra chopsticks meticulously hidden in the third bottom draw.
“Ah, Uraraka-san, y/l/n-san! Uh, no,” Midoriya greeted you both, who apparently responds to the nickname Deku, laughs off as he grabs a handful of napkins. “Todoroki-kun left all our lunches in his car by accident, and well… they spoiled… Kacchan’s pissed, so I ran off to get lunch for us today!”
Uraraka laughed, shaking her head, “Leave it to Todoroki-kun to act that way.”
Midoriya laughed, bright and clearly in agreement, “You should have seen his face when Kacchan asked for his lunch! I swear–”
“HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GRAB FUCKING CHOPSTICKS, SHIT-KU! I’M FUCKING STARVING!” a voice roared from nowhere near the entrance of the break room. You did, however, jump a bit, eyes turning toward the break room entrance to see the blond man (Bakugou? Kacchan? You had no idea which was correct) near the entrance of the floor. 
“It’s only been a minute, Kacchan, relax!” Midoriya laughs, completely unaffected by the startling shout as he waves goodbye to both you and Uraraka before leaving, joining Bakugou as the both of them seem to talk comfortably… well, maybe more like bickering.
“Why are they–”
“Childhood friends, apparently,” Uraraka sighed, but the smile on her face betrays her exasperation.
No one stole your bento that day.
Yaoyorozu took up the third stake out, the two of you idly chatting about tea. You honestly had no idea what to talk about with Yaomomo; she was often just so elegant and mature despite being your age. When you learned that her family was in charge of the Yaoyorozu Corp, it had been strangely easy to accept that. 
It made sense.
So as the two of you stood at the kitchen sink, boiling water for tea Yaomomo swore would be the best matchup for your packed nigiri, the both of you missed the man who walked into the room, opened the fridge, and took your lunch.
“I… I am so sorry,” Yaomomo apologized, head bowed dangerously low as the both of you looked at the sloppily cut salmon in your not actual bento. “Please eat my food in reparation.”
“No, it’s okay,” you sigh, chewing on the somehow still warm salmon. “I deserved this loss.”
Luck was just on this man's side, it seemed. No matter what you did, you could never catch the man in action, and you were ready to give up.
But this was the last attempt you said to yourself as you returned to your office floor, the evaluation done, and the rest of your life coming to light. You could do this. No! You WOULD do this!
.
.
“Why don’t you just put your name on your bento box?” Bakugou asked, a lone eyebrow raised in what you could only assume was judgment and pity. The explosive man was standing in the doorway of the breakroom, watching as you and Mina were trying to climb up the counters of the breakroom to grab the camera you had previously planted. “Obviously, it doesn’t have your name on it.”
“Um,” you squeak, having been obviously caught by someone who intimidated you just the slightest bit. “That’s a good idea, thank you, Bakugou-san.”
“Tch, whatever, just clean up the damn counters, fucking nasty standing up on there. Some people prepare their food there.”
“We would never forget to do that!” you argue, desperate to not leave a bad impression on this man.
“I don’t know much about you, but I know raccoon eyes over there would.”
“MY NAME IS MINA!”
“Like I care.”
He left without so much as a wave but did seem to nod with his departure. You sighed as you hopped off the counter, Mina grabbing the cleaning supplies as she cursed out the long-gone man under her breath. 
But you were looking at the fridge with your missing bento box.
“I can’t believe I never put my name on it.”
“It’s okay! Not even Yaomomo thought of it, so I say we are still smart!”
.
.
.
It was the next day, you were at your desk, anxious as hell as you did your work, trying not to focus on the fact that it was lunchtime and you were actively avoiding the break room. You wondered if they wouldn’t come and collect it today. If somehow they were an asshole and wouldn’t care if your name was on it! What would happen then? What if it was someone like Bakugou who was taking your lunch? What then? You were sure you would cave in slight fear and major intimidation if he said that your lunch was his now.
“Want a cutie while we wait, cutie?” Mina asked, waving the small tangerine in her fingers as she grins.
“Please,” you say in gratitude for the food because you were starving. “Thank you.”
Eventually, you lost track of what was happening, becoming all too invested in the conversation that Mina was telling you about that involved Kaminari, Kirishima, Bakugou, Midoriya, twenty-seven Red Bulls, fifteen Monsters, and five shots of sake. It seemed that the former two were quite big instigators when they wanted to be, and the latter two were unable to back away from challenges, especially when the other was involved.
“Y/l/n?” an unfamiliar voice called from behind you, and you turned partially in your chair as you looked behind you.
Standing behind you was a tall man with red and white hair, and from this distance, you noticed immediately that his eyes were a deep grey and brilliant blue.
Todoroki Shouto.
“T-Todoroki-san!” you greet him back, voice unable to keep from trembling as your nerves shot up. What was going on? You two had never interacted before! He was always gone, never present, and whenever he was in the office, it seemed that you weren’t there.
He cleared his throat and raised up two identical bento boxes.
“It seems… I have apparently been stealing your bento boxes,” he concludes, pressing the blue bento box with your name written on it into your hands.
Your jaw drops as your fingers curve around the cool plastic, eyes blinking up a storm as you try to abstain from laughing high pitched and ugly like. 
“It was you?!”
A pink color blooms onto his cheeks as he averts his eye contact with you and nods slowly, “I am so sorry.”
“I just… how?!” you exclaim, exasperated, this man obviously being a bit dense if he had no idea he was taking your bento box!
“I prepare my bento boxes the night before, and I don’t really remember what I put into them….” Todoroki explains slowly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, his tongue clicking the roof of his tongue. “I just thought that my cooking was improving and that I was somehow doing an amazing job.”
The grin that overcomes your face is one of subtle, strange fondness and soft warmth. “I can tell you that you probably haven’t improved much,” you tease, opening your bento box to see your prepared meal for the day. 
Cucumber salad, bulgogi beef, rice, and some fruit.
It was packed exactly how you remembered.
“I can’t believe I finally get to eat a meal I prepared,” you continue to tease, your eyes moving up to meet Todoroki, who was also looking at your bento previously. “Thank you for returning my meals and apologizing.”
“It was nothing,” Todoroki waved off with a single hand before opening up his own disastrously assembled bento box. It looked worse than usual today. Everything was just thrown in, it seemed. You saw egg and rice, but everything else in there was indescribable. He smiles at you before sighing at his bento. “This looks more like my stuff.”
You laugh, shaking your head, “You want to share my bento box? I’m sure you probably don’t want to return to that.”
“No, it’s okay,” Todoroki gently declined, although he looked at your bento with great want. He cleared his throat, gaze moving to lock on yours, and you swore his cheeks were still pink but no longer from embarrassment. “I just wanted to come and apologize for stealing your lunch for so long and to thank you for the meals; they were all delicious. Especially the soba you had made.”
“It’s all good; it’s in the past now,” you say gently, somehow finding yourself falling for a man you’ve barely just begun to talk with. The both of you stare at each other, and your skin feels warm. You chuckle, gaze averting for a moment before returning as you tease him. “Although, if you steal from me again, I’m not so sure if I’ll be so lenient.”
“It won’t happen again, promise,” Todoroki smiles, and you feel your spine melt. “But I would love to make it up to you somehow. I can make you dinner one night or something?”
You laugh, head shaking, “No, absolutely not; I don’t trust your cooking skills just yet. But you can definitely take me out to dinner.”
“Yeah, I can definitely do that,” Todoroki agrees, and the both of you fall silent as the shy stares continue. “Does, um… is Friday at seven okay with you?”
“That works,” you say, and Todoroki smiles.
“Good, I’ll uh, see you then?”
“See you,” you agree with a sweet smile before turning around, your fingers raised in a small wave. 
You turn to see Mina, Uraraka, and Yaomomo staring at you, eyes comically wide and so very intrigued.
“Oh… my… GOD!” Mina shrieked as Todoroki walks away, and you shriek as she jumps across the table and shakes you, screaming about office romances and meet-cutes being entirely too underrated. “PROMISE ME I’LL BE INVITED TO THE WEDDING!!!!”
“MINA!”
.
.
.
.
.
It would take about three years of dating, several months of teaching Shouto how to cook, which resulted in a few bellyaches. Still, eventually yes, Mina would be invited to your wedding.
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hangovercurse · 3 years
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Home Sweet Home
You bring Colson to your hometown for the first time.
Request: “Can you write a Colson imagine where you take him back to your hometown to meet your family and friends and he’s nervous everyone will hate him but everyone ends up loving him? And maybe include a run in with some girls from high school that are jealous 🤔🤷🏻‍♀️”
Colson Baker x Reader
Warnings: Cursing
A/N: I try to be as inclusive as possible in my fics but its hard when writing about families in this capacity, so I just went with the most generic family model possible. Also, my family is very unusual so I don’t really know how families interact… oop
Word Count: 2979
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“Will you stop freaking out, you’re making me nervous.” You placed a soft hand on the shaking leg of your boyfriend. “And they’re my family.”
He let out a sigh, the shaking stopping momentarily as he pulled you as close to him as possible in the back of your Uber. “What if your parents hate me?”  
Taking a deep breath, you assured him again, “my parents are not going to hate you. We’ve been over this; they’re going to love you.”
“Your dad is going to take one look at me and punch me in the face.” Colson said, a pout on his face.
You let out a chuckle, “he is not. And even if he does, you can take a punch.”
Despite your laughter, Colson remained stoic, “I’m serious Y/N, dads hate me. I look like everything you’d want your daughter to avoid.”
A sigh left your lips at his admittance of insecurity. “Babe listen to me, please. My parents are going to love you because I love you. And if they don’t then tough shit because you’re not going anywhere.”
He nodded, but you could still see the worry behind his eyes. “I just really want them to like me. They’re important to you, so they’re important to me.”
You smiled at the comment, heart fluttering. “I’m in love with you.”
He looked at you deeply, a smile falling onto his lips, “and I’m in love with you, princess.” His lips pressed a small kiss against the crown of your head and rested there until the car pulled up to your childhood home. You felt your boyfriend tense up beside you, so you reached for his arm that was around your middle, rubbing soft shapes through the sleeves.
“I’m gonna be right next to you the whole night.” You told him as you moved to open the door, breathing in the refreshing air. LA was lovely, but it was nice to be able to breathe properly in your hometown.
Colson grabbed your bags out of the trunk, even though you insisted you could help. “Go say hi to your family, babe. I got it.”
You pressed a small kiss to his cheek, whispering a small “see you inside” before rushing to the familiar front door. Years of memories lie beyond its wood, memories you were excited to relive.
Knowing your family would keep it unlocked for you, you turned the knob and pushed the door open. The smell of your family’s cooking filled your nose, and immediately members of your family found you.
“Y/N!” Your younger cousins screamed, racing over to you to hug you. The last time you’d seen them they were 5 and 7, now they were 8 and 10.
“You guys have gotten so big! Did you drink some sort of magic potion or something?” You asked, a smile on your face.
Your mom had told you that she and your father would be cooking, but you didn’t think they’d invited your entire family. Although, you should have assumed they would given how close your family was.
Once your cousins let go of you, you turned around to see Colson waving off the Uber driver and making his way to the door. You turned to your younger cousins once he got close enough for them to see him. “Guys, this is my boyfriend, Colson.” They gave small waves as you introduced them to Colson, who gave them a big smile.
“C’mon, babe. I’ll show you to our room.” You grabbed one of the bags from his hand, much to his dismay, and led him through the house. After you had moved to LA, your parents had turned your bedroom into the guest room, but some of the decorations from your younger years had remained on the walls.
Colson looked around the room, smiling as he thought of younger you growing up in here. “Is this a Bowie vinyl?” He asked, motioning to the vinyl record on the wall as he set your bags onto the bed.
You nodded, smiling wide. “Yep, got it for my 15th birthday. Signed and everything.” Your boyfriend nodded in appreciation as his eyes moved around the room. You wrapped your arms around his middle, cuddling into his chest. You could feel his heart pounding in his chest from how nervous he was. “You’re not gonna freak out and run off on me, are you?” You asked, a light humor in your voice.
Colson let out a dry chuckle, “no, I’ll be okay.” He mumbled, squeezing you closer to him. “But what if  we just stayed in here forever?”
You slapped his chest playfully, “c’mon loser, you’re coming to meet my family whether you like it or not.” You grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the door.
“Yes ma’am.” He saluted with his free hand, making you giggle.
You made your way into the kitchen where your mom was standing with your aunts and sister. Her eyes lit up when she saw you, “you made it!” She came over and gave you a tight hug, “How was the flight?” She asked.
“It was fine, we slept most of the way.” You smiled before turning to Colson. “Mom, this is Colson, you’ve met him over facetime a couple times now, remember?”
She smiled moving to pull him into a hug. He had a shocked look on his face but reciprocated the hug. You mouthed “sorry” to him, giggling silently. He just smiled and shook his head, letting you know he was okay.
“Of course, I remember! She talks about you all the time.” You blushed as Colson smiled proudly. “You’re much taller in person.” Your mom noted, making you and Colson chuckle.
“Yeah, I get that a lot.”
Your sister cleared her throat, grabbing your attention, “right! Colson, this is my sister and my aunts.”
They each introduced themselves politely. You told them you were going to go outside to find your dad and brothers. Before you left your sister pulled you to the side and whispered in your ear, “okay, I knew LA was full of hot guys, but how’d you manage to pull that?”
You laughed out loud, “Y/S/N! That’s so mean!”
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” She laughed, but then whispered again, “but seriously, god damn.”
You rolled your eyes, “next time I’ll bring you one back.” She giggled, nodding in encouragement.
You took Colson’s hand, ignoring his quizzical look, and led him to your backyard. “That wasn’t too bad, right?” You checked in on him.
He sighed, “no, but moms are never bad. If moms don’t like you, they’ll say it in secret. Dads will say it to your face.”
“My mom loved you, and so will my dad. Just trust me.” You smiled, squeezing his hand.
You found your dad sitting on a lawn chair with your grandparents. Your brothers were throwing a football around with some of your older cousins and uncles. You greeted the three in lawn chairs, your dad standing up to give you a hug.
“Hey, Y/N/N. How are you?” Your dad asked.
“I’m good! Glad to be home!” You smiled.
Your grandpa grunted, “you should never leave, then.”
You chuckled, leaning down to give both him and your grandma hugs. “You’ll be so sick of me in three days, you’ll be begging me to leave.”
Once you stood up straight, you motioned to Colson, “This is my boyfriend, Colson. You’ve kind of met him before, Dad.”
Your dad reached out his arm for Colson to shake, earning him a strong nod. “Strong grip. I like him.” Your dad looked towards you. You could tell he didn’t remember meeting Colson on facetime, but you hadn’t expected him to.
“Grandpa, you’ll like this. Colson knows all four members of Motley Crue.” You smiled, winking at your boyfriend.
The older man looked impressed, “really? I was a roadie on the Theatre of Pain tour.”
Colson nodded, a smile on his face. “I played Tommy Lee in their biopic and then, uh, we recorded a song together.” You grinned proudly as the two talked about their experiences with the band.
Your dad put a hand on your shoulder, shaking you lightly, “You happy?” He whispered.
You turned to look at him, “yeah. He’s a good guy, trust me.”
Your dad nodded, “oh, I can tell. Just wanted to make sure.” You thanked him, watching your boyfriend interact with your family. “Now you gotta introduce him to your brothers.” He chuckled at your sigh.
“Do I have permission to punch them if they act like assholes?” You asked, only kind of joking.
Your dad pushed you towards the lawn, “I see nothing.” You smile, grabbing Colson’s hand and leading him away from your grandpa once they’d finished their conversation.
“Okay, so I knew you were freaking out about my parents, so I didn’t want to freak you out even more.” You started, causing a panic look to cross Colson’s face. “My brothers are…” you searched for the words, “assholes. But like, loveable assholes. But they’re probably gonna give you shit, but it’s out of love. But I have no problem hitting them if you want me to.” You smiled.
He raised an eyebrow, “normally I’d say that’s my job but I feel like it’d be easier for your family to forgive you than me.” You laughed, pulling him to the guys and introducing him.
It turns out, your brothers actually really liked Colson, which was somehow worse than them hating him. Because it meant that they stole him from you. When you went back inside to talk more with your mom, your brothers demanded Colson stay outside with them. He seemed happy, so you let him stay, excited that your family was taking to him so well.
An hour later, dinner was almost ready, so your brothers started to set up the folding tables outside, which Colson gladly helped with. You were helping your mom finish up the last of the food, watching your best friend and soulmate through the window with adoration. He was helping your younger cousin put the tablecloth on the table, the scene reminding you of the time Casie and him took you out for a picnic on your birthday. You couldn’t wait to bring her here.
“You chose a good one.” Your grandma commented from behind you, making you jump a little bit. Once you registered her words, you blushed, mumbling out a thank you. “I can tell he really loves you. A granny can always tell.”
You smiled, “I really love him, too.” You turned back to check on him, catching his eye. He sent you a bright grin, making your grandma pat you on the shoulder before walking back to your mom to help her.
The rest of the night was magical, Colson by your side the entire time. Eventually most of your family left, leaving you and Colson to go to bed. You cuddled into his side, a smile on both of your faces. “They all love you, y’know?”
He hummed in response, squeezing your waist. “I love you.”
You chuckled, “you’re so fucking cheesy.”
 The next day you were determined to take Colson on a tour of your town, starting with the skate park you spent almost every day at in high school. “We would’ve been best friends when we were kids.” He said as you dragged him through the park.
“We’re best friends now.” You chuckled, pausing to press a kiss to his lips.
He hummed, “I think we’re a little more than best friends but okay.” You rolled your eyes, pulling him further into the park until you spotted a familiar face.
“Little Benny?” You asked, your face lighting up. The younger guy’s eyes widened, running up to you.
“Y/N?” he asked, pulling you in for a hug.
You chuckled, “You were like, 12 the last time I saw you, what the hell?”
The man laughed along with you, “well you were the one who ran off to LA miss big-time producer.”
You smiled, realizing he had probably checked up on you. Benny was about 7 years younger than you and had looked up to you almost his whole life. Seeing him so grown up was a strange experience for you.
You noticed him glancing to Colson, his eyes going wide. “You’re-“
You laughed, “Benny this is Colson, my boyfriend. Also known as-“
“Machine Gun Kelly!” The younger boy exclaimed, making Colson chuckle.
He reached out his hand, which Benny gladly shook, “nice to meet you, man.”
“Kells, this is Benny, my friend from high school. I taught him how to skate.”
“More like your protégé.” A female voice said. Behind Benny came Deanie, another girl his age you had taught. Benny’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into him.
You smiled at the two, knowing Benny had liked her since he was in middle school. “Hi Deanie.” You said, the girl smiling back at you. “This is Colson, my boyfriend.”
“Are you gonna skate?” She asked, eyes going wide.
You sighed, shaking your head, “sorry, guys. Maybe later, I’m just showing Colson around the town right now.”
Deanie and Benny both pouted, “damn, she goes off to Hollywood and forgets all about us.” Benny joked, making you all laugh.
You grabbed Colson’s hand, “We’ll see you guys later!” You waved, pulling the man away from the couple.
“It was nice to meet you!” He said, making you smile. “You seriously taught him how to skate?”
You nodded as you continued your trek to the diner you used to work at. “Yep, I taught most of the kids how to skate, although I guess they’re all his age now.”
Colson grinned, “so you’re, like, a legend here.” He commented, but you shook your head, laughing.
“No, I was a loser.”
“Not to those two, you’re not.” He said, swinging your intertwined hands. You rolled your eyes but didn’t say anything further.
You finally arrived at the small diner you used to work at. About 50 feet away from the door, Colson’s phone buzzed. “Shit, Slim’s calling.”
“Take it, I’ll grab a table and you can meet me inside.” He smiled thankfully, answering the call as you walked inside.
You immediately spotted Wesley, the cook you’d known since you were 16, through the order window. The smell of the diner was familiar, and for a moment you felt like you were walking in for a shift. You leaned against the bar, “Hey, Wes!” You called, drawing the cook’s eye.
“Little miss Y/N! Is that really you?” You smiled at the old man.
“It sure is! How’s the diner?”
“I’m still here, aren’t I?” You giggled at his response. Wes had opened the diner in the 90’s and swore he’d burn with the building.
You grabbed a booth in the corner, just in case there happened to be any peering eyes in your small town.
Unfortunately, your table was in Liza’s section, a girl who’d hated you since you were kids. You found it quite funny that she was still working at the diner after all this time, silently thankful that you’d gotten out of the town.
She scowled when she saw you but walked over anyways. “What happened? Strike out in Hollywood and now you’re back here trying to get your job back?”
Her voice was just as annoying as it had always been. “Or did your rich sugar daddy dump your ass and now you’re home begging for money?”
You wanted nothing more than to slap the smirk off her face, but you refrained. “Actually-“ You started, but you got cut off by your boyfriend.
“You have a sugar daddy and didn’t tell me about it? Babe I would’ve helped you scam him for so much more.” He smiled, sitting across from you, and grabbing your hand that was resting on the table.
Upon realizing who was sitting across from you, Liza stiffened. “You’re-“
“Y/N’s boyfriend, nice to meet you.” He smiled, an evil glint in his eyes.
“Machine Gun Kelly!” Liza said, her squeaky voice making you cringe.
