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heyitssmiller · 3 years

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Frosted Windowpanes: Part One

The Christmas Fic is here! Featuring Logan the lumberjack, Leo who owns a diner, and Finn who was just trying to have a quiet, uneventful holiday (lol). This was supposed to be a oneshot, but y’all know I’m too long-winded for that, so it looks like we’ll be having at least one more part for this story!

@donttouchmycarrots Thank you so much for proofreading/encouraging/being such a wonderful, wonderful friend. I don’t think I’d still be writing without you and iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou

@lumosinlove Again, thank you for such wonderful characters! And for creating such a wonderful, welcoming fandom! I never thought I’d post my writing where people could read it, but then I met y’all and here we are! You guys are amazing! Happy Holidays, everyone! <3

Part Two is now up!

It's that time of year When the world falls in love Every song you hear seems to say

- The Christmas Waltz

Piercing, bitter cold greeted Logan as he stepped outside for the first time that day. The kind of cold that made the entire body tense up and the breath hitch. It was a quiet early morning, with a stillness that only freshly-fallen snow could bring. Logan took a second to pull his toque further down over his head as he grabbed the chainsaw by the door before heading out to the truck, passing the sign with red, clean lettering that read Tremblay’s Christmas Trees.

“Took you long enough, sleeping beauty.” His sister, Noelle, teased from the driver’s seat of the beat-up truck that barely started most mornings.

“It’s too early for this.” He grumbled back, sliding into the passenger’s seat as the truck reluctantly spluttered to a start.

“The faster we get done out here, the faster we can go deal with customers.”

“That’s not exactly helping.”

Noelle laughed as she drove back into one of the fields, parking the truck at the far end. “Come on, it’s not that bad. They ask to buy a tree, you help them pick one out, take their money, and strap it to their car. Easy.”

They got out of the truck, grabbed the chainsaw from the back, and headed towards their first tagged tree. Logan grabbed the tree around its trunk to stabilize it while Noelle powered up the chainsaw, putting their conversation on hold. She crouched down to start cutting the base of the tree trunk, creating a notch before starting the back cut. Logan waited until the tree felt unstable before giving the tree a gentle push in the right direction and removing his hands. The tree hit the ground with a thud.

Noelle took that as her cue to continue their conversation. “Don’t pretend to be all grumpy and stoic. I know you like some of our regulars.”

“Some being the key word here.” He replied, grabbing the tree trunk again and beginning to drag it to the truck. Noelle just gave him a look that clearly said I see right through you but didn’t comment as she looked for the next tagged tree.

Logan heaved the Christmas tree into the bed of the truck and shoved it into one corner; he could probably fit one more tree alongside it before he started stacking them. He stood up straight, turning his head to watch the sun rise and peek over the tops of the trees, bringing rays of light and warmth with it.

Leo basked in the warmth coming from the oven as he took out a fresh batch of croissants, a welcome reprieve from the weather outside. He quickly put the next tray of pastries into the oven and transferred the baked croissants onto a plate, where he let them cool just a little before drizzling them with honey. He hummed along to the Christmas music playing on the radio as he worked on getting the diner ready to open in a few hours. He started the gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya, letting them simmer on the stove before whipping up his fried chicken batter and breading so that it was ready whenever he needed it. Next was the cornbread, which was made from scratch and poured into muffin tins to create the perfect individual servings. Coffee was brewed, quiches were placed in the display window, waffle batter was whipped up and sitting in a bowl on the counter.

Leo was arranging croissants into a basket when the back door opened, letting all the cold air in and a small flurry of snow with it.

“Good morning!” Nate called as he came around the corner, shedding his coat and hat. Leo honestly wasn’t sure what he’d do without Nate. Running his own diner was hard – it was even harder when he’d moved to a different country, not knowing anyone there, and kept afloat with barely anything but his optimism and his confidence in his cooking. Nate was the first person he’d hired when business actually picked up, and he’d been there ever since. He had a real knack for cooking and managed to make every person that walked through their doors feel welcomed.

“Headed out to the farm?” Nate asked when he saw the basket of croissants and the large thermos Leo was filling with coffee.

“Yeah.” Leo said, grabbing coffee creamer and sugar and shoving them into his coat pocket after he slipped it on. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Nah, I can hold down the fort while you’re gone.”

Leo smiled as he grabbed his hat. “Thanks. There’s croissants in the oven, but they’ll be done as soon as that timer goes off! I’ll be right back, ok?”

Nate gave him a look. “No you won’t.”

“No, I won’t.” Leo agreed with a laugh. “But I’ll be back before morning rush.” He said as he braced himself and opened the door to be greeted by the frigid Canadian winter.

Even after a year and a half, he had a feeling he’d never get used to this weather.

He made a beeline for his car, quickly getting behind the wheel and cranking the heat as high as it would go. He put the car in drive and slowly pulled out onto the road, keeping a firm grip on the wheel and his eyes on the road. He knew he was probably causing a traffic build-up behind him, which made Leo feel a little guilty. He’d driven through hurricanes countless times, but snow? Black ice? He was absolutely terrified of that. So he took his time, eventually turning off the main road and driving until he reached a sign with red lettering and a Christmas tree lot. There were handmade wreaths and garlands, and white Christmas lights strung up over the rows of trees for sale.

Leo put the car in park and grabbed his stuff, breath hitching as he faced the cold winds again. Marius, the head of the Tremblay family, was at the checkout counter, writing something down on a pad of paper. Once he looked up and saw Leo, he smiled broadly. “Hey, Nut!”

“Good morning.” Leo replied, raising the basket and thermos in his hands. “I come bearing gifts. Coffee and croissants.”

“You know you don’t have to do that.” Marius said as he gave Leo a stern look. “I’m sure you’ve got other things to do.”

Leo shrugged, opening the basket and offering them to the man. “I like doing this. Y’all work hard and have ridiculously long hours. And you work in this weather. I feel like you could use a little warmth.”

“You and your southern manners.” He grabbed a croissant anyways, taking a big bite. “Your favorite’s still out there bringing some trees in.” He said, motioning to one of the groves to the left. Leo could faintly hear the sound of a chainsaw in the distance.

“I don’t have favorites,” Leo protested as he set the thermos and croissants down on the table, even though it was clearly a bald-faced lie. He thought of evergreen eyes and a gorgeous laugh and a smile that left him breathless. He blamed the redness of his cheeks and ears on the cold. “I like all of you equally.”

“Right.” Marius said, dragging out the vowel. He was smiling, though. “He’s lucky to have a friend like you, you know.”

Leo had to force his smile to remain steadfast. Friend. That was all this was ever going to be, no matter how much his heart yearned for something more. He needed to learn to be content with that – it wasn’t fair to Logan otherwise, or to himself for that matter. He could be a good friend and leave it at that. It was still better than not knowing him at all.

“I think I’m the lucky one.” He said, only then remembering the sugar and coffee creamers in his coat pocket. He fished them out and set them on the counter next to the thermos. “I do have to get going, though. I’ve got the breakfast rush to deal with.”

Marius waved him off playfully, grabbing another croissant. “Go on, then. I’ll try to save some for the rest of them.”

Leo laughed at his antics, breath clouding in the air. “I’m holding you to that.”

Marius watched him get in his car and drive off very slowly with a chuckle. Damn southerners. He looked down at the coffee creamers and sugar, knowing Logan was the only one in the family that used them, and started speculating.

He heard the rumbling of the truck as it came in, the back loaded to the brim with trees. Noelle and Logan’s bickering could be heard before the truck’s engine got turned off, which was saying something. Marius grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee. He was going to need it.

“I mean, come on. Back to the Future is clearly the superior 80s movie. It’s definitely better than Top Gun.”

Logan closed his door, staring at his sister with a combination of horror and disbelief. “How dare you. Those aren’t even in the same genre!”

Noelle looked over at Marius right as she was about to start her counterargument and spotted the pastries and coffee. She grinned and abandoned Logan at the back of the truck in order to beat him to the food. One croissant was immediately shoved into her mouth as she grabbed another and then reached for a coffee cup one-handed. Marius snorted and grabbed it from her, filling it with steaming coffee.

She groaned. “Lolo, your friend needs to stop by more often. Fuck, this is good. If I wasn’t in a committed relationship already, I’d ask him to marry me.”

“Please don’t call me that.” Logan said gruffly, but his words were betrayed by a smile. He looked down at the pastries, eyes soft and smile dopy.

Marius knew that look. More importantly, he knew his son. And everything fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

“Maybe Logan should ask, instead.” He teased, although a part of him was completely genuine.

Logan choked on his first bite of croissant.

“Finn!” June shouted as soon as she flung the door open, throwing herself into his arms. Finn laughed and hugged her back. Two seconds into his visit and he knew this was going to be the best way to spend the week before Christmas. He hadn’t seen June since they graduated college and, even though they kept in touch, it wasn’t the same.

“Four years is way too long.” He said as she let go. “Let’s not go that long without seeing each other again, ok?”

“Deal.” She replied, grabbing his bag for him and leading the way inside. The apartment was warm and cozy and lived in – there were books on the coffee table and a large pile of mail on the counter and a few stray dishes in the sink.

Finn loved it.

Heather, June’s fiancée, smiled in greeting and stuck her hand out to shake. “You must be Finn.”

He had originally thought it might be a little bit awkward, meeting his ex-girlfriend’s fiancée, but Heather seemed kind and welcoming and unperturbed about the whole thing. He shook her hand and returned the smile. “Heather. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh god.” She laughed, shooting June a look. June just winked and leaned over to check whatever food was in the oven.

“All good things.” Finn promised, letting Heather lead him to the guest room. It was as happy and welcoming as the rest of the apartment. As soon as they were out of earshot, he continued, “I’m really happy for you guys. She’s happier than I've ever seen her.”

“So am I.” Heather said wistfully as Finn set his bag down. “Bathroom’s through that door if you need it.”

“Thanks.”

When he rejoined the group in the living room, he noticed something: a distinct lack of Christmas decorations. June used to love decorating her college dorm room for the holidays – she went all out with little things she bought at the Dollar Tree and a miniature Christmas tree from Walmart. They used to get the tree together every year. It was strange that she hadn’t continued the tradition.

“No tree?” He asked June, surprised. She shrugged and scooted over on the couch to make room for all three of them.

“Haven’t had the time. I’ve been so busy at work and Heather’s been traveling for conferences. It’s not the same when you have to decorate by yourself.”

Finn hummed understandingly. He knew the feeling. “Why don’t we go get one now? Do you think some places are still open this late?”

Heather and June looked at each other, seeming to have a telepathic conversation. Finn watched on in amusement as they communicated with raised eyebrows and narrowed eyes and shrugs until they apparently made up their minds.

“Tremblay’s is probably still open. They’ve got the best trees, anyways.” June explained, turning to look at Finn. “But I’ve got to stay here and make sure our dinner doesn’t burn.”

“And I’ve got to stay here and supervise June while she uses the oven.” Heather added. Finn laughed, remembering too many times June had burned herself while using the rickety old oven from the 1970s that still lived on in their dorm building.

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Finn teased and ruffled June’s hair. She just rolled her eyes and didn’t even bother trying to smooth it out again. Ruffling hair was one of Finn’s main ways of showing affection – she knew it would just get messed up again. Finn fished his phone out of his pocket and pulled up his navigation app. “I can go get the tree, if you want. You said the place was called Tremblay’s?”

“Finn, you really don’t have to-”

“No, I want to!” He cut in, standing up from the couch to grab his coat. “I didn’t bring presents for you guys because I’m so bad at gift-giving, so this can be my Christmas present.”

Heather hesitated. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” She asked, glancing at June again. “We can always go out and get a tree tomorrow.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be back soon, and with a tree!” Finn said as he reached the door, turned to give a cheery salute, and headed out to his car.

After a frankly terrifying drive through narrow back roads and potential ice hazards, Finn followed his app to a little tree farm off of the main road. There weren’t many cars there, thankfully, and it still looked open. The rows of white lights hanging above the trees were all lit and glowing, snow was falling at a slow, sleepy pace. It looked perfect, like something out of a dream.

And that was before Finn saw him.

The man working the front counter.

Finn raked his gaze over the man and swooned. Wavy brown hair, bright eyes, shoulders and arms so broad and built that it seemed like they were about to rip the plaid shirt he was wearing. With a nametag that stated Logan, he seemed like a rugged, Canadian, lumberjack dreamboat. Finn swallowed, making his way to the counter and the absolute vision behind it while he focused on not tripping over his own two feet.

“Hi,” Finn managed, trying not to get lost in evergreen eyes. “I’d like to buy a tree, please.”

“What type of tree would you like?”

Oh, the accent.

Finn was screwed.

“Uh…” Finn trailed off, looking at Logan and struggling to find words. “A Christmas tree?”

“Spruce, pine, or fir?” When Finn’s expression turned more confused, Logan smiled in exasperated, awed delight. Who drove all this way for a tree and had no clue what they were looking for? Most people at least had some idea. But not this one, apparently. Those big, Bambi eyes were lost and absolutely adorable.

“Do you have a size you’re looking for?” Logan asked, receiving a more perplexed look.

This was too funny. “Do you know anything about what kind of tree you want?”

“A pretty one? But not too expensive. Or too tall. Or heavy – I’ve got to get it up a huge flight of stairs.”

Logan couldn’t hold back the laughter any longer. He leaned forwards against the counter and laughed, eyes squeezing shut and shoulders shaking. Finn watched with a smile of his own, taking in the way his eyes crinkled at the corners and the contagious nature of his laugh. He felt like this – this right here – was the only thing he wanted to do for the next several hours, especially if he was the reason for the laughter. He thought of that song he could never remember the name of but heard a lot on Tiktok that said, “oh no, I think I’m catching feelings” and never related to a song more in his entire life.

“Ok,” Logan said when he’d finally caught his breath. “Ok, I’m going to pick one out for you, how’s that sound…?”

“Finn.” The redhead supplied with a laugh of his own. “And please. I have no clue what I’m doing.”

“Clearly.” Logan stepped around the counter and led him towards a group of trees. “These are Douglas Firs. They last a long time, smell great, and they don’t take a lot of trimming or maintenance. They’re also pretty cheap since they’re so common.”

Finn looked from the trees to another group of trees a little ways off. “They all look the same.”

“Who’s the expert here?” Logan teased, shooting him a look over his shoulder as he walked from one tree to the next. Finn trailed after him eagerly, watching calloused, muscular hands trail along the needles of the trees.

“We can go look at the Fraser Firs, if you want, but I really think one of these is your best bet.” Logan continued, stopping in front of a mid-sized tree. “How about this one?”

