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creativeashproductions · 3 years

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Pregnancy Test Roulette // Charlie Gillespie

Summary: As a college student living with your three best friends is the best and even better when they get along with your long-term boyfriend. However, one of your best friends decides to film a video inspired by another tiktok video. You just had to jinx yourself.

Warnings: Swearing, unplanned pregnancy, allusion to abortion (doesn’t use the actual word), college, and reader has a gender-neutral roommate and best friend named Lu.

Words: 2.4k

A/N: This inspired by a video I watched of someone announcing her pregnancy by taking a test with her friends. They each took one and put in a box to shake and hell exploded with the positive, the actual person was aware before the pregnancy roulette

Masterlist

They say your ’20s are your best years and maybe that comes from being able to bounce back from a night out with your friends. A night that turned your memory into episodic moments you could recall and others you had to guess about. Maybe it’s because you’re in the years where you aren’t under lock and key with your parents but not at the point where you’re expected to have a marriage, kids and mortgage.

It was the sweet spot in life. Now you didn’t drink as much as you did your first year, but you did enjoy the odd glass of wine occasionally—a beer with your older brother or a shot with your best friend. But more often than not you were in bliss nestled into your boyfriend’s side watching an old movie with a bucket of popcorn you had argued over who would make. However, Charlie was in Vancouver filming for Julie and the Phantoms leaving you in your house for the upcoming season. The home you shared with your three college friends to save money but not be stifled in dorms.

“I have an idea!” Sophie spoke, sliding into the living room in her thick socks with duckies on them. Her sudden appearance received both Alice and your attention from the movie Bad Moms playing.

Sophie’s recently dyed blue hair concealing her face from you as she flipped the long strands from her hair. Her bright brown eyes glittering with the same happiness that typically exuded from her.

“What’s this idea?”

“Where’s Lu?” Sophie inquired scanning for them in the room, “Did they have a date?”

“Nah, I’m right here Phee,” Lu announced their presence from the kitchen island going over work emails.

Sophie quickly dragged them from the counter to Alice and you on the couch with a box in her hands. Everyone in the room shared a look as the blue-haired girl went into one of her tangents that could continue indefinitely.

“Phee, calm down. What do you want to do?” Lu questioned whereas Alice had leaned forward to grab a look at the box.

“I think the best question is: what does it have to do with the box of pregnancy tests in your hand?” Alice asked flicking her ocean blue eyes at the girl sheepishly looking at the group, “Do you think you’re pregnant?”

“What! No! I thought it would be hilarious to take a test each and put in the box.” Sophie replied, pursing her lips together with a pleading look in her eyes, “Plus I wanna know how you do it…?”

You sighed with a shake of your head, “You saw this on Tiktok. We’re all damn careful at preventative measures. There’s no harm in taking the test. Hand one over.”

Sophie was quick to hand you a test along with the rest of the group before splitting off to the attached bathroom to your master suite room. You hadn’t even fought for the room when you moved in your sophomore year of college. Lu had been quick to announce that as the only one in a relationship Charlie would be over and they didn’t want a show.

The instructions were straight forward enough you had capped the test brought it the hallway to drop in the box held by Sophie. The camera catching everyone as they did so. Lu followed with their test followed by Alice, and you wandered back to your seat in the living room.

“Is there a reason you made us pee on sticks?” You inquired grabbing one of the decorative pillows Alice had bought. It was mostly Alice’s touch that brought the living room together with her minor in interior design.

“I thought it would be fun.” Sophie simply shrugged joining Lu on their couch, leaving Alice back in her seat.

The movie still paused as per Sophie’s request, so no one forgot about the tests waiting to be revealed. You had no clue why it mattered to not forget about them, as you had said before. Everyone had a pact to keep up on contraceptive, hell there’s a box near the hallway filled with condoms. Everyone just added a few to the box if it was lower than twenty squares.

“Okay.” Lu trailed off, clicking their fingers on the phone in their hands. Their attention is easily taken away from the game Sophie wanted.

Sophie was always jumping on trends on Tiktok, a few even before they became real trends, so this wasn’t anything new. Sophie even had a few viral videos on the app that sometimes took all her attention for a few hours. That being said, you weren’t overly scared about the outcome.

“Ooh, Charamader is calling.” Lu snorted leaning overseeing the cheesy photo of Charlie kissing your cheek. His contact photo in your phone had been taken by Luk as well.

“One moment.” You told Sophie with her wide eyes pointedly staring at the box on the coffee table littered with magazines, “It will be a second!”

Sophie waved you off to the kitchen where you clicked on the green button.

“Hey!” Charlie beamed from the kitchen on the apartment he shared with Owen during filming. His wide eyes crinkled by the grin he wore, “What’s new? How was that exam?”

“I think I did a lot better than I had expected.” You admitted to the Canadian guy brushing the hair away from his face. He had to recut to Luke’s style when filming for the new season happened.

“I told you!” Charlie cheered, flipping his gaze from his phone to the pan he was carefully inspecting, “How lucky am I? My girl is going to graduate with a fancy degree! I’ll be front row when it happens.”

“Just as I will be right there when you win an Oscar.” You teased your boyfriend as Sophie loudly counted down from the living room. Charlie’s attention was drawn to the trio of your best friends waiting.

“Did I pull you away from something?” Charlie’s brown brows furrowed as he mentally went over the plans you had informed him of.

There wasn’t a single plan he remembered so he relaxed marginally when the fear of missing something faded.

“Sophie’s made us do this video for TikTok. We’re halfway through-“

“Hey Charlie, she’ll call you back. We had pregnancy tests to check!” Sophie interrupted ending the video call with your boyfriend.

Both Charlie and you frantically talking as Sophie ended the call with that bomb and not clarifying further on it. To take it further, the blue-haired beauty pocketed your phone as well to avoid her video being interrupted.

You had no doubt the Canadian actor was freaking the fuck out that you were taking a pregnancy test. If he was spamming your phone, Sophie wasn’t reacting to the vibrating other than to aggressively point over to the couch.

“Just text him,” Sophie grumbled throwing your phone back at you when the line formed between her eyebrows. The frustration of Charlie overcoming her excitement for the video.

“PREGNANCY TEST?” Charlie screamed as soon as you accepted his phone call, “Am I missing something?”

“Sophie wanted to do a video of Alice, Lu, her and I took one. We’re good.” You soothed the ruffled feathers of the male who released a gasp.

“Sophie, you gave me a heart attack. Holy shit, I just about knocked Owen unconscious.” The man in question was speaking, but you couldn’t hear the words he spoke, “What! I thought my girl needed me!”

“I’m Charlie but I won’t if I don’t end the call-“

“We can mute the call.” Charlie interrupted dancing on the balls of his feet with anticipation in his blood even if you had denied being pregnant, “This sounds like-”

“Nice try Gillespie. Y/N will call tomorrow, it’s roomie night.” Lu spoke before ending the call for you just like Sophie had, “AS much as I like the dude, this is getting interesting.”

You simply shared a look with Alice as Sophie expertly stationed the camera to get everyone, Alice was the one to shake the box again. Each of you was given a test to hold with snickers falling from lips. Lu’s hand ran through the recently chopped hair while Alice repositioned her body on the floor.

“Okay…one, two, three.” Sophie calmly spoke before flipping her test around. Everyone followed suit.

“Negative.” You informed the group. Lu was quick to announce the negative in her hand.

Sophie simply shook her head before everyone turned to Alice, “Alice?”

The brunette pixie-haired girl stared at the test before she lunged for the box, “What’s a positive?”

“Why-“

“The test is positive!” Alice snapped shakily reading the instructions as she gripped the test in her hand. Her lips mouthed the words she read with a speed that greatly impressed you.

Everyone was huddled around her after Sophie had ended the video in pure shock, reading the test that very much said positive. Your lips parted in stunned silence sitting back on your heels just as Sophie did.

“Who’s test is it?!” Sophie exclaimed roughly running her hand over her face, “Holy shit.”

“Not mine.” Lu informed the group with a nervous smile on their face, “The last person I was with was Susan from Statistics.”

That left three people.

“Eliminate the options.” You breathed looking at Alice, “Wasn’t the last guy you were with a few weeks ago? Jas or something from-“

“Jasper from my Mythology course, but that was like four months ago! I’ve been swamped with classes and work.” Alice spoke with a small smile, “He was terrific. I should see if he’d like to grab a- “

“Not the time Alice!” Sophie screeched frantically looking around the room, “Oh my god, what about you?”

Sophie’s eyes came down on you with a pleading look in her eyes at this very sudden twist on her once innocent game. Your mind went over the last few months, but you were blanking at every opportunity.

“I can’t. Shit. I need to call Charlie.” You grumbled tapping the screen of the phone, “Alice, can you go grab a box of tests from the store? We used all of them.”

“-grab as many as possible!” Sophie cried, shaking in her slippers and cosy clothing. This was not how she had expected the night to go.

“I thought it was roomie night.” Charlie spoke as soon as the phone connected, “Something wrong?”

“When was the last night we had sex?” You inquired, leaving the man in Canada to choke on his beer.

In Vancouver sharing a beer with Owen with a film that had interested the pair playing Charlie hadn’t expected your call. Owen barely blinked at the interruption when the movie was fascinating, but he did turn when he heard Charlie choke.

“W-what?” Charlie coughed wiping his chin with the back of his hand, “Is this some weird part of a card game-“

“Charlie, when was the last time we had-“

“Jesus, I stayed the night before we left for the airport two months ago? We had a quickie in the bathroom at the airport as well.” Charlie scrunched his face recalling the lack of time he had been physical with you. His face turning red with Owen’s full attention on the flustered Canadian actor.

“Everything good?” Owen asked his best friend but only received a wave off.

“You sound scared. Is everything okay?” Charlie now demanded while your lips parted to ask if it was possible the condoms you used broke. The frantic breathing of Alice interrupted you, however.

Your e/c eyes found the pixie-haired girl leaned over, catching her breath with the box in her hands. Without thinking, your phone fell from your fingers as you lunged to the box with three tests. Alice had thought ahead and bought a box each for you and Sophie.

“Sophie’s waiting in the living room. Lu’s got her.” Alice softly told you both deaf to the two males on the phone, “I’ll be right here.”

“Thank you, Alice.” You choked marching into the bathroom, “If it’s me…I-“

“If you’re the one pregnant, then this baby will be blessed if you decide to continue the pregnancy. If you don’t, I’m right here for you. If you’re not pregnant, we can do a couple shots.” Alice squeezed your hands unintentionally, sending Charlie into a frantic moment once more.

Your feet stopped suddenly remembering you hadn’t hung up the phone with Charlie, “Fuck.”

Alice, already reading the situation, tossed your phone to you with a smile as she sat on your bed. With a thankful one sent back, you entered the bathroom with your thumb, clicking the FaceTime button.

“This is the second time!” Charlie exclaimed scanning the background for one of your roommates, “I thought you weren’t pregnant!”

“So did I! Until one of four tests turned out positive, and now I have three more tests I need to pee on!” You exclaimed, “I jinxed us! I literally said how all of us are so good keeping up with preventative measures!”

“Apparently not as well.” Owen spoke, shoving his head over Charlie’s shoulder to see you with his kind smile, “Can you take three slow but deep breaths for me?”

With a few words coaching your breathing, you calmed down enough to mute the call and turn the phone to the ceiling for your privacy. Once the toilet was flushed, tests capped waiting on the counter, and your hands washed, you turned back to the call.

“What’re we gonna do Char?” You sobbed with a deep ache to be in his arms just as he felt the same, “We don’t live together! How can we do this!”

As Owen had led you through the calming breathing, Charlie had dug deep to calm down eternally for you. He found clarity even in the storm of being terrified and somewhat guilty, which he knew was misplaced.

“If you’re pregnant I’ll be there for you. No matter what, I will be there for you. If we keep the baby, we will rock parenting. We have friends and our family.” Charlie soothed you with his pretty hazel eyes glittering at you, “We’ve been together since we were eighteen. We’ve talked about marriage and kids.”

“Should I le-“

“You can stay.” You softly told Owen who squeezed Charlie’s shoulder while you sat in silence with Alice quietly sitting by your side.

Alice’s hand grabbed yours in comfort and support, waiting for the minutes to end and when they did you cried.

Separated in different countries you and Charlie took in the news that there was, in fact, a child on the way. Charlie’s lips parted in glee as he easily read the excitement in your facial expressions amid the fear.

Tag List (PLEASE SEND AN INBOX TO BE ADDED! I CANNOT GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE ON THE LIST VIA POST COMMENTS!)

@safehavenmuse @siennanoelle01 @whiterose291 @mell-bell @blackhood5sos @ficrecsideblog @ifilwtmfc @deadpoolgirl23 @crappy-unicorn @sunsetcurve-h @elioelioeli0 @lovesanimals @popcrone818 @lolychu @deepsleepnat @tenaciousperfectionunknown @aunicornmademedoit @just-a-writer-here @simp4reggie @merceret @faithiebrock01 @overlyhypedup @differentsoulrascalsalad @aesthetic-lyss @versaceapa @carleywhittaker @lostgirl219 @itsalexx21 @elllaoo4 @merxxleighann @mediocremunge @fantomlovesjuke4ever @dpaccione @oswin05 @kaylinfayezink @aberette13 @faithie-brock-gillespie01 @eharvey0218 @overlyhypedup @benstormy @auriandthepussicats @sarcasticsagittarius1998 @whothefuckstolemykeds @siriuswvrld @princessvader15 @xoxbloodreinaxox @heimdoodle @joshy-obx @lovesanimals @oopsiedoopsie23 @am3l1a-24 @flying-solo-without-you @jaskiers-sweetkiss @lostrandomfangirln @must-be-a-weasley-92 @jatp-holland @ilikealotofpeople-younotsomuch @dxlanhxlland @dasexydevitt13 @ifilwtmfc @arianagrandes-things @kinda-really-lost @marinettepotterandplagg @ssprayberrythings @morgandamrose @thedarkqueenofavalon @zukoshonourr @crybabyddl @spooky-season-bitch @kcd15 @morganayennefertyrell @magnet-girl @all-in-fangirl @kinda-really-lost @tenaciousperfectionunknown @badwolf00593 @blowakissbabe @talksoprettyjjx @thesweetestsinner @kaitieskidmore1 @writerinlearning @aiofheavenandhell @sageellsworth05 @link-102

#charlie gillespie imagines #charlie gillespie fanfiction #charlie gillespie x reader #luke patterson imagines #jatp fanfic #charlie gillespie #dad!charlie gillespie #caitsy and ash productions

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watchmegetobsessed · 3 years

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Serendipity - Part I. (Harry Styles)

a/n: i am BEYOND excited to share this story with you guys! i’ve been working on it for over a month now if not more and what started as just a oneshot, slowly grew into this massive fic. i really hope you’ll love the story of Harry and Lis bc im obsessed with them haha. please feel free to share your thoughts and reactions about the chapter and the fic itself!

pairing: Harry x OC (Annalise Lloyd)

word count: 8k

SERIES MASTERPOST ⚫️ my masterlist ⚫️ come and talk to me about Serendipity! ⚫️ consider buying me a coffee!

Serendipity (n.) Finding something good without looking for it.

There are people who plot out their New Year’s Eve plan even months before the last day of the year, making sure they will be celebrating the upcoming year at the best party possible. And then there are the folks who just ignore it until the very last moment and end up spending at a random place with even more random people.

Harry Styles desperately wanted to be the first kind, but unfortunately often found himself falling into the second case scenario. With his busy schedule and endless ocean of his upcoming projects, he never really had time to think about the last party of the day and usually ended up just tagging along some of his friends wherever they headed to. This year was no different, having to work up until even the last few days of the year, Harry had little to no thought about where he would be when the clock strikes midnight.

Just about a day before it, one of his old high school friends, Griff hits him up with a text if he would want to join them for the celebration at the pub he opened not that long ago. Harry didn’t think twice to accept the invitation, finally checking one more thing off his list, so he won’t just stay at home, and pathetically fall asleep at ten.

It’s nothing big or fancy, Griff assures him in the morning when he rings his friend up to ask when he should arrive and what he should bring.

“Nothing, ey? Just come and ‘ave a good time with us,” Griff tells him, though he already knows Harry won’t show up empty handed.

December 31st

A little before seven Harry opts for a quick shower before he dives deep in his wardrobe to find something to wear. He is torn between wearing a fancy outfit or something cozier, but eventually stands up for the latter, putting on a pair of light washed jeans, a simple white button up and a seaweed green knitted jumper under his coat. He doesn’t pay much attention to his hair, his curls falling around his head in a messy, warm brown halo. It’s been raining all day, it wouldn’t have had any use to try to tame them.

Slowly but surely, Harry feels the buzz in himself, excited to see his old friends and maybe meet some new people while having drinks and just relaxing. He grabs a bottle of fancy whiskey from his bar and heads out around eight.

Griff is one of the few people Harry stayed in touch with after his career launched so abruptly, the two of them often met up whenever Harry was around, having a pint together, just chatting up. Griff bought an old pub a few years prior and completely renewed it, opened at the beginning of the year, Harry was there at the opening party, he had way too much to drink, but he surely had a great time.

“There he is! My favorite arrogant son of a bitch!” Harry immediately hears as soon as he steps into the pub that’s already quite filled.

The tall lad makes his way through the groups of guests until he can envelop his old friend in a warm, brotherly hug as Harry chuckles at the name he just called him. Griff always loved that line from Harry’s song and never missed a chance to call him that. He doesn’t mind though, keeps that playful side of their friendship he always adored so much.

“Good to see you, mate,” Harry smirks at him. “Here, this is for yeh.” He holds out the pricey drink and Griff shakes his head at him.

“Told ya not to bring anything!” he sighs but accepts the gift anyway, knowing well Harry would just sneak into the back anyway and leave the liquor on his desk. “We ‘ave a nice evening ahead of us. Got food, drinks, everything’s on me, take what yeh want,” Griff assures him as the two of them walk further inside.

Harry sees a few familiar faces, high school friends, kids from around the neighborhood that are now grown adults, just like him, but there are quite a lot of guests he doesn’t know.

“C’mon, yeh need t’ ‘ave a welcome drink with me,” Griff grins as he pulls Harry to the bar and fills up two shot glasses generously. Harry doesn’t even bother to ask him what it is, he just takes the glass willingly and after they clink in the middle they both send it down.

Harry grimaces as the hard liquor burns down his throat, Griff never played around with the soft drinks, he knows what hits the best and fastest and Harry figures it’s one of those drinks that would have him crawling on the floor after two more shots.

It doesn’t take Harry long to mix and mingle, get into conversations and meet new people, just enjoying the welcoming and warm atmosphere of the party. He is pleased to see that people treat him just like any other guest, rather than a famous person and he is beyond thankful for that.

Near the bar, Griff has set up a quite rich buffet table filled with all kinds of snacks and food. It’s way past ten when Harry shuffles over there feeling his stomach growling. He grabs a paper plate and his eyes roam everything that’s set on the table. Humming to himself he decides to opt for the delicious looking fries, his mouth drools just at the sight of them, so he puts a generous amount to his plate before his eyes spot the bowl of peas. That’s exactly what he needs to go with the fries.

He goes a little overboard, but he couldn’t care less. Once he is satisfied with his meal he puts back the spoon that was sat in the bowl of peas, right when someone reaches for it. Glancing up his gaze meets a pair of warm brown eyes and a shy, but playful smile. Harry can’t stop himself from smiling instantly as the woman takes the spoon and fills her plate with peas. He looks down and sees that her plate is filled with the exact same things: fries and peas.

“Excellent choice,” he smirks teasingly and her eyes snap down to her plate before she sees the similarity on Harry’s plate. She lets out an airy chuckle before she tugs her chestnut colored, wavy locks behind her ears with her now free hand.

“Mother always told me to balance the junk out with something healthy,” she admits, the corners of her mouth curling up as she blinks a little shy under Harry’s burning gaze.

He always knew he had an eye for pretty things and he never dared to deny himself from admiring them once he laid his eyes on something he found breathtaking. She was by far the prettiest thing he has seen in quite some time, so he doesn’t shy away from taking in her figure in front of him. Delicious looking curves dressed in a pair of tight jeans and a sheer shirt with a top underneath it, the front tugged into the waist of the jeans. Her hair looks effortless, but he can tell she probably spent some time forming the natural looking waves before coming here. The thin eyeliner makes her eyes appear more cat-like and her long lashes dance around with each look she pays him.

“You want to—um, sit?” she stammers nodding towards an empty table near the buffet, a soft blush tainting her soft skin. Harry absolutely adores the hint of innocence in her features.

“’fcourse,” he nods and follows her.

The two of them move over to the table and sit down with their meal, Harry sneaking a fry into his mouth right away.

“’M Harry, by the way,” he says, realizing he hasn’t even introduced himself just yet. Some people tend to look at him weird whenever he does it, as if it should be common knowledge to know who he is, but he never takes it for granted. Luckily, she doesn’t find it funny or weird that he introduced himself.

“Annalise. But everyone just calls me Lis,” she explains and holds out a hand for him, which at first looks a little odd and he can tell she regrets the motion, but he appreciates it, even finds it cute. So before she can pull her hand back he takes it and gives it a soft shake. “So what brings you here tonight?” she asks as both of them digs into their food.

“Griff invited me, saved me last minute, didn’t have any plans.”

“How do you know him?”

Harry finds it amusing that she didn’t bring up that a famous person like him would probably have tons of invitations to fancy parties. He hates when people assume that his social life is blossoming at all times, packed with parties and events to attend every day.

“We went to high school together. Stayed in touch through the years.”

Lis nods with a small smile before her eyes return to the plate in front of her.

“How ‘bout you?”

“Oh, um… Well, Griff and I had a blind date like ages ago, but we both figured out pretty quickly we are never gonna be more than just friends. But that we are perfect for. Have been meeting up every once in a while. I was kind of in the same shoe like you, wasn’t planning on coming out tonight, but… I was forced to,” she admits with a nervous chuckle.

“Y’ don’t like to go out?”

“I—uh, don’t really have the time,” she answers, clearly a bit nervous at the topic so Harry decides to just drop it.

The two of them sit there, just talking and eating and with each passing moment Harry finds himself more and more enchanted by the woman sitting on his right. The way she rambles sometimes, how her nose scrunches whenever she is laughing hard, how she likes to keep tugging her hair behind her ears all the time, are the smallest things but they easily catch Harry’s attention.

Besides, she is not just the looks, also an amazing company. Easy to talk about anything, even the riskier things too. She doesn’t shy away from giving her honest and raw opinion, but also doesn’t attack if someone thinks differently. Instead, she is open to other point of views, seeking opportunities to learn and grow. It’s a mindset Harry values highly and feels like it’s hard to find it. But on this evening in his mate’s pub, he found a gem, it feels like.

The plates soon get swapped to beers and Lis is getting giddier with each gulp, which he finds amusing, especially because she lets her thoughts slip without thinking about them and it allows Harry to look into that pretty head of hers easier.

He doesn’t fail to notice how his heart flutters every time she touches his arm or hand whenever she is deep in a story. The warm touch of her soft hand is sending him into trembling and he is glad they are sitting because he surely would be having a hard time keeping himself up on his feet. She is just the kind of person that wraps others around her fingers without even trying or noticing.

Though it’s only been over an hour since he first laid his eyes on her, he feels like he has known her for ages. The connection built up fast and smoothly, sweeping Harry right off his feet. He’s got it bad for her and he already knows he wants to see her again once this night ends.

“Oh, it’s almost midnight!” Annalise gasps snapping out of her thoughts, a hand snapping to Harry’s upper arm. The crowd is starting to buzz, getting ready for the count down.

“C’mon, let’s get some champagne,” Harry tells her and helps her up from her seat.

They head to the bar and each of them grabs a flute filled with the sparkly alcohol. They stand a little to the side, but still mingled in the crowd of guests. Harry can feel his hands getting sweaty as he thinks about the countdown. Every fiber in his body is aching to kiss her, even though he knows it’s quite crazy knowing the fact they have known each other for only two hours. But he just can’t help it, she has a spell on him with just one look, making him act like a teenager in love.

Annalise peeks up at Harry with a lazy smile, the drinks have made her a little lightheaded, but she is nowhere near being drunk. Her thoughts are absolutely clear and they all focus on the man standing close to her.

Harry watches her bite into her bottom lip and he wonders if she is thinking about the same thing. If she’d be mad if he kissed her when the clock strikes midnight or slap him right across his face. He notices as she draws a deep breath, eyes looking around before they return to him.

“Get yo’ drinks, lads!” Griff shouts from somewhere behind the bar and those who haven’t picked up a glass quickly work on the problem.

Then the countdown begins.

“Ten!... Nine!... Eight!...”

Annalise glances up at Harry and her cheeks blush when she catches him already looking at her. She wishes she had her beer so she could hide in her glass from his burning eyes.

“Seven!... Six!...”

Harry turns so his whole body is facing her and takes just one tiny step towards her. When she doesn’t back away from him, he takes it as a sign that she might want the same thing as him.

“Five!... Four!...”

She looks straight up at him with a sheepish smile and pushes herself against him right when his free hand finds its way to her waist. She sucks in a sharp breath, but doesn’t move while Harry is aching to taste her plump, soft lips.

“Three!... Two!... One!... Happy New Year!”

The crowd cheers as one, guests are clapping and screaming, welcoming the new year with high hopes and full of planes for the new chapter that just started.

Harry and Annalise lock eyes and while everything around them is a full chaos, he feels like a bubble of silence and tranquility is surrounding them. Harry sucks in his breath, lips parted as he doesn’t break his gaze with hers. There’s a moment of hesitation, but the voice in the back of his mind tells him that he can’t let this moment go to waste.

Fuck it! He tells himself before he leans down and his lips meet hers in a soft, warm and breathtaking kiss.

He is a man who believes in magic, in things he can’t explain rationally, he is a man who doesn’t try to pull reality into everything when something odd happens. When his lips meet hers, he is swept right off his feet with just that tiny touch. It’s not a demanding kiss, very restricted and shy, but it still makes his insides tremble for her, almost falling to his knees right in front of her.

There’s a moment of hesitation from her side, when their lips are just touching in a little awkward way, but it fades into nothing before Harry could wrap his head around it, her lips parting as she lets him deepen the kiss, a soft moan slipping out of her throat that brings a knot to his stomach.

The moment is so vivid, raw and intoxicating, he wishes he could bottle it up and open it to have a taste of her anytime later, keep her in his pocket just to have her lips glued to his like this whenever he needs to be grounded or taken away from the world. His fingers dig into her waist, pulling her close to his body, hoping to just merge into her, become one with the woman in his arms.

She softly glides her hands up his arms, through his shoulders before they stop at the back of his neck, digging into his soft curls, while never breaking the kiss. Their lips stay melted together, tongues and teeth clashing, they are a hot mess in the first minutes of the new year.

The cheering slowly dies down and the usual buzzing of conversations and laughter replaces it, but the two of them are still busy with each other and it takes quite some time to pull themselves out of the bubble they created.

“Happy New Year, Lis,” Harry smiles down, lips swollen, eyes glistening from the joy that’s filling up his veins. She glances up at him shyly from under her lashes.

“Happy New Year, Harry,” she whispers, biting into her bottom lip, coming off the high this little make out session gave her.

One hour passes by, then another and the party is starting to slowly die down. People are flaking out the door, the crowd is getting smaller with each door opening.

Harry and Annalise remain in the corner of the place after their kiss, a barrier that’s been noticeably present before has come down as Harry has his arm swung over the back of her chair and she lets herself lean against his side. There’s something so calming and tranquil in just being so close to each other, sharing thoughts and stories while his fingers graze on her shoulder gently and her head always falls to his shoulder when she laughs on something. He loves her laugh, it could easily light up any place and Harry can’t help but feel sorry for the people who don’t see her shine. So many guests didn’t get the chance to get to know her, but on the other hand, he is a bit selfish, he wants her all to himself. No one else should have the honor of making her laugh or bringing a smile to her perfect lips. He wants her all to himself, even if it makes him sound like a mad man.

After she leaves to the restroom, she comes back with her phone in her hands and a tired smile playing on her lips.

“I, uhh—called an Uber. I really should get going,” she tells him and he wants to make her stay. He wants this evening to last forever, but he can’t ask her to stay longer than she wants, so he just slowly nods.

“I’ll walk you out,” he offers, but it’s more like a fact.

The two of them find their coats on the packed rack, Annalise says goodbye to the handful of people she knows, hugging Griff before they head outside to wait for her car to arrive.

“I really enjoyed tonight,” Harry mumbles, shoving his hands into his coat’s pockets, feeling like a nervous teenage boy talking to his crush. She glances up at him with a smile, but there’s something clouding her eyes he can’t really put his finger on.

