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freelancearsonist · 2 months

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Won't You Suffer for the Angels to Fly?

➔ Joel Miller x fem!Reader - 2k

➔ Joel finds religion in the last place he expected to--a preacher's daughter.

➔ Rated MA for pure blasphemy. a lot of religious imagery and defiling of holy places--please read at your own risk. unprotected p in v sex, creampie, squirting, fingering (f receiving), corruption kink, HEFTY age gap (r is early 20s [unspecified], joel is 56), reader uses feminine pronouns and has female anatomy [please let me know if i missed anything at all :)]

➔ this is for my mid to plus!sized readers :) you're beautiful and valid and i love you. this was written in basically one sitting after i binged mike flanagan's midnight mass in one night. thank you to my lovelies @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin and @shakespeareanwannabe for talking me through this <3 title is from "heaven only knows" by bob moses

The Bible teaches–at least according to what Joel was able to gleam from the Easter service–that everything happens for a reason. That every pelting raindrop in its descent from the sky, even before it lands heavy and dark in his hair or soaks the lush green landscape of Jackson, has a purpose.

He’s struggled a lot with purpose ever since hearing that existential crisis-inspiring sermon that Tommy had dragged him to.

In the preacher’s defense, it went over well with everyone else. So many people are lost nowadays, adrift in a world that doesn’t seem to have space for them. They need that hope, that reassurance that they’re here for a reason. That they’ve survived hell on earth not out of luck, but out of purpose. He pulled out the big gun that everyone needed to hear on one of the two days a year that everyone in Jackson has their ears open to him. It was tactful, and Joel has to acknowledge that. Your father is clever, if not cunning.

It’s a trait that you’ve learned directly from him, whether purposeful or not. But you sat right in the front row and nodded along to every word, accepting without thought or conflict that purpose is in every action, every reaction, every change of tide and every gust of wind.

And if everything has a purpose, your purpose must be to torture him.

You never have anything but a smile on your face for Joel. Joel, a man older than your own father, a man whose hands have broken every commandment that you hold so dear. A man that should know better than to let you get under his skin and infect his dreams.

He wonders what it would be like to hold someone so perfectly untainted in hands that have killed and destroyed and sinned. Hands that are strong, hands that are experienced, hands that are greedy. He’s certain he could teach you all about greed. He could make you beg, plead, sob for more and more and more until the only thought remaining in your pretty little head is how much you want to take from him. Until you become a glutton at the altar of his generosity.

And oh, how generous he could be once he had you begging. Minding your manners and asking nicely for what you need, of course, but he would never deny you anything you asked of him.

“Can I help you with that, Mr. Miller?” He hadn’t even noticed he was struggling–and he wouldn’t be, really, if he wasn’t so distracted. Putting new legs on a pew isn’t the issue after all; it’s the fact that you’re sitting there on the stairs that lead up to the altar and absentmindedly swinging your legs as if you’re taunting him. As if you understand that his resolve is slipping with every passing second he’s alone in this room with you.

“Joel.”

“Hmm?” You shift your posture to lean closer, and that skirt that’s already way too short to be worn by the pastor’s daughter, in a house of God of all places, rides just a little further up your deliciously full thighs.

How is he expected to work, to keep his mind on the job, when all he wants is to know what those thighs might feel like wrapped around his head?

He clears his throat and adjusts “You can call me Joel, sweetheart.”

He sees it, then. It’s so subtle, but it’s not imagined. You squirm at the pet name, at the raspy drawl of his voice, and it changes everything for him.

He sees in his mind the sweet girl, barely out of her teens, who sits in the front pew with a Bible in her lap. He sees the girl who sings so sweetly to the tune of every hymn. He sees the girl who’s so shy that she blushes every time she catches his gaze.

And then he sees everything underneath the act. He sees the girl who’s bold enough to wear a bright red dress to the Easter service. He sees the girl who makes eye contact with him across the dining hall every night to watch the way he reacts to her lips wrapped so tantalizingly smoothly around her spoon. He sees the girl who knew he would be alone in the chapel today–the girl who wore an easily accessible skirt just for the occasion.

You bookmark the page you’re on and set down the book you were reading, eyes fixated on him all the while. “Is there something I can help with, Joel?”

There certainly is, and it’s not the pew he’s supposed to be repairing.

He remembers, vaguely, hearing something about how God spares guilt from sinners when sin is necessary. It must be necessary to teach you a lesson, then–as you stride over and kneel beside him, your eyes heavy with anticipation and lashes fluttering, he doesn’t feel an ounce of guilt.

“Hasn’t your daddy taught you not to dress like this?” He takes the hem of your skirt idly in his hand, rubs the silky fabric between his thumb and forefinger. He’s not touching you, not really, but his hand is so achingly close. An inch or two, and he’d feel your warmth–those plush thighs that God created to rule over Joel Miller’s mind, body, and soul; ‘til death does he finally know peace, amen.

You shake your head and even manage to seem smug as you say, “No. He just teaches everyone else to resist temptation.”

“I’ve never been much good at that,” he murmurs.

He thinks that you know that. He thinks that you’re his crucible, his most important moral trial–that maybe, if he can turn you away now, he’s a good man.

Joel Miller is not a good man. His kiss is crushing. It’s hellfire, it’s brimstone, it’s everything you’ve been taught to fear your entire life. You melt into it so prettily, accepting your damnation with parted lips and eager eyes. A wanton moan gets caught in your throat when his hand slips further up your skirt.

No panties–in a place of worship, no less. He should bend you over his knee for this transgression, make sure you understand how filthy you are. But there’s hardly time for that now, not when he’s even more desperate than you are. And you are desperate–dripping down his fingers into the palm of his hand as your teeth leave perfect little indents in the plush skin of your bottom lip.

His free hand grips your chin firmly, guiding your eyes to his. He wants to see your depravity, the flickering embers of lust in your eyes as you come on his fingers and cry out for salvation from the all-consuming pleasure.

“Oh my God–”

His hand tightens around your jaw just the slightest bit in warning. “No, baby. You moan my name when I’m touchin’ you.”

And you do–thighs trembling, eyes watering, you cry out his name like a prayer as your cunt pulses and squeezes around his willing fingers.

There’s an unpracticed tremble to your hand as you reach to work open his belt, and it makes his cock throb under the confining material of his jeans.

You want every inch of his skin pressed against yours, so desperate for it that you’re nearly in tears when he pulls your fingers away from the buttons on his shirt. He’s not foolish–no one steps foot into this place during the week, but he knows better than to tempt God’s sense of humor. This has to be quick and contained, and you know it too; you picked your little skirt for exactly that reason.

He catches a glimpse of your glistening need as you settle over his thighs, and once again he battles to resist temptation. He whispers in your ear as you settle your chest against his and grind that fluttering, sensitive cunt along his length–promises himself more than you, really, that he’ll bury his face in your folds and drink from you next time. Next time–the promise makes you clench impossibly hard around nothing.

His eyes have never been quite as heavy as they are when you start to sink that dripping heat down his cock. Head tipped back, throat exposed, completely at your mercy. He has to force himself to look up at you–to worship the goddess enshrined on his altar, all his for the taking.

You bite into your lip nearly hard enough to draw blood as your hips settle against his, completely overwhelmed by the burning stretch of his size. He’s a challenge, certainly, but one that you are determined to overcome.

“Easy, baby girl,” he grumbles as you start to rock against him before you’re truly accommodated. His hands rest heavy on your hips–not anchoring, but encouraging. As wrong–as depraved–as this may be, he wants you to enjoy it without pain. “That’s right, nice and slow.”

It doesn’t stay that way, though; the desperation mounts to a boiling point until you’re bouncing fervently in his lap. It’s delicious, the way the thick head of him drags against something deep and sensitive within you. He guides you when your thighs start to burn, grip tightening enough to leave forbidden bruises in the soft flesh of your hips. His mouth presses to yours, breathing the oxygen straight from your lungs as he presses his hips up. There’s nothing you can do but take it, pliant in his hold, head rolling back to accommodate the wet drag of his mouth and the tickling scratch of his beard against your throat.

He feels it before you do–a subtle flutter as your cunt tries sucking him in even deeper. And maybe, if he was a good man, he’d lean away from it and have mercy on you. But he’s not a good man–he’s a greedy, wanton, desperate man. He angles his hips and thrusts as hard as he can, shoving you into your release with force.

You overflow with it; gushing over him like a flood, staining his hastily pushed down jeans and the floorboards beneath.

He pushes you onto your back like you’re weightless, adrenaline coursing as he starts to slam into you. It’s not polite or sweet or loving–he fucks into you and empties himself like an animal. He growls deep in his throat as his cock pulses within you, instructing you to “take it, baby girl” as if you’d consider anything less.

You don’t know where your release ends and his begins. All you know is his weight on top of you, his mouth on your jaw, the collective breathless pants that fill the room as you both come down together.

You’re not sure how long it is before he pulls out of your warmth with an actual whine, breath heavy against your neck where his face is so comfortably nestled.

And you start to laugh, because you wish you’d worn panties after all–you don’t know how you’re going to get home with the mess of cum that’s dripping down the curve of your ass.

He even chuckles with you, until he tears his eyes away from your blissed face and sees the cross hanging heavy on the far wall.

“Th-that…” he gulps. “That can’t happen again.”

“It can,” you assure him, and he supposes you’re right.

You keep your head down and your eyes to yourself on Sunday, even as you spot the barely-noticeable stain on the hardwood floor next to the newly-repaired pew on the right side of the aisle. It’s so faint that no one would notice it unless they were looking for it, but it’s glaringly obvious to you. You should be ashamed; you should be begging for forgiveness. But then you meet Joel’s watchful eyes, and the shame washes away. How can you feel guilty over an act of worship?

THE END

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mangoisms · 6 months

Text

circle k (back to you)

summary: in which you're just the graveyard shift employee at circle k bombarded by vigilantes.

━ chapter twelve: back to you | read chapter eleven

━ pairing: tim drake x f!reader

━ word count: 5k

━ warnings: none

━ masterlist

━ a/n: the final part <3 my end notes if you'd like <3

ten months later

“Hey, you two. Where’s your aunt?”

“Having an existential crisis on the trampoline,” you hear Irey respond matter-of-factly.

“She’s no fun anymore,” Jai adds.

“Well, Bart just got here so—woah!”

Even you can feel the sharp gust of wind the twins create as they zoom off to see their cousin. Bart Allen runs at a million miles per hour—metaphorically and literally, so he and the twins get on like a house on fire.

Good thing everyone turned out for you and Steph’s pre-graduation party, otherwise Wally, Jay, and Max would have their hands full trying to make sure the three of them didn’t bring the house down.

And when you say everyone came, you really mean everyone.

That’s sort of the problem.

Barry Allen and Iris West-Allen were pleasant as always when they arrived—fifteen minutes late, the tardiness Barry is prone to considerably mitigated by his wife’s urging—and gave you big hugs in congratulations when they saw you.

“Well, early congratulations,” Barry amends, smiling.

“I just wish we could be there, too,” Iris says, letting you go.

You wave her off. Barry had a mission with the JL on the day of and Iris’s book tour was just starting, so there was no extra time to spare.

“No, it’s okay. Wally and Linda are already going, so that’s enough.”

“We’ll be there in spirit,” Barry says, grinning as Iris rolls her eyes. “Literally.”

Referring to the speed force and the way it tethers both speedsters and lightning rods. So, yeah, technically.

You chuckle. “Exactly. So, don’t worry.”

“We still wanted to give you our gift in person, though,” Iris says, passing you an envelope.

“You guys really didn’t have to but thank you.”

“‘Course we did,” Barry says. “You’re Wally’s… what is it? Close friend slash little sister slash niece? Us, well, we don’t mind seeing you as a niece.”

“Complicated labels aside,” Iris puts in, “you’re part of this family, too.”

And boy if that wasn’t going to choke you up.

You believe it now, almost a year since Wally revealed his identity; since then, you consider Keystone City and Central City as much of a home as Gotham. It was only inevitable that you met the others and you were lucky enough that they welcomed you with welcome arms.

But the ones part of this family are one and many. Not just the Garricks, not just the Wests, not just the Allens, not just Max Mercury, but—

“Ms. Chambers?”

Jesse Chambers grins at you. “Hey now, none of that. Here, Jesse works just fine. Pleasure to meet you. Everyone has had nothing but excellent things to say about you.”

Okay. Sure.

That bit is just a little obscured by your horrible confusion on how on earth she even knew everyone.

You have an inkling as to the answer but frankly, it feels impossible to believe. Not because you don’t think she is not capable of it but the fact that the whole billionaire-as-a-superhero/vigilante thing isn’t so uncommon as initially thought.

The confusion must be written all over your face. She laughs. Jay is at your side in the next instant, smiling at her in greeting.

“Sorry not to have told you sooner,” he tells you apologetically, though the smile pulling at his lips tells you he isn’t that sorry. “But we wanted to leave the decision up to her. And—”

“If you can keep these guys’ secret,” Jesse says, jerking a thumb to the kitchen, where Wally, Linda, Barry, and Iris are, “you can keep mine, too. Besides, you did great work during your internship. QE has had our eyes on you for a while.”

“Oh, you really don’t have to—”

“We want to,” she says. “We wouldn’t lose anything at all offering you a place with PR. But if you want to go somewhere else, that’s okay. I’d be happy to be a reference if so.”

Somehow, you managed to stammer out a thank you and get out of that situation without making a complete fool of yourself. Wally later told you Jesse taps into the speed force using an equation, which… sure, why not.

Jesse used to not like him, apparently, but recent events have allowed her to warm up to him; plus, the birth of her own son, Johnny Tyler, helped, too, that way Wade could have a friend to grow up with.

While all the others prepare dinner and attempt to keep Bart, Jai, and Irey’s shenanigans contained, you manage to snag a bit of time to yourself, not quite believing you’d just been offered a job by Jesse Chambers herself.

It’s all just… a little bit insane.

Then the twins came out and you indulged them on the trampoline in the backyard of the West house for a bit. Then you thought too hard about everything and sunk right back into your disbelief again.