Finn looked at it, then back at Logan. “What do you think? Since I clearly don’t know anything about trees.” That drew another smile from Logan, which made Finn vow to himself to make the brunet smile like that again.

Logan dragged the tree out from the rest of the group and looked it over. “I think it’s a good one. Good shape, healthy. I sure know how to pick ‘em, eh?”

Eh. How adorably Canadian.

“Sounds good. It’s not even for me, so my input doesn’t really matter a whole lot.”

Logan sent him a confused look. “So you went out at nine o’clock at night to get a Christmas tree, and it’s not for you?”

“I don’t even live in this country.”

“What?”

“I’m visiting friends that live here, and they’ve been traveling or too busy to decorate like they normally do, so I decided I’d get the ball rolling and find them a Christmas tree.” Finn shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Not only was he stunning, he was thoughtful to boot.

Logan clearly had a type.

“That’s nice of you.” He removed the tree from its stand and started lugging it to the counter, watching the redhead trail behind him yet again out of the corner of his eye. When he reached his destination, he set the tree down and found Finn staring at him with a look of awe on his face. He bit back a smile. “How long are you staying?”

Finn was silent for a second, as if in a trance, then snapped out of it with a little shake of his head. “Huh?”

That smile he was holding back broke through. “How long are you staying in town?”

“Oh. Just for the week, then I’m off to spend Christmas with my family back home in New York.”

“A New Yorker, huh?” Logan asked as he bagged the tree up, attempting to do the accent and making Finn laugh. “This must be quite the change of pace for you.”

“You have no idea.”

Finn’s stomach growled, making his eyes widen and his cheeks burn in embarrassment. It must’ve been loud enough for Logan to hear because he turned back around to face Finn and quirked an eyebrow. “Hungry?” He asked, then told Finn the price of the tree. Finn handed his card over.

“Yeah. Haven’t had dinner yet.”

“I, uh, I know a place.” Logan said, playing with Finn’s credit card before meeting his eyes and quickly adding, “If you’re interested. I haven’t had dinner either.”

Finn grinned, not even trying to hide his excitement. The only thing he’d wanted when he left June and Heather’s apartment was a tree. Now he had a potential date with this gorgeous, witty guy? Yes please. “Yeah?”

Logan shared his smile, leaning forward against the counter and looking up at him through dark, dark eyelashes. Finn’s heart fluttered. “Yeah. Sounds fun to me.”

“Great.” Finn said, unsure of what else to say and suddenly feeling a little awkward. Was he supposed to wait for him to finish his shift? Were they driving together? Where was this restaurant?

He needed to text June.

Shit. She had been making dinner when he left. But he’d already agreed to dinner with Logan. But it would be so rude to not spend time with his hosts. But he would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t go on this date.

He pulled out his phone as Logan ran his card through the system to text June.

To June: Sooooo there might be a change of plans. Some hot guy is my acting tour guide for the night and I won’t be making it home for dinner. But I promise I have a tree and I will be back eventually.

It only took June a few seconds to respond.

From June: Damn. You go, Finn.

He laughed under his breath, then pocketed his phone. When he looked up, Logan was looking at him and holding his card out. Finn grabbed it and shoved it into his wallet, which he pocketed. “Ready to go?” Logan asked, grabbing the trunk of the tree and preparing to drag it again. “I can drive, if you want. We’ll strap the tree to the top of your car and then head out.”

“Works for me. Do you need help with that?” Finn motioned to the tree. Not that he minded the view – quite the contrary – but he felt bad not doing anything.

“Want to grab the netting towards the top? We can carry it instead of dragging it.”

Finn grabbed the netting and followed Logan’s lead as they both lifted the tree and started carrying it out to Finn’s car, Finn giving directions as they went. Getting the tree to the top of the rental car was a struggle, but they managed and strapped it down.

They hurried to Logan’s car and shut out the cold as quickly as they could. Logan started the rickety old pickup truck that smelled strongly of Christmas trees and took off down the road at a much faster pace than Finn would ever dare to drive these roads.

“I have a feeling you’re going to love this place.” Logan said as he turned right onto the main road, accelerating a bit more. “Pretty much everyone does. It’s not very Canadian, but you can’t beat the food.”

“What defines a restaurant as Canadian?” Finn mused, looking over at the driver. “Maple syrup? Poutine?”

“Watch it.” There was no heat in Logan’s voice, so Finn didn’t take it to heart. They slowed down and pulled into a parking lot of a diner simply called Leo’s. The outside looked a little rundown, which made Finn a little apprehensive, but the windows were all fogged up from the temperature difference between inside and outside, which was always promising.

Logan turned the car off and shot Finn an excited grin. “Ready?”

Finn couldn’t tell if he was excited for dinner with him or just the food. Hopefully it was both.

The inside of the diner was… eclectic. The walls were a faint yellow, but there were splashes of deep purple, green, and gold in the decorations on the walls. Mardis Gras, Finn realized as he spotted some masks hanging on the wall. The food smelled amazing – warm and spicy and savory. Behind the baked goods on display counter stood a young kid with a cleaning spray and a rag, wiping down the counters. He looked up at the bell that signaled the door opening and instantly recognized Logan. He sent them a smile before turning his head and shouting towards the direction of the kitchen, “Leo!”

There was a loud clang, followed by a muffled curse. “Be there in a jiffy!”

Finn looked to Logan in confusion. “Was that a southern accent? Like American south?”

“Leo.” Was all Logan said, a happy smile on his face.

“You guys can go ahead and sit down,” The kid at the counter said. “I’ll bring some menus.”

“Thanks, Nate.” Logan led the way towards a booth in the front corner of the dining area and sat down facing the door. Finn sat opposite him, accepting a menu with thanks. The menu consisted of southern U.S. staples – biscuits and gravy, grits, red beans and rice, fried chicken, etouffee, jambalaya, po’boys, fried catfish, cornbread, the list went on.

“So is this guy from Louisiana?”

Logan wasn’t even looking at the menu, he was watching every nuance of Finn’s expressions as he took everything in. “New Orleans, born and raised.”

“How the hell did he end up here?”

“He had an uncle who owned this place and left it to Leo when he died. Originally he was just going to fix it up and sell it before going back home, but two months led to a year and he’s still here. Doesn’t seem to be planning on going anywhere else for a while, either.” Logan suddenly perked up, looking at something over Finn’s shoulder. “Here he comes.”

Finn swiveled in his seat and stopped dead in his tracks.

Tall.

They were both greeted by a dimpled smile as Leo approached their table, flour or powdered sugar – Finn wasn’t sure which one – all over his apron and a dusting of it in his fluffy blond hair.

“Hey, Logan. See you’ve brought company!” His accent dragged sweet and slow like molasses, so very out of place this far north. But it was refreshing, like a breath of fresh air or the sun coming out from behind the clouds after a week of rain. As he got closer, Finn realized what he’d thought to be flour in his hair was actually a gray streak. And wow, were his eyes blue.

How was everyone here so attractive?

“Finn, meet Leo. Leo, this is Finn.” Logan said, smile never leaving his face as he looked between the two. “He’s new here.”

Leo arched an eyebrow. “And you brought him here?”

“You do have the best pie in town.”

That got another sunny smile from Leo. “Damn right I do. But dinner first. Can’t go on spoilin’ your dinner with pie.” Those blue eyes turned to Finn, causing his breath to hitch just a little. “What’ll you have, sugar?”

Finn simply wasn’t going to survive this night. Was this a dream? That would explain all the attractive guys – the probabilities of something like this happening in real life were slim to none. He pinched his arm harshly. Not a dream.

What the fuck?

Finn realized he still hadn’t answered and was just staring at the blond. He cleared his throat and quickly averted his gaze to the menu, not really reading anything but grateful for something else to look at besides the two guys in front of him. “Um… what would you recommend?” He finally asked, grateful that he could get his vocal cords to actually work.

Leo hummed, thinking about it. “Personally I really like the muffuletta, if you’re looking for a sandwich. Definitely the gumbo if you’re in the mood for soup. I do make a mean fried catfish, too.”

Finn wasn’t sure what exactly a muffuletta was, but he ordered it. Logan got his usual, whatever that meant. Leo wrote down their orders and gave them one last smile before retreating to the kitchen. They both watched him go, then Finn whipped back around to face Logan.

“Is he real?”

Logan just laughed, leaning back in his seat. Finn panicked for half a second, terrified that what he’d said was the worst possible thought to voice on what was potentially a first date. But Logan didn’t seem to mind. He just looked back at the kitchen with a soft smile Finn hadn’t seen before.

“You know, I ask myself that a lot.” He said quietly, as if he hadn’t meant to say it out loud. And Finn finally understood.

He was in love with Leo.

The sound of a record scratching filled Finn’s head.

Wait.

That didn’t make any sense… because Finn was ninety-five percent sure that Logan had been flirting with him all night.

Hadn’t he?

They made small talk while they waited for their food, and Logan was pleasantly surprised at how… easy it was. He normally didn’t like small talk and didn’t share personal stories with strangers, but here Finn was, pulling stories out of him that he normally wouldn’t share on a first date.

Was this a date? Logan couldn’t decide if he wanted it to be one or not. One hand, this was definitely the most fun he’d had in weeks. On the other hand, Leo. He sent a glance towards the kitchen window before focusing back on Finn’s story about one of the parties he and June went to back in college. There was lots of alcohol, mattresses, and a roof involved. Finn’s storytelling included a myriad of different expressions, all of which Logan found endearing. The wrinkle of his nose when he talked about drunk frat boy antics, the way he got all soft whenever he talked about June, the laughter lines around his eyes when he told a funny anecdote.

How was it possible to be so cute and yet so hot at the same time?

And how had he met two guys who fit into both of those categories?

Nate brought their food out while Logan was in the middle of a story about the time he’d found a squirrel in one of their trees and got attacked when he tried to relocate the thing when Nate came back with the food. Finn had the muffuletta, which was apparently meat and cheese and some sort of olive spread or something – Finn had no idea, but it looked and smelled amazing. Logan had a bowl of red beans and rice in front of him, but he was waiting to see Finn’s reaction to the food before starting his own.

Finn took a bite of the sandwich, then his eyes widened almost comically. “Oh my god.”

“I know.” Logan said, getting a spoonful of red beans and rice.

“Where has this been all my life?”

“Just wait until you try the pie.”

Finn didn’t speak again, he just ate. The food clearly took precedence over any possible conversations. Logan couldn’t help but agree. Finn ate like a man who hadn’t seen food in a week, finishing the sandwich in record time. He leaned back in his seat when he was done, letting out a happy, content sigh. “Holy shit. Is everything on the menu that good?”

“Pretty much.”

“And he hasn’t been on the Food Network yet?”

Logan grinned. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“We should tell them to get up here and try this food.”

“Y’all, I don’t have time for the Food Network.” Finn jumped a little as Leo reappeared with two slices of pie. “I appreciate it, though. You liked it, huh?”

Finn looked up at him. “I kind of want to come back every day I’m here.” And he meant it. He wouldn’t be coming back just for the food, though.

“Well, I definitely won’t stop you.” Leo said with a dimpled smile. Finn barely held in a dreamy sigh.

Dimples.

“Why don’t you join us?” Finn asked, scooting over to make room for the blond. But Leo just shook his head with a rueful smile.

“I wish I could, but I’ve got twelve pies that need to be made.”

“Twelve?” Finn asked in mild horror. “When do you sleep?”

“The chocolate crème pies are in high demand, especially around the holidays. But it’s fine, I don’t mind it. I’m just glad I've got business.” Leo seemed to be ignoring the sleep question, which was never a good sign.

“You look tired.” Logan noted, face muddled with concern.

Leo laughed softly, but didn’t seem to take offense. “Thanks a lot, darlin’.”

Logan broke eye contact and pushed the residual whipped cream around on his plate. Finn hadn’t even realized he’d started eating, but he quickly followed suit and fuck, was that good.

“I just meant you need to take care of yourself, that’s all.” Logan mumbled into his plate without looking up, almost as if he was afraid to see the cook’s response.

“Says the guy who works even longer hours than I do.” Leo teased, causing Logan to roll his eyes.

“That’s because it’s almost Christmas and I work at a Christmas tree farm. It’s only temporary. We’ll be back to normal by the end of the week.”

“Well, good. You deserve to sleep in for once.” Leo said, taking a step back towards the kitchen. “But I really do have to go. Those pies won’t make themselves.”

“Do you want help?” Finn asked hopefully, He honestly couldn’t think of a better way to spend the night than baking with these two. Being given instructions in a thick southern drawl, helping Logan make pie filling, trading stories (and maybe kisses) while they waited for the pies to be done.

But Leo quickly dashed his dreams. “That’s sweet, honey, but I think I’ll be faster on my own. I’ve got a system that makes it pretty efficient. And I don’t give out my recipes to just anyone, you know.”

Oh, but I’d love to be someone to you.

Logan also looked disappointed. “We should get going, then. Don’t want to keep distracting you.”

“At least you’re a welcome distraction.” Leo said with a wink before he turned and disappeared into the kitchen. He let the door close behind him before backing up to lean against it, tilting his head back to rest against the wood and closing his eyes. The happy façade dropped in an instant.

Because Logan was out there, on a date with a guy. A handsome, kind, funny guy who would have absolutely no trouble sweeping Logan off his feet.

And that guy wasn’t Leo.

Finn flopped dramatically onto the couch back at June’s apartment, muffling a scream into a poor, unsuspecting pillow. June looked up from her book with a laugh. “Well hello to you, too.”

“I’m in love.”

“Oh?” Heather asked from her spot cuddled up next to June.

Finn turned his head sideways to open one eye and look at the two of them. “With a lumberjack and a cook.”

“Ah,” June said knowingly as she dog-eared the page she was on and closed the book. “Beware the lumberjacks. They’re known to be irresistible. Alright then, which Tremblay was it?”

Finn cocked his head. “What?”

Heather smiled as June tilted her head back and let her run her fingers through dark brown curls. They were so cute it was almost sickening. “There’s four of them: three sisters and a brother. Which one did you fall for?”

Finn couldn’t have held back the smile that crossed his face even if he tried. “Logan.”

June groaned. “I get it. Holy shit, those eyes.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t know he cooked, though.”

“No, the cook was another guy.” Finn sighed as he twisted to lay on his back and stare wistfully up at the ceiling. “Leo.”

“The southern one with the diner?”

“That’s the one.”

“Damn, O’Hara. You do know-”

“They’re head-over-heels in love with each other? Yeah, I got that.” Finn stretched his legs out to rest on June’s lap. “But I’m also pretty sure that was a date. And that Logan was flirting with me.” He sighed again, covering his eyes with his arm. “I’m doomed.”

