220717 ✧ happy birthday jeon wonwoo <3

“I appreciate the effort but this is all wrong.” For whoever you choose

(also I know I send a request in last time so feel free to ignore this if you have too many💜)

Bruh, I don't even KNOW where this came from. But I like it. Little bit of Steddie, but this mostly ended up being a Steve and Eleven bonding ficlet. Also, word could got away from me, sorry!

“I appreciate the effort, but this is all wrong,” Eddie sighs, flopping onto the couch beside Steve and making a gesture that seems to encompass Steve’s entire body.

Steve hides a tired smile behind his drink—some unholy cocktail Hopper’s friend Bauman cooked up that seems to be mostly straight vodka. “What do you mean?”

“This! You! We just beat Vecna, man! Won the day, saved the world! And you’re sitting here in a dark corner, brooding over your drink.” Eddie leans close, his expression shifting to something dramatic and serious. “A strange-looking, weather-beaten man, sitting in the shadows near the wall,” he intones.

Ah. Steve remembers this one.

“I am not strange-looking,” he says, and then tips his cup towards Dustin, who is dramatically recounting some part of the fight to Lucas and a bored-looking Erica, as though they were not right there with him. “I am, however, listening intently to the hobbit talk.”

Eddie reels back, a shocked, delighted smile lighting his face. “Stevie! Stevie! Did you, Steven Timothy Harrington the third, king of Hawkins High, dreamiest of the all-American dreamboats…just quote Lord of the Rings at me?” Eddie’s got a bruise on his temple, blood and dirt crusted in the creases of his skin because he hasn’t had a proper shower yet. Steve wants to kiss him, wants to bury his hands in the wild mass of Eddie’s curls, wants to curl into the warmth of his body and never leave.

“My middle name’s not Timothy you weirdo, and I’m not even a junior, let alone a third.” He dares a nudge of his knee into Eddie’s and leaves it there, their legs touching from knee to mid-thigh. He watches dark eyes dart down to where their bodies are touching and holds his breath, only letting it out when Eddie lets his weight shift a little closer so that their shoulders are brushing as well.

Not the closest they’ve ever been on this night, at this party—and it is a party this time, a celebration, he loves it when they are celebrating and not clinging to each other in broken, sobbing huddles, too many empty spaces in between their reaching arms—but close. Close enough that he can feel the other man’s heat through the layers of their clothes, feel the solid weight of him. Eddie is hardly ever a casualty anymore, but nothing is foolproof and he never takes Eddie’s presence at his side when they get here for granted.

He lets himself sink against the couch in his living room, closing his eyes and tipping his head back. Eddie’s eyes will follow the motion, he knows, those quick, clever eyes flicking over the line of his throat before landing on his lips and darting away again. There’s something between them, now. Something curious and fragile, but crackling with electricity. Heat. Possibility. He wonders, when he’s feeling particularly self-destructive, how far they could run with that possibility, if they ever get the chance. He’s kissed Eddie. More times than he can count anymore. Hell, he’s slept with him—quick and desperate fucks in hidden corners, longer, slower explorations when they manage to buy more time than usual. He knows Eddie’s body in a way that should feel wrong, he thinks, because Eddie never, ever remembers.

Steve’s past pretending he’s not desperately, stupidly in love with him.

His chest aches at the thought—pain that has become so familiar he barely notices it anymore. He opens his eyes, the ache turning a little sweeter when he catches Eddie’s gaze darting away from his lips and looks out over the people crowded into his house, helping themselves to his food, his alcohol, his bathrooms and blankets and guestrooms. Everything. They’re welcome to everything, he’d give everything in this cold, cold house if they could just stay here. Now. In this moment.

They’ve all made it through this time. All of them. Max is slumped tiredly against Lucas’s side with nothing worse than a broken arm. Robin is curled up on the loveseat just across the room, fast asleep, but not pale and limp and dead. Dustin’s excited voice carries above every other conversation and Steve could listen to it forever because now he knows what it sounds like when it trails off into a wet, gurgling rattle. They’re all winding down, eyelids drooping, shoulders slumping. Nancy and Jonathan have already wandered off to the guestroom he pointed them to, Hopper and Joyce having long ago vanished into his parents’ room. The kids are gathering blankets and pillows to just create a giant nest right here on the living room floor and Steve is debating whether he wants to carry Robin up to his room or take the risk that sometimes pays off and invite Eddie to follow him to bed when he catches Eleven’s eyes across the room.

“Hey, I’m gonna go get some air,” he says, reaching down to grip Eddie’s knee. Wants it to be his hand. “I’ll be right back.”

Eddie just nods tiredly, his eyes kind of glazing over with exhaustion despite his earlier brightness. Steve stands and stretches, slipping from the room while the boys are arguing over the truly hideous (but very warm and fluffy) knitted blanket his great-grandmother made right before she died and that his mother refuses to get rid of, even though she won’t allow it to sit out anywhere it can be seen. He steps out onto the back deck, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he makes his way to the edge of the empty pool. He’s never gotten around to covering it, but he never keeps it filled when he has the choice in the matter.

He is unsurprised when he hears the door slide open behind him a few moments later. Tilts his head up to stare at the brightly gleaming moon and just lifts one arm in invitation. El burrows into his side seconds later, her thin arms winding tight around his waist as she presses her face into his chest. He doesn’t speak, holding her tightly as she just breathes. She never cries, but somehow the deep, shuddering breaths are worse.

“I’m still good to go again,” he whispers, when the shuddering breaths quiet, and he can no longer feel her shoulders trembling. He ruffles a hand through her short, bristly hair, his heart hurting at the feel of it, the way it always does. El loves her long hair. Loves what having it long represents to her. He hates to see her lose that so often.

She nods against his chest, but makes no move to let go. He bites his lip, resting his chin on top of her head. “We’re getting closer. You felt it this time, right? He almost…he almost let go of Will.”

“He did,” Eleven agrees, her voice no louder than Steve’s had been. “Almost.”

Eddie is wrong, is the thing. They haven’t beaten Vecna. Not for real. Not for good. The Upside Down isn’t gone.

It’s not over.

As a matter of fact, in just a few short hours it’s all going to start over again. All the way over again.

Steve is going to go to sleep tonight, eventually. Maybe curled around Robin, clutching his best friend’s hand and counting her breaths as he struggles to calm his own. Maybe tangled with Eddie, sweaty and sated and biting his lips bloody against all the things he wants to say, all the things he’s discovered and realized and come to know for truth as he’s come to this point over and over and over. Maybe this will be one of the times he and Eleven won’t be able to bear to go back in to the people they love knowing their happiness and relief is about to be ripped away all over again, one of the times they’ll sit and talk and try to keep each other awake for another hour, another minute, another second. It won’t matter.

When he wakes up again, it’ll be 1983. Eleven will be waiting for him in their prearranged meeting spot so he can bring her food and some warmer clothes before she leaves to find Mike and the others, so small and young again, with eyes that grow more and more haunted each time he looks into them. Will Byers will be missing. Max will be somewhere in California. Eddie will hate him, if he thinks of him at all. His kids won’t know him.

And he will be standing right back at the beginning of a path he would sell his fucking soul not to have to walk again.

And again.

And again.

He’s lost count of how many times they’ve done this. Lost count of how many times they’ve lived through this hell, lost count of how fucking old they are at this point. Does a year really count against your age if it’s erased over and over again? He tries not to think about it too hard. It might drive him crazy.

Maybe it already has.

They can’t change anything, they’ve discovered through more trial and error than he cares to try and recall. Nothing more than tiny differentiations. He can’t just cancel that goddamn party and save Barb. They can’t open another gate and bring Will home themselves. They can’t bring the lab down before Nancy and Jonathan get to it. Can’t warn Hopper about the tunnels and the mayor and the fucking Russians. Can’t tell Joyce how to break the Mind Flayer’s hold over her son. Can’t stop Hargrove from becoming a puppet, can’t save his life and at least spare Max that complicated, complicated pain. Can’t avoid the Russians. Can’t keep Hopper from being kidnapped. Can’t save Chrissy Cunningham. Can’t stop Eddie from becoming involved.

Can’t, can’t, can’t.

Things…wobble…when they try. Eleven feels it more than him, understands it better than him, but when they try to change things, it felt like the time he and Tommy decided to go ice skating on the pond near Tommy’s grandpa’s house too early in the season. He’d gotten out onto the ice first, had skated away from the edge as fast as he could, but as he got further out he could feel the ice change under his skates. Had felt it grow thinner. Weaker. Start to splinter under the blades. He’s lucky he’d still been small at that point—thin and bony and small. If it had been Tommy who raced out first, he probably would have fallen through. But that’s how it feels to him—like something is weakening and thinning and breaking around him and it would be a very bad thing if it broke all the way.

Things aren’t completely the same, of course. They’ve learned to skirt that breaking, thinning, weakening—but the little bits of pain they’ve been able to spare their friends and family are tiny. Crumbs. Nothing in the face of all the things they have to let happen.

The things they have to let happen over and over and over…because they know how to close the Upside Down, now. They know what they have to do to make sure it can never hurt anyone ever again. They know what they have to do to free the people they’ve come to love like family.

They know the price they have to pay. And they know they will never, ever take that step.

It has to be purged, is the thing. Every scrap, every bit, every awful, disgusting spore has to be cleaned from their world before the opening can be closed permanently. Every bit of it.

Even the bits that have infected people they love. The bits that have infected them.

It all has to be in the Upside Down when the gate is closed for the last time. If they can’t find a way to sever the connections between them and Vecna, Will and Max have to be left behind in the Upside Down when the gate is closed for the last time.

He and El are both in agreement. That isn’t a price they’re willing to pay, unless the only other choice is to let Vecna completely loose to rampage across the world. In his heart of hearts, Steve isn’t so sure they’d even be willing to pay the price then.

Will is El’s brother in every way that matters. They might as well be twins. And Max…

Well.

Neither of them are willing to live in a world without Max Mayfield in it.

Steve doesn’t know why he and Eleven remember all the times they have come to this point before, but Will and Max don’t. He has his suspicions. Theories that he has had ample time to turn over in his mind…and he knows he’s not the smartest person in their group, but even he can solve a puzzle if you give him enough time. He thinks it has something to do with how their connections to the Upside Down formed vs. how Will’s and Max’s were forced. El didn’t mean to, didn’t know what she was doing…but she was the one who ripped into the Upside Down in the first place, kicked up the hivemind like a hornet’s nest. And he…

He thinks of the thick, rotten-tasting fluid that fills his mouth every time he bites that fucking bat to get it to let go of him. The way it always slides down his throat before he can spit it all out. He’d forced his way into a connection too, hadn’t he? Even after all this time, he can’t decide if he’s glad he accidentally took part of that fucking place into himself that first time or not.

He’s glad Eleven isn’t alone in this. Glad he can be there for the girl who’s just as much a little sister to him as Max is, now. Glad he can remember all the moments he’s had with Eddie in all these endless loops. But oh sometimes he’d give anything to have his blissful ignorance back.

He’s lucky in some sick way, he thinks. He has the choice. Will is already infected every time they start over. The thing that makes Max vulnerable to Vecna is something they cannot change. Steve, though, can choose not to take that mouthful of rotten, rotten blood. He can suck in an extra mouthful of air before the things bring him down, give himself those few extra seconds for Nancy, Robin, and Eddie to come charging to his rescue. He can release himself from the knowledge he’s living these same hellish years over and over again any time. El has begged him to, many times.

He glances down at the girl in his arms, clinging to his waist and trying to brace herself for yet another round. Knows he never will. They’re in this together, no matter what. He can’t let her carry this burden alone. He’s going to sink his teeth into that fucking bat every time, until they’re sure they’ve figured it out. Until they know how to free Will and Max. Until they can save everyone. Then he’ll let himself out of the loop. Only then.

Then maybe he’ll finally get to see what the possibility that hovers between him and Eddie will grow to be.

“What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?” he asks, like the sun is going to come up on them here. Like he’ll stumble down to the kitchen, carefully stepping over sleeping bodies to start coffee and pancakes. Like it really is over, instead of about to start again.

“Breakfast burrito,” El says, and they both ignore how tired she sounds. How defeated.

There has to be a way to save them all…there has to. They just have to hang on until they find it. He closes his eyes and thinks of Robin’s laugh. Dustin’s loud voice. Eddie’s pretty, pretty eyes. One more time. He can do it one more time. They’re close. They have to be.

“Breakfast burrito. Bacon, eggs, cheese, peppers, no onions.” He squeezes her tighter, and her fist tightens on his shirt. “And something soft and pretty to wear.”

“Pretty,” she agrees.

“We’ve got this,” he says, and wishes harder than he has ever wished for anything in his life that he isn’t lying. “One more time.”

El takes another deep breath. Straightens, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. She slips out from under his arm, but keeps hold of his hand. “One more time,” she says solemnly. He doesn’t know how many times they have made this promise to each other.

He lost count a long time ago.

Reconnect-Finn Shelby x Reader

(GIF credit to @peakystitches​)

Masterlist

Tags: @captivatedbycillianmurphy​ @jenepleurepasbaby​ @amirahiddleston​ @bloodorangemoonlight @haphazardhufflepuff​ @mzcrazy2​

Requested by anonymous: ‘Hello! May i request an either tommy or finn shelby x reader? (Whicheverr one u think suits best) for this prompt i found: character A and B have been in a longterm relationship and nothing can get in between, until one day something does and they drift away. But then they reconnect emotionally and everything feels like the first time again (first kiss, first meal together etc) 🙏🏼💜 i love ur writing thank u’

Characters: Finn Shelby x Reader, Polly Gray x Reader (platonic)

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

Warnings: Swearing, arguing, finance issues, drinking, fluff

                                    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Finn, is that you?" I called out from our bedroom as I heard the front door open. I tensed up when I didn't hear a reply, only to let out a sigh when I heard him giggling.

He was drunk again, it happened almost every week now. Tommy would have given him something important to do for the gang, and whether or not Finn succeeded with that task, he would go out and celebrate with his mates. I would sometimes tag along if I wasn't tired from the week of working, but after seeing our finances, I realised we needed to stop acting like teenagers and start saving wisely.

"Hello my gorgeous girl." he slurred out as he entered the room.

"Hello Finn." I replied as I received a sloppy kiss to my forehead.

He flopped down beside me in bed, taking the book out of my hands and throwing it to the floor. Finn wrapped his arms around me, snuggling into my lap. I took off his hat, stroking back his hair. He was cold from the brisk walk home, causing me to shiver.

“You should have come out tonight." he said.

"I got off work late."

"He kept you again?"

"No, I decided to stay."

"Why? You always say you're tired."

"I'm tired because I'm picking up extra shifts and hours so that we can start saving up for a house."

"I've told you, we don't need to worry about that. Business is good."

"Finn, we're not going to be given the money. We have to earn it."

"Tommy will help us."

"He might help but he won't give us a lot. And even if he did hand us a house, we've got to have enough money for the bills, furniture-"

"It will be fine."

"Finn, we've not even had our wedding yet!"

We had been engaged for half a year. We were wanting to be married sooner, but problems arose with the Peaky Blinders it distracted us both from it, especially since our lives were in danger. I desperately wanted to have enough money for the wedding and house, though it looked like it was going to be one or the other at this point.

"What's wrong with the flat?" Finn now sat up.

"Did you seriously ask me that question? There's only so much I can do to this dump to make it look somewhat liveable. It just doesn't feel like home."

"We'll get the money. Don't worry. Look, look," he took my hands in his,"we will get a house. I promise. And believe me, I want to marry you as soon as I can, there needs to be another ring on that finger. And I need to see my name at the end of yours."

I stupidly believed him. Those adoring eyes I once trusted had lied to me. Finn kept his promise for a week at max, soon breaking it. I didn't mind him going out with friends, we both needed to socialise, I just disagreed with the amount of times he was out and the amount of drinks he was buying each night. He would always offer to get the next round, and although he was a Shelby, the discounts didn't make much difference at the end of the night. I decided I had to go with him to ensure that our money wasn't being poured away, struggling to stay awake for those long nights, and making work even harder every day. It was impossible to keep an eye on him like that.

Usually Finn would tell me if he was going out that night so I wouldn't worry. That stopped too. My mind was never at ease. How did I know he wasn't lying in a ditch somewhere after a job gone wrong? Or what if he was trapped somewhere by a rival gang? I could only rest when he returned, which he always luckily did. I pretended to be asleep, trying to not push him away as he slipped his arms around me, cuddling me for the rest of the night. My patience began to grow thin. I was too scared to speak up about it, worried that we would just end up having an argument. However, I knew we would have to bring it up soon, because our money was only disappearing instead of increasing.

One morning when I was leaving for work, I noticed that the drawer we locked our savings away in was slightly ajar, meaning someone had unlocked it and stupidly left it open. Of course it had to be Finn, no one had broken in during the night. My eyes widened when I saw how much he had taken, enraged that he would think me so foolish. Why would he take the money without asking? What was he using it for?

As I stormed towards the shop, I heard whooping from men in a car further up the street. My face turned into a deep frown when I recognised the car, managing to catch a glimpse of the people in it. They hadn't seen me, and I had to make sure my eyes were deceiving me.

I didn't care about the looks on me as I burst through into the shop, making a beeline for Polly's office. I harshly knocked on the door, entering when she called me.

"(Y/N)? What's wrong?" she asked, a lit cigarette in hand.

"Where's Finn?"

"Off out with his brothers, why?"

"Where are they going?"

"To the races."

I scoffed, placing a hand on my head in defeat.

"Why? What's wrong with that?"

"He told me he would be in the office all day today."

"So? Things change."

"No, he specifically told me that. I never even asked about it. He made a point meaning he didn't want to risk me waltzing in. That means he's hiding something."

"(Y/N), they're only going to bet on horses today. They're mingling."

"They're betting today?!"

She stood, putting a hand on her hip."What am I missing here?"

"Pol, he's using money that we don't have! I need a car, I need to get to him."

"Look, even if my nephew is being the biggest idiot, it's a bad idea to go there."

"Why?"

Her eyes widened."Don't snap at me young lady."

"I'm sorry, I just, I just know he's going to be stupid with what little money we have at the minute."

Polly was silent for a few seconds, and I didn't know if she was just staring me out, trying to make me leave. Perhaps she didn't think it was anything to worry over. But it was to me. She surprised me when she went into one of her drawers, pulling out a set of keys.

"Come on. I'll get one of the girls to call your work, say you're sick."

I tightly clasped my hands together as Polly drove. I was furious, trying to think of what to say to Finn when I got there. He stole our money. He went behind my back, gambling away the money we worked hard to earn. I had never said it, but Finn had it much easier than I did. For one, he worked with family, and although I liked my job, the boss could sometimes be an arsehole; second, he earned a lot more than me, so he was the bigger breadwinner between us, but I worked longer hours. Yes, he was in a gang meaning he had more days where his life was under threat, but he seemed to be having a jolly good time anyway. Really, it wouldn't have mattered who worked longer or harder, or who earned more, it was still our money to spend on our house.

As soon as Polly parked up, I was straight out of the car. She quickly followed grabbing my arm and warning me to not get lost in the crowds. I couldn't make a scene, especially since there could be potential business partners or enemies about. I refrained from rolling my eyes, knowing she was right but also knowing that I would find it extremely hard to not scream at Finn.

Polly guided me to where the men would be, ignoring the shoving and shouting. I wished for her to walk quicker. We swiftly entered the posher boxes, almost stopped by a doorman until his accomplice shut him up. I even heard him whisper 'That's Polly Gray you idiot.', the one time I was glad we had a reputation. She only paused to scan the room for the boys but I spotted them first. Quickly moving past her, I couldn't stop my fists from clenching, seeing Finn joyfully drinking and laughing with his brothers only added fire to my fury.

"Finn!" I snapped, quickly catching his attention.

"(Y/N)?" he exclaimed, struggling to stand and clattering the plates and glasses on the table."W-what are you doing here?"

"Stopping you from spending our money like a fucking idiot! Where is it?"

"Oh, Finn boy is in the doghouse." John chuckled.

"Shut up!" I fiercely pointed at him.

"Where's what?" Finn brought me back.

"Our money!"

"I told you, you do this outside." Polly warned, shoving Finn in that direction, and I knew I had to follow him.

Luckily, we were left alone. Finn continued on, finding someplace we would be alone. Once we were in the clear, the distant roar of the crowds covering our conversation, I saw him sigh quietly, running a hand down his face when he realised what was coming.

"Where's the money Finn?" I asked, calmer but with a mean tone.

"Let me explain first.”

"Explain how you took our money without asking? How you just waltzed out this morning without consulting me?"

"Tommy said that there was a good chance, a very good chance that this horse would win, and I thought it would help us if we put our money on it. Imagine how much we'll have if it wins!"

"If it wins Finn, if! You're gambling our money, why would you do something like that?"

"Because you went on about not having enough money! And here I am trying to help!"

My mouth dropped open in shock."You really don’t see the problem here."

"No, actually, I don't." he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Finn, you stole money from the drawer! You then go behind my back and bet it away. Have you thought about what we'll do if that horse loses?"

"But it won't, Tommy said."

"And what if Tommy is wrong this time? Also, don't pin this on your brother, I know he hasn't even suggested this idea."

"I'm not-urgh!" Finn groaned."Why don't you trust me?"

"I can't trust a gamble Finn. I don't think you realise how many nights I've spent lying awake, worried that we'll never have enough for our own home, and thinking that you don't even care anymore."

"Of course I care. This is why I've bet the money."

"How is this not getting in your head?"

"(Y/N)," he took my hands in his, but I couldn't even look at him,"in a few minutes we will hear them announce the winner, and we will start jumping for joy when we realise how much money we're going to get back, and we're going to be so much closer to getting our home."

"Finn, I desperately want to believe that. But even if we do win, you're in deep trouble." I took my hands away from him, turning around. I couldn't even look at my own fiance.

On queue, we heard a man come over the intercom, it was muffled to me but I knew Finn was listening intensely. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched for his reaction, turning around fully when I saw his expression. We had lost. We lost all that money.

"How could you be so fucking stupid?!" I screamed at him, throwing slaps onto his chest."Why couldn't you just listen to me? I don't understand why you had to lie to me Finn!"

I broke down crying, shoving him away from me. My sobs were loud but I didn't care. Finn could watch, see how much he upset me. My heart sank at the thought of it all gone, Finn had left scarcely any money in the drawer back at the flat.

"I'm sorry (Y/N)." Finn pathetically said.

"You know how you always go on about your family never trusting you enough for the big jobs? That you never get to go out with them and help? This is why. Because you do things like this, you fuck everything up Finn. Fuck!" I wiped away my tears, even though more spilled out."You know I've always stuck beside you, but this is the last straw Finn. I can't be with someone who doesn't want to put effort into their future."

"What are you saying? (Y/N), I can fix this. I promise I'll get the money back, I'll-"

"How? That took us so long to build that up. And you were spending our money almost every night on useless drinking. I can't Finn, I can't live like that anymore."

He ducked his head, and I almost wanted him to say something. When he didn't, I knew what I had to do.

I took a deep breath before speaking."I'm going home. I suggest you stay at Polly's tonight."

"Let me take you home-"

"No!"

"What's going on?" Tommy suddenly appeared, he, his brothers and Polly approaching.

"Your nephew, your brother, just gave away almost all of our money betting on a horse. Not only that, but he took the money without telling me. That was money for a house." I angrily explained.

"Is that true Finn?"

Finn shamefully nodded.

"We can get you your money back (Y/N)."

"It's not about that Tom. He's lied to me. He promised me he wouldn't spend our money every week, yet he did. And then he takes our money without asking me about it first."

"I'll fix it (Y/N), I promise I will." Finn was begging at this point.

"Another promise that you're bound to break. I've had enough today."

"Let's get you home love." Polly said, putting a stop to this argument as she stepped forward, taking me under her arm.

Finn didn't come home that night. I didn't sleep. I was sat at the tiny dining table, staring at the ring on my finger, wondering what to do. It broke my heart to think about leaving him, but it also broke my heart thinking about how reckless he had been. Did I really want to be marrying someone who acted like this? Would he mature? My heart wanted to believe he would, but my mind kept telling me that today confirmed he wouldn't. That was one of the worst nights of my life.

                                     *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I couldn't stand this job any longer. But it was the only thing keeping me alive. It was crappy work, the pay was just above minimum, enough for me to buy food, pay my rent and have the tiniest amount left over. Saving up money was hard when it was just you. Even after two years, I didn't have enough to consider looking at places of my own, or with less roommates. It was exhausting keeping up with these girls I lived with, there were 6 of us altogether. It was a big change when I moved away from Small Heath.

"You ready (Y/N)?" one of my roommates called out to me as I finished applying my lipstick.

"Just a second!" I replied, checking myself in the mirror.

It was the rare occasion that I was going out with them, the one time we could all go out together at all. I was looking forward to a few drinks, and although that sounded hypocritical, I realised that I had to have a night or two in at least a month to relieve myself of the stress I put upon myself.