“I prefer Colson, but yeah.” He sighed, looking back over to see your annoyed expression.
Liza looked between the two of you, a look at disgust on her face. “Seriously? Why the hell are you going out with her? You could do so much better.”
Your mouth dropped open in shock at her blunt rudeness. Colson’s jaw clenched as he spoke, “what, like you?”
The girl shrugged, not catching the sarcasm that dripped from his voice. “I’m just saying, I don’t know what she’s told you but she’s a talentless bitch whose probably only dating you for money or fame, or both.”
Luckily, Wes came out to the front of the house to greet Colson, stopping him from punching a girl in the middle of the restaurant. “Nice to meet you, man. I’m Wes, owner, cook, and the best boss Y/N has ever had.” Colson shook his hand, still glaring at Liza.
“Yep.” You agreed with the man. Your voice was soft to calm Colson down, which worked a little bit.
Colson shot the man a grin, “nice to meet you, Wes. Y/N talks about this place all the time.”
The look of pride on Wes’s face was unforgettable. “Well, if you two need anything, just let me know.”
Colson looked towards Liza, annoyance returning to his features, “do you think we could get a new waiter?”
You almost laughed seeing the look of shock on her features, but Wes happily obliged, handing your table over to a newer waitress. Liza had steam coming out of her ears, but you ignored her.
“Thank you.” You muttered. “She’s hated me since we were kids.”
He rolled his eyes, “Yeah I could tell. Couldn’t have her talking shit like that.” He squeezed your hand, “now, what’s good here?”
433 notes · View notes
kodzuvii · 3 years
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ON TRACK! ✩ [14: so, I guess we’re soulmates?]
next: [15: the rock wannabe]
pairing - iwaizumi hajime x fem!reader
genre - crack + fluff :) soulmate au!
synopsis - In a world where soulmates can hear the songs their partner is singing or listening too at any time, Iwaizumi Hajime wants to know who his soulmate is so he can give them a piece of his mind and tell them to stop singing along to soft lofi songs while he’s in the middle of practice because it’s seriously ruining his cool, calm, and collected image.
wc: 4k
warnings!: grammar issues plz ignore + awkward phone call between two overthinking teenagers? 
a/n: this is severely long overdue and I apologize deeply for that. the taglist for this series is open! more info will be found in the note after the story! ty :)
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“Nee-chan’s weakness #16: overthinks more often than usual when under a lot of pressure”
Akaashi loved you. He really did. But if the higher-ups gave him an option to choose a new older sister, then maybe, just maybe, he would consider taking it. As he watched you frantically pace around his room with your dog (who looked quite scared) in your arms, he wondered if you viewed him more of a personal therapist rather than a little sibling.
His evening was going normal. After a long day of practice, all he intended to do was read a book after dinner and maybe watch a movie with Tofu afterwards just before bed. Nowhere in his plans were for you to barge into his room unannounced with an evident look of panic on your face while mumbling incoherent words. 
Your hair was a mess and you were clad in an oversized sweater and superman pajama pants with Tofu in one of your arms while your phone was being held tightly in your other hand. All he could get from the words leaving your lips at a 1.75 playback speed was “soulmate” and “phone call” and “not ready.” 
Akaashi watched you stop in your tracks and pull out his desk chair. You plopped yourself onto the seat, face warm and flushed as you tried to recall how you were feeling. “No Keiji I’m telling you that any second now, my soulmate is gonna call me and uhm? Quite frankly, my brain can’t process that and I am fucking scared.” 
Akaashi hummed, “nee-chan calm down.” Tofu then jumped out of your arms and leaped onto Akaashi’s bed. He walked up and cuddled up near the setters side which made Akaashi smile before turning his attention back to you. 
You rolled your eyes and crossed your legs and spun around on his chair, “no Kei this is serious. This first phone call is basically equivalent to a meet-cute which also means the first impressions. I feel like his first impression already isn’t good because I literally injured his friend so this is my moment to redeem myself” you rambled. 
Akaashi made eye contact with Tofu and even the poor dog looked concerned at your state.
“Kei, what if this is all a mistake? I mean the universe must be against me somehow right? What if he hates me the moment I answer and then next thing you know he’s telling me that he wants us to reject each other and then I’m gonna be left all alone to roam around this miserable world and-mph!”
You flinched back as you felt a soft pillow collide with your face and stop your ramble. You looked down at the pillow on the floor and snapped your head up to your brother, “what was that for!” Akaashi rolled his eyes and petted Tofu with his right hand, “you overthink too much” he replied simply. 
You narrowed your eyes at him but you couldn’t come up with any comeback in your head. He was right after all. You groaned and stood up from the spinny chair and walked over to his bed before belly-flopping down. You leaned over and grabbed the blue pillow near his headboard and Akaashi watched as you screamed into the plush material. 
You were losing it.
“This sucks Keiji, I’m terrible at phone calls. I don’t even answer Otosan’s phone calls so how the fuck am I supposed to answer my soulmates?”
In Miyagi, Iwaizumi unknowingly found himself in a similar state as you. The moon was shining from his window and the light cascaded a soft glow into his room. With his windows wide open, he could feel the cool breeze blowing in and slightly brushing over his face. But the breeze didn’t help calm his nerves at all.
Iwa was a simple guy, really he was. 
As someone who meditated regularly as well as found good coping mechanisms that would help calm his stress levels down, you would think that he’d be relaxed in this situation.
But no, Iwa was also internally panicking. Being the stubborn boy he was, he tried to play it off and cool himself down by fooling himself into believing that he was fine and that he had everything under control.
He didn’t
Iwa cracked his neck and looked back down at his phone. He was sitting on the sides of his bed, hand gripping tightly onto his phone as his eyes stared at your number displayed on the screen right under your name and his thumb barely hovering over the call button. 
“Okay. I’m gonna do it,” he thought to himself for the nth time in the past 10 minutes.
He took a deep breath and gave himself an internal word of encouragement and made the move. ‘So close’ he thought. “This is it, I’m gonna do it” But just as his thumb barely, just barely, made contact with the screen, he pulled it back and harshly threw his phone at his pillow. He closed his eyes and groaned in frustration as he fell back, his back hitting his mattress.
This was starting to piss him off. 
It was just a phone call. 
Him simply contacting and talking verbally to someone through his phone. 
He was fine.
Right?
Yeah no, he was totally fine. Pft He’s had phone calls before. In fact, he had done it several times with several people (that’s a lie he only picks up to his parents and maybe Oikawa on good days) Why was this so hard? Phone calls are a natural thing. Especially in the 21st century. He wasn’t some old man who had no idea how to talk on the phone. 
He got this. 
But wait, did you even want him to call you first? What if you wanted to call him first? Wait what if he asked you during the wrong time and you’re tired? 
Iwaizumi then lifted his head slightly to look at the clock on his bedside table. It was 8 pm. It wasn’t that late right? You would’ve told him if you were busy right? Wait what if you’re an early bird who liked catching a full 12 hours of sleep. Or what if you were just too scared to tell him you weren’t in the mood to call. God, there were so many factors he should’ve thought about before asking you. He blinked and heaved a frustrated sigh as he looked up to his ceiling. This was a lot harder than he’d thought. 
If there was one thing he learned from Oikawa’s fangirls is that girls are scary.
You were no exception to that idea.
Iwaizumi took a deep breath before pulling himself back up and leaned over to grab his phone. He turned it to the side and made sure once again that his ringer was on and that the volume was all the way up just in case you know, you wanted to call first and save him from all the stress he was feeling. 
He stared at your contact information and gripped his phone tighter. Your contact didn’t even have a photo and your name was just ‘Akaashi Y/n’ on his phone. Everything that happened between you two from the past couple of weeks flooded his head and he couldn’t help but internally cringe. He silently cursed at Oikawa for bringing him into this situation because maybe, just maybe, he could’ve held off this first phone call and wait for a couple of years when his voice would be a lot deeper and he would be a lot cooler and he wouldn’t be sitting on his bed with a pathetic expression while listening to his phone ring and-
Wait,
Ring?
Iwaizumi’s eyes widened as he now realized that he must’ve subconsciously pressed the call button on his screen. This was it, there was no turning back now. His olive-green eyes stared blankly at his screen. He kept blinking and re-reading your name and just hoping silently that it would change from your name to Oikawa’s so he could yell out all his frustration at him. 
A couple of seconds went by before the ringing stopped and he felt his breath hitch when his ears picked up the sound of your voice on the other line. 
“Hello?”
Oh, shit this was really happening
It’s been 3 seconds, shut up Hajime. 
Iwaizumi cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck with his free hand.
“Hey, Akaashi-chan right?”
“Mhm but please just call me Y/n! oh and uh hi Iwaizumi-kun” 
Iwaizumi blinked, he doesn’t know why but he felt his cheeks heat up as he heard his name come out of your lips. Iwaizumi cleared his throat before bringing a hand to scratch the back of his neck, “Uh- how are you doing?” he asked. Oh my god, you probably picked up on how unconfident he sounded. This is horrible. He winced and brought his hand to his forearm, rubbing it in an attempt to ease down his nerves. 
“I’m doing okay, did you uhm-- eat yet??” 
Iwaizumi stiffened, taken back a bit at the question but you interrupted him before he could reply. “I-I’m guessing you got back from practice not too long ago right? Assuming you stayed back late and stuff,” you trailed off. Wincing at your own awkwardness. Iwaizumi pinched his forearm and chuckled nervously, “No-uhm you’re right I got back a couple of hours ago. And yeah, I ate already. Did you?” He asked back, You shook your head, “no not yet. Been busy reviewing and all that stuff” you answered truthfully as you glanced up at your stacks of opened notebooks and coloured highlighters messily spread around all over your desk.
Iwaizumi grunted, his nervousness momentarily washing away as concern came over him. “Y/n, you can’t neglect your health. Cut some fruit up or something” You froze for a second at how stern he sounded just now. Then you realized that this could just be his natural voice and you’re just reading into it too much. Oh god you were starting to overthink again. How did Bokuto and your brother get past their first conversation?
Your silent curses towards the world were cut short when you realized that too many seconds passed and Iwaizumi was still waiting for your reply. Like you do in any unsure situation, you stifled a laugh and nodded while scratching your knee awkwardly, “I will I will.” 
A long line of silence then came through and there were no other words to describe it other than awkward. The faint buzzing of your phone sounded louder than ever. You could hear the wind blowing, the clock ticking, and the way your legs would shuffle against each other as you fidgeted. The silence between you two was long, tense, and uncomfortable. The kind of silence that made people want to die on the inside. You both started to question the situation you were in. You had the same goal, both wanting to learn more about your soulmate. Yet you’re lack of comfort and his lack of confidence made things more nerve wracking than it should be. 
In an attempt to ease the tension, you tried to think of something you could say that would loosen both of you up. A quick little sentence that was casual and good for conversation starters. You thought for a second, trying to recall your favourite movie couples and what words they said to each other during their meet cute. You needed something smooth, simple, but something that could address the situation you were in. It then clicked in your mind, 5 words, 5 syllables (or did it count as 7?) whatever.
 All your time spent watching incredibly dramatic romance movies has led up to this moment. 
“So…” you started in a casual tone.
“I guess we’re soulmates huh?”
The moment those words left your mouth your mind short-circuited and you wanted the ground to swallow you up whole. It definitely sounded way cooler in your head. God what were you thinking? And why did you make it sound like it was a question. stupid. Barely 10 minutes in and you’ve already embarrassed yourself. 
You fell back onto your bed (Akaashi kicked you out of his room) and covered your hand over your mouth and moved your phone away from your face and let out a tiny scream so that Iwa would not be able to hear. Maybe you weren’t as smooth as you thought. However, that didn’t matter anymore. The words had been said and now the embarrassment was eating you up and every single bad scenario you had previously imagined began to cloud your mind. This was it, you’re soulmate definitely thought you were a loser, bye-bye happiness and hello staying sad and single until you fall into your grave.
Your ears perked up when you heard him clear his throat. You sat up, moved your phone closer to your ear as you anticipated his reply.
“Yeah I guess”
Your body tensed up at how unsure and bored he sounded. And you thought this moment couldn’t become anymore embarrassing. You physically felt your soul leave your body the moment he spoke those words in such a bored tone. This is gonna be a moment that would forever haunt you in the years to come.  
Phone calls were neither of you guys’ strong suits and that fact was clearly evident in the way neither of you knew what to say next. While you could handle carrying yourself in real-life conversations, the closeness of someone's voice against your ear and their lack of presence in front of you made things made things more stressful than it should be. Iwaizumi was naturally not much of a talker, he usually let his flamboyant best friend that was joint to his hip take control of conversations. It didn’t help that most people found him rather intimidating and unapproachable.
The silence stretched out for another minute and the longer before you decided to speak up once again. You agreed to call because you wanted to learn more about him, your soulmate, and there was no way you could learn anything about him by just listening to the faint sounds of his breath through your phone. You shook your head and gave yourself a mini pep talk in your head. 
Come on Y/n, pussy up bitch.
“Iwaizumi-kun I’m gonna be honest-”
Iwaizumi's hands that were playing with the cotton material of his sweatpants froze. His voice got stuck in his throat and a part of him became worried. Curse his lack of conversational abilities. He was too lost in second guessing himself while structuring his sentences about what he wanted to say to realize that you were probably waiting for him to say something. Did he already mess things up with his soulmate?
“-I suck at phone calls. Like, I’m terrible at it and I’m honestly really nervous right now because this whole thing is a bit overwhelming but I want to get to know more about you because well, you seem pretty cool” you rambled and were met with silence on the other line. Iwaizumi suddenly felt himself get flustered the moment you said that he was cool. 
You sighed and continued, trying to ease the way your heart was pounding against your chest. “Truthfully I don’t know what to say or what we should talk about, so we can start with the basics, yeah?” You cleared your throat and straightened yourself up as you took a deep breath.
“Hi Iwaizumi-kun, I’m Y/n”
It took a moment for his mind to process the words you said. Basics. Yeah, he was capable of doing that. After taking a deep breathe, one that was meant to give him some sort of encouragement, he replied. You felt chills go up your back as his gruff voice echoing through the speaker;
“Hey, I’m Iwaizumi”
✧・゚: *✧・゚:* 
First real conversations were never easy. A part of you felt like you were back in your first year of junior high when your teacher was forcing you to play ice-breaker games in an attempt to get to know the people in your class. The questions were the usual “what’s your favourite food?”, “when's your birthday?”, etc etc. 
However, instead of getting to know your classmates, the game would usually just result in everyone staring at one another as they waited for someone to speak up. An awkward tension cutting into the classroom as everyone simultaneously realizes that everyone was kinda lame and boring and that they don’t really wanna get to know the people who sat beside them. 
You hoped that wouldn’t be the case with Iwaizumi. You’ve known you’d had a soulmate since middle school. Since then, you’ve always fantasized about your meet-cute. You’ve watched many romantic movies and read more than enough manga to fuel your brain with endless cute imaginations and ideas. 
But alas, the reality of the world is that cute scenarios are simply meant to live in fictional stories. Akaashi had even told you that you needed to humble down your expectations to save yourself from disappointment in the future. 
The first couple words exchanged in your conversation weren’t poetic words of love confessions and sweet nothings. They were typical, short common questions that people generally use to learn more about each other. The expected “when’s your birthday?” and “what do you do in your free time?”
You learned about how his birthday was during June, his favourite colour was dark green, he liked agedashi tofu, and how he spent his free time doing some sort of exercise or physical activity. Iwaizumi was also relatively quiet, truth be told you did most of the talking while he said quiet words to let you know that he was still listening. Along with being quiet, he was private. A direct contrast to you. You were an open book, your mouth moved faster than your mind and you had not much of a problem telling him about little details about yourself.
Iwaizumi on the other hand was selective on what he wanted to tell you. Iwaizumi was simple. A down to earth guy who had his own little sense of edginess to him. He was levelheaded and was someone who strived for realistic goals rather than unreasonable daydreams. You caught that when he simply answered that his goal right right now was to attend nationals with his best friend. When you asked if he had further goals, he simply said that everything else was too far into the future and was out of his reach. You could also tell that even though he used names such as “piece of trash” and “shittykawa” to describe his said best friend, he cared for him in his own way. 
Iwaizumi always had a feeling that his soulmate would be the more talkative one out of the two of them. He wasn’t reserved per se, just wasn’t one to ramble over things when deemed unnecessary. You on the other hand could talk for hours. Just from listening to your speaking patterns and tone of voice, you were bright and confident. You found ways to stray away from the original topic and talk about something completely different. On top of learning about your birthday, favourite food, colour, and basically everything he told you, he also somehow learned about your allergy to raspberries, your admiration for early 2000s movies, how you had a dog who you also considered like another brother, and now he was listening to you retell a story about how you got into baking and cooking.
You were carefree once you became comfortable. Your voice was captivating, one that made people always pay attention to whatever you were saying. He listened intently as you went on about your story, he hummed here and there to indicate that he was listening and nodded along even though he knew you wouldn’t see. 
A part of him felt relieved to hear you speak so freely. While you never directly came to him, he could tell from your Twitter rants that you were going through a lot of stress from school. Iwaizumi may have only met you formally recently, but he’s listened to your taste in music long enough to have an idea about how the songs you were playing indicated your moods. You had been playing such gloomy music during the past couple of weeks but he was still too nervous and felt like he was overstepping a line if he became too upfront and told you to tell him what’s wrong.
Yeah, you were soulmates, but you technically didn’t know him just like how he didn’t know you. 
Nonetheless, a part of him felt relieved at hearing the genuine excitement in your voice because he knew that at this very moment, you were feeling okay.
“-and that’s how I baked a cake to persuade my brother into not telling our Mom that we sneaked out to the convenience store at 4 am,” you said cheerfully as you recalled the memory. You had switched from sitting at your bed to now sitting on your chair and leaning your upper body onto your desk. You moved your word out of the way and had your elbows propped up on the surface of your desk, your head leaning onto your phone in your hands. A part of you felt giddy when you heard the faintest chuckle come from the other end of the line. 
The awkward tension between you two was fizzling out and you no longer felt as nervous as you did in the beginning. You were slowly and surely becoming a bit more comfortable with his presence. Truthfully, Iwaizumi still felt a bit awkward. Not that he minded you talking a lot, he just didn’t know what to say and was worried that you found him boring like how Oikawa said he was. 
He really was trying. It just wasn’t in his character to be so open about himself.
“Y/n, you know how dangerous that could've been?”
“Shh, my brother was practically a giant back when we were in junior high so he was enough to scare any creeps away. Plus, I already knew then that the elbow is the strongest point in the body so I would’ve been able to fight any sort of dangerous threat!” you exclaimed. “That is not a good excuse,” he replied in an unamused tone. 
You huffed, “At least I know something about self-defence” you attempted to reason. You only heard Iwaizumi reply with a simple ‘tched’ which made you laugh.
It was then that you looked onto the clock at the corner of your desk and realized how late it was and it was also then that you remembered that you still had some notes that you wanted to write up before you went to bed. Curse University prep. You were so lost in your conversation with the boy that time slipped past your mind along with your other responsibilities. Just when you two had started getting into a comfortable rhythm too. You sighed sadly which immediately caught Iwaizumi’s attention. 
“Hey, what’s up?” he asked. You shook your head and removed your phone from your ear and pressed the speaker button on your phone screen. You placed your phone on your desk and stood up to organize the notebooks you had pushed aside on your desk. “Nothing bad, just remembered I had a couple more notes I wanted to finish up before bed,” you said with a hint of sadness in your voice. You wanted to continue your conversation with him and you really weren’t in the mindset to review your nutrition notes right now.
Iwaizumi paused to take a moment to look up at his wall clock and realized that it was nearing midnight. Iwaizumi felt a twinge of guilt inside of him when he realized that he kept you up so late. This was even past his own scheduled bedtime. 
“I didn’t mean to keep you up so late, my bad” he apologized. You stifled a laugh as a tired smile spread on your lips. “It’s not your fault. Something tells me that you’re the type of person who sleeps early so I should be apologizing for keeping you up” you replied. 
You suddenly yawned and stretched your arms over your head, “I’m gonna finish up and call in for the night. You should get some rest Iwaizumi-”
“Go to bed” You flinched slightly at how serious his voice got. 
“It’s late, you can finish up your notes tomorrow. Studying when you’re tired isn’t healthy. Get some sleep so you won’t feel extra tired and groggy tomorrow morning. If you’re gonna stay up, at least go and make yourself something to eat for tomorrow so you feel energized” 
You smiled tiredly, “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you Iwaizumi-kun. Oh and thank you for tonight, I enjoyed talking to you and I hope we can do this again” you shyly suggested. You closed your eyes as you clutched the material of your sweater to your chest as you waited for his answer. Iwaizumi felt a sense of relief rush into him knowing that you enjoyed talking to him. A sense of his self doubt momentarily washing away. You didn’t hear a reply for a moment and it worried you that you might’ve said the wrong thing. But a couple of moments passed before you heard a faint “Me too”
You moved your hand to hover over the red call button on your screen,
“Goodnight Iwaizumi-kun, sleep well”
“You too, Y/n”
The ‘beep’ from your phone indicating the call had ended echoed through your room. You stared at your phone for a moment as it dawned on you that you just had your first real conversation with your soulmate. And yeah it wasn’t the large extravagant straight-out-of-movie scene you had always envisioned but that didn’t matter. What mattered now was that you had talked to your soulmate and you knew a little bit more about him and he knew a little bit more about you. 