“Always so dramatic.” June teased. “Just date both of them.”

Finn froze, his mind going completely blank. “What?”

“Date both of them.” She repeated, unfazed. “Polyamorous relationships are a thing, you know. Who says you can’t date both of them?”

Finn moved his arm away from his face to stare at her. “Huh.” He finally said, mind kicking back into gear. That sounded… perfect, actually. Only a few hitches. Did Leo even like him? They’d barely talked to each other. Finn could see Logan being ok with the whole dating two people thing, seeing that he was flirting with both of them, but what would Leo think? And the other hitch. “I’m only for a week, though.”

“Then you’d better act fast, lover boy.”

“I’ve got a question.” Heather piped up.

Finn looked at her and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to ask her question.

“Where’s the tree?”

He could probably see it from their front window if he bothered to stand up, still strapped to his rental car. “Shit.”

#lumosinlove #o'knutzy #finn o'hara #logan tremblay #leo knut #christmas au #frosted windowpanes

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dailydianakko · 4 years

Text

Dreaming-LWA AU Oneshot

YOOOOO I’m back but not with more ink slinger :’) Please take this oneshot as a consolation prize. This is pretty much an unnamed au that wouldn’t leave me alone haha. Anyway, I have a trip in about a week (guess who is gonna see the lovely Mod Nightly), so I will try to crank out chapter three soon. Anyway, here is the au. Also on AO3 Here.

Diana let out a quiet inward sigh. The golden aura that emanated from the still butterfly cupped in her cold hands drifted towards her nostrils in a spiral with each breath she took. She gave one final sharp breath, and it disappeared. Blue eyes glowed as the Butterfly’s dream flashed through her mind. Darkness, struggling, light, an open meadow filled with flowers of all colors, a warm sun, a sparkling lake whose shores were scattered with white stones. Truly this dream was beautiful. Diana closed her eyes and savored the final taste of the dream. Then, she placed the sleeping butterfly back where it first lay, hidden under a leaf. Diana gazed up at the full moon. A cloud had covered it sometime during her meal. She could still feel the warm summer breeze on her skin, a quiet contrast to the slight chill of the summer night.

Quietly she stepped through the tall grass; her bare feet muffled the noise of her steps. The long green tendrils brushed the hem of her skirt and tickled her translucent feet. She paid the sensation no mind. Diana had a mission to fulfill. She may have eaten her fill of dreams tonight, but she wanted to collect more. The glittering jars of dream pearls she held at home didn’t satisfy her. Her kind was greedy and never satisfied. They could not dream, and so they stole from others. Sorrowful dreams in their dark blues, joyful dreams like small embers, even the ‘bad’ dreams; colored in their dark purples and blacks. All were beautiful as they were empty. Diana wanted them all. Diana paused as a quiet noise joined the night’s song. It did not belong in the serenade of chirping crickets and flapping bat wings. Diana cocked her head as the noise made itself known once more. Breathing. It was a human’s soft snores, coming from one of the tall maple trees in the glen.

Diana wouldn’t call it curiosity that made her seek out exactly who was making the noise, but rather it was the feeling of greed. For quiet snores meant sleeping and sleeping meant dreams. Hers was a selfish motive. Diana practically glided through the small glen towards the source of the snores. As she got closer, she identified the sleeping person as a human girl. The girl was in a ragged school uniform and was sleeping quite heavily; curled into the roots of the old maple. Her back was propped up by the trunk and her head was lolling to the side. Her brunette hair was tangled, and her small topknot was half undone and tangled with twigs. Diana let out a quiet haughty sniff at the sight of drool slowly dripping from the comatose girl’s mouth. Yet she ignored the disheveled look of her prey, simply because of the silver aura that had begun to rise. A dream was being born.

Diana slowly bent down and reached out to smooth the girl’s hair. No movement other than the soft rise and fall of the girl’s chest. She truly was asleep. Diana prided herself on being cautious, for during the witching hour, ayakashi and yokai like herself were visible to the more sensitive humans. She watched for a minute longer, and the silver aura began to show hues of gold. Ever so slowly, she reached out and grabbed the wrist of the sleeper next to her. It was time to collect this dream. Diana didn’t expect the girl’s eyes to open. Sharp blue met a dazed red. “Hello.”

Diana dropped the now awake girl’s wrist like she had been burned. She nearly fell over from shock. Diana could have sworn that this human couldn’t possibly see her. The wind. The night wind had blown back the clouds, allowing the light to shine on her body. No longer was her form covered in the shadow. The light allowed even the dullest human to perceive her. Diana let out a quiet curse and turned to go. Humans were a vain race, one that withered shortly after being born. They were but a single breath during a yokai’s lifetime, and it wouldn’t do to mingle. A warm hand clasped her wrist. An echo from her own touch earlier.

“Please wait. I’m a little lost” The brunette nervously ran a hand through her hair as she gripped Diana’s wrist. “I am Atsuko Kagari, do you know the way out of this forest? I was at the lodge with my uncle and I wandered off and got lost, I really need help.”

Diana let out a sigh. Humans these days had no sense. Giving out a name without regards to the multitude of harmful spells that could be cast. No regard for any self-preservation whatsoever. How foolish could they be? Diana attempted to pry Akko’s hand from her wrist. “No. Wait here. I am sure a rescue will come for you soon.” Diana refused to meet those eyes again. It was a lie that a rescue would come. This glen was hidden well. A playground for spirits. Akko would either starve or some other yokai would come and finish her off.

Diana freed herself with a twist, and Atsuko let out a cry of dismay. Diana took a step away from her, and Atsuko retaliated by flinging herself around Diana’s waist. Diana stood firm and let out a quiet sigh, one hand resting on the brown locks of hair. They were soft. She could feel Atsuko’s tears leaking through her shirt, and the quiet fearful shakes that ran through the brunette’s body. This was turning out to be quite bothersome. She might as well rid herself of Atsuko now, rather than resort to expending more effort on the human. Besides, if she learned of where the human lived, she could harvest dreams from her. Once more she twisted herself from Atsuko’s iron grip.

“Come.” Diana said as she held out a hand. Comfort was a human need, and it was more preferable to have the sobbing girl clinging to her hand than her whole body. Atsuko’s hand frantically clasped Diana’s. It seemed as if Atsuko didn’t notice the translucent state of Diana’s body. Diana gently tugged Atsuko forward, ignoring Atsuko’s frantic scrubbing of her face. It was a futile effort to wipe away tears and snot. Atsuko was merely spreading dirt around. Sighing heavily once more, Diana halted her steps. She reached into the breast pocket of her shirt and pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with lavender. “Here.”

Atsuko took the handkerchief with a watery smile and a thank you. She carefully wiped away all the dirt on her face and offered it back to Diana. Why Atsuko thought she would want a filthy handkerchief back was beyond Diana’s reasoning. Diana let out a hum and pushed it back to Atsuko. “I have no use for it, Atsuko. Keep it or throw it away. I care not.”

“Alright,” Akko said as she stowed it in her skirt pocket. “And, um, you can call me Akko. Atsuko feels sort of stiff.” Diana let out a noncommittal hum. It wouldn’t do to get attached to a human. Besides, this one was a rather filthy and silly one. It certainly did not cater to Diana’s refined taste.

“I see nothing wrong with Atsuko. Therefore I shall call you what I wish, human.” Diana turned away and resumed her walk, practically tugging Atsuko off her feet in her haste. She frowned as she heard Atsuko giggle slightly. She picked up her pace. Humans were rather annoying, and she did not wish to be in Atsuko’s company any longer. Diana kept her quick walk until she heard Atsuko’s smooth breaths turn ragged. Humans tired so easily, and they were only halfway down the mountain. Diana slowed her steps, allowing Atsuko to regain her breath. Diana frowned as she realized Atsuko was still trailing behind and beginning to stumble. Humans may not be able to see well at night, but the moon was bright tonight. Surely Atsuko was just incapable. She stumbled again and Diana let out a quiet groan of annoyance. It couldn’t be helped.

“Here, Atsuko.” Diana released Atsuko’s and stepped in close. She placed one hand on Atsuko’s back and stooped down. She ignored the stutters of protest that flew from Atsuko’s mouth. She swept Atsuko’s legs out from under her and hoisted her up effortlessly. Once more she began her trek, ignoring the blubbering of the human in her arms. This certainly was faster. Diana glanced down at Atsuko. The brunette had taken on the color of a late autumn apple and was attempting to cover her face. Inwardly Diana smiled. Though they were ugly, humans were amusing. It made her want to play a trick or two. However, Diana ignored the impulse. She needed to collect more dreams after this, the moon would set soon. With the fading of the night, the higher quality dreams would fade as well.

Diana began to slow as they approached the foot of the mountain. Human lodgings were usually around this area. They loved to live in clans, and would be searching for Atsuko without a doubt. Diana scanned the trees, searching for torch fire and the shine of flashlights. Diana spared a glance at Atsuko. It seemed like she had grown tired during the journey, and had been lulled to sleep in Diana’s arms. Diana’s eyes shot back to the tree line as she saw a harsh light cut through the shadows and heard the frantic deep calls of a male human. The call for Atsuko’s name assured Diana that this was indeed the settlement Atsuko had come from.

She gently shook Atsuko awake. It wouldn’t do to get punched in the face by a startled human. It wouldn’t hurt, but it was annoying to have to deal with apologies. Atsuko let out a few sleepy mumbles, and Diana shook her slightly harder. Atsuko’s eyes slowly fluttered open “Whazzat?” Atsuko slurred as she rejoined the realm of wakefulness.

“We have arrived; your Uncle is in the vicinity. I do not wish to be seen, and I have more tasks to complete tonight. Here is where we part” Diana gently slid Atsuko to her feet, keeping hold until she was steady.

“Thanks, Diana! Will I see you again? My family will be staying here all month.” Atsuko asked as she rubbed at her sleepy eyes. Diana made a noncommittal noise, she would not bind her fate to this human’s. She would probably leave this mountain and stay in the world of ayakashi and yokai, pouring over her dreams until the mountain was empty once more. Getting tied up in the affairs of humans always left a bad taste in her mouth. They were naught but dust in the wind, and interactions with them were best kept short.

“Go. Your Uncle is waiting.” Diana pointed over to the beam of light that began to head in the other direction. She was caught off guard when Atsuko darted forward and kissed her cheek.

“Thanks once more, Diana! I’ll see you tomorrow!” With that Diana watched Atsuko run after her Uncle. Diana smiled as she heard Atsuko get scolded for wandering off. She would never admit to following them to the edge of the forest, warding off wayward yokai with her presence.

“Akko...how interesting.” Diana supposed it couldn’t be helped. Diana looked towards the sky. It was gaining light. Reds and purples were mixing with the inky black. Her hunting time was gone, and the pathway back home would surely be closed. It would be more beneficial to rest until the next night. She would make her way back to the glen and the maple tree. It had seemed like a comfortable place to rest, after all.

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The sun gently shone down through the leaves of the maple, gently dappling Diana with its warm light. The wind gently played with her hair, and carried the sweet smell of the wildflowers. Birds sang their songs, greeting the sun. Diana sat under the tree, dozing but not quite asleep. In the day hours no human could see her, but it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. It would have been more worthwhile to have slept in the youkai world among the shadows, but she was curious. Akko had sparked something in her that she wanted to know more about. Diana would be content to watch from the shadows until her curiosity was fulfilled.

The quiet snapping of undergrowth alerted Diana to another presence. She didn’t open her eyes, but cast out her senses. It wouldn’t do to get startled from a mere squirrel after all. As hidden as the youkai and ayakashi were, they still had their pride. Diana honed in on the presence she felt. Human, smelling of woodsmoke, soap, and ointment. They were young and female. Diana’s eyes quickly opened as she matched it up with the same presence from last night. It was Akko.

She quietly watched as Akko bumbled her way through the clearing. Diana noticed that she had changed from her uniform to simple denim shorts and a red shirt. She watched as the brunette moved the brush and checked under stones as if she was looking for something. Diana continued her silent observation as Akko walked farther and farther into the glen. When Akko locked eyes with Diana, the youkai stiffened. Humans couldn’t see youkai during the day. The cover of the moon and shadows during the witching hours were the only time the two worlds met. Yet Akko’s eyes lit up as she bounded towards Diana.

“Diana!” Akko shouted as she tackled the poor yokai. Diana winced in response. How could Akko see her? During the day, no less? Humans these days were notoriously duller than their predecessors. They no longer noticed the ayakashi that roamed the earth, playing tricks and causing calamity. The fact that Akko could see her in broad daylight was disconcerting. Diana felt the back of her neck prickle in anxiety.

“Atsuko,” Dinaa said with a slow nod, covering her anxiety. “I see you have returned.” Diana pried Akko off once more and ran a hand over her shirt to smooth the wrinkles. Akko smiled and gave a vigorous nod. Diana tried not to pinch the bridge of her nose. The oncoming headache she felt was surely caused by the human. She gave a small sigh and stood up. Diana offered her hand to Akko, and the brunette readily took it. With a small tug, Diana helped pull Akko up to her feet.

Diana released Akko’s hand and made a move to walk away, but Akko grabbed onto her sleeve. How a people could disregard manners without a care always surprised Diana. The sheer audacity of humanity was never ending. “Diana,” Akko said as she tugged Diana’s sleeve, pulling her out of her thoughts, “can you show me around the mountain?”

Diana hummed in thought. On one hand, she’d be stuck playing guide to Akko. On the other, she could always attempt to ditch her. Diana frowned slightly at the thought. Akko getting lost again would be more of a hassle. Humans were fragile and the other Ayakashi were not as forgiving. Another search for Akko would lead to more humans crawling over the mountain. She would escort Akko, just so that Diana could enjoy peace. Diana had been planning to shadow the girl anyway. This was a minor deviation from the original plan.

“I shall escort you, Atsuko, wherever you wish to go,” Diana said “as long as you give me payment.” Diana reached forward and picked up a lock of Akko’s hair. She felt her lips twist into a feral smile. She relished the power she felt coursing through her veins. It thrummed of a power old, of the forgotten days when youkai were feared and didn’t live in hiding from a world that had forgotten them. And yet, some part of her hated the way Akko’s eyes flashed with fear for a split second at her actions. The sharp tang of Akko’s fear that flooded her senses. Diana hated it. She pulled away quickly, turning away from those fearful eyes.

“What would be the payment?” Diana heard Akko stutter. She heard the rustling of clothes. Akko must be shifting uncomfortably. Akko’s heartbeat thudded in Diana’s ears, hard and fast. Like prey. Diana closed her eyes and forced herself to block it out. She ate dreams, not flesh. She was not uncivilized. Only a fallen youkai consumed human flesh. She resided in light, not in the darkness of the fallen.