“Me too,” she assures him, a pair of headlights turning the corner and they both look in the approaching car’s direction before facing each other. “It was really great meeting you, Harry. Take care of yourself in the new year,” she tells her, but he doesn’t like the weight of her words. It sounds like a proper goodbye, like she is bracing herself to never meet him again, but he can’t let that happen.

“Can I—Uh, can I have your number? I would love to take you out sometime.”

The car stops next to them and she nods in the driver’s way to let him know she’s the one he is supposed to pick up. Taking a step to the backseat, she looks back at Harry.

“I’m really sorry, Harry, but we can’t.”

Devastation washes over him, her words are like a punch into his stomach each. Why is she rejecting him? Did she not enjoy the evening? Did he say something stupid? She seemed to be having a great time, so why can’t he see her again?

“What? Are you sure? Because I really loved tonight and would love to see you again.”

Annalise opens the car door and shoots him an apologetic look. He has never felt this helpless in his life, than at that moment, looking at the woman of his dreams escape from his reach.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t get into… whatever it is you want from me. I really am sorry, I wish it was different.”

“But I just want to see you again. I thought… You didn’t feel like it was something special?” he breathes out, feeling the world crashing down on him with each passing moment.

“I did, but I can’t do this. I’m sorry. Take care, Harry,” she sighs, clearly not happy about her own actions and he doesn’t understand why she is fleeing away like this.

He stands there, completely frozen as she gets into the car and shuts the door open. Their eyes meet through the window one last time before the car starts moving and she falls out of his view. He stares after her until the very last moment, when the car disappears at the end of the street, leaving him in pieces from the major rejection he just suffered.

He stays out there until his nose and cheeks turn red and his ears are freezing off, part of him wishing that if he just waits she’s gonna magically reappear and tell him it was just a joke. He can’t believe he met such a wonderful creature and had to let her go like she didn’t flip his whole world upside down under just a couple of hours. Does she know how much of an effect she had on him?

She probably doesn’t, he thinks to herself, because then she wouldn’t have left so abruptly and without a trace for him to find her again.

When Harry returns to the pub, he is met with a tipsy Griff, shoving a pint into his hand immediately.

“Ay, saw you hanging with Lis all night!” he teases Harry, but the mentioning of her name just makes his heart ache. However, knowing that Griff is friends with her, he is ready to use him as a way to get to her.

“Yeah, hey, you have her number?” he asks, trying his best to look as innocent as possible, but Griff sees right through him, even with all the alcohol in his body.

“Sorry, mate. F’she didn’t give it to ya, I won’t go against her.”

“I’m begging you, Griff. I need to see her again!” he sighs in despair, ready to do anything he can to get to her.

“Y’not the first bloke to fall for her magic. I know what it feels like, but I can’t do anything, sorry.” He shrugs his shoulders, giving an apologetic look to his friend before he joins another conversation.

Harry could scream from the frustration, the urge to punch something or someone is growing with each passing moment, but he has to realize there’s nothing he can do at this point other than accept the fact that he met this wonderful woman, had the best night with her and then was forced to watch her walk out of his life before she could even become part of it properly.

Harry starts to realize that what he thought about heartbreaks is nothing compared to the feeling Annalise left in his heavy heart.

There has to be a solid reason for what she did. Or did not do.

Endless theories about Annalise flood his mind through the days following that night when he was forced to watch her leave on such a bitter and painful note. Harry couldn’t stop himself from making up the most ridiculous cases just to give himself a possible peace of mind, but neither of them brought him enough comfort to forget about her.

His best shot was that she had a boyfriend, or even worse, a husband. This was the only version that sounded somewhat real and believable, though he just knew she is not the type of woman to cheat on a significant other.

How would you know? You spent just one evening with her, she could be a serial killer for all you know! Harry’s rational side was always quick to shut him down when his thought swirled around the idea of knowing her well enough to assume anything about her.

As the days dragged by him in a painful pace, he slowly had to realize it’s going to be a question in his life he’ll never get an answer to, so he just has to learn to live with the thought of the woman that got away.

The end of January rolls around faster than he could comprehend, February comes and he finds himself spending his days mostly in the studio, cooking up new music. Studio sessions are his favorite. That’s his element, he feels safe and comfortable, surrounded by people he trusts and enjoys creating his art fully. In the new year, he has also been eager to pick up a new hobby so he has been trying himself out in knitting and painting recently, finding both of them just a tad bit too hard for him just yet, but they were enough to get his mind off of the one woman who was constantly occupying his thoughts following New Year’s Eve.

Sitting in an armchair in the studio, he and his bandmates are listening back to some recordings they did today and he is trying to find that one thing that keeps throwing him off whenever he hears the song.

“I think it’s great,” Mitch states once the recording ends, and Harry agrees, it is great, but not the best.

“Maybe we could tone down the keyboard a little through the bridge, give more space for the guitar,” he contemplates, but really, he is just shooting in the dark, not sure what it is that keeps him on edge about the song.

“Why don’t we have a break?” Sarah suggests with a warm smile, seeing how everyone is keen on leaving for a little, except Harry, who is still fixated on mastering the song. But he agrees to have the break, however while everyone gets ready to leave and grab something to eat from the diner that’s around the corner, Harry stays where he is, eyes glued to his notebook.

“You’re not coming?” Charlotte asks him and he just shakes his head.

“No, not that hungry.” He looks up and shoots them a short smile and though they all can tell he could use the time out, they know him enough already that he won’t leave before he finds what’s not right.

“Alright. We’ll be back in an hour,” Mitch informs him and he dismisses them all with a nod.

He stays right there, going through the lyrics a few more times, making tiny changes in hopes that it’ll fix it all, but he can feel himself growing frustrated. Doesn’t matter how hard he is trying, he realizes his brain needs a break. Letting out a defeated huff he leans back, looking around in the empty studio. He doesn’t feel particularly hungry, but he could use something to snack on. So grabbing his coat he locks up the studio and heads out to the nearby Tesco they usually run out during sessions.

He is still humming the melody to himself when he walks in, a pair of sunglasses sitting on the bridge of his nose, his famous curls hidden under a green beanie. He doesn’t bother to get a cart or basket, just strolls inside and roams down the aisles, trying to decide what he desires.

He settles on some kind of canned tea and a protein bar, but before he heads towards the cash registers, he wanders down the aisle where they keep cereals, looking around aimlessly. It’s the middle of the day on a weekday, most people are at work at this hour, so just a few other customers are lingering around, filling their carts. At first, he doesn’t pay any attention to the figure a little further down the aisle, his eyes are glued to the shelves, but then he just mindlessly glances to his left, his brain not even processing what, or who he is seeing at first. Then he takes a double take and his stomach drops to the tiled floor when he recognizes the woman, deep in her thoughts to decide which cereal to buy.

Annalise is standing just a few meters away from him, looking just as beautiful as he remembered, wearing a pair of simple jeans, light blue sneakers and a white jacket, her hair is in a loose ponytail on the top of her head.

“Lis?” he calls out, as if he thinks she is just a ghost. Taking a few steps closer he watches as her eyes fall from the products on the shelves to him, then they widen and her lips part in shock.

“Harry? Wha-what are you doing here?” she asks and Harry is quick to read the panic out of her tone as she looks around cautiously.

“I’m… shopping?” he answers with a soft chuckle, holding up the items in his hands.

“Haven’t seen you around here.”

“The studio we use is nearby, I drop by sometimes. But today is clearly my lucky day.” Even though her reaction is giving him doubts, he can’t hide his joy upon seeing her again, fate clearly playing on his side this time.

“Uh, yeah?” she lets out an anxious chuckle, her eyes often wandering off him, as if she is waiting for someone to show up and it just fuels Harry’s rich theories about her.

“So, are you here with your boyfriend?” he boldly asks, deciding to just go for it. Annalise’s eyes widen once again, but not in a way that makes him think he just busted her, it’s more of a confused one.

“Boyfriend? What are you talking about?”

“Well, you basically ran away from me that night, I figured you had someone and that’s why you didn’t want to give me your number.” He tries his best not to sound petty or bitter, though that’s exactly what he’s been feeling ever since she left that night.

“Harry, that’s… not the case.”

“Okay, so does this mean you’ll give me your number this time?” he tries and he is so busy with her presence, he doesn’t even notice when a smaller frame runs past him down the aisle.

“Mommy! I want this!”

At first, he doesn’t even register that the little boy is talking to Annalise, he dismisses his presence, eyes still fixated on her, but then her gaze leaves him and turns down to the boy, holding up a bar of chocolate.

“Honey, that’s too big. Choose something smaller, alright?”

It takes Harry a few moments to put one and one together. This kid just ran up to her, called her mommy and most likely not on accident since she answered him, very much talking to him like his mother. Though Harry can’t see his own face, he knows it fell, shock completely taking over him as his thoughts finally add up. Annalise looks back at him in panic, completely puzzled about what to do or say.

“Benji, go get another one, a smaller one while I talk to my friend here,” Annalise softly tells the boy.

He turns to Harry, eyes meeting his as he cocks his head to the side, examining the shocked adult standing in front of him.

“Who’s this?” he blurts out.

“Just a friend, alright? Go get your chocolate,” she urges. Benji gives Harry another look before nodding and running off, leaving them alone once again in the cereal aisle. “Harry, I-I’m sorry, you weren’t supposed to know.”

“Are you married?” is his first question, taking her by surprise.

“What?”

“The father. Is he your husband?” he urges, eager to clear the picture. Annalise shakes her head.

“No, we were never even married.”

He feels relief washing over him. At least at this point he doesn’t feel like a homewrecker. If he found out she wasn’t only a mother but also married, and that she cheated on the dude with him, that would have crushed him. But it’s one less thing to worry about on a long list.

“Okay, it’s fine. You are not married, it’s all good,” he breathes out and it brings her a smile through this absurd situation.

“You thought I was married?”

“Or at least had a boyfriend, yeah,” he nods, hands on his hips as he licks his lips. He surely had a mini panic attack, but he can feel the life coming back into his body.

“Do I come off like the kind to cheat that easily?” she asks with raised eyebrows, but she didn’t take it as an offense, she more like finds it funny rather than hurtful.

“No, not at all! I was just trying to figure out why you rejected me and this was my best shot!”

“I’m sorry, Harry. I just… I didn’t know how to tell and I didn’t really think you would want to see me again after that night.”

“I think I made it clear that I wanted to when I asked for your number.”

“Well, yes, but I thought you just wanted a hookup and that’s just not what I can do.”

“Because of…” he gestures towards the boy that jolted down the aisle just a few minutes ago.

“Because of Benji, yeah.”

“Alright, it’s understandable, but I did not just want a hookup, and that’s still not what I want,” he clears, his words certainly surprising her. This is definitely not what she was expecting when she came down to get groceries today.

“Harry…” she breathes out, already feeling guilty that she is about to turn him down once again. “You can’t be serious.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m a single mother with a six year-old and you are… you.”

“I don’t see your point,” he truthfully answers.

“I’m not some model you chatted up at some award show, who is living her best life, traveling the world just like you. My days consist of work, doing laundry, cleaning the house, cooking, doing first grade homework, going to football practice and watching cartoons. We are polar opposites.”

“No, just our lifestyles, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get closer.”

“Is that really what you want?”

Harry is about to answer right when Benji emerges again, proudly holding up a bar of KitKat in his hand this time.

“This one! This one!” he declares, stopping next to Annalise.

“Okay, put it in,” she nods and the little boy throws the chocolate into the cart with a beaming smile. Her eyes flicker back to Harry, who is now staring down at Benji, who is seemingly not that interested in him at the moment, his attention is more focused on the cereals on the shelves.

She is aware she can’t really push this conversation, but she also doesn’t want Benji to hear it.

“Benji, can you get me three apples? I’ll go get paper towels in the next aisle, alright?”

“Three?” he asks holding up three fingers to make sure he heard her right.

“Yes.”

Benji nods and runs off once again, while Annalise grabs a random box of cereal off the shelf and starts pushing her cart, Harry walking along with him.

“It’s nice that you want to prove that you are fine with whatever baggage I come with, but I’m not stupid, Harry. I know I’m not the jackpot and I’m not naïve, I’m not trying to make myself believe that I’m easy to date when I’m clearly not.”

“You act like you are the only single parent out in the dating field. I genuinely don’t think that it’s that big of a deal.”

“Yeah, that’s what you are saying now. But then we would get more involved, you’d grow frustrated that I can’t just go after you whenever you feel like it, or that I would have to cancel on plans because Benji is sick or has homework to do that he needs help with. Or that my Friday night consists of playing board games, then watching whatever cartoon Benji is keen on seeing and I’m in bed by ten while you probably spend these nights out with your friends, hopping from one bar to the other. And I’m not saying that you shouldn’t, that’s exactly what you should be doing at your age… at our age. But for me, it’s just different.”

She is not talking just out of theories. She has tried to date, several times, but it was always kind of doomed from the beginning. Men in their mid-twenties don’t want to be a stand-in dad, though it’s completely not what she expects. But as time went by, they all grew tired of having to deal with a kid in the relationship and they all ended up leaving and she can’t even blame them. It’s not what they want in life at this point, but she can’t be what they wanted her to be so slowly but surely she gave up on finding a man before she turns thirty and her peers start to get into the whole idea of having a family that’s already been her reality since she was eighteen.

And the situation is even more complicated with Harry. An international rockstar is definitely not the right person for her and vice versa. She can only imagine what some lowlifes would think when they found out he is dating a single mother. People can be cruel for no damn reason and she is definitely not in the right mindset to be humiliated just because she is a mother.

The two of them move down to the next aisle so she can grab the paper towels along with some dish soap. Harry is keen on making her understand that he is still very much interested and he has nothing against her being a mother. It was just a little shocking to find out this way, instead of hearing about it from her.

“I think you have an unreasonable picture in your head of what my life is like,” he explains. “Yes, I do travel a lot and I go to parties, but it’s not what I do most in life. And I’m not expecting you to turn your whole life around for me.”

“Yeah, but dating me is kind of me asking you to turn your whole life around for us,” she simply says and he is stunned at her words, having nothing to bring up against them. “Look,” she sighs. “I appreciate the effort and everything, but I want to save you the time, just like I originally wanted to. I know that it seems reasonable now, but once you get involved, it’s a whole different world, I’m telling you. And while I would love to give you the chance to prove me wrong, I still have to think about Benji. I can’t just drag someone into his life and then have them leave when they figure out it’s not what they want after all. He needs stability around him and it’s enough that he can’t get that from his father.”

Harry has a million questions roaming in his head that he is dying to ask. Mostly about the father, because if he is not in the picture, he can’t imagine what kind of scumbag he is for leaving someone like her. But he keeps them all to himself, especially when Benji appears again with the three apples, putting them into the cart with a proud smile. The boy turns to Harry this time, finally acknowledging his presence.

“Who are you?” he asks. Harry looks down at him and pushes everything else into the back of his mind as he hunches down a bit, holding out his hand for the boy, a friendly smile playing on his lips.

“I’m Harry, your mum’s friend. Nice to meet you.”

The boy doesn’t hesitate to take his right held out, his small hand almost getting lost in Harry’s big palm as they shake hands like two adults. Harry is stunned by how confident he is, unlike most kids his age.

“I’m Benjamin Lloyd,” the boy introduces himself smiling and Harry can see the resemblance now clearer than anything. His smile is certainly his mother’s and the shape of his eyes along with his chin are the exact same as Annalise’s, leaving only a few traits that must have been inherited from his father.

Benjamin lets go of Harry’s hand and turns back to his mother completely unbothered by the man he just met.

“Mum, are we staying on the playground a little?” he asks as they all move down the aisle, heading to the cash register.

“Uh, yeah, we can stay for a little, but you need to do homework when we get home. Mrs. Conrad sent me all the work you missed today so we have to catch up on everything. You got away with faking sickness this morning, but you are doing the work you missed.”

Benji doesn’t fuss about having to do work, he knew this would happen when he faked to have a tummy ache, he nods understanding the importance of doing his homework and Harry is amazed by how great his behavior is. Most kids his age would have thrown a tantrum over what Annalise just said, but not Benji. He is like a small adult, Harry thinks.

“I honestly don’t see why you still have to push me away completely. Did you not enjoy talking with me?” Harry continues as they stand in line, Annalise putting everything to the belt from the cart while Benji is busy playing around the poles that separate the lines.

“Of course I did!” she sighs.

“So then why can’t we just continue? See where it goes?”

“Because that’s just not how things work for me,” she says with a soft, sad chuckle.

“What, you can’t have friends?” Harry asks innocently as Annalise finishes packing, puts a divider on the belt so Harry can put his items behind hers.

“Oh, so you just want to be friends?” she asks raising her eyebrows, seeing through him easily. Harry opens his mouth, but then closes, a cheeky smile stretching across her face that makes her chuckle.

“For now, yeah?” he tries to sound convincing, but it’s more of a joke.

The cashier starts to scan her items so she pushes the cart over to the end and starts packing everything back, Benji still climbing on the poles, completely oblivious to the conversation happening around him, or he just chooses not to listen.

“You are unbelievable,” she shakes her head at the man in the line. The cashier finishes up with her items and she taps her card on the terminal, pushing the cart away a little.

Harry is scared that she’ll flee the moment she gets the receipt and leaves before she could go after her, but for his biggest surprise, she just pushes the cart a little away from the cash register and starts packing her items into totebags. Benji runs up to her and she gives him his KitKat without a word, the boy happily tearing the packaging open, snacking on the chocolate.

Harry is quick to finish with his items, catching up with Annalise as the three of them head out of the supermarket.

“Look, I’m gonna be honest with you, I haven’t felt like this with anyone in a long time, Lis. I loved talking to you, I feel like we had a connection, and I think you felt it too. I would hate to waste whatever we had so I’m offering you my friendship. I want to hang out, spend time with you, just as two adults enjoying each other’s company. Nothing more, if that’s what you really want for now. And we can see where it heads later. How does that sound?”

They reach her car and Benji runs to the backseat, tearing the door open while Annalise opens the trunk and she is surprised to see Harry help her pack her bags into the car, but she doesn’t protest.

“I really don’t know…” she sighs.

“Come on! Just friends. Give it a try! I have a great feeling about it and I promise to be very careful. I understand that you need boundaries because of Benji and I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable in any way. But you do have to realize that you need to open up at one point. You can’t use him as an excuse forever.”

“I’m not using him as an excuse!” she points out, but she can feel how that’s not the whole truth.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Lis,” Harry smirks, pulling his phone out of his coat’s pocket and unlocking it he holds it out for her once she has closed the trunk. “I’m just asking for your phone number, not to travel the world with me. You can decide to block me later if you change your mind, it’s nothing serious, alright?”

Annalise’s hesitation is clearer than the light and in any other case, he would take offence at it, but not with her. Harry is keen on proving to her that he meant everything he said and that he is willing to take a chance with her.

Chewing on the inside of her cheeks, she glances back at Benji, who has climbed into his seat in the back of the car. She is fighting with herself, bringing up all pros and contras until she finally caves in. Grabbing the phone from Harry’s hand she types her number in and gives herself a ring so she can save his number as well. She hands the device back and Harry’s smile is so wide, she almost wants to punch him in the face, but she can also feel the excitement running through her veins.

“Great. You won’t regret it, Lis,” Harry beams shoving his phone back into his pocket. His hand reaches for her arm and gives it a gentle squeeze as he doesn’t want to try anything further with her at the moment.

“I better not,” she mumbles shaking her head before turning around to buckle Benji in. When that’s done she pays one last glance at Harry who stands at the car next to hers, watching her get behind the wheel and back out from her spot. He waves at her happily and she just nods in his way before turning around the car and driving away.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?!” Harry rages through the phone, his anger only met with a soft chuckle from Griff on the other end of the call.

“Mate, I told ya, s’not my place! She didn’t tell ya, so I didn’t either.”

“You saw how hooked I was on her! You could have, no, no… you should have told me!”

Harry was quick to run back to the studio and called Griff right away to load everything out on him. He felt betrayed that his friend didn’t let him know this small little detail even after seeing him all crushed after she left without a trace to find her. He gets his reasoning, he does, but it still doesn’t stop him from being so bloody mad at his mate.

“Sorry! I really am sorry! But I know how protective she is over Benji. I was not gonna betray her like tha’.”

Harry takes a deep breath, paying up and down the hallway in the studio, trying his best to calm his nerves. It’s an unfortunate situation as a whole, he sees that clearly, but the frustration how it had to go down at the end is getting the best out of him for sure. He is not mad at one specific person, because everyone was doing what they thought to be the best, but everything added up to be such a shitty outcome, or at least on Harry’s side.

Pinching the bridge of his nose he huffs again, putting aside his burning emotions.

“Okay, okay. Sorry to snap at you like that, it was just… a lot.”

“I get it, don’ worry about it,” Griff assures him, glasses clinking behind him somewhere, he is probably working at the pub as they are speaking. “She gave ya her number now, right?”

“Yeah, she didn’t want to, but I talked her ears off,” Harry chuckles lowly. He could still feel the excitement that rushed through him when she finally gave in.

“M’happy for ya, mate. But please be bloody careful. She doesn’t need any shit right now, has enough on her plate.”

“I know. I’m just trying to be her friend first, that’s all.”

“Alright. Swing by the pub sometime soon, if ya want.”

“Sure thing. Bye Griff,” Harry smiles before ending the call.

Walking back into the recording room, all eyes snap up to him and he stops in his track.

“What?”

“The hell was that about?” Sarah questions, asking in the name of everyone in the room. They all just heard his rage outside and now are dying to know what it was about.

“I uhh—I found her,” he simply says and watches all his bandmates gawk back at him with wide eyes.

“What? Did you like, hire a private investigator or something?” Charlotte asks, making Harry chuckle as he shakes his head no.

“No, I ran into her at Tesco. Well, her and her… son.”

His last word washes out the whole room, everyone stops breathing for a moment as they stare back at Harry who has that ‘yeah, you heard me right’ look on his face.

“A son?” Mitch asks snapping out of his shock. “Like a proper kid?”

“How do you not have a proper kid?” Harry asks him with a look.

“I don’t know! I’m just… surprised. How old is the kid?”

“Like six or seven. She said something about being a first grader.”

“Didn’t you say she is a year younger than you?” Sarah asks, as everyone is doing the silent math in their head.

“She is, with one year. Or that’s what she told me.”

“That makes her, what, like eighteen when she had the kid? And what about the father?” Charlotte trails, still trying hard to put the picture together.

“She didn’t say much, but from what I understood, he is not really in the picture. So at least she is not married or something,” Harry adds, still open about the relief he is feeling about that information.

“This shit is twisted,” Sarah huffs. “So what’s gonna happen now? Did you ask for her number again?”

“Ask?” Harry chuckles bitterly. “I begged, Sarah. I was ready to be on my knees in the middle of a bloody Tesco.”

A round of laughter runs through the room and the mood finally eases a little after the shock that just set in. It wasn’t the fact that Annalise had a son that sent everyone over the edge, but rather that she didn’t say a single word about it and how it all surfaced.

“And did she give it to you?” Mitch prompts and Harry nods, a shy smile stretching on his lips as the two girls start clapping and cheering.

They all saw his long face after New Year’s Eve, it couldn’t be missed how he was moping around for weeks. He told them all about this girl he met, who completely blew his mind just before breaking his heart. Now that she was found and gave him just a small crumble of information about her to him that makes him able to contact her, the change is visible. That little sparkle in his eyes is back and that’s all his friends wanted to see.

“So what are you gonna do now?” Sarah asks as Harry walks over to one of the armchairs and makes himself comfortable.

“Now… I’ll try not to scare her off. Hopefully she won’t push me away and at least let me be her friend.”

“Friend? Is that what you want to be?”

“Of course not,” he sighs, his head dropping to the back of the armchair. “But this is all I can do for now.”

They all just nod, tasting his words and letting everything that just happened sink in. Harry is doing the same, he has a lot to think about and figure out, but there’s one thing he is one hundred percent sure about: he will not give up on Annalise.

NEXT PART

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kpop-cakepops · 3 years

Note

What if you take wonwoo to a cafe date, they are eating and drinking when he decided to confess to his bff...maybe for the snuggle donation series 🤭

I looooove youuuuuuuu for this!! Also, not gonna lie, I thought you were telling me to ask actual real life Wonwoo out for coffee 💀 like how the hELL would I do tHAT?!

Anyhow!!!! I wasn't able to make this a part of the Snuggle donation series, BUT that's probably cause your prompt actually reminded me of my very first Wonwoo story (Sunny days and Books) and I decided to give Wonwoo's POV of the day he realized he loved reader! SORRY IF IT WASNT WHAT YOU ASKED FOR BUT I CANT LET THIS IDEA GO!

Warnings: none

Genre: fluff

Word count: 1,349

Sunny Days and Books: The Day He Fell In Love.// Jeon WonwooxFem!Reader

The day he admitted to himself that he fell in love hadn't seemed too special. You had asked him to meet you at the same coffee shop you two had met for the first time on that one rainy day that seemed so long ago. The special occasion? You had been craving coffee.

Wonwoo would typically tell you to make yourself a cup of coffee at home, however, after not seeing you for two weeks because of your exams and study groups, Wonwoo was forced to be transparent, at least with himself... he had missed you. He didn't know when or why, but you'd become important enough to him that he missed you when you were gone for too long.

"Hey there stranger." Your tired voice had brought a smile to Wonwoo's face, one that disappeared when he realized you weren't alone.

"Hey, you" Wonwoo greeted, but his cat eyes were trained on the man standing next to you, looking at him with the exact same curious and almost defensive gaze.

"Oh, this is Joshua. He's my senior and is working in campus as a teacher's aid. He was helping me study just a while ago, so I'm buying him coffee. Josh, this is Wonwoo he's my best friend."

It was odd how your introduction seemed to cause Joshua to let out a small breath of relief, but seemed to make Wonwoo tense up. "Have you ordered?" you asked.

"Yes. I ordered for the two of us, I didn't know we'd have a third joining" Wonwoo told you ignoring the way Joshua scoffed under his breath. Wonwoo knew he was being rude, but there was something inside that was just not allowing him to act rationally.

"I should've let you know, I'm sorry Wonwoo. Josh, I'll go get you a drink, is there anything specific you like?" you asked.

Joshua smiled at you sweetly, his big eyes turning into what Wonwoo could only describe as the most disgustingly cute crescents. Something he would never be able to compare to because cute wasn't exactly a word people used to describe him. "I'll have an iced Americano, thank you."

"Of course! I'll be right back!" you quipped making your way over to the register to order Joshua's drink leaving the two men alone.

"Wonwoo, right?" Asked Joshua forcing a smile at the taller man. Wonwoo, as usual, remained stoic and nodded his head. "So how long have you two known each other?" He asked.

Wonwoo's eyes met Joshua's and he smiled dryly, "about a year, we actually met at this shop. Has she told you about it?"

Joshua chuckled softly, "not at all. She doesn't really talk about you, today's the first time I hear of you actually"

Wonwoo's face faltered slightly. How was it possible that you didn't talk about him at school? You obviously weren't obligated to, but he talked about you all the time. So much that his colleagues asked about you from time to time... so how was it possible that you didn't? "Well, that's funny... I had never heard of you either" he tried retaliating.

"We just met... that's probably why"

"Hey!" Your voice interrupted whatever conversation the two had been having. "Here's your drink!"

"Thank you"

Wonwoo was really starting to hate the man in front of him. He knew it was unreasonable, Joshua hadn't exactly done anything to him personally, but there was a raging discomfort within Wonwoo that made him feel restless. A discomfort that urged him to grab your hand and tug you to sit beside him rather than next to Joshua.

"How've you been? Miss me too much?" You asked. Wonwoo smiled in your direction and nodded.

"I thought you weren't ever going to be done with exams." He told you.

"I'm sorry, I'd been meaning to call you or at least text you to let you know I'm alive, but I've been so tired." You let your head fall on his shoulder for a brief moment and smiled over at Joshua. "If it weren't for Josh, I really don't know what I would've done this exam season"

Joshua awkwardly cleared his throat. "It's the least I can do as your senior."

"Thank you seriously, I would've asked this one to help me but he's too busy being an intern" you teased.

Joshua watched the both of you closely, and you could sense what was going on inside his head. You had noticed it a few days back, the way he stole glances at you every few moments, how he always offered to help you first. You appreciated, the sentiment, but you knew it wasn't just a Senior Junior relationship he was looking for and you weren't heartless enough to tell him you liked someone else already. Someone you'd come to trust with your life in just a year.

"You guys seem awfully close, you sure you're not more than friends?" You could tell Joshua was trying to play it off in a joking manner, but you could also sense the underlying disappointment in his voice.

"Of course we're more than friends" Wonwoo blurted sending your tummy into a spiral.