We arrived at the small club we always went to, it had the cheapest drinks this side of town. We all shivered in the cold weather, walking as fast as we could to make it to the club. The warmth was very welcome, as well as the loud music that drew us further in. It was the usual routine, a few of us grab a table, the others get the drinks in, then we would all make our way to the dance floor. Hours passed, and I had to get away from the heat coming from the dancing, stepping back towards our table to get a drink. I saw my roommate stumbling in the direction of the bar, rolling my eyes as I went to help her, perhaps getting a drink whilst I was there. However, once I got closer, I stared at the man she was starting to flirt with.

"Isaiah?" I said as I got closer.

"(Y/N)!" he smiled, bringing me in for a hug.

"You two know each other?" my roommate asked, looking disappointed.

"He's an old friend. Just that, nothing else."

Isaiah let me go."How long has it been? Two years?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, two years. What are you doing here?"

"Business. Nothing dangerous though, you girls are still in for a good night. Especially you if you're good." he winked to my roommate.

"Is he...is he here?" my voice suddenly went shaky, and I felt almost completely sober.

Isaiah's playful nature dropped."Uh, he is. He's really misses you (Y/N). Hasn't even looked at another girl since you left. He's just not been the same." I wasn't sure how to reply.

"I can't not tell him I saw you. Imagine if he found out, he would be so upset with me."

"I know. I wouldn't want to hurt your friendship."

"Maybe you should see him. It might do you both some good."

"Or the opposite."

"He still loves you. Even if you don't feel the same, it could bring closure. But I know you (Y/N), I can tell what you're thinking."

"You were always annoying like that."

"He's out front, in the corridor. That's all I'm going to say."

I looked at him for a few seconds, trying to make my mind up."Well, this one is a handful, just so you know."

"I think I can handle her." Isaiah smirked.

"I was warning her about you."

I giggled at his reaction, walking away and leaving him in his natural habitat of flirting. But as soon as I turned around, my stomach dropped, nerves filling up my entire body. He was here. I hadn't seen him for two years, though I thought about him everyday. Would he look different? Did I look different? What was he going to say? What was I going to say? My brain didn't want to think of any words, maybe I was about to babble absolute nonsense to him.

Upon seeing him, my throat tightened, the cool air slapping me in the face; oh, now I was sober. He hadn't noticed yet, leaning up against a wall, hands in his pockets. Wow, he had changed. His boyish charm was still there, yet he had matured into a handsome young man. It was like I was seeing him for the first time all over again. I was just happy that he would be seeing me in my finer clothes rather than catching me after work.

Urging my feet to move, I almost sighed at how small my steps were. I really was scared. Isaiah had said reassuring things, yet I couldn't even walk up to him. It was too late to back out now, especially when he finally looked up at me. I froze on the spot, not knowing what to do. Finn seemed the same way.

"(Y/N)." he said, I only just heard it.

"Hello."

Hello? Really, that's all I could come up with?

He pushed himself off the wall, coming to stand in front of me, though not too close."I...I can't believe you're here."

"I could say the same about you."

"This is where you've been living then."

I nodded."It's not too bad. I mean, I'm on a night out."

"Who are you with?"

I knew he was wondering if I was with a man."My roommates, I live with five other girls."

"Oh, that's a lot."

"Yeah, it's the only place I could afford."

"I hope it's nice."

"I shouldn't complain. A lot better than other places."

We both knew we were making an awful attempt at small talk. I was sure he had so much to say like I did, we just didn't want to dump it on each other in case the other ran away. It was like we were teenagers again, awkwardly trying to think of something to fill the dreaded silence.

"I really want to talk about us (Y/N)." Finn said.

"You do?"

"I...I just have so much to say to you. I can't do it now, but what about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? Tomorrow, um, yes, yes tomorrow works for me. It's the weekend, so I'm not working."

He smiled slightly."OK, good. I'll come get you. Um, I need your address."

"Oh, here." I dug around in my purse, thankful there was a folded up tissue and a pen, it was good to be prepared. I wrote down my address, handing it to him.

"I'll pick you up at one. I would want it to be earlier, you just never know what time you'll be back with this sort of thing."

"I understand Finn, I did live this with you once."

I barely slept, even when we stumbled in at three in the morning. Luckily I hadn't seen Finn, Isaiah or any other Peaky Blinder that evening, no doubt settling business behind the scenes. Despite the lack of sleep, I was wide awake the next morning, up before everyone else who were nursing their hangovers, trying on multiple outfits in a desperate attempt to look nice, but not as if I put too much effort in. The clock was rolling onto one o'clock, and my heart was beating much faster than usual. I was about to make my way downstairs when something glistened on my small vanity. Should I take it? Yes, I would.

Finn knocked on the door, and I waited a few seconds before opening it. We smiled as we greeted each other, not going in for a hug or kiss on the cheek, something I was worried about. That was the first hurdle jumped over.

"How was your evening?" Finn struck up a conversation as we walked further into town.

"Much better than yours I presume?" I smirked. He chuckled."Yeah, didn't exactly get to enjoy the music. Small fight, nothing we couldn't handle."

It was strange hearing about Blinder business again."Well I'm glad you're all safe."

"I thought we could go out for lunch, saw a nice place round here."

"Oh, that would be lovely."

"We don't have to, if you don't feel comfortable."

"No, no, no, it's not that. It's just a lovely thing for you to do."

We both bashfully smiled, luckily the restaurant was just around the corner. I had expected nothing less when we walked into the fancy place, not because I thought I deserved it, but because Finn wouldn't be seen anywhere else. His clothes were even more tailored now than they had been the last I saw him, indicating that the gang had been doing well, more money was coming in. We both immediately picked up our menus as we sat, hoping someone would speak first. Our eyes glanced over the top of them, it was as if we were on our first date again, only this time in a better establishment.

"You look beautiful." he said, still hiding part of his face.

"Thank you." I blushed.

"I'll never forget what you wore when I picked you up for our first date. That blue dress you just bought, with a matching purse, and those heels that you hadn't practiced walking in. Well, you used that as an excuse to latch into my arm all night."

I smiled, placing down my menu."It was a good plan, wasn't it? And I did struggle in those heels, I just didn't want to embarrass myself."

He copied me."I liked holding your hand all night."

"What a sweet sentiment."

"I mean it. And I mean this date. That didn't sound right, but...what I'm trying to say is that I want to make it all up to you."

"You do?"

"Yes! I really didn't expect you to leave. I mean I did, but I didn't want to believe that. I didn't want to believe that I had been so selfish that I couldn't even see how much I had hurt you." 

“That was the hardest decision I ever made. Most days I battle with myself whether I made the right choice. All night I kept making deals with myself. If you came back, I would hear you out, and if it was good enough for me I would stay. But then you didn’t, so I said to myself ‘Give him another hour.’. An hour went by, and I said the same thing to myself. That went on for the whole evening until I found myself angrily packing my things. Even then, I sat by door on top of my suitcase for another hour or so.”

“I thought you just got up and left. I didn’t realise how long you waited for me.” he sighed into his hands.“I’m such a fucking idiot.”

I could tell he was full of regret. Although it sounded sadistic, I was glad that he was upset when reflecting on our past relationship, it meant he realised his mistake. On the other hand, I hated seeing him sad. I took his hands away from his face, hesitantly reaching into my handbag to pull out the engagement ring I kept.

His eyes widened.“You still have that? I looked everywhere for it when you left, guessed you took it to sell.”

“I won’t lie, that was my intention at first. But it meant too much to me. It was like selling a piece of my soul. I kept it hidden, I didn’t want to risk any of the girls seeing it, they would just ask too many questions.”

I kept my eye on the beautiful ring as I spoke, slowly twirling it around to catch it twinkling in the light.

"I had such a hard time picking that out. I knew what you wanted, but I had to get it right for you. I'm so glad you kept it."

"I did try to sell it. I was stood outside of a shop for ten minutes debating with myself. It would have helped a lot for the deposit on the room, but I couldn't do it."

We were silent, both staring at the ring. We used to do that a lot actually. Finn would take my hand and hold it up as we laid in bed together, both giggling as we watched it glisten like it was in present times, before squealing at the thought of us being married to each other. I constantly fiddled with it when he was off on business, a habit which never wore off, even now; whenever I was nervous or worried, I would automatically do the same action, just without the ring.

A waiter awkwardly interrupted us, and I hurriedly put the ring back in my bag, sharing an embarrassed smile with Finn as we ordered. Once he was gone, I quietly sighed, looking out of the window. We were in such a nice part of town, so many ladies in beautiful dresses and men in smart suits strolling around.

"Are you...are you OK for money?" Finn boldly asked.

I was a little shocked by that.

"I don't mean anything by it. I just want to make sure you're OK, I would hate for you to be struggling, if you were."

"Uh, no, no I'm fine actually. It's not as generous as my old wage but it keeps me alive, I can live with the bare necessities."

I could see him itching to say something else, to keep the conversation going. I wasn't sure if we could go back to the serious topic we had before. However, I also wanted to bring it back up, it felt like we needed to talk about us.

"How's the family?" That's all I could come up with.

"They're fine. Everyone is the same. Well, they're not, they're a bit more serious nowadays."

"They weren't in the first place?"

He smiled."I suppose they were. Tension is the right word, tensions have been rising. Tommy's taking on a lot more, Polly knows all these secrets that no one else does, Ada is rebelling against anything Tommy says, Linda is still annoying, Esme and John have been popping kids out left, right and centre. Arthur is still crazy."

"Sounds like business as usual to me."

"They miss you too."

"Do they?"

"Yeah. Almost as much as me."

I cast my eyes down as butterflies rose in my stomach.

"I heard nothing else for the next few weeks after you left. They all told me what an idiot I was, that I was an extremely reckless, stupid and immature boy, and that I had let the best thing in my life get away from me. And they were right. I knew all of that already."

"I...I don't really know what to say right now."

"You don't have to say anything, let's just enjoy this meal, no more of that talk."

The nerves making my stomach flip built at that. What if we had nothing else to talk about? What if it was too weird to dive into our separate lives? I didn't want to sit across my ex-fiance, painfully and politely smiling through forced conversation.

The spark was still there.

When the waiter had returned with our drinks, we were already deep in talk about what had been happening in our personal everyday life. We were non stop, even as we ate through dinner. The waiters had trouble catching our attention each time they checked on us. I was deep in those eyes again, the ones I always dreamed of seeing. We were laughing hysterically, not at all acting how we should have in that establishment (there were a few eye rolls from other patrons). As if time had gone by in a second, the bill was slipped towards Finn, though I still reached into my purse.

"Are you mad? No, put your money away, I'm not taking it." Finn stated as he carelessly threw down some notes, surprisingly taking my hand in his and guiding me out of the restaurant.

I was tense as we walked, and I saw a flash of realisation in Finn's eyes as we made it outside. Both looking down at our interlocked fingers, Finn broke away, clearing his throat.

"Sorry, force of habit."

Hesitating, I smiled up at him, lacing our hands together again."These are new heels I'm breaking in. Need help walking in them."

He chuckled, pulling me closer as we walked down the street. We were silent, feeling like kids in love again. I couldn't deny that my feelings were still strong for Finn, I missed him dearly. At first, part of me had been wary of all this, wondering if he really had good intentions, or just thought he could get a quick shag in from an ex before he left; but the effort he went through, the things we spoke about, trying to heal old wounds, Finn had matured and he was wanting to fix this. I wanted to fix this, my heart was aching for my old life with him. 

“We’re not done yet, are we?” I timidly asked.

“Not unless you want it to be.”

I instantly shook my head.“No, I’d like to stay out for longer.”

“Even though you’re struggling in your heels?”

I smirked.“I know a nice place we can sit down.”

I took him to the local park, it had a huge lake with benches dotted around, luckily it wasn’t busy, there was somehow a hint of privacy here. We sat down close to each other, hands still entwined. 

“You still hungry?” I asked.

“Hm?”

I dug into my purse, producing a bag of sweets I had bought the previous day. I laughed as his eyes lit up, taking one without even asking. I took one too, reminiscing on how we used to do the same thing as kids. It seemed he was thinking about it too.

“Just like the old days.” Finn said.

“We spent way too much money on sweets back then. It’s a wonder we still have our teeth.”

 “Wish I got out of that spending habit. We could be married and in our new house by now.”

“So you never wanted to move on? You didn’t give in to those girls wanting to be with a Peaky Blinder?”

“Never. I couldn’t. I couldn’t even fathom being with anyone else, it was always you (Y/N). Did you date?”

“No, I felt exactly the same. Which is why I was angry at myself for a long time. I was supposed to be upset with you, not still in love.”

His head whipped round to face me.“You still love me?”

My mouth was still open, unsure how to answer. It seemed I didn’t have to as Finn leaned in, placing on hand on my cheek as we kissed. Instinctively I kissed back, placing my hands on him where I could, hearing the bag of sweets fall to the ground and spill its contents. This kiss was needy, the type of kiss you gave your partner when you had missed them, when they had been away for a long time; and although we had our hands on each other, our touch was still gentle.

“Get the ring.” Finn breathed out, our lips still almost touching.

I carelessly got it for him, heart beating extremely fast. He took it from me, pecking me on the lips one last time before standing up. He straightened out his suit, took a deep breath and got down on one knee. I was just as emotional the first time he did it.

“(Y/N), I know I messed up everything in the past, I was careless when I should have been supportive and helped to build our future. I learnt from those mistakes, and I really, really want to go back to how we were. I need you (Y/N), I love you so much. There aren’t enough words to express how much love I have for you. Will you marry me?”

I didn’t need to think about my answer. I blurted out a yes, waiting for him to slide the ring back on my finger before throwing myself onto him. We stumbled back onto the ground, our arms around each other as we laughed and cried. I believed him this time, I truly believed him. He put in the effort to show me his changes, he wanted to fix everything. I wanted things back to the way they were with my man, and we were back to building our future and living the rest of our lives together.

believe

requested: no

group: blackpink

pairing: jisoo x fem!reader

genre: fluff

contents: guardian angel!jisoo, near death instances, unlucky reader. [22/33].

warnings: none

synopsis: You’ve never believed in guardian angels, but that just might change when you’re saved from certain death 3 times in one week.

a/n: idk if I’ve ever seen anyone do a similar au... tell me if you have! also i’m actually hella proud of this one lmao

word count: 1.8k

Do guardian angels exist?

Well, that’s a subjective question, and there really isn’t a yes or no answer... But if yours does, they’re doing the shittiest job of the century.

The amount of times you’ve been hurt in the past, both physically and emotionally, is stupidly high. You’ve always had an aptitude for getting injured, stories of broken bones and gashes making up basically half of your entire life. Your friends and family pride themselves on having a fully loaded arsenal of embarrassing tales, practically making it a rite of passage to visit the hospital with you. And don’t even mention the heartbreaks- those just seem to follow you wherever you go.

When you move to a different city for what must be the 10th time, you vow that it’s going to be different, no matter how obvious it is that it won’t. You vow that there aren’t going to be any incidents that land you in the hospital, nor any relationships that just end in chaos.

Suffice to say, all of that goes haywire on your first day in town.

Without a car to drive you to work or any friends to hitchhike off of, you take the subway, line #224 to Solace Building. There just so happens to be a new girl group song you’re obsessed with, blasting on the highest possible volume in your earbuds, when you’re shoved from the back right into the subway tracks. “Fu-”

Time slows down as you start to fall, the dusty railways coming too close to your face for comfort before a warm hand wraps around yours, the socket of your arm straining to carry your entire weight as you’re jerked back sharply.

You collide with a warm body, soft curves lessening the impact and delicate, impossibly strong hands steadying you on either side of your waist. By all logic, you should’ve knocked your savior over, should be sprawled on the ground right now with dirty palms and a heat-flushed face. “Are you okay?”

When you step back sharply, you’re met with the sight of the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen in your life. Her heart-shaped smile and delicate features are framed with cascading brown hair, and she has ethereally flawless porcelain skin. She’s the kind of beautiful that makes the plainest outfit look designer, that could make you believe sea glass to be pure diamond. “Uh. Y-yeah. I’m good.”

“I’m glad,” she chuckles, smiling even wider and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Maybe she doesn’t realize the effect she has on you, humming as she dusts something invisible off your bag. “You should be more careful, Y/N, wouldn’t want someone as pretty as you being killed by a train.”

If it was anyone else, the words would sound creepy, especially with the added factor of the girl knowing your name. “How-- how do you know who I am?”

She juts her lips at the card hanging off your bag, your name written in big, bold letters. “Nametag. Y/N Y/L/N, employee in Solace Building?”

To hide the heat in your cheeks, you look to the floor and stutter out, “Well. Since you know my name, uh, isn’t it fitting that I know yours?”

It’s not nearly as smooth as you’d like it to be-- usually, the natural flirt in you would’ve made an appearance-- but the petite brunette extends a hand, tipped with gentle pink nails. “Jisoo. Kim Jisoo, if that’s helpful at all.”

Your next words are interrupted by your train arriving; when Jisoo doesn’t follow you on, you turn to look at her with your eyebrow quirked. “Are you...?”

“Not my train,” she smiles, shaking her head, even though it’s the only one arriving for hours where she stands. “Good to meet you, Y/N. Stay out of trouble!”

It’s an odd way to end a first meeting, but you don’t think much of it as you grab the nearest seat and pull out your phone to search her up. K-I-M J-I-S-O-O, you type, eyes scanning the screen fervently as the train starts.

Plenty of people show up-- after all, Kim Jisoo is not a rare name-- but none of the dozens of profiles you click through are the beautiful girl who saved your life. It’s too late when you look back out the window towards the station, the only thing you see becoming brick wall.

The next time you almost die, you’re just walking to the coffee shop across from your apartment.

The activity should be safe, considering that not many people in the area own cars. At first, you think you are safe, crossing the silent street with no problem and receiving your usual order just fine; you’re on your way back to your lonely little apartment when you hear the screeching of car tires on the road.

“Watch out!” someone screams, but you’re frozen in the middle of the crosswalk. You forget how there wasn’t a single car in the street when you were crossing as you stare at the grill coming close. The car doesn’t stop or slow down, and you scrunch your eyes shut with your arms raised up, just waiting for the impact.

It never comes. When you hesitantly open your eyes again, you find a familiar figure standing in front of you, the force of her hand having knocked your coffee onto your blouse. The car bumper is pressing into her bare leg, which is miraculously clean of a scratch or bruise, but she doesn’t seem to notice as she turns to grin at you.

“Sorry, I ruined your coffee,” Jisoo frowns, her hand coming up to almost touch the steaming stain on your chest. You stare at her mutely, following obediently when she grabs your wrist and pulls you back to the coffee shop. “Can I buy you another one?” she offers, plucking a napkin off a street-side table.

“Kim Jisoo?” you say disbelievingly, not even feeling it as she dabs the coffee away. “You again?”

“Me again,” she confirms, pulling some more napkins out of her purse with a smile on her face. “I hope you’re not disappointed; after all, I just saved you from dying. Again.”

“No, that’s not...” Taking a deep breath, you smile too, wrapping your fingers around her hand to gently brush her off. “It’s okay. I’m glad to see you, actually-- I searched for your profile to thank you, but I couldn’t find anything.”

Jisoo shrugs, opening the door to the coffee shop for you. “Oh, I’m not really on social media. If you wanted my number, you could’ve just asked.”

You laugh lightly, tossing the crushed cup in your hand into the trash. Of course it’s odd that she isn’t on social media in the 21st century-- with her face, you’d expect Jisoo to be a major influencer. “Then I’ll ask for it. Later.”

“Of course. Order what you want, I owe you one after all that,” she offers, plucking a couple loose 20 dollar bills out of her purse.

Once again, you’re faced with another weird habit of hers, but you order anyway and thank her after she pays. Before you can say anything else, though, she gets a text and frowns at her phone. “Oh, sorry, I have to go. Catch you next time?”

“Sure,” you answer, forgetting to tell her that she still forgot to give you her number. You stand dumbly on the sidewalk and watch her go, taking a deep breath and looking both ways before you set off towards your apartment for the second time that day.

Maybe next time?

The third, and hopefully last time, is the absolute weirdest of all. 

You seem to have a thing for being knocked into ditches-- this time, a group of teenagers barrels into you while you’re walking by the side of the only river in your entire city. You open your mouth to tell them off, but before you can, an especially hard shove from an stocky little boy pushes you right into the water.

Luckily, the fall isn’t high, so you don’t hit the water with much force, but the boats cruising along and the recently terrible weather stir the current strong enough to pull you right under. In the icy water, you feel your fingers let go of the phone in your hand, your lungs slowly being crushed by the pressure of your surroundings.

It’s hard to tell how much time passes while you’re in the water. From what your doctors have told you, trauma is difficult to remember clearly for a while, but you vaguely feel hands linking in front of your chest and forearms bracing under your armpits to drag you out of the water.

The heat of the summer sun warms the stone under your back and you can hear whispers sounding around you as you flop onto the floor. Hands push hard on your breastbone, once, twice-

After maybe 30 pushes, fingers pinch your nose, and soft lips meet yours. It feels more like a kiss than CPR, no air really being blown into your mouth, but nonetheless, you feel water leaving your lungs, and you open your eyes in shock, coughing out loud.

To your (somewhat) shock, it’s the same girl hovering over you. Jisoo’s skirt is wet at her knees where she kneels beside you, her hands still hovering over your chest. She must’ve been the one giving CPR, then. Sitting up, you hack violently until most of the water’s out of your lungs, the other girl waving away all of the spectators. “How’re you feeling?” she asks, once you’re alone on the sidewalk.

Your hands move faster than your brain, pulling her forward by the nape of her neck until you kiss again, something about her tasting familiar in a way you can’t quite place. “Who are you?” you breathe once you’ve pulled away, searching her warm eyes for an answer.

She smiles again, handing you your miraculously dry phone instead of answering. It should be waterlogged and dead, but nothing seems to make sense when concered with Kim Jisoo. “How about you take me for dinner or something before asking the serious questions? Soup should be good to warm you up.”

Hand clasping in hers, you’re pulled to your feet with strength that doesn’t match her petite stature. You barely remember that you look like an almost-drowned rat, your lips purple with cold and your hair stringy with icy water. “Sure. Soup. But you need to answer me first.”

She exhales, hitching her bag higher up on her arm. “I’d say I’m your guardian angel, but you wouldn’t believe that, would you?”

“I wouldn’t,” you answer, eyes narrowing as you follow her down the street. “But maybe you can convince me. Over soup.”

twist of fate | twelve

in which y/n is in the same situation as draco

Summary: Like Draco, Y/N is forced to become a young Death-Eater and the Dark Lord gives her a job to do. Sixth year, slow burn, kinda enemies to lovers.

Word count: 1.1k

Warnings: just invasion of privacy :)

For some reason, Y/N didn't go to classes the next day. Draco, who was still angry at her, convinced himself he didn't care. However, someone else had also noticed Y/N's absence.

Harry Potter, and his two closest friends Weasley and Granger, looked at Y/N's empty seat and whispered among themselves. Draco felt the anger flare up inside him.

Now, the secret he and Y/N had shared, was ruined by Potter. Potter always ruined everything for Draco, but he wouldn't let Potter take Y/N from him.

"Think you know everything now, do you, Potter?" Draco sneered as Harry and his friends passed on their way out of class.

"Care to tell me what it is I don't know, Malfoy?" Harry shot back.

Draco's lip curled. "You wish."

"Let me guess," Ron piped up. "You're a Death-Eater too? Wouldn't take a genius to figure that one out."

"Is that why you've figured it out, Weasley?" Draco fired off.

"So it's true? You are one," said Hermione.

Draco scowled at her. "None of your business, mudblood."

Hermione, used to Draco's horrible remarks, was not at all bothered. Instead, she found it somewhat amusing that he thought that word would still upset her as it had the first time she'd been called it.

"Where's Y/N, Malfoy? We need to talk to her," Harry said.

"In the dormitory I assume," Draco replied nonchalantly. "If I see her, I'll be sure to pass on the message."

-

Y/N hadn't been able to muster up the energy to get out of bed that morning. Following her argument with Draco, she spent the rest of the night crying and hadn't fallen asleep until she was supposed to have gotten up for lessons.

She let herself have a few hours rest, promising to attend the afternoon's classes. However, her sleep was fitful, interrupted by flashes of a nightmare. Not wanting to ruin her sleep schedule, she dragged herself out of bed after lunch.

She threw on her uniform and went to her lesson. Tired and distracted, she barely took any notes or understood a thing the professor was on about. Y/N could feel Draco's eyes watching her from across the classroom, but she was too tired to care.

Instead of going to the Great Hall for dinner, Y/N headed straight to the Common room. Although her stomach was growling (she hadn't eaten all day), she had no energy to do anything except crawl into bed.

"Y/N?" A voice whispered as someone gently shook her awake.

It was Pansy Parkinson, one of Draco's friends. Y/N sat up and rubbed her eyes. It was dark outside now, and everyone seemed to be back from dinner. Y/N hadn't even realised she had fallen asleep.