Diana quickly spun on her heel to face Akko again. She held out her hands to the side, palms up. A gesture to help Akko feel at ease, ensure her that Diana meant no harm. “That, my dear Akko, would be a dream.”

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“I figured you weren’t human,” Diana heard Akko pant as she followed Diana up the steep rocky slope. “No normal person gets face tattoos like that.”

Diana chose not to comment, and instead grabbed Akko. Her facial stripes indicated that she was powerful. To call them ‘face tattoos’ were demeaning. She hoisted Akko effortlessly up the rocky slope, ignoring Akko’s squawks of indignation at suddenly being swung around. Akko was soft, Diana noticed as she set Akko down. She had to be careful. One wrong move and she could crush Akko. Diana loosened her grip slightly. She didn’t want to hurt her.

“Look, Akko” Diana gestured to the horizon. The climb had been worth it. The foothills of the mountain rolled out before them. The tops of the trees were swaying slightly in the breeze; it looked like a distant green ocean sprawled before them. The setting sun’s light bathed the sky in a golden halo. It added an ethereal quality that made the view below seem like a painting. Diana looked over at Akko. The brunette had her mouth opened slightly and her eyes were filled with wonder. Diana felt a tug on her sleeve and smiled. She felt at peace.

“Diana,” Akko broke the silence between them “Why do you want my dreams?” Diana gave a small hum. She knew Akko had been curious this entire time. During the long climb, she had been fidgety and had constantly been looking over at Diana. As if Diana wouldn’t notice those glances. Akko had been quite obvious with them. Diana took a breath and thought over her answer.

“Yokai and ayakashi from the moment of our birth never forget anything. We keep all our important memories. As such, no matter how much we sleep, we never dream.” Diana kept her eyes focused on the horizon. She could feel the pity in Akko’s gaze. She didn’t understand why. Dreams were inferior; an affliction to those who couldn’t remember. They teased others with memories that would never be recalled. Diana was free from such constraints, so why did she feel wronged when Akko looked at her.

“Is that why you want mine?” Akko’s voice was gentle. Diana felt a warm hand on hers. She continued to avoid Akko’s gaze, choosing to look at Akko’s hand instead. It was tanned, shades darker than her own skin. It also lacked the translucent quality of Diana’s. Akko was a being who belonged in this world, Diana wasn’t. It was reflected in how solid and warm Akko was, how real.

“Somewhat. My clan lives off of dreams. It's our sustenance.” Diana moved her hand so that her fingers laced with Akko’s. The warmth was addicting. It was like she had a small fire cupped in her hands.

“Are there more of you?” Akko sidled closer to Diana with this remark, resting her head on Diana’s shoulder. Diana stiffened, but she allowed it. Both of them looked out once more at the setting sun. Reds and indigoes streaked the horizon.

“I am the last. We are an old and outdated race, much like other ayakashi.” Diana began to move her thumb across Akko’s hand, tracing gentle circles. She didn’t want to lose herself in the memories of old. Never forgetting was as much as a curse as a blessing.

“I’m sorry.” Akko blurted out. Diana glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. The brunette looked near tears. Diana didn’t like it. Diana liked beautiful things, and Akko was most beautiful when she was smiling.

“Whatever for? They were weak. It is the way of life. Ayakashi and Yokai live long, but not forever. We fade after a time.”

“Hey Diana, do you only eat human dreams?”

“No,” Diana paused and looked at the sunset. It had almost sunk under the horizon completely. “All life has dreams. Trees, butterflies, humans, all share the wonder of dreaming. Would you like to see one?” Diana could probably find a dream at this hour. She wanted Akko to experience other’s dreams. Life outside of humanity could be beautiful, if one had the chance to see it.

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Diana led Akko through the forest, quietly matching her pace with Akko’s. The last dregs of light were fading, and she wanted to make sure that Akko wouldn’t stumble and fall. Diana was eager to find a dream close to where Akko was lodging. It was best to avoid a repeat of the night before. Diana scanned the pathway as the two walked. Finally spotting the elusive golden mist, she paused. Akko stumbled into Diana’s back, jarred by the sudden stop.

“Here.” Diana walked up towards a tree and gently placed a hand on the rough bark. It was old and twisted. Diana reached her hand towards Akko’s. The brunette clasped it, and Diana pulled her into an embrace.

“Be careful, and stay close to me.” Diana muttered into Akko’s ear as she began to activate the magic. Akko looked at her questioningly, but nodded. With that, Diana closed her eyes; and they both began to fall.

Diana opened her eyes and surveyed the world around her. She was in the dream, and Akko was still in her arms. It looked like this was a peaceful dream, one of a calm day in the forest. Diana gently shook Akko to awareness. The brunette gave a small murmur and her eyes fluttered open. When she saw the scenery around her, Akko sat upright. Diana had to dodge before Akko’s forehead collided with hers.

“Is this the dream?” Akko said as she gazed around at the forest around her. Her eyes were full of wonder. What used to be an aged tree was now a younger sapling half its previous size. Sunlight dappled around them through the leaves, and a few yards away a doe and her fawn were grazing. Diana nodded and put a finger to her lips.

“Though we are in a dream, creatures are aware of our presence. The deer will not linger if you continue to be excitable.” Diana said in a hushed whisper. Akko clapped a hand to her mouth and nodded vigorously. Together they watched the pair of deer quietly graze for a moment. Diana smiled at the peace she felt. Akko was nestled under her chin. The breeze was sweet and the sunlight gentle. Diana wouldn’t mind spending an eternity wrapped up in this dream.

“It seems like a curse that you can’t experience this for yourself, Diana.” Akko whispered. Diana gave a startled blink. Akko’s sudden comment had pulled her from her sleepy reverie.

“To you, it may seem awful, but for us it is merely the way of life. We never forget, so we cannot dream. However, I enjoy this experience, with you.” Diana avoided Akko’s eyes again as she spoke. It was somewhat embarrassing admitting that she did enjoy Akko’s presence. She wasn’t as much of a bother as Diana first assumed. She gave a startled cry as Akko twisted in her grip and threw her arms around Diana. “Diana, I’ll share my dreams with you!” Akko declared, her eyes lit with a fiery passion. “I want you to be happy!” Diana smiled at Akko’s antics.

“Very well, Akko. I look forward to the happiness you’ll bring.” Diana looked at Akko with gentle eyes. She didn’t want this moment to end. However, the crackling of undergrowth startled them both. Diana whipped around to see the deer had run off, thoroughly startled from Akko’s earlier declaration. Diana couldn’t hold it back anymore and began to laugh. She stood up and pulled Akko with her.

“Akko, shall we give chase?” Diana said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her lips. Akko just laughed and tugged Diana’s wrist, dragging Diana after the deer. Diana allowed Akko to tug her off her feet, stumbling after the brunette fully entranced. The undergrowth snapped under their feet as they gave gleeful chase.

“You know Diana, you’ve been calling me Akko all day! And here I thought that you were stuck up!” Akko called over her shoulder. Diana just answered with a laugh. The brunette had brought light and warmth to her world of shadow. If the gods were real, Diana wanted to spend forever with Akko.

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Diana gently carried Akko back down the mountain. After the trip through the forest’s dream, Akko had fallen back asleep and Diana had opted to carry her once more. She ignored the golden aura around the brunette. Akko was too precious to be a mere food source. Diana wanted the memory of their fun to stay with Akko. She gently placed Akko on the ground; they were still in the tree line hidden from the view of the cabin.

“Akko.” Diana softly called Akko’s name. The brunette rubbed the sleep from her eyes and propped herself up to look around. “I brought you home.”

“Hey.” Akko said in a sleepy daze. She got up groggily and gave Diana a hug. “Can I see you again tomorrow?”

“Of course.” Diana said as she brushed dirt from Akko’s shirt. “I will be waiting in the clearing.”

“Did you take your payment?”

Diana bit her lip. “Yes.” she lied smoothly. Akko nodded and began to tottle off to the house.

Diana made sure to watch until Akko had gotten inside safely. For a few more hours, she lingered. Listening to the song of the night, the whisper of the trees, and if she strained to hear it; Akko’s soft breaths. She wished that she could be there to guard Akko’s dreams. Instead, she contented herself with watching from afar. She stayed in the vicinity, devouring dreams from the nearby wildflowers. As she ate, she plucked a few and tucked them into her breast pocket. Akko would find them beautiful, and Diana wanted to share them.

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Every day that month, Diana would meet Akko at the glen. She’d tell Akko stories about other ayakashi and youkai. They’d hunt for wildflowers to press, and Akko would offer Diana shiny stones she’d find along the paths. Diana loved spending time with Akko; every day was a gift, with something new to appreciate. The way the cool mountain stream flowed over her feet, the smell of the flowers, the butterflies in the meadows, and the berries on the vine.

Though Diana said she only ate dreams she had enjoyed sampling the human food Akko had brought. She had tempted Diana with wild berries and Japanese sweets, and Diana had learned she couldn’t say no to Akko’s face. Diana’s favorite had been the Popsicle Akko had brought from the cabin’s freezer. The icy watermelon flavor had been sweet, yet not overbearing. The color also reminded her of Akko’s eyes. Yet another perk, not that she would admit it to the brunette.

All the while, Diana had a sense of foreboding. The summer couldn’t last forever, and Diana didn’t belong in this world. Akko was human, and she couldn’t join Diana in the realm of youkai. She’d either be eaten or pass away all too soon. Diana’s heart throbbed at the thought of Akko being ripped from her through death. Diana couldn’t bear the idea of watching Akko slowly age and wither. Yet there was no way to turn her into a youkai.

Besides, Diana was a being filled with power, and Akko was human. Over time, Diana’s aura would cause Akko to sicken and die. She had seen it happen before, with a nogitsune and her human lover. The gentle human had been crushed under the weight of being exposed to the dark kitsune's power after a year. If Diana was to preserve Akko, she would need to stay at a distance. Diana knew what needed to be done. The summer would end how it started, like a dream.

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The sun had once again begun to set; Akko had been laying in Diana’s lap playing with her hair. She had been trying to give Diana a small braid, but was failing miserably. Diana knew that Akko had picked up on her anxiety, and that she was hiding something.

“Akko,” Diana tried to say without her voice cracking “I think you should take a nap.” Akko blinked at Diana and gave a smile. There was uncertainty in her eyes.

“Okay!” Diana didn't look at Akko’s face as the brunette dropped the small braid she had been working on. Akko settled more comfortably into Diana’s lap. “Hey Diana,” Akko opened one eye and looked at her. “If I ever got the chance to be born again, I’d like to spend more time with you.”

“I would like that very much too, Akko. So much.” Diana said softly, touching Akko’s face. She leaned over and kissed Akko’s forehead. Then, she cast a spell.

Akko had fallen asleep instantly. Diana wasn’t sure whether to be proud that her spell had worked, or distraught. All she had to do now, was wait. Wait for the moment when she would steal Akko’s dream, and memory, of herself. If they had to part, Diana didn’t want Akko to suffer. She was fairly certain that Akko knew what she had planned. The brunette had looked at her with such pity, much like on the second day they had met. Diana had felt it in her gaze, even if she didn't meet eyes with Akko.

When Diana saw the golden aura around Akko, she hesitated. Was this what was really best? Did Akko deserve this? Diana took a shaky breath. She was a heartless yokai. It didn’t matter what was best, or what Akko deserved. All that mattered was Diana’s will, and Diana’s will was to be forgotten. Akko deserved to find a normal human lover, and to live a normal life away from yokai and ayakashi. Away from the danger that Diana presented. Diana would fulfill the contract she had made with Akko at the beginning of summer. Steeling her resolve, Diana finally stole Akko’s dream.

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Akko walked along the road from school. Ever since the summer she had stayed at her Uncle’s cabin, she had felt empty. Like something was missing, but she didn’t know what. She wanted to chew at something with how frustrated she felt. She should have some gum in her pocket. Jamming her hand roughly into her pocket, Akko felt her hand brush against a wad of cloth. She pulled it out and looked at it. It was a handkerchief, embroidered with lavender. She didn’t know where it had come from, no one in her family used handkerchiefs. It felt so familiar though.

She stuffed the handkerchief back into her pocket and kept walking. As she walked, she tried to remember what she had done that summer. All she recalled was running through the mountains with someone. Who that someone was, she didn’t know. Perhaps it was someone from another family at a different campground. Lost in her thoughts, Akko accidentally bumped her shoulder into someone.

“I’m so sorry!” She blurted out frantically. The person she had bumped into looked to be someone her age. Blonde hair and a raggedy little braid. Clear blue eyes. A familiar white skirt. The gold pendant she wore made Akko’s heart twist. She looked painfully familiar, like someone from a painful memory she couldn’t recall. “Uh, do I know you?” The stranger smiled and shook her head. With a wave, she walked away. All Akko could do was watch, confused. Something urged her to chase after the stranger. Akko took a deep breath, and in a single moment, she made her choice.

#lwa #little witch academia #akko kagari #diana cavendish #dianakko #diakko #my writing #lwa au #daily speaks #back on my bullshit #time to leave and never return #i have a love affair with commas asmr

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kiwi-bitchez · 4 years

Text

Permafrost

Chapter 4: superpowers and liquid courage

Read chapters 1, 2, and 3, all are also on my Ao3

Summary: Peter and Y/N sneak around the boat and try to find ways to kill the time. Stumbling upon a bar, you take it upon yourself to pour the liquid courage you need to finally talk to peter about what happened that night at the party.

Warnings: language and alcohol consumption

A/N: can this be a slow burn even though they've already fucked??? More smut is coming, I promise ;) Drop requests for oneshots or ideas for fics you want to see in my ask box! Smut/fluff/anything! Plz! I’m so lonely and horny all the time.

The first handful of days on the boat generally consist of jetlag, seasickness, and mundane ways to kill the onsetting boredom. Just about everyone slept for the majority of the first day of the trip, that 11-hour flight was no joke, and segueing directly onto a boat wasn’t exactly an easy transition.

The bunks on the ship weren’t ideal, but they were nice enough. You weren’t exactly used to luxury anyways. The bedrooms could easily be compared to small dorm rooms, and the bathrooms weren’t large enough for more than one person to be seasick at a time.

Both you and Peter didn’t have too much trouble with that, as you found the constant swaying kind of comforting, and you were sure Peter was immune to motion sickness. However, everyone else wasn’t quite as adept as the two of you, making the first 48 hours generally miserable for everyone.

“I can’t stand being in here listening to Steve throw up any longer,” Peter says, sitting up in his bed and tossing a wad of paper at the back of your head.

“Hey!” you turn from your seat at the small desk where you had been trying to distract yourself with work, “watch it!”