"Right..." Joshua mumbled looking down at his coffee. "Listen, thank you for the coffee, but I've gotta get back to campus, I promised professor Lee I'd be there for his next lecture."

"Oh okay, that's fine. Thank you for everything, Josh. You're a really good person." You told him as you extended your hand out to him. His eyes dropped to your hand before taking it with a soft defeated smile. "Thank you. You're a really good person yourself. You be careful and let me know if you need help again, I'm always a phonecall away"

Wonwoo scoffed under his breath as he stared out the large window.

"It was nice meeting you, Wonwoo" Joshua added dryly.

"Same here" answered your best friend but he was too busy staring at nothing outside to even acknowledge the leaving man.

Once Joshua left you let out a breath. "Was that not the most uncomfortable situation you've ever been in?" You asked.

"If he made you feel uncomfortable why would you bring him along with you?" Retorted Wonwoo, his dark eyes still set on the street outside.

"Well because... he's a nice guy."

"You realize he wanted more from you than he let on, right?" He asked trying his very hardest to sound nonchalant.

"I know, I just didn't have the heart to tell him I'm not into him... that's why I asked you here" you admitted shyly.

"Me? Why me?" He asked.

"Well because... you're the closest thing I have to boyfriend. You're like my human guardian angel. So I thought I could just bring you here to intimidate him" you were so embarrassed by what you had just told him but there really hadn't been any other reason. "Plus... you were the one that told me that no matter what, I should always come to you if I had a problem"

Wonwoo smiled warmly at you, his large hand reach out to ruffle your hair. "Since when do you listen to me?" He asked.

You rested your head in his shoulder again taking the chance to close your eyes. "Some guy I know once told me that 'Comfort comes in all shapes and sizes and I’m glad you’ve chosen this mere case of a human to trust in' and I trust you."

Wonwoo sighed and let his head fall on yours. It was inevitable for him. He had spent every moment, from the first time you met to that very moment in time, trying to deny the way you made this very unknown protective instinct take over him. "Good... you should trust me. I'm always on your side." He told you.

It was useless, though, because he, the man who refused to believe in love at first sight. The man that swore depended on his intellect rather than his feelings, yes, Jeon Wonwoo himself.... hated the thought of another man by your side. Yes, Jeon Wonwoo was undeniably in love with you.

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stellarstarwarsimagines · 3 years

Text

Lie For Me (part IV of V) (Part I) (Part II) (Part III)

Pairing - Modern!Ben Solo x Reader

Summary - You haven’t heard anything from Ben Solo, and you can’t figure out why. It takes a run in with Han, a forced doorstep conversation, and a confrontation in a bar for you to get any answers. Once you do, you’re even more confused than you were to start with.

Word Count - 5.1k

Warnings - Language and a small bit of violence, but that’s it!

It had been over a week since you had heard from Ben Solo.

You tried not to let that fact bother you. In fact, you didn’t have time to let it bother you, because you were starting your new job today.

The job that Ben had helped you get.

That was unimportant though. You had your dream job, and you weren’t going to mess it up for anything. So it was time to focus and prove how you deserved to be here. You wore your favorite outfit, woke up early to make sure you had enough time to get a coffee, and arrived at the bottom floor with ten minutes to spare.

“Someone’s trying to make a good impression.” A voice from behind you said.

You turned around with a smile, happy to see a now familiar face. Vic had joined the company at the same time as you, and the two of you had done all of your training together. You got along rather well, and it reassured you to see him first thing this morning. “I could say the same for you. Are you ready for today?” You asked.

“Ready as can be. Want to walk up together? I want to see the new office.” He teased you.

Grinning at him, you nodded. It was a new perk that you enjoyed, having your own office, and you couldn’t deny you were eager to show it off. You led him there, discussing random things in your life until you reached it, unlocking the door and leading him inside.

“Wow, those are some nice flowers.” He said as he caught sight of the large bouquet sitting in the middle of your desk. Flowers that hadn’t been there the last time you left this room.

While he explored the rest of your space, you walked over, curious as to where they had come from. When you saw the card that said, “Good luck on your first day.” You assumed that they had to have come from one of your friends, but when you flipped the card over, your stomach plummeted to see the name Ben on the other side.

This man was really going to ignore you for a week, and then send you flowers for your first day at work and act like nothing was different? A flicker of irritation went through your body, and you placed the card down on your desk.

Vic called your name, and it took him doing it twice before you heard him. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I was asking if you wanted to go get drinks after work. Celebrate surviving the first day?” He asked, biting his bottom lip as he waited for your response.

It would be so easy to say yes. You should say yes. You liked being around him, and you knew that he was good company. There was nothing stopping you.

Except for the damn card sitting on your desk and haunting you.

“I - uh, can I take a rain check?” You asked, sending him a small smile. “I already have plans tonight with some friends.” It wasn’t a lie . . . but you . . . you couldn’t do it. Besides, if someone saw you with a guy who wasn’t Ben, and the word somehow got around to Ben’s parents who thought you were dating . . .

Even though the relationship was fake, you liked Han and Leia. You didn’t want them to think any less of you.

“Sure,” He said, shrugging his shoulders, and to his credit, didn’t seem disappointed at all. “I will be taking you up on that raincheck sometime.” Vic added as he started to back out of your office heading to his own work station.

“Sounds like a plan.” You said with a smile, waving to him as he closed the door. After he left, you glanced at the clock, and you realized that you had a couple of minutes until work started.

And that card still sat on your desk.

You didn’t even think about what you were doing. In seconds, you had your phone out of your pocket, and had selected Ben’s name in your contacts, bringing it up to your ear as it began to ring. Of course, the longer he took to answer it, the more you thought about what a bad idea this must be. But after about four rings, he did answer, his hello rough and low in your ears.

“Hey, um,” it was a startling revelation to realize that you were kind of nervous. For as long as you had known Ben Solo, you had felt several different emotions around him, but never had you been so anxious to hear his voice. “I - I got your flowers.”

There was a pause, but only a moment. “I ordered those a couple of weeks ago. I apologize for not cancelling them.”

“Cancelling them?” Your brow furrowed together as you sat down in your chair, frowning. The two of you were supposed to be dating, and your boss knew that. Why would he have wanted to stop them? Plus . . . they were beautiful, and you had spotted several of your favorite flowers in the arrangement.

He didn’t give you a chance to ask anything else though. “Someone walked into my office. I’ll talk to you later,” and without waiting for you to say a word, he hung up.

You looked down at your phone in disbelief at the sudden dismissal, and leaned back in your chair with an annoyed sigh.

What the hell was going on with him?

____________________

It was a full week before you found out what had happened. You had decided to take your lunch break at a nearby park since the weather was nice. You were sitting and enjoying your sandwich when a large, brown mass of fur ran and jumped on you, knocking your food out of your hand and licking all over your face.

At once a huge smile formed, and you began petting the large dog. “Well, hi there, Chewy. It’s nice to see you too.” You said through your laughter.

“Get off you fuzzball!” Han’s annoyed voice called, and you glanced up to see the man in question running in your direction, stopping once he realized who you were. “Oh, hey,” he said, and you watched as he ran a hand through his hair, “sorry about him.”

“It’s fine,” you reassured him, giving him an encouraging smile that seemed to put Han more at ease. “I’ve missed the troublemaker.” You said, ruffling the dog’s fur. “I hope there haven't been any more attempts at escape?”

Han let out a chuckle and sat down beside you on the bench. “Not yet, but I’m sure they’re coming. Damn dog’s almost more trouble than he’s worth.”

You let out a chuckle of your own, turning your smile to the dog in question. “Well, if you ever need any help catching him, let me know. I wouldn’t mind helping out.”

At your words, Han gave you a confused look. “You wouldn’t?”

“Of course not. Why would I?” You asked, giving him your own unsure look.

Han shifted around in his seat, his brow furrowed as he responded, “Since you and Ben broke up I thought -”

Everything else he said was muted in your head. It felt like you were underwater, your brain trying to catch up with his words. Ben had told his parents that the two of you had broken up? Without even telling you? You understood that there probably wasn’t a reason to keep the ruse going any longer, but a head’s up would have been nice so there wasn’t an awkward situation like this. Now you were scrambling for something to say, and Han was looking at you like he was waiting for you to speak. “Oh, um, right.”

Thankfully, it seemed your confusion worked in your favor as Han gave you a sympathetic look and placed a hand on your shoulder. “Listen kid, give him time to come to his senses. My son’s got a stubborn side, that he got from his mother of course,” You couldn’t help but give him a small smile at that. “But I can tell he cares a lot about you. He just needs a minute to get his head on straight.”

Ignoring the way Han’s words made your heart stutter, you nodded. “Yeah . . . maybe that’s all he needs.”

____________________

This was a bad idea.

Ever since you had talked to Han this afternoon, his words had echoed in your head, and you hated it. You had never been the type of person to spend hours thinking about a guy’s motives behind his actions, but now it seemed as if your brain could do nothing else. All during work you had been distracted, and that was not how you wanted to be when you were still new. So you weren’t going to let it continue. If Ben wasn’t going to give you any closure on what the two of you had gone through, you would make him.

Sitting on the porch of his apartment with Poe probably wasn’t the best way to get it, but it was the first thing that you had thought of.

You had a general idea of what time he came home, and thankfully you had only been sitting there for about an hour when you heard footsteps on the stairs. Your heart did an odd little stutter and anxiety filled your chest as you stood up, but you brushed it aside as best you could, determined to get some answers.

He was startled to see you, that much was easy to see, but almost as soon as you read it, it was gone, a blank mask replacing the expression as he shrugged his bag higher up on his shoulder. “Are you waiting for Poe? He’s going to be late tonight.”

“Waiting for -” You gave him an incredulous look. “Of course not. I’m waiting for you. Thought it might be a good idea to talk where your work couldn’t interrupt you.”

“Well, you’ve never been here to see me, so I thought Poe was the logical conclusion.” Ben said, walking up the remaining steps and beginning to unlock the door.

A flicker of irritation started to form in your heart, and you clenched your fists at your side. “I ran into Han today.” Even with his back to you, you saw the tension form in his shoulders. “If I had time to prepare, I would have brought a box of your things to return.”

Ben turned back to look at you then, crossing his arms over his chest. “I guess I should have sent you an email. I told them last weekend.”

“An email?” You repeated, your mouth almost dropping in disbelief. “Is that what I’ve been reduced to now? Not even worthy of an email?”

He shrugged his shoulders as if his words hadn’t cut into your chest like a knife. “I didn’t expect you to run into my parents anytime soon. I apologize for that. I decided since we both got what we wanted, there wasn’t any need to keep lying.”

“Don’t you think I should have had some sort of say in -” You started to say, but he cut you off.

“In what? Our transaction?”

The breath was robbed from your lungs. You had come here for closure, trying to discern his behavior, and with those words, you had gotten what you wanted. If, no matter everything the two of you had shared, all he saw from this was a transaction? It was obvious where his ‘caring’ feelings stood.

If only you had been able to keep the same mindset.

You couldn’t stand to look at him for any longer, knowing what you knew now. You wouldn’t dare let him see how much those simple words had affected you. You wouldn’t let yourself appear weak. “I would have liked a head’s up. That’s all, but you’re right. Whatever we had should end. It was going on for too long anyway.” You said, trying to match his tone. You picked up your bag from the ground, placing it over your shoulder. “Let Poe know I’m sorry I missed him.” You said, and without another word, turned on your heel and headed back to your car.

A part of you, no matter how small, hoped that he would call you back, run to you and spin you around, kissing you like he had that day in the bathroom, like you were something precious that might slip through his fingers . . . but he didn’t.

And you didn’t let the tears fall until you were safely in your car.

____________________

It was a lot easier to say what happened between you and Ben hadn’t affected you than to believe it yourself. However, you didn’t think you were that convincing in the first place. Rey and Finn could sense something was wrong. It was obvious in the way that watched your every move, and came up with things to do to keep your mind occupied. You appreciated it, but you hated the fact that they even had to do it in the first place. In fact, you hated that you had let Ben Solo have any affect on you at all.

Which was why you resolved to not let him have any more.

“We don’t have to do this, you know.” Rey said as the three of you walked into one of your favorite bars, arms all linked together.

“We can go back to your apartment, watch the Office again, and order takeout?” Finn suggested.

“Guys,” you shot them a stern look, one after the other. “I want to be out. I want to do things, and most importantly . . .” You pulled away from them with a smirk, glancing around the bar. “I want to get laid.”

“You want to . . . what?” Rey asked.

You turned your attention back to her, crossing your arms over your chest. “I’ve been stuck in a stupid fake relationship for like three months where I wasn’t getting any, and I’ve been working hard on this new job. I think I’ve earned a bit of stress relief.”

Finn and Rey exchanged glances. “Of course, if that’s what you want.” Finn said, shrugging his shoulders.

What you really wanted was to get the sensation of Ben Solo’s lips off of yours, and this was the quickest way to do that.

Right?

“Yes, this is what I want.” You reassured them, reaching out to grab both of their arms and tug them towards the bar. “Now let’s get some drinks. First round is on me.”

____________________

It turned out finding someone to have a good time with was a lot harder than you thought it was going to be. Over the course of two hours, you had talked to around five guys, none of the conversations lasting more than twenty minutes, for purely, you would admit, shallow reasons on your behalf.

One had the most annoying laughter you had ever heard. Another wouldn’t stop saying “really?” every other sentence. Then there was the guy who had smaller hands than you. If it wasn’t going bad enough, then you met the man who wouldn’t stop smiling with too big of a grin, and after talking to the last one, you realized what was holding you back.

None of them made your heart race like Ben.

“I’ve never seen someone looking so miserable at a bar.” A voice said as a body slid in beside you.

You recognized it at once, turning to give Vic a genuine smile. “Well, I am about to run low on my drink.” You teased him.

“Guess I’ve got to fix that.” He said, returning your smile as he gestured to the bartender.

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean -” You tried to stop him, your face growing hot, but he shook his head.

“You owe me a raincheck remember?” Vic said.

“All right,” You agreed, watching as he turned back to the bartender and noticing for the first time how nice his eyes were.

Maybe this night was finally starting to turn around.

Three drinks later, you found yourself leaning against Vic’s side, snorting with laughter as he told you, Finn and Rey about the most embarrassing first day of a job he’s ever had. “So you just took off?” Rey said, covering her mouth with her hand in shock.

“Didn’t say a word?” Finn asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Vic shrugged his shoulders. “Boss told me to get out of there. So that’s what I did.” He said, taking another sip of his drink.

“You’re terrible. I can’t believe they hired you.” You teased him, bumping his shoulder.

“Neither can I.” A low voice interrupted from behind you, a voice that made you freeze in your spot. If you hadn’t known by the voice, the looks on Rey and Finn’s faces told you at once that Ben Solo was standing behind you.

You didn’t want to turn around. You didn’t want to look at him because you didn’t know if you could control your expression. Your heart was already pounding heavy in your chest, and if you looked at him . . .

“Well, if it isn’t Ben Solo.” Vic said, and you glanced at him to find a rather callous grin on his face. A look that you had never seen, and had no desire to see again.

As soon as you saw it, you couldn’t help it any longer, and looked behind you to Ben who had an equally unpleasant expression on his own face as he stared at Vic.

It was at that moment that you realized the two of them must know each other.

And not in a good way.

You glanced back at Finn and Rey who were looking as confused as you did as they watched the exchange. Rey shrugged her shoulders and Finn raised his eyebrows, so clearly they had no idea what was going on either.

Turning back to look at Ben, you felt a shiver roll down your spine. You had seen Ben angry several times. Your mind flashed back to that first night the two of you had pretended to be, ‘dating’, when you had overheard those girls talking about you in particular. The burning rage in his eyes almost seemed tame now compared to the look that he was giving Vic. “What are you doing here?” He asked, venom leaking from his tone.

“Having a drink with a coworker.” He said, and did he lean even closer to your side or were you imagining it?

Nope. You hadn’t imagined it, because as soon as you noticed it, it seemed Ben did too. His jaw tensed so hard it looked as if it had turned to stone. The fire in his eyes turned them even darker, a dangerous black, as his hands clenched into fists at his side. “Coming to get my girlfriend.” Ben hissed through his lips.

You barely had time to stutter out the word, “girlfriend?” before Ben had hauled you up out of your chair and wrapped his arm around you. At once, Finn stood up, ready to intervene, but you shook your head at him, not wanting him or Rey involved in whatever this show of testosterone this was.

“Ah, didn’t know she was your girlfriend considering the way she’s been flirting -” Vic started to say, but you cut him off.

“Excuse me? If I was flirting with you -”

“Come on, we’re going.” Ben said, tightening his grip around you and tugging you along with him as he headed to the entrance of the bar.

You thought about struggling. You thought about turning and screaming at him, and you thought about getting out of his arm, running back to the table, and planting one on Vic’s lips right then and there because it was clear how much that would piss Ben off. But you did none of those things, waving Finn and Rey off once more as they both stood to follow you, and allowed yourself to be taken outside where the two of you were alone.

And then you turned around and let him have it. “What the hell, Solo?!” You yelled, shoving his arm off of you. “I wasn’t your girlfriend, but now that Vic’s involved I am?! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

To your indignation, he ignored every word you said to him. “What the hell were you doing hanging out with him?! He’s bad news.” Ben said, sounding every bit as furious as you did.

Which made no sense. “Bad news?” You let out a laugh lacking humor. “Guess he was fooling me, because other than Finn and Poe, he’s the only guy that’s been even somewhat nice to me.” You took a step towards him, invading his personal space. “He doesn’t treat me like a caveman dragging me around everywhere. He doesn’t avoid me. He doesn’t act like I have the plague after I kiss him!” You yelled, punctuating each sentence with a poke to his heaving chest.

If you hadn’t been staring into his eyes with such intensity you would have missed it. The flash of pain that was gone within a blink of his eyes and replaced with that fiery fury. “You’ve kissed him?” He hissed.

Out of all the things you had said, that was what he had picked up on? You weren’t sure whether you wanted to cry, laugh, scream or a combination of all three. “No, you asshole! I haven’t kissed anyone or anything since your stupid lips!”

He looked relieved.

And it just riled you up more. “You know what? Maybe I should give it a shot. He’s got some nice, kissable lips, might even be a good lay too -”

The breath left your lungs in a whoosh as you found yourself pinned between the cold stone of the building and Ben’s blistering, towering body. Shocked by the sudden movement, you looked up at him, but found the breath gone from your lungs once more. You had been trying to piss him off, make him as angry as you were, and there was no doubt he was from the absolute tension that lingered throughout his whole body. When you stared into his eyes though, you saw something you had never seen there.

Fear.

“Stay away from him. You’ll get hurt.” Ben said, his hands gripping your wrists in a tight grip as if waiting for you to haul off and run back in there to him.

Which a part of you wanted to do, to piss him off, but the biggest part of you was more curious as to why he even cared. After all that talk about the deal between the two of you being over, what should it matter to him if you got into a relationship that would end badly? “Quit bossing me around like you give a shit what happens to me.” You said, trying to sound as vicious as possible.

Ben’s grip tightened on your wrist, his eyes tracing over all of the features on your face and leaving heat in their wake. “You think I don’t care about you? Every second of every day I’m fighting not to think about you.” He told you, equal amounts of anguish and anger in his voice. “What you’re doing, who you’re with, if you’re at that stupid restaurant with the bad breadsticks that you inist are the best in town -”

“T-that’s because they are.” You stuttered, your mind not able to comprehend the rest of the words he was saying yet.

“Don’t ever, think for one second, that I don’t care about you.” Ben said, giving your wrists one more squeeze, and then letting them go.

You watched as he turned and took a step away from you. At that moment, you were stricken with the realization that this could be it. If you didn’t say something right this second, nothing might ever come of you and Ben.

There was no way you could let that chance pass you by.

“Then why are you pushing me away?!” You called out to him, making him freeze. “Ben, I . . .” You took a deep breath, forcing the terrifying words to leave your mouth. “I want to be with you. Not in a fake relationship, but a real one.” You said, wrapping your arms around yourself as you took a step forward.

Ben didn’t move, and kept his gaze locked on the ground in front of him when he spoke. “You think that you want that -”

“No. You’re wrong. No matter how big of an asshole you’ve been . . .” You said, shaking your head. “I know it’s what I want. I thought it that night when we were looking for Chewy, and I knew it when I kissed you. I know you felt it too.” You insisted, even though you knew no such thing, not anymore at least, but you had to hope. “Stop fighting your feelings.”

You felt the tension release somewhat as he turned to look at you, but his face was so, so insecure that it took your breath away. Even more so when his hand, with the most gentle touch, cupped your cheek, his thumb brushing across your cheekbone. You closed your eyes as you felt him draw closer, his forehead resting against yours, his lips so close you could almost taste them. “Why do you always push?” Ben said, but it sounded more like a plea than a question.

His lips brushed yours, and you knew, without a doubt, you couldn’t do it. If you let him kiss you, you wouldn’t have the strength to stand firm on what you wanted, what you needed. Your hand rested against his chest, exerting enough pressure to stop him. “Don’t,” you mumbled, shaking your head. “Don’t kiss me unless you’re willing to open up to me too.” You opened your eyes, gazing into his intense dark brown ones. “I can’t take it if you don’t.”

Ben’s eyes closed, almost as if he couldn’t take the emotion in yours. You waited breathlessly for him to say something, do something, and finally he opened his mouth -

Vic called your name from behind Ben, and your eyes flickered over his shoulder to see him, Rey and Finn a few feet behind, all watching the exchange. “Are you okay?” He asked, but you got the feeling he didn’t care. He just wanted to rile Ben up.

It worked. As if that switch had been flipped, Ben took a step away from you, turning around to glare at Vic, hiding your body with his own. “She’s fine.” He answered for you. “Now get out of here.”

“I wasn’t talking to you.” Vic snapped, moving so that he could look at you. “You all right, Sweetheart?”

“I’m fine,” You answered, annoyed at him for interrupting and annoyed at Ben for letting Vic get to him. “I’m ready to go.” You called to Rey and Finn who nodded and went back inside to get your stuff.

“Do you need a ride to your place?” Vic asked, and before you could say no, Ben answered for you.

“I’m sure she can get home fine.” Ben hissed, moving to step between the two of you again.

Vic smirked, taking a step even closer and holding his hand out to you. “He sure is possessive of you isn’t he? I promise if you stick with me, you won’t have to deal with that.”

Ben stepped forward and good God was he menacing, towering over Vic, who was not short either. Everything about him in that moment screamed dangerous, and you found yourself wanting to take a step back yourself. “If you try to touch her again, you’re going to regret it.” Ben growled, sending shivers down your spine.

“Ben!” You said, shocked by how angry he was getting when Vic was clearly trying to irritate him for God knows what reason.

“What are you going to do about it, Solo? Wimp out like last time?” He glanced at you, and then looked back at Ben. “Does she even -”

It happened so fast you almost missed it. One minute Vic was taunting him, the next he was on the ground, clutching his nose, blood hitting the concrete beneath him. “Ben! What the hell?!” You gasped as soon as you realized what he had done, hurrying around him to Vic to check and see if he was okay. “Are you okay?” You asked him, trying to see how bad he was hurt.

Vic nodded, glaring up at Ben, but didn’t say anything else.

Biting your lip, you looked up at Ben who was still staring at Vic with poorly concealed fury. “You need to get out of here.” You told him.

That’s when Ben turned his attention to you, disbelief on his face. “What?”

Did you want him to go? No, you didn’t, but you couldn’t ignore what he had done. He needed time to calm down, and he wasn’t going to get that here, with Vic hanging around. You couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t goad him into another fight, and that was the last thing that needed to happen right now. “Go, Ben.” You insisted. “Get your head on straight.” You said, the words having more meaning than one.

You couldn’t miss the flash of hurt that crossed his face, but then it was replaced by something almost worse. He almost seemed . . . resigned. Like he had expected you to order him away, and he wasn’t surprised that you had finally done it. Your brow furrowed, and you started to say something else, but before you could, he had turned and walked away, his hands clenched into fists at his side.

As soon as he was gone, you turned to look at Vic who was staring after him with a clenched jaw. “Listen, I’m sorry about him, he’s -”

“He’s a dick,” Vic spat, moving away from you and standing up, “and if he’s your boyfriend, you don’t have a fucking idea what kind of person that he is.”

Your eyes widened at the venom in his tone, and you watched as he stomped away as well, so distracted by his words that you didn’t even notice Finn and Rey coming up behind you.

“Hey, are you okay?” Finn asked, rubbing your back with his warm hand.

Sighing, you let yourself lean against his shoulder while Rey took your hand. “Not even remotely.” You admitted. “Can we just go back to my place and watch the Office like you guys suggested, and I can pretend I’m crushing on a Jim Halpert instead of a hot head who punched someone and won’t let me in?”

Rey squeezed your hand with a reassuring smile. “You’re on.”

#ben solo #kylo ren #ben solo x reader #kylo ren x reader #ben solo imagine

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consumeconstantly · 4 years

Text

Small Buff Girl Sightings Ch. 5

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ao3

3:00AM | CoffeeVamp: bb bat update us TheOG: ^^ more info on the situation in paris

3:28AM | Demonspawn: It is difficult to obtain information on Hawkmoth. The butterflies disperse after they are cleansed, and before they land their target, they don’t show up electronically. Coffee Vamp: o how the mighty have fallen i thought u said u could best me bb boi

3:42AM | Demonspawn: I’d like to see you do better. Coffee Vamp: IS THAT A CHALLENGE Coffee Vamp: ill take u up on that gimme 24 hours and ur going down TheOG: he has had a whole month so dont be too sure of that LadyLady: would you guys SHUT UP its two and some of us have jobs to do Coffee Vamp: cmon babs u luv us dont deny it LadyLady: Don’t make me hunt you down, Tim. Coffee Vamp: oOooO proper punctuation im shaking TheOG: just shut off notifications Babs TheOG: Bruce does Jesus: i don’t think the man has checked this chat in years Coffee Vamp: wdym brucie checks the chat all the time hes just a silent lurker Coffee Vamp: he doesnt even set himself to invisible

3:57AM | Daddy is away. Coffee Vamp: im so glad i have admin privileges imagine if i didnt bruce would have a boring normal nickname like his actual name LadyLady: good lord, why am I even in this chat?? Daddy: You’re supposed to keep them under control. Coffee Vamp: SEE I TOLD U BRUCE IS A SILENT LURKER> THIS. IS. SOLID. PROOF. IN YOUR FACE TheOG: nobody said otherwise Coffee Vamp: also how are the people have you made friends Jesus: Demon spawn? Making friends? Id be less surprised if he told us he has a new fling Coffee Vamp: is j right? Got a winter fling?

4:12AM | Coffee Vamp: ur lack of a response tells us nothing TheOG: im sure he’s just adopted his usual icy persona Coffee Vamp: haha hes the bb of so many things Coffee Vamp: bb vamp bb demon spawn ice ice bb Coffee Vamp: getitt im so funny

4:36AM | Coffee Vamp: guys?

“I told you I could get her to write her number on your cup,” Marinette grins with pride.

“And I told you I didn’t want her to.” Damian scowls and kicks a pebble in his path.

“You’re still wearing the clothes I picked out for you,” she points out.

“You told me to wear it. I wore it. I’m not interested in her.”

Marinette squints at Damian, evaluates whether he’s telling the truth or not. “Huh, you really aren’t interested. I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t wear the other outfit I picked out for you-- that one would have gotten her to ask you out on the spot.”

Damian groans. “We’re going to have to find a new coffee place.”

“Or we could just come when she’s not on shift and run away like mice when we do see her?”

Damian gives her The Look.

“But they have good coffee here,” Marinette whines.

“Maybe you should have thought about that before dressing me up and sending me to my death.”

“It’s not my fault! You only have your parents to blame for your looks.”

It’s true; both of Damian’s parents are good-looking. His whole family is, actually, adopted or not. All of the good looking people he meets are talented and have a tragic life story. Which is the cause and which is the effect, Damian isn’t sure. But it holds true even in Paris. All he has to do is look at Marinette or Adrien, though he’s not a hundred percent sure where the tragedy kicks in for Marinette. Probably the time when she was at odds with Lila, but he hasn’t looked much into the situation. He can even use Lila Rossi as an example. She has even worse color coordination than Damian is, but her features are model worthy. Lila Rossi is also definitely fucked up in ways that Damian doesn’t care to explore.

The effects of Marinette’s well-placed compliments has Damian thinking about himself in a positive manner that he never has before. Bruce is always stingy with praise, and the other senior members of the Justice League of America see him as another Robin that doesn’t need praise because competency comes with the mantle. Dick and Barbara compliment him occasionally, but that’s rarer now that his place is more firmly cemented in the family. Damian doesn’t think he’s ever had someone so willing to genuinely compliment him. Marinette’s compliments extend to more than just his looks, as well. She praises his technological skills as he sets up her website and has complimented him as he helps her out with whatever altercations she inevitably comes across on the streets. If he reveals his skills as Robin, reveals himself as Damian Wayne, will he receive even more praise?