It was a start.
You yawned and stretched your arms up over your head once again and sighed in relief when you felt your back crack. Your arms dropped to your side and you frowned as your eyes looked down at your notebooks that you had now neatly stacked in your hands. You realized that you were far too tired to even open up your textbooks, let alone finish a couple pages of notes.
Thinking back to what Iwaizumi said, you could always tune in early for the night and finish everything up tomorrow in the library. Plus, waking up to something to energizing to eat didn’t sound so bad. It wasn’t going to take long and you figured you had a bit more energy left to cut up some fruit before surrendering yourself to sleep.
Content with your decision you turned around and made your way towards your door. However, just as you were about to step out you heard three buzzes from your phone come back to back. Curiously, you walked back towards your desk and leaned down to read the message:
“Hey, if you need someone to study with then let me know and we can facetime and I can keep you company. If you want to of course. No pressure if you’re not up for it”
“Oh and grapefruits are really good to have the morning by the way, they’re refreshing”
“rest well.”
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a/n: hello! This chapter is very long overdue and I’m really sorry about that. I’m not gonna go into it but just know that this series is back and I hope to keep a steady flow of updates going :)
I struggled a lot with writing this chapter partly because I myself am terrible at phone calls but I hope this gives an insight to difference between Iwa and Yn!
I will be opening up taglist for any of my newer readers who would like to keep up with the updates of “on track!” Feel free to comment or send me a message : ) Regarding my current taglist, it’s been months and I’ve noticed a lot of people changed their @s so I tried to find everyone who changed their users. If I accidentally tagged you and you weren’t on my list let me know + inform me if i also missed you. If you no longer want to be added, then please let me know if you would like to be removed from the taglist. Thank you all so much for your patience and feel free to let me know about your thoughts down below :)
++ I just want to clarify iwaizumi’s initial care for Y/n’s well-being isn’t meant to be interpreted as “omg he’s falling for her already” and should be seen as just someone who cares about his soulmate and wants them to be healthy. He knows that YN is his soulmate and cares about her because of that. But it’s more of a platonic care at the moment. They’re soulmates, yes, but he’s not in love with her and Y/n is not in love with him (yet at least) ya gets?
yeah i’m just a fan of slow burn
I just wanted to say that just because I’m not confident in the way I wrote him 😅 thank you so much again for reading!
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Text
The Night We Met
Part Two - Some Of You
Pairing: Javier Peña/ Female Murphy!Reader
Words: 5.3k - again; das pretty spooky.
Summary: Y/N’s and Javier’s actions on the couch are confronted. 
Content Warnings: No smut just yet... Slow burn? Uh 18+ still though cause Javier’s got a filthy mouth and Y/N can’t stop saying fuck.  Angst. Jealousy. Reference to declining mental health. 
A/N: Sorry this took me so long to get out. I’ve rewritten this three times because I just didn’t enjoy the direction it took. It was way too serious and stuffy, so I’ve gone a little playful with it and I’m kinda into it. Anyway, enjoy!
MASTERLIST
AO3
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Part One 
You and Steve spent your first night in Colombia talking about everything and anything. Well, to be more accurate Steve did. For the most part your job was to listen and absorb. If Javier minded the Murphy reunion playing out in his living room he was kind enough not to say anything and stay safely behind his bedroom door. 
By 7am your mind was melted, you had already been going on 24 hours without sleep but taking on this amount of information, man, your brain hurt. They’d hung his cat, he’d beat the shit out of some coke head at the airport and to top it all off he’d saved the Colombian president from a terrorist attack. 
"This place is a real resort, huh?"  You mumbled, rubbing your eyes in disbelief.
"It's definitely something alright," Steve lit what you believed to be his seventh cigarette in four hours, it seemed the stress of Escobar had made his chain smoking worse. "You can't stay here, it's not… it's not a good place to be. It makes you different, harder. Paranoid."  Steve didn’t look good at all, his knuckles were bruised and oozing yellow and his eyes had dark rings of purple no doubt from the sleepless nights he’d had recently.
"I'm not leaving until you look like you're not gonna' blow over at the slightest goddamn breeze. I'm a big girl Stevie, I make my own choices." 
He didn't look impressed but he had no response, you knew that the conversation was far from over but with a shrug and a shake of his head he tabled it for a later date. The two of you sat in silence for a moment as you searched for what to say next.
"I need some sleep and a shower. I figured you wouldn't mind me camping on your couch." 
"Uh, my place…" Steve scratched his neck uncomfortable "is a bit of a wreck. I lost my shit after Con, and I haven't tidied in a while-" 
"A shower please and at least 12 hours of sleep then we'll sort it all out," you stood up and wrapped your arms around his shoulders you towered over him from where he sat.
Javier's bedroom door opened and Steve shot up out of your embrace. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment at being caught feeling his feelings.
"Javi, I can't thank you enough man... Thanks for looking out for her." Steve clapped his partner on the shoulder.  "Sorry if we kept you up,”
"Nah, I passed out after you got here,” Javier supplied kindly and whilst you knew it probably wasn’t true, you thought it was nice that he tried. “I’m about to head out, got a lead on Escobar to look into, got some concrete info from my informant. But you’re welcome to crash here, shower and rest… last I saw it, looked like a bomb went off in his place.” He snarked with a smoke hanging out of his mouth and buttoning up his fresh orange shirt. 
“Thanks man,” Steve muttered for the third time this morning though this one was laced with sarcasm. “He’s right though, you should get some sleep here and give me some time to fix it up.”
“Don’t be silly. If Javier really doesn’t mind I’ll rest up here and help you clean it after. I’m here to help Steve, so let me.”  
“Makes no odds to me,” Javi drawled with a shrug whilst pulling on his boots. After a quick tour of the bedroom and shower, you thanked him before turning to your suitcase and pulling out a fresh pair of pyjamas and your toiletries.
The two men were talking about the ‘concrete info’ Javier had gotten from his informant the night before, when you stood up and spotted the towel Javi had placed upon the table. When you got close they both clammed up, making you narrow your eyes in suspicion, though Steve ignored it completely. 
“I’ll get some shut-eye too, come and knock when you’re up,” Your  brother announced whilst stretching with a groan as he turned towards the door.
“Make yourself at home,” Javier smirked. His tone was full on innuendo even if he didn’t say anything inherently sexual. You turned quickly and clutched your toiletries closer, flustered by his words.  You hadn’t known quite how he was going to interact with you this morning, part of you had been scared he’d ignore you completely so you were quite happy with the easy going kindness.
You closed the door and sighed, feminism was really taking a hit at your hands. Jesus Christ you were pulling the whole female race back a couple of centuries as you could barely look a man in the eyes with flushing a bright red and losing your ability to manufacture sentences. 
You turned on the faucet of the shower just as Javier showed you. Whilst it was heating you up you turned to look in the mirror, your hair was a shade darker than it should’ve been coated in a disgusting cocktail of what you could only imagine was grease and sweat. Pulling your hair back, you noticed you had a bruise forming between the curve of your jaw and behind your ear.  Was this guy secretly a 17 year old boy? leaving you with a goddamn hickey.
You peeled your fragrant clothes all while cursing Javier's name. You stepped into the shower and washed away the stress of the past night. All had ended well you supposed, better than well really. You’d made it here safe, found Steve and made out with a gorgeous man. The only downside was now you were here you saw how awful your brother looked. 
Sighing, you decided to compartmentalise these complex thoughts until you had at least 8 hours of sleep under your belt. So you washed both your hair and your body quickly, reaching beyond the shower curtain for your toothbrush. You spent longer than was really necessary brushing your somewhat fluffy teeth before dropping the instrument back on the counter. 
When you were finally done, you rinsed off and turned off the tap, exhaustion hitting hard now you were finally in the end zone. You looked around for your towel only to realise it was still on the dining table, you’d been distracted by the mens hushed whispers and Javiers teasing remarks.
“For fuck sakes,” you huffed under your breath out of the frustration of yet another task being between you and sleep. So after wringing out your hair you opened the bathroom door and peeped your head out.  
The coast was clear, or at least it appeared that way. 
As you rounded the corner, Javier was sitting with a coffee cup in his hand, and the towel resting in front of him with a shit eating grin plastered on his face.
“You forget something?”
You let out a dignity killing squeak and dove for the blanket that lay on the back of the sofa. You couldn’t believe the gall of this man.
“I could ask you the same thing! I thought you were going!” You proclaimed, gasping at the audacity of this man. 
“Wanted a cup of coffee, y’know, start my day off right,” his face held absolutely no remorse and there was something distinctly challenging that dwelled there. 
"You're a fucking perv, you do realise that spying on unsuspecting women as they get out of the shower isn't very cop-like." You growl at the man. 
"Whose spying? I'm just sitting here enjoying my morning coffee, whilst you waltz around my apartment naked." He smirked holding his hand up "If anything I'm the injured party, what with you throwing yourself at me."
Your instant reaction was outrage, a huff left your body before you could restrain your response, that shit eating grin of self satisfaction remained on his beautiful face. It was so much worse than the usual smirk that usually resided there, you wanted nothing more but to knock it off him. 
Schooling your face you rolled your eyes at his words and released your hold on the blanket. Two could play at this game.
"Whoops," 
You saw his eyes widen and flick down your body for just a second before the mahogany eyes narrowed and settled back on your own. 
If this was a game he wanted to play, you’d win it. 
It was your turn to smirk as you stepped over the blanket completely stark naked in the living room of a man whose last name you didn’t know and who just so happened to be your brother's partner.
You strolled forward noting how his eyes never left your own, the man had some real willpower.  You had meant what you said last night, this was definitely not a good idea. You were playing with fire and you could guarantee Steve would murder you both if he found out about this, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t play a little bit of cat and mouse.
So you ignored the man completely and grabbed the towel from the table in front of him. You turned away and began patting yourself dry before rubbing at your hair as you walked back to the bathroom. 
“Have a good day at work!” You call as you use your foot to kick the door closed behind you, though the door doesn’t finish its journey as a hand catches it and flings it back. The sheer force with which it slams into the wall makes your eyes widen and take a startled step backwards. 
Javier stands in the doorway, staring at you. Your facade of confidence is knocked as you stare at him, he walks forward slowly, all swagger as usual and takes your chin between his thumb and forefinger. 
Much like last night, he places a teasing single, solitary kiss on your lips. Your eyes shut as you wait for the onslaught to begin. But it doesn’t. He pulls away before placing a finger on the bruise on your neck, which was now on full display as your hair was pulled back from your face, dripping water down your body.
“Sweet dreams, maravillosa.” He whispers a voice like honey, backing up. His eyes, deliberately slow, roamed your body before they rose to meet your own. There were no playful winks or smirks present any more, only a heat. A burning fire between the two of you. 
He was an arms length away from you but you felt a pressure on your chest, it was constricting your breathing. Making it hard to think, you didn't move or speak for fear it would break the spell. No words were passed between you as he took you in one last time and then turned on his heel and strolled out of the apartment. 
That fucking bastard. He'd won again. 
...
It was dark when you awoke to the front door slamming closed, it took you a moment to realise where you were. 
Your head felt like it was full of wool and your teeth felt heavy in your mouth, you rubbed at your eyes feeling like you'd slept for an age. 
You remembered the events of the previous night as you looked around taking in his room, minimal decorations, it looked like a prison cell rather than a bedroom. Javier was definitely not a nester. 
Oh God Javier. The man you'd had at least two sexual encounters with in the past 24 hours. You'd thrown yourself at your brother's partner like a sex starved maniac, but my God, he was making you feel more alive than you had in years. 
You sighed and lay back down, closing your eyes and rubbing your head. You grabbed the pillow and put it over your face. You weren't here for Javier, the lovely distraction he was proving to be, you were here for Steve. Steve was a goddamn mess, he was all over the place. Volatile, emotional and drunk, apparently, a large percentage of the time.
No, you decided, with a clear head for the first time in 48 hours. You could indulge in Javier when Steve had his head screwed back on and not a moment sooner. You would restrain yourself, you were not a blushing teen, contrary to your recent behaviour. You could do this.
You breathed out in a forlorn sigh, my God he'd destroy you. You knew all that swagger had to have experience to back it up. 
Restraint Y/N, restraint. 
You huffed in frustration and were struck by his scent, it had been around you all day, but he was condensed into the pillow covering your face. It smelt like smoke and his own brand of spice, something that brought his cocksure face into your minds eye. 
This was going to be difficult. 
Placing the pillow back down where you'd found it you rolled into a standing position, stretching out your arms above your head. You heard someone moving around in the lounge, a man and a woman talking. 
Narrowing your eyes to step silently over the suitcase you'd moved into the bedroom last night and pulled out a pair of jeans, an undershirt and nondescript plaid shirt. You pretty much threw them on along with clean underwear as quietly as you could, it was as you were sitting on the bed pulling your socks on you heard the scrape of the sofa and silence throughout the apartment. 
What in the hell?
It was then you decided to make as much noise as you possibly could… your rational brain told you he wouldn't… no- he couldn't be so god damn stupid not to check you weren't still in his bed before bringing a woman home after you'd been dry humping on that sofa not 12 hours ago. 
You pulled on your trainers, steeling yourself for what you were about to find. This was either going to be a huge misunderstanding and you’d misconstrued the sounds or he was banging some lady out- A moan cut through your thoughts. No. No fucking way! That absolute fucker, getting you all hot for him and then pulling this shit! 
You were struck by your position then, you were in his bedroom. Trapped. There was no clean exit. At this point the name of the game was damage control. You planned in your head, just get out of the apartment with as much dignity as you can muster. Resolved you all but launched your suitcase upwards crashing it into the wardrobe as it went and zipped it making sure to make it drag it out as much as possible to make the most noise you could. 
You took in a breath, dragging your suitcase behind you and opened the bedroom door slowly and pretty damn stealthily if you do say so yourself, the apartment was dark, the only light source was from the warm glow of the street lamps outside. 
So, you began your escape, taking a hesitant step forward. One foot after the other you got closer to the door, the wheels on your suitcase frustratingly loud, they had not got the memo that your mission had changed and your panicked brain now wanted to escape without confrontation.
As you rounded the corner, your stomach dropped. There, in the same position you had been not hours before was a woman, completely naked and riding the man that had invaded your dreams and had made you lose your head like no other.  
You stopped dead in your tracks for just a moment before your fight or flight instinct kicked in. Now you'd like to say you're a fighter, the kind of girl to stick up for herself but all you wanted was for the ground to open and swallow you up. So in a moment of unhinged panic you made a run for it. Ditched the suitcase in the hall and hauled ass. 
You weren't proud of it by any stretch of the imagination but you escaped pretty much unscathed apart for your dignity. That bitch was abandoned with the suitcase, decimated on the hallway floor. But hey, who really needed dignity?
You heard a surprised shout of something that sounded vaguely like ‘what the fuck?!’ from the lovers in Spanish as the door slammed behind you.  You were taking the steps three at a time in sheer fear Javier and his lover would follow you out of the apartment. You knocked on the door of Steve’s place, praying to all that was holy that he was awake. Your luck, it would seem had not run out. As Steve opened the door looking as fresh as a daisy, well. A daisy that had been carried around in a child's pocket, mushed and missing a few petals, but you appreciated the effort of him tidying himself up.
“You alright?” His eyebrows dropped as he took in your sweating forehead and gasping breath.
“Uh, yeah? I ran into Javier and his … girlfriend? I think he forgot I was there.” You weren’t proud that you snitched to your brother but that was the best way of getting your things back without seeing Javier, you needed a hot second for this awkwardness to scab over. 
“Fucksake Javi,” He pushed past you and nodded his head towards the apartment. “Make ya’self at home, yeah?” 
With a nod you stroll into the living room still struggling to breathe. You throw yourself onto the couch, that was thankfully nothing like the one downstairs. 
You were such a pussy.  
You couldn’t explain why but seeing that had been a punch to the gut, you’d known him for an evening, you had absolutely no claim on the man but a part of you still mourned what could have been. Javier was exactly like eating peanut butter from the jar, you know you shouldn’t do it and your family gets annoyed if they find out but my God if it isn’t more delicious that way. 
You would’ve let him take you apart piece by piece uncaring of if he put you back together after. He looked like the kind of man that knew exactly how to do it but it was a moot point now, it was over. 
Jesus. You had to draw the line somewhere for your self respect. So that's how you rationalised your anger, you were annoyed at him for messing up a good thing you had going, the sex would’ve been filthy it would’ve renewed your faith in the universe. It was one hundred percent annoyance at him, you were not jealous. 
Okay maybe 90% annoyance, 10% jealousy. It had been the woman from last night, all leggy and gorgeous. That bitch.
No, No, No. Y/N. 
Being angry at her was easy but she wasn’t the one humping you on a couch. Javier was the bitch here.  Your inner monologue was cut short by two male voices, coming up the stairs.
“Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck.” You whisper and leap out of your seat, you run for the door on your left as it looks like the bathroom in Javier’s apartment. The two men are close now, maybe at the top of the stairs? You open the door to reveal a fucking closet.  You close your eyes and wince in desperation as you hear their voices outside the door. 
There’s not enough time to dwell on your declining mental stability as you throw yourself into the cupboard and close the door behind you. You back up and nearly knock something off of the shelf, you turn and catch it in time. You can’t see what the bottle holds as you’re stuck in pitch black but your nervous hands have an iron grip on the plastic. The front door is pushed open, only you can’t see anything except from the strip of light that goes around the perimeter of the door. 
“... I swear, you best hope…” Comes Steve’s laughing voice, he sounds strained. “Thanks for the help man, I’ve said that so many times recently it's gonna lose its meaning, but really. Me, you and Y/N -where ever the hell she's got to -we’ll get dinner as a real thanks for all your help.”
“Hey’ like I said. It’s no trouble, I’m just sorry I forgot she was there man!” He sounded meeker than you remembered. 
“She’s a big girl as she likes to keep reminding me. I’m sure she’s fine with it. Beer?” 
“Nah, I’m good, I got Valeria downstairs. Tell Y/N I said goodnight, ok?”
“Tell her yourself, Y/N!” You close your eyes and smack your head.
‘He was fucking leaving you idiot’ you seethe within your mind. 
You hear Steve walk past to the hallway that leads to either of the two doors you could’ve made a run for and actually had an explanation for being behind. But no, here you were hiding in a fucking closet with a quickly waning amount of time before you got caught. 
“Where the hell’s she gone?!” Steve all but shouted as he threw a door open. “She’s not here, I was only gone five minutes, they couldn’t have-” 
The spiral was coming. This was Colombia after all, his mind had gone to the worst possible scenario, so cringing all while you pushed open the door of your hiding spot to meet the cocked guns of the two DEA agents. One with frantic eyes, the others laden with concern.
Javier looked sinfully disheveled, he’d clearly dressed in a hurry. (Join the club asshole.) Steve looked disbelievingly at you, shaking his head and holstering his gun in the back of his jeans.
“... Uh, I was looking for, um…” You look down at the product in your hands “... Fabric Softener?” Your voice lifts at the end of the sentence, your lie sounds awful even to your ears, but it's your story and you plan on sticking to it.
Both of the men look at you expecting you to elaborate, but you stare right back, more so at Steve than Javier. His face currently causes a nagging sensation in your jaw, making your lips want to purse in disapproval. 
“Thanks for your help Javier.” You say cheerily, placing the bottle back on the shelf.
He stares at you, like you're a cornered animal and he doesn’t quite know if he should duck for cover. His eyes follow you hesitantly as he too holsters his weapon. “Sorry, if you saw-” 
“It’s fine. Don’t sweat it.” You smile at him, your voice is no longer false as you force a dishonest genuinity to it. “Small price to pay for a comfy bed. You shouldn’t keep her waiting though.” 
“Yeah..” His eyebrows meet in the dip in the centre, like he's trying to figure out a tricky maths equation and keeps getting the answer wrong. He nods one last time and gives your brother a clap on the shoulder before vacating the apartment.
“Well,” Your brother starts “That was fuckin’ awkward. Nice hiding spot, Moron.” You burst out laughing at his understatement of the year.
“I mean, I saw him banging that lady, I couldn’t make eye contact after that.” You play it off, but you feel like there’s something to your voice you can’t quite disguise, but if Steve notices he doesn’t stop smiling, so you’re happy. 
You take the beer out of his hand and point to the cards on the table “Ready for me to whip ya’ like a dog?”
The awkwardness is quickly forgotten. Well, Steve forgets it at least. You don’t. A couple of hours later as you're lying on Steve's couch, trying to force yourself to sleep so you’re not quite so jet lagged tomorrow, you find yourself thinking about it. Analysing Javier’s actions. 
After an hour of lying in the dark in contemplation, you can confirm you have no fucking clue why a person would do what he did.  The only air tight hypothesis you have as you finally drift off is that he just wanted all the pussy, got greedy and got caught. Your eyes close as you finally lose consciousness with your heart in your gut.
You wake at 5am. The sun is just rising as you roll over, straight onto the wooden floor.
“Fuuck.” You groan, pushing yourself up into a sitting position. 
You felt like absolute shit. If you’d thought 10 hours of sleep had knocked you into tuesday, a further forced three hour nap had done you no favours. Rubbing your eyes you shrugged out your shoulders trying your hardest to work out the kink you deserved for sleeping on a sofa. It was barely dusk but a soft golden light was warming up the room. 