“Can we do something, please,” Peter looks at you, making a ridiculous puppy-dog face that you knew you couldn’t say no to, “just like a walk around the ship, we can go up to the top deck, literally anything, please.”

“Ugh I guess,” you pretend to be annoyed but are actually glad to be getting out of the tiny bedroom. You hadn’t taken much time to explore around the ship, and you figured it would be beneficial considering you were going to be here for quite some time.

Following Peter, who walked incredibly fast, always slightly bouncing and skipping when he stepped, you made your way to the main room. There was a small kitchen, a few couches, and a dining table. You flop dramatically back onto one of the couches in the middle of the room, letting all your limbs hang off the sides.

“Great, now we can just listen to everyone be sick from out here,” you flop your head back to look at peter from an upside-down angle.

“At least the acoustics are better,” he quips back as he rummages through every drawer and cabinet.

“Is this really the only other room other than our sleeping quarters?” you ask, assuming he had been told more than you about the trip.

“Yeah, I think so. There are the other rooms upstairs, the conference room, and the top deck. I think Tony mentioned something about an entertainment room but he said it was closed off. This boat used to be for small private trips until they refurbished it to make the trip to Antarctica, now mostly it’s used by larger groups of scientists and stuff like that, so no real need for an entertainment room.”

“No need for an entertainment room? What, you science nerds don’t like to have fun?” You joke, having recently learned about Peter’s love for math and science, particularly chemistry.

“Not exactly anti-fun, more like anti-relaxation,” he flops beside you in a similar fashion on the couch across from yours, “I’m pretty sure Stark sealed off that conference room and is using it as a lab. Like he couldn’t just relax for a few days, that would be impossible.”

“Why aren’t you up there with him doing top-secret Avenger’s science?”

“Eh, he told me to scram when I offered to help. Sometimes he gets into the zone and refuses to let anyone help him. I kind of get it, but it means I’m stuck here, bored out of my mind.”

“Damn, sorry I’m so boring I guess,” you joke, sarcastically rolling your eyes at him.

“That is not what I-” he starts before looking over at you, realizing your tongue is stuck out at him.

“Race you to the top,” you say quickly as you take a head start out the door.

The two of you tumble down the hallway, flailing your arms and trying to knock one another over. He manages to squeak by you and scramble up the stairs to the top deck first.

“Hey that is not fair,” you yell over to him, already starting to shiver, “I don’t have radioactive blood and spider muscles or whatever it is you have.”

You join him over by the railing, looking out at the vast ocean. Although it is beautiful, the cold is unbearable and the wind is whipping your hair in every direction.

“This was a better idea in theory,” Peter turns to you, “I think I spotted Monopoly down there.”

“Okay are we five?” you joke back, but you secretly loved Monopoly, fully ready to kick Peter’s ass.

Although the two of you grew comfortable quickly, there was still a slight air of tension. There was that underlying thing that neither of you was going to bring up, but secretly wished the other would. You used humor as a coping mechanism, constantly deflecting with sarcasm and bad jokes.

It was inconvenient that the only person who really wanted to spend time with you was Peter, and you spent almost every minute of the day together. All of this would have been easier if you just had to awkwardly acknowledge him in passing, but no, you were literally sleeping less than 10 feet apart.

You tried to just see him as a friend, someone you could be goofy and dick around with. You think he is trying to see you the same way too. You try your best to keep physical contact out of the picture, but he can’t help but to grab your hand to drag you off somewhere, or for you to ruffle his hair after he says something stupid.

There was that inherent chemistry between the two of you, and if you hadn’t known better you could have ignored it, but that was the problem, you did know better. You both knew how you had fucked each other’s brains out that night, how the sexual interest and intense attraction truly was there and wasn’t just something you were imagining. But still, you resign to scrunching your nose at him and cracking bad jokes over board games to repress any feelings of wanting him on top of you.

You had found a small stack of board games and would cycle through them and play with anyone who was willing to sit with you and Peter for that long. Monopoly, Risk, and Scrabble. Certain members of the team would come in for certain games, some were better competitors than others. But that’s how the two of you mutually decided to pass the time. When you weren’t stewing over maps and images of cliff faces, you would go down to the common room with Peter and wait around until you had a large enough party to play. A few days passed by this way and you didn’t mind, it also gave you the chance to spend some time with the other members of the team, although they never became less intimidating.

You sat at the tiny wooden desk, you ass getting sore from sitting on the hard, wooden chair. You had been shuffling through papers, not really concentrating on anything in particular, when you felt Peter enter the room. You had headphones on and had the music cranked up, but you could always feel when he entered the room, despite how light on his feet he was.

You turn around, surprised to not see him there. But before you can fully turn back around to the desk your body instinctively recoils at Peter hanging upside down dangling over the wooden surface. You gasp as you start to fall back, chair slipping out underneath you. He shoots out a web from god knows where and catches the chair inches before it hits the ground.

You clutch your chest, slightly worried that cardiac arrest might be in your near future. Before you can yell at him, or even get up, he is toppled over on the desk cracking up. He lowers you slowly, so you are now flat on your back. He continues to hysterically laugh and you can’t help but join him.

“What the fuck man!” you finally say in between giggles.

“I’m sorry I-” Peter, still gasping for air in between bellows, “I just wanted to scare you, I didn’t realize you would-” still laughing.

“You are an asshole,” you say, finally getting up, you smack him off your desk and start to reorganize your papers.

“You can’t be mad at me, that was so funny,” Peter, finally upright, moves across the room.

“You bet your ass I will be getting you back though,” you point your finger sternly at him, although you were unsure how you could top hanging from the ceiling, “If you are here to ask me to play scrabble with you, I may explode.”

“No, no, I need a solid 12-hour break from board games before I kick your ass at Monopoly again,” he never stops rubbing it in, “I was just wondering if you wanted to look around for something to eat for dinner.”

You smooth out your hair and clothes to join him in the hallway, quickly entering the somewhat crowded main room. The others were eating as well, as everyone had become accustomed to the motion of the ocean and had started taking Dramamine. The two of you conclude on a box of mac and cheese, as long as Peter did all the work. He owed you at least that considering your heart stopped for a solid 15 after that stunt he pulled.

Everyone finishes their meals and clears out of the room, heading back to their respective rooms, leaving you and Peter to discuss the mechanics of eating mac and cheese with a spork.

“Make sure to wrap it before you tap it, kids,” Sam nudges Peter on the shoulder as he exited the room.

“Oh my god do they all know about that?” you ask.

“Kind of,” Peter’s face grew red, “they all really like you, I swear.”

“He wouldn’t shut up about you for weeks!” Sam yells from the hallway, clearly still within earshot of you.

You threw your hands over your face in embarrassment. You couldn’t believe that all the freaking Avengers knew about your sex life. You wondered how much Peter had told them, but didn’t dare ask. You just hoped they all knew that you were professional and hadn’t just weaseled your way onto this trip because you had slept with Spiderman, although that technically was the case.

“I am painfully bored,” you admit, bringing your dishes to the sink, “is there really nothing else to do other than Monopoly and sleep?”

“I mean I can think of a few things…” Peter jokes, although you hope deep down that he isn’t.

“Hey, quit it with the flirting,” you join him on the couch, “you made me dinner and now you’re making passes at me, don’t break the rules.”

“But rules are so boooooring, and this boat is soooo booooring,” he slumps into your lap, making those puppy dog eyes at you again.

“Okay then, lets… do something exciting then,” you suggest, getting up and waltzing across the room.

“What could possibly be exciting?”

“If I remember your top-secret Avengers info correctly, there is a whole game room just waiting to be broken into.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” Peter questions, “hey, and isn’t your whole deal that you want to be respectful and professional and everything?”

Although he makes a fair point, everyone is in bed at this point and your boredom was killing your brain cells. You both could use something to occupy your minds as this boat slowly trudges into colder and colder territory.

“Oh I’m sorry,” you start, “I didn’t realize you were bitten by a radioactive scardey cat.”

He rolls his eyes at you and follows you out into the hallway and down the stairs.

“Fine, but I am not taking the blame for this if we get in trouble.”

“Fine, fine, it was all my idea, you can even rat me out.”

You make your way down to the bottom floor, where neither of you had yet been. You find the door at the end of the hallway and quietly jiggle the door handle open.

“Dude, your secret intel was all lies,” you whisper, “the door wasn’t even locked.”

You slip your way into the door and feel around for a light switch. Although it was nowhere near as exciting as you would have hoped, it was still something. The lights flicker on and reveal a mostly empty ballroom, a small one albeit, a few tables, couches, and a bar. It wasn’t much different from the room upstairs except the one thing that caught your eye, the bar.

“Come on Peter, it will be fun,” you start, already knowing he will protest your devilish ideas, “plus, I bet no one can even hear us down here.”

“I don’t know, I don’t want to take anything that doesn’t belong to me.”

“If that’s your concern I have like twenty bucks in cash upstairs that I will gladly leave in the place of whichever one of these fine bottles we choose to take.”

“I suppose,” you notice him coming around to the idea, “but we have to be quiet, I don’t want to disrupt anyone’s sleep.”

“Of course, of course,” you were now behind the bar, eyeing your selections, “pick your poison, Parker.”

You grab a bottle and take a seat on one of the couches, Peter sits down across from you.

“Are we friends?” you ask Peter, taking a swig right from the bottle and passing it over to him.

“Um, I guess so? Why?” Peter takes a sip much more easily than you had expected.

“I just feel like I don’t know anything about you. Friends know things about each other.”

“You know that I’m Spiderman, most people don’t know that about me.”

“I guess,” you take the bottle back from him, “but we have spent every day together for almost a week now, and I don’t really know anything about you. Your name is Peter Parker, you have magic spider monkey powers, you have a big dick...”

“Peter Benjamin Parker,” he says, hand out asking for the bottle again.

“Hmm?” you finish your sip and hand the liquor over.

“My middle name is Benjamin, that’s something you don’t know about me.”

“That’s so cute,” the liquor hitting you already, “that suits you so well.”

“Thanks, it was my Uncle’s name,” Peter took a long sip, “he, um, he died when I was in high school.”

“Oh,” you didn’t expect this conversation to get so serious so quickly, “were you two close?’

“Yeah, my parents are dead, so he and my Aunt May were my guardians. May is great, she’s like the best person ever, love her with my whole heart. But Uncle Ben died and it was pretty hard on us, and I became Spiderman, and… it was all kind of a mess, to be honest.”

“I’m- I’m really sorry to hear that,” you look down, unsure of how to continue.

“Ok now you go,” he says, handing you the bottle.

“Huh?” you were still trying to process everything he had just thrown out there.

“Our drinking game, you say something the other person doesn’t know about you and also you drink.”

“That just sounds like a conversation to me.”

“Ok, then you come up with something!”

“No, no, I like it,” you laugh, the alcohol steadily setting into your bloodstream, “I just don’t really have any exciting secrets like dead parents or superpowers though.”

“That’s ok, just tell me your favorite ice cream flavor or something. You are right, we barely know anything about each other.”

“Coffee, but coffee mixed with cookies and cream, so like the coffee ice cream has little bits of cookie mixed in it. What’s yours?”

“Ben and Jerry's.”

“That’s not a flavor, that’s a brand.”

“Doesn’t matter. That’s my answer. This is my game, so I say Ben and Jerry's.”

The two of you had somehow migrated from the couches over to the large wooden dance floor, laying with arms and legs starfished out around you. You went back and forth, telling stupid facts about yourselves, whoever wasn’t talking was drinking. You flip over onto your stomachs and rest your head on your arms, crossed in front of you. You were staring directly into Peter’s eyes.

Normally being this close to him would make you a blend of anxious and horny and giddy. However, the bottle was well over half gone at this point. The two of you had been talking for hours, rolling around on the hard floor and laughing at each other’s stories.

“Have you ever been in love?” you ask, the thought escaping your mouth before it could be filtered through your brain.

“Damn,” Peter, equally as drunk as you, responds, “that’s a little personal, don’t you think?”

“Okay mister shares-a-room-with-me-and-also-let-me-suck-his-dick-in-a-spare-room-at-a-work-function Parker.”

“Hey,” he sits up, struggling a little bit, “I thought we were secretly silently agreeing not to bring that up.”

“Ban lifted,” you sit up too, “we are playing the reveal-your-secrets drinking game that YOU made up.”

“It’s called “get to know your roommate better through discussion and drink” and it’s fun,” he says defensively, “and no, I was a loser in high school and now I spend my weekends lurking around in alleyways waiting for people to punch, so no, never been in love.”

“You lurk in alleyways? Doesn’t really sound very superhero esque to me,” you make fun of him.

“I’ve been to space, so, suck on that.”

“Can I see it?”

Peter gives you a funny look, not entirely sure what you’re getting at.

“Your suit you dummy, show me your super suit. Show me Spiderman!”

“I don’t know y/n, I’m kind of drunk and I don’t want to wake anyone up.”

“What? Spiderman can’t be quiet? Please, Peter, pleeeasssee.”

“Ok fine but I’m taking that twenty from your wallet to leave at the bar.”

“Fine!” you lay back on the ground, closing your eyes that felt very heavy, “I’ll be here waiting for you Spideyyy.”

Peter takes a while, slowly making his way up the stairs to your shared room. You patiently wait for him, pacing around the entertainment room taking long gliding steps, twirling around with your arms spread out.

“Okay, I have a few different ones with me, but this one is the coolest for sure,” Peter starts talking to you before he is even all the way down the stairs, taking them three at a time. You stare at him with bulging eyes, mouth dropping slightly agape.

“What? Don’t look at me like that you’re making me self-conscious,” he steps into the room, Spider-suit clinging tightly to his body.

“How?” you walk up to him, placing a hand on the shiny material, surprised to find it was cold and metallic to the touch, “are you so perfect?”

“Excuse me?” Peter stumbles a little bit.

“Look at you! You’re freaking amazing!” you fall back onto the old leather couch, making your landing dramatic, as if he had blown you away.

“Shut up, don’t make fun of me,” Peter shies away, “I’m not even gonna put the mask on now.”

“I’m not making fun of you! Do something super, please?? Will you??”

He sighs, exasperated, and drunk, and shoots a web across the room, swinging his body along with it. He wasn’t as graceful as he usually was, and had never tried using his suit while intoxicated, so this was all new.

“Holy shit!” you exclaim, causing Peter to whip around and dramatically motion for you to be quiet, “fuck, sorry. Holy shit!” you whisper.

“Can I take it off? I’m getting sweaty,” he drops his shoulders and mopes.

“I suppose…” you shuffle back over to the couch, “but know I like you much more in the sexy superhero outfit than those sweats you’ve been rocking.”