“But since we did buy you that absolute knockout of an outfit, you’re going to have to wear it eventually. So whose heart do you want to steal?”

“I don’t want a relationship,” Damian repeats. They seem like more effort than they’re worth, and he always sees couples fighting and complaining about each other. Plus, they have to make time for each other and his alter ego doesn’t allow for that, though he supposes that he isn't Robin. At least, not right now.

“You don’t need to want a relationship just to flirt with somebody. Who’s it going to be? The intern at the Louvre? My parent’s newest hire? Oooh, how about Nicolette?” Marinette’s voice takes on a more mischievous tone.

Damian will give Marinette this much: her taste in the aesthetics of people is far from bad. The intern from the Louvre is two hundred pounds of lean muscle with a devil-may-care smile and a deep, belly laugh that makes people laugh with him, but Damian and he don’t have anything in common. Her parent’s new hire is knockout gorgeous, with warm brown eyes, and definitely the kind of girl Damian would have gone for as a one night stand back in Gotham. However, he’s also 98% sure that she has a very possessive boyfriend who stops by the bakery every time she has a shift. Nicolette is considered her college’s belle, and her intense gaze paired with her surprisingly friendly demeanor might have been appealing to Damian if she weren’t ten years older than him.

“I’m not into any of them,” he says, simply.

“Then who are you into? Surely someone has caught your eye in the past month?” Marinette looks genuinely curious, but her expression shifts into horror. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I never asked your preferences, if I was being insensitive, I’m sorry, I mean I’m pan, but you absolutely don’t have to tell me, it’s your right if you’re not comfortable.”

Damian does look slightly uncomfortable now that she’s looking at him more closely. His arms are crossed over each other, across his chest, and his hair is tousled. Then, he lets out a small laugh, and Marinette melts. “It’s fine, Pigtails. All of the people you listed are attractive, but I’m not attracted to them. I’m more of a personality guy, though I can’t say that personality has stopped me from things more than dates before.”

He’s had his fair share of hook-ups and makeout sessions in the past when feeling particularly frustrated with something that wasn’t going his way, though his primary method of relief is through sparring. Short missions and one night stands go fairly well together; he doesn’t ever have to deal with people wanting long term relationships, and even if they do, he’s gone before they know it. So far, he hasn’t hooked up with anyone in Paris, but then again, he’s only been here for a month and this is a long term mission. Whatever time he’s not with Marinette or at school is dedicated to piecing together the mystery that is the Miraculous and trying to figure out Hawkmoth’s identity.

“Oh,” Marinette continues to blush.

She’s clearly too embarrassed to bring up any other topic, so Damian decides that he’ll shoot the same conversation topic back at her. Marinette is attractive, and people she meets ask for her numbers and dates often enough. She’ll accept the former if they aren’t a total creep, but she always turns down requests for dates.

“And you? Why aren’t you out there questing for love? No crushes or significant others that I need to beat off with a stick?”

This does manage to lessen her flush. She frowns, turns something over in her mind.

“No crushes right now, no. I used to have a huge crush on Adrien just a year ago. He’s such a sweet person, but we don’t see eye to eye on important matters.” And also not into sex, either. Even physical affection hits him the wrong way sometimes, which makes Marinette worry even further for his well being with Lila’s constant touches. Still, he hasn’t said anything, and Lila hasn’t done anything more than grasp his arm or shoulders every now and then, to reassure the class that yes, they are the golden couple. Marinette also suspects that he is very unwilling to talk about the whole situation in general, and it’s not as though they’re super close.

Of course she had a crush on Adrien. Damian can see it now, Marinette looking at Adrien with her big blue eyes, her lashes fluttering when she gets close to him. Stuttering when she gets embarrassed or when she gets close to him. It makes his lungs constrict, but he’s not sure why.

“As for past relationships, there’s only really Luka. We had a pretty good run, but he’s out of the country, touring. He wanted to try long distance, but I didn’t really want that. But he’s respectful-- there’s no need to beat him off with a stick or anything.”

“I’m surprised a pretty girl like you doesn’t have more suitors,” Damian says, stepping over a crack in the sidewalk as they walk towards the park.

Marinette gags. “There are some other people who have been interested, but I wouldn’t exactly consider them relationship material. If you’re going after a girl just because she looks exotic, that’s sort of nasty. I guess I’m just unlucky in love.”

“At least you’re not as bad off as Ladybug is,” Damian jokes.

She looks at him strangely. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, first there was that creepy sculptor who must have been twice her age, then there’s Chat Noir who keeps flirting with her despite her requests not to, plus all of the random love akumas. I’m not even going to talk about the hordes of guys who chase after her, trying to get a date just because she’s a superhero. It’s not even like she can kick them between the legs because she has an image to uphold and all that.” He smirks, nudges her with his arm. “I’m surprised you haven’t done that with some of your stalkers.”

“Oh. You’re right, huh. Though, I don’t think Chat Noir has actually flirted for a while now.” Chat Noir has been very subdued as of late, and it makes Ladybug worry.

Marinette feels uncomfortable with the way the conversation has shifted. How does Damian know about all of these past akuma attacks? As far as Marinette is aware, most information about anything Miraculous related is difficult to get a hold of abroad, largely because the Miraculous try to hide their existence as best they can, and partially because Mayor Bourgeois doesn’t want word to get out that he hasn’t flushed a supervillain terrorist out even though he’s had three years to do it.

“Copycat happened three years ago.” It’s a question, almost.

“I figure I might as well keep up with the heroes of Paris. I’m here and they’re interesting.” Damian figures this is as good a time as any to bring up his interest in Hawkmoth. Marinette has been nothing but helpful and she’s definitely the kind of person whose heart is in the right place. Not to mention that she’s definitely smart and seems impartial; the one time he asked her about her thoughts on the heroes, he found out that she didn’t see them as perfect. She was able to critique Ladybug in full, which seemed pretty odd considering the rest of Paris seemed to have nothing but glowing praise for the heroine. “You’ve had some awful luck with akumas yourself. Weird how Ladybug didn’t show up when you got kidnapped by Evillustrator. One of the only times she didn’t show up for an akuma.”

“And what happened to the other heroes? It’s mostly Ladybug now. She must be in an awful state with her civilian life.” He looks off to the park, occasionally flicking his attention back Marinette’s face, evaluating her expression.

She catches his eyes and he swiftly looks away, looking almost nervous. Marinette stiffens. He knows, he knows, he knows, he can’t know. But how? How does he know that she’s Ladybug? She hasn’t let anything slip around him. She's been careful not to. Everything she’s ever said about Ladybug has been brief and curt, taking on an almost angry tone.

“If you’re so interested in Parisian heroes, I’m sure you saw the press conference Ladybug and Chat Noir gave last year about why the other heroes would be showing up less often.” Marinette keeps her voice carefully neutral. She needs to play this safe. She’s probably over reacting-- she’s been on edge with Hawkmoth sending out an akuma attack nearly every single day for the past few months.

Damian shakes his head. “It didn’t seem like good reasoning. Ladybug and Chat Noir are too untrained. They haven’t beat two villains in three years. They should let someone else take over.”

Marinette has come across a good number of Ladybug and Chat Noir haters throughout her time. Those who dislike the Parisian heroes often make the exact same arguments Damian is now. That they’re not fast enough. That they should have taken down Hawkmoth and Mayura already. This is nothing new to her, though it does hurt hearing it from Damian, for some reason. She can’t even argue with most of the points he’s brought up. Going mostly solo was because of her own, selfish reasons. She really should have beaten Hawkmoth and Mayura by now.

“The only thing they have going for them right now is that they’re keeping their Miraculous out of Hawkmoth’s hands.” She pretends that the reason why Chat Noir doesn’t show up to battle is to ensure that Hawkmoth can’t get both of the Miraculous in one fell swoop. It feels hopeless to fight villain after villain without any movement forwards. Her mind wanders to the increasing frequency of akumas and smiles, sardonically. “Some people think it’s only a matter of time until Ladybug and Chat Noir lose.”

“Hawkmoth almost seems to be the better strategist.” The two of them pass store front after store front. “Do you ever wonder what they look like, under the mask? Who they are?”

Marinette stares at the concrete underneath her feet. Hawkmoth, the better strategist? Laughable, and entirely incorrect. Even the people who hate Ladybug admit that her plans almost always work out, and that her plans are second to none. Really the only person who can possibly think that Hawkmoth is a better strategist is--

She can’t think like that. Damian is her friend. He’s just curious about Paris. Her lack of sleep and increase in paranoia re making her imagine things that are impossible. Besides, Damian isn’t on her list of suspects-- he told her he’s only been here for a short time, and Hawkmoth’s Miraculous definitely has a limited range. It’s a real pity that the world of Miraculous makes concrete evidence hard to come by, otherwise, Marinette likes to think Hawkmoth would have been behind bars already.

“No,” she lies. Hawkmoth haunts her dreams and every waking hour. She spends hours and hours on theories and scouring out information and people who fit the clues she’s painstakingly pieced together. “Not really.”

Damian’s eyes are a piercing green, and for a moment, Marinette thinks she stops breathing. “Is that so? I’m really interested in who Ladybug is under the mask. I’d love the opportunity to talk to her in person, especially about her Miraculous. The powers she has are… very interesting.”

No. There’s no way that Damian can be Hawkmoth, right? This is all just her paranoia speaking. Damian is just a foreigner who is interested in super heroes. It’s no biggie. Still, she can’t shake off the idea that there’s more to Damian than meets the eye. The way he walks-- no, prowls-- commands respect. Marinette can tell that he knows how to fight, and knows how to fight well. He’s very good at finding information on people-- she sent a whole case file to her on Renee and his situation with his mother within twenty four hours of going into the precinct, complete with video evidence Marinette knows should have been impossible to procure without hacking-- and keeps up with her critiques on Ladybug and Chat Noir’s techniques like he’s watched their battles over and over again. He remembers akuma battles Marinette has half forgotten, because they happened so long ago.

She stares up at him, hands shoved in the pockets of the jacket she chose for him when they went on their wardrobe makeover. Damian is surprisingly wealthy; he purchased anything she even glanced at with passing approval. He looks straight forward, apparently waiting for some response from her. Just because Damian is her friend, doesn’t mean she can immediately expunge him from her list of suspects. So far, she has taken all of Damian’s words at face value. It didn’t matter to her that he rarely talks about his family or his life before Paris. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t brought her to his home during all of the weeks that they’ve been hanging out together. Really, Marinette just figured that he had a rocky relationship with his family, and that he may have been on the poorer side and was embarrassed to show her where he lived. But clearly. Damian is well off enough to afford brand name clothes without batting an eye. Things aren’t adding up. All of the red flags that she’s blatantly ignored start to crop up in her head.

The book on the species of butterflies that akumas are made of, tucked under his arm. The way he showed up after every single akuma attack when she rarely saw him in the area before or during it. His knowledge of the three languages that form the basis of the Miraculous Tome-- Mandarin, Arabic, and English.

If he is Hawkmoth, what sort of emotions would he be feeling right now? Some sort of euphoria, maybe, realizing that he could get infinitely closer to Ladybug when she is Marinette. Anticipation, too. Has Marinette been hanging out with a super villain for the past month? Has she really come to the point where she can call a supervillain her best friend?

Marinette takes another look at Damian’s outfit. Master Fu said that the Miraculous Hawkmoth owns is in the shape of a brooch. Marinette sees no such object on Damian, which could either mean that he’s not Hawkmoth or that he’s just been taking it off whenever he’s with her. She’s really hoping it’s not the second option.

She needs to gather her thoughts, make a plan on how to proceed. When she’s sure that Damian isn’t looking, Marinette sets off the ringtone that is saved for her Maman’s texts and calls. This catches Damian’s attention, and she waves looks up from her phone as though she’s responding.

“Maman wants me to do a delivery. If you’re looking for more information on the whole superhero situation in Paris, I can get you Alya’s number. She runs the Ladyblog-- I’m sure she’d be glad to talk with you.” Alya also has some of the worst conspiracy theories that Marinette has ever seen. She doesn’t often keep abreast of what the Ladyblog’s portrayal of Ladybug is, but back when Marinette and Alya were friends, she was subjected to wild theories that made her stomach nauseous with how little logic there was. Which means that if-- if-- Damian is actually Hawkmoth, he might be thrown off by what she says.

“I’ll see you on Monday? Jagged texted me last night and wants me to change the embroidery on his commission.” This isn’t exactly a lie; Jagged wants one of the smaller details to be changed, but it certainly won’t take as long as she’s suggesting. Marinette hopes that it’s enough of an excuse to get Damian off her back for the rest of today and tomorrow while she reevaluates her game plans and life choices.

Damian waves her off. “I don’t think that Ladyblogger girl knows anymore than I do. She’s of no help to me. I’ll see you on Monday.”

Marinette’s reaction to Damian’s questions are weird. There’s an underlying tension that she exuded before they parted ways, and he’s still thinking about it a day later.

Marinette, who he always finds near an akuma attack right after it occurs. Marinette, who is emotionally and physically superior to most other Parisians. Marinette, who hasn’t been akumatized in a class full of idiots and other victims. Marinette, who doesn’t like Ladybug even though she seems like a fairly competent and kind hero, despite the fact that she hasn’t caught Hawkmoth yet. Marinette, who rarely talks about akumas despite all of the time he spends with her, which is highly unusual because even people he only briefly meets manage to slip in something about akumas into the conversation. Damian feels like there must be some sort of connection between Marintte and the akuma situation that he’s not getting, but it’s eluding him.

He sits down with his laptop in his apartment and looks up information about Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She’s definitely just as talented as he suspected; in her ninth year of schooling, she won a Gabriel competition, participated in a music video of Clara Nightingale’s, and collaborated with Jagged Stone on an album cover. So that was how she met him-- he wondered, but never asked. There are also a few instagram posts that have tagged her as a good samaritan and a few articles that detail a small, asian girl who’s going around Paris helping random people that are in need.

The weird things that Damian finds are contained in her school records. She’s apparently in very good company with her IQ, but what’s more interesting is all the dates that she is tardy or absent from school. They line up perfectly with all of the dates that akumas appear. He feels dread gather in his stomach.

A few more searches seem to cement his growing suspicions. Around the same time that Marinette obtained a truce with Lila matched up with when theorists believed that the Italian girl started working with Hawkmoth. He reads the instagrams and tweets of her classmates from the first year that Hawkmoth arrived, which talk about how excellent Marinette is at calming them down and guiding them to a better place. He also reads the posts of Chloe Bourgeois and Alya Cesaire and the articles about Marinette and Evillustrator that tell a slightly different story-- that Marinette is capable of manipulating others into more unpleasant situations.

Damian jolts. There is an incoming call from his father.

“Are updates on Paris, Damian?”

Should he give them a clue to his growing suspicions that Marinette is Hawkmoth? No, he can’t tell them until he gathers more information.

“No,” he says. “Information about Hawkmoth and the Miraculous are hard to come by.”

There’s a sigh and what sounds like the rustling of papers from the other side. “I figured. Tim and Barbara can’t find anything over here, either, but the Justice League is worried. They want results.”

“The Justice League and I agreed that having Robin make an appearance would be beneficial. Gain Ladybug and Chat Noir’s trust, or find Hawkmoth. Information might come easier with your alter ego.”

“All right.”

Another pause. He and his father have always had an awkward relationship. Bruce didn’t know of his existence until he was ten, and by that time, the most formative years of Damian’s life had already passed. Bruce Wayne may be many things, but good at dealing with children, he is not. Even after adopting so many children, he doesn’t know how to raise a child. Damian and his brothers have all raised themselves, with Bruce only stepping in when one of them is really going off the rails.

“Is everything else going well in Paris? School is good?”

“School is fine.” Damian wonders whether he should tell his father about Marinette. About the girl who is kind and capable and scarily efficient at dispatching criminals for a citizen and-- he can’t think about her like that. He decides against telling his father about her. She might be Hawkmoth, after all, and confirming her existence to his father means that he’s denying that possibility. “Gotham?”

“Nothing out of the usual. A few run-ins with the Joker.”

Another silence. The lapses in conversation aren’t awkward, but Damian thinks of the playful banter Marinette has with her parents and frowns.

“Goodbye, Father.”

“Goodnight, Damian.”

Damian looks around at his empty apartment. There is nothing in it, except for his suitcase and a few pieces of furniture. It’s nothing like the manor, where he knows that Tim is up at all hours slaving away on another project that Damian rarely gets to see, or that Jason is in the training room with Dick joining him occasionally. He can’t pick a fight with Tim or have Dick try to mediate the conflicts between himself and Jason. No nightly patrols with three or four people talking over the comms, or near instantaneous backup when he gets into a tight spot. There is no Alfred or Barbara or Cassandra or Bruce here. Only Damian.

He looks down at his laptop, at the various information and images of Marinette that he has up on his screen. In good conscience, he can’t continue being friends with her. Not with the possibility that she is the person he’s trying to hunt down.

He remembers her saying that being lonely is different than being alone.

Damian is lonely.

Patrol is a necessary evil.

Ladybug doesn’t hate patrol. She’s not very fond of it, though. It cuts into time that she could be spending sleeping or designing or anything else, really. In the beginning, it started as a way to figure out how everything worked under the guise of the dark and without the constant threat of an akuma hanging over head. Then, it progressed into disproving the theory about Ladybug’s age, because civilians aren’t inclined to believe that a teenage girl who has school the next day would patrol every day in the early morning. Now, it shows the Parisians how devoted Ladybug is-- that’s something that she’s struggled with ever since withdrawing the Miraculous from all of the part time heroes-- and lets Marinette blow off any steam that she has.

Right now, Marinette needs to blow off a lot of steam. Still, even as Ladybug, as much as Marinette wants to scream to high hell and back about how she’s been friends-- very close friends, she’d dare to say-- with the same person who has been terrorizing Paris for years, she can’t. If she screams, there will be media coverage on it, and she doesn’t want to deal with what the press would write up some article about how Ladybug was overworked and needed to bring back the other heroes, or that Ladybug wasn’t mentally sound enough to take care of Paris, she should just give up the Miraculous, or that Ladybug’s scream was [insert some poetic nonsense that English teachers wax about for hours even though the author never intended the audience to read that deeply into it].

Marinette doesn’t want to admit it, but she’s gotten close to Damian. She’s as close to him as she is with Kagami, Luka, Jagged and Penny. Damian knows that she’s MDC. He knows her hopes and aspirations. He knows her family, knows the majority of her friends, and knows what’s important to her. It will be so easy for him to tear her apart now. Marinette isn’t sure what Hawkmoth is waiting for, but she almost hopes that he’ll get it over with sooner rather than later.

What will Hawkmoth do first? Go after the website that he helped her make, probably. Cut off the financial support that she could use to run away and create another identity. Then, he’ll go after her friends, few and far as they may be. Renee next. Her family, last. She wonders who Mayura is, if he is Hawkmoth. She hasn’t seen anyone that’s close to him. Then again, Damian reveals next to nothing about himself. She’s never even seen where he lives.

There’s a shadow on the rooftops.

God, of course Hawkmoth would send out an akuma today. He knows how horrible her mental state must be. There’s no way he wouldn’t take advantage of that.

She yoyos over to the shadow, not close enough to strike or apprehend, but close enough to easily give chase without the akuma being able to give her the slip.

“Ladybug,” the akuma says.

“Cut the crap. We all know you want the Miraculous, Hawkmoth. Let’s get to it.” The shadow steps forward where a street lamp illuminates its costume, and once again, she is assaulted by the barrage of colors on her eyes. After seeing how awful Damian’s color coordination was, it’s easy to come to terms with the awful designs of all of his costumes. Still, she’s surprised that the boy who dresses in the same outfit every day creates such outlandish costumes for all of his minions.

The akuma frowns, tenses.

“I’m not Hawkmoth,” it insists. “I’m Robin, a vigilante from Gotham. I’ve come to learn more about the current situation and aid you in taking Hawkmoth down.”

Ladybug scoffs. She’s not sure what this akuma’s tactic is, but none of the others have tried to lie to her so blatantly about their identity. And ripping off an identity? That is a new low, even for Hawkmoth. She’s sure that the real Robin didn’t agree to this, and if she were close with the vigilante, maybe she could get him to throw a lawsuit or two at Hawkmoth once he was in custody, just for kicks.

Robin the akuma scrambles, apparently looking for something that can verify his identity.

Ladybug strikes. There’s no pride in striking an opponent when they are distracted, but it’s a means to an end. If Damian is dumb enough to send out an akuma confused about its identity tonight of all nights-- a night where Ladybug is distressed and it would be all too easy to take advantage of her-- then she’s going to take advantage of it.

It’s easy to bind the akuma. Startlingly easy. The akuma is different tonight, then. His powers have something to do with close contact, maybe? Ladybug looks on his person for things that could be the point of akumatization, eyes flitting from Robin’s waistband to his mask.

She comes to an unpleasant conclusion. The measurements and the coloring are a perfect match. Hawkmoth has come to meet her in person.

“Damian,” Ladybug hisses.

Damian’s eyes widen, like he doesn’t know how she’s pieced together his identity. How stupid does he think she is? He’s been dropping hints constantly. Information a transfer to Paris shouldn’t know. Never telling Marinette anything personal. Always being near an akuma attack when it happens. It’s almost like he wanted her to figure out his identity.

“How did you know?”

“Please, Hawkmoth, did you really think that Marinette couldn’t connect the dots? You must have thought awfully little of her if you thought that your constant appearances near all of the akuma and questions about the Miraculous didn’t lead me to your identity.”

“Hawkmoth? Ladybug, I’m not Hawkmoth, I’m Robin.”

“And I’m the queen of England. Renounce your Miraculous now, Hawkmoth. Or I’ll beat you until you detransform and take it from you.”

Damian looks confused before his face contorts to an expression of resignation. He recognizes a cold fury in her eyes that is distinct to people who won’t give up until they get their way, and there’s really no other way around this right now. He should have brought his comm with him, but he wasn’t expecting to meet Ladybug tonight; he just wanted to assess the situation as Robin, to get out from his apartment for a second. Rookie mistake.

True to her word, Ladybug beats Damian unconscious and also until he’s black and blue. She’ll be lying if she didn’t say she took out some of her fury from the past years on him.

But here’s the thing; Damian doesn’t detransform. He stays in his god-awful costume that has the same disgusting shade of mustard yellow as that one top Damian owns. That’s not what’s supposed to happen. When Miraculous users faint, they detransform because it takes a sort of mental awareness to handle the powers bestowed upon them. Is it different because Damian is an akuma? Is there some sort of Miraculous bylaw that if a Miraculous user gets akumatized, they get to stay in their alternate form? Oh wait, that’s right, he’s an akuma, not Hawkmoth right now.

Ladybug stumbles forward, breaking all of the weapons that are on his belt, taking off his mask and breaking that as well. No akuma comes out. She tries his gloves, then his boots. She pats him down, seeing if there’s anything she missed. She rips his suit, too. Nothing. There’s no brooch in his personal effects either.

What is she supposed to do now?

Seeing no alternative, Ladybug picks Damian up and yoyos back to Tom and Sabine’s Boulangerie to safely detransform and figure out what the fuck is going on.

He’s not Hawkmoth, is the conclusion Marinette comes to after a side by side comparison of pictures of the vigilante and Damian. The horrifying conclusion: the person lying on the floor of her bedroom is actually Robin, the vigilante from Gotham.

Marinette knows it’s better to err on the side of caution, but she still buries her head in her hands in embarrassment. How can she have gotten him so wrong? She really needs to get better at reading people, because deciding that random civilians are Hawkmoth clearly has not paid off.

She also cannot believe that the Justice League has decided to step in now, and with a sidekick from America, of all things--Marinette is pretty sure that she sent the videos to the European branch. It must have been three years since her first notification to them. She contacted them immediately after Stoneheart, and again, after Syren when she was distraught at the death that surrounded her. With no response, there was nothing she could do. She has to start relying on herself and her own skills.

Ladybug only contacted them once more, after Heroes’ Day. At that point, Ladybug had been thinking for a while that someone who was naturally superpowered or someone with a high grade of intelligence-- like the heroes affiliated with the Justice League-- would do more harm than good if they were allowed in the city. After the devastation of her teammates being akumatized, and the nearly week long battle that ensued, she was certain that she could barely fight her teammates, let alone trained professionals. So with shaky hands and red rimmed eyes, she said to please disregard her earlier messages; the situation in Paris wasn’t that bad, and Ladybug could handle it.

Damian groans. Marinette jumps; he is waking up far earlier than she anticipated. She wants to transform back into Ladybug. Being in her spots gives her a pseudo sense of security. First, though, she has to restrain him. Even though he isn’t Hawkmoth, she’s not sure whether he’s a threat or not. She makes quick work of it, using the thickest zip ties that she has on hand and restraining his arms and legs.

She doesn’t get the chance to transform back into Ladybug, but that’s just as well, because at the end of the day, Marinette is the foundation of anything that makes Ladybug a hero to the public. Damian opens his eyes almost immediately after she has finished restraining him, taking in his surroundings and the person in front of him.

“Marinette? Where’s Ladybug?” No questions of how he got there; Ladybug can clearly carry her own weight and more. No questions as to why there are zip ties cutting into his wrists and ankles; he has seen too many of Marinette’s victims on the streets.

“What do you mean, where’s Ladybug?” Marinette is right in front of him. She might not have the suit on, but at the end of the day, she does have the Ladybug Miraculous, which means she’s Ladybug through and through, and Damian must know that. Otherwise, there’s no real reason for Robin to be spending so much time with Marinette. The fact that she feels more real and true to herself as Marinette than as Ladybug probably means nothing to him.

“She knocked me out on a rooftop. Didn’t know that you two knew each other personally. I’m not Hawkmoth, by the way.” He twitches, then realizes that he’s been tied up. “Why’d she leave me with you?”

So he doesn’t know that she’s also Ladybug? This whole thing keeps getting more confusing. Still, the less people that know about her alter ego, the better. Marinette will keep him in the dark. She attributes his blatant misunderstanding to the identity concealment magic of the Miraculous. It’s powerful stuff. If it didn’t exist, she’s sure she would have found concrete evidence as to who Hawkmoth is by now.

“She asked me to assess whether you were a threat or not. Whether or not she casts the Miraculous Cure is contingent on my response.”

“Ladybug wants you to assess whether I’m a threat or not? Why’d she leave a possible super villain with a civilian?”

“I help Ladybug out with many things.” Her voice turns to clinical detachment. She uses this method to dissociate as Ladybug when things get overwhelming. Assess the situation. Get in, deakumatize, get out. Marinette needs to distance herself. It’s bad enough that the situation is this convoluted, but she doesn’t need Damian to doubt Ladybug’s capabilities as well. “Ladybug knows that you’re not Hawkmoth now, and she knows that I can handle myself with any run of the mill bad guy, even if they are a supposed vigilante.”

“Tell me, Robin,” Marinette spits the name like a curse, “Why should I tell Ladybug that you’re not a threat? That you are who you say you are?”

In all honesty, all Marinette wants to do is knock Damian out again so she can collect her thoughts. She’s not sure how she should address his presence as Robin in Paris and is still reeling from the whiplash of thinking he was Hawkmoth only for him to turn into a foreign vigilante. Next thing she knows, he’ll tell her that his name isn’t even Damian Grayson. Well, now that she thinks about it, he’s definitely not. After this encounter finishes, she’ll look up Damian and Gotham and see what she gets.

He looks flustered, like he never expected anybody to question his identity or presence. It’s laughable, really. Marinette doubts that the Justice League actually sent him; he’s probably here to explore on his own. That means he’ll only be a pain in the ass to deal with. Maybe she needs to get into contact with the Justice League again, if only just so she can deport Robin with more ease.

“I can call Batman,” he says.

Marinette doesn’t think this is a very good solution. There’s no way for her to prove that the person on the other side actually is Batman and not some actor. But after racking her brain, she can’t come up with a much better solution. It’s not like Robin has any superpowers that she can request to see, and she doesn’t have a direct line to anybody from the Justice League.

“Fine. Call Batman.”

“It’s in the pocket near on my right side.” Marinette doesn’t bother going closer to him. She destroyed everything on him earlier, in case it was the akuma’s vessel. Ladybug thought she came across a phone, but now she’s glad she smashed it and left it on that random rooftop. He probably has some sort of tracker on his phone. In any case, Marinette thinks it’s weird for a vigilante to have a phone on them while on the rooftops. Shouldn’t he have an earpiece or something?