You sat up and reached to your backpack, pulling out the book you’d purchased at the airport in a hurry; ‘Spanish for Kids.’ There had been a distinct lack of Spanish for beginners and whilst you had faith in yourself, intermediate espanol had scared you off.
So learning to speak like a toddler seemed the better of the two decisions. You didn’t want to be presumptuous about how long you were going to last in Colombia, but you had no plans on going home any time soon. Steve looked like shit, you’d quit your job at the grocery store and Connie was taking care of the rent on your apartment. You were as free as a bird, figuratively speaking, you had no doubt your brother would forbid you to leave the apartment, as if that was in his power. 
You sat patiently reading and repeating the words for about two hours, religiously scanning the thin book as if it was the word of God from cover to cover three times. You now had the ability to give people strange facts about yourself, yep, rather underwhelming for two hours work, nevertheless, it was progress.
First job is to find another translation book, Stevie would probably be able to get his hands on one. You looked to the clock on the wall, 7:32am. You could hear Steve snoring away in bed as you stood, pulling on your clothes from last night. You surveyed the fridge and found it lacking even the basics. 
With a daring plan, you grabbed Steves keys and wallet from his leather jacket on the hook near the front door. You scribbled a note on the pad near the phone and left it on the dining room table, just so he didn’t think the Sicarios had decided to hang his sister this time. 
You took the cash and dropped the rest of his wallet, folding the wad of money and putting it in your front pocket. Grabbing your shades from the table, you all but skipped out of the apartment taking the steps in quick little hops.  As you took the last step into the lobby, you ran into the exact last person you wanted to see slipping back into the building.  
“Y/N…”
“Hey Javier.” You replied with what you hoped was passable as a smile. There was silence and you could see the usually slick man, scrambling to come up with a topic. For the first time in your life, you let another human flounder and enjoyed it. You had nothing to say to him, zip, nada. Not your problem. 
“No Steve?”
“Nah, He’s sleepin’ thought I’d get some groceries.”
“Alone?”
“I made it here in one piece, didn’t I?”
The man's eyebrows furrowed. “Gimme’ a sec’. I’ll come along.”
“Seriously Javi, I appreciate you being such a good friend to Steve. But I’m fine. Honestly. Steve said last night that the shop’s two blocks to the left.”
“Nah, I need some eggs.” You were bemused by his response. But fine, if he wanted to continue this exercise in torture he could feel free to. You shrugged and gestured towards his apartment. He turned on his heel and raced back in, for what, you couldn’t guess. He returned not two minutes later, yellowed sunglasses sitting lazily on his nose and a hand in his back pocket. 
“After you,” He all but whispered in your ear as he came up behind you holding the building door open, giving a wonderful performance of a gentleman. You strolled out surprised the sun was this strong even first thing in the morning. You could feel it beginning to power up for the day as it bathed your skin in a soothing warmth. 
The two of you walked in silence for a few minutes as you took in Colombia. It wasn’t quite what you expected, maybe not as impoverished. You didn’t have much time to dwell on that analysis, before Javi pulled you from your surroundings.
“Look, about last night…” He trailed off as if he wasn’t quite sure what to say.
“Don’t worry. Honestly.”
“I-”
“No. Honestly, we fooled around. It was a bad idea to start with, maybe it’s good, y’know, that things turned out this way.”
“I-”
“No.”
“But-”
“No. Look. My brother’s a shit show. Absolute train wreck happening in slow motion. I came here for him, I’ve got way too much on my plate right now to worry about where you're sticking your dick. So we’re gonna start over, no awkwardness, no nothing. Hi, I’m Y/N Murphy.” You offered him your hand in surrender, now he may have just witnessed a break in your mental health but he had a half smile on his face as if he had found your soul spilling endearing, instead of deranged. He wrapped his bronzed hand around your significantly smaller one.
“Javier. Javier Peña. Nice to meet you again, guapa.”
“Fucksake, Javi. You don’t make it easy.”  He let out another body shaking hearty chuckle at your words. 
“I’m Javier, remember? I’ve never felt your wet pussy through my jeans.” Your eyes widened and your jaw dropped. He’d taken your white flag and set it on fire and was currently using it to set your lower body alight.  “Start over? Like I can get you my outta my fuckin’ head. I didn’t come with you today because I’m Steve’s good friend. I came to get fuckin’ eggs I don’t fuckin’  need because I want to know how you taste.” He’d backed you up against the gate that surrounded what looked like a church, your hand grabbed at the black bar as he advanced on you, the two of you were close but not touching.
“You’ve tasted me.”
“Not those lips, amada.” You couldn’t help but gulp at his words. How were you here, you’d been so angry at him last night. Last night, when he’d woken you up fucking another woman. Ice water shot down your spine as you pushed at his chest.
“No.” You hissed, your hands pushing him again. “You’re giving me fuckin’ whip-lash! One minute you’re getitng me excited thinking I’ma’ bout’ to get the best fuck of my life, the next your screwin’ someone whilst I’m asleep in your fuckin’ bed! Are you insane? They need to either up or lower your dosage, because I don’t know what would make you think that this is okay!”
He huffed, backing off of you but not quite aquiasing to your shoves. “An informant, she was a fuckin’ informant.”
“Oh Javier! Why didn’t you say!” You gasp, before you roll your eyes. “This makes absolutely everything okay.” 
Sarcasm dripped from your voice as he seemed to reel from your words, the fucker actually thought he had gotten out of it.
“It’s my job. Finding Escobar, that’s it. That’s all that matters, that’s the end game.”
“Fine. Do your job, just leave me out of it.” He huffed at your words rubbing in between his eyes.
“I have never met anyone as goddamn infuriating as you, Murphy.”
“Fuckin’ likewise, Peña!” The two of you seemed to be in a stare off, neither of you willing to submit. You knew who was in the wrong and from the way he huffed before rubbing the back of his neck, he did too.
“Hello, nice to meet you, I’m Javier Peña. What’s your name?”
NEXT PART
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mochegato · 3 years
Text
Hope on Board
Chapter 8 – Walking My Baby Back Home
Chapter 1     Chapter 7
“Are you sure you should be lifting that?” Dick asked anxiously.  “Maybe I should…” He reached out and grabbed the bolts of fabric out of Marinette’s hands. Marinette squeaked in surprise as the weight of the fabric was suddenly lifted, nearly falling backward from the shift in weight.  Dick groaned under the unexpected weight, not expecting fabric to weigh so much.
“What are you doing?” She asked amused.
“You’re pregnant.  You shouldn’t be carrying this much weight,” Dick insisted.  “How were you carrying this much weight?  I swear this weighs more than you do.”
Marinette chuckled.  “This? This is nothing. I grew up in a bakery and helped stock the flour. Do you know how much one of those bags weighs?”  She looked away with an indulgent smile to look through more fabric.
Dick cocked his head to the side to think about her question.  How much did industrial sized bags of flour weigh?  He honestly had no idea.  But the idea of Marinette, little tiny, pixie-sized Marinette carrying heavy loads didn’t seem possible.  “No. How much?”
Marinette blinked a few times not expecting the response to her rhetorical question.  She wrinkled her nose as she thought about it.  Dick smiled at her expression, wishing his hands were free to pull her into a tight hug and snuggle.  “Um... I don't know in American measurements. But a lot. Like… 1000 hooves.”
Dick blinked at her a few times this time.  He looked at her uncertainly.  Was that a French term?  Was it a mistranslation?  That couldn’t have been what she meant to say.  It had to be a baking term.  “Hooves?”
“I don't know. I made up a unit, just like Americans do.  So, 1000 hooves.” She nodded in confirmation.
Dick leaned his head back to fully laugh, eyes crinkling, chest rocking.  Marinette took a moment from her search to appreciate how gorgeous he was when he laughed.  “Wow.  That much huh?” She nodded solemnly.  “I apologize for doubting you.  Now quit foal-ing around.  What do you think of these fabrics?  Yay or neigh?”
Marinette stared at him open mouthed for a few seconds.  “No.  Nope. Nuh uh.  I already have to deal with Papa and Adrien.  You are not allowed to make puns too.”  
“So you’re saying I need to reign it in or you’ll bolt?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.  She rolled her eyes at him but couldn’t stop herself from giggling and he laughed again. He stared at her for a few more seconds before sighing.  “I wish I wasn’t carrying these so I could kiss you.”
Marinette looked back in surprise until a sultry smile overtook her lips. “You could always set them down on the cutting table over there, you know.”
Dick followed where she was pointing and grinned back.  He quickly made his way to the table to drop off the bolts and rushed back to her side, picking her up as he rushed to her, then backed up between two overstuffed aisles.  Marinette let out a surprised giggle that turned into a full belly laugh at his excitement.  Dick’s watched her dreamily as she laughed.  “I hope our baby laughs like you.”
Marinette quieted immediately and looked at him in awe for a few moments. She smiled lovingly and traced the smile on his lips.  “I hope the baby has your smile,” she looked up to peer in his eyes, “and your eyes. You have the most beautiful eyes and the most captivating smile.  Your smile makes it hard to remember my name sometimes.”
Dick gazed at her, studying her features and thinking again how lucky he was to have her.  How amazing she was, kind, thoughtful, brilliant, creative, brave… he could list attributes all day.  “I like your eyes and smile better.  I guess we’ll have to have a second so they can have yours.  And that one can have my laugh.”
Marinette gaped at him, her face turned deep red.  “Um… how about we get this one out before we plan the next one.”
Dick’s face fell.  He’d pushed too far.  He’d gotten carried away again.  He was going to scare her at this rate.  He stopped when he felt Marinette’s kiss on his lips.  He melted into the kiss and moved to deepen it.  She pulled away after a few moments.  “I like that combination though.  And once I don’t feel like throwing up constantly, maybe we can think about starting to practice for the next one.”
Dick’s face lit up and he nodded excitedly, but quickly became concerned. “How are you feeling now?  Need to sit down?  Need water or food?”
Marinette giggled and pecked his lips quickly.  “I’m okay for now, but I anticipate needing something in my stomach in like… twenty minutes.”
Dick furrowed his brow.  “We should probably get going then.  It’ll take that long to find someplace and order.”
Marinette looked around anxiously.  “Good point, but I’m not done.  It’s… I need more time.  I don’t want to have to come back.  I’m actually feeling not terrible for a few moments today.  I can push it a bit.”
Dick shook his head and leaned his forehead on hers.  “The baby doesn’t like being pushed.  It’s quite insistent.  I’ll grab something quick and not messy from the store next door.  That should give you a bit more time, right?”
Marinette looked up at him relieved.  “Yes, thank you.  A snack should help.”
“I mean, I’m already right here,” he gave her a sly grin.  She cocked her head to the side in confusion.  “I’m a snack and I’m right here for you.”
“Oh my God,” her cheeks flushed and she buried her head in his chest.  She shook her head and gave him a playfully dirty look as he folded over in laughter.  “Believe me, I agree.  You are. But, how about one the baby can appreciate, not just me?”
He smiled and kissed her temple.  “Of course. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay. It should just be a few more minutes. Like… thirty minutes?” She offered apologetically.
It was not.  It was two hours and several snacks later by the time she had finally compared, sketched, tested, and finally selected the fabrics and taken them to get cut.  But that wasn’t the end of it like Dick expected. That just led to the next phase in shopping, the accessories.  She scrounged through all of the buttons, zippers, clasps, inserts, thread, and ribbon.
Dick had never known there was this much thought in an outfit.  And this was supposedly just a quick trip.  He couldn’t imagine a full trip.  He would have to make sure to be busy when that happened… unless she wanted his company or asked, in which case he’d say yes.  He sighed at himself.  He was whipped.  He looked over at Marinette’s shining face and couldn’t bring himself to care that he was. He would happily be whipped for her as long as he got to see that smile and be a cause for it.  No matter what she said, he hoped their baby had her smile. All of them.
“Hey, there’s a good little diner around here.  Want to get lunch there?” He asked when she was finally done and had arranged for them to drop it off later.
Marinette nodded happily.  “Yes.  I think the little one wants food now.  No more snacks.”  She absentmindedly rubbed her flat stomach.  The motion made Dick smile.  She was already so protective of the baby, which he could understand, he was too, of the baby and her.  He pulled her closer into his side and leaned down to kiss her cheek.  She looked back up at him with a brilliant smile and oh yeah, he was gone.
As soon as they walked into the diner, there was a loud, enthusiastic greeting for Dick from an older woman and a smile from the man in the kitchen who had peeked around to see him.  “Dickie!  It’s been too long.  How are you?” She brought him in for a hug.  Before he could answer she looked over at Marinette with a kind smile.  “And who is this?  Don’t tell me someone has finally caught you.”
Marinette smiled back at her and waved.  “Hi.  I’m Marinette, madame.”
The woman moved quickly to pull Marinette in for a hug as well. “Now, none of that.  I’m Kora.  Any friend of Dickie’s is family here.”
Marinette giggled and looked up at Dick with an impressed gaze. “Dickie is that good, huh?”
“Best teacher my grandson ever had.  Only one to get him interested in something constructive. But, come, come.  You didn’t come here to chat.”  She showed them to a table.  “Here are a few menus.  Let me know when you’re ready to order.”
“Actually, I wouldn’t mind catching up for a second.  How is Eddie?  How about Rachel?” Dick spoke up before she could get far away.
“Oh, you know Eddie.  He’s trying to stay out of trouble, but not too hard.  It doesn’t help that the police keep an eye on him constantly.  Makes him jumpy.  Makes all of us jumpy.  Rachel is doing great.  Eddie’s making sure she stays safe.  More responsibility than a young kid should take on, but what else can you do?  She loves school.  Taken a liking to clothing if you can believe it.”  Marinette perked up instantly.  “Decided she’s going to start designing them at fourteen.  Saves money I suppose.”
“Would she like to see someone do it?  Design I mean?”  Kora looked at her questioningly.  “I’m a designer.  I actually moved here because I’m working on designs with Wayne Enterprises.  I could take her with me to a meeting, if they are okay with it.  There’s some top secret things going on, so they might not want anyone else there, but if they’re okay with it, I can show her the process.”
Kora looked over to Dick looking for his input, but Dick was too engrossed looking at Marinette in awe to see Kora’s inquiry.  Kora laughed at him.  That was endorsement enough for her.  “Yeah, I think she’d like that.  I’ll give you my number.  We can arrange something.”
Marinette smiled excitedly and bounced in her seat.  “That sounds great!”  She looked back over to Dick as he took her hand.
“We better order before you start feeling sick.  Know what you want?”  When she nodded, they both placed their orders.  
“I was fourteen when I started entering design contests,” Marinette said excitedly.  “Hey, do you think Tim would be interested in sponsoring a design contest for kids?  I think kids like Rachel and me at that age, would really love it.”
Dick smiled proudly at her.  “I really think he would.  And I think Jason would probably be willing to help out too.”
Marinette nodded decidedly.  “I’ll talk to Tim about it at our meeting on Monday, the contest and Rachel.” She looked to the side for a moment and returned her gaze to him with a sly look.  “So… you teach gymnastics to kids?”
Dick looked down shyly.  “When I can. I haven’t in about a year because of other obligations, but… I miss it.  I really liked doing it.”
“I would pay to see that.  I bet it’s adorable.”
He smiled at the memory of the kids.  “Yeah they were.”
“Them too.”  She smirked and took a drink of her water, enjoying the sight of Dick blushing.  Her expression slowly morphed to more dreamy. “Maybe you can teach our baby.”
Dick perked up at the idea.  “I can’t wait.  I started when I was in diapers.  I’d like to pass that on to my kids.  Oh, speaking of that, I was wondering if you might be interested in doing some pregnancy yoga classes or we can YouTube it and do it at home.”
“We?”
He shrugged.  “I thought it might be something we could do together.”
“Yeah.  I think that might be fun.”  She squeezed his hand and blushed when he pulled her hand up to his lips to kiss the inside of her wrist.
They pulled apart when Kora came back with their food.  She gave them a knowing look as she set the food down for them.  “Young love. You two are adorable.”
Marinette blushed but Dick grinned.  “Hey, Kora?” Dick spoke up before she could turn to leave.  “What do you mean the cops are keeping an eye on Eddie?”
Kora sighed out.  “It’s like they’re waiting for him to mess up.  They’re constantly watching him.  We try to make sure he’s never alone and there’s always surveillance cameras somewhere but it’s just about impossible.  Honestly, I almost trust the gangs more.  At least they’ll try to keep him safe.”
Dick shook his head.  “I didn’t realize it was that bad.”
Kora shrugged.  “No accountability and a gun.  Who’s going to stop them?”  With that, she walked away to let them eat, leaving Dick to consider her words.
<><><><><> 
“So you’ve been doing gymnastics since you were in diapers?”  Marinette prompted Dick as they walked hand in hand through a park on their way back to her apartment.
Yep,” Dick confirmed doing an aerial front flip without breaking his stride.
Marinette pulled him to a stop so she could gape at him. “Oh yeah, by all means, pretend that’s completely normal.”
“What?” Dick asked innocently.
“Don’t give me that, show off.”
“What that ?  Oh!  That. That was nothing.  You should see what I could do if I was trying.” Dick shrugged casually, but the smug grin on his lips gave him away.
“Oh yeah, I could do that too, if the idea of being upside down didn’t make me want to throw up.  But just wait, in 10 months or so, I’ll show you a cartwheel that will knock your socks off,” she mock threatened him.
He grinned, a sincere, warm look in his eyes. “I can’t wait to see it.”  He did a side flip into a walk out without losing his breath.  “I’m going to have our baby out doing you by the time he or she is one.”
Marinette playfully narrowed her eyes at him. “Okay Mister gymnastics is in my blood. Let’s see what you can do when you try.”
Dick grinned and leaned down for a quick kiss before moving a bit away to start.  “Don’t blink, you’ll miss some amazing moves,” he winked at her before launching into a completely unprepared gymnastic routine.  He did flip after flip, moving through the air with an ease she didn’t even think she had even as Ladybug.  He jumped on the back of a bench with a single fluid movement, using it to launch into a double summersault flip. It went on for a few minutes at dizzying speed before his finale, using a water fountain to give him enough height for a triple flip.  Only he didn’t quite land it right.  He landed in an awkward, painful looking roll until he was laid flat out on his stomach.
Marinette stopped breathing as she waited for him to move. After a few seconds he still hadn’t moved.  Her heart faltered.  “Dick?” her voice was weak and uncertain.  “Dick?  Are you… are you okay?” the anxiety was becoming more apparent with every word. “Dick!” she ran to him, cursing herself for encouraging him and pushing him.  “Dick!”  Her hands were trembling as she turned him over to face her.
He looked up at her with a radiant smile.  “I guess this means I fell hard for you.”  
She stared at him for a few seconds while he curled up from laughing so hard. Tears started falling down Marinette’s cheeks while Dick continued to laugh.  He immediately froze when he heard her let out a sob.  He looked up at Marinette but she wasn’t kneeling above him anymore.  She had backed up a few feet and was sobbing into her knees.  “Marinette?” He reached out for her tentatively, her whole body was shaking.  “Marinette? Are you okay?”  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. “I’m sorry.  That wasn’t funny.  I’m sorry,” he whispered over and over again in her ear, breaking it up with the occasional kiss to her temple.
After a few minutes her cries started to quiet.  Dick brushed her bangs out of her eyes and wiped away her tears.  “I’m sorry, Marinette.  I wasn’t expecting you to take it so seriously.”
Marinette’s eyes flashed from distressed to anger in the span of a second. She backed away and shoved him in the shoulder.  She wanted to punch him instead but she wasn’t at a good angle to punch his perfect jaw and even as upset as she was, she knew that wasn’t okay.  “Seriously?  I wasn’t supposed to take it seriously?”  Dick stared at her in confusion… and pain.  That seriously hurt.  “I thought I pushed the father of my baby into killing himself.  I thought you got hurt or broke your neck because of me.  I thought you were hurt and I caused it,” she repeated again, tears starting to form again.
Dick’s expression softened and turned to guilt.  He was an idiot.  She was pregnant.  Her hormones were going crazy.  Not that he was stupid enough to mention that in his apology.  He watched her cry over a commercial the other day, not even a particularly sad one.  She was not in the frame of mind to accept jokes like this.  “I’m sorry,” he said again as he rubbed her arms and pulled her back into his chest.  “That was thoughtless and mean.  I’m sorry.”
After a few minutes she pulled away just enough to look up at him through glassy eyes.   “No, I’m sorry.  I absolutely should not have shoved you.  Normally I would have just rolled my eyes and pushed you back down, but these damn hormones.”
Dick nodded.  Again, not something he wasn’t going to agree with verbally though.  “Maybe I’ll do it again later.”
Marinette scoffed but pushed further into his embrace.  “Nope that one is done.  You’re going to have to come up with a new one.  I’m sure you can do something with flipping or flopping or making your heart do cartwheels.”
Dick grinned and hugged her closer.  “You’re taking all the best ones.”
Marinette smiled back and wound her arms around his neck.  “I already have the best one.”  She pulled him down for a kiss pushing all her anxiety and relief into it.