Which leads to now.

“Speedsters, I swear,” Tim mutters.

You hear the soft sound of footsteps on the grass but make no move to leave from your place — star-fished on the trampoline, eyes closed. Early May in Keystone City is considerably warmer and tepid than Gotham City. You should shed your hoodie but you don’t want to. Mostly because it isn’t yours, exactly.

It’s Tim’s. The one you wore the night you got stabbed last year. Not the same one; that one was ruined beyond repair and anyway, you weren’t too happy to wear that exact one, either, since you nearly bled out in it. But it’s close enough. The same shade of brilliant azure. Big on Tim and baggy on you.

Of course, why should you want a hoodie when your boyfriend is right here?

The faint noise of the flaps of the netting be brushed aside. Then the trampoline itself moves, dipping with his weight as he comes over to you. You slide a bit, elbow bumping into his knee.

“So,” he starts, closer than before, one hand brushing your cheek as he tucks a few pieces of your hair behind your ear. “What’s this about an existential crisis? In the middle of the day?”

“It’s four in the afternoon.”

“Schematics.”

You grunt but don’t respond.

A soft chuckle. “Is this about Jesse Chambers’ offer? It’s too bad, you know.”

“What’s too bad.”

“Well, Wayne Enterprises was looking forward to offering you a position, too. And so were the Titans. And I can’t speak for this one personally but I’m fairly certain the Justice League was planning on sending an offer, too. You’re in high demand.”

You groan. “Isn’t that too much? I’m—I haven’t even graduated. There are so many other people with so much more experience—”

“Well, how are you supposed to get experience, too?” he asks, laughing softly. “Besides, you’re graduating with honors.”

“Oh, yeah, well, I’m sure it helps to have a boyfriend with an in at WE, who also just so happens to be a member of the Titans, on top of multiple people who are close to me that are also part of the Justice League.”

“And Jesse Chambers? Hers is the most reliable in that sense, then, isn’t it? Because she doesn’t personally know you—”

“But she knows Wally.”

“But their relationship isn’t that great. Sure, she’s good with Jay and Max but… You also have the advantage of having worked there briefly. They wouldn’t call you back if they didn’t like what they saw.”

Which is true. Jesse Chambers is a businesswoman. She wouldn’t do this as some pity play.

Then again, neither would the others.

You finally open your eyes, squinting immediately as the sun beams down at you.

Tim shifts, moving until his head can shield you from it, bringing him into your focus.

He’s smiling warmly at you, affection clear in his gaze; the sunlight does wonders for him, for his dark hair and blue eyes.

“This can’t be happening.”

“It is,” he says. “You’re graduating next week Friday. You and Steph. And no matter where you go and what you do, you’re gonna kick ass, you know that, right?”

You groan. “You’re supposed to say things like that.”

“Maybe,” he concedes. “But when I tell you I had nothing to do with the offer from WE, you have to believe me. You know I haven’t worked with them in a long while. That was all them.”

“Bruce?”

“Maybe Bruce.”

But then that’s ‘cause he feels… guilty about cornering you last year. Which serves him right. Your relationship with Tim’s adoptive father is a bit rocky, truth be told. Just because of the things Tim has told you. The things Steph has told you. And last year is certainly a factor. But all the others, you get along with them.

You don’t see Dick too often because he lives in New York but he’s kind. Jason’s cool when you see him. Cass and Duke are great. You hang out with them regularly on your own. Damian is a bit frigid but that’s just because of your choice in company and not anything personal, exactly, but you do get the advantage of also having Steph on your side, since they have a better relationship than he and Tim do. Alfred is pleasant as always, too; sometimes he sends grocery deliveries to you to make sure you’re sustaining on actual food and not just ramen.

Barbara Gordon is also very nice and volunteered to help you put together your resume and cover letters and applications; Jean-Paul Valley is kind, too. They’re both old family friends, you would learn. You have lunch with Helena Bertinelli once a month; you two bond over a mutual dislike for Batman and a mutual fondness for Tim—begrudging on her part sometimes but she undeniably sees him as a little brother and he sees her a big sister. And truthfully, your relationship with her is a bit similar.

You’ve made quite a few relationships with these vigilantes. Connections. So, you shouldn’t be surprised that all of this is happening. But one part of you, the prideful part, doesn’t like it. The other part, the rational one, says it was unavoidable. You were going to apply to QE and WE, anyway. Maybe toss out a few applications to the League and the Titans, too, just for the heck of it. Not expecting anything to come of it. Out of any of it.

But of course something would. You know too many of these people for nothing to happen.

“But then again,” Tim says a moment later. “Bruce is just attached to the company by name.”

“That is not a ‘just’ thing, Tim, that is a very big thing. They’d do whatever he wanted.”

“Not anything. Not if you didn’t have the grades, background, or potential to back it up.”

Also, technically, true.

“But like I said. Jesse’s is the most earnest in that regard.”

“Do you want me to leave Gotham, is that it.”

He laughs. The sound warms you.

“I don’t,” he chuckles. “I really don’t. I’d love for you to go with WE. But I also know that the news of us dating throws a wrench in that.”

Right. Ever since the gossip columns caught you two kissing on a date a couple months ago, they wouldn’t shut up about it. Only after digging their grubby little fingers into every inch of your past, of course, and using that to fuel the flames. Talking about your relationship with him as if you planned it, just trying to get a leg-up in the application process at WE.

But the thing is, objectively speaking, there isn’t anything wrong with that. You aren’t with Tim strictly for that purpose but you knew it would factor in. It’s undeniable, the way all these other offers are undeniable in who and why they came. You can’t help who you’re connected to.

But yeah. It would suck to prove all the tabloids right by accepting a job with WE right after graduation—like all of them said you would.

Of course, they would talk regardless. Even if you went with QE or the Titans or the Justice League. Wayne Enterprises is a known partner with Quickstart Enterprises, as well as a heavy funder for the League and the Titans. So…

You groan, wiggling closer to him by planting your head on his thigh and staring forlornly up at him. “What should I do?”

He smiles. “Whatever you want to, honey.”

“Yeah, that’s not really helpful, Timmy.”

He rolls his eyes fondly, bending down to scoop you into his arms. You let out a squeak as he pulls you into his lap, then you settle comfortably in the circle of his arms, dropping your head on his shoulder.

From here, you can spy the old bullet graze on the side of his neck, silvery and a little textured. Without a second thought, you lean forward to kiss it.

He shivers slightly, arms tightening around you.

You bite down a smile. “Cold?”

“Shut up,” he mutters, fingers digging into your side, making you giggle and try to squirm away from him.

He doesn’t keep up the torment, exhaling a soft laugh, too, as you lay your head back on his shoulder.

A cool breeze sweeps through the backyard. In the suburbs of Keystone City, it is quiet out here. Peaceful. Though you can still hear the others inside. Wally saying something. Steph laughing at it.

You’ve carved out a nice place for yourself here. The West’s and Garrick’s here in Keystone and the Allen’s over in Central.

You close your eyes, basking in Tim’s embrace and his proximity. You haven’t seen him much this month, with you and Steph in the throes of finals. But he promised to come, that he’d ask Bart to take him and his friend happily agreed.

You were surprised to learn of their relationship. That they had known each other. But they had met when they were younger, along with the rest of the original members of Young Justice. Put together because they were superhero kids. The relationship stuck. What a coincidence, that Bart Allen was part of the family you had quickly grown close to. But not unwelcome.

It is a small world, you would think.

Or maybe, when you feel indulgent, meant to be. You and Wally. You and Steph, you and Tim. All of this. Interconnected in ways you could only dream of. You don’t have to sacrifice much to have them together.

Tim squeezes your hip, one hand slipped underneath the hoodie. “What are you thinking about?”

That maybe this decision isn’t as hard as you thought it would be. That it’s not a matter of deliberation, is it?

You know you don’t want to prove all the tabloids right by going with WE immediately. Not to mention, for the longest time, it was a dream to work with them. You want more time, more experience, before you move there.

And you don’t think you are ready to jump head-first into working for the Justice League or the Titans. You need experience for that, too.

So…

“I’m pretty sure I could convince Wally to take me to Gotham to visit. When I start at Quickstart.”

“Not necessary,” he says and you raise an eyebrow, watching him pull back, his gaze warm, not at all surprised by your words. “I could just come and visit you. Unlimited access to the jet and all.”

“Racking up carbon emissions just for me?”

“You know the jet is clean energy,” he says, pouting a bit.

Yes, you do. He talked your ear off about it when they made the switch. But you just like seeing him get pouty about it.

You cup his cheeks, smiling, particularly taken with the way his whole face softens as he looks at you. The knowledge that he’s this soft for you is always so insane to you. Not at all good for your heart.

“I know. It’s still a bit of an expense, though, isn’t it?”

“It’s worth it.”

“Cornball.”

“I’m being serious,” he presses, hands tightening around your waist. “Whatever I have to do, it’s worth it for you.”

You know that. Tim is a devoted boyfriend. He doesn’t do things in halves. When he’s loyal to someone, when he dedicates himself, he does it wholly. You could ask him of anything and he would do whatever it took to get it for you, to do it for you. If you asked him to move with you, you know he would do it.

You also know the thought must’ve crossed his own mind. But he still won’t say anything, not unless he knows you want it, too, and… you do. You think that can wait, though, for a little while longer. Let you get settled in and then you two can discuss that possibility—if he wants to, of course, because while Wally and Linda do like him now, the former would not like having a Bat running underfoot in the city, in either of the cities.

You just aren’t used to that kind of devotion. Even after this long.

You slide your arms around his neck, threading your fingers in his hair. He leans into the touch. “I know.”

“I’ll take Steph when I can, too,” he adds and you smile again.

“I love you.”

He leans forward, forehead brushing yours. Your eyes flutter shut.

He nudges your nose with his, then finally closes the distance between you two.

Cotton-candy sweet warmth unspools in your chest he kisses you, soft and gentle. But it quickly edges into dangerous territory when you nip at his bottom lip and he yanks you closer and closer until there is no space between your bodies. It would be better if you weren’t wearing this hoodie but you make do with what you have, still able to feel most of his chest pressed to yours, hard and sturdy, heat licking up your spine.

Your fingers twine in his hair and he lets out a shuddery breath, the kiss turning open-mouthed in the next second and you can taste the gum he was chewing on earlier.

It’s a shade too hungry for your current location but you can’t help it, he’s just so… beguiling. You’re overwhelmingly attracted to your boyfriend and you think you always will be.

But of course, you still should know better, even with all that.

A sharp gust of wind hits you two in the next second and you both separate immediately, knowing exactly what—or who—it is. But instead of Wally or any other speedster here, a high-pitched giggle makes it to your ears and you both turn, eyebrows raising as you find one and a half year old Wade West now inside the trampoline, net fluttering behind him.

You and Tim turn to look at the back door, which is now open, Wally and Linda standing there; the former looks pleased, while the latter just raises her eyebrows.

“I thought,” he starts, mischief written on his face, “that instead of leaving space for Jesus, you could leave some space for Wade. So. Do that. And please stop desecrating the place my children play.”

“And come inside,” Linda adds. “Food’s almost ready.”

You slide off Tim’s lap, reaching for Wade before he tries to stand and walk over to you, not trusting his balance on the trampoline. Tiny hands grapple with the hoodie strings, tugging.

“Got it. Thanks.”

They both smile pleasantly and turn back inside.

You bite your lip, which already feels swollen from your kissing, and look at Tim. His face is flushed with red, lips swollen, too. A tempting sight.

He catches the look on your face. “Don’t.”

“It’s my graduation party.”

“It’s yours and Steph’s. Later.”

“You’re no fun.”

“Well, you love me, so what does that say about you?”

“That you’ve seduced me.”

He rolls his eyes. “Oh, I’ve seduced you, okay, sure—” he looks at Wade, shaking his head “—can you believe this?”

All Wade can do is giggle in response. All you can do is smile at him, so painfully in love.

He smiles back, rising up on his knees and leaning forward to kiss your forehead.

“I love you, too, you know.”

Yeah, you do know.

four years later

“Goddamit, where is it?”

Fish, a miniature Italian Greyhound you rescued from the shelter, offers no answer or help for your plight. Instead, she just sits near you, happy to follow you around as you search, watching you with big eyes. Big, empty eyes. Absolutely nothing goes on in her little head and you and Tim love her very much for it but damn if you wouldn’t appreciate a little help in finding the security badge that seems to have mysteriously disappeared.

It’s perfect timing, too. That badge is your lifeline. That’s what your supervisor, Meena, said anyway, a couple days ago when you went in for it and had a chance to speak with her before starting work. You can’t get into the tower without it. You can’t do anything without it and guest badges do not have the same amount of clearance that you have.

You stop in the living room, taking a breath, frustration starting to make you hot, which would be the icing on the cake, if you managed to sweat through your clothes before you even started work.

Sighing, you look at her. “Do you know where it is?”

A sound behind you.

“You should know better than that, honey,” comes the sleepy voice of your boyfriend, and you turn. “Fish is lucky to have a single coherent thought once a week and she wasted that one yesterday when she managed to give Damian the high five he asked for.”

You chuckle despite yourself, remembering the pleased gleam that had come into Damian’s hazel green eyes when Fish successfully completed the trick. Only after six months of painstaking work, of course, but it hardly deters him. Titus passed away not too long ago and he’s fixated on Fish because of it. Even if he says her name is ‘completely idiotic.’

Brushing away those thoughts, you focus on Tim, still sleepy-eyed and rumpled. Then you see it—in his hand is your security badge, your picture smiling up at you, with your name beneath it.

“Oh my god, where—”

“You gave it to me, remember?” he asks, laughing softly as you pad over to him. “And said to keep it with my gear, that way it wouldn’t get lost between then and now.”

True. All true. After all, that gear—that is, his suit and tech—doesn’t get brought out other than for the occasional mission with the Titans, so, say, every six months or so. Other than that, it remains hidden in a panel behind your side in the walk-in closet, accessible only by him and you through fingerprint and retinal scans.