“Your phone was destroyed by Ladybug. Tell me the number to call. I’ll put it on speaker.” Marinette isn’t sure if the number he’ll have her call will be some sort of secure connection or direct line that is only accessible through Damian’s phone, but she doesn’t particularly care because the Miraculous Communicators are exactly that. Miraculous. Master Fu assured her that all communications were private and impossible to crack unless they also had a Miraculous. Which is why she’s using the Miraculous Communicator to call Batman.

Damian winces, then speaks into the offered phone.

“Batman, it’s Robin. I need to verify my identity in order to proceed.”

“Are you with Ladybug?”

So he is on a mission, then, and not just playing hooky. If Batman is involved, Marinette has no doubt the rest of the Justice League will follow soon. This will be a dreadfully unpleasant call.

“I’m making it a video call,” Marinette says. “And no, he’s not with Ladybug. I’m Ladybug’s point of contact, and she doesn’t take kindly to people encroaching on her territory without permission.”

“Robin, what happened?” Batman isn’t accepting her video request.

Marinette cuts off whatever Damian is about to say. “Damian was suspicious; I reported his activities to Ladybug and she believed that he could be Hawkmoth. Then, she caught him on the roofs and took him back to my place after verifying that he wasn’t Hawkmoth. Video call, Batman. I’d like to see that you are who you say you are, before I send Robin back to the states.”

“She knows your civilian identity? Two people know that you’re Robin?”

“Turn your video on. If you can’t prove that you are who Damian says you are, Ladybug and I will do everything in our powers to deport him and make sure that the Justice League is not allowed in Paris again. Ladybug said that she doesn’t need any unknowns in her city, and I’ve been hoping Robin came here of his own volition. It sounds like that isn’t the case.”

Marinette thinks that Batman curses in English, but she’s not sure. Fluent though Marinette may be, she is not well versed in curses, colloquialisms, or American memes. The camera turns on. It’s Batman, or at the very least, an actor wearing a very good knock off costume.

It’s annoying that Marinette can’t see his eyes. There’s some white film where his eyes should be, and the fact that his cowl covers more than half of his face isn’t doing her any favors in letting her read his facial expression. She moves herself so that Batman can see both her and Robin.

“Why is Robin restrained?”

“Like I said: he was suspicious. I’m not taking any chances.”

A moment of silence.

“How do you want me to prove my identity?”

That’s good. He’s not asking who she is, though she’s sure that there are cameras pointing at the screen on Batman’s end, running facial analysis and background checks on her. The Miraculous magic will ensure that any connections between her and Ladybug will not come to light. Other than her identity as Ladybug, Marinette has nothing to hide.

“If you’re Batman, then you should have access to the League’s calls, European and otherwise. Play me the last video that Ladybug sent you. I know what she said.” She spares a glance at Damian. His jaw is tight, but when he looks at her, she finds what looks like regret. It’s not entirely Damian’s fault. A mission is a responsibility, and Marinette understands that in order to be a hero or vigilante, one must be willing to do anything to accomplish the mission. Really, she’s only Ladybug because she feels that heavy weight of the words duty and responsibility on her shoulders. Fu’s fault.

“Behave. If you try something, I’ll knock you out.” Marinette sets the communicator on her desk and eyes him. The zipties are so tight around his arms and legs that he is bleeding. Marinette feels a flash of sympathy, then pushes it away. It was his fault for-- why was he at fault, again?

“I have the video.” Batman sounds even peakier than when they started the call. He plays the video.

“Justice League. This is Ladybug. I rescind my requests for help; I can take care of Paris with my own team. Any help from you at this point would be a detriment and could potentially harm the citizens of Paris. Hawkmoth manipulates strong emotions, and I don’t need to handle a metahuman or tactical genius to gain more power to wreak havoc on my city. I will not contact you with any further requests for assistance.”

It’s an awful video. Marinette had to wait a day after the Heroes’ week fiasco just so her eyes wouldn’t be red. At least her voice doesn’t waver in it. There’s a conviction in the whole video that was unique to that moment.

Marinette looks at Batman, then at Robin.

“Clearly the Justice League refused to listen. Ladybug doesn’t want or need your help at this point in time. Why are you here?”

“The Justice League is at fault for not paying attention to Ladybug’s other videos. But Mayor Bourgeois and President Macron can only cover such alarming incidents for so long. Ladybug and her… team clearly need help in order to find and take down Hawkmoth, so once the American branch of the Justice League found out half a year ago, we started to investigate.” Batman speaks in lieu of Damian. Marinette briefly wonders if Damian knows who Batman is under the mask. She bets he does. They’re probably close, what with how worried Batman sounds.

“What makes you think that the Justice League is any better equipped to handle this situation? Ladybug and her team have been fighting for the past three years and resolved every akuma with no help from you. She needed your help in earlier years. Now she doesn’t.”

“Exactly; it’s been three years and she still hasn’t caught Hawkmoth.”

“You say that like the Justice League doesn’t have a team with more wealth and manpower than Ladybug does that’s been looking into Hawkmoth and the Miraculous for the past half year and clearly has not found any reasonable leads. Ladybug has only been actively looking for Hawkmoth for the past two years, not three. The police handled the first year, not that you’ve done any homework on the situation. Thought that a field agent would help your chances?”

There is fire in Marinette’s stomach. Batman sounds so dismissive of all of the work that she’s been doing. It’s been hard on her; she doesn’t have the support that she needs and doesn’t have the experience or expertise to hunt down Hawkmoth on her own. She trained briefly under Master Fu to learn spells and ways to expand her powers as Ladybug, but that was an equivalent exchange: she no longer trusts that other holders won’t be akumatized. Her growing cynicism and physical training from Maman came at the expense of Chat Noir; after the whole Lila incident in her first year as Ladybug, she found out that Chat Noir and Adrien were one and the same. And Gabriel Agreste is not afraid to use his son until Adrien is stretched far too thin, which forced Marinette to nearly bench her partner.

“Three years,” Batman says again.

“If the Justice League can’t figure it out nearly unlimited resources and funding in half a year-- both ordinary and super human-- then clearly it isn’t a question of time. It’s a question of capability. Get off your high horse, Batman. You haven’t given me any reasons why Ladybug and I shouldn’t deport Robin here, and you’re definitely not making a good case as to why she shouldn’t go to Mayor Bourgeois and France’s president to ensure that the Justice League and its affiliates and ban hero travel into Paris. Bourgeois already doesn’t want information on it’s supervillain situation to get out.”

“Marinette,” Damian pleads.

As Robin and as Damian, he doesn’t pose a threat. He hasn’t been helpful, but he certainly hasn’t messed with the status quo for the month that he’s been here. Still, he is a liability. If he stays in Paris, he is the gateway for the other members of the Justice League to fly in and try to commandeer the fragile balance that she has found. She can’t afford for something like that to happen.

“You’re not any better, Robin. Why did you even hang around me? Thought I was a threat?” Her eyes narrow in realization. It makes sense why he decided to hang out with her, despite his initial cold front. He was playing a role.“You thought I was Hawkmoth.”

His silence is an agreement.

“We just want to help,” Damian says, and against her better judgement, Marinette believes him.

Her shoulders round, and Marinette sighs. She can’t truly begrudge Damian for that train of thought, not when she believed the same about him. She’s been a little harsh on them so far, in part due to old resentment that they never responded to her in that first, awful year when she needed the help.

There’s a dull tiredness that comes with knowing someone who she considered one of her closest friends suspected her of being a supervillain, though she did believe the same of him, so maybe they’re even. It still hurts, though. It hurts like when Alya decided that Marinette was mean-hearted enough to stop the members of their class from reaching their full potential. It hurts like when Marinette finally realized that she couldn’t repair their friendship, not to what it used to be. It hurts like when she looked around the classroom and realized that she couldn’t talk to anyone there. It hurts like when Marinette decided that she couldn’t risk helping her friends the way she wanted to.

“What kind of help can you offer us? We don’t need any more of you to come out here.” Resources are nice. More money to fund therapy programs around town won’t hurt. Master Fu doesn’t help on that part. Really, he doesn’t help at all. Even though she has Chat Noir and had a team, she often feels like it’s herself against the world. Some days, she reaches up to her earrings and feels an aching emptiness, like there’s something more to the Miraculous that’s been sealed away.

“We can give you resources. Money, connections, experience. Robin is good with technology. He can help you track down where Hawkmoth is.”

Marinette’s laugh is bitter. “Sure, he can try, but the butterflies Hawkmoth sends out aren’t visible by the normal human eye or electronically until they’ve found their mark. Once they’re purified, they’re just normal butterflies, and they go off in random directions.”

“Normal human eye? It sounds like there are exceptions.” Damian readjusts himself. He has fidgeted his way into an uncomfortable looking seiza position, where his ankles are bleeding.

“A true holder can see the butterflies at all times.”

Marinette also decides to throw them a bone so there’s no questions as to why a mere civilian is working with Ladybug. “That’s why Ladybug recruited me. I was Multimouse.”

Multimouse was in the file that Damian sent his father, but he asks, just to make sure. “The one that can split itself?”

“That’s correct. I guess now is as good a time as any for the two of you to get your questions answered.”

“Why are you the point of civilian contact instead of any of the other more frequently used heroes? Didn’t you appear only once?” Damian avoids looking Marinette in the eyes, and that makes her feel slightly better. He’s ashamed of his actions. Good.

“Ladybug said that the other hero’s civilian forms were either compromised or not in a good position.”

“Ladybug knows who all the holders are.” Batman speculates. He looks less tense now that Damian is no longer tied up, but his voice remains gravelly and distrubed. Maybe that’s what he sounds like all the time. “Who else knows? Do you?”

“Only Ladybug knows.” Marinette lives in half truths. She’s not sure that they’re much better than lies, but they’re all she has. Secrecy is the only thing Master Fu has sincerely taught her.

“Why have all the other heroes disappeared?”

“Ladybug said that it was too dangerous for someone who could be akumatized to hold a Miraculous. Rena Rage, Shell Shock, Queen Wasp-- they were all frighteningly powerful akumas. It’s also why Chat Noir has been showing up less and less; his home life is not the best, and she’s trying her best to ensure that he doesn’t get akumatized.”

“She’s not worried for herself or,” Damian’s eyes flick to Marinette, away from Batman. “For you?”

“She knows that both of us are good at dealing with stress. We have our own methods of coping.” She looks at Damian, her mouth tightening into a frown. “If you want to stay in Paris, I’ll cut you a deal. We can work together for two weeks, and if we don’t get any results, you have to leave and the Justice League must promise that they won’t interfere again.”

“Two weeks isn’t enough time,” Damian objects.

“If you don’t think it’s enough time, just leave now. I’ll say now that I’m only willing to work with you during the night. That’s the time I work on Miraculous related stuff now, anyways. And stay out of the akuma battles.” She doesn’t actually think that working together will help anyways, and she wants Damian gone sooner rather than later. He’s been making her feel too much and emotions that are far more explosive and easy to take advantage of than Marinette has in a long time. She doesn’t want to be targeted by an akuma because of her inner conflict.

“Two weeks, then,” Batman agrees. “Robin can contact me if you need any extra resources.”

Marinette hangs up and assesses Damian. He looks almost pitiful, with bruising around his eyes, tousled hair, a ripped suit, and cuts where his skin is exposed. She opens her trap door in a clear gesture for him to depart. Downstairs is dark; her Maman and Papa have long since gone to sleep, and it’s only a few more hours until they wake up to start baking. “We start tomorrow. If you need Ladybug for anything, tell me.”

He’s half way down the ladder when he looks back up at Marinette, into her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he says.

Marinette can’t breath. She feels like vomiting. His eyes are so green in comparison to the purple bruising on his face. She did that to him. She made him look that way. All she’s ever wanted to do as Ladybug is protect the people she cared for. But Damian-- Marinette doesn’t know. She doesn't know whether what Damian has done can actually be described as bad. He was just trying to do what Batman told him to do. Keeping an eye on a threat. Marinette wonders how long he thought she was Hawkmoth. She wonders if he ever thought they were friends.

“I’m sorry too,” Marinette says, and shuts the trap door.

They’re both sorry for very different things.

#miraculous ladybug #dcu #mlb x dc #maribat #daminette #batfam #jason todd #bruce wayne #dick grayso #barbara gordon #sbgs #original content #adrien agreste #lila rossi #marinette dupain cheng #damian wayne

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backtothestart02 · 3 years

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Just Best Friends - 2/? | westallen fanfiction

A/N: So...I completely took out the Mardon side plot and everything Harrison Wells-related that was suspicious in 1x15. I'm all here for just the relationship dynamics and messy westallen. Enjoy! FYI: Most of this chap is just scenes from the ep expanded upon, so I hope you don't mind that. Happy reading!

...

Chapter 2 -

Eddie didn’t come home till late that night. Really late. Iris had gone to bed even, but the sound of him opening the door, his key in the lock, woke her from the in-and-out sleep she’d been experiencing. She expected him to come in and check on her, see if she was up, maybe tell her about his night and what had all gone on, if Barry had been of any help. She was sure he had. Maybe Eddie wouldn’t tell her that though. She had a gut feeling he wouldn’t.

At any rate, she expected him to at least come in the bedroom and say something.

He didn’t even try though. That’s when she knew that somehow she’d screwed up. He couldn’t just be tired. She heard him grab a beer from the fridge and collapse on the couch. She waited for him to come in to see her, but it never happened. She heard him sigh as he stretched out on the couch and kicked off his shoes.

She frowned and laid her head back on the pillow and waited. She waited a long time, long enough for her to get genuinely tired again and fall asleep.

When she woke up the next morning, he was gone.

There was no note, no breakfast even, nothing. She had definitely screwed up, and they needed to have a discussion pronto.

She went to work as usual, eyed Linda across the room and wondered if they would be as at odds as she and Eddie were. She focused as best she could on her work and made a point to head over to CCPD on her lunch break.

She found her dad, Barry, and Eddie all standing together. She easily hugged her dad and snuck in a nugget about wanting something to report about, but Eddie made a bee line for his desk as soon as she did, and she knew this couldn’t wait any longer. They had to talk.

Her dad and Barry made their exit, and she went straight to Eddie’s desk. Serious face on, reporter face even.

“Hey, ever since last night you’ve barely said a peep.” She took a seat on the side of his desk. “What is going on?”

“I didn’t like the way I felt watching you and Barry last night.”

At first she thought he was joking, and she cracked a grin…until it became obvious he wasn’t.

“Eddie, Barry, he’s just-”

“Like family.” He leaned forward. “I know.” He stood up. “And I know you two have a long history that predates me, but Iris, we live together. You’re my girlfriend, and someday hopefully, you’ll be more. I don’t like feeling like the odd man out every time you and Barry are together. I shouldn’t have to.”

“Eddie, Barry is always gonna be a part of my life.”

“I get that. But something’s changed between you two.”

I love you, Iris flashed before her eyes. Christmas. A confession that took her offguard. That still had her shaken to this day.

“Whatever that is,” he continued. “I am not okay with it.”

He moved past her, not attempting another word.

She sat there for a while, contemplating what he’d said and what it meant. Was he right? Had something changed between her and Barry? Did it have something to do with Barry’s confession? That had been weeks, if not months ago. It couldn’t still be affecting her like this. It shouldn’t. It wouldn’t.

She was determined to not let it. She could help whether it did or not…right?

Shaking the conversation off, she moved to leave the station. With her dad and Barry gone, along with Eddie, she had no intel for her stories and no one to eat lunch with. She might as well head back to CCPN and work through lunch. She could always snack on some food later after she’d made genuine progress.

Though how she was going to make things up to Eddie was still up in the air.

Nibbling on her bottom lip, she stepped into the elevator and rode it down to the ground floor. Then she swiftly stepped outside and headed back to Central City Picture News. One thing she could focus on was work. There was nothing she could do about Eddie right now.

…

In the car during their lunch break, Barry felt a feeling gnawing at him. Guilt? Angst? Depression? Elation? He didn’t know, but he knew he had to talk to someone about it, and with Iris the center of his thoughts, he knew Joe was his only option. His only nearby option at the moment at least. And really his best option if the past had proved anything.

“Food was good, Bear, thanks for that,” Joe said, oblivious as to what was on Barry’s mind.

“Yeah, no problem. Felt like…time.”

Joe smiled and nodded.

Barry wrapped his hand around the back of his head as they walked and Joe immediately shot him a glare, which Barry neglected to notice.

“What is it?” Joe drawled.

“What?” Barry asked, immediately letting his arm fall to his side. “Nothing. It’s…nothing.”

“Come on, Bear, it’s me. I know you’re in love with Iris. I know…” he lowered his voice. “You’re the Flash. You can talk to me.”

And he knew he could. He’d been planning on it. He was just nervous about what his answers or advice would be. He was nervous about the whole situation actually.

“All right,” he said reluctantly. “I could use some advice.”

“Lay it on me.”

“You know, just…relationship stuff.”

“Oh, like, you mean that girl, Linda?” he asked, seemingly knowing exactly what was on his mind.

“No, actually, um…” Things with her were great. As far as he knew. He worried about that for a beat. “Iris,” he clarified. “Things between us have gotten a little…complicated again.”

Joe started to laugh.

“You’re asking your adopted father for advice about being in love with his daughter, who just so happens to be dating his partner.”

Barry looked away, shaking his head. He’d known it would sound worse out loud. He’d known it. But he had to tell somebody!

“I know, I know.”

Joe couldn’t stop laughing.

“Things have gone way past complicated,” he chuckled.

Barry strode on full speed ahead.

“Sometimes me and Iris have these moments.” Flashes of the night before at the bowling alley suddenly appeared before him. Her hand on his face…and then some. “And, when I’m looking into her eyes, it’s hard not to think that she’s feeling the same way I am.”

Joe managed to put away his remaining laughter.

“Look, you already told Iris how you feel, so unless she comes out and says she feels the same way, all you can do is hold on to those moments.”

It wasn’t anything that he hadn’t expected, but he still didn’t like that advice.

“Right, yeah, I know.” He hung his head.

“I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.”

“It’s all right, Joe.” He forced a smile. “Really.”

…

At CCPN, Iris was in the middle of a report when she felt her eyes start to droop. She was badly in need of some caffeine. Luckily, the station kept some tanks on stock at all times. She got up and headed straight for them on the opposite side of the room.

There was someone else there. She didn’t recognize who it was at first, then it hit her like a sledgehammer, and she felt dread well up inside her.

“Linda.” Trying to push past the nasty feeling, she scrambled for something to say. “Last night was…fun.” Though based off the girl’s current reaction and Eddie’s earlier, she was starting to think only she and Barry had thought so.

“Mhmm,” Linda said, noncommittally.

“Oh, yeah.” She moved aside as Linda gestured to wanting something on the other end of the table she was unintentionally blocking. “Look, I just wanted to apologize…”

Linda raised her eyebrows in ironic amusement. Iris didn’t see it.

“Apologize…?” She let the question hang.

Damn, she was really going to make this hard, Iris thought. She braced herself for what would come next.

“Well, for interrupting your date with Barry.”

That was a safe apology…right?

“I…I shouldn’t have done that, and…I’m sorry.”

Linda shook her head in disbelief, the possessiveness she’d felt the night before taking hold again.

“You know, Iris, when you told me that Barry had feelings for you, I thought it was just the typical weird crap that women do to each other.”

Iris couldn’t find a response to that. It had been the truth.

“But last night I realized…what you didn’t tell me and what’s kind of irritating is that you have feelings for him too.”

She was quick to deny it.

“N-No, Linda, I mean, it’s not like that.”

Linda could not be dissuaded, however.

“One thing you’ll hear about people when you work here, Iris. It’s usually what isn’t said that’s the real story.”

Linda walked away from her, not even really a glance back as she returned to her desk. Guilt weighed heavy on Iris, as did frustration. First Eddie and now Linda? Maybe she should talk to Barry. Maybe he could clear all of this up for her. She couldn’t be the only one who didn’t see what their significant others were seeing. She and Barry had just acted…well, like them.

Right?

…

When Iris called later that afternoon, Barry had picked it up immediately. He was off work now, and besides, it was Iris. When she asked to meet him, he got even more excited. She sounded concerned on the phone, and he knew that should worry him, but for some reason it didn’t. He was just looking forward to the meeting, to her having reached out. Up until recently they hadn’t seen much of each other, so it was nice…for once.

They saw each other outside of Jitters and raised a hand to acknowledge the other’s presence. They came together and walked inside after their respective greetings, heading straight for the barista in the center of the coffee shop.

Barry leaned against the counter as their orders were made.

“So, it sounded like something was kinda bothering you on the phone. Is everything all right?”

Iris hesitated divulging everything she was feeling but decided to go straight for the plunge.

“Yeah, I mean…the other night was fun, right?”

“Yeah,” he said assuredly. “Did Eddie have a good time?”

“Yeah,” she said instantly, though from their latest conversation she knew it was the farthest thing from the truth. “Linda?”

He shrugged helplessly. He hadn’t talked to her since. He’d kind of forgotten about her until Joe brought her up actually.

“I think so.”

Uneasily, Iris sat down at a high table.

“You don’t think we were too…you know?”

Barry thought back to Iris’ finger in his mouth and her legs splayed across his spread-out ones, and his heart started to race.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. If anything, he wanted more, wish she’d have done more. Would she do more while they were together? Right now? He could barely control his heartbeat.

“Okay, good,” Iris said with a laugh.

God, what he wouldn’t give to bottle up that laughter and keep it forever. It was intoxicating to listen to.

Iris swallowed.

“Actually, no, not good.”

He frowned.

“What…do you mean?”

“Eddie has been skittish since last night. When I talked to him about it today, he…and well, Linda too actually-”

“Linda talked to you?” he asked, and she could hear the nerves in his voice.

“I started the conversation, apologized for interrupting your guys’ date.”

“You didn’t interrupt the date, Iris. Not really. I mean, we were both there. It was a double date. It was fun. It would’ve been more weird if we were right next to each other and not interacting. Trust me.”

She winced.

“Maybe…either way, after talking with Eddie, I felt like I had to apologize. And…”

“What did she say?” he cut in, unable to help himself.

She blew a lock out of her face.

“She thinks I have feelings for you, and she’s pissed about it.”

It took him a minute to respond, then finally…

“Oh.”

“Yeah…obviously it’s not true.”

“Right.”

“It’s just the way we act when we’re together.”

“Of course.”

“Eddie thinks something’s changed. And he doesn’t like it either.”

“I see.”

She caught a glance at him and saw how he wasn’t meeting her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be unloading on you. I definitely shouldn’t be venting to you about my relationship problems. You were the one who told me you were over me. This is probably really upsetting to you, and irritating. Just like Eddie and Linda.”

She started to get up. Barry was quick to reach for her hand and pull her back to the table.

“Hey, no, Iris, I’m your best friend. If you can’t tell me stuff, who can you tell?”

She looked at him a bit pathetically before biting her bottom lip, fighting for what she definitely shouldn’t be saying right now. She looked down at their hands and rubbed her thumb over his fingers.

“Thanks, Barry.”

His shoulders relaxed.

“Of course.”

“I just don’t know what to do. I love Eddie, and I respect your relationship with Linda. How do I prove to them something that they’re certain isn’t true?”

He shrugged helplessly.

“Maybe just give them time? You don’t work directly with Linda, do you? I could talk with her in the meantime, set things straight.”

“No, I don’t want to ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking me. I haven’t talked to her since last night. I’m sure one romantic night with her will put all of this to bed. Trust me.”

“And with Eddie? I live with him. I can’t just give him space. I refuse to let him sleep on the couch two nights in a row.”

“He slept on the couch last night?”

She nodded.

“I probably shouldn’t have told you that either.”

She put her head in her hands.

“God, I’m a mess.”

“Hey, no, you’re not.”

He rubbed her arms gently and she peeked through her fingers to look at him.

“Okay, maybe you’re a little bit of a mess.”

She scoffed.

“A lot bit,” she amended.

“Nah, def just a little bit.”

She snorted.

As much as he hated to suggest it, he put himself in the best friend shoes and forced the words out of his mouth.

“Why don’t you plan a romantic night with Eddie tonight too?”

She blinked. “Really?”

He nodded, forced a strained, “Yes.” He paused. “I mean, if it works for me and Linda, it should work for you two, right?”

“Right, yeah.”

She gripped both his hands and smiled gratefully.

“Thanks, Barry. I really appreciate it.”

He felt gutted, but he only nodded and smiled.

“Of course. Any time.”

#westallen #westallen fanfiction #backtothestart02 fanfiction #just best friends #chapter 2

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kylo-hen · 3 years

Text

The Milk Man

A/N Hello I wrote this while I was in a Sackler mood yesterday at like 4 am and its the first actual smut I’ve written so bare with me! There is quite a bit of build up because for some reason I love establishing characters. It’s also vaguely plus sized!reader but not strictly! Anyways, hope you enjoy & my inbox is always open for requests/feedback.

Adam Sackler x Reader

Summary: You run into an intense man in the dairy section in the dairy isle one Saturday Morning, and by Saturday Night he’s in your bed.

Warnings: SMUT! Spanking, name calling, Oral (F receiving), hair pulling, longer build up, and oat milk.

Living in New York has its odd challenges here and there. There aren’t dishwashers in unit, rent is the price of one’s soul, people were colder, and grocery shopping was a drag. This Saturday morning was supposed to be relaxing, no work, no designs, no awkward booty calls from dudes I met in the club a moth ago looking for some action. It was all looking up until I looked in my fridge and remembered the Wednesday ritual was pushed back because of a meeting.

With a groan I resigned myself to the reality that I would have to do some chores before I could allow myself the relaxing pamper day I deserved. Once I was out of my apartment, down a couple blocks, and at the grocery store I was relieved to know that on a Saturday morning it was pretty empty. Only a couple people that really just ignored each other as they passed in the cereal isle or the small produce section.

It was an overall normal trip until I made it to the dairy section. There in front of the large selection of milk stood, what I could only describe as, a smoldering giant hunched over a comedically small phone.

Usually in this kind of situation I would let them be, but he just happened to be in front of the only brand of Oat Milk I actually like, so it seemed like I would have to wait it out. This dude, however, was not one to mind social cues. After what felt like five minutes of awkwardly waiting off to the side for this dude to get the message and move on from the last bit of the store I needed before I could get on with my day, I decided he wouldn’t move without a nudge.

“Ehm,” I cleared my throat softly, hoping that would alert him to my presence, “Excuse me.” The man barely grunted, acknowledging I was there but continuing to frustratedly channel into whatever he was doing on his phone. “Excuse me?” I said louder, hoping to get a civil response.

“What the fuck do you want?” He finally snapped at me, actually turning to look at me. That was also the first time I was able to see him fully. The man was hot, I’ll give him that much. His tall frame matched by solid muscle, a tasteful amount of facial hair that suited the intense features, and now a scowl. A scowl that was presently pointed in my direction while I ogled at him. “What the fuck do you want?” he demanded again; this time much harsher. I took a step back, not really expecting this full-bodied giant to be yelling at me on a Saturday morning in the grocery.

“Fuck,” I muttered to myself trying to dip into some of my confidence I gained in the years living here and finding it much harder to let his anger flow off my skin as it usually does. “I’m- fuck- I just need some of the oat milk and you-“ I rambled on but stopped at the sound of a deep sigh from the man in front of me. “I’m sorry, I’ll just-“ I abruptly turned, figuring the milk wasn’t even worth it anymore. The experience spoiled any hopes for a peaceful day, and the faster I made it back to my apartment the faster I could wallow in the new mood crashing over me.

“Wait, shit!” I heard from behind me before I felt two large hands brace my shoulders. One thing the man didn’t expect was for my self defense lessons to kick in the second he grabbed me. I swung my elbow into his stomach, well because of his height it ended up being more of an elbow to the man’s balls. As I turned and backed away from him, I noticed in his hands he had the milk I was looking at earlier. Shit fuck fucking shit fuck! He was trying to give me the fucking milk!

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry fuck, shit!” I moved to help him stand up, his face beet red a twisted up as he processed the pain, I unintentionally put him in.

“Fuuuck,” he groaned out while he took some deep breathes, “I, fuck you’re a good shot… I just wanted to give you the fuckin’ milk.” He muttered out, still mostly bent over. Guilt washed over me in waves. I just attacked the poor guy trying to give me milk, even if he yelled at me earlier. Fuck, I can’t believe I just did that. My body heated up in shame, burning from the inside out, hoping that I could just melt within my own skin. The day only getting worse by the minute, I prayed that I would get to my apartment in peace so I wouldn’t cause any more damage.

“I’m so fucking sorry,” I said again, not being able to emphasize it enough, as he began to recover more and more, and stand taller but not his full height, “Thank you for the milk.” I said still feeling the dark pungent shame in my chest. As he stood up more and more, he handed me the milk.