“Don’t hate on the joggers,” he was slipping back into them, you hadn’t even noticed that he had taken the spider suit off, it had happened so fast. You found yourself staring at his bare chest, unable to control your drunk expression of lust.

“Are we still playing the roommate honesty game?” you ask, desperately trying to focus your eyes on something other than Peter getting dressed.

“Yes,” he grabs the bottle over from where you had left it on the table, “and it’s my turn to ask.”

“Okay shoot spider-boy.”

He takes a long sip before sitting across from you, looking at you intently. “You lifted the ban, so I get to ask, and I’m just drunk enough to not give a fuck, so I have to do it.”

“Okay?” unsure of where he was going with this.

“Why,” he pauses before taking another quick sip, “why did you leave that night? Why didn’t you leave your number?”

It took you a second, and you sat there, slightly uncomfortable. You weren’t sure how to start, opening your mouth before words had formed in your brain.

“I’m sorry,” he cuts you off before you can even speak, “You don’t have to answer that, you don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“No, its ok,” you felt weirdly sober suddenly, despite not being able to feel your hands or feet or cheeks, “I- I just didn’t really know what I was doing. I had never really slept with someone I didn’t know like that, and I wasn’t sure what the rules were, what the protocol was.”

“I’m not good at that stuff either,” he avoided eye contact with you, “I probably just should have asked you for it.”

“I just, I didn’t want to leave it and then have you never call. I figured you were so busy being an Avenger, and you probably get girls all the time. I just jumped to the conclusion that it all meant a lot more to me than it did to you,” you look up at him, face previously buried in your hands.

“It meant something to me,” he says, “are you kidding, how could it not have? Did you hear Sam earlier? All I could talk about for weeks was how pissed I was that I didn’t ask you for your number, that I let you slip away.”

“I’m sorry for instilling the secret ban on talking about it,” you apologize to him, “and I’m sorry I left that night, I was just nervous. You make me nervous.”

“I am so un-intimidating. Thor is here, Captain America is here, they are intimidating. I’m like a 7 on a good day and all I can cook is boxed mac and cheese. Why do I make you nervous?”

“First off, shut up, you’re an 11 every day and you know it, you might be a secret genius, and you have freaking superpowers, plus you lowkey got me this job so I owe a lot to you.”

“I’m sorry if things have been weird or tense or whatever,” his cheeks turning redder than they had previously been.

“Don’t apologize, it’s a weird situation that neither one of us could have known about. And I’m the one who should be sorry if things are weird or tense.”

Peter gets up and joins you on the couch, resting his head on your shoulder. You still felt very nervous, but in a new way. You just want to lay there and hold him, let him know that you like him, that you really really like him.

“Do you think we could make it less weird?” your mouth does that thing again, saying ideas before your brain can properly filter them, “Do you think if we just kissed once it would diffuse the tension?”

You weren’t sure if this was actually a good idea, or if your brain was just trying to find a rational way to bring up to Peter how you wanted nothing more than to kiss him. You turned to him, alcohol helping with the typical nervousness and awkwardness that this situation would typically present.

“You just have to promise me,” he says, bringing one of his strong hands to cup your cheek.

“Promise you what?”

“Promise me that you’ll stop.”

“Stop?”

“Yeah, stop. Stop being pretty. Stop being funny. Stop being smart and witty and better than me at board games. Stop talking in your sleep and leaving your towel on your head for hours after you’ve gotten out of the shower. Stop doing all those things that are making this trip so hard for me. You have to promise me that you’ll stop.”

“If I promise, then you’ll kiss me?” you whisper, leaning into the hand that was pressed against your skin. He nods at you, tucking his lower lip between his teeth.

“Okay, then I promise. I’ll be mean and horrible to you for the rest of the trip. I’ll be nasty and unlikeable, and I’ll tell even more jokes than I already do, and now you won’t even have to pretend to laugh.”

He scrunches his nose at you, grinning a familiar smile as he leans into you.

“You promise?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

You part your lips slightly, his mouth hovering over yours as you take a sharp breath inward, preparing yourself. His hand snakes from your cheek to the back of your neck, pulling your lips to his and holding your head steadily, not wanting to feel your lips part from his. You latch onto his lower lip, hands coming up instinctively to cup his face.

Your eyes fluttered shut as you pull his face closer to yours. His hand on the base of your neck and your hands on his face acted as a human vice grip, locking your faces together as you felt his lips interlock with yours. You tilt your head, allowing his tongue to slip into your ready mouth.

The kiss wasn’t sexual or heated, the way a tension diffusing kiss was supposed to be, it was slow, earnest, warm.

You were drunk, but you could feel every shift and movement in his body, every maneuver of his hand. He wasn’t kissing you the way a drunk boy should kiss you, he kissed you as if you had just come home from the airport, like you just received good news, like you had known each other for much longer than this Antarctica trip.

You were the one to pull away, immediately regretting it the moment you did. You stared at him with sad eyes, not knowing what would happen next. He just stared back, not wanting to register that the kiss was over.

Before he could say anything or look at you in a way that made you feel the need to say something, you turned around, back facing him and laid back. You nuzzled your head into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent. Taking his hand and weaving his long fingers between yours, you tell him

“I hate you,” staying true to your promise. You close your eyes and let your body fully relax into his.

“I hate you more,” he kisses the top of your head, burying his face in your hair, closing his eyes too.

#peter parker x y/n #peter parker x reader #peter parker fanfic #spiderman fanfiction #peter parker fanfiction #peter parker #spiderman #spider man #marvel fanfiction #marvel fanfic #lowkey fluffy

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wxlfstxrx · 5 years

Text

Gone, Gone, Gone (Oneshot)

A/N: NOW. I honestly never expected to be the one to write this crossover; I was actually hoping someone else would. But I can’t stop thinking about this scene and now I’ve gone and put myself under immense pressure to deliver. HAH. Anyway, I know Gwen Stacy in the comics died while falling off a bridge, but since my post referred to The Amazing Spiderman 2, featuring the gorgeous Andrew Garfield (who I already envision as Remus Lupin anyway), I shall write the clocktower scene instead. As mentioned in my teaser, I also found it incredibly awkward to name Harry as the villain. Because, well. Ha ha. But yes, a major thank you to @fleursowl for prompting me to write this, and for leaving comments on my drafts, I hope I didn’t disappoint :”)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H9bm1Oj1wQ&t=200s here’s the link to the video I referenced from!!

The title is actually a song from the Spiderman soundtrack, and god. I destroyed myself. I’m crying so hard now. Hope you guys like it.

“HARRY! This is between you and me, you wanna fight? FIGHT ME, LET HIM GO.”

“... Okay.”

Remus’ heart dropped into his stomach.

Everything was happening so fast, yet they seemed to be happening in slow motion. He didn’t allow himself even a breath before he leapt up, off the top of the domed roof. He watched helplessly as jet black hair obscured what would undoubtedly be a face of panic, and hoped and prayed with all his might that he could catch him. He extended his arms, rising to meet Sirius, who was tumbling down through the crisp autumn air. I’ve got you, I’ve got you, he chanted in his head, not letting Sirius out of his sight, although the wind was making his eyes sting.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he felt the other boy crashing into his body, the pull of gravity sending them both falling through the sky and through the roof of the clocktower with a loud smash. He didn’t care that shards of glass were piercing his skin through his latex suit, he just instinctively curled his body around Sirius’ to make sure he was okay. He could feel the other’s heavy breathing; he knew how afraid Sirius was of heights. He just held him tighter, bracing themselves.

They hit a narrow metal platform, and for a moment Remus allowed himself to breathe. His arms were wound tightly around Sirius’ waist and he pulled him towards his body even more, thanking all the gods that he was safe.

“I’ve got you, love. God, I was so fucking terrified, but it’s okay, I’ve got you, you’re alright now,” Remus rambled as one hand travelled up and down Sirius’ back, trying to soothe his frenzied breathing. Sirius weakly shook his head before burying it in the crook of Remus’ neck, letting out a choked sob.

A short clink of something dropping, and an accompanying beeping noise startled the two of them, and Remus’ head snapped up to follow the sound just several inches away from them. Too late did he realize where that sound had come from.

A red hot explosion blasted the pair off the platform, and Remus turned them on their sides to shield Sirius.

And then, they were falling again.

Remus heard Sirius scream and he felt his blood run cold. With one foot hooking desperately around an intact railing, he grabbed Sirius’ wrist with his hand. He barely had time to look down at him before the latter was slipping out of his grasp. He vaguely heard Sirius cry out his name.

Blood rushing to his head and heart pounding in his chest, he shot a web out to wrap around Sirius’ wrist tightly, breaking his fall.

A swooshing noise caught Remus’ attention and he was forced to look up. Good thing he did; had he been mere seconds later he would have been knocked off the railing by Harry. Swinging himself up, he dodged yet another attack, and managed to sneak a look at Sirius, who was (sort of) safely perched on a rotating gear just several feet below him. He was looking back at Remus fearfully, eyes widened in terror.

In normal circumstances, Remus would never be tired of staring into his boyfriend’s gorgeous face.

In that moment, that was all he allowed himself before he sprang back into action.

Remus leaped from surface to surface, trying to create as many webs as he could around the clocktower to impede the glider’s movements. Harry chased after him relentlessly, missing Remus by a hair’s breadth too many times for comfort. He barely noticed Sirius trying to maneuver himself from gear to gear in an attempt to get to safety.

Swinging from web to web to confuse Harry, Remus gained enough momentum to jump as high as he could, past the shattered roof. Shooting a well-aimed web down at Harry’s glider, he pounced on his enemy’s back and caught him in a headlock. He knew he didn’t have much time, especially with them zooming around uncontrolled in the air.

He worked quickly to coil webs around Harry’s throat, praying with all his might that this would be enough to gain the upper hand.

It wasn’t.

The glider reversed at top speed and sent Remus crashing into a wall. His vision blurred for a moment, allowing Harry to break free from his grasp. Recovering quickly, Remus kicked himself off the wall and jumped, swinging himself around a web. He barrelled into Harry and knocked him off his glider, finally, sending him crashing into a metal beam. He thought Harry had fallen face first onto another platform, knocking him out for the meantime, but he couldn’t be sure.

His eyes were instead fixed on Sirius, who was looking right back at him. Time seemed to slow down as the glider fell through the air and into the gear that Sirius was currently kneeling on.

Remus didn’t so much hear himself shouting as he felt the burn in his already hoarse throat.

Sirius was falling further and further away from him, and Remus struggled to web him back. No, no, no, not again, Remus almost cried. But he knew Sirius was counting on him, and at last the web coiled around Sirius’ wrist for the second time in ten minutes.

Sirius was now dangling in mid-air, suspended only by the strong web Remus had caught him in.

Remus frantically pulled at the long web, trying to reel him back up onto a concrete surface. As he was almost at a close enough proximity to reach for Sirius’ hand, he heard the other boy shout, “REMUS!”

He turned his head so fast he got whiplash, but it didn’t register in his mind. He had turned back just in time to feel Harry’s hands around his neck, forcefully backing him into a gear behind him.

Harry grabbed Remus by the shoulders and slammed him down on the gear they were currently on, and the web loosened, jerking Sirius down a few feet. Remus’ head throbbed painfully but he fought to maintain the web even as Harry’s foot stomped down on his wrist with a sickening crunch moments later.

He heard a broken cry from Sirius, and it wasn’t until he craned his neck to look at his broken wrist, which was still holding onto Sirius via the web, that he realized why.

The gear was turning slowly but surely, and from the way the web was caught in one of the gear’s teeth, it was a matter of seconds before it would meet the other gear and snap.

A broken metal joint that had fallen a few feet away from Remus’ hand caught itself between the pair of gears, halting the rotating of gears temporarily with a loud screech. Sirius’ breath hitched as he watched on, helplessly dangling in the air.

Taking Remus by surprise, Harry brandished a sharp knife-like weapon, aiming it at the web. Thankfully, Remus’ quick reflexes blocked the attack. Pushing his left hand into Harry’s face, he knocked the weapon out of the way with his right arm, letting it skid across and off the platform.

Remus’ hold was broken seconds later as Harry gained control over him once again. The latter wrestled to pin the former’s arms down by the side of his face, but Remus slammed their foreheads together, knocking Harry off balance. He delivered a heavy blow to Harry’s cheek and shot a web out to trap the arm that had been trying to retaliate.

Harry’s snarled, and his hand shot out to clasp around Remus’ throat, choking him. Through his watery eyes and blurred vision, Remus managed to shoot a web out through one of the gears behind Harry without him realizing.

Working quickly, he ambushed Harry by winding the long web around his throat several times just as the gear shifted, causing him to howl as the web tightened painfully around his own neck. Still, he didn’t relinquish his hold on Remus’.

The loud clang of metal caused Remus to turn his head around, watching as the broken metal joint gave way to the force of the shifting gears, and it snapped all of a sudden, falling to the depths below and narrowly missing Sirius’ suspended form.

Remus let his eyes linger on Sirius, who was dangling a little way below another gear, partially hidden from his view. Despite the chaos surrounding him, all he could hear was his own voice shouting in his mind, over and over again.

I’ve got to save him, I won’t let him die, it’ll be all over soon, we’ll make it through, I love him I love him I love him.

Remus remembered how, just hours ago, they had been on the top of the bridge, on top of the world. How he’d professed his love for Sirius and how he’d offered to go to England with him. To be with him. He wished that he could turn back the time. What he’d give to be back on that bridge, just him and Sirius against the world. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, willing himself not to lose focus.

In a desperate attempt to buy more time, he stuck his left foot out and wedged it between two gears, ignoring the pain shooting up his foot. He felt like he was being torn apart, what with Harry’s fingers still clamped around his throat, his left foot raised up in an awkwardly painful angle and stuck between gears, and his right wrist hanging semi-limply over the edge of the gear he was currently pinned down on. But it was worth it.

Saving Sirius would be worth all the broken bones in his body.

The gears were cranking in protest, and the web was centimetres shy of snapping. Remus could no longer feel his foot, but he wasn’t going to let go. There was no way. Mustering all that was left of his strength, he tried to push his upper body up so he would be able to kick Harry off him with his right foot. He was panting heavily with exhaustion and his heart was slamming against his chest. The voice inside his head was going a hundred miles a minute. Just a little more—

A deafening screech filled the clocktower.

And everything happened so fast.

One of the gears dislodged itself, producing bright orange sparks as a result of the friction.

Sirius’ voice broke, “Re?”

No.

His vision zoomed in to the web, tracing it from his wrist to where it was caught between the two gears.

Where it snapped in two.