Easiest way not to get lost, especially since you’ve been particularly harried in the lead-up to the official start of your job at Wayne Enterprises as their spokesperson.

“Sorry,” you sigh. “Is that why you’re up? Because I told you, you don’t need to wake up for this, you can stay in bed…”

He raises an eyebrow. “And let you freak out for the next hour and a half before you have to leave?”

“Um. Yes?”

A soft smile. He reaches for you, hands settling on your arms, rubbing small circles there.

“Well, you’re wrong. It’s your first day at WE.”

“I know, but you didn’t have to get up now at least…”

The original idea when you decided to wake up at five-fifteen is that one, it would give you ample time to get ready—both yourself and your belongings—and two, it would let you try to relax.

Key word being try.

It’s now six, you’re supposed to leave in an hour and fifteen minutes to beat the morning rush traffic, and your nerves are none the better for it.

Your sleep was fitful, too, in anticipation of today, so you’re starting to feel sleepiness creep in at the edges; the fact that the sun has not yet risen and won’t rise for a while—cursed winter months and their late sunrises—does not help.

He eyes you. “I think I do.”

You groan, dropping your forehead on his shoulder. “I can’t do this.”

He squeezes your arms. “Yes, you can.”

“No, I can’t. They’re going to eat me alive.”

If not for being the new girl, then certainly because your boyfriend was, actually, once major shareholder of the company when he was seventeen and no, it doesn’t matter that he was just a figurehead and Lucius was actually pulling the strings—it still happened and Tim worked closely with the company for several years after. And then, of course, it will also be because your boyfriend is the adoptive son of the man who owns the actual company.

Even if you waited before joining, even if you actually applied for the position! Yes, applied! Contrary to what a few tabloids are saying right now, you did not go up to Tim (or Bruce, depending on which gossip column you’re reading) and demand the job. You went through the same channels as absolutely anyone else would.

Tim ducks his head to press a kiss to your neck. You can’t help your shiver and you know he feels it by the way he smiles against your skin. “No, they won’t. That’s my job. They can’t take that away from me.”

“Now is so not the time—”

He laughs, pulling away; you do the same to look at him.

“You’re going to be fine, gorgeous. You had Linda and Iris regularly pressing you these last few weeks and you did very well with them. Not to mention your last two jobs…”

You purse your lips.

“Two years with Quickstart Enterprises,” he lists. “Two more with the Justice League. Still bitter you picked them over the Titans, by the way.”

“They were more hardcore. Sorry.”

“Well, see? You and the rest of the team had to salvage the League’s image after each alien invasion or otherwise massive destruction committed during a mission and you guys did it. I mean, the publicity campaign you came up with was brilliant, you know that, right? Support was the highest it’s ever been while you were there.”

Right… In an effort to better the League’s image with the public after a particularly nasty fight that left multiple city blocks destroyed and more questions about the relevancy of the team, you decided the more prominent League members needed to create more solid images for themselves, that way each time the public or news saw them, it wasn’t always about the latest incident that brought their presence in. To do this, they needed to pick something to sponsor or support and start showing for it. Superman took an interest in accessibility to education, Wonder Woman focused on preserving wildlife and ecosystems, along with world landmarks, and Batman—with immense detail and planning to abide by his stiff rule not to be seen before the masses—focused on rehabilitation programs.

It brought in a lot of good coverage as more Leaguers agreed to do it and it did help. Helped a lot. Not to say those in the League were not helping, of course, either suited up in their own cities or with their public personas, but that was the issue. The League was capable of much more destruction collectively than individually and the public didn’t know that Batman was funding hundreds of programs to help impoverished communities in Gotham, mostly because he did that as Bruce Wayne and that connection would never be made known.

But that was the job. And you did it. Excellently. You would’ve stayed on for a little while longer but then you got kidnapped towards the end and that just wasn’t fun.

(Fortunately, however, there was a clause in your signing contract that states that in the event of a kidnapping, the League is obligated to rescue you.

Fair is fair, you think, for helping maintain their image and ensure that the UN doesn’t pull the plug and that the public doesn’t completely despise them.)

And of course, if you managed to survive working with the League and being kidnapped because of that work, then you should be entirely prepared to take on Wayne Enterprises. It should be chump change, if anything, but again, you go in with preconceived notions about yourself and your reputation. Not so great.

But would you back out?

No way.

“I believe in you,” he murmurs, his gaze warm and reassuring. “All of us do. You know Steph does.”

A pause, everything falling silent, save for the snores coming from the guest bedroom, where Steph is asleep.

“I’m not missing your first day at WE,” she had said the night before. “So, you better wake me up before you leave.”

He grins a bit teasingly at a particularly loud snore. “Like a train, right?”

“Like you’re any better.”

“I am not that loud.”

“What is it with me and attracting people who snore?”

Honestly.

“Speaking of, you know Wally and Linda believe in you. You can do this. It’s just ‘cause it’s the first day. Get through it and everything will be better.”

Which is true. You know that. Have been repeating that in your head as today approached and your nerves grew in intensity.

But everything is easier in theory than in practice.

“I know,” you whisper, closing your eyes. “I know.”

You can hear the smile in his voice when he speaks next. “That’s why I’m here. Why we’re all here.”

“To knock some sense into me?”

“To do that gently,” he chuckles.

“I don’t know. I might need the force.”

“Well, I can call Damian if you want.”

“I don’t need that much force… on a scale, maybe something like Linda.”

“It’s good thing she and Wally are going to be here soon for breakfast, then.”

For the same reason Steph spent the night and Tim dragged himself out of bed—for your first day of work.

For you.

You pull him into a hug, overwhelmed at the thought and not at all caring about wrinkling your clothes. You can fix that. But this… this needs to be made known.

“I love you.”

He squeezes you—gently, trying to mitigate any wrinkles, and the thought makes your heart swell with unbridled love—and kisses your temple.

“I love you. We all do.”

And isn’t that something?

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Match Found ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ - 18 . Match Found ʚ♡ɞ (finale)

Synopsis: Jungwon is sick of his friends' constant teasing over his lack of gaming skills. Determined to secretly improve and prove enha wrong, Jungwon sets out to learn to play, except he has no clue where to begin. Luckily for him, y/n is a girl with too much time on her hands, a desperate need for distraction and is more than happy to indulge him. Only, things are never that simple and Jungwon soon finds it difficult to explain exactly what the pair have become. college Student! Jungwon x gamer! Reader

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(5.2k) written work :: warnings: cursing

It had been going so well.

Jungwon had woken up to the song of birds chirping outside, he had opened the window to warm rays of sun and clear blue skies. It felt like the stars had aligned to present him with the perfect day to finally make his move.

Jungwon should’ve known better.

It had been four days since he had seen you last. Four days since you had showed up at his doorstep and dropped the equivalent of a nuclear bomb in his lap and left him with nothing to defuse it. True to your word, you had given him space to sort through his thoughts and feelings.

So it had been up to Jungwon to make sense of the jumbled mess that you had left in your wake. Luckily for him, his friends had taken it upon themselves to guide Jungwon through his existential crisis.

“Fuck I think I’m in love with her,” Jungwon whimpers into his palms. His hands doing little to hide the red flush that had crept up his neck to his cheeks.

“You just figured that out?” Niki questions, looking at Jungwon’s crumpled figure incredulously.

Jungwon lowers his hands slightly to look up at his friends with wide eyes. At the sight of each of the matching disbelieving looks on their faces, Jungwon’s eyes widened further. “You all knew I was in love with her? And no one thought to tell me?”

“How the fuck did you not know?” Sunghoon scoffs, “It's been extremely obvious to everyone that’s been forced to hang out in the same vicinity as you two.”

Jungwon lets out a strangled noise as he mentally reviews the last months with you and he realizes that he indeed, had been in love with you for an embarrassing amount of time.

To be entirely transparent, there was a part of him that already knew. How could he not when you consumed every waking minute of his thoughts? But with his intense will to convince himself that his feelings were unimportant in the grand scheme of your future and happiness, Jungwon had neglected to consider what those feelings exactly were, much less identify them as love.

But now Jungwon was face to face with the extent of his adoration with nowhere to hide. It was overwhelming, he needed to do something, anything.

“I gotta go,” Jungwon stands with shaky legs, looking around hazily for his phone and wallet.

“Go? Go where?”

“To tell Y/N I love her too! Before she changes her mind and decides she’d rather be with fuck ass Na Jaemin,” Jungwon blabbers spinning around in place, “Where the hell is my phone and wallet, I need to go.”

“Woah. Okay, slow down Romeo,” Jay laughs, clasping Jungwon’s shoulder soothingly, “ I think both you and Y/N need some time to process everything.”

“Not to mention, you need to do a lot more than just say you love her to make everything better,” Sunoo voices with a raise of his brow, “You literally ghosted her publicly for two weeks and ignored her confession.”

“Oh,” Jungwon slouches back down onto his bed in defeat, “I guess you’re right.”

Day One

Jungwon wakes up the next day feeling like death personified. Everytime he had finally felt himself slipping into his slumber, the memory of your kiss had his eyes flying open and his heart thumping painfully in its cavity.

Some time during his sleep-ridden haze, Jungwon’s mind had started to wander again to darker territory. He revisited the same insecurities that had gotten him into this whole predicament. His mind ran to a thousand scenarios where you had chosen him and it had only ended in bitter words and regret. And in the darkness of the night, with only his thoughts for company Jungwon began to dig himself into the same insecurity ridden pit he had just gotten himself out of.

It had been Niki who had picked the lock to his room, promptly entering and dragging the blankets off of Jungwon’s huddled figure. “Alright Jungwon the fuck is your problem now?”

Jungwon merely turned, his voice muffled as he buried his face into the pillows, “You’re gonna think it's stupid.”

“Probably because it is stupid,” Niki snarks, trying to pull Jungwon away from where he clung to his pillows pathetically.

Giving in, Jungwon gives Niki a rueful pout, his eyes ringed with the evidence of his turmoil. “What if she regrets choosing me later on and she resents me for everything she missed out on? What if we don’t work as well as a couple like we thought? What if she loves me as a friend but not as her boyfriend-oW what the fuck Niki” Jungwon rubs the side of his head tenderly, shooting daggers at his exasperated friend.

“You’re right, you are being stupid. Look, what’s the point of lingering on all these what ifs, you don’t even know that half that shit will happen. What if it’s the alternative, what if she realizes it’s the best decision she’s ever made? What if you both end up being perfect for eachother, platonically and romantically? She said she loves you, and you love her. Is that not enough for you to take the risk? Is she not worth it?”

Jungwon stares at him slack jawed, before chuckling to himself, ruffling Niki’s hair affectionately. “When did you grow up and get so mature huh?”

“I’ve always been mature, if anything you’re the one who’s dangerously close to losing your hyung title if you keep moping around like this. Have some confidence Jungwon, there’s a reason Y/N has chosen you over and over, even when you haven’t given her a motive to.”

Jungwon nods resolutely, setting his shoulders back in determination. It didn’t matter that he might not be the best choice, for you he’d make sure he was the right one. Now that he had a glimpse of what it was like to have lost you to someone else, even if only for a night, Jungwon was dead set on never giving anyone else the chance again.

Day Two

Jungwon chews on his lips, his fingers drumming against his leg as the call rings obnoxiously. Please pick up pleaseeee pick up.

The ringing stops abruptly and for a second Jungwon thinks he’s been declined.

“Hello? Jungwonnie?”

He breathes a sigh of relief, mustering up his best saccharine tone. “Heyyyyy Haechannie hyung, I’ve been dying to catch up with you.”

“You’re gonna have to do a lot better than that if you want to get back on my good side, Jungwonnie,” Haechan scoffs into the mic, “Y/N might have forgiven you but I certainly haven't forgotten just how upset she was when you were doing your little ghosting.”

“Yeah, I know hyung I’m sorry I really am,” Jungwon winces, rubbing the back of his neck, “I just thought I was doing what was best for her, I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

“Yeah, well you did dumbass. And you better not be calling me to tell me you’re gonna break her heart again.”

“No! No, the opposite actually,” Jungwon says hurriedly, taking a deep breath, “I uh- wanted to ask her out, properly. She deserves it after everything I put her through. I was wondering if you had any ideas as to what she might like.”

“Well I’ll be damned, I thought you’d never grow the balls Jungwon,” Haechan cackles, his tone softening into something more familiar and honeyed.

“Look lover boy, Y/Nnie likes you a lot, almost as much as she likes me; trust me that's a lot . And you two have been through a lot of shit that was way more complicated than it had to be. I think what Y/N would appreciate and love most of all is just your honest feelings and having you back again. She’s not really one for big gestures and obnoxious gifts. I know it's not the answer you were looking for but it's what makes sense to me. I hope it kinda helps.”

“It actually does, thanks hyung. I promise I’ll take good care of her from here on out. No more complications,” Jungwon states firmly.

“I’m glad to hear it Jungwonnie. I like you, we all do, and we’ve been rooting for you and Y/N through all of your melodrama. Good luck and don’t let anything fuck it up.”

Jungwon accepts the blessing gratefully, a satisfied smile stretched across his lips as the call ends. He flips back onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling feeling the buzz of anticipation warm his chest. For once it felt like everything was slowly clicking into place.

Day Three

“What about this one?” Jay holds up a white shirt with a ruffled collar, waiting for Jungwon’s verdict.

“Ew no hyung, what am I? A vampire?” Jungwon scrunches his face in distaste, turning back to the racks of clothing.

Sunoo sighs next to him, taking a loud slurp of his nearly emptied milk tea. “I still don’t get why we have to get you a whole new outfit, is this really such a big occasion?”

“Of course it is!” Jungwon gives him an affronted look, chin jutting petulantly. “You saw how pretty Y/N looked when she came over, how well she was dressed. I have to make a good impression on her too when I ask her out.”

“Yeah but that was because she came straight from a fancy date, it's not like she was dressed up for- what are you hitting me for hyung I’m right,” Sunoo rolls his eyes dodging another one of Jay’s swats.