“Don’t-“ he breathed sharply, still regaining his footing after being in pain, “Don’t apologize kid.” He muttered the name out at me and I wondered how old he was suddenly, or how young I looked trembling in the middle of the grocery store. “I was a dick.” He breathed and straightened fully, towering over me.

“No, no, “ I denied his apology, shocked that he wasn’t pissed anymore, “I shouldn’t just go around attacking people, you didn’t deserve that.” I took the milk that I realized he was trying to give me still.

“Nah, don’t sweat it kid,” again with the fucking nickname, oddly enough it lit a fire in me somewhere I hadn’t felt in years. “I should’ve known better than to just grab a lady.” He smiled at me, chuckling at his own joke and I smiled with him. His moods sending me for a bit of a loop, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle myself.

“I still feel bad,” I admitted to him, he tilted his head curiously, “could I get you a cup of coffee or something?” I offered, hoping that he wouldn’t be too offended by the offer. Something about this man was drawing me in, his effect leaving me wanting more and more. What the hell is going on with me today?

“Oh, I don’t drink coffee.” He stated, rejecting me bluntly and with that statement. The shame bubbled hire a fire burning in my cheeks whether he can see it or not I was embarrassed. Another time I put myself out there, thinking I read a situation one way, and it going very differently. My eyes suddenly very interested at the floor rather than the attractive man before me. “Shit,” he muttered to himself, “Not, I don’t drink coffee but maybe we could get lunch or some shit?” he offered with a cocky smile.

My eyes snapped up to meet his, a warm feeling that for once wasn’t shame flooded my veins, I smiled at him in return, “Yeah we can get lunch and shit.” I replied easily, proud of myself for regaining some of that confidence I usually held. But then I remembered where we were, and that I had a cart full of groceries I needed to get home, it seemed he was coming down in the same way. “Actually…” I trailed off, not knowing his name.

“Adam.” He answered and shook the milk carton playfully in lou of my hand, “Adam Sackler.” His crooked teeth poking out through his smile making my heart pound faster in my chest.

“Adam,” I hummed, testing out the way his name felt on my lips. It felt like they were always meant to say his name. “Since you don’t drink coffee, which seems sac religious to me,” I allowed myself to flirt with him, testing the water, “And I’ve got a shit ton of groceries to put away, what about dinner tonight?” I asked.

He laughed, unabashedly checking me out, my chest tightened hoping he liked what he saw, “Fuck yeah, dinner sounds great.” He replied confidently, boosting my confidence.

“Alright Sackler, it’s a date.”

After exchanging numbers, into his comically outdated flip phone, we decided to meet at the grocery store before dinner. I rushed home to clean my apartment, a girl can be hopeful, and get ready for any outcome of the date. It had been months since any person had given me any romantic indication, dating apps had long since run dry and I was tired of having to explain my size to people before they met me. Rarely after meeting someone, in real life, had they shown as much interest that Adam has shown me in the last hour. That meant I was hopeful and hope was a dangerous game for a girl like me.

By the time it came to meet up with Adam I was a nervous wreck. My brain kept trying to convince me of the worst-case scenarios as I made the walk to meet up with him. All of those thoughts seemed to fade to black when I saw him. He was dressed casually, as I was as well, in a pair of dark wash jeans and a white t-shirt. He smiled when he saw me approaching, he perked up from where he was leaning and met me halfway.

“Sorry if I’m late, there was a man trying to save the turtles outside my apartment and I’ve already out run him twice so he’s out for blood.” I joked when he was finally close enough to me. He laughed at my ice breaker, and I thanked all the powers at play that he had a sense of humor, he was shaping up to be quite a catch as long as his mood stayed up.

“Don’t sweat it kid, I got here early anyways. Fuckin’ in my bones at this point with acting and shit.” He grumbled the last bit as he flailed his arms about. An actor? I’d never actually been on a date with an actor before, I mean with there being globs of them in the city for Broadway and whatnot. I always assumed they were stuck up about looks, and if anyone could be Adam was definitely a hot enough actor to be picky.

“You’re an actor?” I asked coyly, hopefully digging deeper into the mysterious moody man. “Yeah, also do some other shit.” He answered vaguely which only drew me in deeper to the mystery of this man. Who the fuck is he? And why the fuck is he so hot? “I know this diner just a couple blocks that way, does that sound good?” He asked considerately, and in that moment, I swear I could marry him.

“Fuck yeah, I know exactly what you’re talking about, Lou’s is a fucking gem.” He responded with a grin, wide and unabashed, that made my heart flutter. But even when I made my way that direction, he kept his gaze on me, not in a creepy way but in a refreshing way. He acted like if he didn’t take all of me in now, that I would disappear forever, or that I would have been a figment of his mind. When I looked back at him a moment of sadness crossed his features, maybe it wasn’t sadness, maybe it was fear. He looked so young for just a split second, and I saw him, I really saw him.

So instead of saying anything I simply reached out and offered my hand, and he grabbed it. With that we began walking back in the direction of my apartment on the way to the diner, and throughout the walk we talked about meaningless things like the mean lady that lives in his building to his morning run routine. I kept it light, trying to stay away from sticky topics before we sat down, but I also wanted to actually know who I was going out with.

Once we were seated, the games began. Adam and I ordered before we got into a grittier subject matter but instead of just asking, Adam wanted to make it more fun. So, like middle school girls at a sleepover, Adam suggested we play truth or dare.

“Truth.” I stated with no hesitation, what could he even dare me to do right now? It’s not like anything juicy could happen while we were in public.

“Oh, come on, you scared of what I could dare you to do?” He taunted at me, still flashing his signature crooked grin.

“I’m giving you an opportunity to ask me whatever you want Sackler, use it wisely.” I goaded him testing his waters, watching his reaction to see if he was game. His eyes trailed down to my shirt. Bingo, he’s interested.

“Alright Kid, when was the last time you got laid?” He went straight out of the gate with a sexual question. The longer I spend with him the more apparent it becomes that Sackler might be a little sexually deviant, that thought only escalated the fire burning in my belly.

“It’s been about six months since I got laid,” I started, “But about a year since I actually, let’s say, enjoyed getting laid.” I clarified, feeding into the building sexual tension.

“Hmm, that’s a crime,” he responded, trailing his eyes over every part of me visible across the booth, “They should be punished for leaving a woman like you unsatisfied.” He murmured, leaning forward tracing a finger along one of my hands placed on the table. Every light touch, even if it looked innocent, felt dirty and drenched in the want I had for this man.

“Truth or dare Sackler?” I angled my torso to him so he could see down my shirt, I could see his reaction, his eyes start to glaze over, his mouth open, ready. I had never been with a man so openly affected by me and at every move I took the opportunity to tease him.

“Fuck, Truth.” He said, not really paying attention to what he responded with but more paying attention to the parts of myself I was revealing to him.

“What do you think of me Adam?” I asked softly, some could even say sensually, as I retracted my hand and my body, ripping away the points of contact that he was latching to physically and visually. He suddenly retreated his stance as well, looking me in the eyes to see a knowing smile already dancing across my features. He groaned playfully, knowing he played right into my hands.

“Fuck, kid, what do I think of you?” He asked redundantly, “For starters I think you’re the biggest fucking tease and if we weren’t in public right now, I’d put you over my knee and punish you.” He began, speaking in a low threatening tone. Every word, every syllable, every fucking letter sent a shockwave to my core, shaking my resolve and tumbling every other instinct down. I let a soft delicate whimper, only loud enough for him to hear, pass my lips as I closed my eyes and leaned my head back to take in what else he was saying. “You’re a tease, but you’re also fuckin’ gorgeous.” I snapped my head open, not expecting a real genuine compliment from the sexual haze we were in.

“What?” it slipped out of my lips before I could really do anything about it.

“Kid,” he began, by putting his hand on top of mine and staring so far into my soul I felt like I was naked in front of him, “You’re so fucking beautiful, like I- I saw you this morning and fuck I think you might actually be perfect and fuck! Like even if you’re not, you’re better than that.” He said and I couldn’t remember the last time I had ever felt like this, maybe never. He was so different, and intense, but funny, and God I want to sleep with this man, but I also want to cook dinner with him and see how he likes his eggs, or what his favorite book is, and who hurt him. I want him, and he wants me.

“Thank you,” I began, getting a bit shyer under the smoldering chestnut eyes, “I don’t think anyone has ever called me gorgeous before, or if they have, I can’t remember.” I explained, trying to brush it off as a joke, but he doubled down.

“They must be blind kid, or stupid.” He chuckled to himself, “Probably fuckin’ both.” He smiled, and I smiled back, bursting at the seams, but before I could respond our waitress came with our food.

The spell we were under before we got food was somewhat broken when we were eating, returning to the more casual atmosphere, talking about our jobs and whatnot. He was really interested in knowing more about my job which made me feel almost as special as before the food came, but I kept it to surface details for now. Adam had a lot of weird habits from what I could tell, he cursed like a sailor, and he got super intense then switched back to normal out of nowhere. Yet, despite all the odd facts this man drew me in every time he opened his mouth, he had me on the edge of my seat constantly. Throughout the meal I couldn’t help but wonder, what’s going to happen next?

When we both finished our meals the tension from before began to seep back into the conversation in doses. By the time the waitress returned with the check it was pretty clear Adam was ready to get out of there, and I wasn’t much farther behind. While Adam went to fish for his wallet, I threw enough cash out on the table to cover both meals, not wanting to linger for change. Adam looked like he was going to protest, but I just offered my hand out to him.

“I asked you out,” I explained, leading him out of the restaurant and back on the sidewalk. “Its only polite I pay since I invited you out.” I turned to him and realized he was much closer to me than expected. He took a step closer to me and his long shaggy hair began to cover his face.

“I guess I’ll just get it next them then kid.” He offered with a smile and I looked away, feeling an excitement bubble through me for more. “We never did finish our game.” He said not teasing anymore, I looked at him and pondered for a moment before answering his unspoken question.

“Dare.” I said confidently this time, leaving him to smirk down at me in pride. He puffed up his chest and moved even closer. He leaned in like he was going to kiss me but just before he allowed our lips to finally meet, he stopped.

“I dare you to kiss me.” His gruff tone sending my nerves haywire, a chill running down my spin at the command. His eyes darker than I had seen them, only balanced by the smirk on his lips daring me, goading me to follow through. The final straw was the sensation of his hands settling heavily on my waist, keeping me steady and sure as I surged forward and planted my lips on his.

From there he wasted no time gaining access to my mouth and invading each of my senses one by one.

Touch; the feeling of his tongue languidly pushing against mine, fighting a war for dominance and winning without hesitation. His hands finding themselves roaming over every point of my body, and mine deeply nestled in his hair.

Sight; the possibilities of what comes next floating by in my head in vivid detail. The sheer number of ways this encounter could finish, all unbelievably tempting.

Sound; the deep velvet groan from his dulcet tones when I tugged on his chestnut locks, the whimper that snuck out of my mouth when his hands made home on my backside.

Smell; the dark woodsy pine notes of his cologne mixed the sweet vanilla of my perfume creating an intoxicating scent.

Taste; nothing I’ve had in my life could compare to the taste of Adam on my tongue, the feeling of wholeness only grew. My wanting grew with it, wondering if Adam tastes good now, what other perverse acts would taste even better.

Eventually the heated kiss broke, and the depths of Adam’s eyes told me everything I needed to know in that moment. “My apartment is just a block that way.” I spoke breathlessly, pointing behind us in the direction the night would take place. He threw his head back with a groan, a sight that sent shockwaves of anticipation through my body and to my center. He nodded his head furiously.

“Fuck yeah kid, lets go.” He spoke, pulling me along with my hand to head in the direction of my apartment. By the time we made outside my apartment and pulled out my keys Adam sprung into action, pulling my back to meet his front allowing me to feel the full effect I’ve had on him throughout the night. His errection dug itself into the curve of my behind and suddenly I realized just what I would be dealing with for the night. Adam Sackler is fucking hung.

His kisses trailed up my neck, his hips grinding into my body and the noises he was making were borderline pornographic. The task of opening my door was lost as I allowed myself to lean back into the pleasure, he was giving me. His hand trailed down my arm slowly as he sucked on a particular spot behind my ear that made my knee buckle in bliss. His hand wrapped around mine, that was still holding the keys, and raised it to the door.

“If you don’t unlock that door now, I’ll fuck you in the hallway.” He threatened, no doubt in my mind he would follow through with the threat. I quickly refocused on getting my key in the door and getting this man inside.

As soon as the door was shut, he had me pressed against it, mouth pushing against my own once again, but now his hand travelled under my shirt kneading my breasts in his large sturdy hands. I reached, clawing at his shirt to come off as he unclasped my bra from the back, which only succeeded in turning me on. Once his shirt was removed, he made quick work of mine, stopping only to marvel at the sight of my topless body. He stared for just a moment too long, doubt flooded my veins and my throat tightened at another failed encounter where someone didn’t like what they saw.

Just as I resigned myself to my own fate, reaching down for my shirt, Adam took both of my wrists and pinned them above my head. Once again pushing me against the door and pinning me from any other means of movement.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he demanded with a dark grit in his voice I had not heard before, his fire like anger only lighting the fire of hope in my belly once more.

“I thought,” I started and as soon as I began to speak, he ground his erection into my core, effectively beginning my decent into madness. “Fuck, Adam that feels good!” I cried out rather than explain myself.

“Come on little girl,” He teased breathlessly into my ear, obviously enjoying the act as much as I did, “Explain yourself to me.” He spit out all that came out of my mouth in return was a needy whimper and shuttered breath. It set my body on fire, turned my bones to jelly as he shifted to hold my weight for me.

“I- fuck- I thought you didn’t like it.” I said softly, simply as the pleasure built with every thrust of his hips against mine. My back arched as he slowed to a stop, my eyes shooting open to see him looking down at me with furrowed brows.

“You thought I didn’t like your pretty little tits huh?” he looked down at me, and I nodded softly, shyly up at him and his eyes softened slightly. He made the move to prop me up against the wall and move his body down. He kissed his way from my jaw down to my chest, finally settling with both his hands caressing my breasts. “You have,” He punctuated it with a small suck on my chest leaving a hickey a few centimeters above the nipple, “The most,” He took his sweet time worshiping every square inch of my chest, “Glorious tits I’ve ever fucking seen.” Finishing it off with an intense attachment to my nipple that sent earthshattering shockwaves throughout my body from the first real contacted pleasure Adam had given me all night.

“Please, baby girl,” he murmured against my tits as he moved further down my body, “Let me eat your sweet little pussy.” He spoke, the dirty message matched only by the lewd and carnal tone he spoke with. Before he could anywhere with my pants, I took his hands and began leading them to my bedroom, which wasn’t too far away.

He followed like a lost puppy trailing its owner, looking at me with wide and hungry eyes, taking in every movement my body made. As soon as I laid back in the bed, he made quick work of my pants, pulling them off with my underwear in one swoop. I let him handle me however he wanted and he moved with swift expertise that had my core drenched by the time he was done.

With his hands stabilizing my hips, keeping them pinned to the bed, he sat between my legs admiring the sight laid out before him. He smirked at my disheveled appearance, trying desperately to hold on to my sanity and he hasn’t even laid his hands on me. Suddenly his tongue was on me, taking one long stride of my core before focusing on my clit.

“Fuck yes!” I shuttered out when he brushed his tongue in a zig-zag on my clit before detaching with a sadistic chuckle. He explored every part of me, places no man had ever considered now have me careening towards the pit of bliss at lightning speeds. He took his time prodding at my hole while swiping his nose at my clit and in that moment, I swore no one was better at this than Adam fucking Sackler. My hands twirled themselves into his hair tugging harshly, making him pause for his own pleasure. Only then did I notice his gyrations on the mattress himself, which sent my mind into an overdrive of pride and arousal.

“Your pussy tastes so sweet for me baby girl.” He hummed smugly into my pussy, the vibrations bringing me that much closer to the edge. He looked up at me, watching me fall apart as he brought his hand to my entrance working in a finger, beginning to stretch me out for him. “Your pussy’s tight, that for me?” He spoke, knowing I was way too close to orgasm for me to respond with anything but whimpers of his name mixed with any expletive that comes to mind.

“Adam,” I called out, tightening my hands in his hair, trying to signal him for more. “Please!” I cried out, his pace slowing to a teasing momentum before he added another finger without warning. My head tilted back, losing all sense but the sense he was feeding me through his ministrations. I was teetering a dangerous ledge and with every thrust of his fingers he brought me to the edge. He took one last thrust of his fingers hitting the deepest part of me, paired with his tongue swiping my clit and the damn burst within me.

Euphoria was flooding my system; I was floating in orgasmic bliss surrounded by nothing by the feeling of Adam bringing me through my haze and the smell of sex mixed with his cologne. After what felt like a lifetime of bliss, I felt him begin to kiss his way back up my body, taking special care of my stomach, sucking hickeys along the way.

“You’re so good at that.” I murmured, still coming down from my high. He chuckled into my neck before coming up to my face and planting a big kiss on my lips. I immediately responded, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and bringing him flush to my own body. I could taste myself on his lips, his facial hair still coated in a layer of my cum, which only added to the kiss. “Adam, I need you to fuck me.” I said as I broke the kiss. His eyes lighting up again like in the living room, he moved away from me to finally take off his pants.

“Condom?” He asked as he stood in his boxers, outlining his prominent erection pulsating in need. I only shook my head, moving to the edge of the bed where he stood to palm him over his boxers.

“I’m on the pill.” I whispered seductively in his ear, he nearly doubled over in pleasure once the statement registered in his brain. He wasted no time taking my hips and twisting me around so I was on all fours before him. A deep feeling of butterflies reverberated in my stomach as I arched back into the hands he planted on my ass. He let himself groan at the sight of me before him once again, this time he had his hand moving over his thick cock.

He rubbed the head of his dick over my pussy before catching it at my hole and pushing forward. The sting of him stretching me was not lost on him as he braced himself around me, caging me into his dick. He hissed as I clenched around him, trying to accommodate the difference. “Fuck your pussy’s so fucking tight you’re gonna squeeze me out.” He gritted out through clenched teeth, waiting for my signal to go ahead. His dirty comment only helped relax me, sending me spiraling in euphoria.

“Adam, I need you to move.” I whined out, desperate for the friction he was made to bring me. He pushed farther and farther in until he was buried at the hilt. Both of us shuddered out, he filled me to the brim, his body made for mine in ways I had never felt before. Suddenly he pulled back and slammed back in with a deliberate force, landing perfectly on my G-spot. I cried out his name, the only thing I could remember at this point.

“Yeah, yeah that’s it,” He praised my squeals of pleasure, “Say my name you fucking whore.” He spit out making my pussy clench around him in absolute pleasure. The way his hips slammed against mine, the way his hands groped at the cheeks of my ass, mixed with the things coming out of his mouth sent me into another dimension. “You like that you little slut? You like when I call you dirty little names?” He prompted me, adding a harsh slap to my ass to punctuate his thrusts.

“Yes!” I cried out, burying my head into the sheets, letting Adam have his way with me exactly how he wanted. “Yes, I love being your little slut! Fuck!” He landed another spank, jolting me forwards on his cock. He retaliated by taking charge with my hips once more, grunting out insults mixed with praise.

“Are you gonna cum? You gonna cum on my fucking cock you whore?” He stopped his thrusts, teasing me and my climax fading. “If you want to cum on my cock, fuck yourself on it.” He demanded, his hands kneading and soothing the damage he caused my backside already. I began rocking back on his dick, creating a similar rhythm to before. The harsh slaps echoed around the room and the lewd situation escalated my frenzy. “That’s its little slut, you’re fucking yourself so well.” He lost himself in the pleasure of it all, meeting my thrusts halfway.

“Adam,” I moaned out, feeling the same euphoric anticipation building in my gut, I escalated the force trying to push myself to the place of bliss. “Adam, I’m going to cum!” I announced feeling the cliffs edge building and building. His hands trailing up my back and grabbing a fist full of my hair and pulling me flush against his chest, changing the angle so he was pushing deeper inside me.

“Cum for me little slut.” He commanded, another hand wrapping around me to rub my clit in time with his thrusts. The bubble built higher and higher until I felt myself release for the second time that night. His thrusts continued, faltering as my body spasmed in absolute satisfaction, his grunts of pleasure travelling into my ear as he chases his own high.

As his hips begin to falter their rhythm, he pushed into me for one last time before he let go and painted my insides with the ropes of his cum, marking me from the inside out. He wrapped his arms around me, collapsing us both on the bed, his cock still inside me, beginning to soften as he spoons me from behind. Our highs collectively lower and he is left trailing small kisses on the back of my neck and shoulder.

“Where have you been all my life?” I joked once the atmosphere was returning to normal. He chuckled out, squeezing me into his chest even if I didn’t necessarily fit, and shifted his hips away from mine for the first time slipping out of me.

He moved to look at me properly before saying, “Brooklyn.”

A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought, my inbox is always open!

#adam sackler #adam sackler x reader #fluff & smut #smut #slow-ish burn #The Milk Man #Girls HBO #adcu #reader insert

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justanotherpersonsuniverse · 4 years

Text

Something Old, Something New, of Moments Borrowed, and the Feelings for You

So, this was inspired by the additional angst/post-akuma idea you added to my second Chloe Couffaine AU idea dump about Chlobrinix. I decided to turn it into a full scene with a bit of a happier ending (sorry couldn’t resist). Hope you enjoy 😊.

“So…” Chloe’s voice hung like whisper in the cold air of the abandoned roof of the museum. The night sky was all but a blanket of clouds as the world seemed content to drown itself in silence. The only warmth lay in a few cups of warm Dupain-Cheng brewed Coffee and two bodies just barely clinging to consciousness. “Time travel huh?”

Alix let out an ugly snort as she couldn’t hold in the sheer absurdity of the statement. Taking in a deep chug of coffee she leaned back and let her eyes wander to her companion.

“I guess I’m still dealing with seeing myself.” Chloe continued. She took a slow measured sip of her own coffee. “The quantum mechanics… I can deal with those surprisingly enough. Perks of secretly being a nerd. The other me though…”

“She wasn’t all bad you know.” Alix spoke.

“Never said she was. I’m not exactly clean either. That hate, that anger, its familiar. Without an outlet it makes sense that I could wind up like that. At least she had you.”

“Yeah… She did…”

“And you had her…”

At that Alix finally broke down and the tears flowed. Chloe latched on to her and the two held each other, pulling so that the weight of the world couldn’t drag them any further. No fear of flapping wings or the vulnerable cores of their souls.

“Can… Can you tell me about her?” Chloe whispered, gently rubbing the back of Alix’s palm.

“You saw what the akuma showed.”

“I want to hear your words. I want you to tell the story of your Chloe. She was a part of your world and she was a part of you.” Gently Chloe reached for the chain hidden just beneath Alix’s collar, a stunning gold that lead to simple heart shaped locket. “From the start you’ve been my closest friend, and what hurts most isn’t that you had a whole other life I didn’t know about, it’s that I can see the pain in your eyes and I can’t do anything about it.” She flicked open the locket and revealed the photo of the other Chloe and Alix together, with Chloe placing an over dramatic kiss on Alix’s cheek, and Alix with the brightest of smiles.

Alix couldn’t shake the sad smile that erupted from the small reminder of the captured moment, and so she began her tale. She spoke of the girl all alone in her golden tower, her heart just as locked away as she was. She spoke of the stollen moments in dinner parties, of moments with discarded masks and basking in the simple joys. She spoke of dark influences and hitting rock bottom before reaching even a shred of light. And She spoke of the long road and walking side by side as they made their way towards better tomorrows.

“You two really loved each other huh?” Chloe asked.

Alix could only nod at that, still too raw from telling the story.

“Did… did you ever think of changing things back? Getting her back…”

“At first…” Alix spoke, her voice still a bit raspy. “But I learned a long time ago that leads to worse problems.”

“Your Mom?” Chloe asked, a bit hesitant to open another wound.

Alix winced a bit, but nodded nonetheless.

“What else changed your mind?” Chloe asked, partly to move past the painful topic and partly out of her own curiosity.

Alix laughed at that, an honest laugh. She looked at Chloe like the answer was obvious, like it was written in the universal language of the universe itself.

“You did” Alix replied, enjoying the subtle shock in her companion’s face. “All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, and for all the pain you’ve lived through, I have never seen a Chloe as happy and confident in themselves than you. My Chloe suffered behind a mask. She fought her way to redemption with everything she had but she could never completely move past the scars. She was never FULLY free.” She grabbed Chloe’s hand and squeezed it tight “How could I ever say I loved her if I let her go back to that. How can I say I love you, without admiring all the ways you’ve learned to shine on your own?”

“Alix… I… I can’t just say it back…”

“I know” Alix said as she wiped away a few more tears. “One of the things that made me fall for the new you was your honesty. You don’t say anything you don’t-

“I wasn’t finished yet.” Chloe interrupted. “I can’t say those words… not yet at least.”

“I-I’m sorry but did you just? I think I’ve had too much caffeine.” Alix scrambled to get up but was stopped when Chloe caught her and held her in place. Placing her palms on Alix’s cheeks she gently forced the shorter girl’s eyes to meet her own. “Chloe please… I can’t have hope. I’m not strong enough to have it taken away twice.”

“Alix this isn’t a trick, and I swear to you I’m not trying to just make you feel better. I can’t tell you I love you until the day I know for sure. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything there. You’re my best friend for a reason and I can’t imagine a world without you in it.

“What about Sabrina? I’ve seen the way you look at her. The flirting you throw at her. As much as I want you, I’m not some home wrecker. You two deserve to be happy.”

“I really do like Sabrina, that hasn’t changed. If I’m being completely honest, she’s a lot closer to those words, even if only because I’ve actually had the time to process my feelings for her. But who said that the story has to end with someone being unhappy? Who says you have to lose everything because some fuck up in the time stream said so? You told me the thing you admired most about your Chloe was that she once she truly set her mind to something she didn’t stop. Well I’m fucking Chloe ‘Ryka’ Couffaine and not even the god damned universe is going to tell me that I can’t choose how MY story goes. I… I… RRRRAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!”

Alix could only stare in shock at the honest to god roar that Chloe unleashed. A swarm of pigeons fleeing at the disruption. It took Chloe a few moments to calm down as steam practically radiated off of her form.

“Fuck. Those side effects get annoying sometimes.” Seeing the still gaping face Alix was making Chloe couldn’t resist the smirk “Right, I’m guessing your Chloe wasn’t the Dragon Holder. I’d have you meet Loong but he’s chilling with the other Kwamis tonight. Today took a lot out of more than just us.”

“Fuck! Of course you’re the dam dragon! Who else could pull off the shit you do while suited up? You have any other bombshells you want to drop on me tonight?”

“Just this. You, me, and Sabrina… the three us are a team in just about every sense of the word. We always have each other’s backs, and I like to think we all help each other be better people. Hell, we’re so used to each other I don’t think anyone else would have taken that reveal as well. The kind of trust we have in each other is why I quite frankly don’t give a fuck that you know I’m one of the ‘heroes.’ I can’t speak for Sabrina, but I have pretty good hunch she feels the same way. Plus, you can’t deny you think she’s cute as hell too.” Alix could only blush at that. “We’ve done everything else together so… who is to say we can’t take that step together too.”

“You really mean that? You want all three of us to just what? All date each other?”

“Fuck it. Why not. Not like we don’t already get some odd looks when we’re all together.”

“Shit… well… I’m willing to try if you are.”

Chloe’s smile shined bright and for a moment she could have sworn she was looking at the old chloe, an echo just out of reach offering one last moment, before snapping back to reality as she was embraced. She couldn’t help but think the hug felt even warmer than before, like some forgotten puzzle piece finally slid into place.

“Come on” Chloe said. “Let’s crash for the night. I think we have a long talk with a certain red-head planned for tomorrow.”

The stars had begun to break through of the cloudy night sky, but as far as both girls were concerned, there was something far brighter on the horizon.

———

O h f u c ckcck fuck

That was fucking amazing;; shit;

#chlolix #chlobrina #chloe bourgeois #alix kubdel #chloe couffaine au #WHAT THE FUCK DUDE #THAT WAS AMAZINF #writing #thisd make a good fic #a ton of foreshadowing #about alix #how the timeline is a little fucked #aND THEN BOOM REVEAL #thanm you so much this is amazing #ether-solrac #submission

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sparkleofpizza · 5 years

Text

Boyfriend - Damian Wayne x reader

A/n: Hey guys! I decided it would be cool and a bit challenging to write imagines based on songs, every time I listen to a song and I really pay attention to the lyrics I tend to create a scenario in my head thinking about where the musician must’ve gotten the experience from. So I hope you like it! Thank you <3

Requested: no

Warnings: make out sessions, jealousy, based on Ariana Grande's song

Summary: You ain't my boyfriend and I ain't your girlfriend, but you don't want me to see nobody else and I don't want you to see nobody

Word count: 1.561

“They can’t know.” He whispered in your ear, planting kisses all over your neck “It has to be our little secret.”