Chapter 9
Tags:
@dickinette-february @demonicbusiness @ichigorose @iloontjeboontje @ladybug-182 @toodaloo-kangaroo
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writer-k-pop · 3 years
Text
Train Rides
낮잠은 어땠어? How was your nap?
Description: What is hoped to be a quiet train ride down to your grandparents’ is interrupted by a loud business trip with an intriguing conversation with a business man who’s apart of the group that’s creating chaos in the train car. Warnings: Swearing Genre: Fluff, Non-idol!Minghao x Fem!Reader ft. Non-idol!Seventeen Word Count: 3k
Seventeen Masterlist | Masterlists
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My duffle bag bounced against my hip as I did a weird jog shuffle down the train platform in search of the train car where my seat was. Almost missing my train was what I got for spending a few extra minutes in the shower. My aunt would've killed me if I missed this train because I was bringing the most important stuff for my grandparents' anniversary.
"Finally." I exhaled as I finally found my assigned train car: number 8.
Pulling myself into the train car, I focused on calming my rapidly beating heart. I opened the door separating the seats from the space between train cars and my ears were immediately bombarded with lively chatter.
I looked up to find a large cluster of seats were taken up by a group of males. They were the ones creating the chatter. And it didn't help that they were all clustered around the middle of the train.
Internally, I groaned because I honestly hoped to get some more sleep on this train ride before I had to deal with my very loud, very obnoxious family. But that plan jumped out the window. But then, my heart dropped even further.
My seat was somehow in the smack dab middle of their cluster.
I cursed my need for a little extra leg room and a window seat as I trudged down the aisle with my duffle bag gripped in my hands. The conversations didn't quiet down as I approached, nor did they stop when I reached the middle of the train car where the backwards facing seats met the forward facing cars with a table in the center.
Sitting across from my seat were two males, one with blonde hair and the other with black hair. Both had rounder faces but they were in no way pudgy. In the seat right next to mine was another black haired male but he had a slimmer face and honestly, a slimmer physique in general. He had sharp facial features, a pair of round glasses sat on his nose and his entire focus was on the notebook supported by one hand while the other flew across the page with a pencil in its grasp.
The two from across noticed me stop and stared for a couple seconds as I struggled to get my ridiculously heavy duffle bag up into the overhead storage.
"Here. Let me help you with that." A light voice offered from behind me and a pair of hands helped me push the duffle into place.
"Thank you." I turned around to properly thank him and I was met with an almost angelic face that matched the voice almost perfectly. He had red hair and angled features but he somehow made it all work well together.
They were all seriously good looking and I was suddenly very thankful I spent those few extra minutes in the shower.
"No problem." The red head smiled and my involuntarily fluttered, "Do you have the seat next to Minghao?" He asked, nodding towards the male who was still engrossed in his little notebook.
"I guess." I told him with a small smile and then I heard the faint ringing throughout the platform telling everyone we were about to depart.
As the train car doors closed shut, one of the males across from my seat must've kicked the male sitting next to me because his eyes shot up with a glare that would've made even the toughest guys back down. But after a quick nod in my direction, the one in the seat next to mine directed his attention to me and I swore I saw his eyes widen ever so slightly. As quickly as he shot his head up, he scrambled out of his seat to let me into my seat.
"Thank you." I said quietly as slid into my seat just as the train began to move.
"No problem." The male next to me said and slid back into his seat. I could feel his gaze on me for a few more seconds before he reburied his head into his notebook.
I pulled out my book and headphones from my backpack before setting it down next to my legs. The conversations around me began to pick up again and I decided I could try to ignore them with some music.
But... just as the train left the station behind...
"So where are you headed?" The blonde male directly across from me asked just as I plugged in my headphones.
I blinked, for some reason unsure why he would be talking to me. "Uh, I'm headed down to Jinju." I answer him slowly.
"Oh, no way." The blonde smiled widely, "We are too."
"Oh, that's cool." I commented, unsure of how to actually respond.
"Yeah, we have a few important business things to do there." He explained though I didn't exactly ask for one. The slight awkwardness that creeped into the atmosphere almost made me want to laugh.
"Important." The black haired male next to the blonde repeated with air quotes and a large eye roll.
"Ignore him." The blonde informed me while pushing the black haired one in the shoulder. "I'm Seungkwan, by the way."
"(y/n)." I introduced me since it was the only thing I could do.
"Soonyoung." The black haired one raised a hand, all traces of his annoyance from earlier completely gone.
"Hi." I smiled, playing with an earbud wondering if they were going to talk to me the entire trip.
"So, are you just visiting Jinju?" Seungkwan continued his round of questions.
"Yeah," I answered, realizing that they were indeed probably going to talk to me the entire way there, "My grandparents live there and I'm visiting them."
"Oh, that's so sweet." Seungkwan cooed.
"I wish I was visiting my grandparents." Soonyoung grumbled, his annoyance returning.
"Soonyoung, I swear to god, if I hear another grievance from you, I'm going to make you participate in the panel next week." Another black haired male from across the aisle narrowed his eyes at Soonyoung.
"Oh god, not the financial panel." Soonyoung's face dropped so fast that I barely had time to hold back a laugh.
Seungkwan caught me and leaned in closer, "Don't worry, we all think he's nuts."
"Not as nuts as Jun." A voice piped up from behind me. The male looked by far the youngest and he was pointing diagonally across the aisle at a bucket hat wearing male with sharp catlike features.
As the others started to banter about who was more nuts, I glanced over at the notebook of my glasses wearing seat mate. On the page was a crude drawing of a character of some sorts and I couldn't help but be captivated by it. It wasn't anything super fantastical or extraordinary but every part held a story and I wanted to decipher all the parts. The way the body was positioned gave the impression of a welcoming and comforting personality but the face had the emotions of hidden stresses and thoughts.
The owner of the notebook cleared his throat slightly and I was caught red handed.
"Sorry." I apologized and felt a blush creep into my cheeks.
"It's okay." He accepted my apology but the embarrassment was still drowning me.
"It's a really interesting drawing." I complimented him and then mentally face palmed at the genericness of it.
The male glanced down at the drawing and then back up at me, "You think?" He asked.
I nodded, "Yeah, that's why I was staring. I was trying to figure out the pieces of the story it holds." I explained, trying not to look away from his intense curious gaze.
"Huh." He commented, slightly impressed for some reason, "These idiots never looked at one of my drawings for more than ten seconds." He gestured to the still bantering males around us.
I chuckled, "Well, they can't be complete idiots considering you're all attending business meetings together." I told him and he tilted his head to the side, considering my point.
"Fair." He said and then paused, thinking, before adding, "Then they're idiots of the art world."
"That sounds a little better." I said with another laugh bubbling in my chest, "So, do you draw often?"
He shrugged, "Kind of. I do it whenever I feel like I need to let off steam or if I'm bored."
"Which one was it today?" I asked then wondered if that was borderline too personal.
"Boredom." He answered, nonchalantly, and added a few more pencil strokes to the shadows of his character.
"Train rides not your favorite?" I guessed with a questioning eyebrow.
"Not really." He responded, "I'm more of a car ride kind of guy. But the train was the fastest option for us, so here we are."
"You like driving through Seoul?" I questioned with slight shock because Seoul was a city where every hour was rush hour and every car was trying to make it to their destination in record time.
He chuckled in disgust, "Oh god no. I hate driving in the city. Makes me want to pull out all of my hair." He joked and a smile grew on my face. "But give me a long drive through the country, an AUX cord, and a few snacks and I'm all set to go for hours."
"You would go alone?" I asked.
He leaned in close so the others wouldn't hear him but my heart skipped a few beats. "These guys are idiots of the art world, remember?" He reminded me with a small playful smile.
"Right. I guess music counts as an art form." I stated, hoping he couldn't see my nervousness. He straightened back up and a tiny part of me was extremely disappointed.
"Exactly." He agreed, "Though Mingyu's not a bad companion, if I want one." He pointed across the aisle and a row back at a green haired giant.
My eyes widened at his hair color and I had to ask, "Why is his hair green?"
"He lost a bet." He informed me, a smile touched his face with the memory and he looked even cuter when he smiled.
"Poor dude." I exhaled glancing back at the green haired male as he laughed at something the guy next to him said.
"Eh, he actually suggested the punishment himself so..." The male next to me trailed off with a shrug.
"So, what's your name?" I asked suddenly, realizing I knew a few of the others' names but not once did I get to ask him his.
"Minghao." He stuck out a hand and I grabbed with a surprised smile.
"(y/n)." I reciprocated the greeting and pray he can't feel my racing pulse through my skin.
""And you're visiting family in Jinju." Minghao repeated what I told Seungkwan earlier and my lips pucker in surprise. He chuckled and pulled his hand away. "My ears still pay attention even if my eyes aren't."
"I can't do that." I said, resting my hands in my lap, "Multitasking like that is not my forte."
"Gotta focus on one or the other?" He asked and I nodded my head.
"If my eyes are focused on like my book," I rested my hand on the cover, "Or something, my ears tune out everything so I don't miss a single word."
"Is that what the headphones are for?" Minghao asked nodding towards my phone with the still plugged in headphones.
"Yeah, kind of." I answered and twirled the wire around my finger, "It's easier to tune out familiar sounds than new ones."
"Any particular sounds?" He inquired and set down his closed notebook on the table.
"Music, particularly." I told him and tried to ignore the giddy thoughts that screamed that he enjoyed talking to me. I also peeked at his hands and noticed he wasn't wearing any rings. Which could've have been a big indicator that he wasn't in a relationship with anyone considering every couple seemed to have couple rings here.
He gave me a wide smile and the action softened his facial features so much. "Any particular artists?" He reiterated his question using the same word we had been repeating.
"Jason Miraz is one of my favorites." I informed him.
"Oh, I love Jason Miraz." He said with bright eyes, "His style is just so cool and he makes great songs."
"His style is really, really cool." I agreed. "Have you heard his new album?"
"Did that come out already?" Minghao asked with widened eyes.
I nodded, "This morning."
"Oh dang, I didn't even know it was coming out this soon." He said and scratched the back of his neck.
I reached for my headphones and handed one to him, "You want to listen with me? I haven't made it through the whole thing yet either. Just the first couple."
Minghao cautiously grabbed the earbud out of my hand, "You're sure?" He questioned me.
"About sharing headphones?" I answered with another question, "It's fine." I gave him a reassuring smile and it seemed to relax him a bit.
I popped my earbud in my ear and then scrolled through my phone to find the playlist. Adjusting the volume so it wouldn't blow out our eardrums, I started the album from the top.
"How's the volume?" I glanced over at Minghao after settling the volume at a level I thought was comfortable.
"Good, good." He responded, still a little stiff.
Turning my head towards the window, I let the calm melodies and voice of Jason Miraz accompany the green country scenery that quickly passed by. Pretty soon, my eye lids began to grow heavy and my morning rush started to catch up with me. Before I knew it, I was nodding off with my head leaned back against the weird velvety seat. Jason Miraz's soft voice carried me further into sleep land.
Just before the haze of exhaustion turned into a dark abyss, I felt a hand lower my head until it met the hard curve of a shoulder.
I woke up to someone calling my name and it wasn't Jason Miraz's voice. Blinking my eyes open, I was still on the train and the country side was still passing by very quickly. My head was still pressed against a shoulder and then it hit me just who's shoulder I was leaning on. [Though you know Soonyoung was not going to let Minghao live down how sweet the action was.]
"We're like 5 minutes from Jinju station." Minghao's voice informed me and I sat up, trying not to be too sudden about it.
Running a hand through my hair, I checked my phone and the time coincides with the information given to me.
"I can't believe I slept through the entire ride." I chuckled at myself, still in shock.
"I'm surprised you slept through Seokmin and Soonyoung's screaming." Minghao laughed lightly and handed me the other half of my headphones.
I gathered the wire and picked up my backpack to shove them and my book back into it.
"Ugh, we didn't even get to talk about the album." I pouted, annoyed at myself for sleeping.
He giggled and it added itself to list of things I found cute.
"How about this?" He suggested, "We exchange numbers and we can discuss the album once you actually listened to it."
I puckered my lips in thought because dude just called me out for falling asleep in the middle of tiny listening party for a new album. But, the little jab did nothing against the desire to keep in touch with him. So, I unlocked my phone and handed it over with the contacts app opened.
"Deal." I agreed to his suggestion and he took my phone before quickly typing in his information.
"How was your nap?" Seungkwan asked, resting his arms on the table and leaning forward.
"It was unexpected and long." I answered him, zipping up my backpack.
"But was it at least good?" He questioned further and Minghao handed back my phone.
"I'd say it was pretty good." I told him and he smiled, content with my answer.
The train pulled into the station, which was the last on its route, and we all shuffled out of our seats. I reached up to the overhead storage for my still ridiculously heavy duffle bag but Minghao grabbed it before I could even touch it. Pulling it down, he held it out for me to take.
"Thank you." I thanked him with a smile that I hoped would cover up the toll that the bag's weight took on my body, specifically my arms.
"No problem." He nodded with a small smile.
The other guys let me walk off the train first and I didn't get a chance to look back or wait for them because my aunt was waiting on the platform for me.
"(y/n)!" She yelled and ran towards me. "Glad you made it! Oh! We have so many dishes to prepare. Come on, your mom's busy chopping up vegetables and claims she needs her sous chef ASAP." My aunt took the bag from me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders before leading me away.
I tried to look back for one last glance at the male who let me sleep on his shoulder but my aunt demanded all of my attention.
"Did you remember to bring all the stuff we asked?" She questioned me.
"Yes, auntie." I replied, "I even remembered the Christmas ornament, though it took me forever to find."
"Oh, you're amazing!" She squeezed my shoulder and we walked out of the station and towards her car.
As we made our way down the stairs, my phone rang with a text.
I pulled it out and a laugh bubbled inside my chest as I read the message from Minghao.
"I don't think Jason Miraz can save you from that conversation."
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hard-to-be-the-bard · 3 years
Text
Will Graham X S/O
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More Will Graham heck yerrr
also this ain’t pre established dating, it gonna happen in the fic so wooo
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- It was already 8:17pm, and you’d only just arrived at his house, after a long investigation at the FBI headquarters, Jack had finally let you go, and Will had beckoned you with the offer of warm drinks and cuddles with his dogs
- And who were you to deny such simple pleasures
- You both walked up the porch steps of his house, you could already hear the dogs making noise inside and you saw Will smile as a nose came into view, pressed against the glass door, he turned the key and opened it and they came flooding out, wrapping around your legs excitedly as they barked demanding head pats.
- You of course, gave them just that, smiling at them, as Will tried to convince them all to go back inside.
- Eventually you had, and were currently nestled into the sofa, Will on one side and Winston on the other, with a mug in hand, and the other placed on Winston’s head, giving occasional pats to the very happy dog.
- Will was making light conversation, not knowing quite what to say, sure he’d invited you over, but it was spur of the moment and he hadn’t actually expected you to say yes to him.
- After all Beverly and the guys were going to some cheap bar, and he’d assumed you’d be heading with them
- But instead you chose the quiet company of him and his dogs
- That gave him a sense of pride
- And so you as you both made light conversation, him giving you details about fishing, and the offer of him taking you one day, another meet up was planned, and neither you had realised how late it had gotten, until Will looked at the clock
- “Shit” He muttered, and you looked at him
- “What’s wrong?” You asked, and he pointed at the clock, where you followed his gaze to see it read 12:28am. You frowned in disbelief 
- “No way it’s been 4 hours already” You said, and Will chuckled slightly
- “I guess time really does fly huh?” And you laughed
- “I guess it does” You agree, and stand, feeling your legs cramp from sitting for so long
- “I-I should really get going, it’s late, and-” You started, not knowing quite what to say
- “You could stay” Will blurted out, and you stopped to look at him
- “I wouldn’t want to intrude Will-” And he shook his head
- “It’s not, It’s late and dark, and you’re tired, driving probably isn’t the best” 
- You only lived 5 minutes away, so driving would of been fine and he knew that too, but he wanted you to stay
- “If it’s okay with you then-” You said, and he smiled
- “Of course it is” He says, standing to head to his room
- “I’ll just uh, get you something to change in to” He says, and you nodded.
- “Alright” You said, and he was back within a few seconds, holding out a clean shirt and a pair of night shorts.
- “Is that alright?” He asked, and you nodded
- “Yeah, perfect, thanks, I’ll just, go get changed” You say and point towards the bathroom
- Once you’ve changed into Will’s clothes you look in the mirror, seeing his oversized shirt drape from your body, you find yourself thinking you could get used to this.
- You left the bathroom and headed towards where Will was making sure all the dogs were comfy, and he turned to look at you, his gaze turning to you in his shirt and he blushed ever so slightly and looked away.
- “I don’t know if you want the bed or the couch it’s up to you- I don’t mind sharing, or I can take the couch and you have the bed or-” He stumbled and you stopped him
- “Will I’m not kicking you out of your bed” You laughed and he looked at you
- “Well, we can share, if you want” He said, and you nodded, biting your lip slightly
- “Yeah, sure” You say, and he heads towards he bed mentioning for you follow, which you did, and he pulled the covers back, sliding in and holding them for you, and you climbed into bed next to him, facing towards him.
- He watched you for a moment before whispering a soft goodnight, which you replied the same and he turned slightly to face the ceiling, and he closed his eyes, leading to you doing the same
- You woke up to a knock at the door and a heavy weight against your middle
- You moved groggily to find Will’s arm holding you in place, and the knock at the door continued. You shook his arm gently, and his eyes flickered open, landing on you as he whispered sleepily
- “Good mornin’” And you smiled, whispering it back, before hearing the knock again, and Will turned to look in the direction.
- “Who’s that” He mumbled, and you rubbed your eyes, and you shrugged
- “I’ll get it” You say, and make to move as Will unwraps his arm from you, your feet touch the cold ground and you head towards the door, twisting the key and opening it, to reveal, Jack Crawford and Hannibal Lecter standing in the door
- “Y/N?” Crawford says, looking surprised to see you, and his gaze goes down to what you’re wearing, noticing it’s Will’s, and then he appears behind you, in nothing but his boxers.
- Will Graham
- Giving off the impression that the two of you did indeed, take part in some explicit acts the night before, and Jack clearly comes to this conclusion, even Hannibal looking surprised.
- “I didn’t know the two of you were-” He trails off looking between you two, and Will does nothing to deny what Jack was inferring as he asks him what he wants
- “There’s a uh- new case, we need you both actually, but, I’ll give you both a few minutes to, get dressed” He says, handing you a sheet of paper with an address on it, before turning to go, Hannibal giving the two of you a nod before following him
- And then the door is shut, you and Will standing there awkwardly, before he speaks
- “Do they think we?” He asked and you nodded, you both looked at each other before beginning to laugh, and when you stop he looks at you
- “You should uh, stay over more often” He offers, and you stop, looking at him
- “What do you mean?” You ask, and he steps closer to you, so that your staring right at his lips, and he speaks softly
- “I enjoyed it” He says, watching to see what you’d do, and your gaze flickers to his lips, before back up to his eyes, and he waits, nervously asking for permission, and when you move closer he takes it as that, pressing his lips quickly to yours and kissing you.
- It was softer than you’d imagined it would be, deeper too, more feeling, more emotion
- And then he pulled away, eyes flickering to you, wanting reassurance it was okay, and you pressed one more kiss to his lips
- “You know, Jack’s gonna be complaining we’re late” You mutter, and Will presses his forehead against yours
- “You’re right” He sighs, and you smile
- “Maybe we could, continue this tonight?” You ask, and he smiles
- “I’d very much like that” He grins
- It’s safe to say you wore his shirt for the rest of the day, everyone instantly knowing whose shirt it was
- Not that Will was complaining
233 notes · View notes
prettywordsyouleft · 3 years
Text
The Cowboy - Part 10
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Summary: Leaving the city for a rural area called Blayne seemed simple enough. Your task was to convince the people to agree with selling their land for a resort redevelopment. But once there, you soon realise that your city ways are entirely different to theirs. Winning their trust was going to take some effort, and when you start to fall for a local cowboy, you wonder if you really needed Blayne more than the city life after all.
Pairing: Jung Jaehyun x female reader
Genre: cowboy au / drama / romance / if you squint there’s some enemies to lovers up in here.
Warnings: Jung Jaehyun is a cowboy, need I say more? (a bit of angst and drama, and it sometimes might feel like you’re reading a Nicolas Sparks book, so I’m told lol) -- swearing, and I’ve never been to a rodeo in real life so I probably didn’t make a fully realistic scene, so don’t hate me, it’s fiction lol
Word count: 2281
This series will be updated every Thursday and Friday.
Preview | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
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It truly was another world. The country music was playing live from the stage nearby and the endless row of stalls selling assortments from horse gear to food overstimulated you. You had lost Avery in the crowd, the tall man crossing paths with a group of women from high school.
Jaehyun smirked. “He’s always been the popular one.”
“And you the troublemaker?” you offered and Jaehyun laughed, shaking his head.
“You’re the troublemaker. How do you propose I deal with worrying about you when I’m warming up Trickster soon? Maybe you should come with me.”
“I’ll be fine exploring whilst you do that. I’ve seen you ride so much now, I’m convinced your butt is a perfect shape to mold to any saddle seat.”
“Well, you should know, having seen my butt how many times now?”
“Jaehyun!” you gasped, slapping his upper arm and looking around yourselves. You relaxed, realising you saw no familiar faces nearby.