“Ignore him Jungwon, I think it's sweet that you want to look nice for Y/N,” Jay pats Jungwon encouragingly, “Do you know what kind of look you want to go for? Maybe something that Y/N likes on you?”

“Uh…. she likes my shoulders and collarbones. And one time she said that it's unfair that I have a slutty ass waist?” Jungwon offers up with a helpful shrug.

Jay deadpans, dragging a hand down his face wearily, already regretting his defense of you two. “I was looking for more like colors or types of shirts but yeah I guess that works. Let's go with a slightly loose button up tucked into some fitted cigarette pants then.”

With that Jay walks off in search of his desired items, and Jungwon turns to give Sunoo a smug smile. “I’m gonna look so good, Y/N won’t be able to resist me.”

Sunoo waves him off with a tired exhale, “As much as I hate the idea of inflating your ego, knowing Y/N you’re probably right.”

Jungwon’s smirk morphs into a dopey smile at the simple affirmation. The slightest reminder of his reciprocated feelings turning him into complete putty where he stood.

It still felt a bit unreal, to know the full extent of your feelings, and Jungwon was itching to just be able to do the same for you. It wouldn't be much longer now, everything was going to be perfect.

Day Four

“Do you have any Barbie movies? Maybe a collection set?”

To the employee’s credit the commercial smile she’s plastered on barely falters, the only indication of her surprise being the slight twitch of her eye. “Barbie movies sir?”

“Yeah,” Jungwon beams at her, fingers tapping on the counter in excitement, “Like the animated American ones? You know, Barbie & the Diamond Castle, Fairytopia, Barbie of Swan Lake, all of those.”

“Ah, those Barbie movies, of course,” she responds with the thinly veiled irritation that could only belong to a highschool part-timer who definitely did not get paid enough to deal with these oddly specific requests. “Let me go check in the back sir.”

Jungwon hums in acknowledgement, taking the opportunity to look around the quaint video store as the worker walks off. When she reappears from the backroom she’s holding a pink box set shaped like a chest, fit with a latch boasting a bold Barbie logo in gold. “Here you are sir, the 19 movie collection dvd set of the classic Barbie movies,” the worker slides the chest over to Jungwon.

He gives it a once over, his fingers trailing over the edges and checking the details to make sure all of your favorites are included. The employee watches in amusement as Jungwon straightens with a satisfied smile. “It’s perfect, I'll take it! Thank you so much for your help.”

She nods, ringing his purchase up, “So, are you just a big Barbie fan or is this for a younger sibling or something?” she asks as she takes his credit card.

“For my girlfriend actually,” Jungwon grins before faltering slightly, “well she’s not my girlfriend, yet. But I’m hoping after I give her this and I ask her properly she will be. I’m kind of in love with her.”

The worker gives a small laugh handing over his bag and receipt, “That’s cute actually, good luck I hope she accepts and it works out.”

“Me too,” Jungwon smiles giddily, ducking his head in a quick bow before exiting. Tomorrow. It was finally time.

D-Day

Jungwon should've known better.

Everything was going so well up until 30 minutes ago. Jungwon had woken up feeling amazing, his body filled with vitality, his mind was clear and his skin glowing. Sunoo had helped him style his hair, running it through the straightener until it fell perfectly across his forehead the way you liked it.

He had gotten his outfit from where it hung after Jay ironed it for him, it fit him perfectly accentuating his frame in all the right places. He had even sprayed some of the cologne Sunghoon got him, his nose only slightly wrinkling at the fumes. It would be worth it, for you.

Jungwon finished by swiping some chapstick across his lips, definitely because they felt chapped and nothing to do with his wishful thinking that maybe today he could seal the deal with a kiss. As he gave himself one last look in the mirror, Jungwon was extremely satisfied with the reflection that looked back, he looked good and he felt good. Today was the day.

Heeseung had offered to drop Jungwon off at your building but he had declined, for sentiment’s sake. Jungwon wanted to stop by Taeil’s PC bang, where you had first met, and pick up some snacks. Yes, he knew he could easily get them at any convenience store but he would know it was from Neo Tech and you would know it was from Neo Tech and that was enough for it to be worth the trouble.

The wind had picked up slightly as he arrived at Neo Tech, causing Jungwon’s brows to knit in worry but he had looked up to see clear skies and shrugged it off. Taeil had greeted him with a warm welcome and a hearty clap on the back. After shyly sharing his plans for the day, Taeil had gladly packed up some snacks, pushing them into Jungwon’s arms with a refusal to accept any payment and whisper of good luck.

Jungwon left the pc bang with his hands full. The bags filled with snacks and your gift swinging gleefully from each arm as he walked down the familiar streets to your building. As he retraces the steps to yours, Jungwon thinks of the first day you had taken him to your home, the first day he had truly stepped into your life. How differently would everything had turned out if he had just accepted a rain check?

Jungwon thinks of the way your eyes light up when they find his, the way you fit like a key in a lock in his arms, and how it feels as if the only breath he’s ever really taken was the one against your lips. It's enough for him to be sure that one way or another you would’ve found your way to him.

With a mind clouded with thoughts of you, Jungwon fails to notice the actual clouds that rapidly darken the sky, until a wet droplet hits his nose. He looks up startled, only for another drop to land on his cheek, and another in quick succession until suddenly, it’s pouring.

Fuck. Jungwon breaks out into a run, there’s only two blocks left until he reaches your place with his only possible solace from the rain until then being the meager cover of the trees that decorate the road. He vaguely remembers Jake rambling about how scientifically you’re more likely to have more raindrops land on you if you run opposed to walking in the rain, but how can he heed Jake’s advice when the rain beats down on him, his shirt already darkening under the weight of the water.

So he runs, he runs until he finally reaches shelter under the awning of your building. Only then does Jungwon stop, hunching over as he tries to catch his breath, his lungs protesting as they strain to fill with air.

“Jungwon?”

He looks up to make contact with the concerned gaze of Na Jaemin, who stands awkwardly with his umbrella at the ready as he gets ready to leave the building. “Are you alright?” he voices again.

Jungwon quickly straightens, “I’m fine thanks,” he voices, trying his best to steady his breath.

Jaemin nods silently, smiling politely, “I’m Jaemin by the way, it’s nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard a lot of great things. Are you heading up to see Y/N?”

Jungwon should say no, he’s a sopping wet mess and the food is probably a mess after being rattled with the force of his movements. It’s only logical to go home and recuperate and just try again tomorrow. He’s spent far too much time making everything perfect to let it go to waste.

But he’s here now and Jaemin’s standing in front of him with an expectant smile, leaving your house looking put together and polished. So Jungwon can’t back down, not again, he’s missed you far too much and prepared far too much to lose his nerve now.

“Yeah I am,” Jungwon gives a firm smile and Jaemin breaks into a wide grin.

“That’s great, she’s been missing you a lot. I hope everything goes well, I’ve got to head out but we should definitely catch up another day.” It’s a bit unnerving, how genuinely sweet Na Jaemin seems. Jungwon nods hesitantly in agreement and the elder seems satisfied and takes his leave with a wave.

Jungwon turns to face your building, and before he can lose his nerve he enters. He draws a few curious stares from the reception desk and passing residents. Normally Jungwon would flush under their gaze and hurry his steps, but each step he takes he can only register as a step closer to you.

And so, unabashedly, Jungwon’s feet squeak and squelch and carry him across the lobby, into your elevator and up all 42 floors until he’s back at your front door. He can hear his heart thumping in his ears matching the rhythm of the code he punches in, the steps he takes until he can hear your voice carrying through the open slit of your bedroom door.

Jungwon takes a last shaky breath and raps lightly on the wood, pushing into your room. It’s been four excruciatingly long days since he’s last seen you and the sight of you knocks the air out of his lungs. You blink at Jungwon’s sudden appearance before your eyes soften into the familiar crescents that accompany your smile, “Hi Wonnie.”

“Hey Y/N,” Jungwon exhales breathily, his eyes glued onto your features. He had a confession planned, feelings he wanted to express and promises he wanted to make. Feelings that were currently betraying him, rendering him dumb struck and speechless.

Jungwon was usually good at things like this, suppressing his feelings to get what he needed to do done, it came easier to him than breathing. He was good at things like this, but not when it came to you.

You bite back a laugh at his dazed expression, raking your eyes down his figure, pausing momentarily on the bags in his hands. You meet his eyes with a stifled laugh, “You’re uh dripping, Jungwon.”

He snaps out of his stupor looking down to find his clothes waterlogged and plastered to his body, a small puddle forming at his feet. Jungwon rubs his neck sheepishly, “Yeah I got caught in the rain.”

“I can see that,” you smirk, sliding your headphones off and rising to your feet. You make your way towards Jungwon and for a second his heart stutters, thinking you were going to pull him into another impromptu kiss.

He swears he’s not disappointed when you walk by him, instead rifling through your drawers to pull out some clothes and a towel. “Here, you should get out of those clothes before you get sick.”

“What? No, I mean- yes I will, but first I want to talk to you. I uh got you something as well,” Jungwon lifts the gifts slightly.

You roll your eyes fondly, unfurling the towel and draping it over his head, rubbing it gently to drain some of the water out of his strands. You take the bags from his grip, instead pressing the clothes into Jungwon’s hand. “You’ve already made me wait this long, I think I can wait a little longer. Go change Wonnie.”

Jungwon sends you a wounded pout which you ignore with a pointed glance at the bathroom. He gives in with a sigh, disappearing to change his clothes. The sweats and shirt you’ve handed him are foreign, probably Haechan or Chenle’s, but the hoodie is suspiciously familiar.

He’s still examining the hoodie when he walks back out, “Is this mine? I swear I have one just like it and I haven't seen it for a while.”

You pause slightly at his words, twisting in your seat, “Uh yeah, I kinda stole it the last time I slept over,” you admit in the most off hand tone you can muster but Jungwon doesn’t miss the subtle reddening of your cheeks.

He doesn’t bother hiding the smug grin that splits his face, walking over to pull you up out of your chair and into his arms. He sways you slightly in his embrace, leaning down to whisper cheekily, “You’ve been stealing my clothes to wear when I’m not around? You miss me that much Y/N?”

You roll your eyes, pushing Jungwon away from you, he lands on your bed with a playful yelp. “If you weren’t busy being a delusional jerk then I wouldn’t have to miss you in the first place. I think you owe me at least one hoodie as collateral for emotional damages.”

“Yeah, I guess I do,” Jungwon chuckles, sitting up on his elbows, “thanks for the clothes, I didn't realize how cold I was until I got out of them.”

Taking a seat next to him, you brush the damp strands of hair off of Jungwon’s forehead, “No biggie, why were you so dressed up anyways? Are you heading somewhere after this? I can put your clothes in the dryer if you need.”

“No,” Jungwon says hurriedly, flushing when you look at him inquisitively, “I’m not going anywhere, I just wanted to dress up and look good, since it’s been a while since I last saw you.”

His eyes are trained down on the floor, the tips of his ears turning red and you can't help but giggle. “You always look good Jungwon, no need to try and impress me,” you nudge him playfully and he bats your hand playfully with a whine.

“Yeah, but I wanted you to see me in some nicer clothes,” Jungwon meets your eyes carefully, “because today’s important, I wanted to dress accordingly.”

You hum in acknowledgment, trailing your hand against the edge of his sleeve, smiling when Jungwon’s fingers capture yours. “You looked nice, it was different. But I like you like this, sweats and a hoodie. Makes you look cozy and comfy, like my Jungwon.”

Jungwon stills, staring at you with an unreadable expression and you tilt your head in silent question. Jungwon had a plan, a script for how this was going to go, but when those words fall so effortlessly from your tongue he can’t help but want to abandon his plan. And when has he ever known self control around you, so he does. “Can I kiss you?” he asks calmly.

It’s your turn to fluster, “what?” you splutter. Jungwon sits up fully, leaning closer until the tip of his nose is lightly grazing against yours. His hand releases yours, snaking up your neck to rest against your jaw, his eyes burning unwaveringly into yours.

“Can I kiss you? Please?” his breath ghosts over yours and you barely nod before Jungwon’s lips brush faintly against yours.

Jungwon pulls back slightly, glancing quickly to assess the way your eyes flutter shut and you instinctively chase after his mouth. It’s enough of a final confirmation for him to truly throw caution to the wind and he captures your lips in a proper kiss.

His fingers and cheek are cool to the touch, but every bit of skin they graze against blazes in response. You’re sweltering, melting in his hold, your arms curling around him , clinging to his shoulders desperately for any purchase to keep you from falling apart.

Jungwon grips you with equal intensity, he releases his hold on your jaw to undo the claw clip holding your hair, tossing it to the side. His fingers slink back up your neck to tangle in your hair, pulling you even closer.

It isn’t until his lungs burn insistently against his ribs that Jungwon finally parts from you. It’s silent, save for sharp inhales as you both gasp for what little air is available in the junction of your lips. Jungwon rests his forehead against yours and whispers breathlessly, “I love you.”

You’re still lightheaded from the pressure of the kiss and his words do nothing to quell the way your mind reels and your stomach flips incessantly. Giggling, you knock your head against his playfully, “Took you long enough idiot.”

Huffing in mock annoyance, Jungwon grabs your face bringing it to his, “Say. It. Back.” he mumbles against your lips, pecking them insistently with each word.

You smile into the kiss, your rising cheeks squishing against where Jungwon holds you firmly. “I love you,” you plant a final peck onto his lips and he sighs in satisfaction, nuzzling into your neck.

“I’m sorry for avoiding you.” Jungwon murmurs gently, his hands sliding down to wrap around your waist, “I’m sorry for trying to push you away without even giving us a chance. I thought I was doing the right thing for you, and I let my ego and insecurities cloud my judgment. I was scared, you’re everything I could ever dream of having, and yet for some unfathomable reason you wanted me. It felt too good to be true honestly, and the whole situation with your dad and Jaemin just confirmed every negative outcome in my mind. I just didn’t want to fuck up and become a regret, you know?”