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?" Pansy asked. Y/N nodded. "Um, Draco's asking for you. I said I'd see if you wanted to talk to him."

Y/N didn't want to talk to Draco, but Pansy had gone out of her way to ask. "Er, I'm quite tired."

Pansy nodded. "Alright, I'll tell him to bugger off then," she winked.

Y/N chuckled. "Tell him I'll talk to him later."

"Will do."

-

It had taken Draco less than a day to go from being mad at Y/N to feeling guilty for causing their argument. Y/N had come back and been perfectly nice to Draco, even offering to help him with the Cabinet and he had gone off on one.

Draco couldn't handle Y/N not speaking to him. He hadn't meant the horrible things he'd said the previous night. All he wanted to do was apologise and fix everything.

"Sorry, Draco," Pansy said as she came down from the girls' dorms. "She's asleep, and I'm not waking her just so you can piss her off again."

Draco sighed. "She doesn't want to talk to me, does she?"

He flopped onto one of the Common room sofas, and Pansy sat beside him. "I don't know what you did, but she seems really upset."

"She has every right to be, I was awful, Pans." Draco buried his face in his hands and let out a muffled: "She hates me."

Pansy rubbed Draco's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure that's not true. Just give her some time, and when she's ready to talk to you again, tell her how sorry you are."

"Don't tell the boys about this, please." Draco had sat back up straight now.

"I don't tell the boys anything, Draco."

-

Y/N woke around midnight. She cursed herself for messing up her sleep schedule but decided to drag herself out of bed, still dressed in her now crumpled uniform.

She slunk down the dark hallways to the Room of Requirement. It wasn't that she hoped to see Draco, necessarily, but that she needed a distraction.

In the Room, she decided to explore a bit. Heading in the opposite direction to the Cabinet, she wandered aimlessly around, fingers picking up dust from the things she touched.

She stumbled on an over-stuffed armchair. On it, rested a leather-bound book that wasn't caked in dust. She picked up the book and looked on the back.

D.M

It was the journal that Draco had told her about. She wondered how it's contents came to be known by Voldemort. She wanted to read it, to know what He knew.

Just a few pages, she told herself.

20th Sept

For the first time since I saw her this summer at the meeting, we spoke. I wanted so badly to hate her, to push her away. But I couldn't. Up close, she's even more beautiful than I had thought. Worse still, she's kind. Too kind. I don't deserve her kindness.

3rd Oct

Today I showed her what I've been up to in the Room of Requirement. I think I can trust her. She's like me, she doesn't want this. We have stuff in common, and it makes it harder for me not to feel this way about her.

21st Dec

We went to Hogsmeade together tonight. I stupidly kissed her. I'm not sure what came over me, usually, I have better self-control. Hopefully, she'll be too drunk to remember and I won't have made everything awkward.

14th Jan

I'm in the hospital wing. Hurts to write. Stupid fucking Potter. I haven't seen her in a few days. I miss her. I need to talk to her.

I can't do this anymore.

19th Jan

She saved my life. She held my hand and pulled me away from the edge of the tower. She's offered to help me with my task from the Dark Lord. I suggested that when all this is over, we run away. She wasn't sure. I had the perfect opportunity to tell her how I feel and I didn't. I hate myself.

TAGLIST:

@detroitobsessed​ @justcallmesams​ @pointlesscoconut​ @dollyclawzz @tedpicklez​ @alluringshawn​ @the-ravenswritingdesk​ @milaonthemoon​ @koc-help​ @bbeauttyybbx​ @cutie1365​ @justmimithings​ @haphazardhufflepuff​ @thescentifollow​ @sadgirlnumber92899​ @westerlies-winds @heypeople2​ @prongsandprancer​ @apollonshootafar​ @im-totally-not-dezi​

What are you smiling about?

➳ Prompt #2 - What are you smiling about? (more prompts)

➳ Summary: Y/N reminisces about the past 

➳ Pairing: Izuku Midoriya x Reader

➳ Warnings: Fluff, Angst if you squeeze, no beta we die like man, english not being my main language, so I am sorry if I made any mistakes, please don’t hesitate to correct me

➳ Word Count: 2k+

➳ Requests are open

A tired sign pushed throw your lips as you settled the last box, it was certainly being a hassle to make the sift from your old place, but it was stupidly worth it, it was closer to everything, price of the things was better anyway too, closer to your work, and just overall the whole package deal, amazing space, amazing view, a freaking reasonable price that you actually leave you enough money to not need to live off microwave food-

“(Y/N), do you have the box with the pans?”

Oh, and of course, the whole reason why you even considered doing anything in your life, Deku to the world, but for you he would always be Izuku Midoriya, your boyfriend, you could still remember it all as if it were yesterday, precious memories from when you were just starting at UA, as well as him.

Truth to be told, you didn’t quite expect much when you were in the support course, your plan was to make in the world as a pillar for the heroes, with your inventions as to enhance their powers, their abilities, people never use to talk much of them because of the lack of the glamour, but the one time you saw people actively “milking the sweat” out of a hero in training to make a costume that would allow him to use his quirk more efficiently … you knew that people were missing out on tons of good stories.

Meeting Izuku happened on an accident, actually, you weren’t the student assigned to him, UA wasn’t crazy (ok maybe they were a tad crazy looking back) to let only a first year to take care of other first years, most of the hard job would rely on the third years the most since they were going to go to the real working world real soon, but wouldn’t you know that your friendship with the overly energetic Hatsume would let you met the love of your life uh?

It would be like the scene right from a cheap shonen manga when you opened the door and found the girl literally pining the poor green haired boy down forcing him to test some of her inventions, you were so shocked you almost stepped back and decided to ignore that, almost. If it weren’t for a string of fast spoken words as soon as Hatsume was off the boy, babbles that you still couldn’t make sense for the life of you, you were never going to be here now, happy now.

“Yes Zuku, it was the last box!” you shouted back, walking pass the living room to the kitchen.

The pink haired girl laughed it off, as usual, ignoring the fact that she was forcing the boy to something he did not, chuckling it up to “it’s just her way to do things” there was no ill intent, you knew, but still had to have yet another pep talk about people’s personal spaces.

He introduced himself to you rather clumsy, with an unnecessary over the top bow considering that you both were the same age, that was the first time he had made you smile, giggling a little, you did the same.

“I thought we were going to order take out for today, you know, since we worked so god damn hard moving all the things from our old places” you said lazily resting your upper body over in the kitchen counter, eyes darting over your boyfriend while he was placing the new set of plates on the table, his curly hair was even more of a mess, but he didn’t seem tired at all, you even dared to say he was excited.

“I know, I know” he gave a soft laugh, looking at you oh so softly, with a hand over the base of his neck, he used to do this when he was slightly nervous you noticed, he was averting his eyes a bit, still, after all these years, he would still act nervous around you in times like this, you gave a half smile. “I just … though that it would be nice for us to make something together, I mean I understand if you are too tired to want to make something from scratch, you had a full day of work with the new flow of sidekicks in the agency and then still have to finish moving here with me but this is our first time l-living together… and I mean, I just wanted to…. I wanted to” oh god you couldn’t believe he could get even redder, Izuku was great with words when he wanted to be, but new experiences, especially in the relationship usually left him a little overwhelmed.

It could be coincidence or fate, but ever since your first time meeting the hero, he was always there when you had to talk to Mei, or randomly he would find you in the lab testing something out, he’d even volunteer to try some of your newest creations, it wasn’t until you were late to your usual time on the lab that you found him searching for your presence on the empty lab that you knew he was actively trying to spend time with you.

You also found out that a new shade of red existed when you caught him in the act while he mumbled excuses.

It was in the end of second year that he confessed to you, you guys were outside of UA for once, and by some miracle nobody tried to actively murder his class (another whole set of stories, many of them ending up with him crying while you placed gentle touches on his back), it was the middle of summer, the start of the night was hot as hell, you all just had said your goodbyes to your friends, Izuku would always offer to walk you home, even if his house was in the other direction of yours. You were happily playing with one cheap rubber water ball you brough in the small open fair that you guys spend the day looking at stuff while talking to him about some heroes status, you were in the middle of a pretty furious fit of giggles with the uniform of some of the pro heroes when Izuku stopped walking for a moment, you stopped moments later when you realized he wasn’t moving.

He was looking at you tenderly for a second before his face turned into determination and them a sudden realization that made him blush hard, but still stood his ground, not daring for a second to look away from you. You never felt more conscious of everything, in yourself, in him, the breathing, the rest was the rest and you were only focused on him and vice versa.

Taking a deep breath, he took his shot, the words coming out directly, louder than he intended, but ever so clear.

“(Y/N), I am in love with you!”

Then it was quiet. He wouldn’t dare to open his eyes, as if he was afraid of the reaction, of what he had just done. But it wasn’t needed when he could feel you throwing yourself at him in a hug, and the words he needed to hear so much after hearing the ones you wanted the most, so delicately in a whisper, almost as if it was a prayer.

“I love you too, Izuku”

You stepped closer to him, his voice was extremely low, and quiet, if any nose were to be there you would miss it. You placed your hands in each side of his cheeks, he was taller than you now, and gave him a reassuring smile, Izuku still would not dare to make eye contact.

“Want to…?” you tried to keep with the same low tone he was, as if you talked louder you could startle him, the smile never leaving your lips.

“…To make memories with you” Green orbs were now your focus, big doe eyes that would get you every time you looked at them with that sparkle that was always there when he talked to you, you felt your right hand being enveloped by a much larger, rougher one, slightly sliding over his lips, where he placed a delicate kiss over your palm. “I guess I just want us to have a great start together here” he let go of you hand while leaning towards the other that was still on his cheek, finally admitted to his small domestic desire.

“Then get me the ingredients, mister” you responded in a heartbeat, slightly booping his nose then placing both of your hands on your hips with more enthusiasm than you actually had “because we are making curry then”

“Don’t force yourself for me, (Y/N)” He said, softly, even if he could not hide his contentment.

“Izu, you’re always doing things for me, this is the least I could do, believe me, this is a two-way street after all” you added with a slightly smug face while already getting the carrots ready to be sliced.

Seemly satisfied with your answer, your boyfriend turned over to make his part of the meal, while you were humming a song.

Sometimes, being on support was brutal, people would complain to you about things that were not even your work but since it didn’t worked well with the other amalgamation of equipment’s they have, suddenly it was all your fault over and over again, turns out that Karens could actually be heroes and this information would have been so much nicer if people could have focused that while you were studying but oh well.

You flopped in your boyfriend’s place again, too tired to actually wait more time to take the train to go to your house, you needed a break.

Your lovely boyfriend chuckled a little once you walked upon the doors looking like a zombie and flopping onto the couch without any grace.

“Don’t laugh at my suffering Zuzu” you whined, not taking your face off the soft pillow.

“Sorry honey” you could feel him sitting next to you, his fingers running through your hair, you almost melted in fabric. “Hard day?”

“Something like that” You were non nonchalant, looking up a little to see him, he could and would lift your humor without even noticing, you missed seem him everyday like this. “Thank for letting me here again Zuzu, I just am very tired and plus having to travel half of the city just so I can sleep doesn’t seem much worth it hehe”

“I see… but” He cleared this throat, in a half cough, you tilted your head slightly, his cheeks were flushed, but his hand was still over your head “I… I mean… you could always live here”

“Really?” That aught your attention, you guys were together for quite a while now but you didn’t want to rush him in any way.

“It … It would make sense and you would be more rested too, besides here is a great place, I have more than enough space as it is, the seller of the place himself actually was telling me on and on that his place was too big for only one person, but I would assure him that I wouldn’t be here alone for long and…” He would have continued to ramble if he didn’t register that he spilled his plan to you, keeping himself quiet.

“Of course I will move in with you Izuku!” there was never a doubt of it.

Two strong arms were slowly placed around your waist, with a small nuzzle on the back right were your head met your neck, his breathing sending shivers down your spine.

“What are you smiling about?” You could feel his own smile against your skin, making the smile you weren’t aware you had even wider.

“That I love you so much” your arms were over his, placing your fingers over each on of his “so much”

You couldn’t see, but as the hug got a little bit tighter, his lips tracing over your neck, you could tell, or at least hope he had the same blush on his face that you were having right now.

“I love you too, (Y/N)”

Wo Ai Ni !

AO3 / FFN

Summary:  

 Plagg thought that having his holder moon and squeal about Ladybug this and Ladybug that was utter hell. . He should have realised from day one that it was absolutely nothing compared to his babbling adoration for the heroine's civilian identity and now, his waxing poetry for the raven haired girl as he finally shattered the whole 'She's just a friend' delusion and accepted his feelings for her.