He seemed to read your mind. “Avery knows about us. He’s helping me out by keeping his mother clueless.”
“Would anyone else come from Blayne today?” you asked, and Jaehyun shook his head.
“Not really. It’s more so people from the town over that will. And whilst you’re a household name in Blayne, you’re not on familiar terms yet with others. Which means…”
“Which means?” you repeated, grinning when Jaehyun reached for your hand, interlocking your fingers. You looked down at the gesture. “I felt that tremble, Jaehyun.”
“What tremble?” he feigned innocence for only a moment. “Maybe I have some butterflies about today. I want this to go well.”
“It will. I know it will.”
“Because I have your support?” he teased, and you shook your head, trying not to roll your eyes.
“Because it’s a passion of yours. I can tell you want this opportunity.”
“It would be real nice. Joey told me if I qualify, he can help me with the training. I’ll need to find extra time to do it, maybe travel to his barn a few times a week for evening training but it’s doable.”
“You’re so cute, you know that?” you said, recycling one of Jaehyun’s lines. He picked up on it and laughed. “I like seeing you this hopeful.”
“I’m hopeful about us too.”
“You are?”
“If I win today, my Dad will be pretty chuffed. Maybe we could tell him about us.”
“No more acting like teenagers over this. We’re grown adults, Jaehyun. Regardless of if you win or not, let’s tell him. I’m planning on meeting with him on Thursday for my business proposition, so if that goes well, I doubt he’ll have any concerns about us.”
“This is my Dad we’re talking about. There’s a whole lot about him, about us, that you don’t know.”
“Are you hiding someone in the attic?!” you asked, gasping dramatically. Jaehyun rolled his eyes. “You’ve got an entirely different life kept behind closed doors? How about being the culprit to-”
“Here you two are,” Avery interrupted, eyeing your linked hands with high interest. “Is this why you wanted to come today, Y/N? Away from the prying Blayne eyes, you can finally go on a date with your beau?”
“A date?” you pondered before looking up at Jaehyun. He grinned. “We’ve been on a few of those already in Blayne.”
“And no one knows that you two are together? Woah, I’m impressed with how well you’ve covered them up.”
“Not for long,” Jaehyun announced and you smiled happily, nodding in agreement. “But I am mighty glad you’re back, Avery. Can you keep an eye on this one? I’m sure if left to her own devices, some of the sellers in the market here will have her pulling out money she doesn’t need to spend.”
“You’re insulting my judgment so easily!” you called after Jaehyun’s departing back.
Avery grinned. “Well, you chose him over me. I’ve been doubtful of your taste this whole time.”
“Avery McConnell?”
Spinning to see another woman approach you both, you grinned. “He’s all yours. I’m going to go watch from the stadium.”
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An hour had passed by, and you were struggling with the concept of being at a rodeo. On one hand, it was thrilling to watch but also reckless. You knew there was a danger behind the sport, as there was with most sports. But you didn’t realise how easy it was to fall off at this calibre of competition.
You gasped as a young girl, no older than fifteen hit into a barrel and her horse was deep in the turn, losing its footing and the pair fell, the horse landing on top of her. With bated breath, you watched as she managed to get back to her feet, albeit with an evident hobble.
“Your first time?” an older woman asked knowingly, and you nodded. “Not from around here?”
“Originally from the city,” you admitted sheepishly, and the woman laughed.
“Called that by a mile.”
“Do I stand out that much?”
“You’re no country pumpkin like me, that’s for sure.”
“Ah.” You looked her over and smiled. “I think you’re lovely.”
“I wasn’t meaning how we look, love. You’re here to support your boyfriend, aren’t you?”
“How did you know?”
“And he’ll come out here soon, and you’ll be the type to cheer. Don’t. It’s really tacky and could throw him off. Do you even know what barrel racing is about?”
“Some. There’s three barrels, and you have to make it through the sequence with the fastest time and without touching them.”
“It’s a dangerous sport. The horses are trained athletes. It might be all over in fifteen to seventeen seconds, but during that time, it’s a race against their life. They need to move without any issue, carry the weight of their rider perfectly, and dig deep to get around and then gallop off again. And the riders are just as focused. It’s more than just a sequence. Everything counts.”
“Wow, and he had a chance to go pro for this?”
She laughed loudly then. “All cowboys will tell you that, sweetie. Who are you rooting for?”
“Jung Jaehyun,” you mentioned and her amused expression dropped, scooting closer to you. Leaning back from her sudden invasion of your space, you laughed weakly. “Is that a problem?”
“Oh, he’s good. He’s back on the circuit? He took time off ever since the fire. I didn’t think he’d be back to this level.”
“What fire?”
“Blayne’s fire,” she replied, her eyes now peeled to the catalogue, checking out Jaehyun’s details. She gasped. “Joey Newman’s horse?! He didn’t come to mess around today.”
You smiled politely at the woman, slipping into your thoughts. You knew this was a big thing for Jaehyun, but was he that big of a deal in this world? The new information explained the nerves, but he had downplayed this to you all day long. The barrel racing was one of the last sports on the schedule for this rodeo, and for hours beforehand, Jaehyun had assured you it was like a training event. Yet, this woman now had you believing otherwise.
“Can I ask something?” you enquired, coming out of your reverie and the blonde woman nodded. “What happens if he makes the top five today?”
“He’ll be scouted. Perhaps he already is getting calls. He held the fastest time for five years straight in this region. Everyone wanted a piece of him before his father pulled him out.”
“Pulled him out?” you breathed, blinking rapidly. “Why did he-?”
“How about you ask your cowboy that you’re having a fling with all about it, once he’s done racing the clock, if you have further questions.”
“It’s not a fling,” you corrected and she smiled sadly at you.
“Darl, I was dating Billy Burke. You might not know that name but everyone around here did. He went pro, won the Nationals and become a million dollars richer.”
“A million dollars?!”
She shrugged. “I was pregnant with his baby at the time he got offered to go pro. We were supposed to get married. But, you know, it was his dream to go pro. When given the choice between love and the race, he chose the latter. So what if he has money? He has all that fame now too. All I have is his kid who hasn’t met his Daddy once. Let me warn you, cowboys might charm you with their country hospitality but they all have bigger goals than the farms they run back home. Once Jaehyun is given the chance, he’ll forget that Blayne even exists.”
“I doubt that,” you defended. “I’m sorry to hear of your circumstances, and even if Jaehyun and I end, I can confirm Blayne means more to him than-”
“You really don’t know what he did to Blayne, do you?” Pity for you emerged in her eyes. “What do you know aside from his body then?”
Getting up, you stormed out from the bleachers you had been sitting upon, feeling foolish for being so worked up by a stranger. Before you could leave, however, Avery leapt up towards you and clapped his hands together. “He’s next up. Where are you going?”
“Oh, I uh, need fresh air.”
“Worried about him falling off? Don’t be. He’s the best here today, you’re about to see it. No one else can go from being a farmhand to a decent barrel racer without practising than Jaehyun. Come on, you can get air after his run.”
Nodding numbly, you allowed Avery to push you along, taking a seat again. Avery greeted a few of the people around you, and you watched the horse and rider before you now, finishing their run with ease. You looked to the sidelines, wondering where Jaehyun was.
“I thought you said he was next.”
“He is. He’ll be making his way in any second now.”
The grating voice of the commentator muted as soon as you saw the spotted horse come racing into the arena, your eyes peeled on the pair heading towards their first barrel. Clasping your hands together, you watched on intensely, praying Jaehyun and Trickster would make it around safely.
The woman had been right. It was a sport that relied on precision and speed. You had always considered a minute to be such a short period of time, but as the seconds went by, you found yourself changed. Every second counted now.
Jaehyun and Trickster rounded the final barrel and galloped to the exit, Avery’s screams and sudden shaking your arm jostled you out of the blur that had been your vision towards the end.
Fifteen seconds was all it took to give you clarity on your feelings.
“He made it! That lucky son of a bitch!” Avery rejoiced, and you stood up jarringly, walking down the aisle to the exit. Avery was still full of energy at your side. “He’ll be cooling Trickster down, Y/N. Come this way to the holding pen.”
You followed along in a slight daze, your heart thumping with the thoughts within your head. You disregarded all the information, the warnings that stranger had given you. When you saw Jaehyun walking the heavily breathing animal around and patting his neck, you almost broke into a run to reach the side of the pen faster.
Noticing your arrival, Jaehyun grinned and walked the horse over. “Well, what did you think?”
“I think I’m in love you,” you announced sincerely.
“After seeing only one run?!” Avery joked, but Jaehyun’s expression grew serious, not shifting away from yours even as he continued to walk the horse around.
Distractedly, Jaehyun called out for the groom of Joey’s ranch and dismounted, walking over to you and ducking under the metal bar that separated you from him. “You mean what you say?”
You nodded, choking on the sudden emotions that had come with your confession.
“You can’t take it back after I give you this chance, Y/N. You mean it?”
“I love you,” you repeated, and that was all it took for Jaehyun to crash his lips upon yours.
There was no thought to the professionals around you, nor Avery who had stepped aside to give you albeit a tiny amount of privacy. You didn’t care at all who watched you lock lips with Jaehyun right now.
Because it felt right.
You hadn’t expected to arrive in Blayne and find yourself looking in different directions for your life. It had always been well-planned out. You would build your career and work hard during these years, so when you had achieved all you set out for you could relax into love and create a family.
The country didn’t work like that. The values were so different from what you had experienced in your fast-paced life. And now that you had been given the opportunity to slow down a little, to take in the world outside of an office and not be attached to a screen day in and out, you were finding your desires were changing too.
You liked the idea of waking up in someone’s arms and falling asleep whispering sweet nothings to one another. During those fifteen seconds, you imagined your life without Jaehyun in it, and it made you want to do absolutely everything in your power to remain at his side.
You meant the love confession. You had never spoken of love to another person before. It was liberating, fulfilling. As Jaehyun burned his lips into yours, you knew he felt the same.
It hadn’t been long between you. But this summer romance was shaping your world more than you believed it had for his parents all those years ago.
You couldn’t imagine going back to the city now.
_________________
Part 11
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goddessofmischief · 3 years
Text
Blue Monday, Chapter Nine - Loki x Reader
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Author’s Note: I finally did it you guys. Loki’s mood in this gif matches mine.
Catch up on chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 !
The year was 1971.
Wars raged. ‘A Clockwork Orange’ was the biggest movie in theaters.
And you and Loki were about to stage one of the most infamous plane heists of all time.
“I had forgotten how much I despised American airports,” Loki muttered, adjusting his tie. You’d never seen Loki in human clothes before - and, frankly, you were a confused mix of amused and... attracted.
“The tie’s not the problem, ‘oki,” you suggested, running your hands through his hair. He seemed to almost shrink away from you, and then think better of it, leaning into your touch. “It’s the hair.”
“My hair - my hair is fine!”
“Okay, okay.”
Maybe it wasn’t Loki’s insecurities bubbling up, you thought, but your own.
It had, after all, been a very long time since you’d worn human clothing - or been on Earth in your time period, for that matter.
That was why it was imperative that you be heavily disguised - someone could recognize you.
It was odd for you to think about, somehow.
After all these years stranded somewhere in the middle of time and space, being back in your timeline felt uncomfortable, and.... strange
Not to mention that you were returning to the place of your timeline with, well...
A God.
“Here,” said Loki, passing a bag to you. “You hold this...” “What, what’s in it?”
He lowered his voice to a murmur.
“The bomb.”
“The?! Bomb?!”
”Yes, quiet. You have held a bomb before, yes?”
“You know I have. This is... kinda... different.”
”Don’t worry. I’m under strict instructions not to kill anyone.”
”Oh, good - you’ve been instructed - that makes me feel loads better.”
“I believe you’re beginning to regain your sense of sarcasm, darling.”
You swallowed.
“I hate sarcasm,” you said, finally. “It’s just... another, less clever way to lie.”
“How’s that?”
“You’re not saying how you really feel. I hate when people do that.”
“You must truly despise me, then.”
“No,” you admitted, and you felt as if you were giving something away by confessing this. “No, I... don’t.” Loki gazed at you, his face terribly close to yours, and you put your arms around his shoulders...
It felt awfully right, as odd as the situation was. The year was 1971. You were many decades old, but looked youthful. You were an agent of the T.V.A..
And you were about to kiss the God of Mischief, right here, right now, in the middle of this airport.
“Cooper!”
They were calling for you. For a moment, only a moment, you hoped against hope that Loki would ignore it - that the moment could go on, just as before.
But you knew that it couldn’t. The moment was over, as soon as it had ended.
“Coming,” said Loki, in an odd American voice you couldn’t get used to. He could’ve been any man that you would’ve known during your time on Earth... and you loathed the idea of that. “Right, dear?” “Yes, darling,” you said, taking his hand, and his fingers twined around yours. You knew, somehow, that this was a turning point - that you and Loki could never go on as it had been before.
You were his partner still, but now something much more profound.
For the first time in your life...
You were exactly where you wanted to be.
“Yes,” you said again. “Yes, I’m ready.”
...
Loki, to his credit... was kind of a marvelous actor.
You and he sat in your cramped seats, cross-legged, biding your time until the precise moment.
“Alright,” he said. “Now. I’m going to do it now.” “No, it's too early. Besides... give the poor woman a break. She’s been on her feet for the past hour.”
“Fine,” he grumbled, and you rested your hand on his arm.
“You can sleep, you know,” Loki offered. “We have... an hour, or two.”
You yawned.
“That obvious?” “Mhm. A bit.” You grinned, tucking your chin into his shoulder.
“Oh,” spoke Ella Rambeau, passing by the two of you with a cart of drinks. “You’re just too cute together. Can I get you two anything?”
“Yes, uh...” Loki paused, trying to get into character. “I’m... D.B. Cooper, mystery man, give me a... a bourbon.” You rolled your eyes.
“Hear that?” you teased, after she had gone. “We’re cute. She thinks we’re cute.”
“Yes, yes. I’m going to feel terrible about holding her up - is that what you want to hear?” “...Loki...” ...
“Alright,” he said, nudging you awake. “Ready?”
He beckoned Rambeau over, and, rising from her seat, she came to you.
Loki passed her a note - handwritten, in black felt-tip pen.
To your great surprise...
She placed it in her bag.
“Miss, you'd better look at that note,” said Loki. “I have a bomb.”
Rambeau’s eyes scanned over the note, seemingly becoming more panicked by the moment.
“It’s alright,” Loki spoke, calmly. “Sit here.”
“Can I...” Rambeau cleared her throat. “Can I see the bomb?” Loki opened his briefcase, showing it to her.
“What do you want?”
“$200,000 in negotiable American currency,” he said, his voice crisp and clear, and terribly American. “Four parachutes, and a fuel truck. Tell the pilot.” Rambeau scattered.
“You think it’s going to work?” you asked, timidly, and Loki smirked.
“Of course,” he said, sliding a pair of dark sunglasses onto his face, looking like an Asgardian James Bond. “All part of the plan.”
The speakers above you turned on.
“Uh, hello, passengers,” the Captain spoke over the speakers. “This is Captain William A. Scott speaking... our arrival in Seattle will be delayed because of a minor mechanical difficulty.”
Beside you, Loki snickered.
You smacked him.
“That poor woman’s probably scared half to death. Look, we have to do this to save her life - that doesn’t mean you’ve got to enjoy it so much.”
Rambeau returned to you.
“They’re complying with the demands,” she said, quietly.
“Hm,” said Loki, glancing out the window. “Looks like Tacoma down there. Can I get another bourbon and soda, please?”
Rambeau, looking incredibly confused, poured him one.
“Thanks, doll.” He paid his drink tab, and Rambeau left.
“See?” said Loki, turning to you and taking a sip. “I was nice.”
You scoffed.
“So that was to impress me?”
“Perhaps.”
...
After several hours, the aircraft landed at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. Rambeau brought you the $200,000, and Loki ordered the passengers off the plane.
“Take me to Mexico City,” he told the pilot.
“Why Mexico City?” you muttered to him.
Loki shrugged.
“It’ll take awhile,” he said. “And... the sunsets are marvelous this time of year.”
You arched an eyebrow.
...
“Listen,” said Loki, talking to Rambeau, “Join the rest of the crew in the cockpit and remain there with the door closed. Open the aft door for me, will you?”
“You ready?” he asked, turning to you.
You nodded, blearily.
“Hands in the air!” Loki shouted, grabbing the suitcase.
On instinct, your hands shot up.
“No, not you,” he muttered, and you quickly lowered them.
“Everyone, on their knees, now-”
"You mean,” you uttered, mischievously. “Kneel?”
“Quiet, you - yes,” he said, beckoning to Rambeau. “Yes, you. You will wait in the cockpit until I’ve gone... yes?”
She nodded, blushing.
“Good luck with the baby,” Loki said, honestly, and he winked at her.
Blinded, Ella gazed back, grinning, until you heard a shocked voice from behind you -
“What?”
With that...
Loki took your hand-
And you leapt from the plane.
...
This was a really fun one to write! Almost every part of this fic is true - except, of course, Loki was probably not D.B. Cooper, and he did not have a companion with him during the heist. You can read all about it and compare facts here.
*If you want more Blue Monday content plus insider information on the fic, follow the blog @thebluemonday​!
Taglist (Message me to be added!)
gorgeourrific-nerd @suwupremeleader​​ @sserpente​ @tripleyeeet​
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katherinemallory · 3 years
Text
#10 The roulette of feelings
Hell is empty and all the previous chapters are here: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9
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After a few days in London we caught our flight to Monte Carlo. I’m not sure how long we stayed there. This mission felt like a long holiday since the very beginning.
Still on board we agreed that Bond would be the one to play poker and I would pose as his wife, or, as he has put it, “a crown jewel”. Usually I don't like being treated as such, since my experience in behaving like a damsel is close to a bare minimum, but this time I really enjoyed it. Bond was clearly pleased with his leading role in this show, and - while sitting at the poker table - he started to take chances more eagerly. He boasted about his poker skills all the time and I kept working from the shadows, observing him and our rivals, and making sure that we don’t expose ourselves too much. A win-win situation.
We were quite busy spending time at the casino, discussing the tactics, or using all the possible attractions offered by the city of Monte Carlo. The only contact I had with the outside world during the first week were my reports to MI6 which went directly to M, delivered to him by Eve Moneypenny.
One day, while Bond was on the meeting with our liaison (it's amazing the SIS has got its people... everywhere), my phone rang. I picked it up and sat on my bed, crossing my legs.
"Hi Eve. It’s nice to hear you. Did you... find out anything?"
"Not yet, Kath, but I'm working on it," she reassured me. "I just wanted to know how you're doing. You haven't been in touch for *days*. I’ve only noticed your daily reports."
"I'm more than fine, thank you. And I’m sorry for not being in touch... I have to admit I've been kinda busy, but... I won’t complain. Finally I do all those things I needed to recharge my batteries."
“I can’t believe what I hear! Does it mean I should become a double-0 if I want to feel more relaxed?” she teased me.
“You definitely should try it,” I replied, smiling. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s absolutely true. I enjoy the high-life more than I expected... All those fancy parties, drinks, wealthy men, late-night strolls around the streets of Monte Carlo... You get used to it pretty quickly," I replied in delight. "Sometimes I forget that I am here for the purpose of work.”
“It’s great to hear that, Kath. You deserve it, especially after what happened in Geneva,” said Eve and hesitated. “And... And w-w-what about Bond...? I guess it’s him who takes you on these late-night strolls?” 
I laid on the bed, putting one pillow under my head. I looked straight at the white ceiling.
“Well... We spend each night at the casino, pretending to be a husband and a wife who just want to enjoy themselves... In the mornings Bond tries to teach me how to play poker. I fail miserably every time!” I chuckled. “We share a suite. I had some concerns before, but so far he behaves."
Eve's voice went up really high.
"You mean he did give up on you?”
I tilted my head to the right, placing my cheek on one of the pillows and pressing the phone to my ear.
"He didn’t. We flirt regularly," I replied, as I scratched my forehead with my left hand. “But he’s more patient now, I reckon. And more self-confident. He knows I can’t pay much attention to the other men at the casino, cause it would blow our cover immediately. He knows I wouldn’t do that... This is what makes him... erm... powerful. And he probably thinks I will fall for him eventually,” I added, rolling my eyes. “And I’m afraid he’s right.”
“Uh, you don’t really *mean* it, do you?” she asked, concerned. “There’s no pressure... This mission won’t last forever.”
“Honestly, Eve? Sometimes I feel like it will last forever... And Bond’s presence gets more addictive every day,” I said, lying on my back again. “I used to make fun of it, but I’m afraid I can’t resist Bond much longer. I mean... Not because he’s irresistible, but because... I really start to feel something for him.”
I took a deep breath and then continued:
“It all depends on what you find. If Mallo... erm, if the man I asked you to spy on... is married, then I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t have an affair with Bond...”
“Fair enough,” commented Eve. “At least you know what Bond wants from you. Suppose that’s something. But didn’t you admit the other day that you loved Ma...”
“It’s more complicated than you think," I interrupted. "When you spend all days in Bond’s company, it changes your perspective entirely... You’d better hurry then. I am so confused recently...” Damn, I thought. There is no need to burden Eve with all of this... I should probably change the subject. “... but you didn’t tell me anything about yourself, how was your day at the SIS? Any news?”