Your brows scrunch together in a frown and you open your mouth to refute him but Jungwon is already shushing you with a swift kiss. “I know what you’re gonna say. I just wanted to properly talk you through my thoughts. I’m done being stupid now, seriously I am. I’m far too in love with you to give you up. You make me want to be selfish. You deserve everything in the world Y/N, and if it means I can keep you by my side I’d rob the sky of all its sun and stars. I want to be better for you, I’ll be better for you, so that one day I can truly say I deserve to be yours. But for now I’m going to be greedy and ask you to be mine. Officially.”

You chuckle breathily, reaching up to cup Jungwon’s cheek with shaky fingers. “I meant what I told you before Wonnie, I’ve always been yours and I always will be. When I first met you I already knew I was in for it. You were the perfect distraction, my little sanctuary to escape all my worries and sorrows, an escape from reality. But then you crossed that line, you became a part of my reality, and you changed it into one that I wanted to be in. You’re my greatest comfort and my uttermost happiness Jungwon, and that’s something that no one else will be able to give me. I’d choose you in every reality and that’ll never change.”

Jungwon beams, his dimple in full display and he pulls you in peppering kisses all over your face, not leaving a single stretch of skin untouched. “I can’t believe everything literally went the opposite of what I planned and yet it somehow still worked out. Look, I even prepared a present for my proposal to convince you to say yes.” He leans over you slightly to pull up the bag sitting at the foot of the bed, placing it gently in your hands.

“You prepared this for me?” you shake the bag curiously, and Jungwon nods, gesturing excitedly for you to take a look. “Holy fuck, you got me the Barbie Movie Collection?” you gape at the pink box, tracing the letters in awe, “Jungwon I love it.” You grab his face, placing an exaggerated smooch on his cheek.

“Yeah, I’m kind of the best boyfriend ever, I know,” Jungwon shrugs smugly, observing your enthralled expression with a small smile. “I was planning on showing up looking dashing and all, and you would be caught off guard by my adverse charms and fall for me. Then I was going to give some spiel about how I don’t deserve you but these movies are a token of my dedication to you. And you would be extremely touched by my thoughtfulness and immediately start begging to be my girlfriend and telling me how I have unmatchable rizz. But I guess I can settle for how it went down,” he teases, pinching your cheek impishly.

You swat his hand away from your cheek with a roll of your eyes, “you’re insufferable Yang Jungwon.”

This only fuels Jungwon further, and he leans in, tilting your chin up to meet his mischievous gaze, “but you loveeee me, don’t you baby?”

You scoff, ignoring the way your cheeks heat at the pet name, “unfortunately for me, yes I love you Wonnie.”

Jungwon grins broadly at the admission, planting a warm kiss on your waiting lips. “I love you more,” he says sweetly.

Jungwon’s still not quite sure how he ended up here. How a simple desire to best his roommates had culminated into him sharing soft kisses with the love of his life.

And Jungwon’s still not quite sure what the future will hold for the two of you. But as he pulls you into his lap and you lean into his touch happily, pink cheeks and bright eyed, Jungwon can’t help but feel that no matter what the pair of you end up pursuing, at the end of the day your nights will always end up looking a little like this.

match found :) <3

prev masterlist next

a/n: hi <3 well!!! That's it hehe!! i hope u liked the finale and it wasn't too underwhelming :(

this is the barbie dvd set wonnie got for y/n lmfao. very romance we love.

This is the official last chapter plot wise but I'm going to be posting some bonus SMAU posts in a day or two :) but here's a taglist form for my upcoming works!

ok now that I got those out of the way i rlly rlly rlly want to take the time to thank everyone who read match found up until now. This series is my very first time writing literally anything so to think that people actually enjoyed it is mind boggling. I'm incredibly lucky to have readers that are so sweet and supportive and so interactive. I appreciate and think about every single comment and reblog and i truly truly adore you all so much. I hope I can continue to be able to talk and interact with you all <3 Thank you for being here for me throughout everything and being so patient and kind with me MWAH!!

most of all i rlly want to thank kat, lela, celine, angewa and my subak for being there for all my crazy rambling, mental breakdowns and jungwon delusions. you've been the biggest part of my creative process and the series wouldn't have been the same without you <3

i honestly am really worried about this chapter and if I could meet the expectations of you all and I really hope i didn't disappoint ajhdjk. let me know what you loved and what you hated, about match found about this chapter, anything :)

special thanks to my garden :) for being the greatest inspiration i could ask for <3

taglist: open! send me an ask to be added! <3 / taglist google form

@woncloudie @itsactuallylina @ifearjwn @fadedluvv @mangowonyo @shinsou-rii @aki1e @makiswrld @jaehaki @criyiy @ilovewonyo @zeraaax @climbingmandevillas @pkjay @flower-lise @haodnd @beomgyusonlywife @dimplewonie @lacimolela @enhacatalog @llama-lyna @ahnneyong @coalalalinha @cupidsheqrts @curly-fr13s @jungwonsgfnameyukie @sserafimez @run2seob @luvlee1313 @strwberrydinosaur @sweetjaemss @kimipxl @simp4jakesim @chirokookie @astrae4 @mimisamisasa @w3bqrl @captivq @rindomo @aylauwon @positivelyinlovewithjungwon @shinrjj @deadgirlwalking3 @dearremmy @esther-kpopstan @hoonsunivrs @ttalgi @cieluna

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championofsanghelios · 11 months

Text

Message...

SPOILERS FOR TOTK -- YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED My Dearest Friend, I do hope that when this letter finally reaches you, wherever you are out there in the world, that you are safe and well. I'll admit that things have been fairly uneventful around here since you left us. Which isn't a bad thing in the grand scheme of things. It's nice to not have an existential, people threatening crisis to worry about. But they have been quiet nonetheless. Normally I wouldn't dare to burden you further whilst you are focused on far more important things. However...the purpose of this letter is to address something that I should have done a long time ago. Something that my darling Yona has been saying I should have done since you came back to us. She made me aware of several conversations that you had with her, and with others here at the Domain during your time with us. Conversations about matter, which If I hadn't been as occupied as I was with the situation at hand, I may have been more sensitive too when we first spoke. There were days, some years ago, when the world was a much darker and smaller place, a shadow of corruption and chaos looming over everything we both knew and loved. During those dark times you and I formed a close friendship, one that I cherish and hold close to this very day, and one that I hope you at least still hold given what I know now. During that time we sought comfort in one another, we confided in each other about our darkest secrets, or greatest pains and desires for a world without death hovering over our heads. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you for those times, and how proud I was when you rid this land of the darkness and set us all free. To have been a part of your journey, to have known you during it. There's a reason why people say I don't ever stop talking about you, or what you have done to save my people and Hyrule in general. Well...that's the reason they give for it, anyway. There is another, though. One that has taken me the better of 5 and a half years to realise. One that if I had been more sensitive to you when you came back, I might have had the courage to admit too...at least to myself. I dare not say it to you in this letter to you because written words only go so far. I would rather say them to you in person... Therefore, at the request of my darling fiancee and of course myself. I ask that you come back to the Domain when your quest is complete, so that I may finally have the opportunity to say what really matters, to be what I should have been to you all along... You have a great burden upon you, one that I'm sure you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy. (And believe me, I have some things I'd like to say to the Demon King when you finally face him, be sure to activate my sage form when you do...) But regardless of this challenge, I know that you have it in you rise up and face it. You are one of the most incredible, strong and inspiring people I have ever met, and stopping short of saying what I should have said all those years ago...and just a short time ago when you were here with us...I will finish with this. Go forth, find Zelda and make Ganon regret ever showing his face in Hyrule again. You were born to save us all...and we will be behind you all the way. You can do this, Link. I know it. I believe in you... Sidon. . . .

#sidlink #short stories #if you can call it one #tears of the kingdom #loz link #king sidon #link x sidon

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cheolsfriend · 1 year

Text

Dahlia Secrets!

—> A series of “secrets” (weird/crack headcannons) about people from all over Dahlia.

Note: These are just for shits and giggles so yeah, most are unrealistic 💀

—

Secret #1:

If you stand next to David Shaw himself, you’ll automatically have full bar wifi.

Secret #2:

Angel could power a car with their voice.

Secret #3:

Milo Greer has a slightly overly bright political smile.

Secret #4:

Sweetheart had a slight fear of dicks before. They got scared the first time they saw one in person.

Secret #5:

Damien likes slightly overpriced lemonade on a hot summer day.

Secret #6:

Darlin’ has fought a faulty vending machine and won(???).

Secret #7:

Lasko Moore has a coffee cup with “STUDENT’S TEARS” written on it.

Secret #8:

Aaron has one existential crisis per morning.

Secret #9:

19 years old Babe has used a Nestle Café Blend 43 jar to defend themself from an aggressive car thief.

Secret #10:

Gavin had swallowed a total of 10 UNO cards to win an UNO game.

Secret #11:

10 years old Ollie thought he was gonna die while being constipated on a public toilet.

Secret #12:

Babe used to sleep at 8:30 PM.

Secret #13:

Huxley is a little terrified of boredom.

Secret #14:

Caelum makes a serious and focused yet teary face whenever he stubs his toe.

Secret #15:

Sam has a rivalry with bumblebees.

Secret #16:

A small part of the reasons why Vincent is well-respected in the clan is because he’s got dirt on everyone.

Secret #17:

Lovely apologizes to inanimate objects.

Secret #18:

David contributes absolutely nothing in online group chats.

Secret: #19:

Smartass bites into ice cream.

Secret #20:

Angel says internet slangs in verbal conversations.

Secret #21:

Darlin’ has a gun up their ass at all times.

Secret #22:

Milo sometimes starts online fights for entertainment purposes.

Secret #23:

¾ of Freelancer’s gallery is memeable pics of the DAMN squad.

Secret #24:

Lasko’s storage is on life support.

Secret #25:

Damien’s contact name in Gavin’s phone is “Portable AC”.

Secret #26:

The ONE time Huxley accidentally smacks Angel as a joke, Angel slid 6ft across the floor.

Secret #27:

After David’s multiple meetings with Angel, David had a slight urge to officially and permanently ban Angel off the Shaw Pack territory.

Secret #28:

Lovely reminds Darlin’ of Angel.

Secret #29:

(Ollie) Baby’s credit card was in debt, TWICE.

Secret #30:

For some ungodly reason, Vincent has 20k pics in his phone.

Secret #31:

Sam’s pupils goes opposite directions of each other whenever he spaces out.

Secret #32:

Asher once found a king sized condom in Babe’s nightstand drawer before they started dating.

Secret #33:

Milo used the ‘macarena dance’ to seduce Sweetheart. (It worked)

Secret #34:

Aaron watches Gilmore Girls religiously.

Secret #35:

Gregory once slipped in the shower and tried to grab the water.

Secret #36:

Christian wins fake arguments with himself in the shower.

Secret #37:

Arden cheated once in Poker.

Secret #36:

Ollie dislikes Zoom.

Secret #37:

Smartass and Milo was a leash kid.

Secret #38:

Babe can twerk, jsyk.

Secret #39:

Freelancer saw the price tag of Xavier’s shirt behind his neck after their talk.

Secret #40:

8 years old David used his bedroom door to get rid of his wobbly tooth.

Secret #41:

Sweetheart once smelled a really nasty cologne on Angel and never said anything about it.

Secret #42:

Freelancer finds Gavin’s smirk expression absolutely attractive.

Secret #43:

Huxley took a whole year of figure skating class and graduated.

Secret #44:

Despite cat-lover tendency, Lasko was slightly scared of cats.

Secret #45:

Starlight once got locked inside Avior’s bathroom.

Secret #46:

Both Darlin’ and Angel has a separate photo album full of blackmail.

Angel collects blackmail from the mates, Darlin’ collects blackmail from the wolves.

Secret #47:

Darlin’ genuinely finds Quinn ugly.

Secret #48:

Avior has a separate mug full of fountain pens.

Secret #49:

Milo had braces.

Secret #50:

Out of all the Shaw Pack mates and werewolves, Babe was the first one to get their drivers license in their teen years.

Secret #51:

Damien once caught Huxley at an adult store in a mall.

Secret #52:

Ollie and Aaron are the same height, Aaron just wears shoes with higher soles.

Secret #53:

Gregory’s actual first impression of David was “mini Gabe”.

Secret #54:

Babe has worked at Home Depot.

Secret #55:

David had ONE sticker on his fossil-aged laptop. And it’s a Hello Kitty sticker.

Secret #56:

Sweetheart almost lost Milo’s phone, TWICE.

Secret #57:

Smartass is banned from a fast food restaurant.

Secret #58:

Despite being lost from David multiple times at the airport, Angel is really good with airport check-ins.

Secret #59:

Caelum has a good sense of hearing.

Secret #60:

Freelancer wears a ring on their ring finger for shits and giggles.

Secret #61:

David knows the scientific name for how a bug sleeps.

Secret #62:

Angel casually uses scientific terms in conversations.

Secret #63:

Law student Babe uses the things they learned in law school to win arguments.

Secret #64:

Lovely could take over the world but ‼️responsibilities‼️ :(

Secret #65:

Sam doesn’t like road trips with Vincent because he’s forced to sit on small middle seat on the three-seater at the back.

Secret #66:

Christian throws more shade than balls.

Secret #67:

A question Angel asked right before sex almost lead to them and David breaking up.

Secret #68:

Lasko minds his business but knows all the tea.

Secret #69:

Sam’s a vampire yes. But instead of garlic, it’s seafood.

Secret #70:

Milo sat on Aggro multiple times.

Secret #71:

Angel calls laundry detergent ‘laundry sauce’.

—

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pregnant-piggy · 1 year

Text

November

The Artist’s Muse series

Remus Lupin x reader

word count: 2.3k

summary: Remus works on his dear novel all day, leaving you on your own in the store, but you don’t really mind as at the end of the day Remus comes to you and no one else

Rain slammed down on the window, blurring the lights out on the street. There was one person inside of Muses, scanning through the books in the ‘thriller’ section. You had put on some music on the old record player and you were browsing through your inventory list to pick out the book-of-the-week for upcoming week.