A/N: I am sick and tired of all the work I've been doing for finals and honestly need my break. Anyways, here's a sweet, fluffy fic to get the stress out of my system and hopefully make your day a bit better :) The fic's title is inspired by Hitomi Takahashi's song: Wo Ai Ni (which most of you would find familiar as ending 14 for Gintama) Aaaand special thanks to @Word_Devourer for giving me the idea for the operation's name and thanks to @gale-of-the-nomads for giving me the push to write this~ Takes place after Party Crasher/ Trouble Fête, enjoy! ~(x)~ . . . Plagg thought that having his holder moon and squeal about Ladybug this and Ladybug that was utter hell. . He should have realised from day one that it was absolutely nothing compared to his babbling adoration for the heroine's civilian identity and now, his waxing poetry for the raven haired girl as he finally shattered the whole 'She's just a friend' delusion and accepted his feelings for her. Mm-hmm, there are no words in the french vocabulary that could even describe half the agony that Plagg's enduring right now, right this second as Adrien floated around in his room, hugging the gift that Marinette gave him earlier on at school with a disgustingly hopeless grin plastered on his stupid blushy face. 'Is it too late to go back to napping for a few more centuries or so? Cos I am way too old to be dealing with this fuckery again.' Plagg scowled, feline eyes almost like slits as he slouched on his pillow. He didn't even get a chance to take a bite out of his beloved Camembert! Why was he always the one stuck with the lovesick kittens again...? "-and our hands touched when she gave me the gloves! TOUCHED! I am never washing my hands again~" Adrien wiggled on the spot, nuzzling the soft present against his cheek and hungrily memorised the delectable vanilla scent that lingered on it. "Oh Plagg...did ya see the way she smiled at me? That soft, pretty, beautiful smile? Her lips so glossy and kissable AND mon dieu! I was tempted to just gather her up in my arms and kiss the living daylights out of her!" The blonde teen let out another high pitched squeal that sounded quite close to a kitten's meow and flopped on the bed, his weight causing Plagg and his pillow to bounce up and send the yowling kwami flying. Plagg. Had. ENOUGH. Darting towards the boy's face, fur sticking up making him look like a fuzzy ball, Plagg grabbed Adrien's collar and yelled. "CAN YOU JUST SHUT UP AND GO ASK HER OUT ALREADY!?" The force of the little God's voice caused Adrien's fringe to blow back comically, surprising the teen in which he merely blinked back like a kitten. After realising what he's done, an apology was quick to make way on Plagg's tongue for snapping like that only to disintegrate immediately when Adrien's reaction turned into one of a typical, shoujou, love struck schoolgirl. "I can't just ask Marinette out! She's too amazing...too cool...so awesome...oh man I love her so much! I have to get cooler and be at least half as wonderful as her before I could even dream of asking her out." Adrien was blind to Plagg rolling his eyes like it's the end of the world and kept on rambling, gloves pressed to his lips. "Besides, she doesn't even love me that way...she's always so jumpy around me..." Just as Plagg was about to scold him for being so self-deprecating and maybe give a boost of encouragement, Adrien suddenly shot up from the bed with his fists pumped up in newly found determination. "Which is why I should get better at wooing her! I'm gonna call the boys and come up with a plan to get Marinette to fall in love with me! It will be called: Operation Marry-Nette. What do you think?" Adrien looked genuinely proud of his plan like he's just won the lottery and Plagg couldn't help but sigh endearingly at him. Maybe for the last time, just for him, just for Adrien, Plagg will humour his holder through their terrible love schemes. Who knows? It could be quite entertaining and finally end this tiring love square that has lost its charm many months ago. "You were never this obsessed when you were claiming about how Ladybug and you were meant to be. Were your feelings not deep enough for her?" The kwami settled back on his pillow, stroking his wedge of cheese and glanced at Adrien through his peripheral vision who looked sheepish for a split second. "Don't get me wrong, I do love Ladybug still- but because she's my bestest friend and I admire her so much. It's just not as romantic anymore and a guy can only pursue for so long before it starts to grate on the pursued. I must have annoyed her quite a bit..." "Just a bit~?" "...okay a lot. I deserved all those bops to the head by her yo-yo and I already did apologise to her for being so obnoxious. Anyways, the point is that even though Ladybug is amazing...Marinette is Marinette. Marinette was always there for everyone, there for me. It's like my feelings have been building up for her throughout the whole time and my feelings for Ladybug was the dam. The dam's now broken and all my pent up love for Marinette is flooding all over the place...and I don't regret it one bit." Adrien hugged the gloves again with his standard, warm smile that the God always spotted when Marinette was nearby. "It wasn't easy, keeping those feelings away to avoid feeling guilty about loving another girl. Now, I don't have to worry about that. I can love Marinette all I want...if she wants to have me." Plagg rolled his eyes fondly this time, cuddling into the crook of the boy's shoulder with a fanged grin. He couldn't wait to see the delight and happiness when his chosen finds out that he's been in love with one girl all along and that his feelings were absolutely mutual. ~(x)~ "Oh! A-A-Adrien!?" "M-M-Marinette! You there- I mean hey there! Hahah...longtimenosee-" Not too far away, Alya and Nino watched the scene before them with exasperation as Marinette and Adrien started their daily stammering ritual for the umpteenth time. The model being the new addition. Sure, the first few times watching the two of them become a flustered mess when coming across one another was an entertaining prospect. Now it was absolutely painful seeing the two beloved idiots so stupidly in love with one another, blinding them from the fact that it's in fact requited. And what answers were they given when they attempted to convince said idiots that they should ask each other out? "Ah! Alya-aaa! You know I can't do that yet. Adrien still sees me as a friend so don't get my hopes up. But that doesn't mean operation secret garden is finished. I will get him to fall in love with me!" "Nino!? How many times do I have to tell you? Marinette's more interested in my clothes than in me! She's yet to fall for my suave, meow-tastic self~ Also, operation Marry-Nette is now a go-go. You, Agent Best Man have to make sure that the rose petals are ready as soon as she steps into the art room." Needless to say, Adrien's scheme failed catastrophically. So bad that not even the nerdy model took the opportunity to make a pun about it since they ended up jamming the large fans for a 'wind' effect with the rose petals and thus causing a fire. All the boys from the class ended up with a week's worth of detention much to their dismay and the girls' curiousities. Did Lahiffe even need to mention how Agreste begged for them to keep their shenanigans in helping him woo the girl he loves a secret? Despite the fact that the whole school pretty much caught on? So that's how the bespectacled couple felt like they've aged for like a decade or so thanks to their oblivious best friends who were still exchanging word soup and frazzled gestures. "-no no! You're beautiful- not that you're not beautiful everyday! Oh- erm- agh-" Adrien bit his tongue by reflex and shoved his hands inside the pockets of the designer hoodie he threw on this morning. His cheeks matched the Asian girl in front of him in a raspberry tinted flush. "YOU THANKS! I mean...thank you..." Marinette took a deep sigh before determination settled on her face. She gently clutched one of Adrien's sleeves, letting her dainty fingers brush against the back of his hand and smiled sweetly. "You're beautiful too," She flashed a toothy grin and then immediately speed walked away, leaving behind her gaping friends. A high pitched kettle like sound escaped from Adrien's throat and then he immediately shoved his hood over his head and used the drawstrings to fasten the hole in order to hide his discombobulated face. Alya and Nino carried on gaping as the usually cool model chanted 'Mon Dieu' over and over again, clutching his fabric covered face and wiggling on the spot. "Either things will get much more interesting or we're about to hit the peak of idiot one's and idiot two's stupidity." Alix quipped from the background, joined by a mutter of agreement from the other students. "Oh Marinette just hurry up and marry me already~" Adrien swooned, ignorant to the chuckling crowd as he was still stuck in his bubble. The bubble was mercilessly popped by Kubdel. "THEN GO PROPOSE TO HER ALREADY LOVER BOY!" This snapped Adrien out of his daze in an instant, prompting a feminine squeal from him and his body launching up in the air like a scaredy-cat. Heaving, he clutched Nino who was the closest to him and glared at the short girl before scoffing and scurrying away. His hand covered his face in embarrassment throughout the whole time as the students in the vicinity guffawed at him. Adrien decided that he was going to hide his face for eternity and avoid everyone who's not Nino. Representing the Gabriel brand be damned! ~(x)~ Adrien.Exe has stopped working. No, really. His soul pretty much abandoned his jelly like body and his brain has turned to mush. 'Adrien Agreste has unfortunately stopped working for the time being. Please leave a message after the meow.' Was the only comprehensible sentence that ran through the teen's mind. Marinette was sleeping on him. Sleeping on him! Again!!! Her soft, pretty, serene face hid in the crook of his neck, causing him to inhale the lingering bakery scent of vanilla and strawberries every time he dared to breathe. One of her hands latched onto the front of his shirt adorably, knuckles against his chest and Adrien could swear that the erratic beating of his heart would disturb her slumber. Yet, by some miracle he remained calm and cool on the outside despite his inner turmoil. Inhaling sharply, Adrien willed for his heart to calm down as he bravely rested a hand on the girl's waist before allowing his cheek to lean against Marinette's smooth, silky locks. He took this as an opportunity to study her up close. Marinette had her hair loose today. The long, petal thin strands fanned just below her shoulder and her fringe tickled his neck pleasantly. Her long lashes created a subtle, curved shadow on her cheek bones and had Adrien been an ordinary boy, he would have missed the expertly applied concealer below her eyes. She seemed to get more and more exhausted everyday. His poor princess... "I wish I could just hold you in my arms and keep you safe and happy forever..." He mumbled into her hair, placing his free hand on top of Marinette's which was still grasping his shirt and squeezed gently. Gathering what's remaining of his courage, Adrien puckered his lips and pecked her head, face flaming throughout the whole time. It lasted no more than a moment. Yet it was a moment that Adrien will cherish for the next few decades to come. CLICK. Reflex kicked in rapidly and by muscle memory, Adrien shielded Marinette's body with his, wrapping his arms around her and was quick to flash a dangerous glare at the intruder that dared to make an appearance. The sight of a cheeky Alya and the rest of the cooing girl group, all waving their phones and giggling on the spot drained his wrath and replaced it with shyness. "How much did you see!?" Adrien rasped, unconsciously holding Cheng closer to him, not realising that she was starting to stir. "All of it~ but don't worry Sunshine, we won't tell or show her a single thing." Alya winked slyly, wriggling her phone for emphasis. "It's just going to be in our collection for the amazing album we'll be showing you on yours and Mar's wedding day," Adrien stumbled on his words next, ears and cheeks redder than Nathaniel's hair before hiding his face in Marinette's locks as the girls snickered louder. Thoughts of Marinette in various wedding dresses, floating down the aisle with a loving smile on her face, slipping a ring on his finger as she recited her vows, leaning up as he leaned down to kiss her, all ricocheted within his mind without mercy. It was then that the boy noticed that Marinette was fidgeting in her sleep and panic started to settle in his body. "You evil people...you're waking her up." He hissed tiredly but without any venom and made soft shushing sounds to lull the designer back to sleep. The girls had other ideas however and without wasting a second, they made their moves in sonic speed. Juleka was the first to strike, lifting Marinette up bridal style whilst Rose firmly pushed Adrien back against the library's beanbag in a more comfortable way before the tall girl gently placed the snoozing girl on the boy's lap. Alix and Alya struck next, positioning Adrien's and Marinette's arms so that it looked like the former was cradling the girl protectively against him and the latter snuggling up to him with her arms around his neck.   Throughout the whole time, Mylène recorded the entire endeavour with a happy hum. "You should have involved us in Operation Marry-Nette. Look how much more successful we were in a matter of minutes compared to the painful weeks you guys went through with your schemes. I still can't believe that one of them involved you acting out a stunt in order to impress her only for you to fail terribly and bruise your ribs. You should never listen to Kim." The chubby girl smiled, grin only widening as Adrien's blush deepened when Marinette cuddled closer to him in her sleep. The raven haired girl's lips were brushing against his collarbones. It took everything for him to not combust. "Nino blabbed didn't he?" The blonde teen accused. "My babe is terrible at keeping anything from me, boo. But to be fair, it was super obvious from the start. Don't be mad at us~?" Alya pressed her phone against her lips, batting her eyes cutely, prompting the boy to roll his eyes and look away but the way he squeezed Marinette closer to him didn't go unseen. "...m'kay...just send me the pics afterwards please?" Adrien's question was answered with a cheer from the girls. . Nino on the other hand was chased around the school by Adrien with his sabre for ratting out the plans to Alya. "Bro! I'm sorry! PLEASE STOP TRYING TO STAB ME- SOMEONE HELP!" "You broke the bro-code Lahiffe! Now you must suffer the consequences!" "BRO!!??!!" ~(x)~ "...Are you okay Chat Noir?" As soon as Marinette placed a tentative hand on the hero's shoulder, he leapt up as high as his namesakes before quickly composing himself with an awkward laugh. "Kine...I MEAN- FINE! I'm fine...hahah..." Chat's faux ears plastered themselves against his unruly locks as he gripped his tail in front of him with both hands. He internally thanked the Gods (more reliable than Plagg at the very least) that his hair was covering his human ears otherwise Mari would have seen that they were as red as Ladybug's suit. The heroine in disguise raised a brow in worry, lips pursed with confusion. The silly boy has been acting very odd for the past few months. In fact his behaviour right now was starting to resemble a certain blonde sweetheart in her class- 'No! Snap out of it Marinette. Don't start comparing them both again!' The girl warned herself in her mind, shooting down the blush that tried to fight its way to her cheeks and then plastered on a polite smile. "Thank you for saving me and sorry for being in the way. I was trying to get away from the akuma, honest." Marinette fibbed, hoping that her partner would simply tease her with a few puns before vaulting away. Instead, the black cat stammered incoherently. "Oh hahah! N-N-No! You weren't in the way. You can never be in the way, it's never too much of a big deal- NOT THAT I'M SAYING YOU'RE NOT A BIG DEAL! You are one heck of a deal haha- oh the akuma is going that way. Stay safe pretty girl whose name I don't know- IMEANGOODBYE! ADIOS! Gahhhhhh..." Snapping his jaw shut, Chat Noir zoomed away with his staff in hand, hitting himself on the head repeatedly as he muttered 'Stupide!' over and over again. Marinette was left blinking owlishly at the boy's strange antics. The familiar feelings that has been gnawing on her mind for the past half year or so simply grew, causing her to nibble on the tip of her thumb. Yet, she couldn't identify what it was for the life of her and it was driving her insane. "Tikki, first Adrien has started to act like me when I'm around. Now Chat Noir? Have I done something to offend them both?" Marinette pouted at her kwami cutely which elicited a giggle from the tiny Goddess. "Oh no, no no no. I think they've fallen for you Marinette- isn't that exciting? The two boys you love? Flailing around you because you make them so shy and nervous? I can't wait to see how this plays out!" The knowing smile that Tikki had on annoyed Marinette. "What do you mean 'the two boys I love'? I'm not in love with Chat Noir! And them loving me? Impossible. Chat Noir loves Ladybug and Adrien hasn't shown any interest in me other than being 'just a friend'." The face that the little Ladybug wore was drier than the Sahara desert. "Marinette. Are you really going to argue with a being that has existed before time itself about this?" The designer only stared back stubbornly before answering. "Tikki, transformer-moi!" "You know I'm ri-iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight-" Was the last thing Tikki managed to say before encasing Marinette into her standard suit. Ladybug snorted, hands on hips as she tried her best to ignore everything that has happened prior. "Liking Chat Noir as well doesn't make this any easier dammit..." ~(x)~ Adrien tripped over his shoes and fell on his face as he was too preoccupied in watching Marinette (with a dopey smile etched on his lips) chatter with Marc and Nathaniel. He was rewarded with the love of his life helping him back up on his face and cupping his face tenderly as she worried over him and checked for any injuries. Chat Noir pestered Ladybug over and over again about allowing Marinette the mouse miraculous once more or even letting her try a different one as he tenaciously believed that she would make an excellent part time hero like Rena Rouge and Carapace. The silly cat ended up receiving a playful chop to the head and a 'I'll think about it' from his Lady. He never noticed how she was oddly flustered as he was too busy doing victorious acrobatics and dances during the rest of patrol. A student from the nearby lycée took interest in Marinette after seeing her a few dozen times since he was a local at the Dupain-Cheng bakery. His attempt in asking her out however was sabotaged by a group of peculiarly dressed, short 'tourists' asking for directions to the nearest Parisian attraction in their painfully broken and accented English. The boy missed his chance to seek her out when she skipped out of his sight with Alya and co and then gave up entirely as Marinette ended up going off on a heated rant about how she was getting sick and tired of strangers going up to her and asking her out when she's never really acknowledged them. He missed the way the supposed tourists removed the disguises from their faces, revealing Adrien, Nino, Kim, Max and Ivan as they 'Ho ho ho'd away. During his patrol, Chat Noir spotted Marinette conversing with both Luka and Kagami near La Seine, the latter two sporting a fond look towards the short designer. Fonder than usual...Noir didn't like it at all. It didn't help that he knew that the musician harboured some feelings for Marinette and the fencer has mentioned numerous times how cute Marinette was. So, with his usual dramatic flair, Chat vaulted towards them, staff slamming between Marinette and the other two friends and then slid down to their level. His body slightly shielded Dupain-Cheng from Couffaine's and Tsurugi's view as he exchanged pleasantries with a slight bite to it. The trio happily conversed back instead, sending guilt down Chat Noir's spine for acting a bit bratty in the beginning. The guilt transformed into second hand embarrassment as Luka and Kagami admitted that they started to casually date and was asking Marinette for advice on where to go for a proper date to make it official. There was no need for the green cat to make its appearance to start with! ~(x)~ Marinette gave Chat Noir a pleasant kiss on the cheek, thanking him for escorting her home and her warm smile never wavered when he went through his customary babbles. The kitten ultimately gave up speaking, gathering back what's left of his dignity and grasped Mari's fingers, kissing the knuckles chastely before saluting and leaping away. The heroine in disguise let out a happy smile, a soft blush flared in her cheeks as she leaned against the top of the balcony and perched the side of her head with her fist. A few stars twinkled in the dark, clear sky and the breeze was soothing enough to clear one's mind. "Oh Adrien, you poor kitten...now what am I gonna do with you?" Marinette's quiet giggles were joined by her kwami who flew out of her purse and nuzzled her holder's cheek. "Told you he's in love with you. You owe me those tasty triple chocolate chunky cookies with your Maman's special tea." "Oh well. A deal's a deal. I still can't believe he's my Chaton- no, wait. I can believe it. Who else would be my silly, dorky, wonderful partner? Did you see how jealous he looked when he saw me with Luka and Kagami? And I thought I was bad! Hahah!" "At least he didn't get them akumatised like he got Theo once." Tikki chimed. "Oooh! Can you believe that he wrote 'Adrien Dupain-Cheng' on your notebook a few times without realising it wasn't his? And then proceeded to steal it for a day so that he could get rid of the pages he's written on? Plagg almost choked on his cheese laughing about it!" "If he hadn't missed that one page, I'd have never known why he stole it in the first place. Makes that time I borrowed his phone for the day to delete the voicemail seem minor in comparison." "He has a folder in his phone dedicated to pictures of you and another folder dedicated to you and him! His current lock screen is of him and you~! So cute~!" "We're both so horribly obsessed with each other. How is that cute- hey! Stop laughing!" "And his name for the operation to make you notice him; absolutely adorable~" "Pfft. I'll give him that. It's not too bad." A comfortable silence settled between them as they happily stargazed. For once, Marinette didn't feel exhausted or being pulled apart in numerous directions. Figuring out that her crime-fighting, pun loving partner was none other than the shy, sweet boy who sat in front of her in class soothed her heart and eased her mind. Accepting that he was head over heels for her to the point where he turned into a nervous, stammering, hot mess did nothing but fill Marinette with giddiness and perhaps be less harsh on herself when she was in his shoes. He fell for her twice. Twice! Just like she did! How could she not be floating on cloud nine after that? For once, her hectic life ever since she received the magical earrings has hit a calm and Marinette couldn't wait to see what adventures would follow next as she and Adrien would face them on unmasked, without anymore secrets. Speaking of secrets. "Hey Tikki? When should I come clean to him? There's no way that I could keep this hushed. I have a feeling that Maître Fu is aware of everything too with how I've seen him lurking left and right with that stupid knowing smile you both always seem to have on. So it should be alright, right?" "Since the Guardian has given you and your partner more freedom with your secret identities now, it's up to you when you want to tell Adrien everything. Bu-uuuuut...I kind of want to see him confess to you. Maybe figure it out himself. It's more fun that way, no?" Tikki's grin widened at Marinette's rosy cheeks, the former looking away bashfully, eyes sparkling with joy. "Do you think he'll figure it out?" "Plagg told me that he figured it out the day Mme. Mendeleiev got akumatised but ended up having to scrap that idea when he saw that illusion you created to throw him off. Adrien was so sure that Ladybug was you and seemed pretty down when you disproved that theory." 'So he did know it was me...' Marinette thought with awe, recalling how much happier and excited Chat Noir was during the battle, thinking that his Lady was his Princesse. "I'll give him a couple of days to confess or figure out my identity. Otherwise I'll just grab him by the collar and smooch his stupid face like no tomorrow." Tikki kissed Marinette's cheek in response, delighted with the girl's answer as they made way back into her room. ~(x)~ This was it. He was going to confess. Adrien has had enough of the way Marinette's lips would taunt him with the way they glistened under the lights and he couldn't escape the sweet scent that wafted from her every time she moved. It was so much more easier to deal with her when she was flighty and shy! Now? She was so much more sure of herself, bold, coy, dare he say...flirty. It went from squeezing his fingers to reassure him to smoothly kissing his cheeks as a thank you for whenever he's helped her out or did something she thought was 'adorable'. The tight hugs, the hair ruffles, the lip biting, the cheeky smirk that eased its way to her face whenever someone mistook them as a couple and the lack of denial or correction she gave in response. If he didn't confess at the end of the day, he was going to explode! With the help of the founding members of Operation Marry-Nette along with the new members, they have arranged a successful scenario. One that was working way too smoothly compared to the previous hundred or more plans that went haywire in an instant so Adrien kept a look out for anything strange or bizarre. Knowing his lack of luck, Le Papillon would strike now. Luckily, this didn't seem to be the case as he found Marinette waiting for him by the Arc de Triomphe. The place where he asked her to meet him. "Marinette! Hey!" Adrien jogged towards her, mentally patting himself on the back for not stammering. That thought process was quickly wiped away when he realised what she was wearing and how beautiful she looked. Dupain-Cheng was decked up in a simple but stylish red blouse with a high waist, short black skirt. Following her long legs were black tights and black ankle boots that had a red ribbon on the zippers. Her hair was kept up in space buns, also adorned by red ribbons, making her sky blue eyes pop. Lastly, her lips were glossed in a cherry red tint. The urge to kiss them increased by ten folds and all the words that Adrien has taken months upon months to plan and say turned into goop. 'What the fuck!? This isn't fair. This is so not fair. Why the hell did she have to dress up so prettily and look all cute and innocent now of all times? Why now!? Fuck! It should be illegal to be this beautiful! Damn you!' "Hey there Handsome! You said that you needed to tell me something?" Marinette peeked below her dark lashes and fiddled with the gold necklace that adorned her neck. A necklace that he gifted her a few weeks ago. She was going to be the death of him. "...Adrien? Are you okay?" Her hands reached up to cup his red cheeks only to be intercepted by his in an iron grip. "Adrien?" The boy squinted his eyes shut, blush never leaving and finally blurted out his feelings: "Wǒ ài nǐ!" . 'I love you!' . . . A few seconds of silence went by. The sounds of the chattering crowd in the background faded into nothing as all the boy could hear was the harsh pounding of his heart. Fearing the worst, Adrien refused to open his eyes and his ears and cheeks burned with both shyness and embarrassment. Dread began to build up in his heart when he felt Marinette wriggle her hands out of his grip and his shoulders sagged, awaiting the rejection that was clear to follow. His spiralling thoughts were halted by the contact of Marinette's fingers brushing his cheeks, slipping through his hair before getting tugged down sharply so that his lips crashed into hers. Adrien's eyes snapped open for a split second in surprise as a shocked mewl escaped his throat but then the warmth and softness that was Marinette's lips took over and he couldn't help but shut his eyes again. Without missing a beat, he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her small frame tightly against his and he couldn't help but smile into the kiss. Before Adrien could deepen the kiss, Marinette parted much to his dismay but her lips still brushed against his. He got an eyeful of her cheeks turning as rosy as his and her lips darkened into a kiss bruised state. An image that burned into his mind pleasantly. "So...d-does that mean you love me too?" Adrien couldn't help but whisper, lips tingling as they brushed against hers. "Silly Chaton. In China, we don't outright say that! But...wǒ zhǐ shǔ yú nǐ." "My Lady!? Mmph-" The boy was silenced with another kiss and this time, Marinette's words played in repeat over and over again in his mind. Wǒ zhǐ shǔ yú nǐ: I only belong to you. . . . ~(x)~ A/N: I'll proof read tomorrow. N I G H T. And Ramadan Mubarak~

Gravity | JJ Maybank (Outer Banks, Season 1)

Pairing: JJ x fem!reader

Wordcount: 2100 words

Warnings: swearing, mentioning of underaged drinking/smoking

a/n: English is not my native language, so there might be spelling/grammar mistakes. Also, this is just a simple oneshot, so don't expect a great plot or anything. Have fun!

“because in my world, i'm constantly havin' a breakthrough or a breakdown, or a blackout, would you make out with me underneath the shelter of the balcony?”

─ clementine by halsey

[ Clementine, better known as Clem by the Pouges, lived on the southside of Outer Banks with her mum, near John B's home. Her mum worked pretty hard and was often out of town, so Clem was usually to herself. Since she began to work for Kiara’s dad two years ago, she sort of grew on the chaotic group and got involved in a lot more shit than expected. Besides serving tables at the restaurant, hanging out in the hammocks or on John B’s boat and handling the one or other mystery on the island, Clementines mind was occupied by a certain blonde guy. ]

The sun was nearly unberable, making me fan myself with my book. Summer had arrived, in full glory and a lot of hot air. I relaxed in my hammock behind our small bungalow and swung from side to side to keep myself from falling asleep, one foot on the dry grass.

Summer break just started two days ago and it was already boiling outside.

My hammock was placed between two thick trees, right beside the water and the wooden dock. Small waves sloshed against it from time to time and seabirds squealed above my head. I felt at peace and my body nearly forgot it already had more than ten hours of sleep last night as my phone vibrated. A new message from JJ lit up on its screen.

get urself ready

5 min.

A smile spread across my face. Within seconds I was back in my room, putting on my bathing suit, a pair of shorts and an open shirt with hawaiian flowers. I packed some drinks into my small cooling bag, slipped into my flip flops and wrote my mum a message in case she would be home before me.

With a towel over my shoulder and the cooling bag in my hand I walked outside again and onto the dock. John B was already steering his white boat towards the wooden planks as I reached the front.

“Aloha boys,” I greeted them with a big smile, and JJ held out his hand so I could easily jump on board.

“Hi Clem.”

“Aloha, darling. Watcha got there?” JJ asked, peeking over his sunglasses.

Once in a while, when I hadn't seen JJ for a day or two, I thought I wasn't completely head over heals for the sunkissed boy anymore and my heart had settled. But then he had the nerve to smile at me again and my whole body began to tingle.

“One for you.” I handed John B a cooled beer bottle which he thanked me for with a fast kiss onto my tempel. He was at least two feet taller than me. “And one for you.”

I threw another one in JJ's direction before getting myself one, placing my stuff under the bench seat and sitting down beside him.

“That just saved my day,” JJ answered and gave the cold glass a kiss, then he kissed me on my cheek. I hid my smile by taking a sip of beer.

“Don't lie, you already had two,” John B said grinning while he navigated the ship to where Pope lived. The boy was standing outside, helping his dad by cleaning some empty, second-hand boxes as usually.

“Hey, Pope, get your ass in here!”

“I told you yesterday, I can't!”

His dad came outside, a broom in his hands as if he wanted to chase us away. It wasn't a secret his dad disliked us.

“Oh, come on, it's summer vacation,” I interfered and waved him. Pope was already putting down the water hose and giving his dad an excusing look.

“I'll do it tomorrow. I promise!”

“Hell nah, you're stayin'!”

“I’ll be back for dinner!” Pope laid the pipe down and snatched a towel from the railing.

“Get in the boat, get in the boat,” John B whispered, whereupon Pope jumped onto the deck of the ship.

“Pope! Get back here right now!”

“We're getting him back safe, promise!” JJ yelled as John B turned the speed back up and we rushed through the waves up to Kie's house.

“Man, your dad is so unrelaxed. He should try one of my joints.”

“Don't you dare. He'll get us all killed.”

I laughed at the boys conversation. Such idiots. But I loved them nonetheless. They were my family.

Kie lived on the rich northside of Outer Banks, even though she hated it with nearly every fiber of her heart. The darkhaired girl was casually walking up to us, in her hand a bag fully of snacks ─ at least I hoped so.

“Morning y'all.”

“Welcome on board, pretty. Are those snacks?”

JJ got up to give Kie a hand, just like he did with me. Her hair was in a messy pointail, held together by a green cloth.

“Oh, you know. Some watermelon slices, stuff like that,” She joked, smiling.

Kiara was pretty. And not just that, she was smart and knew how to handle things. That didn't stay unnoticed by the guys. They were practically all into her, even if they weren't admitting it. Which wouldn't have been a problem if I was that confident in myself too. Or a bit more adventurous, inventive, whatever.

I wasn't jealous of her. In fact, she was one of my best friends, the only female one I may add. She made sure I got a job at her father’s restaurant, for which I couldn't be more thankful.

“Hey Kie.”

“Hey,” She greeted me, hugging me tightly before sitting down next to me. We provided everyone with drinks so we could touch glasses.

“Salud, guys. To the best summer of all times,” JJ announced, holding up his bottle.

“To the best summer of all times,” We echoed him and clinked our bottles together.

John B turned up the speed and the volume of the stereo as the waves splashed against the boat. I closed my eyes, smelling the salty water, my coconut sunscreen and the beer. I had missed summer.

We stayed out all day long on the water, sunbathing and diving in the ocean. Kie connected her phone with the stereo and put on some of our favourite songs. As the sun was slowly going to set, we all laid in the front of the white varnished boat, sandy and drained from all the sun. Within five minutes, we infested Kie's brought snacks and finished the beers.

JJ was passing around a joint he made himself. His skin glowed orange in the evening sun, even though there were some light bruises on his rips. His head was resting on my tanned legs.

After everyone had taken one or two drags, my body didn't feel as tired anymore. Kie started some more upbeat songs and while Pope navigated the boat back to John B's place, we danced. It probably looked horrible, but it was fun.

First, I was just dancing with Kie. Spinning her around and stuff, but she knew about my feelings for JJ. She was the only one I had told, ever. She was also the only one who believed JJ was interested in me too, as much as I tried to talk her out of it.

So, of course she used my blurry state to get me to dance with JJ. To make it less awkward, I stole his sunglasses and put them on, stupidly smiling at him.

“We dancin' now?”

“Absolutly.”

Grinning, he grabbed my hands and pulled me closer to him. Kie winked at me.

JJ put one of his hands on my hips, swaying me around in the front of the boat.

The sun was melting into the water and gave everything an orange touch. My body was glowing because of the heat, my heartbeat was going way too fast. JJ's blond hairstrands fell into his eyes and I couldn't stop laughing. Then he let me make a twist so my back was pressed against his belly and our hands were intertwined. Once he had unknotted us, he dipped me before pulling me up again. We were so close, our noses nearly touched.

“You look good with my glasses.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I might keep it.”

I grinned and bit my bottom lip. His eyes looked so pretty. Blue like the ocean.

“Hey guys, not on my boat, okay?” John B reminded us that we still had company around us.

I rolled my eyes and ─ as much as I didn't want to ─ let go of JJ. My hand slipped out of his and it felt like I was suddenly bound to gravity again.

Pope and Kie attached the rope of the boat with the hook on the dock, and I grabbed my stuff and followed the others to John B's house. I placed the now empty cooling box and my towel on the porch. My body felt like the alcohol and weed had left out of nowhere. The sun was barely seeable by now and the wind was colder than expected.

Inside, I put my clothes back over my swimwear and tamed my frizzy hair in a loose bun.

“That. Was. So. Much. Flirting.” Kie bumped her ellbow into rips with a knowing smile on her lips.

“Shut up. That was nothing.”

“Are you kidding me? Have you seen the way he looks at you?”

I crossed my arms, eyeing her in disbelief. My head just couldn't comprehend the idea of someone liking me like that. Especially not JJ.

“He likes you. A lot. Trust me.”

“Come on, Kie. Just because he flirts with me once doesn't mean he has feelings for me. You know how many girls want him.”

She scoffed. “Okay, fine. I'm gonna ask him.”

“Wha─ No. No, Kie!” I whisper-screamed at her and tried to grab her arm, but she escaped my grasp and jogged into the kitchen where the boys probably looted John's fridge. Fuck.

“Uh, guys, my mum texted me. I'm gonna go now, see ya tomorrow!” I yelled and quickly escaping onto the porch. The warmth seemed to have disappeared, thick rain drops where pouring down onto the shelter of the porch.

There was no way I would just let Kie embarrass me because ─ surprise ─ JJ wasn't actually flirting with me. Absolutely not.

I was already on the last step and out in the rain, as someone called me.

“Clem? Wait.” JJ. Goddamnit. I shut my eyes for a second before facing him.

“Yup?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

He scratched the back of his neck. “You─ uh... You still have my sunglasses.”

My heart dropped. Had I honestly expected something else?

“Yes, right. Sorry.”

I shook my head, scoffing as I took them off and went up the stairs again. I left my stuff down on the paveway. Internally, I was shaking like hell. My heart was a wreck. Utterly nervous. Maybe Kie hadn’t said anything, maybe he hadn’t heard her, I thought.

I stood infront of him again, not as close as before though. Without thinking and instead of just handing the stupid glasses over like a normal person, I put them on his face. He didn't need them, the sun had already vanished beneath the ocean. I did it anyway.

JJ pushed them up in his hair.

And then we were just looking at each other and I hade to pull myself together so I wouldn't faint. I gulped and tugged at my own shirt, that ridiculous hawaiian shirt.

“So,” JJ spoke under his breath. The rain was still pouring down onto the plastic shelter. My heart beat felt louder, and I wondered if he could hear it. I was so scared.

“Goodnight, J.”

With that, I turned around and wanted to leave, like I always did when I was too afraid to face the truth.

“I like you too.”

Everything in me froze just to melt in the next second. My heart stumbled. So Kie did tell him.

Slowly, I turned back around.

JJ just stood there, hands in his pockets and sunglasses in his hair, chewing unsurely on his bottom lip. He seemed vulnerable. No smug grin, no stupid joke on the tip of his tongue.

“I mean I really, really like you, Clementine. More than that.”

For once, I didn't want to be afraid. If he could be brave, I could too. Within a second, I was back in front of him, though way closer. Even closer than on the boat.

And this time, I kissed him.

My hands grabbed his hair, pulling his face down to mine, and once he had understood, I felt his arms wrap around my waist. There was no gravity pulling me down when we were this close.

“I really like you, too,” I mumbled between two kisses. I could feel his lips forming a smile as he pressed them onto mine again.

“"I thought you'd never admit it,” He said, grinning.

“Don't get used to it,” I answered, grinning just as wide as he did.

And then he kissed me again under the shelter of the balcony, surrounded by the heavy sound of the rain, while I buried my hands in his hair and he pulled me off the ground.

HLVRAI Oneshot: “Good”

I crave more wholesome interactions with Joshua...

Word count: 2352

Summary:  Benrey was not human, he was not an alien, he was just… something else. Something dangerous, something destructive, something that had nearly killed Gordon over and over again. He was… bad.

Right?

“I’ve gotta take care of some business, but I should be back in a couple hours.” Gordon quickly explained as he pulled on his jacket, smacking his arm off the wall in the process.

Benrey watched, confused as to what the rush was and uncertain as to what Gordon meant. He was coming back at some point so things would be chill until then-

“Make sure Joshua doesn’t break anything.” Gordon quickly added, not noticing how the smile on Benrey’s face dropped and the slate grey orbs that floated out of his mouth. “There’s food in the fridge-shit, can you even use a microwave?!”

“i make my gamer fuel in there.” Benrey shrugged, trying to look casual and composed. “like eggs-”

“You what-NO! YOU DO NOT PUT EGGS-oh my god.” Gordon groaned, pressing his head into his hands for a moment to wallow in the sheer mental agony of trying to process such a horrible cooking choice before scrambling to get ready once more. “No eggs. No microwave.”

“no me gusta?”

“You’re like an old internet meme.”

An Uno card was chucked at Gordon’s face, which was quickly dodged. He glared at Benrey, ignoring the faint laughter coming from the other man, and pulled his keys out of his pocket.

It was at this moment that Benrey began internally panicking. He could handle being on his own, but having to watch after a kid-

“Text me if anything happens or if you need help!” Gordon called out as he made his way out the door and locked it behind him.