In that moment, he could no longer feel any pain. He could no longer feel anything. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his mouth and drop down to his feet simultaneously.

The gears in the clocktower started spinning furious and uninhibited, and the gears in Remus’ mind followed suit. No no no, shit, fuck—

Remus didn’t even realize that Harry had released his hold on him, sailing across the air with the web still coiled around his neck and slamming into a gear, knocking him out. He was too focused on Sirius’ freefalling form.

He watched in despair as broken metal joints tumbled down alongside his boyfriend, falling further and further away from his reach.

So far.

He took the plunge.

Willing his body to pummel through the air faster, Remus kept his eyes locked with Sirius’. The glittering pools of molten silver he had come to love after all this time was now a thunderstorm, with flecks of white-hot lightning flashing every few heartbeats. If he thought Sirius had been scared earlier, the look in his eyes now almost made Remus‘ throat close up with raw emotion. The torrential rain took over, and Remus wanted nothing more than to be huddled up together in their thick blankets at home, kissing away every tear that had ever trailed down the other boy’s face.

So far.

Extending his arm, he shot a web out. Please let this be the last one. He hoped it’d reach Sirius in time. Please.

They were still gazing at each other. Remus willed the other boy to understand everything unsaid in the silence that stretched between them. I’ve got you. Trust me. I love you. I won’t let you go. Please. I’ve got you.

Sirius swallowed hard, gave him one last pleading look, shook his head ever so slightly, a fraction of a degree, and closed his eyes.

No, please look at me, please open your eyes, don’t let go.

Don’t let go.

Finally, the web caught hold of Sirius’ broad chest, capturing him in his grasp, finally.

He let himself breathe out as he caught hold of a railing, clinging onto it with his uninjured hand. Thank g—

Thud.

Remus’ heart stopped.

Wrapping one end of the web around the railing, he dropped himself down to the ground, where Sirius was suspended a few feet in the air by the other end.

Remus approached slowly, inhaling sharply.

Sirius wasn’t moving.

“Sirius?”

He removed his mask and ran a shaky hand through his mussed up hair. His lips were trembling as he stepped forward and lifted Sirius in his arms.

With one arm under his boyfriend’s back, he placed his other hand over his heart, feeling desperately for a heartbeat.

Remus didn’t think he’d ever be able to breathe again.

There was a deafeningly loud ringing in his ears as he cradled the lifeless body in his arms, as though his whispered pleas would be heard. As though they could be heard.

Please, stay with me.

Don’t go.

Don’t leave me.

Please, I love you.

You’re everything to me.

In just the span of a few minutes, he’d lost the only person he’d ever loved. He would give anything, anything at all, to have the other boy alive again.

There was complete silence all around, save for the shuddering breaths that Remus let out. He blinked his eyes furiously, tears spilling onto his lover’s face, refusing to accept whatever had just happened.

“Sirius... Sirius, please. Sirius...”

His whispered pleas grew into loud cries and he didn’t even know how much time had passed anymore; when Sirius had hit the ground it was as though the concept of time stopped existing. All he was aware of was the pain coursing through his veins, searing and never-ending.

Remus looked up, blinking past the tears, and saw the moon through the shattered roof, watching over him. In sympathy perhaps.

How was he going to survive this, when Sirius had been his rainbow after heavy storms, and the brightest star on his darkest nights?

He didn’t think he’d be able to.

Remus collapsed onto his knees, still clutching Sirius’ body in his arms, and let the wracking sobs take over him.

#remus lupin #sirius black #remus x sirius #sirius x remus #wolfstar #wolfstar oneshot #wolfstar fanfiction #wolfstar au #marauders #spiderman #spiderman fanfiction #wolfstar angst #angst #af

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dragonsaphirareads · 4 years

Text

Dancing Melody

Day 20 of @tsshipmonth2020 Fluffuary

Ship: Deesleep

AU: Human

Word Count: 1591

Summary: Ernest has trouble sleeping on his own, so when his husband is out on a trip, he doesn’t tend to get a lot of sleep. Remy gives him a gift to help.

(Like listening to podfics? You can listen to this oneshot on my YT channel here!)

Ernest groaned, throwing off the blanket for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. His body couldn’t decide if he was hot or cold, probably because he kept tossing and turning.

He reached over to the other side of the bed instinctively, grabbing at empty sheets. Desperately, he took his husband’s pillow and shoved his face in it, hoping that the smell would be enough to make him drowsy.

It didn’t help, and he wanted to scream. He hated that he had security issues, because he knew everything was going to be fine! Remy was coming back from his trip tomorrow, so really, he should be relishing the chance to have the whole bed to himself. Remy sprawled when he slept, limbs on every corner of the mattress, and Ernest constantly had to push him away.

He’d been working on his abandonment issues, and during the day he was perfectly fine to be away from his husband. Even when he was halfway across the globe, Ernest hardly gave it a second thought.

At night it was different. In the dark, he couldn’t help but fixate on the fact that there wasn’t another person in the bed. He couldn’t hear Remy’s steady breathing as he drifted to sleep, he couldn’t reach out and tangle their fingers together, he couldn’t be comforted by the fact that he was there.

Fed up with his racing thoughts, he got out of bed, grabbing his phone and laptop and heading to the living room. If he wasn’t going to sleep anyways, he might as well get some work done. He quickly glanced at the time on his phone - nearly three am.

It was almost nine am where Remy was. He knew he was probably busy packing up from the hotel and getting to the airport, and that he should really just suck it up and push through it, but late night Ernest didn’t have the self-control that daytime Ernest did.

Remy picked up on the second ring. He sounded like he was walking, with air rushing past the receiver and Remy slightly out of breath. “Hey babe, what’s up? Isn’t it super early at home?”

Ernest immediately relaxed at hearing Remy’s voice, pulling a knee up and resting his chin on it. “Yeah, it is...”

Remy sighed. “Trouble sleeping?”

“Maybe a little. I swear the room is colder when you’re not here.”

“Did you bring out the weighted blanket from the closet?”

Ernest nodded, though he knew Remy couldn’t see him. “I did, but it didn’t help... and my pills aren’t working either.”

“Is there anything I can do to help, hun?”

“Tell me about your trip?”

He could hear Remy smile through the phone. “Sure thing, babe. Well, it’s been a great trip actually, although they don’t make coffee here like they do at home. I’ve been dying for a proper drink the whole weekend.”

Ernest huffed a small laugh, listening as Remy rambled about mundane things, and soon enough he felt his eyelids drooping. He shifted to lay down on the couch, still holding the phone to his ear.

“You still there, babe?”

He hummed, too tired to answer completely. Remy seemed to understand though.

“I’m sorry, Ernest... I know these trips are hard on you...”

“‘S not your fault I’ve got issues...” Ernest drawled sleepily.

“I know, but I don’t like leaving you alone. I’ll be home tonight, alright? It might be late, but it should be before you go to bed.”

“Can’t wait to see you...” Ernest yawned, snuggling into the couch and drifting off. He felt a little better having heard Remy’s voice, but he knew he couldn’t keep doing this forever. He needed to be able to fall asleep without relying on him, because Remy wouldn’t always be able to drop everything for him.

The rest of the day went by without much fanfare. Ernest worked from home, so he alternated between chores and work, taking a trip to the grocery store so he could make a nice dinner for Remy when he got home.

His husband sent him a text around five pm that he had landed, and that he would be home in an hour or so. Ernest replied quickly, telling him not to pick up anything on the way home because he would have dinner ready.

He hummed to himself as he cooked. It was one of his favorite things to do, because there was something so satisfying about it. To be able to take raw ingredients and some spices and turn it into something delicious, and to see how happy it made his husband when he came home to hot food on the table, it made him happy in return.

Ernest looked up as he heard the front door open and his husband came into the kitchen as he was setting the table. “Welcome home, Rem!”

“Hey babe, smells good in here!”

“I wanted you to have something nice when you came home. I hope you’re hungry! There’s also coffee cake for dessert.”

Remy grinned, dropping his bag in the corner and sweeping Ernest up into a kiss. “You know the way directly to my heart, don’t you?”

“I would hope so, we’ve been married for three years now~”

They both laughed, and then they sat down to eat. Ernest felt himself relaxing as he talked with his husband, holding his hand across the table as they finished up.

“So, I was thinking while I was on the plane.” Remy changed the topic after they had cleaned up dinner and moved into the living room. He’d rummaged through his bag before he came to sit down next to his husband, a small wrapped parcel in his hands.

“Thinking? I thought you would’ve been sleeping.” Ernest joked, eyeing the package curiously. Remy rolled his eyes.

“Well, there was that too. But when I was awake, I was thinking about things we could do to help you to sleep when I’m away.”

Ernest’s face fell. “I’m working on it, I promise! I was fine most of the time, it’s just late nights that get difficult...”

Remy smiled gently at him, rubbing his knuckles with his thumb. “I’m not saying that you aren’t! You’ve done a lot and I’m proud of that, but there’s nothing wrong with talking about other things we can do, right?”

“Right...”

“So, my first thought was that you need someone else in the house with you when I’m gone, and I nearly stopped by the pet store to get you a dog or something to cuddle with when I’m not there.”

Ernest laughed, and Remy scratched the back of his head. “Buuuuut I thought that might be something we wanted to decide together, so instead I made a stop by my grandma’s house.”

He pursed his lips. Remy had been raised by his grandparents, so it was basically his childhood home. But what would he have gotten there? “How’s she doing?”

“She’s good. We might be going over to clean her attic soon, though, because it’s a mess.”

Ernest raised an eyebrow. “What were you doing in the attic?”

“Well, I needed to find this.” Remy handed the wrapped box to Ernest, who opened it slowly after an expectant look from his husband.

Underneath the plain brown paper was a carved wooden box, burned with intricate designs and varnished to a deep brown. Curious, he flipped it over and noticed the crank sticking from the bottom. “Is this... a music box?”

Remy nodded. “You know that my grandpa passed away when I was eight. Well, for a year or two after that, I had a really hard time sleeping in my own bed. I was so convinced that my grandma was going to go the same way, and the only way to keep that from happening was to sleep in the same room as her. That way, I could keep her with me. It doesn’t make sense, but hey, I was a kid.”

He reached out and shifted the music box in Ernest’s hands, popping it open and hearing a little tune plunking along as a little ballet girl spun around and around. “My grandma gave me this music box, and she told me that all I needed to do was turn the crank three times, and then the music would ease the spirits who took grandpa for the night, and they would leave my grandma alone.”

Ernest stared at him for a moment, and Remy laughed quietly. “I know, I know. It’s morbid, but it worked. I started sleeping in my own bed and now I can’t get enough sleep! I know your situation is different than mine, but I thought maybe, if you played it when you were going to sleep, you would think of me and know that even though I’m not there physically, I’m still with you.”

Remy looked up, and he noticed that there were tears in Ernest’s eyes. “Aww, babe...”

“You’re such a bastard...” Ernest laughed as he swallowed down the lump in his throat. He put the music box to the side and threw his arms around Remy, burying his face in his neck. “Making me cry...”

“You know you can always call me when I’m away, but I want you to feel comfortable on your own.”

“Thank you...” Ernest whispered.

“And maybe we can go to the shelter tomorrow and see about getting you a little pup?”

“... I’m starting to think the dog is more for you than it is for me.”

“Guilty!”

#deesleep #deceit sanders #remy sanders #tsshipmonth2020 #saphira writes #saphira writes ts

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underthemoon-and-stars · 5 years

Note

Hello! May I request a oneshot where an ex of yours comes to visit the tower and stay for some time and Boyfriend!Bucky sees you two hanging out and gets jealous or insecure. (Private 💙)

Hi lovely!!! Thank you so much!!! I’m sorry this took so long. I hope this is what you wanted!!!

Word Count- 1.6 K

-Selenophile

Sam thought he was going to have a lovely training session with his new found friend, Bucky. What he actually received was the medium sized, long-haired brunette boy rant about his jealousy for what seemed like hours.

It all started a few days ago. Him, Bucky and Y/N had just returned from a long mission. The flight home was quieter than a funeral. Y/N and Bucky sat on opposite sides. They managed to get into another typical boyfriend/girlfriend fight. Well, as typical as superheroes can get. Y/N made a plan, Bucky ignored it as he thought it was a wrong plan. Sam was just glad they were both too exhausted to continue to yell it out.

When they landed, Steve was waiting patiently for them.

“You have a guest, Y/N.”

“Really?” She chuckled softly. “Alright.”

She hung up her tactical gear, fixed up her hair, and dragged herself out of the hanger.

Sam only followed because he was so curious. He played it off as he was just getting some food from the kitchen. Bucky, on the other hand, waited for her in bed.

Sam learned she never made it back to the room. Her guest’s name was Kyle. He was Y/N’s ex-boyfriend. They stayed up the whole night catching up. Sam overheard one part of their conversation before he went to bed.

“Tony actually gave you clearance to here?”

“He gave me clearance for a few days actually! I thought it would be nice to catch up and also hang out with you!”

Sam has never seen such wider eyes once Y/N told Bucky the next day. Bucky really did his best to act happy for her. He was amazing at hiding how he truly felt. The master of building it up and pushing it down was the Winter Soldier himself. Sam knew he was gonna break.

He guess today was that day.

“I can’t believe she’s spending so much time with him” Bucky blurted out, hitting a punching bag.

“Yeah, why’s that?” Sam did his best to give a sympathetic reply.

“He’s an ex?? This “kyle” kid or whatever broke her heart, he had to. Yet they’re hanging out every second. Why is that? I think he’s trying to get back with her. They do everything together now it’s ridiculous!! I’m not even invited anymore. I’m her boyfriend, I should be with her!”

“Wow, you’re so jealous”

Bucky glared “Is there a problem with being jealous Sam? She’s my girl. No one else’s.”

Sam sighed softly. He got up, making his way to the punching bag. His large hands held it perfectly in place as Bucky landed hard, aggressive hits.

“Last night, they went out to dinner. Y/N wore a dress she’s never worn before. I complimented her and she barely said anything. Then Kyle says she’s the prettiest girl in the world and that’s when she gets all flustered?? Unbelievable!!”

“James” Sam said softly. The soldier didn't react well to his first name. Punching bag sand flew threw the air, and he painted heavily.

Falcon continued though “You never apologized on that mission. You almost got yourself killed and you brushed it off. Do you know how much that puts on her? She doesn’t wanna talk to you cause you hurt her. Kyle is a way of distracting herself from the pain, and she’s having fun-“

“She should be having fun with me”

“Holy shit how did you miss the whole point of that??”

Bucky picked up his half-empty water bottle. “I’m going to talk to her”

“Talk about apologizing?”

“No, talk about the amount of time she’s hanging out with him.”