You nodded your head, gripping on his dark hair. You bit on your lower lip to prevent a moan from escaping your mouth as he nibbled on your soft spot, the one he had discovered and for that he was going to be forever proud of, of being the first on to have ever touched you like that, to be the only one to touch you like that.

It was always like this, locked doors and whispers. Damian Wayne insisted on keeping your relationship a secret, although it wasn’t really a relationship. You weren’t his girlfriend and he wasn’t your boyfriend. But you always found your back to each others arms.

The two of you had met almost a year ago, in a very unusual and odd way. You’ve been hiding in an alley after almost had been mugged, too scared to move until your brother came to pick you up. Sitting in the dark it was hard for anyone to see you, so that’s how Damian didn’t see you when he crouched behind a dumpster to change into his Robin uniforme. He whipped his head when he heart a soft what the fuck coming from his left.

He was beyond annoyed that his secret had been uncovered by a silly mistake of his, and was worried you might spill to other people so he decided to keep a close eye on you, not really trusting you when you said his secret was safe with you. What he didn’t expect was to actually enjoy your company and getting to the level of relationship you two were currently at.

No one knew about you. No one except Jon of course, he was Damian’s best friend and was the only person he confided to. He would always say:

“You should just ask her to be your girlfriend. Eventually she will get tired of all this hiding and no reassurance.”

But Damian would always deny his friend’s ideia, stating that you would be safer that way. He couldn’t risk letting the others know about you, no one could know you even were friends. He was too terrified that you would end up getting hurt, caught up in the middle of something you shouldn’t. He knew it was better this way and he was beyond happy to know you were ok with it.

Or so he thought.

After almost five months of hiding in the shadows and broom closets, you started to wonder if maybe he was ashamed of you. You weren’t that rich, your family only had enough money to allow you to live comfortably, but not do much luxury things like going out to eat every Sunday or whenever anyone didn’t feel like cooking, or expansive trips. You didn’t have many friends, the ones you had were very loyal and the best you could ever ask for, but you weren’t popular or gorgeous like the other girls around school, the ones that crushed him very hard and wasn’t ashamed to show it. You didn’t have any fighting skills, or superpowers like his girl friends from outside the school, you didn’t even know self defense, for God’s sake. Maybe, if you were a bit more like those other girls, he would ask you to be his girlfriend, he would want to show you to the world. It hurt to know not even his friends knew about you, and jealousy ate you alive, you didn’t want to see him with anybody else, but at the same time you were so tired of everything you just wanted to end things.

You figured that maybe it wouldn’t hurt to finally allow your best friend to hook you up with that cute and nice boy from Arts. You and Damian weren’t official, it wasn’t even actually real, so you weren’t doing anything wrong. From as far as you knew, he could have affairs with other girls too that you didn’t even know about.

You ain't my boyfriend And I ain't your girlfriend But you don't want me to see nobody else And I don't want you to see nobody

What you didn’t expect was for it to turn out into a full blown up argument in your house on one Friday evening. Your parents and brother were at work so you had the house all to yourself on that day, and Damian knew it. He came over to visit you and overheard your conversation on the phone with your best friend about Arts boy. The fight ended up with you crying and him hugging you, wiping away your tears and telling you sweet things in your ear. That lead to a full make out session on your couch, making up for the fight.

Even though you ain't mine I promise the way we fight Make me honestly feel like we just in love

Damian didn’t know what was that weird feeling on his chest. He was afraid that Arts boy was going to pull you out of his life, he couldn’t lose you. You weren’t his, but damn, he didn’t want you to touch nobody else.

He was losing you, he knew that. Jon’s words never made so much sense in his life. Damian didn’t care about anything else at the moment, he was just trying to figure out a way to keep you in his life and keeping you safe at the same time. His brothers started to notice his weird atitude and how he would zone out for long periods of time, and then act as if nothing had happened, so they took it upon themselves to investigate to figure out what was going on.

When the three brothers started digging, they expected a lot of things, but definitely not what they found. A girl. Damian Wayne was suffering because of a girl. So they did what any good brother would do, they cornered him and made him tell everything before saying they would help him out, giving some advice.

I wanna kiss you, don't wanna miss you But I can't be with you 'cause I got issues

“You’re being irrational.” Tim said, pushing away his cup of coffee, showing how serious he was about the subject at hand “And all you’re doing is pushing her further way.”

“As if you know anything about relationships, Drake.” Damian snapped

“Replacement is right.” Jason agreed “Your words of reassurance don’t mean anything when you keep acting as if she means nothing.”

“Can’t any of you see that I’m doing this keep her safe?! I don’t want her caught up in the middle of our other world, if something happens to her because of me, I would...”

Dick cut him off “Can’t you see that if people actually know she’s with you she will be safer? Dami, right now you are the only one looking out for her because you’re the only one that knows about her, but you can’t be around 24/7. If we, the Titans, other people know they can look after her too, ensuring her safety when she’s out on the streets, keeping an eye at her apartment to make sure there are no break ins. Being in the shadows is worse.”

He didn’t expect his brothers to actually give good advice and that kept him thinking up all night.

You were on the hallway, putting some stuff away inside your locker. Today you were going out on your first date with Arts boy, you weren’t as exited as you feel when you have a secret date with Damian, but still didn’t know what was holding on for the night.

“Good morning, beloved.” Damian wished, placing a hand under your chin to lift up your head until your lips touched briefly

“I- um... What?” You asked confused, did he just called you what he usually calls you when it’s just the two of you and kissed you in front of everyone? “What are you doing?”

“Kissing my girlfriend a good morning.” He replied, smoothing some hair away from your face

“But I’m not your girlfriend and you’re not my boyfriend.”

“You can be mine and I can be yours if you want. I’m tired to sneaking in the shadows, I want everyone to know where together, that we belong to each other. I am in love with you, and I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that you are safer this way than being hidden from the world. I want you to meet my family and some of my friends. I want to do things right this time.”

You gaped at him, trying to process everything he had just said. He looked at you expectantly, waiting for your reply and growing a bit insecure you were going to shut him down. He took a step back, ready to leave when you reached for his hand, squeezing it.

“I’d really like that, boyfriend.” You smiled, to him that was the most beautiful sight ever “There’s only one small problem.”

“Tell me and we’ll work this out together.” He promised, pulling you closer

“I have a date tonight.”

Damian snorted “Who is it so I can scare the hell out of him”

You chuckled, kissing him on the cheek.

“Jealousy looks good on you.”

#damian wayne #damian wayne x reader #damian wayne x y/n #damian wayne imagine #damian wayne x you #robin #robin x reader #robin imagine #batman #batboys

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celtics534 · 4 years

Note

Hi! I just saw a set of pics of Rosalie Leslie and Kit Harington, him kissing her with his hands cradling her face while they were in a pub, i suppose (idk how to send them to you tho). I was wondering if you like the idea, obviously, could you use those pics as inspiration for a hinny fic? Something about the press finding out that they are, in fact, together after a year or two of speculations, maybe? Thank you either way! Can’t wait for more of your works! Stay safe!

Without Fear

Such a fun prompt! I just couldn’t deny the cuteness of this photo when I Googled it! I hope you like my hinny take on the cuteness :) It’s a Muggle, Actor AU and the title is based on the song Without Fear by Dermot Kennedy

Also read on: FF.net and AO3

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He hadn't ever considered how easy it would be to fall in love with Ginny Weasley. But of course, Harry was more of a jump in feet first kind of bloke. When he'd seen her at that war memorial, the only thought that went through his head was how gorgeous she was. Then when she had come up to the same placard and started talking to him… well, needless to say, he was enamored by her. Her hair, eyes, voice, the words she said. It was safe to say Ginny Weasley had his heart the minute they met.

At first, she didn't tell him her name (later, she explained it was because she didn't want him to get washed up by the fact that she was the main actress on a sports TV drama). To be fair, Harry hadn't exactly been forthcoming with his name (he hated dealing with the press when they recognized him for his role as the infamous serial killer hunter of the movies). Even without names, they chatted like they'd known each other since birth.

Ginny had explained how her brother had died fighting to save a young boy who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Harry had pointed to the name of the godfather he'd barely gotten the chance to know. He'd comforted her and she had started to soothe a bone-deep pain in him that he hadn't even known was there. Which was why they had decided to go and get coffee. Neither wanted to leave the other.

The little coffee shop had allowed them seclusion and solitude. They'd talked for hours and only separated when the shop was closing. As they were standing up to leave, Harry helped Ginny into her coat, and when she turned around with that adorable smile Harry, couldn't help but press his lips to hers. It wasn't a long kiss, maybe two seconds at most, but the moment their lips touched a buzz spread through Harry's body from the top of his head down to his toes. What made it that much better was when he pulled back, Ginny's fingers slid into his hair and pulled him back to her.

That night started the happiest time of his life. Ginny brought out a side of life that Harry hadn't experienced before. Normally, things were complicated in his life. Between losing his parents and godfather before turning eighteen, dodging the press, fangirls, and family members that never gave a damn about him until he earned some money, Harry had never expected much out of life or people. Then Ginny Weasley changed everything.

She made love seem so… easy. He was able to be himself near her. She laughed at his horrible puns, teased him for his inability to say cinnamon, and held him close every time he needed her. It was simple and it was them. They spent every night they could together. Luckily both their jobs were situated in London so meeting at his or her flat was easy.

The only mark against their relationship was the paparazzi. Early on in their relationship, they'd agreed that they didn't want the whole world to know about their relationship. But of course, it was impossible to completely dodge the leeches that the rest of the world called the press. They were spotted on their way to an England versus Wales rugby match. To be fair, their low riding caps weren't the best disguise, but they'd hoped to at least make it to the field before being noticed. From that day on the Harry and Ginny watch became a crowd favorite. It became nearly impossible for them to go anywhere together without making the news, and that was when the reporters only knew about their platonic relationship! He feared the day they found out the two of them were dating… and now dating for over a year, in fact.

He could remember the way Ginny had laughed the time they had been spotted going to the zoo. While eating breakfast, Ginny had been flicking through her tablet at the different new sites she frequented when she had nearly choked on her toast. Harry had looked up from his bowl of Shreddies instantly concerned, to only be greeted by her laughter "Look at this title!" Ginny had said through her cackles. "Potter Bananas For Weasley."

The accompanying photo of them watching a group of monkeys was expertly taken. Somehow they'd caught Harry watching Ginny as she watched the monkeys. She read the article out loud to him, teasing him for the title the paper had given him, "Heart-eyed Harry is rather adorable."

"There is no way they can see that from that angle." Harry had rolled his eyes, his words coming out in a huff of air. "I mean sure, you and I both know that I'm pathetically... besotted with you, but that interloper can't tell —"

When Ginny's palms came around to cup his cheeks his tangent ended, his words being swallowed by her mouth. Ginny had kissed him like the world was ending, a reckless abandonment that left his kitchen chair on only three legs. When she pulled back, her hands held his face firmly in place. "I'm besotted with you too, you know that right?"

Harry's mind had been wiped clean by her hypnotizing kiss, but he's managed a little nod. "I know, love."

"So don't let this get under your skin." She'd pressed a final kiss to the tip of his nose before going back to her reading.

That had been four months ago and sometimes it still popped into Harry's mind. It had been so easy for her to bring him out of the brooding tyrant. No one else in his life had ever been able to do that. Not his heinous aunt that raised him, not his godfather who was there briefly in his teen years, none of his teachers or friends during his school year. No, it was the one and only Ginny Weasley that was able to pull Harry from one of his moods.

Harry never thought he was capable of love. Between his parents being murdered by a psychopath before his second birthday, an abusive aunt and uncle, losing his godfather to war only three years after meeting him… Harry had always thought he was stunted. His first relationship had ended before it had even started and the next five attempts weren't much better. But with Ginny, his normal anxieties and fears vanished. He became a better man while with her. She was the best part of him and he loved her with every fiber of his being

And because he loved her, Harry was willing to put on this damn monkey suit and go to a blasted party. His reflection in the mirror showed his disdain for the confining suit and dark green noose he tied around his neck. If he had it his way, Harry would never change out of his ratty old jeans and soft t-shirts. But for Ginny, he was willing to sacrifice a night. Tonight was about her and the unforgettable season they had just finished recording.

"Looking rather dashing there, Potter."

Harry used the mirror to look at the doorway where Ginny leaned against the jamb. She had changed into a simple, yet elegant knee-length black dress with a light white jacket covering her freckled shoulders The little make-up she'd used highlighted her natural beauty perfectly. And then there was the wide-brimmed hat she used to complete the ensemble. She was bloody gorgeous.

She was smirking at him as if she knew exactly how just the sight of her made him lose all conscious thought. "Cat got your tongue?"

He shook his head, before doing a one-eighty to see more than just the reflection of her. Somehow she was even more stunning like this. From the high heeled boots she wore to the top of the hat perched on her head… His legs moved on their own accord. Before he even realized it, he was standing in front of her.

"You look… too good for words," Harry murmured into her ear as he leaned down. His fingers slid across the silky material covering her salacious curves as his lips traveled down her jaw line. Before he reached his destination (her mouth), Ginny put a hand on his chest pushing him back.

"Whoa now, partner." She smiled at him, her eyes blazing with the same intensity of a smoldering fire. "No getting distracted. We can't be late. Everyone is expecting me and my best friend there for eight."

Harry let out a long breath through his nose. Best friend. That's what Ginny's co-stars had dubbed him. It irked him that they were right, but yet so far from the truth. Of course, most thought they were best friends with benefits, which again wasn't wrong but he and Ginny were so much more!

Sometimes, Harry wanted to scream how much he loved her from the rooftops. He wanted everyone within the United Kingdom to know how he was in love with the most witty, sexy, creative, intelligent woman in the world. But then he thought of how the press already followed them around everywhere they went. Harry could only imagine how insane they would be if they knew about their relationship, and the idea of people digging into their personal lives… Harry honestly was afraid of it.

He hardly handled the fame he had now, if there was more focus on them… Sure, they already dealt with reporters implying about their relationship, but it was easy to ignore because they were typically outlandish rumors. Like the idea Ginny was sleeping with Harry so she could slyly learn to cover up a murder based on the information he learned in his movies (which was Ginny's favorite scandal theory). But if the paparazzi knew about their love life… if things became real… it was odd to say, but the idea of it weighed heavy on his chest. He feared the loss of privacy. He feared the loss of them.

"Harry?" Ginny was staring at him, her brow scrunched in concern. "Everything alright?"

He nodded, trying to dig his mind out of the what-if chasm. "Yeah. Yeah."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, you know." Harry forced a smile onto his face. "How you're going to be the talk of the party in this outfit."

Ginny snorted, as she gave her hair an exaggerated flip "Please, I'm all these people ever seem to talk about." A sly grin formed on her lips. "Me and who my boo might be."

Harry groaned, letting his head fall onto her shoulder. "It's been three months and they are still on that?"

Ginny chuckled as her hand rubbed soothing circles on his back. "Please, they heard us shagging in a locked closet, they aren't bound to forget it. We're just lucky I didn't say your name while those nosy Nellies were listening in on us." Her hand stopped and Harry looked up to see that mischievous smile that always made his belly flutter. "Really, you only have yourself to blame."

Harry's brow furrowed. "And how exactly is it my fault?"

"Wellllll," Ginny dragged out the last syllable. "If you hadn't come to my set looking so… fit and sexy after that workout, I wouldn't have had to drag you to that closet." She rose to the tips of her toes, placing her lips right outside of her ear. "Remember?"

The shiver that ran down Harry's spine spread a tingling sensation from his toes up to the tips of his fingers. He licked his lips, inhaling her scent with every breath he took. "Hmmm." The words came out as a soft groan. He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. "Maybe I could use a little refresher. Care to help give me a little reminder?"

Ginny practically purred in his ear. "I think that can be arranged." She ran her tongue lightly along his jaw before placing a kiss just under his ear. Then before Harry knew what happened she was out of his arms, standing just out of his grasp. "After the party."

Harry's jaw fell open as he stared at his girlfriend. "You're sadistic, that's what you are!"

She laughed. "And you adore me for it."

"I never said that." But the smile spreading across his face removed all the bite from his words.

"Your eyes speak volumes."

"Oh, and what are they saying right now?"

Ginny's grin became coquettish. "How you need a little extra time to get ready because something needs tending too." Her eyes raked down his body, lingering around his hips. "Then again it might not be your eyes displaying this information."

Harry made a face at her. "Well really, you only have yourself to blame for this."

She snorted. "Is that so?" She took a step back into his bubble, her hands running along his sides. "Well if that's the case I should give you a hand, shouldn't I?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry glared from his sentry at the corner of the bar. He'd spent the last fifteen minutes crafting a list on why he hated parties. Currently, he was on number twenty: drunk people were the worst.

Maybe his disapproving opinion was due to the numerous drunk men (and women) who had gone up to his girlfriend to make moves on her. His jaw clenched painfully as he watched yet another co-star approach Ginny. Sure she was denying their advances with ease, but that didn't mean Harry liked it. But they'd agreed a long time ago that when they went to events they would try to mingle with others so as to not raise suspicions about their relationship.

But everytime Harry was faced with watching hoards of people flirt with his girlfriend… Why the fuck did he care if people knew about their relationship? Sure paparazzi would follow them around, but they all ready fucking did that. And they would ask personal questions about their relationship, but half the time they just threw out wild accusations as it was.

Harry took another sip from his whiskey tumblr, the cold liquid going hot down his throat. His foot started tapping to the rhythm of the classic rock song blaring on the radio. As he stood their listening to overplayed tune, sipping his drink, and watching his girlfriend be hit on for the sixth time in twenty minutes, Harry concluded they had been stupid. Their fear of the press was unwarranted. They had feared things that weren't truly scary. They dealt with most of it already (just in rumor format), so what would the truth truly do to them? What had been cons just hours before suddenly took a new light.

As he brooded, Ginny chatted with her co-star. This particular star had been the biggest perpetrator of the flirt with Ginny squad. Every party or gathering he would shoot his shot. Ginny had assured Harry numerous times that Glenn was just a flirty bloke, and there had never been a spark between the two of them. Harry trusted Ginny completely, but Glenn was always on his shit list—and was now currently at the top as he pulled Ginny out into the middle of the pub to start dancing.

Ginny made eye contact with Harry as she followed her friend onto the makeshift dance floor, her smile reassuring and happy as she and Glenn began to dance. The wink she sent him made butterflies erupt in his gut, like it was the first time. Harry couldn't take his eyes of them… off Ginny. She truly was gorgeous when she was having fun. Her bright smile, the gleam in her eyes, and how could he ignore the way her hips moved.

Harry could never remember ever having an urge to dance, but as he saw Ginny and Glenn… It wasn't an urge to dance, he realized. It was the urge to be with her. The desire to have his hands on her waist while she smiled at him.

He let out a long breath, before downing the rest of his drink. He couldn't care anymore. The fears that had held him back for so long became nullified. Now all he cared about was making sure she knew how much he loved her, and that he would be there with her through anything and everything. Harry refused to acknowledge the fear that had formed in the pit of his stomach as he marched up towards his dancing girlfriend and her co-star.

Ginny's eyes met his. When he was about halfway to her, her head quirked to the side and she stopped moving. Glenn spun around, his expression going from confused to annoyed. Harry could muster up a single fuck over Glenn's disappointment.

"What's up, Potter?" Glenn asked, his fake smile sliding to counter his irked tone.

Harry didn't even bother to dignify the actor with a response. Instead all his focus was on Ginny. Her eyebrows were scrunched together as if she were trying to read his mind. He cupped her face, his large hands seeming to swallow her face.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ginny whispered as she stared up at him. Her hand came up to lift the brim of her hat, giving him full access to study her expression. The light flush that darkened her cheeks in the faint pub light complimented the wide smile that crinkled the corner of her eyes. She looked… overwhelmingly happy.

"I — I just." He leaned down and kissed her, not truly noticing/ caring about the crowds of people around them or flashes of smartphone cameras. All that mattered at that moment was her and the way her arms wrapped around his neck as she leaned into him.

When he pulled away Ginny's mouth remained slightly apart as she slowly opened her eyes. "So." Her voice was deep and husky. "I think you may have just blown our cover."

Harry laughed, leaning down so his forehead rested on hers. "I don't care."

Ginny's fingers caressed his jaw. "And what, pray tell, has made you so without fear? What changed?"

He happily leaned into her touch. "All I care about is being with you. Who cares what all these people think."

A mischievous smirk curled her lips as her eyes twinkled delightfully. "Well then, what would you say about putting on a little show for our first public outing?"

Harry slid his hands up her jaw to twist in her hair, before leaning down. He smiled against her lips. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

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seofine · 4 years

Text

Can You Keep A Secret? - Simon Dominic

Requested: I would like to request a fic where simon Dominic is with Jay's little sister and Jay finds out. @soulpunker58

Warnings: Angst, fluff

Everyone has their secrets.

These secrets may be big or small, they may be kept secret for your own state of mind or for the sake of those around you.

There are some secrets that will follow you to the grave and others that eventually will have to see the light.

You were keeping a secret that you knew eventually would need to come out, but you had no idea how those around you would react to it.

You had been dating Jeong Kiseok for almost a year which would never have been that big of a deal or too major a secret, except for the fact that Kiseok was one of your older brother’s best friends.

Your older brother being Park Jaebeom.

You and Kiseok had always been drawn to each other, from the first time you had laid eyes on him you had known he was the one you wanted.

You had met in such a mundane way. When you were bored you would often turn up announced to Jay’s studio. Luckily for you, on one of those days Kiseok had been accompanying Jay. You had been introduced to each other and there was no doubt in your mind that Kiseok was your type.

His exterior was rough and strong with a boyish charm, yet inside the man was gentle and comforting. He exuded a confidence and self-assured air that was refreshing. The moment he cheekily smiled at you was the moment you knew you were done for.

That day, Kiseok had taken your number under the guise of wanting to be able to get in contact with Jay even when his phone was off. He said he should have your number because you usually knew where your bother was. You agreed even though you thought it was slightly odd. You didn’t really expect him to ever actually phone.

So that same evening when he called caught you off guard. You had answered with slight confusion knowing that you had left Jay and Kiseok back at the studio together so there was no real reason for him to be phoning now. Kiseok made excuses that night in order to keep you on the phone for longer than you deemed normal for people who had only met earlier that day. You weren’t exactly complaining but you also were confused about why he had even bothered.

The next night he phoned again and the night after that too. It soon became routine for Kiseok to phone you and just talk about nothing. Finally, after a week of the same thing you plucked up your courage and asked the man why he continued to phone you. You remember the distinct silence from his end of the phone, and you wondered if he had hung up on you. Kiseok mumbled out something that sounded like he was telling you not to worry about it and then quickly moved the conversation on.

You didn’t bring it up again after that. Neither of ever mentioned to anyone else about your nightly calls and soon, without even noticing, it had been almost a year of back and forth, skirting around the issue of your mutual interest.

Your friends knew you had someone you liked but they never pushed you to admit it. If you were being honest, the relationship between you and Kiseok probably wouldn’t have progressed if it hadn’t been for your older brother and his friends being constantly in your business and personal life.

One day you had gone to the studio to sit with Jay and the rest of the boys when the subject had turned to you, the boys deciding to try and play matchmaker. Seonghwa had started to tell you about how he had a friend who you’d be perfect with and then pulled out his phone to show you the Instagram page of none other than Nafla.

You had laughed it off, cheeks burning slightly as you surreptitiously looked around the room and all eyes seemed to be on you. Kiseok particularly seemed to be taking an interest in where this conversation was going. You tried to move the conversation on but Seonghwa was relentless and started to question you about your type, suggesting that maybe you’d be a better match with Loopy.

To get him off your back you’d taken Loopy’s number from him and agreed to think about it. You liked Loopy but you had no real intention of getting in contact with him. Instead of stirring up your emotions and getting on your nerves as he wished, it seemed Seonghwa had missed the target and unintentionally hit Kiseok.

That night he phoned just as he had been doing for the past year but seemed more distracted than usual. You got tired trying to bring him to talk normally and finally asked what was bothering him. He had huffed in reply and confessed that Seonghwa trying to set you up with Nafla or Loopy earlier in the day had made him jealous. His admission had sparked your confidence and you wondered aloud why he wouldn’t do something about it if he was so jealous? He had laughed and actually agreed, asking you on a date with him for the next night.

From that moment on you both hadn’t looked back.

Your relationship just came easily and it wasn’t hard to believe that it was fast approaching your first anniversary.

Honestly, most people in AOMG and H1ghr had seemed to catch on that there was definitely something going on between you and Kiseok. However, one of those who still seemed oblivious was your brother Jay. It wasn’t as though you were deliberately keeping your relationship a secret, it had just never seemed the right time to tell him. You both hadn’t wanted to tell him in the early days and cause chaos for a relationship that might have ended after the honeymoon stage, and then the time had just slipped away like sand in an hourglass a year already on the horizon.

At this point you weren’t sure how to tell him without making him feel betrayed that you and Kiseok had gone behind his back for so long. Other members of AOMG had offered to hint at the subject to Jay but you had politely declined, you would rather your brother find out from you.

On an evening just like many others, Kiseok had come to your apartment to spend time with you and the both of you had decided to just lounge around on your couch and enjoy each other’s company. You had placed a bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and two glasses for your respective drinks of water and beer.

As the conversation was winding down, you lay your head on Kiseok’s chest and breathed in his scent. He wrapped an arm around you and helped you get more comfortable in his lap. Suddenly your phone started ringing, cutting the cosy atmosphere. You picked it up curiously not really considering your actions.

“Hey sis, open the door. I’m outside.” Your brother grumbled into the phone. You jumped up and off Kiseok’s lap, stumbling onto the floor. Kiseok opened his mouth to ask if you were alright and you pinched his thigh, motioning for him to be quiet.

“Okay, give me a minute.” You quickly told your brother and hung up. You looked at Kiseok with shock for a second before hissing at him that Jay was outside.

Kiseok’s eyes widened almost comically and he jumped off the couch, running around the room. Jay’s fist thumped on the door incessantly, indicating that he was getting impatient. You mumbled at Kiseok to make himself scarce as you slowly moved towards to the door. As you reached the door you looked back and couldn’t see your boyfriend.

You opened the door to your brother who quickly brushed you aside and went straight in, throwing himself onto the couch that moments ago had been occupied by you and Kiseok. Jay picked up a handful of popcorn as you shuffled your legs, trying to subtly figure out where your boyfriend had gone.

“What’s up with you?” Jay questioned, looking at your awkward behaviour.

“Nothing.” You tried to reply nonchalantly, eyes still slowly roaming the room. “Why are you here?” You asked your brother as he carried on eating your popcorn.

“Bored at home.” He mumbled between chewing his popcorn. As you went to tell him to leave, you watched as his eyes noticed the two glasses sitting in front of him. He jumped up suddenly.

“Sis, do you have someone here?” He laughed out, playing the role of annoying and nosy older brother so well in that moment.

“What? No.” You lied, trying to think of an excuse to give him as to why you had beer sitting on your coffee table even though you weren’t an alcohol drinker.

It was too late though; he had already begun his mission to embarrass you and whoever you had brought into your apartment. As you followed you wanted to scream as you noticed where your overgrown child of a boyfriend had decided to hide. Kiseok had decided the best hiding place was behind the curtains in your bedroom. He hadn’t done a great job of arranging the curtains properly though and it was quite obvious to you that his foot was peeking out from underneath.

You shuffled behind Jay as he walked, looking around suspiciously. You hoped that your brother was as much of an idiot as your boyfriend and didn’t bother to look too closely as you went further into the bedroom. You tried not to draw attention to your stupid boyfriend’s socked foot sticking out from under the edge of the curtain.

You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as Jay got closer to Kiseok’s hiding place. After following your brother as he snooped around in the different corners of your apartment you could feel your nose tickling, the dust, that Jay had managed to displace, irritating your sinuses. Suddenly you let out a high-pitched sneeze.

“Bless you.” A muffled voice sounded.

You sighed, smacking your forehead with the palm of your hand. Kiseok was an absolute idiot but there was also no denying that he was also a gentleman. Quick as a flash, Jay flung back the curtain and pulled Kiseok out of his poorly chosen hiding place.

Your brother looked angry as Kiseok hung his head not wanting to face his best friend. You tugged on your brother’s sleeve, trying to get him to look at you instead of glaring at Kiseok.

“How could you do this?” Your brother questioned, frustration evident on his face. “What is this anyway? Why is he here?” Jay’s annoyance was clear as he threw questions out at you.

Your eyes started to prickle, you always hated when your brother was disappointed in you. Kiseok reached out and held your hand, knowing that you hated letting your brother down.