He did not see how Benrey stretched an arm out after him, face panicked and worried as he tried to beg the other man to stay because oh shit oh shit I don’t know what to do-

It had been about three hours since Gordon had left on whatever business he needed to complete. Fortunately, Joshua had been rather chill about the entire situation, happy to be able to play games with Benrey and just relax.

Of course, the kid had only had a melted cheese sandwich for dinner since Benrey had no clue what to really make for him, but Joshua had not complained. For a while the mock guardian had waited to see if the kid would be poisoned by the makeshift meal, but all seemed to be fine.

Benrey did not get… food, or at least the type of food that Gordon typically made. He was all for fast and easy to prepare, and only somewhat edible. Cereal, frozen meals, stale candy, that was the good shit.

Not good for a growing child according to Gordon.

He sighed and dragged a hand down his face as he watched Joshua flop over the sofa and watch tv. His legs were up in the air and his head was hanging off the sofa, he was basically upside down. A humorous sight, something that helped to alleviate the worry in Benrey.

He was so stupidly worried.

A part of him wondered why Gordon had left Joshua in his care, even if there had been some sort of an emergency he needed to take care of. Tommy made a much better babysitter! Coomer did too!

Literally anyone was better than him! He was…

Dangerous.

Benrey knew he was the furthest thing from safe due to both his nature and lack of knowledge in practically everything. He had no experience in dealing with any of this simple human stuff, had no clue what was potentially dangerous and was just…

A hazard.

It was something he had come to terms with some time ago, recalling all the things he had done back in Black Mesa and how easily it had happened. How easily he had killed innocent people, not that he felt guilty for ending those lives, but it was something he was aware of.

Aware of how potentially dangerous he could be. Aware of how many times he had hurt Gordon and nearly killed him without meaning to-

He did not dislike himself because of this, per say. There were times where he looked back on certain actions with distaste, all of them involving hurting Gordon in some way, and continuously reminded himself that he needed to do better, be better.

It was exhausting, and now he had a kid to look after for who knows how long-

“Benrey?”

Ah shit. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

“yooooo, what’s up little joshie?” Benrey casually waved at the kid who was now standing in front of him, having abandoned both the sofa and television. “josh dude, bro josh- brosh.”

The last nickname got a laugh out of Joshua, though the laughter quickly faded out and was replaced by a silence mixed with the muted noises of the television. Not wanting to have to deal with any awkward silences, especially when he was in a bit of a mood already, he asked another question.

“you-you bored of the tv or somethin’? wanna play some games and chill?”

Joshua quickly shook his head. He actually seemed… nervous, which was weird since he was relaxed earlier. Did something happen? Did Gordon text him something? Had something bad happened to Gordon?

“Benrey… d-do you like me?”

Well that was a loaded question.

The ex-security guard let out a nervous laugh. “wh-what do… do you mean by that, little joshie bro?”

“You kinda act like some of the kids at school who don’t like me.” The explanation was rushed, nothing more than a sharp exhale. “You talk to me and play games with me and stuff but you always look… uncomfortable.”

Shit, shit, shit-

“And…” Oh god, was the kid starting to cry now?! Water could be seen building up in Joshua’s eyes, and he sniffled. “I-If you’re only doing it cause you wanna make dad happy, that’s okay. Dad should be happy since he’s stressed a lot-”

“no, no, no!” Benrey quickly interrupted while waving his arms, hoping to stop the young boy’s spiral into sorrow. “it’s not you-i’m just… just-”

Words, why were words such a struggle?! In his stressed state, he placed his hands on his helmet and groaned, grey bubbles floating out of his mouth.

Grey means that he’s not okay. Not that Joshua knew this, of course. All the kid knew was that Benrey was having some sort of a reaction to his words, and that it did not seem to be a good one. He anxiously fiddled with his hands as he watched the ex-security guard. It looked as though he was contemplating leave, probably planning on going to his room and wallowing in his sorrowful emotions, and this was when Benrey decided to speak up.

“bbbbbbbbb, joshie-you… you’re a good kiddo. cool pro gamer.” He somewhat rambled, as close to rambling as he could get at the moment. “you don’t-you’re not… th-those kids are wrong a-and you need to eat your veggies-”

Oh this was a disaster.

Partially giving up, Benrey groaned and walked over to the sofa. He plopped down and buried his head in his hands. What should he do, what should he do-

Joshua, seeing the obvious strife that the ex-security guard was going through at the moment, walked over to the sofa and sat down beside him. Despite thinking that Benrey did not like him, the last thing the young boy wanted was a bad relationship with the strange man.

Partly due to the fact that Joshua did enjoy his presence, and his dad clearly cared about the man to some extent. It was just that sometimes he could see Benrey cringe before talking to him, the hesitation during some of their interactions and…

It hurt, plain and simple.

Benrey cringed as he felt the cushion dip as Joshua joined him, and he hesitantly lifted his head up to look at the kid. He took in the worried expression on his face, as well as the lingering anxiety and tears that were present.

“it’s me.” He blurted out, not knowing how else to phrase it. Upon seeing Joshua’s confused expression, he kept speaking. “kids, i dunno… kids are tough little dude, but they’re also fragile and i... don’t wanna h-hurt you on accident cause you’re cool and feetman’s special kiddo-”

He was not going to mention the time he had jokingly insulted Joshua’s appearance. He was not the best at navigating conversations, but even he knew that would be a stupid move.

“and i’m… me.” He gestured to himself, pointing out some of the key features that made him look so different from your typically human. The glowing eyes, the sharp teeth, the talons that would appear and disappear.

“i’m-i’m not safe. i... hurt your dad and-and a bunch of other people and you’re so... soft’n squishy cause you’re a kid and i don’t wanna hurt you too.”

“Would you accidentally hurt me?” Joshua’s question was simple, and so was the answer that Benrey had for it.

“course not, you’re my little gamer bro.” He immediately replied, momentarily surprised at how coherent his words were. “we’re... we’re buddies’n stuff, right? i wouldn’t let that happen if-if i could stop it, y’know?”

“We’re buddies? Really?” The shine of tears in Joshua’s eyes seemed to be replaced by the glow of excitement and joy.

Oh god, he was getting the warm fuzzies-

“yeah we’re like-like two peas in a pod.”

To celebrate the wholesome conclusion that had been reached, the pair decided to engage in some friendly competition by playing some video games. Of course, Benrey did hold back a bit so he did not totally crush Joshua during their various bouts of fighting and racing.

The kid totally did not kick his butt, not in the slightest.

As what tends to happen with kids around his age, Joshua slowly began to grow more and more tired as time passed, although he did not want to go to his room to sleep.

He was still a bit worried about his dad, after all.

So, he ended up having the brilliant idea of asking Benrey if he could watch him play some video games. Fortunately for the young boy, the ex-security guard was quick to agree with his idea. This allowed Joshua to stay by his side and relax.

At some point he did end up passing out, not that Benrey noticed for two reasons. The first being his hyper focus that was directed towards the game he was playing, and the second being that he was also getting pretty tired.

Which was quite unusual since Benrey was a night owl, but he assumed it had something to do with the emotionally draining conversation from earlier.

Slowly, his eyes began to shut and the controller started to slip from his grip. By the time it hit the ground, he was fast asleep.

Hours later, Benrey was roused out of his nap as he felt a warm hand resting on his shoulder, gently shaking him. A voice whispered his name over and over. It was familiar.

Gordon…?

Bleary eyes cracked open, Benrey groaning faintly in annoyance as he waited for his vision to clear, only seeing the blurry outline of some figure. Plus there was that weird weight on his side. Felt kinda nice, even if he didn’t know what it was.

After rubbing his eyes and getting the grit out of them, he found himself staring up into Gordon’s face, and was greeted by the surprisingly warm smile on it. He could feel his cheeks flush as his heart pumped faster in his chest.

Gordon looked so cute in the dim lighting provided by the tv, highlighting his cheekbones and the scruffy beard. His eyes seemed to shimmer and glow, and every bit of his messy hair reflected the light-

“Thanks for taking care of Joshie.” Gordon suddenly said, snapping Benrey out of his thoughts. The ex-security guard continued stare at him as he continued speaking. “It looks like you two have a fun time.”

… wha?

His confusion must have been obvious as the other man was quick to gesture towards whatever the weight on his side was, and a quick glance had Benrey inhaling sharply.

At some point during the night, Joshua had fallen asleep against him. The young boy was curled up on his side, arms and knees tucked close to his chest and he practically snuggled up to Benrey. He was still sound asleep, somehow.

A miracle based on how loud Benrey’s heart was beating. Surely the kid could hear it too.

He must have fallen asleep at some point, but it was surprising that he had not moved or gone to his room to sleep in his bed.

Benrey hesitantly lifted a hand up before gently placing it on Joshua’s back. The kid mumbled something in his sleep and stirred, not waking up. Gordon’s smile grew at the sight and he fully stood up. For a moment, Benrey assumed he was going to pick the kid up and take him to his bed, but this assumption was proven wrong when Gordon started quietly cleaning up the living room.

“psssst, feetman? gaydon? wh-when are you gonna move josh dude?”

Gordon turned around, the smug smirk on his face letting him know that he was about to face his demise. “Move him? But he looks so comfortable.”

“feetman don’t do this to me-”

“C’mon, Benrey, do you really wanna make Joshua sad? Just look at how happy he is.”

Benrey blinked at his words and, with a bit of prompting, looked down at Joshua once more. After a bit of focusing, he was still kind of tired, his eyes landed on the kid’s face.

He was still smiling . Still happy at the outcome of the conversation that had taken place hours earlier.  

Gordon chuckled as Benrey sat there, in shock and awed at the revelation. He… he had made someone happy. Cheered them up when they were down. With the realization that he had managed to actually help someone, never mind that someone being a kid who was almost as important to him as Gordon, Benrey came to another conclusion.

Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

💋 | tlhc!yoongi

the sleep deprived series (n.): drabbles that i write when i’m sad and tired

→ tlhc!yoongi ft. jungkook | 3.5K words → a/n: this was written after an anon sent me a REALLY angsty idea for tlhc and i haven’t stopped thinking about it since. also, this takes place after namjin’s wedding but before yoongi and y/n get together (in this drabble, they’re “dating” but i say that loosely because... well. they’re fucking yoongi and y/n so OFC they’re stupidly, emotionally constipated). anyway... here’s This!! rip!!

Yoongi knows he’s being childish when he leaves your shared apartment with a large pout on his face. He knows that if he just tried a little harder, he could’ve convinced you to let him stay at home instead of going to some godforsaken bachelor party. He hasn’t been to a party involving body shots and strippers since he graduated from university, and he isn’t exactly keen on returning to that particular scene either. He has always been a more wine and dine type of guy, and everyone is aware of this.

It’s a well-known fact amongst his circle of friends that Min Yoongi isn’t keen on attending most types of social gatherings. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, casual get-togethers… It didn’t matter what the occasion is because Yoongi is certainly going to hate every second of it. It didn’t even matter if the party was being hosted by a long-time friend; after all, sitting in a room filled with half-strangers and estranged friends isn’t exactly what Yoongi would consider a “fun time.”

It doesn’t stop people from inviting him out of courtesy, though.

Most of the time, Yoongi is able to grit through the pain of human interaction as long as you tagged along with him. You’re kind of like Yoongi’s walking meat shield when it comes to parties, though you aren’t exactly fond of his analogy when he had explained himself to you. Nevertheless, you always did understand him better than anyone else, always being his savior from awkward small talk by redirecting the conversation away from him. Or, you would quietly tug him outside to the backyard so that the two of you could pet the party owner’s dog or something.

Truly, what would he have done without you?

“I still don’t understand why you expect me to go to this party alone. You’re practically feeding me to the sharks,” Yoongi whines, not at all immaturely. He can hear your exasperated sigh through his phone speakers, though he imagines that you hadn’t been aiming to conceal your ire in the first place.

“Yoonie, it’s Jungkook’s bachelor party. You heard what that dweeb said: ‘No girls allowed’ or some shit. Like some sort of toddler. I’m surprised he even asked you to attend.”

“Are you implying that I should be barred entry because of my feminine hips?” Yoongi asks, hopeful. “Cause honestly, I was only kinda offended when Jungkook said I had twink-sized proportions, so I mean…”

You scoff, though Yoongi can imagine you shaking your head with tired fondness. AKA, your default mood towards him on most days. Yoongi doubts that fondness is going to help him convince you to let him get the fuck out of this party, though. “Save it. You’re going to that party or else.”

Yoongi sniffs, offended. “Honestly, you should be the one going instead of me. I’m not as close to that pussyboi as you are.”

“Hey, only I’m allowed to call him that,” you chide. “Besides, you already left the house. I don’t understand why you’re calling me in the first place. It’s almost 8PM and you should be at the restaurant by now.”

It’s true. Yoongi is literally already in front of the restaurant where they all agreed to meet before heading out to the “main event,” or whatever the hell that means. It could only end badly; after all, Park Jimin had been the one to organize this shitshow of a bachelor party. Things will not go in Yoongi’s favor tonight if Jimin can help it.

“I’m only here because you threatened to disfigure Kobe Bryant-sunbaenim! That bobblehead is limited edition!” Yoongi has the strongest urge to stomp his feet, though he restrains himself only so that the hostess by the entrance of the restaurant won’t call the manager on him (again.) He is nearing his 30’s for fuck’s sake! Then again, Seokjin is a year older than him and if Yoongi’s future is anything like his, he shudders to think what might become of him.

“Yoonie,” you say, voice steely and quiet. Uh oh. You’re getting genuinely angry by now, and Yoongi knows he’s pushing your buttons to their limits. However, he wouldn’t be doing it otherwise if he really didn’t want to go to this party. He hates disappointing you, but nothing on this planet could ever make him want to go through those mahogany doors and face that bucktoothed loser with stars in his googly eyes.

Yoongi sighs, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly. “I know, I know. I’m being childish. It’s just a party and I should just endure it. Although, I’m not promising that I’ll even try to pretend that I’m enjoying it. That’s beyond my paygrade, I’m afraid,” Yoongi says, picking his hangnails as he gazes at the entrance of the restaurant. The hostess’ left eyebrow twitches slightly, a forced customer service smile on her lips. Yoongi feels a sudden sense of strong camaraderie with this stranger.

“I was just gonna say that if you really can’t stand the party, then I’m allowing you an out. If you can stay there for at least two hours, then you can leave once you’ve––“

You hardly get to finish your sentence when Yoongi cuts you off, a strangled sob of relief escaping his throat. “Oh, thank you, my goddess! You are truly the apple of my eye; I shalt never speak ill of you no longer! You are heaven incarnate, my fair and beautiful mistress, the sun who has chased away the darkness––“

“Shut the fuck up, court jester,” you say, endearment dripping like honey off of your words. But Yoongi is already smiling ear to ear, hopelessly warm for some reason. If Hoseok had been around, he would have gagged at the sight of the two of you.

We’re so whipped, Yoongi thinks idly to himself.

“Now go say hello to Jungkook for me, will you? And please, if either he or Jimin do anything stupid or illegal, try to hold them back a little, okay?”

“Nope, I don’t think so,” Yoongi says, before promptly hanging up. Before he pockets his phone, he texts a short “ily” just in case he actually might have pissed you off. Either way, that will be a problem for future Yoongi to figure out.

Just as he ended the calls, a muffled crash and what sounds like a hyena being forced down a trash compactor from inside the restaurant echoes ominously through the open streets. Yoongi and the hostess hardly flinch at the cacophany, both of them staring glassily at the smoggy South Korean sky with quiet acquiescence.

“Fuck me,” Yoongi says. “Fuck me, indeed.”

*.*.*.*.*

The party is as terrible as Yoongi had imagined. Scratch that––Yoongi doesn’t think his imagination is capable of conjuring such a nightmarish scene. He’s pretty sure at least 99% of the inhabitants of this strip club were doing something slightly to moderately illegal. Case in point:

“Jeon Jungkook, I don’t think you should be doing that,” Yoongi yells over the discordant noise that the DJ is trying to pass off as “music.” Jungkook pauses in his ministrations to turn to face Yoongi, which is a feat in itself, as it appears that Jungkook’s eyes were facing opposite directions. Yoongi chooses to maintain eye contact with his left one.

“Whaaa? Why not, coconut?” Jungkook giggles at his little rhyme at the end, but his laughter sounds garbled, probably hindered by the amount of saliva pooling inside his mouth.

Yoongi points at his hands. “Jungkook. I’m pretty sure that is not salt that you are pouring over your fries.”

It takes a few moments for Jungkook to register anything that Yoongi had said. In fact, Yoongi doesn’t think he registers them at all; Yoongi has to forcefully take away the soiled plate of “mystery powder fries” away from him before Jungkook even realizes anything is going on.

“Heeeey, getchur own food, boomer!” Jungkook whines, making grabby hands at the plate before flopping pathetically onto Yoongi’s lap. Yoongi, ever the gentleman, pushes the younger off until he tumbles off the side of the booth and into a mysterious puddle spilled by one of the scantily clad “mechanics.” Jungkook, to his credit, gets up back onto his seat with some semblance of grace (which is to say, he managed to get his ass onto the couch without any additional injury.)

“I can’t believe I’m literally at a glorified children’s party. And I thought babysitting Namjoon’s little demon was bad enough,” Yoongi groans, grimacing in disgust at the mystery liquid from the floor oozes gently down the side of Jungkook’s face. “Dude. Wipe your fucking face.”

Jungkook, known laundry-fanatic and clean freak extraordinaire, promptly takes off his pristine white shirt and uses it to dab his face away. After which, he throws it somewhere behind him, right into a circle of twinks who proceed to fight over who gets to keep it. “Better,” he mutters, same dopey smile on his face.

“Just 1 hour, 18 minutes and 34 seconds left, Yoongi… I can do this,” Yoongi says through clenched teeth. He takes a deep breath, counts to ten, tries to remember what his therapist told him to do when he’s slowly losing his grip on reality. Then, Jungkook throws up all over his new leather shoes.

“Hyung,” Jungkook mutters sleepily, head lolling like he’s about to drop dead in a second. He grins dopily at Yoongi, a string of saliva dripping down the side of his cheek. “I think I’m sick.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” And so, like the kind person that he is, he drags Jungkook by the armpits, dodging sweaty strippers and drunken guests alike as he tows the younger to the nearby restroom. Yoongi contemplates bringing Jungkook to Jimin to take care of him instead, but that idea is completely dashed the moment he sees the latter drinking shots as if it were water. The risk of having two people vomit on his shoes in one night would have been extremely high, and Yoongi isn’t an idiot. So he takes the idiot draped across his back to the toilet himself.

The restroom is empty when they arrive. When Yoongi slams the door shut, it becomes shockingly quiet as the noise from outside gets dulled to a soft throb. Yoongi immediately dumps Jungkook against one of the chipped porcelain sinks, grimacing slightly when the younger causes the sink to groan precariously from his weight.

“Hyungie,” Jungkook warbles. The sweat on his brow has made his bangs stick to his forehead in strange patterns, and Yoongi imagines he could rearrange his hair to spell out “SHITHEAD” if he so desired.

“What.” Yoongi grabs a handful of paper towels and proceeds to try (and fail) to clean the carnage on his shoes. Meanwhile, Jungkook just stands there quietly, spit long since dried on his face, adding to the sheen already there. The quietness of the restroom is both jarring and awkward compared to the insanity just behind the door, and Yoongi finds himself preferring to look at his black-turned-brown shoes instead of the boy standing just to his right.

“I think I overdid it,” Jungkook admits after a while. Yoongi chances a glance upwards before looking back down at the floor, uncomfortable when he sees the surprisingly sober face of a man who had just finished drinking ten tequila shots. 

“You think?” Yoongi snorts, rolling his eyes. He inches forward towards the sink, gently nudging Jungkook out of the way to wash his hands. Jungkook has still yet made a move towards the faucet himself, but Yoongi isn’t about to offer to clean him up either. He’s already a Samaritan for bringing him to the restroom; he’s used up all his empathy points for today.

“Y/N and Tae always say that I have severely low impulse control.”

True to form, Yoongi’s traitorous ears perk up at the mention of your name, and he finally makes full eye contact with Jungkook through the mirror. “It took two people and ten tequila shots to figure it out? Geez. No wonder you almost didn’t graduate kindergarten.”

“Hey, I told you that in confidence,” Jungkook pouts.

“Not my problem,” Yoongi retorts, indifferent. Yoongi stares at him for a moment. “Jesus. You look like a fucking mess. You sure you’re getting married next week?”

“I’m pretty sure, unless Taehyung changes his mind,” Jungkook shrugs. Well, that was certainly not quite the answer Yoongi was expecting. Yoongi must not have been quick enough to hide his surprise because Jungkook laughs coldly, the sound mirthless and paper-thin––not at all like the ridiculously mirthful manchild he’s always known him to be.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet?” Yoongi had meant to say it like a joke, but his harsh tone doesn’t escape his own ears. God, he wishes he was better at this, but sue him for lacking practice at consoling other human beings.

Luckily, Jungkook takes it in stride, shrugging his shoulders. “Not really. More like… I’m in disbelief? That he’d actually… after all this time…”

Yoongi doesn’t reply at first. For as long as Yoongi has known him, the elder has never quite connected with Jungkook, for whatever reason. Hearing him speak so candidly about his feelings like this is new territory for Yoongi, and it’s strangely making him nervous. He feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention as he is faced with a side of Jungkook that Yoongi didn’t think he was capable of having. Sure, you’ve told him vaguely about the problems that Jungkook has asked advice about, but never has Yoongi ever thought that he’d be doing the same. The two of them just weren’t… like that.

“I’m sure Taehyung likes––no, loves you. A lot. Anyone with eyes can see that he absolutely adores you,” Yoongi says after a while, coughing awkwardly into his fist. God, he sucks at this. Where are you when he needs you? You always knew what to say in moments like this.

Jungkook laughs again, and it’s just as discordant as the first. He shakes his head, empty smile on his lips. “It’s not that. I don’t doubt him in the slightest. It’s more like��� I’m doubting myself.”

Now that catches Yoongi’s attention. Self-doubt, loneliness, fear: if Yoongi had to be an expert on anything, it would be for those three. He… he gets it. “Jungkook, if this is about feeling like you don’t deserve him, then you’re dead wrong. You’re allowed to be loved, Jungkook. Believe me, I know more than anyone what denial feels like. The two of you aren’t going to crash and burn, okay? You’ll be fine.”

Jungkook smiles wryly at that. “Thanks. But it’s not… it’s not that.” Jungkook pauses, and it looks like the words get caught in his throat. He opens his mouth, closes it. Grimaces like he’s swallowed something bitter. He takes a deep breath, looking as uncomfortable as Yoongi feels. “Yoongi-hyung, I have a confession to make.”

Now Yoongi’s confused. “What?”

“I haven’t been… candid. With you. About…” Jungkook takes another shaky breath. “About me and Y/N.”

Yoongi’s blood runs cold. He feels the sweat start to form across his palms, and he clenches them into fists to stop them from shaking. He can almost sense the disaster before it even hits, feels the floor swimming underneath his feet, waiting to devour him whole.

“What?” Yoongi repeats.

“I’ve been thinking about it, recently. It’s been years since I last even remembered it, but then it started plaguing my dreams, and it’s… It’s ruining me. I need––I need to come clean or else I might die with regret,” Jungkook says. Yoongi still doesn’t understand what he means; Jungkook is just saying words without saying anything at all, and it’s making the wait even more terrible.

“Kook, just spit it out already.”

“Hyung, I beg of you. Please don’t think badly of me but…” Jungkook slumps to the floor just then, both the sink and his legs unable to keep him up any longer. Against his will, Yoongi tumbles with him, compelled to follow him down.

“What? What? What?”

“I kissed her,” Jungkook murmurs, voice low. Whispered like a secret. Because it is a secret, even though it isn’t any longer. Not when the words have crawled out his mouth and into Yoongi’s ears, making its way to his brain where it refuses to be understood, to be processed.

“What?” Yoongi can’t seem to remember how to breathe, much less how to speak. He can’t say anything else except, “What?”

“N-not recently. A long time ago,” Jungkook hurries, fear crossing his face when he realizes how he must have sounded. “I would never cheat on––Y/N would never cheat on you––“

His words do nothing to quell the thunderous beating in Yoongi’s chest. He can only stare as the younger jumbles over his words, fat tears starting to dribble out of his eyes like waterfalls. Why is he crying? This is so wrong.

“We––when you broke her heart, all those years ago. Before she ran away to Daegu––“

Yoongi remembers. Of course he does. He doesn’t think he can ever forget.

“––she was so so sad, and it fucking hurt. It hurt seeing her like that, you know? I… I hated you for it. So much, hyung,” Jungkook sobs, hiding behind his hands. He wipes at his face, smearing his sweat, tears, and vomit with shaky movements. “And then she kissed me but it was a mistake because she was heartbroken and she just wanted to feel––to feel something? I don’t know… And then I pushed her away––“

“You pushed her away?” Yoongi interrupts, uncharacteristically calm. He thinks like he should be screaming, maybe. Or feel jealous, even. But then again, this had happened years ago, when you and he hadn’t even been… anything, at the time. Hell, he has no right to be hurt by this. He shouldn’t even be allowed to resent Jungkook for it. Shouldn’t have to feel like he won’t be able to forgive Jungkook. So then why is he..?