“Okay, good luck with that”

Sergeant Barnes huffed. He spun atop his heels, heading straight for the sliding doors. The man walked with such purpose it was so hard to slow him down. With a creek, he entered the new world of the corridor. Now all he had to do was walk down the hall and into the guest room. Simple enough.

It was an easy journey for his legs. His head, not so much. His thoughts were running out of control. Both the jealous, almost horny ones and the more insecure ones.

Maybe this “Kyle” kid is a better fit for her. He doesn’t put himself in harm's way 24/7. He can admit to her when he’s messed up.

When he made it to the guest room, he immediately heard her silly snort of laughter.

She’s so happy, she deserves to be with someone who makes her happy.

“Y/N, can I be honest with you,” Kyle said softly, smiling.

“Yeah of course!!” Bucky heard her cheery voice. He’s never heard that tone when he’s around.

I never deserved her to begin with. She deserves to be happy with someone else. I should go.

“Well, I really like you, like more than a friend. And I know you have a boyfriend now, but think I can treat you better”

A glass shattered inside of Bucky. That glass was his heart. Y/N would so take the chance to be with a better man. Especially after everything he’s done to her. Worry herself to sickness, raise her anxiety levels, kill her any chance of getting a normals nights rest. Kyle would make everything normal. Kyle would make everything better for her.

The silence of the room was even more heartbreaking to Bucky. They were probably all over each other, whispering soft nothings into each other’s ears. He ran away, he couldn’t bear hearing the rest.

What really happened though, was Y/N trying to figure out the best way to deny him.

“Ah” she began “the offer is very sweet of you, but Bucky and I just click. No matter what happens, him and I are going to be together for a long time. But thank you,Kyle.”

Kyle sighed “I knew you would say that. You won’t even give me a chance?”

“As much as you seem like a lovely guy, Bucky is just the one for me. We have similar stories and share experiences.”

“I get it. I was just hoping…”

The girl patted his hand. “I hope you didn’t come all the way out just to think we would get back together. That would’ve been a waste of time.”

The ex widened his eyes. He was caught alright. And Y/N was disgusted by it. She stormed out the door faster than Bucky’s motorcycle on a beautiful sunny day. Hot tears were about to rain down. Her nose, already clogged.

The door flung open, revealing a red-eye Bucky, packing clothes for his what-he-thought-to-be new ex.

“W-what are you doing d-dumny?” She barely could reprimand

“I-I…..I-I started packing your clothes ...y-you and Kyle...looked s-so happy” Bucky weakly lifted up the bag to show her. A tiny little smile returned to her face.

“You’re so f-fuckin dumb”

Y/N collapsed into his body. His body temperature, cranked all the way up, felt so soothing to the poor sobbing human.

Bucky was so confused, but it felt so nice to have his baby girl back in his arms. His love. His doll. His.

He ran his metallic fingers right through her hair. Silky soft, and a lovely flowery smell. It helped her sobs become still.

“W-why were you packing my stuff dumbass….”

The truth had to come forward, Bucky just wasn’t so ready to tell it. “You and Kyle were just having such a good time ...and I know you’ll be mad at me once I tell you but I thought ...I thought you were going to leave me. So I packed your clothes and-“

“Bucky, why on earth would I leave you?”

“I never apologize to you. I get way too jealous. And I’m always putting you in pain and giving you extra anxiety. You deserve better than me.”

A soft kiss was placed on the man’s rosy lips. “James Buchanan Barnes, you do have an ego and you do get jealous, and some nights you make me cry so hard out of pure worry-“

“That’s why you should-“

Y/N’s finger slipped over his lips. “-But, you’ve also have given me the best memories of my life. You let me experience love like I never have before. Me and Kyle were just a fling, I broke up with him. You though, Bucky, you light up my life. You make me smile when I think I’ve forgotten how to. You make me laugh harder than I ever had. You are the reason my life has turned around. And to be honest, I like it when you get jealous”

Skinny fingers wiped under the sergeants teary eyes. They then clasped his cheeks. He made eye contact with the love of his life.

“You’re my everything, Y/N” He breathed out, very wispily.

The girl gave out a chuckle, slamming her lips into his harshly.

“Then we told each other how much we loved each other, I scared away Kyle, and then we made love”

Bucky was much happy at training then he was ever before. Sam loves to take notice of these things.

“I don’t need to know every detail of your life but thanks for the update. How’s the jealousy issue going?”

Bucky smirked “she likes it”

Y/N hugged him from behind. “Very much”

Sam laughed. “Both of you are freaks, but then you wouldn’t be my best friends”

Sam didn’t expect to have a normal training day, but he was glad it wasn’t normal. Seeing his best friends be happy with each other? He’d take that anyway.

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rearadmiralanarchy · 6 years

Text

Have a Gio/Mis Oneshot

Because I don’t know how vacations work :)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14469108

Some good old meme-inspired family fun

Giorno loved his father.

Honestly, he really did, in mostly complete disregard to the multitude of what he would consider grievous shortcomings. His father was selfishly ambitious, ruthlessly cunning, heartlessly driven, and was overall charismatic and way too smart for his own good. But Dio Brando was his father and Giorno loved him regardless, as sons often do. However, he really needed his father to back off from doing that thing he always did.

The controlling and manipulative thing where he said it was for 'your own good GioGio, honest,' but it was kind of an obvious ploy to get you to do what he wanted. Signing him up for rugby (rugby!) without his knowledge was the last straw. It had taken thirty-five minutes to get his name removed from the roster and the coach was still sending him desperate emails, hopeful he would be a star just like his dear old dad and like his father. The only sport he had been interested in was tennis, scoffed at by his father, which would have been enough spiteful fuel to keep at it if only it weren't so much effort.

He was old enough now, with a stable income, almost finished with his degree, and was tired of his father trying to control every aspect of his life like he was a miniature version of himself.

Which is why Giorno was on Craigslist.

He needed something... dramatic, something shocking that would- well it would be impossible to break his father's will- but at least make him chalk him up as a lost cause (like his other three half-brothers).

Hopefully.

The best case scenario would be causing his father to give up on trying to live vicariously through him, the worst case would be Dio pouring all of his considerable resources into a reclamation effort. Giorno had a plan though, requiring just a single last cog in the wheel. Thanksgiving was a week away, and with the holiday came a traditional family meal.

'Family' in the Brando household included all four children, Dio, Uncle Diego, a few business associates, and Dio's two lovers/companions: a priest and whoever Vanilla was. This would be the perfect time to make a debacle of things, which wasn't really something he did, but if his father brought up arranged marriages one more time- this plan had to work.

He just needed to find the right person to do it with.

Hence, his excursion to the personals section, to find the right dinner guest. He'd already told his father he'd be bringing his fiance and had come up with a whole list of things sure to get his father out of his hair. After several hours of reading through posts one finally caught his eye:

"Hi my name is Mista here to offer my services this thanksgiving holiday. Do you have a family member you want to annoy? Maybe you need to come out to a parent or you just want to fuck around with your family. Whatever the reason Im your guy! For the price of one homecooked meal and twenty bucks I can:

*pick a fight with one or more family members

*beat the shit out of one or more family members indoors or outdoors

*get into a political debate (I know nothing about politics but will try)

*pretend to get smashed or pretend like Im high

*pretend we are married/engaged/pregnant

*hit on other members of your family in front of your parents

*propose in front of everyone

I am a 28 year old convicted felon with several years of jail time who can benchpress 145kg. I have nothing above a ged I got in jail and drive a loud as hell motorcycle that will make your dad both nostalgic and pull out a shotgun. I am open to both genders and am covered in tattoos and piercings. So if you need an entirely platonic person to ruin your nice family dinner Im your guy!"

He was perfect.

Giorno immediately sent an email briefly expressing his situation and requirements. As well as the kicker. Dio Brando had maybe an inkling of his persuasion towards the same sex, but still held firm that he would find a nice woman or few, maybe settle down with one for a time, and crank out a few grandchildren for him to influence since his other three actual kids didn't even inherit his hair color let alone anything else of note.

So Giorno was going to come out during the family dinner and maybe even break out the f(iance)-word to really mess with his father and his irrational fear of intimacy. He hoped the man from the posting was cute or handsome, but supposed a burly type of person would be more suitable anyway.

He didn't receive a reply until twenty minutes into his lecture the next day, surreptitiously checking his phone while the professors back was turned, to the delight of it not being spam. He requested a picture to make sure the offer wasn't a fake, which was easy and fair enough, a more detailed list of requests as well as what would be allowable in terms of what he could say and do. It was surprisingly thoughtful, Giorno assumed maybe he had done this before. As for the limitations... he really just needed his father to step back from his life, so shock value and commitment was key, he had to make his father believe he was beyond help and reason.

A picture and no limitations sent out and Giorno eagerly awaited Thanksgiving. Mista's appearance was still a mystery but he at least gleaned some semblance of what his personality was like through e-mail correspondence. He seemed like a very laid back and open sort of person, taking everything in stride.

The day before Thanksgiving, Giorno finalized his plans by buying a cheap fake engagement ring and helping Mista chose an outfit (how one man could own so much animal print was beyond him). It was exciting and nerve-wrecking all at once, and by the time the family dinner started he was ready to explode with curiosity.

Mista arrived right on schedule fifteen minutes late, a brief trio of knocks at the door and a text with 'showtime ;)'. Giorno was the one to open the door to... a tanned skin, muscled man his height and unlike anything his imagination had worked up the past week or so.

He did indeed have a few piercings along his earlobes, eyebrows, snakebites on his lips, the peeking image of a tattoo under a leather jacket and... the most gaudy clothing. A leather jacket and white and blue diamond sweater-vest over a bright orange polo, with tiger stripe pants and high white boots.

But he was handsome in a very masculine way; hard muscles and broad shoulders, short and styled hair as dark as his eyes, high cheekbones and a chiseled jaw...

He was a fashion disaster.

He was exactly Giorno's type.

Giorno was awestruck- fortunately Mista picked up the slack in time for Dio to come down the hallway in time for a "sorry I'm late babe," and for the no-longer mysterious guest with the gorgeous voice to tilt his head and plant a kiss right on the blond's lips.

Giorno could hear a faint 'wry' in the background but was able to collect himself with the kiss. Bringing his hands up to thread through surprisingly soft hair, Giorno deepened the kiss, getting a hum of approval and a higher octave 'wry'.

"I'm glad you could make it, Mista," stealthily sliding the ring box into a pocket of the leather jacket with a wink- earning a smirk in response.

Giorno turned to his father, arm wrapped around his guest, who threw an arm over his shoulder, "father, this is my fiance, Mista."

"I can see where he gets his good looks," Mista winked, unabashedly eyeing Dio up and down, "Guido Mista, you got a nice place here, pops."

He was good, Dio looked caught in a cornucopia of emotions ranging from murderous, disgusted, furious, disappointed, with a little bit of hope thrown in- he probably had a few ideas on how to split them apart. That certainly wouldn't do, and wouldn't happen, not if he had any say in it.

"Now that Mista is here, we should move on with dinner, right father?"

Dio's face twisted in a look that screamed how much he'd rather not, "yes. Let's."

As soon as Dio had turned the corner, Mista dropped his arm and quietly asked "was that all okay?"

It was so sweet, "it was perfectly fine. You are very good at this."

"Really? This is the first time I've done something like this," lightly blushing as he scratched the back of his neck.

Cute, but unfortunately he collected himself and asked "you have anything special in mind for me to do at dinner?"

"How terrible of a conversationalist can you be?"

"I've been told I range from disgusting to disturbing."

"Perfect."

Giorno and Mista sat side by side much to the annoyed eyebrow twitch of Dio and collective looks of confusion from everyone else. Father Pucci looked visibly disturbed, but it was clearly a front. Vanilla's face was unchanging.

True to his word, Mista was a force to be reckoned with at the dinner table: shamelessly flirting with Giorno's half-brother's, discussing his theory of cannibalism loudly and enthusiastically, making embarrassing noises as he fed Giorno spoonfuls of various sides (whatever matched his plate).

A part of him was caught in the sick satisfaction of watching Dio's face, the other part was relishing the attention Mista was giving him. He was incredibly observant, having quickly picked up on his facial expressions- faster than some of his family had- and able to read the room and conversation with ease. Although his topics were exaggerated and purposefully off-putting, Giorno actually found himself joining in and interjecting his own unabashed opinions, earning a pierced smile every time.

He really liked his guest, liked the way he talked and thought, liked the danger and intrigue, liked how different he was. Giorno's life was a rigid series of routines under Dio's thumb and Mista was an alluring spark that had Giorno flushing every time he was spoon-fed and cooed at, with every smile and name-drop.

He kind of really liked Mista.

He- oh right, this was platonic, wasn't it? It was all too easy and very appealing to forget that they weren't really engaged, but he might as well indulge while he could, right? So he fed Mista sometimes too, nudged his feet, held his hand, called him sweet names he'd probably never call- had never called anyone before. He was met with such positive reactions that it made him a little braver than normal, glimmers of things that made him think that maybe Mista wanted this to be real too.

As soon as dessert was served, Mista gave him a subtle wink before sliding the ring box out of his pocket.

"Giorno I- I have something to ask you," he was good, "I know I'm uneducated," Dio knew something was wrong, "and an ex-convict," but he was too desensitized, "but I... will you marry me?"

He had gotten out of his chair, on one knee, offering the ring up as everyone gaped and stared.

"Guido," smiling at the warmth in his chest and cheeks," I would love to."

Dio immediately spluttered, appalled and appealing to Giorno's rationality, Pucci loudly invoking the name of God, Diego cackling like a madman as the brother panicked. Vanilla was un-moving but seemed ready to toss Mista out on the street. If he wasn't already smitten maybe it would have worked. His pretend-fiance inhaled the dessert as Dio raged on, before eventually being escorted to the door. Giorno followed, closing the door in Vanilla's impassive face to turn to Mista.

"How'd I do? Pretty good, huh?"

Giorno couldn't help smiling, "you were the best. Absolutely perfect."

His former guest was standing very close, sliding the ring box into the blond's hands, "I really enjoyed it, doing that for you."

This was his chance, pushing the box back to tan hands (it did have his money in it after all), "would you be willing to do it again? For real this time?"

Mista looked surprised, cheeks flushing a bit, "you wanna... go on a date with me? Like, an actual date- with me?"

Giorno frowned lightly, "do you not want to?"

"No, no-I mean I- yes, I really, really want to, I just can't believe you'd want me?"

So sweet, "Mista, I'd been thinking about it all night."

"Oh... you really uh-?"

"Yes, so will you go out with me?"

"Hell yeah, uh, same time next week?"

"It's a date."

#giomis fanfic

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