“Business as usual. I can’t share much detail, but it seems like Amanda’s got reassigned as she had requested.”
“Good for her. Send my love.”
“I will. And I promise to get in touch as soon as I find out anything about... *him*.”
...
The upcoming days passed so fast that I didn’t think about anything apart from what was going on in Monte Carlo. Intuitively both myself and Bond concentrated on the everyday tasks of the mission, but it turned out most of the time we just had fun, which meant our Walther and Beretta were absolutely useless.
Since the only moments I had only to myself were those just before going to bed in the evenings, I often spent them on analyzing my own feelings and, as a result, I developed a certain kind of insomnia. Or, I should rather call it “a difficulty with falling asleep”.
My thoughts were centred on Mallory. I miss him. I miss him dearly, but only when I have time to think about what he's doing in his old-fashioned office in London. When Bond is around, it’s only him who matters to me. Why is that? What the hell has happened to me? I don't know, but it's disturbing. And I get tired every time I try to sort things out in my mind... Can I really sleep with Bond if Mallory’s married? It’s not about giving up on a married man (which is an obvious decision from my point of view, as I would never break up *anyone’s* marriage), but about being honest to myself. Do I really love Mallory if I can fantasize about Bond? Or do I really feel something for Bond if my next move depends on Mallory’s marital status?
After a few evenings of such intense thinking I realized that no matter the arguments, such analysis is pointless. I could be thinking about this for a year and still didn’t come up with a right solution. I decided to wait and see how the case would resolve itself.
On the last day - it was one of those splendid days in June when you feel the most alive - we went to the casino for one more time, looking more dashing than ever. Little did we know, when we walked hand in hand into the casino - Bond wearing a black dinner jacket and me in an evening scarlet dress - that Bond would win the night’s poker game, gaining an enormous amount of money.
Late at night, around 3 A.M. I went straight to the poker table and brought Bond a dry martini (I've already had a few of them myself to relieve the boredom).
"Congratulations," I said, handing him a martini.
"Thank you," replied Bond and drank half of his glass.
I looked at him with aroused interest while he was drinking. I was never good at poker and, as much as I didn't want to, I had to admit the way he played that night impressed me.
"What do we do now?"
For a while, he observed the olives that seemed as if they were swimming inside the glass, and then gave me a quick glance.
"We pack and come back to London."
"Is that so? What about the winnings?" I asked in disbelief, expecting some kind of joke rather than a matter-of-fact response.
"I will have to transfer them to MI6. I have already contacted M, he should send me the instructions in the next few hours."
"You've already contacted M? Someone's in a hurry. Was your time here *that* bad?” I taunted him.
Bond smirked, but didn't say anything. I glanced around the room. The people started to leave the place.
"So, it means we came here broken and we leave broken, despite the win?" I asked, laughing.
"One could say that," Bond agreed. "But I can still afford a dinner and a drink. Would you join me tonight for a humble celebration?"
"With pleasure. Let's enjoy our last hours in this marvellous place,” I said, taking him by the arm.
After the dinner in one of the restaurants at the casino, we went for our last walk around the streets of Monte Carlo. Both me and Bond became unexpectedly talkative, probably because of too many drinks we had to celebrate the happy ending of the mission.
It could have been around 5 A.M when the walk started to feel too exhausting, and we went back to our shared suite.
"Would you like another?" asked Bond, pointing to the bottle of bourbon at the table, just after we locked the door to the suite.
"Yes," I replied. "The last one for tonight."
I have no idea why I agreed to this, cause I've never been drinking much or mixing alcohols in the past. After Bond handed me my glass, I let my hair down and rushed to the balcony. I need to see this amazing city just one more time before I go to sleep, I thought. I observed the skyline, waiting for Bond to join me.
"To the king and queen of Monaco," said Bond and we clinked glasses, standing next to each other.
I smiled at him and drank the whole glass with my eyes closed, but I still could tell he was staring at me.
"You know, Katherine, it's been one of my favourite missions so far."
"Really?”
"Yes... It’s the simplicity of it,” he took off his dinner jacket, thrown it on the nearest chair, and then continued. “The task I'm really good at... the fairy-tale location, no rush... and the right woman. You," he said in his deep, smooth voice and put his glass on the floor.
Then he put one of his hands on the railing and turned to me, but didn’t say a word, as if he intended to find out how close to me I would allow him to move.
“It’s an honour to hear something like that from such an experienced double-0,” I said timidly, still holding the empty glass in my hands.
Bond gazed at me for a few seconds.
"It's true, I've been a double-0 for quite a while," he said and turned his head to look at the skyline of Monte Carlo, "but rarely did I feel this close with another agent. It's strange. I’ve always tried to avoid being emotionally attached to anyone. Cause of the job's nature and all that stuff."
This time it was me who stayed quiet. I just kept listening to him, realizing how much I *love* his voice and how could I listen to him talking *forever*. It occurred to me how beautiful his magnetic blue eyes were, especially in the middle of the night. One could say the same about Bond's face which now seemed to me like the face of the most handsome man on the planet. It should be illegal to be *that* handsome, I thought.
Bond turned his head to me.
"Then I've met you... and it seems I forget about all of those rules in the blink of an eye... it seems I don't control myself anymore."
I don't know how it happened, but in the next moment I found myself in Bond's arms. I felt his embrace, so tight, as if he wanted to protect me from all of the threats of this world. The glass dropped out of my hands and probably broke up, but we didn’t hear anything apart from the sound of our pumping hearts. I placed my hands on Bond’s chest, and we began to kiss, not being able to control the lust that started to fulfil our bodies. I quickly moved my hands to his neck and then the back of his head. I caressed his hair, which felt like the most pleasant material I have ever touched.
"You're the woman of my dreams," whispered Bond, when he started to kiss my neck. In response, I tilted my head back, but continued to touch his hair.
Out of the blue Bond picked me up and headed towards the bedroom. He was in a hurry, wanting to put me on his bed as soon as possible. He took off his shirt and laid down on me, holding my waist and passionately kissing my neck.
"Oh, James," I moaned, as the touch of his lips and hands started to turn me on. “Keep going... umm... And use that nice, deep voice of yours.”
“Like this?” he asked, lowering his voice and biting my ear. “Do you like it?”
“Yes...”
Oh my, I am in heaven. If he doesn't stop, I'll melt, I thought. I let Bond kiss me a few more times, but then moved to the other side of the bed to undress. Bond watched me hungrily as I took off my dress and stockings. And there I was, lying on his bed and wearing only my sexy black lingerie. I thought that he would eat me if he could.
I encouraged Bond with a sensual gesture, touching myself where I wanted to be touched the most. He couldn’t stand watching me for long, and came closer to kiss me again. He slowly moved from my belly and breasts to my neck.
“I've been waiting for this moment since the day we've met," he murmured, while kissing my collarbone.
I closed my eyes to double the thrill and make the experience more intense. My hands moved to his back and held him tighter.
"You drive me crazy," Bond whispered into my ear.
A fast thought crossed my mind. It's true what they say in the Service... nobody does it better... he's definitely a great lay... to hell with “the revenge plot”, go for it, Kath. I was just about to take off my bra, when I heard something was vibrating. I got a text. Great timing. I opened my eyes and reluctantly sat on the bed, bending down to the bedside cabinet.
"Oh, Katherine, just ignore it," said Bond who still caressed my waist with his right hand.
"Look who’s talking," I replied. "The most professional man in the Service... There’s no need to describe this to you..."
I looked at the screen and in that exact moment my adventurous mood was gone. I felt as if my heart stopped for a short while.
Hi, just wanted to let you know that I have some evidence. He's not married anymore. Love, Eve
I quickly locked the screen to prevent Bond from seeing the message, as I felt his touch on my back. He hugged me from behind, kissing my left shoulder.
"Shall we continue?" he asked in his naughty manner.
I froze in my tracks. What about M? How can I fight for him if I sleep with another man right now? I promised myself to fight for Mallory and I have to be consistent. This was fun, but... I love Mallory, right? It's high time to stop playing games... and to finally forget about Bond. Perhaps it's a good sign I got this message before we did antyhing reckless.
I stood up with my back to Bond, still holding the phone in my hands.
"I'm sorry James... but I can't do this,” I declared as seriously as I could.
"But why?" he asked calmly, but his voice was full of disappointment and sadness. "Was it something I did?"
Oh, dear James, I thought. If you only knew how perfectly you did everything...
"No," I replied and turned to him. My voice was shaking a bit. "It was... it was a wonderful night, but I've never slept with a co-worker before... and... I've just realized it would be wrong. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for this," I blurted out and felt a tear doing down my cheek.
Bond seemed not to believe me.
"You've *just* realized it? *Just* after you've got that message," he said, pointing to my phone. "I don't know what this is about, but... we've had such a great time here, why not celebrate it tonight? It doesn’t matter at all that we work together."
I turned my head in embarrassment, trying not to look at him. He stood up and came closer to me.
"I know that you like me," Bond said and placed his hands on my arms. "You can't simply deny our chemistry. You've seen what kind of magic it can cause... you don't have to ruin it."
I took his hands off me and went to the other side of the bed to grab my clothes.
"I'm really sorry, James. It's over."
"It's over before it even started... Strange, isn’t it?"
I ignored him, as I headed toward to the door leading to my part of the suite. I must have looked miserable in my sexy black lingerie, holding my evening dress, and being on the verge of a mental breakdown.
"I don't want to hurt you *again*," I said quietly with my hand on the doorknob.
Bond shook his head.
"You will hurt me if you leave,” he said calmly, but I knew he was full of anger. His eyes told me he was suspicious of everything I’ve said.
As I knew he had the very right to be suspicious, I turned my back on him, trying to get inside my part of the suite. My hands started to shake, making it impossible to quickly open the door.
“You still think about *him*, don’t you Kath...?” Bond asked in a raised voice, with his hands on his hips. “Why do you keep deceiving yourself? He’s not cut out for it! He doesn’t see you this way... and even if something happened between us he wouldn’t care!”
But I would, James. I would, I thought, going inside my part of the suite through the door. I couldn’t bear to look at those cold blue eyes again.
I went up straight to the bathroom and locked the door. I could not think of anything else than just bursting into tears.
You're so stupid, Kath. Mallory thinks you're responsible, but you're just stupid, I thought, looking at myself in the mirror. What was that for? Bond might be a womanizer, but no one deserves to be treated like that. No one. Does he use other women? He does. But it’s none of your business, Kath. You don't offer someone the pleasure and then deny it. You just don’t...
I spend a few minutes sitting on a bathroom’s floor and crying.
But looking on the bright side... at least I got my backup story. Everyone will see something’s happened between us, but no one will ask questions. And if there is a slightest chance M cares about me, he’ll get the message.
I can’t wait for this mission to be really over. By this time tomorrow I shall be in my apartment in London. Alone.
***
To be continued.
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mythiccheroacademia · 4 years
Text
Is this really better?
A/N: After many requests for a part 2, here it is! I’m sorry I made you all wait so long for more heartbreak but gotta keep y’all on ya toes ;) Before you kill me, take comfort in knowing the final part is in the works. I like sad endings, but I won’t do that to y’all...this time. 
Also, the class 1-A girls really rep the “chicks before dicks” motto (as all women should). I remember I had to tell my friends to chill when I told them an ex of mine cheated on me. We made up half the class and I wasn’t trying to see anyone cry. It was deep, but it wasn’t that deep💀 So that part is a bit of an anecdote. 
As always, enjoy sugar plums 🖤
Paring: Sero X Fem!Reader
Warning: cursing, angst 
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
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Is this really better?
The second you stepped out of Sero’s room, there was this relentless buzzing in your ears, filling your head with noise that made your head pound. You could tell someone—maybe Kaminari? Or was that Ojiro? You couldn’t fucking see—was trying to ask you what happened, your tears were thick. Forget hearing him.
All that you could do was walk. Your body had gone into autopilot, it’s only mission to get you out of his proximity, without raising alarm, as quick as humanly possible.
You didn’t know how or when, but soon enough, you threw open the door to the girls’ dorms. It was only 8:00pm, just before Aizawa would preform room checks, so the common room had been cleared to give him the impression everyone was tucked away in bed. It was a blessing. You bolted towards your room, desperate to shove your head under the covers and cry until you couldn’t.
Nearly five sprints down the hallway, you ran into Momo and Mina. The two had just come back from their shower and were talking about the movie the some of the girls were supposed to have later that night. However, they were startled when they saw you stumble back, tears drowning your cheeks.
“Y/N! Girl, what’s wrong!?” Mina asked, quick to hold your arm.
You shook your head, attempting an embarrassingly pathetic smile. “N-nothing. I’m good. I’m just—”
“You’re obviously not,” Momo interrupted, brows furrowing in worry. She took your hand from your eyes, so you had no choice but to leave your face bare. “Didn’t you have a date with Sero? Did something happen?”
The trembling of your lips told them everything they needed to know.
“Sero—Sero and I—"
The mere mention of his name threw you back to the past hour. Now that the buzzing had stopped, you were forced to think of everything that transpired.
Being excited about your date with Sero. Getting ready for your date with Sero. Waiting for Sero. Sero not showing up. Going to Sero’s room. Fighting with Sero. Breaking up with Sero. Sero. Sero. Sero.
Everything that had been built up came crashing down.
Your friends immediately took you into their arms when you crumbled, sobbing into their embrace as your feelings poured out. For a while, you had been so scared that he was losing interest—that school and life had increased his disinterest with you. And when he so quickly, so confidentially, agreed to break up with you, you felt your worst fears come to life. It hurt too much to think about it, so you let your heartbreak fill the air as you wept.
For the weekend, you kept to yourself. You only came out when needed. News of the root of your recent behavior got around to the all the 1-A girls and they were determined to keep you as healthy and supported as possible while respecting your wish for space. You were very thankful for them. You didn’t know what you would have done without their friendship.  
When Monday came around, the girls were hyping you up. It would be the first time seeing Sero since the breakup. You knew you looked horrible. Your eyes were swollen, your hair was barely put together, and you looked like you rolled out bed. Because you did. But you appreciated their efforts. Nevertheless, there was something you needed to address before class started.  
“Thanks everyone. But, could I ask y’all a favor?”
“Sure!”
“Whatever you need!”
You scratch the back of your neck. “I don’t want to start anything. I just wanna get through the day. So, maybe just act normal when he comes around, yeah?”
Everyone looked at Mina. She felt cornered.
“What!? It was one death threat!”
The stares get judgmental and she rolls her eyes.
“Fine, ugh. I’ll be…civil,” she sighs.
“Thank you,” you said, giving a small smile. You really did have the best friends.
Not too long after, you heard Sero’s laugh before you saw him. You quickly looked away from the entrance. Luckily, Ochaco was there with a distracting conversion.  
Sero walked in with Kirishima and Kaminari beside him. The trio giggled at whatever dumb joke the blonde cracked. However, he was brought out of his laughter when he saw you. Thinking about the guilt in his chest coupled with the agony of seeing you so…miserable made his heart flare. And not in a good way.
He tried to smile at you, holding onto the tiny ray of hope that maybe you didn’t completely hate his guts, but it was cut off as Jirou conveniently stepped in his line of sight, blocking you from his vision.
He wilted, blinking back the sting in his eyes.
Kirishima patted his back in comfort. “It’s okay, man. We’ve got you.”
“If it helps, I think they’re mad at all of us. On Sunday, Bakugo tried to ask Mina for his water bottle back and she made Ochako text Midoriya to give it to him. Midoriya bro,” Kaminari said. “He was pissed.”
Sero frowned. “Didn’t think it was possible, but now I feel worse.”
Kirishima punched the blonde’s shoulder.
That was how the day went.
You and Sero ignored each other. Your friends would keep you too distracted. It was hard to deal with and there was awkward tension during homeroom. It was like everyone was walking on eggshells with one another. It didn’t help that Todoroki—as dense as he was—asked Momo why you two had been avoiding each other. To make matters worse, you two were within earshot.
It was the first time Momo ever scolded him. He decided to mind his business after that. He didn’t like feeling like an asshole. Midoriya told him it a good lesson into recognizing social cues.
There was also that one time Bakugo confronted you in the hallway and went on a rant about how you and “soy sauce’s” misery was “fucking distracting.” You were so caught off guard that you didn’t have time to defend yourself before an angry cloud of pink got in his face.
Mina’s speech started with, “How dare you—” and ended with, “You insensitive son of a bitch.”
It was also Bakugo’s first in feeling like an asshole. He made the intelligent decision to walk away.
That happened on Tuesday. It was only Wednesday, when you and Sero unintentionally and unanimously exchanged quick, close-lipped, smiles just so your classmates didn’t kill each other. It was uncomfortable and painful, but it was more of a relief to feel the tension in the room subside—if only a little bit.
For the rest of the week, you two tried to be civil. You were to your own devices. Sero thought you looked well on your way to moving on. If he didn’t know any better, you kind of looked happier. More than you had been in a while. A week passed and your eyes stopped swelling. You started putting make up on again and you laughed. You actually laughed.
Maybe Sero did feel hurt that you looked like you were moving on so quickly. And yes, maybe he spent some nights locking himself in his room so he could cry over how stupid he felt for ever letting himself hurt you. Had you always been miserable because of him? Of course, the constant weight in his chest was suffocating to the point that even looking at you made him feel like he’d pass out.
But damn it if your laugh wasn’t the sweetest sound.
If it meant losing his smile, if meant feeling heartache, and if it meant dealing with the fact that he’d never get to kiss you again, then this was for the best
...
At least, that’s what he thought until he came back from his internship to see you on the bench outside of the dorm building. It was late and dark, but the moon was bright enough to cover your skin in a soft creamy glow. It made his heart flutter. 
It was also light enough for him to see the tears in your eyes.
The voice inside his head, his common sense, was telling him to haul his ass in the dorm and leave you alone. He was probably the last person you wanted to see, justifiably. However, it’d be the first time he left you alone to cry. And, that didn’t sit well in his spirit.
That’s how he found himself by the bench, startling you with a soft, “Hey.”
He watched a tear fall and chose to ignore it as you wiped it away.
“Uh, hi?” you replied, voice stuffy with tears.
What are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing?
Sero couldn’t look away from you, no matter how bad the tension felt. Your hair texture, the richness of your skin, the unique curve of your lips, the laugh lines on your cheek, the shape of your eyes, the little scar by your temple…God, have you always been this beautiful? Why did he let you go like that?
“I, um, just came back from my internship and um—” you just love sounding like a fucking idiot, don’t you? “—you looked cold. Here, take my jacket,” he whispered, like he was out of breath.
Thank God he was actually wearing one. Sero quickly took off his coat and was about to put it around your shoulders—like he had always done.
But you held up a hand. “It’s okay. I’m fine,” you said.
Of course, he could tell you were uncomfortable by the dip in your voice. Call it denial or plain stupidity, but Sero couldn’t accept your words. He saw the goosebumps on your legs. Now, whether that was from the breeze or something else, he didn’t know.
“Don’t be silly,” his smile was disarming. “Take it. It’s like 50-something degrees.”
“Thank you, but I’m okay.”
Just back away, Sero.
“You know you can just give it to me tomorrow—”
“Sero.”
What are you doing!?
“I really think you should take it—”
“I really don’t think I should—”
Dude!
“If you’re worried about returning it—”
“Like, I said—”
“You can just give it to Mina—”
“I—”
“And—”
“Hanta!!”
Suddenly, he resurfaced. Sero was back in reality, his jacket still in his arms. He blinked, finding the desperation in your watery eyes as you stared back.
What the hell are you doing?
“Please, just…stop,” you whispered. You looked away in fear he’d see the tears falling down your face. “Stop acting like you care.”
There was a pregnant pause before the black-haired hero took a step back, hair shadowing his gaze.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said. His voice was almost carried by the breeze because it was so soft. “I didn’t mean to overstep my boundaries”
You shook your head, still looking away. “It’s fine.”
You just wanted him to leave. So, that’s what he did.
Sero, quietly led himself up the front steps. When his fingers touched the doorknob, he paused.
“Y/N,” he said, one last time.
You looked back, frustrated over his persistence. “What?” you bit.
What you saw made your eyes widen. Sero let his own tears freely fall. But that wasn’t what made your heart stop. No. It was the wide, triangular, smile that accompanied it. Despite the sorrow in his eyes, his smile shined bright and genuine beneath them.
“It can’t be an act if I never stopped.”
With that, he disappeared behind the door, leaving you with nothing but his words.
You buried your face in your hands and cried.
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morceid · 3 years
Text
Beating The Dead Swan
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Chapter 4: hold on for your life
read on ao3
<- chapter three
Summary: The team makes progress on the case and Spencer makes progress with Derek.
Word Count: 1.8k
Category: angst, some fluff
Content Warnings: drug mention, general criminal minds stuff
A/N: so sorry this took so long to finish writing! i just had some other things i needed to do for school stuff before i did this but enjoy!!
The next day Derek walked into the BAU, ready to give Hotch a rundown of how they were handling the case, but something caught his eye.
Through the windows of the office Spencer now occupied, there was an art easel propped up next to the couch. A sheet covered in various paints and colors laid on the floor as Spencer brushed a sky of purple and blue on the canvas.
“Whatcha doin’ there, kid?”
“Oh, oh hi Agent Morgan, I hope this is okay, I just wanted to paint.” Spencer stammered.