Jungkook nods. “I-I did, but that’s not… the whole thing. For a while, I thought that maybe…” He curls into himself, bowing his head in shame. Yoongi doesn’t need to hear the rest to know what he was about to say.

“You used to love her, didn’t you?”  

Jungkook nods again, ashamed. Disgusted with himself. “Pathetic, right?” 

But the thing is, Yoongi already knew this. You’ve told him about Jungkook’s misplaced affections for you; it had happened during a stressful time for the both of you, and you had assured Jungkook that his feelings were just a figment of his imagination. You believed that Jungkook had just been lonely, desperate for someone to cling onto especially after all that drama between Taehyung and Hoseok at the time.

“She kept telling me that I wasn’t in love with her. And for a while, I believed her. But then, when she was about to leave for America, we… we kissed again. Just to… I wanted to make sure,” Jungkook slams his fist onto the dirty restroom floor, clawing at the tiles like an animal in pain. It’s getting harder for Yoongi to understand Jungkook through his sobs, but he is afraid of even moving lest Jungkook stops speaking. It’s like watching a car crash––no matter how much Yoongi is afraid, he can’t look away.

“When we kissed the second time... She laughed. I laughed. ‘No spark,’ was what she said. I agreed because I had no other choice but to,” Jungkook admits. He exhales like his chest has been ripped open, like he’s drowning. Yoongi feels the same way.

“It would be unfair if I said anything. To her, to you, to Taehyung… but most of all, to myself. Because it would never work. It’s not… I’m not...” Jungkook coughs, trailing off. He hacks his lungs out, forehead banging against his knees from the force. He heaves for air once, twice. Then, silence.

“Jungkook?” Yoongi whispers, momentarily stunned. When the younger doesn’t reply, he nudges his shoulder. No movement. Yoongi tilts his head upwards, only to find Jungkook’s eyelids already closed and breathing steadily through his nose. The bastard had finally passed out.

“Jesus,” Yoongi sighs, letting go of the younger and letting him crumple to the floor. Yoongi contemplates passing out as well. “Jesus,” Yoongi repeats.

He sits there in silence for a while, accompanied only by his thoughts and the muffled sounds of the party outside. He doesn’t know how long he sits there for, only thinks to leave the restroom when a young couple (Jungkook’s college friends) burst in while making out, both incognizant of the odd pair slumped on the floor.

Yoongi leaves Jungkook there, but not before sending a short text to Jimin to go check on Jungkook, and sending another one to Taehyung for good measure. Yoongi rushes out of the club without looking back, feeling slightly more empty than he had before the night started.

You don’t comment when Yoongi comes back home earlier than expected. You don’t even scold him for breaking his side in the agreement. Wrapped up in blankets in front of the TV, you wordlessly open up your cocoon to let him slither in beside you, allowing him to wrap his cold feet against your legs. You don’t even complain when he falls asleep without another word, just gently caressing his hair as he descends into fitful dreams. He doesn’t bring up the party the next day, and neither do you.

The following week, the two of you attend Taehyung and Jungkook’s wedding.

The First Move - Eraqus x Fem!Reader

It’s a little on the long side for my normal stuff, but meh. Eraqus brings out the lighter side of my writing at least. 

~~~~~

                Groaning, I kick at the alarm orb to shut it up. Dragging myself into the bathroom, I wash up and get ready for the day. I find Bragi and Hermod, both also groggy, in line for the bathroom when I step out.

                “Have you seen Eraqus?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

                Hermod shakes his head sleepily and Bragi replies with a tired smirk, “Nah. He’s probably waiting for his babysitter to wake him up.”

                Heaving a dramatic sigh, I prepare myself for the first challenge of the day. I approach the door next to my room and bang on the door. “Era. Eraqus, wake up!”

                “Just let him sleep in and deal with the consequences himself,” Urd yawns, coming upon us along with Vor and Xehanort.

                “I can’t,” I grumble. “Even if Eraqus gets punished, we’ll still get a lecture about looking after each other from the Master.”

                “So you’re a push over,” Xehanort yawns to which I scowl. “You wouldn’t have this problem if you stopped babying Eraqus.”

                “I don’t know if you can call it babying when she can literally throw him out of his room,” hums Urd. Vor giggles.

                Ignoring the rest of their jeers, I push my way into Eraqus’s room. The boy is sprawled across his bed, still fast asleep. Reaching down, I shake him. “Hey, it’s time to get up.” He’s resilient today. Huffing, I rip the pillow from beneath his head and beat him with it. “Wake up, you lazy bum!”

                He snaps awake, trying to cover his head. “I’m up! I’m up!”

                I throw the pillow on top of him. “You better be. Now go get ready.”

                Pushing himself off the bed, he stretches. “Alright, I’m going.”

                Eraqus and I have been friends for a long time. I’ve known him since before our training days. So we’ve been stuck together for years. There’s not much that I don’t know about him, down to his ridiculous habit of chewing on the strings of his robe. And I’m sure he knows all my little quirks. We know each other so well, I could probably pick him out of a line up by his bare ass. He’s been there for me for so long; I’ve probably grown mildly dependant on him, even if it looks the other way around.

                With other students and staff, I collect my breakfast in the cafeteria. I do my usual and gather breakfast for him as well, knowing that the slacker will get here when the food’s all gone. Before long, the others begin to gather at our usual table.  

                An arm reaches over my shoulder for the spare plate. Out of reaction, I move the plate further away and look back, but I didn’t expect him to be so close. My eyes catch on his, mesmerized by the flecks of silver scattered throughout his magical gray irises. I feel the warmth climbing up my spine. I’ve considered having feelings for him before, only to push them aside in favor of not ruining a friendship or distracting ourselves. So I’ve tried to ignore the fluttering in my chest and push aside the fantasies that intrude on my mind, but he makes it so difficult when he’s stupidly adorable and charming and I’m digging a hole.

                “Excuse you,” I grumble and turn away; hoping that he didn’t see the working blush across my face.

                He sits beside me and the sad puppy look comes up. “B-But!”

                “Nu-uh. I got this,” I tell him, trying to maintain my cool, especially in front of the others. “I got up, got ready, came down, and picked this out myself. This is mine.”

                “But!”

                I push my now empty bowl towards him. Eraqus gets the hint and scurries away with the bowl to dump it in the dirty dish bin. Returning, he sits attentively, hoping I’ve been appeased. I let my eyes roll, but relinquish the plate to which he happily digs in. I notice the snickers and glances from the others but elect to ignore them. Only a few short moments later, I drag Eraqus and his half-eaten bagel to class.

~~~~~ 

                My knees give and I end up on my ass, sighing in relief. Master Odin chuckles and tells us that training is done for the day. My partner in training flops down beside me, leaning against my back.

                “You were great today,” he huffs. “That blizzard spell was strong.”

                I huff between gasps, “Didn’t stop you from breaking out of it.”

                His head tilts back to rest on my shoulder, his wavy hair brushing my cheek. “Thank goodness. The last thing I want to be is a popsicle.”

                “Might make studying in peace a bit easier,” I say, poking at his face.

                “Oh come on. You’d get bored if I weren’t here.”

                “I do have hobbies outside of being bothered by you.”

                “You enjoy it.”

                I glance away in an attempt to hide my grin. “Whatever. Now get off me. You’re all sweaty.” Standing up, I leave him to flop onto his back from where he gives me a goofy grin. I raise a brow at him, hands on my hips. “I’m gonna go shower.”

                Throwing his feet over his head, Eraqus is back on his feet. “’Kay. Then you’ll do my homework after right?” I throw a glare at him and he puts his hands up with that cheeky grin. “Sorry! I mean help; you’ll help me with my homework, yeah?”

                Ignoring the lazy boy’s mischief, I amble off with Urd and Vor to clean up.

                “You know he’s using you, right?” Urd comments on our walk. I glance at her. “Everyone, including Eraqus, knows you won’t let him fall behind.”

                I sigh, “Considering I seem to be the class leader, I don’t know what else you expect me to do.”

                “Part of being a leader is encouraging people to stand on their own,” Vor sings, dancing a few steps ahead. But she suddenly turns back with a Cheshire grin. “But there are other reasons you dote over him, aren’t there.”

                “What’s that supposed to mean?” I snap.