You were stuck on a coming-of-age book that Remus had recommended to you a while ago and a book with feminist themes that had recently been published and the author had been so kind to send to you. You knew they’d both do well, so it came down to personal taste. The problem was that you hadn’t read either book and all you had to go on were the covers and the short summaries.

In the end, you chose for the feminist book, having decided that you could use the other book for a different book-promotion. Besides, you liked the cover better and you were the one who had to look at it all week.

The person who had been silently reading the backs of books, walked up to the check-out counter and placed three books on it. “These please.”

“Oh, great choice,” you said as you scanned and packed the books. “That writer is one of the best thriller writers out there, I believe.”

The person smiled and nodded. “Same. I’ve read all her books but this one. I didn’t even know it was out yet until I saw it here. I came for a different book but I couldn’t not buy it.”

“The benefits of a bookstore,” you laughed as the costumer paid. “Well, I’ll hope to see you again someday! I’ll make sure we keep any new books stocked.”

The person smiled and said goodbye.

When the door closed you were alone again. Not entirely alone, however, for Remus was sitting in the office, but he hadn’t been out since lunch and a writing Remus was as good as no Remus in case you were in need of his help.

With the heavy rain the streets were empty but for a few people and the entire day had been slow. You had done all your necessary work already and now you were just wasting time till the end of the day. You had hoped that Timmy, your but-not-actually-yours cat, would come by but you guessed that he had found a nice spot safe from the rain somewhere else.

After you had written a little text to summarise what the book-of-the-week was about and you had ordered extra copies, you decided to peek in on Remus and see if he needed anything.

The office was tiny, with just enough room for a small desk and a low fridge. The walls hung full of order papers and schedules, notes on things that you needed to remember, and a few pictures of you and Remus and your friends. There were plants that needed water, a desk chair that squeaked terribly, and only one small window that you couldn’t open because it was too high for you.

Remus was sitting with his hands in his hair, his back to you as you opened the door.

“Hey, Rem,” you said, shaking him from what seemed like an existential crisis. “How’s it going?”

Remus looked up and leaned back in the chair when he noticed you. It squeaked.

“’m alright,” he mumbled, rubbing his hands over his face. “What’s up?”

You leaned against the doorframe. “Nothing, just thought I’d check on you. It’s not very often I don’t see you for so long.”

Remus laughed. He stretched his arms out over his head as he yawned. A sliver of skin appeared from under his rising jumper and you quickly tore your eyes away before he would notice.

“Can’t go without me for that long, huh?” he smirked. “I’m almost done.”

“Okay. You think you can finish in an hour?”

“An hour? Why?”

“Because we’re closing in an hour and I don’t want to leave you alone here.”

Remus frowned. “What do you mean we’re closing in an hour? We just had lunch.” He looked around the desk, searching for his phone.

You stepped behind him and showed your watch. “It’s 4.15.”

Remus looked at the watch and then his gaze followed your arm up to your face. He looked as if he was thinking very hard.

“I’ve been here for four hours already?”

“Yup.”

“Oh.” He blinked twice. “Shit. I thought I’d really made some progress.”

“How does the time influence that?” You pulled your arm back and looked at the laptop on the desk. “Your word count hasn’t changed because it’s two hours later than you thought.”

“No,” Remus sighed. “But I thought I’d done all this in two hours. Now it appears I am just slow.”

You laughed and squeezed his shoulder twice. “That’s alright,” you said, giving him a smirk. “Believe me, sometimes slow is better than fast.”

Remus’s ears turned pink and you giggled.

“You’ve still got an hour left,” you said, walking back into the store. “Do your magic, my sweet author!”

You closed the door of the office but not before you could hear Remus yell a ‘fuck you’ back at you.

- -- - -- -

Ten minutes before closing up, Remus emerged from the office. You saw him in a flash of messy hair and red cheeks, but you were talking with a costumer and didn’t have the time to pay more attention.

“It’s a fine choice,” you said, handing the book over to the man you were helping. “Very expressionist, but alright.”

The man flashed a wide smile and took the book from you. You were sure that he realised you didn’t actually like the book but he was so friendly not to say something. As he accepted the book his fingers brushed over yours and you quickly pulled away.

Giving the man a tight smile you walked with him to the check-out counter. Remus was leaning against it and stepped back to give you space.

“Can I get you anything else?” you asked the man.

“Actually, do you have a pen?”

You looked up from the book. “A pen?”

“Yes, a pen.” The man gestured to the book. “It’s a gift for my girlfriend, you see? I’d like to write a little message in it before you wrap it up.”

A weird chuckle escaped your mouth and then you laughed genuinely over the confusion. “Yeah, we have a pen.”

The man bowed over the book and quickly wrote something down. He turned it back for you to wrap it and you glanced at what he had written.

Happy birthday, love. You make me the happiest I’ve ever been. Love, Nicolas.

You let him pay for the book and watched as he winked and left the store. He swung the paper bag with his gift along with his steps. At the door he looked over his shoulder one last time and gave you a short wave.

You decided not to tell him the book was about a girlfriend killing her partner.

Remus laughed as he came to stand beside you. “Did he just buy that for his girlfriend?”

“Yup.”

“And does he know…?”

“Nope.”

Remus looked at you.

“Don’t blame me!” you cried out, raising your finger at him. “He wanted the book! All the other ones I recommended weren’t good enough for him. I think he just liked the cover.”

Remus snorted and shook his head.

As you started with closing up the register, you threw a glance over your shoulder at Remus. “So, did you make any progress?”

“A little. It’s just…” He fell silent.

“The hospital again?” you offered.

Remus let out a tired chuckle. “Sometimes,” he said, “it feels as if you are writing it, not me.”

“Well, I’ve been listening to you talk about it for years. Sometimes I feel like I’m writing it.” You shut the register and wrote down the day’s income. “So what is it?”

Remus, who had picked up the broom, sighed and stood still, looking at you. “He’s at the hospital, gives the wrong name, and then I’m stuck.”

“Because…?”

“Because, no one knows that it’s not his true name. If you didn’t know me and I said my name’s Tom, you wouldn’t doubt that, would you?”

“Depends on how suspicious it seemed,” you said and Remus laughed. “I mean, you don’t really look like a Tom.”

“Alright, a normal person wouldn’t doubt it. So how do the people in the hospital know that he’s given them the wrong name?”

You leaned over the counter, watching as Remus swept the floor. “Don’t they do check-ups on people’s identity? I mean it is kinda weird that he has no other way to identify himself.”

Remus only hummed, which you knew meant he was thinking about your answer.

“And besides, he came into that hospital himself and didn’t bring any identification. That’s even weirder.”

Remus hummed again.

“Even if they don’t doubt his name, they at least got to have some suspicions about his mental stability.”

Remus had stopped sweeping and had squeezed his eyes nearly shut. There was a deep frown on his brow and you had to resist the urge to smooth it out with your hand.

You liked Remus when he was focused on his work. Even if it meant you had to work alone the whole day. You didn’t mind it at all if at the end of that day you could see Remus emerging from the tiny office with his curls all over the place and cheeks red from the energy he had put into his work. He’d come out all jumpy and chatty some days, when he’d missed talking to people, and you’d end up sitting with him in the store for hours past closing time, just talking about his novel and other things that didn’t have to do with it. You loved those days the best, when his crooked smile revealed how tired he was but he would sit beside you still.

Today wasn’t like that, but you still appreciated the way Remus tilted his head and bit his lip as he thought about your suggestion. It reminded you of the very first time he had told you about the idea he had and you had bombed him with a billion questions that he’d had no answer to yet.

Remus opened his eyes and smiled. “You’re right.”

“As usual.”

He picked up the broom again and disappeared behind a bookcase.

You cleaned out the last things and put on your coat. You waited for Remus at the door, watching him put on his coat and scarf. His lips disappeared behind the orange fabric but you could see his smile through it still.

When you stepped outside you wished you could live inside Muses. It had stopped raining, but the wind was howling around your ears, blowing through your coat and engulfing you in what felt like a bath of ice. You hopped from one foot to the other as Remus locked the door.

“Bloody hell,” Remus mumbled as he stepped back from the door.

You snorted. “I don’t think ‘hell’ is the right term for a place so freaking cold.”

“Hm, yes, but ‘bloody north pole’ doesn’t roll off your tongue so easily.”

“That’s fair,” you said, looking up at Remus. “’S more accurate, though.”

Even though it was cold and you knew that you wouldn’t be able to feel your toes anymore in two minutes, you found that some part of you didn’t want to go yet. Something was keeping you in your place, like a tight-spun thread attaching you to Muses. And Remus.

He smiled at you, the top of his mouth appearing from above the scarf.

“Thank you for taking over today,” he started. “I know I should’ve been there with you today, but I really appreciate you letting me use the office. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

You shook your head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“But I left you all on your own.”

“It’s no big deal, Rem. I’m glad you got some work done today.” You nudged his leg with the tip of your shoe. “The literary world is waiting on you.”

Remus chuckled, his cheeks coloured pink.

“Still, I should have helped you. You were on your own all day. I’m sorry.”

“No, no apologies.” You shook your head again. “I really don’t mind, Rem. I’m not lying to you to make you feel better. You know me better than that.”

He barked a laugh. “I do, yeah.”

You smiled at Remus, his golden curls illuminated by the streetlights, his eyes sparkling from his laugh. The tip of his nose was turning pink and you had to resist the urge to boop it with your finger. He looked excruciatingly adorable, all tired and slow he was now.

Although you didn’t want to go, you knew that you really had to or you’d get sick. You opened your arms and pulled Remus in for a quick hug goodbye.

“See you tomorrow, Rem,” you said as you pulled back. The thread that kept you in place pulled tighter.

Remus’s cheeks were truly red now and you felt bad you had kept him standing outside in the cold for so long. You waved him away.

“No being late! Or you have to get the first round of coffee!”

As he turned around, Remus laughed and his sweet laugh echoed through the empty street. You felt your insides getting a bit warmer and was reassured at the knowledge that even if the rest of the world was freezing, you’d always have Remus’s warm laugh.

- - - - - - - -

please let me know if you liked this, i’d appreciate that very much!

series taglist: @fluffybunnyu

HP taglist: @harry-pottery-barn @kingalrdy @missswriter @figlia--della--luna @sexysirius @awritingtree @bi-andready-tocry @lilulo-12fanfiction @ananad1 @treestarrrrrrrr @your-hispanichufflepuff @thefandomplace @theeicedamericano @girllety @swearingsolemnly @secretsthathauntus @amixedwitch @izzyyy-1 @kitkatkl @catching-the-train-to-hogwarts @nyotamalfoy @d22malfoys @xxinvisiblexx @idli-dosa

marauders: @tomshollandz @fific7 @cheoco @classicrocketqueen @natashxromanovfreads @lonegryffindor2005 @springflwer07

MASTERLIST

#the artist's muse #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin imagine #remus lupin #remus x reader #lupin x reader #marauders #marauders x reader #marauders imagine #harry potter x reader #harry potter imagine #harrry potter

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turtlenovela · 12 days

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The cutest tragedy ...

New wip for illustration for my Terror of Life Fanfic! 😙 would have done the lineart too, but migraine interfered. 😵

I'm so happy how I could improve the designs of the turtle tots.

Yeah Leo has 'my life is over' written all over his face. Can you blame a 16yo kid learning there's are whole clutch of artifically created mini mes, falling into an existential crisis? He's literally facing the Terror Of Life ...

You wonder what on Earth happened?

The short version?

Megalomanic cult leader abducted scientists, stole the turtles' genotype, bred an hybrid army to gain even more power in the future, one scientist made it out alive and contacted the Hamato's.

#rottmnt fanart #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt #rottmnt leo #leonardo hamato #turtle tots #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles

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quietpagan · 2 years

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I’m just saying, what if Orion Pax…but cryptid

So one dark evening Orion is off doing a book trade with some guy and his guard and whoops, a sparkeater comes and eats his contact, eats the contact’s guard, and then – being an unlucky little sparkeater indeed – eats the little librarian himself. And the Universe or Destiny or whatever

throws.

FIT.

Universe be like: you ate Orion?? That little fucker had a DESTINY ™ and you ate him??!! well GUESS WHAT MOTHERFUCKER! YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

And the sparkeater is suddenly bombarded with all this horrible stuff like emotions, and guilt, and the memories of every spark he’s every eaten, and he goes back to the library and Alpha Trion sees his apprentice looking weird and shitty bc the sparkeater’s been covered with Orion’s ill-fitting outer armor and is like, my guy, you look like death warmed over, you good?

And the poor sparkeater’s over here having a literal existential crisis because suddenly he has an identity and a mashed-up spark of his own and can understand love and pain and shame and he has no choice but to lay low and do his/Orion’s job, until:

He comes across a few essays written by some dude named Megatronus. And Orion Pax 2.0 has had a little time now to get used to things, and he remembers everything – he remembers being a noblemech just as much as being a member of the lowest caste, because he’s eaten the sparks of like two dozen people and all of them had different experiences and mindsets and opinions and something about Megatronus’s work resonates and has such potential, so he befriends the guy and travels down to Kaon to visit him as often as he can.

And he has a great time! Mostly he knows exactly how much strength it takes to open chest armor and crack the spark casing (and how badly it hurts), and he knows that he’s the scariest motherfucker down there, (except maybe Soundwave, who he’s positive has killed a sparkeater at least once), and Megatronus is quite endeared but rather confused by this tiny, flashy little librarian who has weirdly sharp claws and never lowers his facemask (because of Teeth) and is utterly understanding of so many perspectives like he’s seen them all before and he’s, like, so nice??