“It’s fine, it looks good too. How long have you been painting?”
“I’m fairly certain I was 8, could’ve been 9 though, my dad left around then and it’s all kind of blurry.”
A thick silence surrounded the two, the only sound being the brush against the cloth canvas.
“Um, I’m sorry. Anyways, what are you going to be doing today?” Spencer swiped his finger through the purple color he’d mixed and dabbed it across the wet paint.
“Well, Garcia is looking through the bank records of all the victims. If there’s anything suspicious then she’ll look into it and we might even take the case as a team, but for now it’s just me and her. I’m going to talk to my boss right now, I’ll talk to you later though.” Derek turned towards the doorway but Spencer stopped him.
“Morgan, uh, do you think, do you think you’ll catch whoever did this to Camille?”
“I sure hope we do. You deserve some closure. We all do.”
“Yeah, yeah just sometimes, it feels, I don’t know, captivating in all the wrong ways.”
“I know. But it gets better, I promise you. See you in a bit.” Derek left the office and headed towards the bullpen.
Spencer exhaled and studied the paint on his hand. The cold feeling, the intense smell, and the sound as he slapped it across the canvas.
“Hey, any updates?” Hotch asked Derek as he opened the door to his office.
“Nah, not really. All the people we’ve interviewed are completely innocent. Penelope’s checking men with sexual offenses that our victims could’ve interacted with but I’m not sure we’re gonna find anything.”
“Alright, you should probably check on that now, I’ll see you later if there are any updates.”
“See ya, boss.” Derek said as he walked back down the steps and across the hall to Penelope’s office.
“Hello my soulmate and love of my life Derek Morgan, how can I help you today?” Penelope excitedly exclaimed as Derek walked into her office.
“Hey baby girl, get anything from your search?”
“Unfortunately, no. None of the victims had close family that had both a connection to the company or a sexual offense, in fact there are no sex offenders in the area that have any connection to the company at all. They really do triple check everyone’s background.”
“There has got to be some connection somewhere. Did the M.E. do another tox screen?” Derek asked.
“Yep, and it seems that all of the victims had massive doses of ketamine in their systems.”
“Camille had ketamine in her blood?” Spencer walked into the office and started the two.
“Oh! Spencer, you can’t be in here, not right now.” Derek rushed to take him out of the room.
“Wh- why can’t I? Camille was my friend, I deserve to know about her. Did she have drugs in her body?”
“Spencer, you can’t be interrupting an investigation. I’m sorry, but you need to go back to your office.”
Spencer stops trying to push against Derek and exhales, trying to catch his breath. They walked back towards the office they now called home while squeezing his hands in intervals of three, a trick to calm himself down Camille had taught him. He fell onto the couch and fell asleep quickly, deciding not to fight the tired feeling his eyes gave him.
They woke up what felt like around thirty minutes later, but the digital clock he set on the table next to the brown leather couch read 11:43. He got up and grabbed flannel pants and a sweater from his bag of clothes and headed to the bathroom to change into the pajamas. They grabbed his chess set from his office and went into the breakroom. Their stomach growled and they recalled that they went to Penelope’s office earlier to ask if he could have the rest of the soup. He looked around the bullpen, wondering if they’d mind if he ate something from the fridge.
Agent Rossi walked out of his office and took notice of Spencer.
“Hey, what are you doing up? The only person here this late is generally that guy.” Rossi pointed towards Agent Hotchner’s office. The microwave on the counter now displayed 12:06.
“I-I took an unexpectedly long nap and uh, I didn’t eat lunch or dinner to- well technically yesterday now, uh, c-could I have something from the fridge?” Spencer stammered.
“Of course, kid. In fact, there’s some of my signature pasta in there. I make it weekly for the rest of the team, but today Derek ordered something for lunch so he didn’t eat his. You can have it if you want.”
“Thank you, Agent Rossi.” Spencer took the tupperware container out of the refrigerator and put it in the microwave.
“You can just call me Rossi, you don’t have to do the whole Agent thing,” Rossi said as he sat on the other side of Spencer’s chess game. “I didn’t know you played.”
The microwave beeped and Spencer took the bowl out and stirred it around with a fork. They brought it to the table, eating it as they moved a chess piece.
“Yeah, Camille gave me this set for my birthday, which actually isn't for another couple weeks but she didn’t want to wait.”
“You know, I had this old friend, Jason Gideon, he played chess. I think you’d like him. He’s the one who taught me.” Rossi moved his own chess piece.
“He sounds interesting. I fell asleep before Morgan could tell me anything, but have you made any good progress on the case?”
“A little. We found out how all of the girls died but we just can’t seem to figure out why the unsub did this.”
“Unsub?” Spencer said, moving another chess piece.
“Unknown Subject, it’s what we call the murderer. I’ve looked over your files, you seem like a really smart person.”
“Yeah, I uh, I can read pretty fast. I have an eidetic memory, too. I was a pretty good punching bag as a kid.”
“The world will see something amazing and try to take it for their own.” Rossi absentmindedly moved a piece.
“Yeah, I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”
“So, I’m assuming you don’t have much of a record with the ladies?”
“None at all. I’ve been intrigued by a couple guys, but they’ve all turned me down or turned out to be assholes,” Spencer laughed and moved another one of his pieces before taking another bite of spaghetti. “What about you? You’ve got to have courted some girl with this amazing pasta.”
“Yeah, I have, I actually got three ex wives.”
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
“Depends on your definition of impressive,” It was Rossi’s turn to laugh and move a piece. “You’ve got your eyes on him, don’t you?”
Spencer looked puzzled for a second before Rossi nudged the tupperware lid that had Derek’s name written across the top.
“Maybe, just a little bit. I’d be lying if I didn’t think he was attractive,” Spencer moved a piece. “Check.”
“I think he might like you too.” Rossi moved a piece.
“I don’t. He’s nice, but I don’t think he’d like me back.” Spencer moved a piece.
“I know you haven’t known me for long, Spencer, but I’m right about this,” Rossi moved another piece. “Checkmate. You’re smart, but you’ve still got a lot to learn.”
Rossi got up from the table and started walking out to his car. Spencer packed up his chess set and made a pot of coffee before heading to their office. For the rest of the night they drank his coffee and worked on the painting still sitting on the easel. 
At around six in the morning Spencer was getting ready to brew another pot of coffee and JJ walked into the breakroom. 
“Oh! Hi, uh, are you gonna be here long?” JJ asked.
“Uh, no, why?”
“Uh, Agent Hotchner called us in because he found something with the case. You’re not gonna be allowed in here when he’s telling us, I’m sorry.”
“Oh it’s fine, I’ve been up all night so I should probably just go take a nap anyways.”
They shared an awkward laugh before Spencer went back into the office and promptly fell back asleep on the couch.
Almost six hours later Spencer woke up to Derek knocking on his door. They got up and straightened out their sweater.
“Hey, so Hotch wants you there to hear the profile, just thought you should know.” Derek said, taking in the pajamas Spencer was wearing.
“Oh, okay, thanks.” 
Derek went back out to the bullpen and Spencer closed the blinds of the office windows before changing his flannel pants to jeans. When they finished dressing he went out to the bullpen and sat on the edge of an unused desk. Police officers were scattered around the area.
“You look like you need this.” Derek said as he sat next to Spencer and handed him a cup of coffee.
“Aren’t you supposed to be presenting the case too?”
“No, Hotch wanted to do it himself.”
The two set their cups of coffee down at the same time and their hands brushed against one another.
“You’re comforting.” Spencer thought out loud.
Derek didn’t respond. He just took it in and they both faced away from each other, hiding the smiles from the other’s eyes and savouring the moment.
Hotch’s profile wasn’t all that detailed, but it was early in the case anyways. The unsub would have either no mother figure or a distant one, and the father would be abusive in some way or another. His estimated age range was 25-30 and he would likely have learned his behavior from someone close, possibly the same father that abused him. He would rarely go in public and when he did he wouldn’t talk to anyone unless he had to. He likely wasn’t someone everyone knew and would isolate himself in most situations.
Most of the details floated out of Derek’s head as Hotch spoke as he had already heard the profile once and his mind was already clouded with Spencer’s words. When the presentation was finished Derek walked with Rossi to Penelope’s office to see if she had any new findings.
“He’s kind of a pretty boy, isn't he?” Derek said.
“Who?
“Spencer.”
“Yeah, something like that.” Rossi gave a knowing smile as they walked into Penelope’s office.
TAGLIST: @heavenlydevil @hotpotatowoman @party-poisxn @endingsbeginnings @d3pr3ss3d-w33d-wh0re @ted-theodore-preston​ @moss0ntherocks​ @scandinavian-punk​ @doctorenby​ @penemily​ @izzyl13​ @leomo0n​ @tiedyedrose1705​ 
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zmediaoutlet · 3 years
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tagged by my good buddy @doilycoffin and uhh some number of other people to do the little tumblr survey game thing, and eve you are an absolute hero for including the clean copy at the end, thank you --
1. why did you choose your url?
I am Z and this is my Media Outlet. Although originally twitter was.
2. any sideblogs? if you have them, name them and why you have them.
Absolutely not, I can barely keep this one running. Also, I can’t imagine curating that much. People can handle seeing a Hannibal post instead of a Spn post, and if they can’t -- man, good luck to them.
3. how long have you been on tumblr?
I actually saw a thing from tumblrmemories today that reminded me that this post even existed, and so I can answer: apparently, I joined this tumblr place at 04/05/2012  3:26:41 PM. I have zero memory of the moment, lol.
4. do you have a queue tag?
I do not, but that’s because everything I post is queued. Y’all don’t know when I’m on here, I am mysterious. ...I am not, it’s just that I don’t like clogging people’s dashboards. So I queue for like an hour and then bounce.
5. why did you start your blog in the first place?
...I don’t remember! I guess because lj was collapsing like a flan in a cupboard, and there wasn’t anywhere particularly relevant to go when you were looking for fandom content. But I don’t remember what fandom it was, back then! That was a few months before I started watching spn.
6. why did you choose your icon/pfp?
(i keep seeing pfp and all I can read there is pirst ferson pooter.) My icon is just... my little happy man! He’s so happy, look at him. <3  And I think he’s been the icon since April 5, 2012. Y’all who can like change your icons and whatnot are impressive to me. And confusing. Both of those.
7. why did you choose your header?
...I don’t think I have a header. Do I? Now I’m feeling very losttravolta.gif.
8. what’s your post with the most notes?
uhh I think it might be that dumb ficlet I wrote where Dean gets turned into the teeniest of dragons and is trying to hoard Sam’s junk.
9. how many mutuals do you have?
literally no idea how to find this out
10. how many followers do you have?
just under 1400, a bunch of whom are probably dead accounts or noninteractive, which I guess isn’t much to show for almost ten years, is it. Should’ve learned to make gifs.
11. how many people do you follow?
just under 300, a much of whom are probably dead accounts or noninteractive, lol.
12. have you ever made a shitpost?
I don’t think so. I don’t have the shitpost energy!
13. how often do you use tumblr each day?
um, <1 hour on average. Some days I don’t come on at all, some days the scroll goes on a little longer.
14. did you have a fight/argument with another blog once? who won?
I have never intentionally started a fight with any blog, but a few people have gotten GROSSLY OFFENDED by posts I’ve made and tried to fight with me. My reaction, like a somnolent bear, is to be confused and wonder why someone’s making such a big fuss. I guess they won, since I blocked them and/or they blocked me, and they got to feel superior because they’d shown me what’s what. And they also won because I still think about it with bewildered annoyance years later, lol. Why did you turn into such a bitch over a headcanon post? Oh well, I’ll mildly hate them forever.
15. how do you feel about “you need to reblog this” posts?
They’re grossly stupid.
16. do you like tag games?
I do! Look at me doing one. It’s very high school, very sitting around past midnight on a sleepover.
17. do you like ask games?
I do! Same answer.
18. which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?
uh, none? How does one even measure such a thing.
19. do you have a crush on a mutual?
absolutely not, oh my. EDIT: WAIT yes why not I have a big somnolent bear crush on doilycoffin. Let me woo your Texas heart or whatever, you goth grandma you! <3, >3.
20. tags?
idk who of y’all is doing what. These questions kinda got less interesting as they went down, haha, but I’ll toss out some tags anyway, uh -- @themegalosaurus, @alaynestone, @stripperlecki, @wetsammywinchester, @watermelonlipstick, @peach-coke, aaaand we’ll call that good.
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densi-mber · 3 years
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Just For Show
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A/N: Here’s part two of Just for Show, the fake date fic. I may have stolen the plot from an episode of the show “Taxi”.
***
“Remember, I told Janelle that you work for the district attorney, so you can’t really talk about any specific cases,” Kensi reminded Deeks as she drove. Her hands were clamped tightly around the steering wheel, reminiscent of the grip a 15 year old student driver might have.
“Got it.”
“And she’s very detail oriented, so if you tell her anything, she’ll remember it.”
“I’m a little insulted that you would think I, master of a dozen aliases, would get caught in a lie,” he said with mock offense.
“Deeks, I’m serious. Please don’t mess this up,” Kensi begged.
“I know and I won’t.” She took her eyes off the road for a moment to look at him and he smiled reassuringly. “Promise.”
She shook her head as she pulled into the parking lot of the bar where they were meeting Janelle and her boyfriend. It was less of a bar, more lounge and Kensi was infinitely glad that she’s chosen a dress and heels.
Deeks got out before she could and came around to her side, offering his arm as he opened the door.
“Hey, don’t lay it on too thick,” she warned as she stepped out, using his forearm for support. “How do I look?” She turned in a quick circle and tugged at the knee length hemline of her dress, which was red and sleeveless.
“Perfect,” he said almost immediately. “What about me?” She glanced at him, taking her time. He’d chosen a black suit with a deep blue shirt that made his eyes seem even more vibrant. The top two buttons were popped, revealing tanned skin, and it looked like he’d even combed his hair for once. He looked more than perfect.
“You’ll do.” She adjusted his collar, which was perfectly fine, and patted his chest. “You’ll do.”
As they walked into the bar, she felt her tension ratchet up a notch. Deeks just have noticed because he dropped his arm around her waist, giving her a light squeeze. Normally she would think he was just taking advantage of the situation, but she was actually grateful.
“You’ll be fine,” Deeks told her with an encouraging smile. They found Janelle and her boyfriend without too much difficulty and quickly.
“I’m so glad you made it,” Janelle greeted Kensi, giving her a hug. “I almost thinking you might find some excuse to back out.” Kensi laughed nervously and Deeks stepped forward, extending his hand.
“Sorry, that’s on me. I couldn’t get my hair right. Marty Deeks, by the way,” he said. Janelle shook his hand, giving Kensi a mildly impressed look.
“Janelle. And Kensi didn’t mention that you have a sense of humor.”
“She doesn’t like to brag.”
“Yeah, that’s definitely it,” Kensi muttered under her breath as Janelle gestured to her boyfriend.
“Marty, Kensi, this is Thomas.” He stood at shook Kensi’s hand and then gave Deeks a slap on the back.
“Nice to meet you.” He was about Deeks’ height and by Kensi’s guess, in his mid to late 30’s with short brown hair. Thomas gestured to the curved booth seat that surrounded half of the small table, waiting for Kensi and Deeks to sit down.
Deeks’ leg brushed hers as he slid in beside her and draped his arm over her shoulders. He was close enough that she could feel the heat emanating from his body, straight through their close.
Thomas ordered a bottle of wine and Janelle immediately engaged Deeks in conversation. This was going to be an incredibly long night.
***
“Kensi mentioned that you two met at work,” Janelle said to Deeks from across the table. “Was she one of your paralegals?” He felt Kensi tense beside him so he dropped his arm from her shoulders to her waist, tugging her against his side.
At least Janelle had waited until after they finished dinner to start truly interrogating him. Deeks took a sip of wine and nodded, taking his time before answering.
He’d killed an hour or so talking about former cases, both real and based off of case studies from his law school days. Fortunately, Janelle and Thomas didn’t seem to versed in law.
“We did meet at work, but we started out in different departments. The last 2 and a half year have been the best of my life,” he said.
“Kensi said you’ve only been dating for 6 months.” Janelle tilted her head as Kensi’s heart rate sped up dramatically.
“De-I mean Marty was just-“ Kensi started to say, sounding a little panicky.
“That’s when we met. Kensi thought I was kind of an idiot for a long time, but she eventually came around. Do you want hear about when we finally got together?”
“Honey, I don’t really think that’s necessary,” Kensi said with a forced smile, pinching his thigh.
“Oh, but it’s such a good story,” he said, grinning down at her. Kensi glared back, her eyes threatening that he would regret this moment later on.
“I would love to hear it,” Janelle said eagerly, she leaned forward towards Deeks, laying a hand over his. Thomas didn’t seem particularly thrilled about the idea-or Janelle’s wandering hand- and wrapped his arm around and tugged her back against his side, giving Deeks a proprietary look.
“Did you want to tell them Kens?”
“No, you go ahead.” He didn’t miss the mild sarcasm in her voice as she brushed his hair back from his forehead. “You tell it so much better.”
Deeks nodded, pressing a kiss to her temple, like it was perfectly normal.
“About six months ago,” he started, quickly inventing a story as he went. “I was...I had a case that didn’t go well. I kind of lost my faith in law and my abilities as a lawyer. Kensi found me one night when I’d stay late at the office-she’d noticed I been acting differently-and asked me what was wrong. I told her I was, uh, thinking of resigning.”
“Kensi took my hand and told me that there were people out there who needed my help. I said didn’t feel like I was doing anybody much good, maybe it would be better off if someone else took my place.”
“How’d she convince you to stay?” Thomas asked and Deeks huffed out a laugh and then met Kensi’s eyes, letting his expression turn to one of fondness.
“She told me that if there was no other reason, I should stay for her. Because she needed me.”
“Oh, that’s lovely,” Janelle whispered, sounding a little awestruck. Deeks didn’t let his gaze waver from Kensi’s and she reached out to take his hand.
“I’d wasted enough time as it was, figured I needed to say something before I lost him altogether,” Kensi added with a little shrug. “Plus, I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing these gorgeous eyes and this fluffy blonde hair again,” Kensi said, running her fingers through his hair as she spoke. For a second, it felt as though it was just the two of them.
Thomas noisily cleared his throat, making them both pull apart slightly.
“Well, that’s a nice little story,” he said, his tone a little condescending.
“Thomas,” Janelle admonished him, smacking his arm. “It’s a beautiful story.”
“The last six months have been the happiest of my life,” Kensi said with so much sincerity that Deeks almost believed her.
“Mine too.” He leaned forward, intending to kiss her cheek, but Kensi surprised him, turning her face at the last second so there lips pressed together firmly. He didn’t have enough time to fully appreciate the warmth and softness of her lips against his. “Sorry about that,” he apologized with a soft laugh. “Sometimes we get so caught up in each other we forget other people are around.”
“How lovely,” Thomas commented sarcastically under his breath, just loud enough for Deeks to hear. Deeks winked at him, enjoying the other man’s annoyance.
“Yup, I’m a lucky man.” Kensi shared a smile with him and chuckled sheepishly.
“So, um, Janelle, how did you meet Thomas?” she asked.
“Oh, I was at a bar and Thomas had a martini sent to my table with his number,” Janelle said, suddenly looking self-conscious as she fiddled with her earring.
“Actually, I think it was a manhattan,” Thomas interrupted a little tightly. Janelle eyes flashed as she turned to him and said in a tight voice,
“I don’t think it really matters, Tom. You bought me a drink and I took your number.” There was an awkward silence and then Kensi looked at her watch, and gently grabbed Deeks shoulder.
“Oh honey, we better go. It’s after 8 and you have that debriefing in the morning.”
“I almost forgot about that,” Deeks said, pulling a face as he slid out of his seat and offered a hand to Kensi. “It was nice to meet you, Janelle, Thomas.” Thomas grunted something that might have passed for a agreement while Janelle rushed over and gave him a hug.
“The pleasure was all mine, believe me,” she said fervently, holding onto him a bit longer than necessary. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“Well, he’s a busy guy,” Kensi interrupted, stepping between them. “I’ll see you on Wednesday in class.”
***
“So, did I pass?” Deeks asked as they were walking up to Kensi’s front door. Kensi inclined her head, smirking at him.
“Just barely,” she decided.
“Oh come on, I thought my performance was inspired.” Kensi snorted.
“That resignation story you pulled out was definitely something else. Next time you plan on creating an entire backstory, let me know ahead of time.”
“So that would imply that you expect me to go on more fake dates with you,” he pointed out.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” she sighed. “Hopefully I won’t have to do anything like this for a long time.”
“Well, based on the way Thomas and Janelle were bickering when we left, I’d say our chances of scoring a second double are pretty slim.” He felt a little bad about that part, but if they fought that easily, then their relationship probably wasn’t that solid.
They didn’t talk for a minute, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. When they reached her door, Kensi hesitated and then turned to face him directly.
“Thank you for doing this,” she said softly. “You didn’t have to. At all.” He shrugged, brushing off her thanks.
“What else are partners for?” Kensi started to say something, but stopped short and instead wrapped her arms around him. He froze a little as she settled her chin in the cleft of his shoulder, brushing her lips over his cheeks.
“Good night, Deeks,” she whispered.
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