                “Oh nothing.” She continues skipping down the hall and even Urd won’t stop smiling. They quickly change the subject despite my insistence.

~~~~~ 

                “For the love of-Eraqus!” I tear the book from beneath his face, which subsequently collides with the table.

                “Ow!” He sits up, frantically turning in his seat. “Fire! Daybreak Town! C! What subject is this?!” Regaining his senses, his silver eyes turn on me. Even though I’m standing over him with my arms folded, he sighs in relief and lets out a chuckle.

                “For someone who sleeps in on a regular basis, you sure take a lot of naps,” I growl. “Honestly, if we hadn’t been friends since we started walking, I would’ve left you two grades behind.”

                Propping an elbow on the table and resting a cheek against his palm, he answers, “I dunno. Just because you have ambition doesn’t make you mean. You’d probably drag me along by my feet even if we’d never met before.”

                I shake my head. “Gods, they were right.” He raises a brow. “You’re just using me because you’re lazy.”

                “Oh I dunno about thaaat,” he replies nonchalantly.

                I close my book and reach for another. “I really should just let you fall behind. Even if the Master lectures the rest of us, you might actually-”

                The second book slides away from me. “Woah woah. Okay, hold on. I’ll take it seriously.”

                “Oh really?” I scoff.

                “Yes. I swear.”

                I glance over him briefly. He genuinely seems to mean it, but I can’t be sure it’s not just my soft spot for him. “Prove it.”

                The boy glances around in search of a way to prove he’s serious. When it appears he’s got nothing, Eraqus looks to me, a look of uncertainty on his face. Before I can brush off his failed attempt to convince me to stay, surprise jolts through me like a thunder spell when he takes my wrist and pulls me into his lap.

                “E-Eraqus!” My skin is on fire and the rate of my heart is climbing.

                “Wait! Just-!” He taps at the book in my hands. “Explain the whole worlds-separating thing to me again!” Strong arms around my waist, he hugs me to him. “Please! I’ll pay attention this time!”

                Seeing as I’m not going to get free of Eraqus’s stronger grasp without some force and he’s practically begging me, I relent. This is so incredibly awkward, yet I find it notably comfortable. Even as I read aloud and explain the text to him, my thoughts keep trying to draw me to the closeness of the situation: his body against my side, the arms that never release me, his chin against my shoulder—my insides are a complete wreck. However, Eraqus is true to his words, focusing on our studying and participating in the conversation. It’s only after maybe an hour that his attention lulls.

                “And that’s how your ancestors settled Scala Ad Caelum,” I say, closing the book. “And that should be everything on our history homework.” His eyes blankly continue to stare at the book. “Eraqus?” Reaching up, I tap a finger against his nose. The boy flinches, his grip tightening on me. “You promised to pay attention.”

                “I am,” he grumbles, rubbing his face against my arm. “Uh, you said my ancestors settled Scala Ad Caelum.”

                “How?”

                “Uh…” He’s got no answer. “Okay, I started zoning out a bit near the end. I’m sorry.”

                It’s impossible for me to stay angry at that sheepish smile and I return it. “At least you made some progress.” I don’t know what possesses me to do so, but I let my fingers slide into his hair, pushing his bangs from his face. He emits an expression of serenity and I feel my temperature leap. My hand recoils and I pray that flush I feel isn’t visible on my face. “We should start our magic homework.”

                He peers up at me and my brain goes on high alert. His eyes are burning; the steel color almost molten. “I think we should take a break.”

                His voice is far more serious than usual and I’m sure he can see my fluster now. Still, I let my instincts react to his words rather than his tone. “Eraqus, we can’t keep-”

                “Just ten minutes.” I’m not going to be able to resist if he keeps talking like that. “There’s something else I want to focus on for a bit.” Before I can object, a hand behind my head pulls me closer. My heart might just explode and I’m terrified he can hear it as clearly as I can. “You know, I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting, for you to break. But you’re far more persistent than I thought.” My words catch in my throat, making me unable to respond. “And I just can’t take it anymore.”

                I can barely get his name out. “Eraqus?”

                I never would’ve come close to imagining just how soft and warm his lips are. Even if they are soft, there’s still form behind them which he uses to lead the kiss. My insides are turned to absolute mush and, had my mouth not been occupied, I’d be begging him for more.

                The kiss breaks with a soft click but no one backs away.

                “I really like you,” he whispers as if speaking any louder will ruin everything. “And I really, really want to be more than friends. And I know you do too. So please just admit it already.”

                I take a deep breath. For so long, I doused all budding emotions for this boy the moment they came up. I went about life as normal while convincing myself that he was just a close friend. But I guess there was a seedling that I’d missed, one that’s been growing in the background and hiding in plain sight, because I can’t find a reason to say no.

                “I don’t want to be just friends,” I admit.

                In the privacy of this moment, in the intimacy between us, that’s the brightest smile I’ve ever seen Eraqus wear. “Good.”

                He pulls me in again and I let myself indulge in the weightless feeling of bliss. And Eraqus is happy to let me lead, to let me satiate the hunger that’s bloomed within me. I never knew just how much I wanted this until he handed it to me and now I may never let him go.

                “I told you he was gonna make a move today.”

                With my entire body on fire, I tear away from Eraqus to see our classmates entering the study room. There’s the utmost look of smug victory on Xehanort’s face.

                “Hey guys,” Eraqus greets as if we weren’t just caught making out and I’m not still on his lap.

                Bragi walks past Xehanort. “Please. It was obvious she was in control.”

                “What are you guys…” I trail off because I’m not sure I want to know.

                Hermod leans against the wall, smiling. “They had a bet on who was going to confess first.”

                Vor pipes up, “Bragi was betting you’d make the first move.”

                Eraqus’s chuckle resets the fire crawling across my skin and he nuzzles up against my shoulder. “Then I guess Xehanort wins,” he hums.

                Xehanort looks all the more smug and Bragi’s jaw drops. “No way!”

                My face burns even more and I try to hide some of it behind a hand while the victor replies, “Boom. I win. There was no way she was gonna cave before Eraqus. Now pay up.”

                Bragi glowers as he digs through his pockets. “For years, you’ve taken the lead on almost everything but the one time I need you to be assertive, you let the class clown beat you to the punch.”

                I open my mouth to retort, but Eraqus just laughs. “He’s right, you know.”

                In retaliation, I pinch at his cheeks. “Oh yeah? How about I make you do the rest of your homework by yourself?”

                He turns it around on me with a sly smirk. “If I do, can I have another kiss?”

                “Looks like the class clown’s got our fearless leader on the ropes,” hums Urd, pointing out my returning blush.

                “I think it’s cute.” Vor earns a glare.

                Hermod finally kicks off the wall. “Okay guys, I think that’s enough. Let’s leave the love birds alone.” With that, he ushers the class out of the room, leaving me alone with Eraqus once again.

                “About that kiss…” Eraqus says suggestively.

                I turn on him, slowly drawing my tongue along his bottom lip. This time, it’s his turn to appear flustered. “Shut up.”

                “Yes ma’am.”

It’s the End of the World as We Know It - Chapter 2

summary: During the international quarantine in your first-ever pandemic, the people around you slowly begin to disappear. As the world grows quieter and quieter, you find yourself all alone-- no power, no friends, and only one goal: to find whoever of your friends might be left and reunite with them.You're naive to think anything can be that simple. As you're faced with ever-increasing loneliness, you run into some boys who apparently went to the same high school as you. Will you join forces with them to figure out your strange circumstances together, or will you brave loneliness in a world that is slowly crumbling apart?

Link on AO3!

words: 3,341

rating: M - Mature

genre: angst/humor, romance, adventure, apocalypse AU, reader-insert

warnings: sort of depressing content, a smidge of violence, cursing

a/n: this one’s a little short, but please enjoy nonetheless!

- Can I Crash Here? -

It’s raining outside. You sit on a mattress that’s been grouped together haphazardly with a number of other mattresses in the dark, cold gym. Akaashi has been sitting next to you quietly this whole time, and you’re appreciative of the silent comfort. Indie lays at your feet, heaving a great sigh every now and then.

When you’d shown up at the gym, you were relieved beyond words to see some familiar faces-- even though you hardly knew these boys at all, they were still alive. You remember falling to your knees and screwing your eyes shut as the grief and fear from the past few weeks came pouring out of you in shaking sobs. Akaashi had been the one to awkwardly pat your shoulder, while Indie sniffed and licked at you nervously.

Somehow in your hysteria, you had been ushered to sit on a mattress while you sobbed into your knees. After a few minutes, you hesitantly looked up to find Akaashi next to you, and Bokuto and Kuroo kneeling in front of you with distress and hesitation-- of course they wouldn’t know what to do in this situation, as you hardly knew yourself.

Akaashi had gently asked you what happened, but you shook your head, unwilling to think of what you had just been through. You remember when a fresh wave of panic overcame you, and you had gasped, which only worried the boys even more.

“M-my car!” You ran your hand through your tangled hair. “I parked it outside the school-- shit, I’m sorry, I-- I didn’t even think-- oh, fuck, they’re gonna find me--”

“Hang on.” Kuroo asserted, placing a firm hand on your shoulder as he hooked you with a steely, calm gaze. You remembered how his bright eyes grounded you somehow, how they brought you back to the present. “We can drive your car over here and hide it. Here, gimme the keys. Akaashi, wait with her-- Bokuto, come with me.”

“Huh? Why do I have to come?” Bokuto exclaimed.

“In case I run into whatever’s got her so scared, I don’t wanna be alone.” Kuroo shrugged as he stood, your car keys having somehow made it into his palm.

“Ohhh, scared, are ya?” Bokuto teased.

“Yeah.” Kuroo said, and that definitely sobered up his spiky-haired friend as the gravity of the situation settled uncomfortably around you four. Bokuto had cleared his throat, and then he had patted your head awkwardly.

“Don’t worry! We’ll fix everything for ya.” He had beamed at you, but you could only stare blankly back. Bokuto shifted awkwardly, then gave Indie a few pats. “Good dog! Okay, we’ll be back. Take care of her, Akaashi!”

The two boys had left about ten minutes ago, and here you were, now sitting in the spacious, cold gymnasium of your high school next to a boy you barely knew who gave you poptarts only a day before. Was it a day? It feels like weeks ago.

You look up at the high ceiling as the rain pitter patters against it soothingly, and you can feel Akaashi’s gaze land on you at your movement. You lick your dry lips, and glance at him.

“A-are none of them awake?” You whisper, and you’re referring, of course, to the number of other sleeping humans surrounding you and Akaashi. The sleeping lumps are unidentifiable, as far as you’re concerned-- you’re surprised there are so many people grouped together in one place. There’s some snores here and there, but no one besides you and Akaashi are awake.

Akaashi shakes his head. “These guys can sleep through a fucking typhoon.”

You laugh a little, and Akaashi’s chest warms up a bit. It’s nicer to see you smile instead of cry. He clears his throat.

“So, what happened?” He asks quietly.

You bite the inside of your cheek and glance at him. He seems to always have the same calm, apathetic expression on his handsome features, but his voice is comforting and tinged with worry. The two of you have been sitting in the quiet for some time now, and you’re sure you gave him quite a scare upon your sudden arrival, so you suppose he deserves an explanation.

“Well, I… went home, unloaded some of my groceries.” You clear your throat. “Then, um, I tried to text my friend Callie, but it wouldn’t send, so I fell asleep. And then I woke up around 3:30 and heard some guys in my house…” Biting your lip, you remember being grabbed by the red-head, and subconsciously wrap your arms around yourself, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Akaashi. “Um, so then I ran out and drove here.”

Akaashi hums and studies you for a moment. He can tell you’re troubled, so he doesn’t want to press the subject. But he doesn’t want you to stay troubled.

“What’s his name?” He asks, petting Indie behind her ear.

“Indiana, Indie for short.” You smile sideways at him. “And she’s a girl.”

“My bad.” Akaashi returns your smile, glad to see you relax just a bit. “She’s trained really well.”

“Yeah, she tackled one of the guys back there.” You say proudly, but after you think about it for a second, you hope she didn’t kill him. Indie looks up at you, panting happily, and you give her a pat on the head.

“Damn. Guess we shouldn’t mess with you, then.” Akaashi sits back, and you suddenly notice how close the two of you are sitting. Maybe it’s the extreme lack of human contact you’ve had recently, or the fact that Akaashi is insanely cute, but you feel a blush creep up your neck despite yourself. It’s also stupidly late. And you’re tired.

You glance away from him as you hear footsteps outside the gym, and the doors open to reveal Kuroo and Bokuto, the latter twirling your car keys on his finger.

“We have hidden your car!” Bokuto announces triumphantly, and you shush him, only to find that he hasn’t actually disturbed any of the sleeping people behind you. Akaashi was right, you think as you glance at him again.

“Getting cozy while we were gone?” Kuroo grins, looking between you and Akaashi as the two close the doors behind them and walk up to you. You stand abruptly-- it’s the goddamn apocalypse, you don’t need a crush. Still, yet another blush creeps up your cheeks. Akaashi rolls his eyes as he stands up beside you.

“Where did you hide it?” Akaashi asks.

“Behind a tree.” Bokuto gives you your keys back.

“I should add, we also put some leaves over your car for added security.” Kuroo says, and you nod appreciatively.

“Just so long as you parked it near the gym, it should be out of sight from the street.” Akaashi yawns. You feel a wash of guilt at your realization that you’ve kept these guys up really late, after they’ve done who-knows-what kind of hard work during the day. Not everyone has your fucked up sleep schedule.

“Thank you so much-- um, I’m really sorry for keeping you guys up.” You say sheepishly.

“Don’t apologize!” Bokuto exclaims. “We were up when you got here anyways. Hey, here’s a question-- if your leg gets cut off--”

“We should get some sleep.” Kuroo cuts in. “As much as I’d love to hear her input on that topic, it can wait until the morning.”

Bokuto sighs in resignation, but rubs his eyes tiredly. He wanders over to his mattress and flops down, burrowing himself into his pile of blankets. Kuroo stretches, then stops abruptly as he whips around to look at you.

“Oh shit, where are you gonna sleep?” He asks you, then looks to Akaashi, who frowns.

“Oh, I can just sleep on the floor.” You wave your hand dismissively-- you really don’t want to put them out of any comfort.

“No.” The two boys say at once, and you’re a bit surprised at their severity. Bokuto is already snoring, much to your surprise.

“I’ll sleep on the floor-- you can sleep in my bed.” Akaashi offers, already pulling a blanket off of his mattress.

“Please, you can sleep in my bed.” Kuroo asserts, peeling off one of his own blankets. The two boys look at each other, and you could swear they were glaring.

“No!” You exclaim. “You guys already helped me enough-- plus, it’s cold as hell in here and sleeping on this cold floor is bound to make you sick, and you can’t get sick during the apocalypse-- do you know how easy it is to die from the common cold, especially when there’s no doctors around?!”

The two boys are a little taken aback by your exclamation, and so are you-- this is the most emotion you’ve shown in quite a while. You bite the inside of your cheek and frown, crossing your arms. “None of us are gonna sleep on the floor.” You assert, and Kuroo tosses his blanket back onto his bed.

“What do you suggest, then?” He asks, crossing his arms right back.

“You could sleep with one of us.” Akaashi says quietly, like that has zero implications whatsoever. Your eyes widen, and you’re so glad it’s dark in the gym because you’re sure that your face is as red as a tomato. Kuroo snickers.

“I’m down if you’re down.” He says teasingly, and raises his eyebrows at you.

“Up to you.” Akaashi adds quietly. Clearly, this decision is in your hands-- and you don’t want them to sleep on the floor, and you certainly don’t want to sleep on the floor yourself, and sharing a bed with one of them couldn’t possibly be that terrible, could it?

You gulp, and glance at the floor. Kuroo is hot, you’re not gonna lie-- you’re sure he pulled all the girls in school. He also seems like he’d be really nice to curl up against, since he’s much bigger than you are. And Akaashi, he already makes you feel safe. Plus, his broad shoulders and undeniably fit body cross your mind as you imagine how it’d feel to tuck your head under his chin...

You shake your head. Even though you are touch starved, you will not make things worse for yourself by imagining how it would feel to cuddle with any of these boys.

You clear your throat, aware of how long you’ve been silent.

“Um, I’ll sleep with Akaashi-- if, if that’s okay.” You mumble, hoping to any higher power that they can’t sense your immense embarrassment. Akaashi nods, though you don’t miss the almost triumphant look he tosses Kuroo’s way. The latter only shrugs, flopping down on his own mattress a couple beds over.

You bite your lip, unsure of where to look as you slip off your shoes, then begin to peel off your outer layers. Akaashi undoes his belt, and you look at him alarmingly. He looks confused for a second, then seems to realize what that might look like.

“U-um, I’m gonna keep my pants on.” He says, and it’s the first time you’ve heard him sound nervous. You nod quickly.

“Yeah, me too.” You hate sleeping in pants, especially jeans-- usually it’s a huge tee shirt and undies for you, but you are not about to strip down to only that with a boy you’ve only just met, no matter how cute he is. You slip off your socks, then sit on the mattress with your back to Akaashi. You feel the mattress dip as he sits down too, and you take a deep breath before laying down on your side, facing away from the boy next to you. He does the same, and you can feel the warmth of his backside against yours as the two of you are just inches apart.

The rain falls steadily above your heads, and after a moment, you feel Akaashi shift behind you, and a blanket suddenly finds itself draped over your body. You roll over onto your back just as Akaashi begins to pull away, and he shrugs.

“You said yourself we can’t afford to be cold.”

“Thanks… You have a blanket too, right?” You whisper. Akaashi doesn’t answer, but that in itself is an indication that he doesn’t. You pause, then toss a portion of it over him, only to find it’s just a bit too small to cover the both of you.

...Unless you scoot closer together. The two of you lock eyes with that realization, and you know that he has to be blushing as much as you are. You quickly face away, and he does the same, as the two of you scoot closer together so that your backs are pressing against each other. You take a deep breath to try and calm your racing heart as the warmth from Akaashi begins to spread throughout your whole body. You feel his breaths, which even out rather quickly. He must have been really tired.

You, on the other hand, are wide awake. Your heart won’t stop racing, which is super annoying. Still, you screw your eyes shut in the hopes that you’ll at least get some sleep tonight.

The rain continues falling, and eventually, you are lulled to sleep.

[-]

The first thing you register is a pleasant warmth and an even pleasanter smell. You instinctively nuzzle your face closer to it, and in response you feel whatever sensation that’s wrapped around you tighten its hold. You’re properly wrapped up, though you don’t know what’s around you or where you are. All you know is you’re extremely comfortable and happy.

As consciousness slowly seeps in, memories trickle in one by one: running down your stairs, frantically gripping your steering wheel, wandering around your abandoned high school, dropping your hammer on the concrete outside the gym while staring at--

You furrow your brows, and your eyes flutter open against your will-- you haven’t gotten nearly enough sleep, but you can’t stop waking up as you take in your surroundings.

Your face is currently burrowed into Akaashi’s chest, your head tucked under his chin. Your hands are actually curled into his white shirt, and as you let go of it bashfully, you find that his arms are wrapped around you-- one laid flat on the mattress beneath you, and the other resting over your waist.

A blush once again lights up your face as Akaashi shifts in his sleep, unconsciously pulling you closer. He lets out a contented sigh, and you feel a foreign tingle spread throughout your whole body. You bite your lip-- as sunlight slowly filters into the gym, you’re sure that no one else is awake yet, otherwise you would’ve been woken up to the sound of Kuroo teasing you and Akaashi to no end.

You can’t let the other guys see you and Akaashi like this-- you can’t handle the embarrassment. As much as you don’t want to wake Akaashi up, you have to. Biting your lip, you move to pull away from him, but almost instantly, he tightens his hold on you, and with a grunt, he rolls over onto his back, pulling you with him. You suck in a breath, trying to stay silent as you now rest on top of his chest, one of your legs between his.

You bury your face in his chest, completely unsure of what to do. He was so exhausted last night-- you don’t want to wake him up! Just as your mind begins to race for a flawless escape strategy, Akaashi groans and rubs one eye open.

“Mnf….” He says your name groggily, and you ignore how his gravelly voice sends tingles up your spine.

You decide to play dumb, and turn your head to the side with a big yawn.

“Hmm?” You answer quietly, and relax your body as much as you can. You feel Akaashi freeze in place beneath you, and he quickly removes his other hand from the small of your back.

“U-um… you’re… on top of me…” He mumbles, and you groggily lift your head to face him, making sure to keep your eyes lidded so that you can play this off effectively.

“Huh?” You furrow your brows as you meet Akaashi’s gaze, whose face is now bright red as the sun slowly illuminates the gym. You catch the subtle, perhaps accidental, glance he takes towards your chest, and realization hits you then.

You’re just in your undershirt… a tank top… and your chest is pressed against his… You can imagine exactly what kind of view he had just then as you quickly roll off of him, your arms crossing over your chest quickly.

You both stay very quiet, unsure of what to say to each other. You ignore how nice it felt to be held by him, and how much you didn’t really want to leave his embrace. God, how childish of you-- it’s just the fact that you’re starved for human interaction, that’s why you’re feeling like this.

Somebody yawns really obnoxiously a few beds over, and you look up just as someone hurls a pillow towards the offensive yawner.

“Can it, Shitty-kawa.” Somebody grumbles.

“I can’t even wake up without getting scolded, can I?” The yawner answers.

The gym slowly starts to stir as the sun grows brighter through the high, square windows. You sit up at the same time as Akaashi, and you both can’t help but glance back at one another bashfully. Reaching down, you pull your flannel over your now cold shoulders, and Indie gives your hand a good morning lick.

“Morning,” Kuroo yawns, and grins over at you and Akaashi. “Sleep well?”

You blush, and only mutter a “good morning,” back.

“Huh? Who’s that?” The yawner exclaimes, and you turn towards the sea of mattresses to spot a boy around your age-- also insanely cute, with somehow perfectly styled hair-- sit up and openly stare at you. “Hmm, nice one, guys. She’s pretty cute.” He grins, and you’re not quite sure how to respond to that.

“We’re just ignoring the social distancing rule now, huh?” The guy who threw the pillow sighs and sits up to look at you, as well. You feel like a deer in the headlights, so you look for any possible way to escape this conversation.

You shoot to your feet, and turn to Akaashi. “Where’s the bathroom?” You mumble, but Kuroo answers for him.

“Down that hallway, to the left. No-- sorry, right. That’s where the girls bathroom is. And the plumbing still works!” Kuroo grins, and you nod quickly, turning to rush off to the bathroom. Indie follows behind you loyally, and you hear the boys begin to talk about you openly as you run off.

“Yeah, we met her yesterday…”

“...showed up in tears…”

“...Call her cute again, see what happens, Shitty-kawa…”

You’re in the school bathroom before you know it, and you laugh wryly to yourself as the familiarity of it makes you almost feel like you’re back in school. Small groups of the dirty tiles are arranged in your school colors, and there’s still a very old flier hanging on one of the stall doors, advertising a school play that never happened.

You rush to the sinks, and turn on the cold faucet water. You grip the sides of the sink with ferocity, and dare to look at your reflection.

There was no way you looked cute in this moment. That guy was either extremely thirsty or a cruel liar-- your hair was matted, eyes drooped and tired. You’re sure that your dark circles never looked darker. A wave of embarrassment overcomes you at the realization that you slept next to cute Akaashi looking like this...

You shake yourself of those thoughts, and look at yourself with hardened resolve. You splash your face with cold water, and that wakes you up a bit. Deep breath in, deep breath out. This is only temporary, just until you can gather your thoughts, enough supplies, and enough courage to travel to Ohio alone. This is only temporary…

But it’s your life now.

Meanwhile...

S1 Ep4: Phantom Traveler

Previously on Supernatural: Led Zeppelin Rules!

---

“Great.” A young woman grumbled as her music went out. Pulling her iphone out she saw the black screen with a massive empty battery sign in the center, “Dead” she grumbled. Bending in her seat, Anathema Device tried to dig in her carry on, hoping to find her charges. Luckily she found it easily, unfortunately she couldn’t actually find a charging port. Of course this little country hopper plane wouldn't have one, hopefully she could charge her phone before getting on her international flight to the U.K.

Huffing, she flopped back unsure what to do, she could read from Agnes again. She wouldn't be bothered if she did, the person beside her was fast asleep. As she bent over again, she heard the distinct hug of biker boots pound on the slightly hollow cabin floor. Looking up she saw an intense looking guy approach, he looked kind of nauseous. Hopefully he wouldn't stink up the bathroom directly  behind her seat, the flight had only just started and she did not want to send the rest of it inhaling vomit.

“Hi.” The man said, talking with the stewardess back there.

“Can I help you with something?” The young woman asked. Whatever the man said, something about an uneasy flyer, as if the pallor on his face didn't give that away, the stewardess responded with the forced politeness all women knew. OH great this guy was trying to one her. Anathema rolled her eyes, even on a flight. Some mine just never knew when to keep to themselves. 

Bending forward, Anathema craned her neck trying to see what was happening. The Stewardess was busy trying to prepare her drink cart and the man was just standing there. He had his hands in his pocket throwing these smiles that Anathema was sure many women found charming.

Even though she couldn't make out exactly what was being said, Anathema could tell that the Stewardess would rather this guy leave her alone to do her work. This guy couldn't take the hint though and just kept pestering him with questions.

The conversation seemed to come to an end but the guy just wouldn't leave. Then he mumbled something but she could barely make out what it was. The Stewardess didn't seem to understand either. “I’m Sorry. Did you say something?”

“Cristo? Nothing. Never mind.” Suddenly the man came through the curtain divider, slamming herself back into her seat, Anathema closed just as the strange man left down the aisle again.

“Cristo?” What the... why was this weirdo mumbling Latin? Sitting back, Anathema closed just as the strange man left down the aisle again. 

Just as Anathema was finally getting comfortable again she noted the same man was up again. This time he was just slowly walking down the aisle like he was looking for something. In his hand was a massive ipod that he was stupidly sweeping side to side. Good lord, this man must have a few screws loose... or. A tiny terrified voice in her head whispered horrible thoughts. What if he was a threat. What is he planning? What if something was happening to the plane.

That couldn't be though, Agnes would have told her... wouldn't she. Anathema mentally scrolled through every prophecy she could remember. Bits and pieces of thousands of short cantos wheezed by in her mind.

“Excuse me,” Anathema looked up to see the stewardess giving her a polite smile. “ Would you like something to drink?” Even as she asked her eyes kept flitting back to the bizarre man stalking the aisle.

“Oh, no I am okay,” She thanked the woman who stopped her as she meant to walk away, “Actually though, I couldn't help but overhear that man” She pointed to the weirdo at the front end of the plane “talking with you. Are you okay?”

The Stewardess gave a slight put upon sigh but smile anyways. “Yes I am alright. It happens all the time unfortunately.”

“Guy hit on you all the time?”

“Yeah, they get it in their heads that the mile high club is a thing and every hostess wants to sleep with them. You know because all a woman wants to do is have sex while working.” She rolled her eyes and spoke with utter contempt. She had that universal look on her face that said ‘men’. Anathema smiled in companionship, yeah she knew a little of what the poor stewardess was though. She learned quickly in her early 20s, every time she mentioned being a witch the first question out of dates mouths would be “So you like to dance naked right?”

Finally, he was back at his seat, maybe the idiot would sit down. Instead of sitting though, he stood and talked with an even taller man. Several people were shooting the men uncomfortable looks, but they seemed fully oblivious of that fact. They talk for a moment, before the tall one swivels and starts to march down the aisle towards them.

“Oh great,” The hostess huffs, “The cavalry is here.”

“Please let me know if I can help.” Anathema gives her hand a squeeze then let's go to allow the woman to slip back behind the curtain.

“She is not gonna believe this.” The taller man said as he passed Anathema’s seat. Immediately followed by the original pervert who whispered back, “12 minutes, Dude.” A sentence that made anathema’s hair stand on end. Hovering her hand over her seat belt, she prepared to stand up and interrupt the trio, lie about needing the bathroom or something just to get them to leave the stewardess alone.

“What can I do for you?” the woman askes, sounding far more tired than she did while talking with Anathema.

“This is gonna sound... don’t have.... The truth is out there speech..” What the hell kind of pickup line was that?

“We know... Flight 2485.” The only man interjects. 2485 why did that sound familiar? Anathema strained to hear everything they trip said but the men were talking quietly. She could only parse out a handful of words, broken phrases like  “Mechanical failure”, “happening again”, “Not gonna hurt you”, “Chuck”, “Amanda”, “eyes” and “copilot.” Just as Anathema was about to get up and come to the Stewardess' help, the other woman came through the curtain.

She tried to stop the stewardess but the woman was frantically heading towards the cockpit. Whatever these men said to her, they had thoroughly scared the woman. She was knocking on the cockpit door. Maybe reporting the two men to the pilots. Good, Anathema hopped they would be told to sit down and shut up.

With a satisfied smile Anathema watches as the co-pilot and stewardess march to the back of the plane. She was looking forward to hearing the chewing out these two jerks were about to get.

Just as the copilot enters the back cabin she heard the last thing she expected. With a loud thud and stubble it sounded like someone had just been punched in the face. The sounds of fighting just kept happening, growling louder and unnoticed by all the other passengers who were plugged into their devices.

Holy hell, were they guys attacking the pilot. There had to be something in the book about this? Throwing open her book, she started to smell burning and sulfur, making her nearly frantic as she desperately searched. 2485. 2485. That was important, she knows she has ready 2485 before. Just as the stewardess came out to stand in front of the curtain, Anathema remembered the exact page she needed. Quickly, Anathema flipped through the book, trying to find the appropriate prophecy. Three on page 695 Agnese's tight tight clean cursive was the passage.

When survivor of 2485metal flies with hundreds ascend the skye Brothers two, of witchfinder new, will split wonne made two and raise thee up once again.

Then suddenly, the plane just dropped from the sky.

Riding a rollercoaster is the most common metaphor one makes when talking about the pitting feeling in your stomach. That isn't quite right though. When one falls from the sky it doesn’t feel so much like your on a rollercoaster. It in fact feels like that moment when you miss-calculate how many steps you need to go and your foot suddenly falls down an unforeseen distance. That suddenly sick tight stressor runs up your spine, making your muscles tight and your breath gasping in an aborted scream that you don't fully have time to give. It is like that but has a thousand steps, respective and constant.

Everyone in the cabin was suddenly alert and screaming. The lights flickered and the cabin began rattles. Anathema clutched Agnes’s book to her chest and held in her screams as her eyes teared up in terror.

Instantly the curtains flew open and one of the men stumbled down the aisle. He hit the ground almost instantly but kept crawling, he was hell bent to keep going. Alarms blared, the air masks dropped and screaming kept going. Anathema's ears popped as the air pressure changed quickly as they fell closer and closer to earth.

Lightning hit the plane, coursing around the cabin, rolling along the walls and ceiling. The plane seemed to catch air and start flying once more. Where it was the stress or air pressure of shear relief at surviving, Anathema blacked out until they landed. Anathema’s stomach settled and she nearly cried with relief. Thankfully within the hour, they had landed. She couldn't get off that plane faster. 

Unfortunately for her, she still had an international flight to make. She had an Apocalypse to avert.

Did this have to be a good omen X SPN cross over? No. Do I regret anything? absolutely not! Also I thought the last episode was dark. This one drops two plane out of the sky. In 2005 like that was most American’s biggest nightmare in those days. 

On screen Body Count: 142

we’re the fortunate ones

Chapter Two of my entry for @b99fandomevents 2020 Vision Challenge! 

season two:  maybe I’m afraid of the way I love you (ao3) 🥂

Amy drops with a heavy flop into the padded outdoor chair, ignoring the annoyed grunt that falls from her brother Chris’s mouth as she holds her wine glass high in one hand in order to save her drink from spilling.  Mama Santiago’s Sangria was potent, but delicious, and needed to be Protected At All Costs.

“No please, don’t mind me at all.”  Chris muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm as he scoots towards the other edge, creating a gap between them as he goes. 

“Oh Chris,”  Amy replies, twisting in her seat to face him and resting an unsteady hand on his cheek, the other raising her glass back up to her mouth for another sip.  “You know, you might be brother number five, but you’re number one in my heart.”  

“Okay, yep.  You’re definitely drunk.”

Amy giggles, swirling the liquid in her glass and giving her brother a shrug.  “So what if I am?”  

It had been a long night at the Santiago household, with all of the family together under the one roof to celebrate the upcoming year.  Earlier in the evening Amy had been lumped with the task of entertaining her multiple nieces and nephews (a number which appeared to keep growing, year by year), and she had been so relieved when her fellow siblings had finally decided to pretend that 9pm was midnight, in the hopes that the children would crash right after.  The result was a house littered with scattered remnants of party poppers and banners, but all Santiagos under the age of eighteen were now safely tucked into their beds, and Amy could finally toast to the end of 2014.  

And in all honesty, she was glad to see the year was finally over.  It had been a confusing one, to say the least.  Helped in no way at all by her trusted partner dropping a Romantic Stylez shaped bomb on her before going undercover for six months without another word.  