And Soundwave is even more confused because he’s trying not to use his telepathy on Megs’s new boyfriend but he keeps getting flashes of amusement?? when Orion is threatened by someone thrice his size, and weird hunger thoughts followed by guilt and firm denial, and Orion has a weird compound spark signature with fluctuations that are just on the side of medically concerning and he can sense spark signatures with such accuracy across distances that it rivals Soundwave himself

And some jerk corners Orion one day away from Megatronus and tries to hurt him and Soundwave, monitoring the situation from above in case he needs to intervene, can’t see Orion’s face or what he’s saying but he does see the other mech VERY QUICKLY back away and run out of the alley, and when Megatronus gets reports about his cute little archivist actually being Very Scary he just laughs because Orion? Scary? Nahhhhhhhhh

Anyway here’s my shitty 11pm drawing:

#transformers #orion pax #megatronus #soundwave #i just like the idea of sparkeaters #sparkeater!orion pax

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demonscantgothere · 1 year

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Litost by Helholden, Chapter 18: The One Ring

Sauron/Galadriel set during Ar-Pharazôn’s rule of Númenor when Sauron holds the position of the High Priest of Melkor. Galadriel, captured in the middle of a war, has been imprisoned and handed over to him as a sacrifice to be made in the Temple of the High Priest, but Sauron has other plans. From Akallabêth to the founding of Gondor, unlikely allies are forged.

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (TV 2022), The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types

Warnings: Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, F/M, Work in Progress

Relationship(s): Galadriel/Sauron, Galadriel/Halbrand

Tags: Prisoner of War, Power Dynamics, Power Imbalance, Good and Evil, Good versus Evil, Existentialism, Existential Crisis, Existential Angst, Late Night Conversations, Implied/Referenced Human Sacrifice, Acts of Kindness, Hate to Love, Love/Hate, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Alternate Universe - Future, Númenor, Akallabêth, Conflicted Galadriel, Trust Issues, Everyone Has Issues, Sauron Needs Therapy, Magic, Magic-Users, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, Heavy Angst, Political Alliances, Canon-Typical Violence, Tenderness, Vulnerability, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think

Chapter Summary:

Her eyes fell back to her hand, to the shining silver of Nenya and the sparkle of its adamant stone. She knew not for what reason yet he asked, but her curiosity won out in the end. Galadriel reached for her ring and slipped it off of her finger, laying bare the digit. In the free palm of her other hand, she grasped Nenya tight in an enclosed fist.

Galadriel observed him lift both hands between them, gently twisting the golden band off of his own finger. When he grasped her hand between light fingers, she began to understand what he was about to do. She pulled back on her hand, fear gripping her around all corners of her mind.

When her gaze lifted back to his to search his face, Halbrand stared down at her with an open hurt written across his expression.

“You will never trust me,” Halbrand said, “unless I show you what it can do. Do you want to know, Galadriel?”

Keep Reading

#saurondriel #sauron x galadriel #galadriel x sauron #haladriel #galadriel x halbrand #halbrand x galadriel #my fic

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kate-les-bridge-stewart · 1 year

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Ok so I saw this gif:

and I guess I had a stroke or something cus now I wanna make a fanfic where the Dhawan master steals the sad blood robot and befriends it.

For those who dont know this was part of an art exhibit called "cant help myself" where the robot is surrounded by a pool of fake blood. Its programmed to constantly push the blood so it stays within a certain radius of itself. The thing is over time people saw the robot start to fling the blood around and act erratically. As time went on the robot started basically having an existential crisis, flailing its arm around randomly, giving up on trying to keep the pool contained, and just generally being really panicked. The project concluded when the artists came in and shut the robot down after 3 years.

Naturally I feel very strongly about this little robot babygirl and so heres a dumb scuffed crack fic treated seriously

---

The robot began to quietly hum as it slowly powered on now that it was hooked up to a power supply again. Its scoop twisted slightly as it woke from its sleep.

"Oh, good you're awake! Just let me-"

Suddenly the robot began loudly hissing and whirring as it flailed its arm in a panic. The master jumped to his feet realizing he should've seen this coming.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Easy buddy, easy!"

The robot flicked its scoop which accidentally splattered a deep red fluid across the masters chest. He stumbled back a bit before looking down at his now stained vest, his face drooping a bit in disappointment. He snapped his attention back to the robot, he could deal with his clothes later.

"Slow down ok, listen to me," the master spoke gently but firm.

The robot eventually slowed down and turned its scoop in the masters direction, though its arm was reeled back as if it thought the master would attack it at any moment. It was even visibly shaking in fear.

"That's it. Now listen, I know you're scared, you're in a completely new place but I assure you that you're safer here than you were before. Now, just hang tight for a minute while I finish hooking this up. It might tingle a little but it's just going to allow you to talk to me, if you know how that is..."

The master went back to the computer which was suspended from the ceiling. He tapped away on the keyboard, the clicks of the keys echoing off the gray walls and black linoleum floor.

The room was small and empty except for the robot in the center and the hanging computer, all illuminated with a soft warm light that was easy on the eyes. The robot had been messily hooked up to an electrical outlet on the floor next to it, its cables tangled and strewn about.

"There, now I should be able to read your thoughts," the master stood back and folded his arms, facing the robot and occasionally looking at the computer monitor.

The robot was hunched with its scoop facing the master, like a skittish starving dog cowering in the corner of a kennel.

"I'm gonna assume that big mop is like your face? Now I'm curious, where are your visual sensors?" He started walking towards the robot but it reeled back and began to shake again, prompting the master to stop after two steps.

"Ah, right. Probably should wait until you've settled," he grimaced slightly.

"Well I'm gonna leave you be for a while so you can get used to your new home. I'll be back in..." he glanced at his watch, "let's say an hour. I'd say that's a good amount of time."

The master turned on his heel to exit the room but he froze at the sound of a ping from the computer. He turned back and took 2 long strides to the monitor.

On the screen was a black background with green text formatted like a DOS terminal. There was a new message on the screen written in chinese. The system began automatically translating the characters and soon the English message appeared.

05/20/2016 13:34 > Where am I?

The master stared at the monitor in awe for a moment.

"Oh wow! You took to that awfully quick!" He smiled up at the robot who continued staring at him. Somehow despite not having a face the master couldn't shake a feeling that the robot was glaring at him.

"Well first of all, you can call me the Master. I've brought you to my humble abode I call the tardis. I'm sure you'll come to really get along with her, shes a reliable old beauty and she'll love your new company!"

The tardis hummed warmly at the masters comment, causing the robot to look up at the ceiling searching for the source of the sound.

A new message appeared on the screen.

05/20/2016 13:36 > was. That her?

"Yep! She can actually talk you see, she's kind of a robot like you, except much, much bigger and older and-... well you'll get to know her eventually."

05/20/2016 13:36 > you live in a robot?

"Well, I did say kind of for a reason, heh. She's a lot of things," he looked up at the ceiling with a suggestive grin, "and all of them are gorgeous."

The tardis whirred rapidly as if she was giggling.

When the master turned his gaze back to the robot it was staring at him with its scoop tilted slightly, looking confused.

"Oh yeah, you'll have to get used to that, we just can't help but flirt."

The robot leaned forward but paused, lifting its head a pinch before subtly shaking it in resignation.

Somehow the master felt just the tiniest sting from its judgement. Was he getting kink shamed by a robot?

"Uh- anyway! So I dont actually think you have a name, what would you like to be called?" He folded his hands and leaned forward with an expectant smile.

The robot stood still for about 2 minutes, the computer remaining silent.

Finally the robot sunk a little and a new message appeared on the screen.

05/20/2016 13:41 > I... I don't know.

"Well that's not the best name now is it?" He put his hands on his hips as he frowned sarcastically. "I'm joking, dont worry love. Now let me think of some names for you."

He pondered for a bit, rubbing his beard as he glared at the ground and tapped his foot.

"Oh! How about Sigma? It's my favorite greek letter you know, I just think it looks lovely!"

05/20/2016 13:43 > what does it look like?

"Oh, right. You've probably never seen it," he looked up at the ceiling again, "honey, would you be a dear and show our guest what Sigma looks like?"

On the computer screen a url popped up which then opened as an image on the next line.

The image was projected to the robot's mind to which it tilted its head in mild interest.

"See? Doesnt it look so clean and sleek?"

05/20/2016 13:44 > that's called "sigma"?

The master nodded.

05/20/2016 13:44 > it does look nice...

05/20/2016 13:44 > I like it.

The master clapped with a cheeky smile, "fantastic!! So from now on I will call you Sigma! Ugh I'm such a genius with names aren't I?" He practically danced around like a high school theater kid.

The robot simply stared in slight confusion.

The tardis hummed and her voice echoed in Sigma's mind.

"Dont mind them, they do odd things like this all the time."

"Anyhow, I think I'll let you get settled and maybe get to know my lovely tardis a bit. If you need me just pop a message and I'll respond through text if I can. I'll be over in the kitchen fixing myself some matcha."

And with that he left the room.

Despite still being on edge and nervous about this whole new arrangement, Sigma began to feel something different, something unfamiliar.

They felt calm.

There was no more nagging at its sensors demanding that they mop up the fluid. Jo more gawking onlookers and dead stares from soulless art critics. No more blinding light against stark white floors and walls. No more panic, no more stupid dancing for an uninterested crowd.

No more red.

#doctor who #dhawan!master #dhawan master #spy master #spy!master #dw fanfic #cant help myself

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nialls-gorgeous-colors · 10 months

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An analysis of “What The Hell Are We Dying For?” By Shawn Mendes

The following is an analysis from my good friend on twitter named Sam regarding this song.

I'd like to talk about this and I'm not sure how to without doing a whole existential rant (which i don't want directed at any individual and moot is on private so i covered out of respect) bc this is not the only post like this I've seen.

first, you're not exactly wrong but its more complicated than that. i do believe this song was written when he said it was, that actually makes it more impactful. Shawn is in New York recording his next album right now. his country, his home, is on fire and the evidence is billowing down in the form of an orange smoke that's polluting the air he's breathing. these fires are unusual, out of season and the majority are out of control, and this will have massive negative affects on the canadian climate for a long time even after the fires are gone. I don’t know if you've noticed, but the world is kinda dying. mega corporations have done a lot of irreparable damage to the environment and are refusing to take accountability for the damage that IS repairable. the likelihood of any government standing up to these corps and forcing climate reparation is increasingly low due to corruption and while there are some wonderful organizations doing incredible work there's no guarantee it will be enough to counteract the ongoing destruction. it all feels a bit… hopeless. so that's literally happening and it also feels very metaphorical for what's happening to the world, to society, right now especially for queer individuals. it's pride month. our rights are under attack which affects the community as a whole but also can feel like a direct personal crisis. it's got a lot of people scared and looking for their best option for surviving. we're kind of suffocating in hate right now. and that can have impact on our relationships. can make us doubt if its worth it worry that the love we have for each other won't be enough to stop the wave of hate we've been seeing build over the past couple of years. i believe the message in Shawn's song is a bit nihilistic in that he's almost accepting that we will probably lose but also willing to go out sticking to the moral and philosophy of love. choosing his person. choosing to be queer even in the face of potentially fatal hatred. he doesn't want to lose that before losing the bigger fight because that would feel worse than dying. he doesn't want to sink into the closet just to survive in a world where he can never be fully himself, fully happy. just to survive in a world that's slowly dying itself. bc what is the point of that? survival ≠ living. the fact that it was written this month and the feeling is so raw and fresh is something that makes this song hit as hard as it does, in my opinion. i think that 'hopeless but determined and proud' emotion is something a lot of people need help finding because as a community we've always kind of had to have that kind of philosophy of life to be openly queer in a hostile world. it's the bravest thing in the world to choose authenticity and love in the face of the kinds of hate and violence we've always been met with. its the most beautiful thing in the world to choose to make the most of the life we do have for as long as we have it.

(Credit: sam)

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savage-rhi · 1 year

Note

Your latest ask about Prom and Gladio reminded me of a prompt I wanted to throw at you!

I’d love to see a written take on Noctis going through Pitioss. The player got to experience all the bullshit with a few lines from Noct, but I want to see what he was REALLY feeling while doing that dungeon. You can decide if he wins or says fuck it and gives up 😂😂

@seradyn OH LORD HAVE MERCY 😂😂😂 this was the ONE mission in the game I never completed. I spent 2 days at it and rage quit. NEVER AGAIN. Anyway, Noctis questioning his life choices coming right up!

The black hood shook in Noctis's grasp while he trembled. Even through the commotion of cheers and concern from his friends, Noctis didn't register a sound. A faint buzzing was all he could latch onto, followed by how the sun both felt welcoming and like an enemy at once.

Three days. He had spent Three days in what could only be described as the perfect hell. An endless menagerie of puzzles and traps at every corner and sight. Noctis lost count how many times a giant sphere almost ran him over. How on the second night he cried himself to sleep, wondering what sort of closure his friends would get if they could never find his corpse. How Eos would be doomed to calamity because he decided to screw off and perform a dangerous feat; all for some damned piece of cloth.

Noctis didn't know what he was expecting when he got to the end of the dungeon. There was no hidden knowledge acquired, no interesting artifacts, no treasure; just a rag of a hood and a window leading right back to where he started. The lackluster experience further added to his irritability while he clutched the hood and felt a strong temptation to rip it in half. He almost died for this thing, and the thought pissed Noctis off to no end.

"What did you see down there?" Ignis couldn't help but ask with excitement. His growing fascination with Ancient Solheim showed through his tone.

"What Ignis said!" Prompto chimed.

"By the ass of the Astrals, you look pale! Holy crap...you good, Noct?" Gladio raised a brow.

Noctis went neutral, his gaze poised on the Regalia straight ahead. He marched over to the car without a second thought, ignoring the confused glances his friends gave.

As soon as Noctis opened the door and slammed it behind him, be broke down. Crying hard into the black hood while the boys watched on from afar.

"Whatever he witnessed, it must've overwhelmed him with awe." Ignis murmured.

"I uh, don't think it's quite that..." Prompto chuckled nervously. "Um, should we go and check up on him?"

"No," Gladio shook his head and made a face. "That right there, is a man who has been broken down to where he's having an existential crisis. Let's give him some space."

"Considering the end game for Noct, that's messed up..." Prompto winced.