Extending his own drink out, Chris taps the edge of his glass against Amy’s, the tiny clink so soft that the sound is barely audible.  “Are we drinking to remember, or drinking to forget?”

Amy scrunches up her face, weighing out the options.  She can still recall the moment with perfect clarity, all these months later.  Standing outside the precinct, feeling the cool breeze against her skin as she stopped to wish her partner good luck on his assignment.  The look on Jake’s face - oddly clear of all facades, with only a mixture of fear and hope remaining - as he told her how he felt.  Her hand gripping the strap of her purse just that little bit tighter as he spoke, eyebrows bent with confusion as her overactive (and sometimes frustrating) partner said the last thing she’d expected him to say.  The way her world seemed to shift from it’s comfortably slow and steady spin as he walked away, tilting onto an entirely new axis that pulled her into a stunned silence for god knows how long - breaking free only after a fellow officer passed her and wished her goodnight.  

And then there was Teddy.  Sweet, safe, reliable Teddy.  Who probably would have made an excellent (if not a little boring) long term boyfriend, if said partner hadn’t reappeared from undercover; denying then readmitting the truth behind his confession all within a day.  Reminding her - without even trying - of a night not so long ago, conducting surveillance on a rooftop that had played on her mind for days afterwards, and the strange little skip her heart would sometimes do when Jake smiled at her like she was the only one in the room.  

So they’d broken up, in a spectacularly awkward evening far too far from home, and now she was single and he was dating the kind of woman you’d expect to see on a billboard somewhere.  Jake was happy - happy without Amy - and no matter how hard she tried, Amy just could not get him out of her mind.

“Forget” she replies, draining her glass in one final gulp.  “Definitely to forget.”

Chris nods, reaching for the pitcher on a nearby table and refilling Amy’s glass.  “Drinking to forget it is.”

But try as she might, Amy can’t forget.  And as her phone buzzes against her thigh, from it’s position safely tucked into the front pocket of her jeans, she knows all the reasons why.

The texts between them had started out so simple earlier in the evening - Jake texting to double check that Amy hadn’t been called in to cover ‘some stupid assignment’ because ‘working two new years in a row would be a crappy move on Holt’s part but not unlikely’.  It had been sweet of him to do so, and Amy hadn’t been able to stop smiling for a good ten minutes after she had responded, confirming that she was in fact nowhere near work this evening.   

And then he had kept texting her, because it’s been close to four years working together now and somewhere along the way they had become friends as well as partners, and friends texted each other on New Years Eve.  And maybe she should stop replying, so that he stops texting her - because she really needs to get over him and moments like these really weren’t helping - but also maybe she doesn’t want to stop at all.  

Pulling out her phone, Amy unlocks her screen and grins at the latest text: a gif, of a drunk woman dancing - obviously supposed to be her after three drinks.  Completely ridiculous but also kind of hilarious and exactly what she’d expect to get from Jake after sending him a picture of her sangria.  

“Oh, I see - ” Chris’s insinuating voice breaks through the comfortable silence as he looks over Amy’s shoulder, sneaking a peak at her phone.  “You’re trying to forget someone, not something.”  He raises an eyebrow, shaking his head.  “You’re gonna need a lot more drinks then, chiquita.”

“I’m older than you, tonto.” Amy mutters, tapping out a quick reply and shoving her phone away before her brother can tease her any further.  “And besides, there’s nothing to ‘get over’.  That was Jake.  He’s my partner, and we’re friends.  It’s perfectly normal for friends to text each other.”

“Yep, sure.”  Her brother nods, giving her that totally disbelieving look that he’s thrown at her a thousand times before, and Amy rolls her eyes in preparation for his inevitable comeback.  “And friends totally get goopy-schmooey eyes whenever they see texts from each other.  Blush and bite their lip and do all those other totally normal things that you’ve been doing all night.”  He points with the hand still wrapped around his glass, one finger sticking out in accusation.  “You’re not as sly as you think you are, detective.”

“I so have NOT done any of tha- okay fine, I like him.”  Maybe it was the wine swimming around her belly, or maybe she was just so damn tired of hiding the reality of all of this even from herself.  Whatever it is, Amy finds herself twisting in place, leaning towards her brother and divulging it all:  from Jake’s admittance of feelings and Amy’s decision to keep dating Teddy; right down to the inevitably horrible breakup in front of Jake and his stupidly hot girlfriend.  She ends it all with a sigh, finishing her drink in a single gulp and dumping the glass onto the table with a thud, dropping her head into her hands.  “I like him SO much, Chris.  It’s just the worst right now.  We keep saying to each other that it’s in the past, but it isn’t really.  Not for me, anyway.”

Her brother leans back in his chair, not speaking, and the silence is so deafening that Amy lifts her head to look over at him.  With one hand resting against the armrest and the other stroking his chin, he appears deep in thought and (after what feels like forever) he clears his throat.  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk this way about a guy before.”

Flickering her eyes back to the glass, Amy shrugs in defeat.  It would appear that Seven Drink Amy makes alcohol turn into truth serum.   “In vino veritas, I guess.”

Chris nods, eyes trailing over to the game of cups that Tony and Ricardo are playing in the distance before returning back to Amy.  “Maybe.  Or maybe … there’s more on the line this time.  He’s your partner, right?  Once the two of you ring that bell, there wouldn’t be any turning back.  And I think that scares the hell out of you.”

Amy nods, suddenly not trusting herself to respond.  It does scare the hell out of her.  She’s seen it all fall apart so many times before - colleagues transferring departments when things turn sour; holiday parties with both sides avoiding each other.  Not to mention the awkward distance she put between herself and Teddy whenever they were forced to cross paths.  The thought of having to go through any of that with Jake … even if she took all of the Feels out of the equation, he is still one of her closest friends, and one of the few people who understand her for who she is.  The thought of having to spend her day avoiding his smile, or to change precincts and move away from the people that have become her second family, made her feel physically ill.   

She’s never been one to back down from a challenge.  But maybe this time, the risks were too high to ignore.  

Looking over at Chris, Amy gives him what she hopes is a convincingly carefree smile.  “Never thought I’d hear such wisdom from you, manito.”

A steady hand reaches out, shoving Amy’s shoulder gently, and she laughs.  “Whatever, Amy.”  Chris mumbles, standing up to join their brothers.  “Seriously, though.  If this guy doesn’t come to his senses soon, it is absolutely his loss.  We Santiagos are good people, and you’re the best sister I’ve ever known”

Type A Amy wants to pipe up with a correction, and remind her brother that she is, in fact, the ONLY sister he’s ever known.  But the sentiment is sweet, and her phone is buzzing in her pocket again, and so she smiles at her brother’s parting figure, digging into her pocket with an eagerness she doesn’t even try to hide.  

Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe this time, she was in over her head.  

*

Jake slides a palm against his face as he walks towards the bar, leaning against the granite top as he repeats his order and settles on a stool to wait.  Tonight was dragging a little more than he had anticipated, and right now he needed a moment away from the crowd.

He knows, for all intent and purposes, that he should be out there mingling with the crowd.  Making small talk with the relatively familiar faces of the people that made up Sophia’s office, and put on his best Perfect Boyfriend face.  But as the night wears on, and he’s needed to encounter so many Ghosts of Courtrooms Past, it was getting increasingly difficult for him to pretend that he isn’t an island surrounded by a sea of monsters.  

(He’d texted something similar to Amy earlier in the evening, and she quoted some sort of poem about no men not being islands and oh how she’s a dork.)

The material of the tuxedo that Sophia made him rent rubs up against his wrist uncomfortably, and he fiddles with the inside seam as he waits.  There was only ten minutes until 2015 would begin, and he wants to get these glasses of champagne over to Sophia before the clock ticks over.  But there is one thing playing on his mind, and his fingers are itching to pull out his phone again and text Amy real quick - so under the guise of checking the time, he slides his phone from his pocket and begins typing rapidly.  

JP:  Do you know what I could really go for right now?

Her reply is swift, and briefly Jake wonders why she isn’t busy this close to midnight.

AS:  No? 

A soft smile crosses over his face at the memory.

JP:  One of those firework cupcakes we had last year. 

AS:  !!! The firework cupcakes! Honestly, those cupcakes were the best I’ve ever had.

JP:  The best I’ve ever had, title of my sextape.

AS:  🙄

His grin is bright as the bartender places two glasses of champagne in front of him, and Jake nods his thanks as he tucks his phone away again, grabbing the drinks and heading back into the fray.

Searching through the crowd, his eyes finally land on Sophia, her dark hair falling seamlessly down her back as she chats with her boss.  She’d chosen a simple blue dress for the occasion, hugging her figure in a complimentary way, and Jake tries his best to forget that the first time he saw it on the hanger in her apartment his mind had flashed back to the plastic-polyester blended monstrosity that he’d forced Amy to wear when he’d won the bet.  

There were a lot of reasons why a detective of the NYPD dating a defence attorney wouldn’t work, but Jake is glad that the two of them are doing their best to prove it all wrong.  Rosa had been right - the only way to move on from Amy was to move on, and Sophia had arrived into his life at just the right time.  Sure, it wasn’t ideal that  - despite their best efforts - they cannot seem to form a shared social group.  And that conversations about work never ended amicably, or that sometimes the resulting silence stretched out for a little too long until one of them (usually Sophia) initiated sex.  The point was, things were Totally Fine and he was definitely over Amy.

Sophia smiles at Jake as he hands her a glass of champagne, using her free hand to tuck the edge of his tuxedo collar down.  “Thanks, Jake.  Ready to count in 2015?”

Jake ignores the vibration of his phone in his pocket, smiling excitedly at his girlfriend as the band on stage begins to countdown.  Sophia’s palm remains flat against his chest as they share a chaste kiss at the stroke of midnight, whispering happy new year in that soft voice he’s grown so fond of, and when she steps away to wish her colleagues the same sentiment Jake begins to wonder if this could be the beginning of love.  That maybe love was about compromise: about changing to fit into the other’s world.  She seems to really like him, and he definitely likes her, and when they’re not avoiding certain topics they get on really well.  It’s possible that this whole time, his impression of what love should be has been completely wrong … and it was time to try again.

There’s more buzzing in his pocket as an additional text comes through, and with a quick glance towards Sophia, Jake retrieves his phone again.  It’s from Amy; this time accompanied with a selfie with her and several of her brothers, and Jake’s heart does a tiny backflip as he studies the photo of his partner.  She looks so relaxed and happy, holding up a tiny sparkler to the camera, and briefly he’s taken back a year - to a moment in an unmarked police car with surprise cupcakes and absolutely no bad guys.  A time before unsolicited admissions of affection and ‘maybe, yes, a little’s.  He scrolls ahead, reading the text below:

AS: Happy New Year, Jake.  Here’s to new beginnings. 

And he’s definitely over it all, but Jake’s heart still beats just that little bit faster when he scrolls back up to her photo.  Be that as it may, he’s here with Sophia; and the idea of the two of them together deserve a fighting chance, and so he sends Amy a quick reply before shoving his phone back into his pocket, distracting himself for the rest of the evening from the fact that he doesn’t hear from Amy again.

Meanwhile, on the other side of New York at her parent’s holiday house in The Hamptons, Amy switches her phone off - joining her brothers in a toast to the future, holding a single resolution in her head.  One simple rule, that will avoid all the potential for mess and force her to get over her ridiculous crush because no rule was made to be broken: no dating cops.  

If only she could have realised just how impossible that was going to be.  

Sleep on the floor

“Pack yourself a toothbrush dear,

Pack yourself a favourite blouse,

Take a withdrawal slip,

Take all of your savings out,

Because if we don’t leave this town,

We might never make it out,”

-Sleep on the floor, The Lumineers

Warnings: Breakups, reckless decisions, NSFW (18+), There Was Only one Bed

Ship: Logince

Plot: When Roman turns up on Logan’s doorstep in the middle of the night demanding a road trip, Logan has many ways to say no, but he doesn’t.

It’s 3AM and Logan is blearily waking to knocking at his door. Still dressed in his sleepwear and with his hair in seven different directions, the young man grabs his glasses, rubs his eyes and makes his way downstairs to see who it is. “Roman?” he mutters, voice rough with sleep at the sight of his best friend since pre-school (Who had only grown more childish as he got older). 

“Run away with me for a few days,” it sounds more like a demand than a question and one that Logan wouldn’t have been able to answer at such an early hour coherently. “You can nap in the car, I just need to get out of here for a while,” They’d never even left the town before, both still figuring out their lives in the slowest way possible “I’m tired of this place but I don’t want to be alone,”

The logical thing to do would be to tell Roman to go home and sleep, they can talk in the morning, plan this properly. But there’s something in the younger man’s voice that sounds so close to heartbreak, like he’s about to start crying if he thinks for a second longer, that has Logan shrugging and wandering back inside. “Let me just pack some things,” Toothbrush, underwear, some clean shirts, and his blanket, all shoved into a bag (except the blanket, which is draped around his shoulders). Bits and pieces that he needs, including his laptop. He throws everything into the backseat and huddles up in the front with the blanket around his shoulders. Roman sits in the driver’s seat and sorts out the music. “Why?” Logan, having finally woken up a bit, asks quietly. 

“Just tired,” And then he starts to drive. 

Roman is infamously reckless and Logan knows for certain this is a bad idea, but instead of worrying about that, he falls asleep.

When he wakes up it’s because Roman is nudging him slightly “Gas stop, also I figured you’d need to pee by now,” Logan nods and rubs his eyes, chucking his blanket on the backseat and grabbing some clothes to change into. He gives the station attendant an awkward nod, but the scrawny teenage boy looks mostly like he’d seen weirder things than a twenty-two year old in his pyjamas. 

Logan changes, combs his hair, washes his face and folds his pyjamas under his arm, still looking tired in the early morning as he tried to remember if Roman said where they were going “Where are we going?” He asks, after buying breakfast. 

“No idea,” His friend replies as they exit the gas station, the warm golden light of the morning looking wonderful on his brown skin. Logan flushes at the internal monologue and nods, his brain reminding him he isn’t a morning person as he sips a coffee he’d bought inside. “It’s a city, I’ve booked us a hotel for a couple of nights, another hour from here, but we’ve been driving for five,” 

“What exactly have you dragged me into?” His lips quirk into a small smile despite the clipped question, it wouldn’t quite be their friendship if his best friend wasn’t constantly dragging him into some sort of strange situation. “And also, why?” 

“Do you ever feel like life is suffocating you,” Logan’s eyebrows furrow “Figuratively, I’m not dying,” Roman gets a shrug in return, sort of, the intellect supposes silently to himself. “Me and Virgil broke up,” Oh. “And I was getting so sick of the same houses, same faces, everything I've seen my entire life I just...I felt like someone had their hand around my throat and...” “Trapped, you felt trapped,” 

“Yeah,”

“I understand,” Logan sips his coffee again “I’m chasing the music now though,” 

--

The hotel is quite nice. Logan had spent the last hour staring at cars and trees and buildings, everything is so much bigger in the city and he finds he rather adores the speed in which everything seems to move here. The destination is pretty too. 

Roman sighs a little as he stares into the room “Small problem,” He leans against the wall and bites the inside of his cheek. 

“If you’re about to say there’s only one bed I’m going to...I don’t even know,” Logan snorts as he rests his bag down and shakes his head “I’m not that awful, you’re the one that snores,” 

“I do not!” They both laugh and flop back on the bed, staring up at the blue ceiling. Logan can feel Roman’s arm brush against his own. He smiles in response to the touch that is barely there at all. He’s always been able to count on Roman for company. 

They go out and see the city, Roman demands he gets some pictures of Logan who barely smiles on a good day but for Roman will grin like a fool (as fools in love generally do). Roman smiles at every picture he takes, especially as he tucks a flower behind Logan’s ear and the man blushes like a teenager, looking down at his feet with that soft and shy smile that he gives when he doesn’t know how to react. 

Roman doesn’t really know why he’s never told Logan he has a nice smile, he feels like he should have. 

When they’ve finished being tourists for the day they both head back to the hotel, legs aching and giggling with cans of lemonade in their hands as they make their way inside. Roman calls dibs on the shower and Logan lies down looking exhausted. 

He doesn’t stay very exhausted when the younger man comes out of the shower, dark hair still dripping little droplets of water onto his bare shoulders. The elder must have gone through several shades of red as he stares before tripping over his words and his own feet to get into the bathroom, barely breathing at all. Roman is so pretty. 

Like a piece of art. Logan’s bad with emotions but when he’s in love he becomes stupidly poetic. 

He has his shower, dries off, changing into his pyjamas and clambers into bed, their backs against each other’s, feeling the warmth coming from their bodies. “Hey Lo?” Logan hums “Mind if I have a hug?” He sounds vulnerable, voice shaking a little, as afraid of rejection as ever but given the circumstances this seems to have unfurled tenfold. Logan turns around and wraps his arms around his best friend, and Roman almost forgets how to breathe. 

It felt nice, it felt safe. 

--

“You came all this way to go to an aquarium?” Logan snorts the next morning as Roman waves a leaflet into his face, buttoning up his shirt with a smile. “I do like fish, and the sea, and everything the sea contains,” Roman wouldn’t admit that’s why he wants to go to the aquarium. They’d been to one before, as children, and he knows his friend well enough o know he’ll have the same dopey and dazed smile he’d had when they were kids. 

(He did) 

They walk around the glass tanks and tunnels and Logan names most of them from memory alone, whilst Roman stares at him like he’d created the sun with his bare hands, a smile tugging at his lips that reminded him why there had been a distance between them in the first place. 

He loves Logan. He’d always loved Logan, as a friend, as his best friend he’d been the most important person to exist. So much that he’d barely noticed when the platonic love shifted into romantic, and that his boyfriend would probably not like that. The younger isn’t brave enough to tell Logan that Virgil broke up with him because anyone with eyes can see that there’s no one Roman loves more than Logan. Even with the forced separation. 

And now that he can finally stand by his side and give him those excruciating heart eyes he doesn’t know how to tell him he’d rather stare at Logan than anything else this city has to offer. That this is all really just an excuse to exist with the person he loves without interruptions or judgment, just him and Logan and a big city.

After the aquarium they walk around, get coffee and sit in a big park, Roman swings on the swings whilst Logan tells him he’s a big child in a teasing way. They sit by a fountain and watch the sunset, Roman’s head leaning on his best friend’s shoulder as they sip coffee from a styrofoam cup. The sky is painted in purples and dark blues, pinks and violet, like someone had crafted this moment in a painting and wasn’t a chance circumstance. 

As they’re walking back to their room, Roman bites his lip and takes a deep breath before brushing his fingers against the back of Logan’s hand, his eyes anywhere but on the other man, as their fingers interlock and sway beside them. Roman might be blushing a little but the setting sun makes it hard to tell. When they get to the room and their fingers fall apart from each other’s Logan’s breath runs a little short and he’s aware he’s blushing as he scrambles for his keycard. 

By the time they’ve gotten inside the tension is so thick a knife could only try to cut through it, resting their coffee cups on the table as Logan goes to speak, but stutters instead when he meets Roman’s eyes. He breathes slowly because the look is something he’d never seen on his best friend’s face, lip between his teeth, eyes wide and skin flushed. 

They both barely blink, waiting, seeing, like startled animals caught in the headlights of a car as they both wonder who is going to make the first move. 

It’s Roman. He steps closer until they’re merely inches apart, giving Logan time to step away if he needs it. But the other man only caves, cupping Roman’s face at the same time he’s pressed against the wall and their lips meet. The short’s body caves against his friend’s, hands trembling a little as his fingers curl through Logan’s shirt. 

A scramble to get out of clothes, barely able to pull away to rid Roman of his shirt, and then Logan’s buttons take so long that the younger gives in and just yanks it open, a few buttons popping off. “I liked that shirt,” Logan laughs breathlessly against the other’s lips as it’s pushed off of his shoulders. Roman’s fingertips feel so warm against his body that he shivers under the touch. They trail down his stomach and dip under his pants’ waistline, squeezing him through his boxers. 

Logan moans softly against Roman’s lips, a cuss on his lips as he arches into the touch and the younger swallows every pretty sound he makes. “Bed,” He finally stammers out as the other withdraws and before he knows it he’s on his back on the soft, white sheets, staring up at the man he’d known his entire life with a look that only he can get from Logan. Trust. Content. A smile. 

Roman’s hips slot between Logan’s thighs, his lips trailing to the other man’s neck, then down, leaving soft kisses against pale skin down to his abdomen, tugging his pants and underwear down. If it were anyone else the elder man would feel too exposed, too vulnerable, but those were things he never had felt around Roman. 

Then his head disappears between his partners thighs and Logan’s lips part in a gasped moan, hands knotting in his partners hair as he utters words between praise and a montage of swearing. Roman thinks it’s cute that he falls apart so easily, taking his cock down his throat and running his tongue along the underside. 

He looks up through his long lashes to study Logan in a way he’d only dreamed of seeing him, chest heaving and back arched, his hair splayed out against the pillow and eyes screwed shut, cheeks flush and lips damp with spit as he enjoys the pleasure. Roman wishes he could play that on repeat forever, but instead settles for hoping he’ll get to see it again. 

By the time Logan climaxes with a shuddery breath Roman has decided he doesn’t want it to be repaid, tasting the other man on his tongue as he crawls up his body to grab a slow kiss from his best friend. “You’re so pretty,” he whispers, voice scratchy from their activities. “ Fuck, you’re so fucking pretty,” Logan flushes under the touch as they pull apart, a dazed smile on his lips. “You also look exhausted,” 

“A little, it’s been a while,”

“I can tell,” Logan bats at his chest weakly at the teasing as the other finishes undressing. “Cuddles?” 

“You don’t want me to...?”

“Maybe tomorrow if you want, right now you look like you’re about to pass out,” 

Logan laughs shortly, but even that sounds exhausted “Maybe,” 

--

They wake up tangled in each other and the bedsheets, warm bodies pressed against each other in the early golden light. They’ll have to hit the road back home at some point, but that’s a problem for them in a few hours. Roman presses against his lover, sighing softly at the feeling of soft skin everywhere. “I’m just going to pop to the shop around the corner to get some snacks,” He mutters in Logan’s ear. The elder hums in response, rolls over and resumes his slumber. 

By the time he’s come back from the shop Logan has started to wake up a little, looking stunning as the white sheets curl around his legs but expose pretty much all of him, the sunlight shining across his pale skin in patches. It makes him look like a pretty polaroid picture someone found from years ago. 

Logan blinks awake as the door opens and a bag drops down, followed by Roman’s clothes as he crawls back into the bed, leaving everything in a pile next to the side of the bed. Logan curls up against him, his back pressed to Roman’s chest as the other’s hand trails down his body, lips pressing kisses to his neck. “Having a nice dream?” The younger teases, nails grazing the other’s hips, resting near the other’s half-hard cock. Logan snorts and tilts his head back to receive a soft kiss. 

“I was, someone woke me up,” Logan replies with an equally teasing tone “But I assume you’ll make it up to me?” Roman laughs and nips lightly at his skin, taking the invitation to stroke the other slowly, still a little tired himself. 

“How slow do you want to take this?” He asks softly. 

“It’s been about five years since I had my first wet dream about you,” Logan laughs, pressing his ass back against Roman, their hips flush against each other “I think we’ve been taking it slow enough,” He can’t argue with that. He leans over the side of the bed to rummage through the bag, grabbing the bottle of lube he bought and peeling the plastic off with his teeth. “So much for just snacks,” 

“Well I could fuck you dry but then you’d complain about it for a week, safe sex practices Logan, I thought you knew better than that,” He chuckles, his laughter decorated with little kisses to his partner’s shoulder. Logan laughs too, resting his leg over Roman’s as the other man’s slick fingers press to his entrance, stretching him open. 

It feels much more relaxed, the frenzy of last night and the suddenness of the realisation that they couldn’t hold off any longer had melted away. Tired, and relaxed in the early morning, Roman takes his time and Logan sighs with soft noises of satisfaction and pleasure, letting the other man explore his body and familiarise himself with things he’d only dreamed about before.

Roman had never imagined that he’d be so patient, as he is now, shifting his hips in and out of Logan, listening to the gentle, tired sounds that left the other’s mouth as the younger kisses his neck and their fingers intertwine, taking it easy for now. 

Later of course, when they’re both a little more awake and frantically chasing a climax, They’d change positions, Roman between Logan’s legs and hovering over his body as they exchange frantic kisses, leaving marks all over each other with teeth and nails. Roman would fuck Logan breathless, leave him panting and begging for more until they both fall apart with the sheer euphoria of lust and new love that is much older than they both realise.

--

The drive home is long and Logan sleeps through most of it with a pleased smile on his lips, purple bruises staining his pale skin that not even his collared shirts can hide. He’ll press against them absentmindedly until they fade, and Roman will admire the artwork he made on the other’s body. 

And then next time Roman asks Logan to run away with him, he won’t hesitate in the slightest before saying yes. 

--

ko-fi

i have returned with an offering of fraldarddyd:

between bouts

Felix landed on the ground with a humiliating thump, his blade clattering uselessly into the dust. He rolled his eyes when Dimitri started talking.

“You were so focused on parrying that you let me trip you easily,” the prince of Faerghus mused from above him, the sunlight glistening on the steel head of his training lance and tracing his fine silhouette. “Next time, make sure to be aware of every—”

“Oh, will you stop!” Felix exclaimed, thrashing his legs in annoyance and making furrows in the dirt with his heels. “I get it. I’m not as good as you. I never will be.”

Dimitri sighed and flopped down next to his friend, the pair lying head to head in the center of the deserted training grounds. They had been up since sunrise, sparring together—along with Ingrid and Sylvain, who had recently ditched them for breakfast—in preparation for the mock battles that were to occur later in the day, and the only thing Felix gained was fatigue and a newfound appreciation for sitting.

“Don’t give me that, Felix,” Dimitri muttered. “We both know I’m useless with a sword. You’d easily best me if it weren’t for the fact that I had a lance with me.”

“And we also know that I’m useless without a sword,” Felix grumbled, folding his arms indignantly. “I think my second best weapon would be a staff. I could heal everyone from really, really far away, so as no one punches me and kills me instantly.”

Dimitri grinned, then laughed, his hand traveling from his heaving chest to his sweaty face. He always covered his face when he laughed; Felix never knew why, though he never really thought of asking before. It was always just a part of Dimitri, just as diplomacy and nitpicking was a part of him, too.

After a bit of comfortable silence, both young men regaining their lost breath, Felix cleared his throat. “Why do you…do that when you laugh?”

Felix glanced sideways to where Dimitri lay beside him, staring into the cloudless morning sky. “What do you mean?”

“You know, you kinda…cover your mouth with your hand. Why do you do that? Does your breath smell especially bad when you laugh?” Felix taunted, his innocent question subconsciously turning into a jibe.

Dimitri smirked and elbowed Felix in the ribs. “Of course not. At least, I hope.” Felix smiled to himself as the prince awkwardly checked his breath.

“Then why?”

“Does it matter?”

“…Well, I guess not. I was just wondering, is all. Besides, your hand muffles your laugh, and it doesn’t sound as good when it’s muffled.”

Felix’s own hand suddenly flew to his mouth, and Dimitri was silent. Felix didn’t dare to look at his childhood friend; he felt that if he did, he would die on the spot.

The air felt thicker than usual now.

“…Felix,” Dimitri said quietly after a long time, and Felix had to focus to breathe now. “Is there something you want to say to me?”

The fact that he could hear the prince’s smile made Felix even more embarrassed, and his voice squeaked a little when he replied, “No…?”

“Are you feeling a certain way?” Dimitri pried again, amusement bubbling in his often calm, level voice.

“I feel sweaty,” Felix replied stupidly, “if that helps at all.” He felt he was digging himself into a deeper hole with every word he spoke.

Felix heard another muffled snicker, and he chanced a look at the prince, about to chastise him for covering his face again. 

Dimitri was lying on his side now, his sky blue eyes gazing fondly at his friend. His right hand covered the bridge of his nose and the edge of his lips, and his head rested on the crook of his left arm, a couple strands of his blonde hair sticking to his forehead from perspiration. Felix lost feeling in his limbs, and blood rushed up into his face.

“To answer your question…my nose wrinkles a little whenever I laugh, and it looks weird. I just don’t like getting picked on for it.”

Felix woke from his stupor in a wave of anger. “People pick on you for how you laugh?” he demanded, and Dimitri’s warm gaze suddenly faded as he looked away.

“Well, not really. Not anymore. But back when we were little, some older kids would…” Dimitri shook his head, as if to dismiss the topic. “It doesn’t matter any longer.”

“Those…those—” Felix couldn’t find a word in his vocabulary to describe his hatred. He struck the ground beneath him with the side of his fist. “They’d poke fun at the prince of Faerghus? They’d really dare to do that?”

“It doesn’t matter, really,” Dimitri insisted, sounding nervous. “It’s all in the past. Besides, it didn’t bother me much—”

“You’re really going to lie to me like that?” Felix interrupted, and Dimitri looked up at him in surprise. “Those…freaks made you change the way you—you express your happiness! It’s like a grasshopper getting one of its leg chopped off, and telling you not to worry since it can still walk with five!”

Dimitri stared in shock at Felix, who stared back, his amber eyes narrowed. The silence that fell over them was not comfortable.

“Besides,” Felix added after a while, folding his arms again. “If your laugh was anything like your smile, then I’m sure it’d be pretty cute.”

Dimitri’s eyes softened, and he stared up into the sky again without a word. Felix, however, wanted to get trampled by a horse. Cute? Cute? He’d never used that word once in his entire life.

The sun was rising higher in the sky now, and classes would be beginning soon. Felix turned to tell Dimitri of this, but stopped when he noticed what the prince was doing.

He was touching his face with the tips of his fingers, half smiling, full smiling, then beaming widely, then frowning and shaking his head, dust dirtying his sweat-slicked hair whenever he did so.

“You don’t have to practice,” Felix murmured, and Dimitri flinched, his hand quickly retracting from his lips to his chest. His old friend turned his head to face him fully. “I just think—peh!” A couple strands of navy hair had slipped into Felix’s mouth, and Dimitri chuckled as the amber-eyed young man struggled to fish them out, and then he started to laugh as Felix nearly choked pulling them free.

“H-Hey!” Felix gasped, letting the strands of hair fall back on his face. “Stop it!” But then, he saw that Dimitri’s hands were still clasped over his sternum, and the bridge of his nose was scrunched up as he laughed, and he looked—Felix hadn’t used this word at all in his life either—adorable.

When Dimitri opened his eyes again, they were glistening with tears of happiness. He smiled, and Felix couldn’t help following suit. He tried not to leap three feet in the air when Dimitri took one of his hands, letting his fingers rest on the back of Felix’s wrist in the small space between them.

“Thank you for your counsel, Felix.” Dimitri’s voice was as soft and light as summer wind, and Felix felt a little rush of delight course through his veins at the sound of his name. “I’ll bear it all in mind.”

“Good,” Felix murmured, beaming a little wider. “I’d really like to see you be happy more often.”

“Then maybe I should take you wherever I go.” Dimitri inched his face a little closer to Felix’s on the dusty ground. “You always make me happy.”

Felix’s heart swelled, and he let his forehead rest against the prince’s. Where they lay together in the center of the training grounds, it felt still and silent, as quiet as a winter wood. Dimitri’s eyes were the moonlit sky, his even breathing the warmth of the hearth.

“What will Dedue think, if I’m following you everywhere?” Felix whispered, and Dimitri laughed a little under his breath again. It sounded like birdsong.

“Don’t think about it, while you’re still in one piece.” Dimitri laced his fingers together with Felix’s, and he closed his beautiful eyes. Felix guided a stray lock of hair behind Dimitri’s ear with his free hand, then closed his own eyes. “If you’re going to die so soon, then we have much ground to cover.”

“Please don’t say things like th—”

Felix’s remark was cut off when Dimitri crossed the space between them, placing a light kiss upon Felix’s lips. The fire that filled him was different than the kind that burned in the hearths of the dining hall; it was a golden, nourishing kind, a kind that mended him, made him forget the bad things, made him feel at peace.

It was over in an instant, but the feeling seemed to last long beyond their parting.

Felix opened his eyes, and Dimitri was watching him, blushing just a little. The sun danced on his skin and made his eyes glow with warmth.

The prince kept looking at Felix, as if he was expecting something to be said.

“Um…thanks,” Felix spluttered, and Dimitri laughed again, wrapping his arms around Felix and hugging him tightly.

“You didn’t have to say anything. I just…it only occurred to me now how handsome you are,” Dimitri mumbled into Felix’s shoulder.

“Just now?” Felix exclaimed, holding him close, and Dimitri simpered and got to his knees, taking Felix’s hand to help him up. The prince pulled and pulled, and the most he did was lift the small of Felix’s back off the ground for an instant.

“Can we stay here a little longer? I’m still tired,” Felix complained, and Dimitri sighed and folded his arms. When Felix still didn’t get up, he lay back down.

“You’re lucky I’m in love with you,” he pointed out, affection softening his words, and Felix grinned widely, letting the side of his face rest against the top of Dimitri’s head.

“Yeah. I am.”

———-

notes from bae:

GDSFHHDGFSHJFDSHGDFGDFHJHC???? IGAFSGGFUAYFG??? IM??? THIS IS SO SOFT IM GOING TO DIE????? IM CRYHIGNG?????? I???? DONT KNOW WHAT TO SAY??????