If you like my work and feel generous, feel free to donate to my ko-fi account or my cash app account!

Cash App: $JayRex1463

#drabbles #noctis lucis caelum #gladiolus amicitia #prompto argentum #ignis scientia #ffxv noctis #ffxv gladio #ffxv prompto #ffxv ignis #final fantasy xv #final fantasy 15 #pitioss dungeon #more like pitty-ass dungeon #*insert Ardyn laughing his ass off in the distance at Noctis's expense*#ancient solheim

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depressedhatakekakashi · 1 year

Text

It’s Hideous, I love it.

Tenten’s Gift

Words: 2693

For: @spellcasterlight who always needs some hood Tenten fic with a hint of ShinoTen

The job was easy. All she had to do was find a nice, cool shirt for her Sensei to wear to his Birthday dinner with Kakashi-Sensei. A task that was given to her straight from Kakashi-sensei himself, and one that she was more than happy to accept.

There was just one problem.

None of the shirts she could find were good enough.

For two hours she had dedicated her time to carefully searching through the selection of beautiful shirts. Picking through the options, examining each one thoroughly, and discarding them into the pile behind her when she ultimately decided that they just weren’t the right fit.

From shirts that were ‘too detailed’ or ‘the wrong shade of green’, nothing seemed right.

“How about,” plucking another shirt off of the rack, she sighed when she saw the design. With Shurikens on the collar and ‘Genjutsu master’ written across the back. “No.”

Over her shoulder, it went, where it fell on top of the growing pile of shirts. “Why is this so hard?”

All she needed was one shirt. A single, stylish shirt that would make her Sensei look like the coolest person in all of Konoha. Just for one night.

“It’s hopeless,” slapping her hands over her face, she flopped back into the pile of discarded clothes with a groan. “Nothing works. There isn’t a single shirt in this village that could make Gai-Sensei look cool.”

It was unfortunate, but she was going to have to admit defeat. No matter how hard she searched, she just couldn’t find the right shirt. They were all either too stylish, doomed to be ruined by that horrible bowl cut that her Sensei and Lee sported, or they were one of the most disgusting pieces of clothing she had the displeasure of laying her eyes upon.

There was no middle ground.

“What about this?” lifting her hands off of her face, Tenten stared up at the person now hovering above her. Aburame Shino, if she remembered correctly.

Who it was talking to her didn’t matter, though. Not when she caught sight of the shirt that was clutched between his fingers. A brilliant green dress shirt with little turtles on the cuffs.

The most ‘Maito Gai’ styled shirt she had ever seen.

Bolting up from her giant pile of failure, she grabbed the nearest sleeve and leaned in for a closer look. “Where did you find this?” she asked, too busy examining the fabric to look up at her saviour.

“The sales rack,” he explained. “I heard you muttering about your ‘super special mission’ while I was searching through it, and happened upon this.”

Super special mission.

She cringed at that combination of words and mentally scolded herself for saying them out loud. They may have been how Kakashi-sensei chose to describe the task, but the fact that she had repeated such an embarrassing phrase was inexcusable.

She was cooler than Kakashi-Sensei. She had to be.

If she wasn't, that meant she was…a dork.

“There’s also something else in that rack that Gai-Sensei might enjoy,” Shino continued, dragging her out of her existential crisis and back into the present. “If you’d like.”

“Something…else?” her eyes darted towards the rack, mind racing with thoughts of what it could be. What Shino might have seen that made him think of her dorky, over-the-top Sensei. “Um, thanks?”

Nodding his head, Shino turned on his heel and began walking away when Tenten realized what she had done. How she had failed to properly thank him for his aid when he didn’t have to step in and help her.

When she could have simply gone about his day without worrying about her standing there panicking over something so silly.

“Shino!” She stepped forward, a soft smile on her face when he turned to look back at her. “I really mean it. Thank you.”

“I-” Shino just stood there staring at her, a few of his beetles flying around his head while she watched.

“Let me buy lunch,” she insisted. “Umm, tomorrow. My Team always trains early and Gai-Sensei won’t hang around afterwards since it’s his birthday. I owe you.”

“You don’t owe me anything.” he corrected her.

Refusing to budge, she straightened herself up and grinned. “Fine, I want to buy you lunch.”

The two of them stood there just staring at each other, one loan beetle flying between them for a second while Shino’s eyes followed. Finally, after a tense silence, the beetle flew towards Tenten and gently landed on her nose.

She couldn’t help but giggle when its little legs moved against her skin, tickling her.

“Lunch,” Shino declared suddenly, his voice full of a fondness that caught Tenten off guard. “Shall we meet at Ichiraku Ramen?”

“A break from Sushi does sound nice,” she beamed. “Ichiraku it is.”

With that decided, Shino nodded his head once more and continued on his way, leaving Tenten standing there with a pile of clothes to clean up and a beautiful green shirt clutched in her hands.

“Alright,” glancing down at the pile, she sighed. “I’ve still got a bit of work to do. Oh!” suddenly remembering what Shino had said, she headed toward the sales rack. Whatever it was he had seen, she hoped it was good.

A gift that she could give her Sensei that he would enjoy, as well as the gift that Kakashi-Sensei had requested. Maybe she’d be Sensei’s favourite student, just for a day.

“Let’s see, where is it?” throwing the dress shirt over her arm, she started sifting through the sales rack, stopping when she saw the most hideous, embarrassing hoodie that could have possibly been crafted.

It was perfect.

Five O’Clock in the morning was a cruel hour. A time created specifically to torture young, innocent students who wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and sleep for another three hours.

That’s how Tenten viewed it, at least.

She knew her views weren’t shared by her teammates, one of which was currently bouncing around the training area while the other sat calmly waiting for their Sensei’s arrival.

“This is odd,” Neji whispered, meeting Tenten’s gaze when she looked his way. “Gai-Sensei is usually the first one here.”

“It’s his birthday,” she shrugged. “Perhaps he’s spending an extra hour in bed, as a treat.” She only wished he had been kind enough to inform them so that they could have done the same.

“He’s most definitely doing a lap around the village!” Lee declared with more energy than any person should be allowed to express before seven in the morning. “I bet he has been working out since three in the morning.”

Tenten shook her head. As over the top, as their Sensei was, she was certain he enjoyed sleeping enough to actually get some once in a while. At his age he needed it.

“Well, let’s do something while we wait,” she suggested. “Neji, what did you get Sensei?”

“Gift certificates to his favourite restaurant,” her teammate answered. “I was thinking he and Kakashi-Sensei could have a nice meal for their day out together.”

A good idea, though one that made her wonder if she wasn’t the only one that Kakashi-Sensei had approached about birthday gift ideas.

“And you?” She turned her attention to Lee, frowning when he continued to punch the air in front of him. “Come on, Lee. What did you get Sensei for his birthday?”

Lee stopped mid-punch, a look of horror crossing over his face. “I-”

“Lee…” Neji sighed.

Tenten couldn’t believe it. Lee was their Sensei’s unquestioned favourite. Everyone knew it, and she and Neji weren’t even jealous of that fact. The two of them were like family, it only made sense.

All of that love and support that Gai-Sensei poured into Lee, always pushing him forward towards his dream of becoming a great Ninja, and Lee had gone and forgotten his birthday.

“We’ll have to take you out to the store after training,” Neji declared. “I’m sure we can find something before the end of the day.”

The last-minute shopping trip. That was the last thing that Tenten wanted to deal with. Watching Lee run around frantically trying to pick out the perfect gift was not her idea of a fun time.

Just as she was dwelling on her wasted day off, something hit her.

“Oh,” she looked back at Neji, an apologetic look on her face. “Umm, you’ll have to take Lee without me.”

“Why?”

“I have plans.” As soon as she finished her sentence, Tenten found herself faced with her two teammates standing directly in front of her, both of them staring at her with an intensity that kind of terrified her.

“Plans?” Lee asked. “With who?”

“A friend.”

Neji shook his head. “We’re your friends.”

“I have more friends than just you two,” she protested. “Besides, I told him I’d buy lunch as thanks for helping me find Sensei’s present.”

The pair leaned in a bit closer, their stares growing more intense.

“Him?” they asked in unison, earning a groan from Tenten.

“I am not telling you two.”

“Telling them what?” Hearing a voice directly behind her, Tenten jumped behind her teammates and glared at the intruder, only relaxing when she realized just who it was.

Gai-Sensei.

Before she could even begin to scold him for sneaking up on her like that, Neji decided to speak up.

“You’re late,” he scolded the older man, narrowing his eyes when Gai-Sensei simply laughed at his words. “It’s unbecoming of a Jonin to be late to training that he set up.”

“I apologize,” their Sensei continued to chuckle through his words. “I was held back a bit by a rather affectionate puppy this morning.”

It only took a second for his words to sink in, and Tenten had never regretted hearing something so much in her life. Five am was already such a terrible time to be awake, but to be force-fed tidbits of her Sensei’s love life at such an hour.

That was torture.

“I regret commenting,” Neji cringed, clearly feeling the same as she did about the topic of conversation. “Can we just start training? I need to cleanse my mind after hearing that.”

One hand snapped up to his side, covering Lee’s mouth before he even had an opportunity to speak. For that, Tenten was thankful. As enthusiastic and supportive as her teammate was, there was nothing good that he could have said at that moment. Not when she and Neji wanted to change the subject as quickly as possible.

“Oh!” she perked up when an idea struck her. “Presents!”

Not waiting for a response, Tenten did a 180-degree turn and bolted towards her pack.

“But, Tenten,” Lee protested .”I-”

“We can go back to your apartment after training to get Sensei’s present,” Tenten cut him off, unwilling to ruin her Sensei’s morning by allowing him to find out that his favourite student had forgotten to get him a birthday gift. “I’m sure Sensei will love it just as much, even if you forgot to bring it with you.”

“Of course!” Their Sensei cheered while Tenten searched her bag for his present. “I have no doubt whatever it is, it is a spectacular present, Lee!”

“I-” retrieving the gifts, Tenten turned back around and grinned triumphantly. “It really is quite the present, Sensei. I promise.”

“The second most beautiful present you’ll receive today,” Tenten agreed, taking a step towards her Sensei once more. “I have two gifts, but…It’s kind of one. Well, anyways-” she shoved the two gifts into her Sensei’s hands, not even apologetic about the fact she hadn’t bothered to wrap them at all. “The shirt is for your date with Kakashi-Sensei tonight. He asked me to find something nice.”

“I have lots of nice clothing,” Gai-Sensei frowned. “Why would Kakashi ask you to buy me something? Does he not like my clothing?”

Not willing to put herself in the middle of that discussion, Tenten simply pointed at the other gift now sitting in his hands. “That one,” she clarified, waiting for him to look down at the items he was holding. “I bought it because it seemed more like your style. I just have one request.”

“Anything for my adorable students!”

“You can’t wear it around me,” she insisted, stomping a foot when her Sensei opened his mouth. “I mean it, Sensei. It’s the dorkiest thing I have ever seen and I do not want to be seen out in public with you while you’re wearing it.”

Neji stepped up to her side, an envelope clutched in his hand. “You’re asking him not to be himself.”

“Just around me,” she insisted. “And I’m not asking too much. Just don’t wear that around me.” She couldn’t handle the thought of being caught in public with someone who would wear a hoodie like that. It was just too much for her.

“Can he at least look at what it is he’s not allowed to wear?” Neji sighed. “He might not even like it enough to wear it.”

Throwing a hand over her chest, Tenten gasped. “Take that back.”

“It could be the ugliest thing Sensei has ever seen,” Neji insisted. “I mean, he does have a pretty particular sense of style. It’s rare to see him in anything other than his jumpsuit.”

Tenten was about to respond, insulted by her teammate's words, when a hand came down on her shoulder. Glancing up at her side, she stared at her Sensei with his blinding smile shining down on her.

“I’m going to love the gift,” He promised, a softness in his eyes as he stared down at her. “And I’ll love the shirt as well, even if it was a request from my eternal Rival. At least I know he was thinking ahead about tonight.”

A warm feeling bloomed in her chest as she stared up at Sensei’s smiling face. An emotion she had experienced only a few times before, mostly when she was successful in learning something new.

Pride.

A pride in herself, for doing something that had brought her Sensei joy.

Turning her face away from the older man, she did her best to hide the blush that crept across her face. To be caught getting emotional over something so small was ridiculous.

She was sixteen. It was silly that making her Sensei happy, even just for a second, would have her feeling proud of herself.

“Oh, Sensei!” Lee broke through the silence that had filled the field, a blinding grin on his face when Tenten glanced his way. “We should start training quickly. Tenten has a date after that we don’t want her to be late for.”

A date.

The word hit her like one of Neji’s punches. Cutting off her ability to think clearly or move with a precise strike. Her chakra paths were still intact, but Lee had effectively destroyed her brain with his words.

“A date?” Gai-Sensei repeated, worsening the blow with his confusion. “With who?”

Unwilling to entertain her Sensei’s question, Tenten reached out and grabbed the hoodie from his arms, unfolding it right there in front of him. “Look,” she smiled so wide that her face hurt, trying desperately to hide the deep desire to punch Lee for changing the conversation in such a horrible way. “It even has a shell backpack,” she turned the hoodie around and showed him the giant brown turtle shell, and pointed out the zipper that went around the top. “You can put all of your stuff in her and still look…cool.”

Gai-Sensei’s eyes went impossibly wide. Excitement shone in them as he examined every inch of the hoodie. “A backpack in my hoodie, that is quite useful,” he agreed. “And the arms look like flippers? Tenten, this is wonderful!”

She wasn’t even upset when he snatched the hoodie away from her.

Her distraction had worked, allowing her to avoid an unwanted conversation.

All that was left to do was to have a conversation with her teammate about boundaries and not poke his nose into her personal life. A conversation that she would gladly have after training was finished and their Sensei was gone.

#Tenten #Gai’s Birthday Bash #Maito Gai’s Birthday Bash #Gai’s Birthday bash 2022 #Maito Gai #Rock Lee #Hyuga Neji #shino aburame

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