Your brother sighed, keeping his eyes on you. He didn’t want to look at Kiseok and snap, not wanting to be rude and disrespect his Hyung.

“He’s my boyfriend.” You whispered out, Kiseok’s hand tightening around your own.

“How long?” Jay asked, you looked at him confused. “How long?” This time he raised his voice and you jumped slightly. Jay never shouted at you.

Kiseok pulled you to stand behind him, staring down Jay. “Almost a year.” He responded to Jay.

Your brother sat on the edge of your bed, looking deflated and put his head in his hands. The atmosphere was sharp and cold, you hadn’t wanted him to find out like this.

His shoulders started shaking and you moved closer to him, putting a hand on his back. Suddenly he couldn’t hold it any longer and burst out laughing. You were confused, looking at Kiseok in shock.

“You two really thought you were being secretive?” He questioned, laughing even harder at the confused look on both of your faces.

You looked at Kiseok and made a questioning face, receiving a shrug in reply.

“I’ve known you two were together for a long time now.” Jay confessed, still laughing slightly at you and Kiseok. “I knew there was something going on back when I first introduced you. Kiseok hyung used to sneak out of the studio with his phone all the time.” Your brother continued on, rolling his eyes.

You elbowed your boyfriend in the side as he smiled sheepishly. You should have known he wasn’t as slick as he thought he was.

Jay crossed his arms, “Plus, my suspicions were confirmed a few months back when Seonghwa hyung told me you were dating.”

You almost screamed, why did Seonghwa have such a big mouth? You knew you shouldn’t have let Kiseok go and tell him to knock it off after he kept pestering you about whether you had phoned Loopy or not. Your brother had been watching you and Kiseok sneak around whilst laughing at you all along.

“You’re not angry?” You questioned Jay, still thinking about ways to torture Seonghwa for not being able to keep a secret.

“Why should I be? You’re both old enough to make your own decisions.” Jay laughed out, pulling you closer to ruffle your hair. You huffed, hugging your brother. Kiseok cheered suddenly, throwing his arms around you and Jay. You rolled your eyes, pinching Kiseok. He jumped, rubbing his side.

“This is your fault” You mumbled, eyeing your boyfriend. Kiseok rubbed the back of his neck with a pout on face.

Your brother groaned as you moved away, pulling Kiseok’s face towards your own. Jay manoeuvred around the both of you, hastily making his exit as you stroked the side of your boyfriend’s face. The door to your apartment slammed as your lips made contact with their target.

Alone at last.

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leah-halliwell92 · 4 years

Text

Touches

Summary: Both alive by cheer luck, Dracula and Zoe find each other in a strange predicament. Both make the unanimous decision to leave London behind for the country side to give their senses some time to wind down. What happens when another vampire knocks on their door seeking refuge?

“You know you could just sing the first thing that pops into your mind and see if we are fated,” Dracula suggested from his place in the cozy fire lit living room of the cottage they lived in.

Zoe scoffed at that and sat on the chair opposite him all the while saying, “Song or not it would make sense that we are mated. There is too much history between us for there not to be.”

Dracula hummed at that resisting the urge to roll his eyes keeping his gaze on the book he’d been reading. He knew she’d have a point if there had been any proof of a link from the time he met Agatha. He’d sang his song to her and nothing happened. He figured that it was in the bloodline, Zoe is her descendant after all. Meaning if nothing happened in the beginning of his interaction with the Helsing bloodline then nothing will. And she wondered why the brides.

He’d decided he did regret what happened to Johnny. He’d practically heard the song in his blood smelt it through Mina’s in the convent. He should have respected the sanctity of the bond and now he’s paying the price. Eternity with not mate is a lonely existence despite having lived almost 6 centuries on his own.

While not a mated, for fated, pair both found a surprisingly peaceful platonic way of living...after she convinced him to at least “harvest” their life source through more inconspicuous means. He’d agreed and decided to take a major step and get a part time in the small town’s local blood bank.

“I need to learn control anyway,” he’d told Zoe when she’d given him a bewildered disbelief filled look.

And he meant that, he’d needed to take control of his thirst especially since he wishes to spend more time in the sun after so long away from her warmth.

That had been nearly six months ago.

To date the pair did not know how they came back, the foundation didn’t know how they came back and they most certainly did not know how Zoe was still human. If there is a God he thank him for at least allowing this small mercy. He didn’t want Zoe to fall prey to the foundation’s experiments just because he’d accidentally turned her. He didn’t need Agatha in his head more that she already was because he’d subjected Zoe to the experimentation of her human colleagues.

“Do you think they’re out there Dracula?” He heard Zoe ask curiously.

“Hmm?” He hummed in response curious as to where this line of questioning is going.

“Our songs,” she said plainly.

“I lost of finding mine long ago,” he said honestly closing the book, “And at this point I don’t think they exist for me.”

Zoe tilted her head to the side in curiosity, he felt Agatha doing the same.

He sighed and stood as he saw the late hour on the grandfather clock behind her chair in the far wall.

“It’s late,” he said and stood putting the closed book on the coffee table.

“Why?” He heard her ask curiosity still in her voice.

He turned to face her brows up at her question.

“Why do you think they don’t exist?” She asked.

He chuckled at that and said, “You've drank my blood...think about it.”

With that he left her to her thoughts with a quiet, “Sleep well,” and left to his room.

It’s 11 pm and the question Zoe asked him was still doing pinwheels in his head. He twisted and turned in bed attempting to fall asleep before breathing a restless sigh and pulling off the blankets and getting out of bed. He made his way to the ensuite bathroom and splashed some water on his face sighing into the towel as he dried his face, ignoring his reflection as much as possible, before tugging at the waist band of his black boxers exposing his left hip where words lay.

I'm blinded by the lights No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch I'm drowning in the night Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust

The area where second verse of the stanza is had been scarred over badly from a battle injury long ago making it difficult for him to read the rest. His marks had changed over the years of his unlife, some had come and gone in what looked like the blink of an eye. It hadn't been until one hundred years or so before one Jonathan Harker had paid him a visit that these markings had appeared and hadn’t changed since, which he’d found odd.

He ran a finger over the words and sighed allowing himself to feel the loneliness he’d fought to bury over his centuries. It had taken him almost dying to learn that you don’t run or hide from your feelings, your heart or the human side you thought you’d long since buried.

“Penny for your thoughts?” A voice said from behind him.

He looked up to find Zoe looking at him in worry through their reflexions on the mirror.

“Nothing worth mentioning,” he said pulling his boxers back in place before turning to her with an inquisitive brow up and a question on his tongue.

“I did knock,” she said hands raised in a sign of surrender.

He sighed and reached for a pair of sweats the hung on the towel bar before noticing she looked like she had just gotten back from her evening walk.

“But there is a reason you’re here I gather,” he says as he puts them on.

She nodded and approached clearly not affected by his naked chest and said, “We both know the type of creatures that live in the woods near us, bar us I mean.”

He nodded urging her to go on.

“But I have to admit, there were some new noises there tonight that I’d never heard before,” she said and walked out of his bathroom to his window and looking out, “I heard running and climbed on top of the nearest tree like you taught me before hearing a second set of footsteps these more calm than the first and found it more than a little odd. There’s usually no out there after dark Dracula you know this. Question is what would humans be doing in the middle of the woods?”

He had to admit she had a point and put on a grey t-shirt and joining her by the widow.

He looked at the tree line his brows furrowed as he scanned the line.

“What did the other noises sound like to you?” He asked.

“Growling...” she said and gave the tree line her own sweep, “But not from any animal I’d ever heard from the animals that live there.”

“Do you still have that runner’s backpack?” He asked before flying through their home checking that all the lights where off.

“Wai–”

“Shh,” he said putting his hand over her mouth.

Now she was alarmed. She’d never seen Dracula so shaken before and to see him act like this was cause for concern. She didn’t want to think what could be out there that could trigger him so strongly but knew she’d stumbled on the answer during her run...they are no longer the only vampires in the area.

She nodded in answer to her question.

He nodded and put the pointer finger of his free hand over his lips, “Shhhh.”

She nodded and took a calming breath as he took his hand back.

He pointed to her running shoes and she got the hint. If they were to be as quiet as they needed to be she’d have to leave them behind.

They made quick work of gathering the wooden stakes and throwing them in the pack before walking into the half-moon lit night.

He made sure their home was secure before closing his eyes and taking a deep (unnecessary) breath.

Zoe was about to ask what he was doing when she heard the familiar huffing of wolves.

“They will follow behind us just in case,” he said as he started walking toward the tree line his demeanor one Zoe had never seen on him before.

He looked every bit the predator he’d warned her he could be but never took to heart. She isn't stupid, she knew they are top of the food chain predators. But one thing is hearing it and another is seeing him shift and break away from his gentleman’s veneer and let his inner beast out. From seeing this alone she knew she has many things to learn still.

She followed just a few steps behind him as they ran through the woods looking every bit like his second in their coven. She saw him take a deep breath taking in the scents that lingered in the air.

He growled as he recognized one of the two scents in the air.

Zoe looked at him question in her eyes.

“My maker seemed to have another on his sights,” he said with a growl eyes red and his fangs out.

00//00//00

A/N: Like and reblog if you liked the first part!! Let me know if you want to be tagged.

Dracula Tag-List: @kaddis-world, @count-snackula, @your-pixels-are-showing, @peachlogiic, @the-life-and-times-of-a-nerd, @lokiisbrucebanner, @deny-black, @drsherlockmoffat, @festering-queen, @ashashashashashie, @hoefordarkness, @jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels, @glamrockmonarch, @damesteph, @carydorse, @allis143, @break-free-killer-queen, @bloodspatteredprincess, @dracula-s-bride, @disneymarina @thebeautyofdisorder, @purvana, @hyacinth-meadow, @rheabalaur, @chibicheeberson, @camille-stark, @hopipollahorror

#dracula #dracula netflix #bbc dracula #zoe van helsing #claes bang #dolly wells #dracula fic #dracula x oc

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writersmacchiato · 4 years

Text

Reconnected | Todd Anderson

Prompt: Reconnected (we knew each other a long time ago, friends, but things ended badly and now you’re apologizing) + jacket (you’re always taking my jacket but this year I give you one of mine as a present)

Warnings: none but bad writing ;’(

———

The fluorescent lights shined on your face, casting a warm, twinkling glow over your features. It felt as if time was suspended. Snow fell in gentle sweeps, landing in your hair, and edging you closer to Todd. His arm was wrapped around yours, attention diverted as he talked to his friends. You folded your arms, burrowing your cold nose into his neck. He shivered, stopping mid-sentence as he smiled down at you.

"Cold?"

"Shut up." The words are muffled against his coat.

"I told you to bring a jacket." Todd said. "I literally gave you a jacket last week."

"But, it's different."

"How?"

"It's not yours."

Todd missed the days when you were just there, every moment of his life you were present. At school, you almost never left his side. It was odd to see him without you.

It was odd to be without you.

Things had ended so badly, so swiftly that it left his head spinning. Even now, it hurt to think about. Instead of remembering all the days filled with your smiles and laughs, he remembered the tears in your eyes as you slammed the door behind you. Pictures rattled on the wall from the force. He hadn't seen you since.

He had heard from Meeks and Pitts that you had gone to the same college as them. Little bits of news about you reached him and he clung to each one, despite how pathetic he felt.

. . .

He was the boy next door.

The boy you had fallen in love with so easily. So naturally it was something as simple as riding a bike or tying a shoelace. It made sense.

You would have given everything to hear that laugh of his, the laugh that sounded like sunshine.

So perhaps, when he met Marge, that is why you smiled and pushed down the feelings that ate away at you every night.

He was the boy who had been your companion since the age of three. Life for you was separated into two columns;

Life with Todd and life without Todd.

It was odd to be without him.

He was your constant, your best friend who knew everything about you. Well, everything but one small secret that would be the ruin of your relationship.

It was easy to pretend like you were only his friend and that you weren't in love with him. You had been pretending for years.

The jacket was frayed at the hem of the sleeves, white thread sticking out against the dark denim. It was rough and patchy. No longer having that soft and buttery feel. The inside lining of fleece was still warm, less cushioned, but familiar.

Next to it, was another jacket. A simple jacket that had been worn once. It hasn’t been touched since you left. Todd had given it to you, the Christmas before things changed, so you would stop taking his favorite one. But it wasn’t the same, you still took his denim jacket.

Until tonight, you didn’t know that it was still in your possession. Forgotten and left behind. Despite how much you wanted to pull away, ignore it, there was no denying how many memories it brought back.

A sharp knock on your door shakes you back to focus, fingers brushing away the tears that had gathered.

"You look perfect." You mother beamed, pinning a brooch to your collar before stepping away. "I'm so glad you came down for Christmas. It's been too long without you."

The annual party your parents hosted every year was something dreaded, but the dizzying sparkles and the flowing champagne was enough to lure you home. You missed your family and your old friends.

It was in full swing when you ventured down, keeping to the outskirts of the affairs to avoid unwanted attention. You had been present to greet guests as they came in, answering prying questions about your whereabouts. Everything is a whirl of sparkling necklaces and quiet, empty laughter. Twinkling lights that grow more and more fuzzy with every flute you grab. The music is a backdrop of smooth piano as you drift to the balcony, thankful for the cold air on your flushed skin.

The balcony is quiet, muffling the chatter of inside. It soothes you, the frigid stone beneath your fingers as you overlook the garden in its emptiness. But, it's too cold. The initial relief is quickly fading along with your body heat, and still you can't bring yourself to go back inside and face the frivolities.

You see him.

Todd.

He's walking across the room with hurried steps, trying to look discreet as he makes toward the balcony doors. You feel a rush of panic, feeling foolish as you think of a way to escape.

It didn't occur to you that he would be here. You had seen his brother on a number of occasions, playing the perfect son, but never Todd. Not after...

The balcony is two stories high with only a hedge surrounding the wall. Would you be seriously hurt if you jumped?

The door creaks open, a gust of hot air and a tumble of laughter, before it's quieted once more.

No words are passed. You can't look at him without feeling sick to your stomach.

The silence becomes unbearable, stretching and stretching until it snaps.

"You're wearing glasses again." You said and it’s dumb but that’s all you can think about when you finally peek a glance at him.

It had been a long time since Todd had worn them, his insecurity had him adorning contacts despite your reassurances that he looked great with them on. A voice in the back of your head said that Todd didn't care what you thought of him, he didn't seek your approval.

"I'm sorry."

You wish then you hadn't drank so much champagne, head spinning at his words. Never did you expect to hear that from him.

"For what?"

It's then you look at him, the pink in his cheeks as he avoids your gaze.

He looks like the Todd you remember.

"I don't...For letting you walk away, not saying anything to you after...I'm sorry for how things ended."

And, you dreamt of this. Of Todd coming back to you. Apologizing. So, why do you feel worse? An empty, sinking feeling as you think about what happened.

"It doesn't matter." You're being too aggressive. The bite in your voice is too harsh. Todd looks like you slapped him.

"Then why are you upset?"

"I'm upset because you didn't tell me!"

Todd leans against the couch, fingers clasped together. "I was going to tell you..."

"Were you? I didn't even know you had gone on a date. Charlie told me." You feel tears form, thinking back to what Charlie had nonchalantly said.

-He's on a date with that one girl...Eleanor? He hasn't shut up about her, right?

You remember how Charlie looked at you, as if you would know better than anyone else. You should've. Todd told you everything.

"Did you not trust me?"

"No!" Todd feels oddly panicked, his throat closing as he tries to keep calm but it's hard when you look so devastated. "It felt weird talking about it with you."

"What?"

"It's just you're you..." Todd pauses, cringing after he starts and you fill in the silence.

"Oh."

Really what were you expecting? This hurt more than anything.

"Okay." You're crying. You don't realize until the crack in your voice and Todd moves to sit beside you. "Don't. Okay, I get it."

You get up, wiping your cheeks with the denim of your sleeve. Before you can change your mind, you leave, slamming the door harder than you meant to.

“I’m sorry too.”

And, then it’s all out there. What more can you say? He may look like your Todd from before, but he’s not. Things aren’t the same. Words don’t flow easily anymore, there is no way to overcome this distance that has separated you for so long.

“Did you ever go on another date with her?”

It was a thought you had often afterwards, plagued with the thought of him falling hopelessly in love with this girl while you were stuck in your room writing messy poetry and listening to Frank Sinatra.

“No.” He takes slow steps, leaning against the railing. You could lean over and touch him if you wanted. “She wasn’t...”

His voice drops to a whisper and he looks away, clearing his throat. “It doesn’t matter.”

“She wasn’t what?” You feel lightheaded, heart beating rapidly, feeling a tingling in your fingers.

Todd looks at you, inhaling deeply. “She wasn’t you.”

“Oh.”

He avoids your searching gaze, growing tense in your stunned silence.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

How could you be so stupid!?

“We’re idiots.” You say breathlessly.

Todd cracks a smile, nodding.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I am. I should’ve-“

“Todd, I was literally the dumbest idiot in the world. I should have told you how I felt instead of hiding it all those years.”

“Years?” He looks confused, like it isn’t plausible to him.

“Todd, I’ve been in love with you since I was 15.”

“Oh.”

Now you’re the one fidgeting in place as something flashes across Todd’s face, a look you can’t decipher.

“Maybe, we could go to our old spot tomorrow? If you’re not busy?” He proposes, looking at his shoes with a shy smile before glancing at you.

“I’d love to.”

. . .

The fluorescent streetlights cast a warm, twinkling glow over the fallen snow. It felt as if time was suspended. Snow fell in gentle sweeps, landing in your hair, and making you walk faster to the coffee shop where Todd was waiting outside. His hands were clasped, rubbing for warmth

You folded your arms, burrowing your cold nose into the furrow of your jacket. He shivered, his greeting halting mid-sentence as his eyes sweep over you.

“Is that?”

“Yeah. I remembered to bring a jacket this time.”

Todd’s fingers lace with yours as he leads you inside.

Perhaps all you needed to be reconnected with him was a miracle. . .

. . .and a worn-out jacket that had seen better days.

#todd anderson x reader #todd anderson imagine #todd anderson #dead poets society #dead poets society x reader #dead poets society imagine #dps x reader #dps imagine #cam’s 1k celebration #pls help me i dont know if i love or hate this #ok im posting this before i delete everything in a haze of self doubt

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peonybane · 5 years

Text

Agape and Pragma: Chapter 7

Pairings: OT7 (BTS) x Reader

Word Count: 2.6 k

Genre: Hybrid AU, Fluff, Angst, Sci-Fi, Crack (?), Smut (eventually)

Chapter Specific Notes: Lots of angst, some swearing, more so than usual.

Summary: Your entire world had be torn asunder by just one lab test. Time heals all wounds, but does it really? What will it take to feel whole again?

Hybrid Types: Peacock Jin, Serval Yoongi, Golden Retriever Hoseok, Gray Wolf Namjoon, Scottish Fold House Cat Jimin, Great Dane Taehyung, and French Lop Eared Rabbit Jungkook

a/n: So, I’ve combined what was originally planned as chapters 7 and 8 because they were two ideas that are critical to the storyline, but were short as hell. Should I be posting this this early? No. Do I have any self control? Also no. This chapter is dedicated to @ropeseok as she was the inspiration for a new character in this chapter. Please enjoy!

<— Previous (Chapter 6)

You felt like a child, hiding away in your room for days. You only ever came out to get food or to go to work. It wasn’t so much that you were upset with them still, it was really the shame of acting the way that you did that made you hide away. How could you face them after yelling the way that you did? Was it immature? Of course. Was avoiding them unnecessary? The jury was still out on that.

Luckily though, or perhaps unluckily, they all gave you the space you seemed to need. It was awful, really. You could hear Taehyung stopping in front of your door almost every night, pausing in front of it. There were times you wished he’d put you out of your misery and just knock already. Instead of coming to your door to let you know food was ready, Jin would instead text you, the messages often cold and short. It missed his usual flavor of emoticons. Something you’d grown to love.

Everyday you’d hear them come to your door one by one, but they’d turn around and leave after a few moments of hesitation. After all, what could they say or do?

You knew you should make the first move. But your pride prevented you from doing that. As much as you had hurt them, they had also hurt you. The difference was that you had been bottling up at that pain and had exploded at them when you shouldn’t have. They just reacted to your pain. Not that it was an excuse, but it helped justify your behavior to yourself, if only a little bit.

The all too chipper ping of your phone got your attention. Rubbing the back of your neck, you couldn’t help the little smile that crept onto your face as you saw who texted you.

[Jongin]: You awake? I got a question for you.

You bit your lip as you opened your phone to reply.

[You]: No. I’m dead asleep and texting you from dreamland.

Almost immediately, the three little dots appeared, then disappeared to be replaced by a message.

[Jongin]: You free this Friday?

[Jongin]: I’ve been trying to work up the courage to ask you out on a proper date.

You immediately devolved into a 13 year old girl, barely containing your excite. You hadn’t been on a proper date in what felt like forever.

[You]: Unfortunately, I am busy. I have work. But I can meet you on Saturday for an early coffee.

[Jongin]: Aw poop. I suppose I’ll have to settle for a coffee over a candlelit dinner. I’ll text you the details later! :D

You bit your lip. He was strangely adorable. A little bit like Jimin actual. You could imagine Jongin’s ears flicking the way Yoongi’s did at the prospect of the date.

The sound of your alarm blaring reminded you that you had a different sort of date today. Setting up your laptop on your lap, with your back against the headboard of your bed, you opened up Skype, waiting for Liam to open up your call. A moment later, Liam’s face appeared on your screen and a cheesy grin found its way onto your face.

God, he looked so happy. His beard was fuzzier but was disappointingly still a little skinny. The words were out of your mouth before you could stop them. “Is she not feeding you enough? I was promised 20 pounds. 20!”

Liam’s booming laugh hit your ears immediately. While he tried to get himself under control, Deeba entered the frame and deposited herself on his lap. You’d never get over how pretty she was with her shoulder length black tresses and pale brown eyes.

“Hi Deeba.”

She greeted you with a smile as well. “What is this about not feeding him enough? I try, I really try. But this bastard decides, ‘Oh no! It’s not good for the patients to see me like this!’ And proceeds to work 12 plus hours at the hospital, barely eating! Can you believe him?”

You cackled as Liam attempted to pacify his wife by kissing her on the cheek and stroking her hair. Once he had her calmed, Liam turned his attention back to you. His brow knit together as he tilted his head. “Shortstack? Why are you in your room? Aren’t you usually in the living room for this?”

Damn Liam and his observant nature. You shrugged, trying to look as uninterested as possible. “Felt like just hanging out in my room. That’s all.”

You may have bamboozled Deeba, but not Liam. He accusingly called your name. “What happened?”

You sighed, reaching to rub the back of your neck. “I yelled at them.”

Deeba asked, “Yelled at them? That’s all?”

“It’s not like that. It’s not how Jin and I would yell at each other from across the kitchen. It’s not how I’d scold Namjoon for accidentally breaking something because of the lack of tail spacial awareness. I….”

Liam used his dad voice on you, calm, reassuring, but no room for weaseling your way out. “What happened?”

You took a moment collecting your thoughts. “They’d been… acting weird. And a few nights ago. I had enough. I lost my temper.”

This peaked Deeba’s interest, specialized in Hybrid psychology after all. “How did their behavior change?”

“Well… it was different for each of them. But if I had to name something overall: they’ve been more intimate, aggressive, dominant even. Yoongi is needier, but just for my attention. Jungkook has been extremely affectionate. Namjoon too. Though it’s harder for me to describe because from the outside, it doesn’t necessarily look like his behavior changed, but he’s… softer. I don’t know how else to describe it.” Your voice began to tremble. “Jin and even Tae have gotten more aggressive. Tae! Can you even believe it? The other night I had to get in between Jin and Jungkook— a fight Jin started. Hobi and Jimin have been… seductive. Always trying to act dominant around me. And—“

Your eyes started to water. Taking a moment to wipe your eyes, you collected yourself. “When… when I came back from my business trip, I came home to a fight, I lost it. I couldn’t handle it anymore. I hurt them. I hurt them so much with my words.”

The other end of the call was silent as you cleared your vision of the hot blurry tears. Deeba then asked a very odd question. “Is your cycle out of whack?”

“What?”

“Deeba, my love, I don’t think that’s an appropriate questi—“

“Liam, you’re a doctor! You shouldn’t be getting all squirrelly at this sort of question.”

“Yes, but this is my best friend— someone who is like my sister.”

Deeba rolled her eyes. “Well?”

You hesitated. “Now— now, that I think about it. Yeah. It started about 6 months ago. I’d start getting them a few days later than usual, but a couple of months ago, I completed skipped one. I just kinda figured it was my body coming to terms with not being able to get pregnant.”

Deeba worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “I’ve read something like this before. Some Hybrids have stronger baser instincts than were previously thought. Aggression and dominance in particular. Occasionally though, the hormone cascade in some that brings out the aggressive nature in some, brings out stronger affectionate behavior that aren’t necessarily portrayed by whatever animal that Hybrid was crossed with. There’s even been a suggestion that Hybrid hormones can affect normal humans. So, long as there is either a long exposure or high concentration of said hormones. You’ve been affected by both factors. I think their pheromones are effecting yours, giving you a pseudo ‘heat.’”

You tilted your head, brow furrowing. “I kinda follow but not entirely, Deeba.”

She hesitated. “At least three of them, if not all, are in love with one of their housemates. But, based on the behavior that you described, they are in love with you.”

“What?” You forced out a laugh. “You can’t be serious? One of them? In love? With me? Don’t be silly.”

The look on both Deeba’s face and Liam’s told you that they were dead serious. “Liam, she can’t be right. It’s ridiculous!”

“Shortstack… she’s right. Before I left, I knew. I knew one of them was in love with you. But he didn’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. He was willing to be at your side, to comfort you, to protect you, until you were ready. But if he felt threatened by one of the others’ developing feelings for you, feelings that were the same as his, I can see him trying to establish his place as a higher member of the pack, both to deter the others and to prove to you that he’s the worthy… mate.”

“Are… are you talking about Tae?”

Liam visibly swallowed. “It’s not just him. Hobi would never admit it, but I think he had, still has, feelings for you, as well.”

You scoffed. “This… this ridiculous!”

A muscle twitched in his face before Liam raised his voice at you. It made you shrink in on yourself, even if he was in some other part of the world. “You’ve been doing this since Taka! You don’t think you deserved to be loved ever again. You keep denying yourself the prospect of it. Why? Just because you can’t give birth? Well, they can’t have children, either! You have closed yourself off, putting yourself through more pain than you deserve. Stop it and take a chance! Believe in them. Stop lying to yourself. I know that you are in love with at least one of them! Even if you can’t see it yourself because you’ve drowned yourself too much in your own self-pity.”

Before you or Deeba could get another word in, Liam ended the call, leaving you in silence.

He was right. Dammit, he was always right. He knew you better than you knew yourself. What were you going to do now?

^~^~^~^~^

“—Hey! Are you listening?”

You jumped a little as Amber called your name. “I’m sorry, Amber. What were you saying?”

Amber was one of your authors. She was a tall woman with long, dark brown hair and dark eyes. Every time you saw her, she dazzled you with her wild and artistic makeup, often in bold colors and glitter. Here she sat across from you in the corner booth at your favorite cafe to meet up with her for work. Her gaze pierced you out from under her black beret.

“I’ve been calling your name for the last few minutes. Come on. Talk to me. Something is distracting you.”

She sipped at her tea as she watched you like a hawk. Sometimes, you wondered if she was a hawk Hybrid. You sighed. “It’s nothing, Am. Let’s continue.”

“Nuh-uh. Don’t pull that bullshit with me, girl. You and I both know that we ain’t doing shit when one of us has something on our minds.”

You let out a small chuckle. “Can’t get anything past you, huh?”

“Nope. I’ve been with you the longest of your sci-fi brood. You can’t pull the wool over my eyes.”

This was why you two got along so well. Amber continued as she glanced down at her cup. “Does, uh, this have anything to do with Namjoon?”

You felt the blood rush to your cheeks. “What… what makes you think this has anything to do with him?”

“Namjoon and I do research in the same library. Something was… off about him. Didn’t help that he was picking up books from the interlibrary loan desk on Hybrid psychology.”

Sighing, you leaned back in your chair. “Liam,” you paused, unsure of how to even begin, “Liam thinks my roommates are either in love with each other or in love with me because… because they’ve been acting weird.”

“Weird how?”

So, you set about explaining to Amber about how oddly they’ve been acting. And about how poorly you responded in kind to them. She listened intently. Once you had finished, she thought for a moment. “Do you love them?”

“What? Of course.”

Amber shook her head. “No. Not like how you love Liam. I’m talking ‘ooey-gooey lovey-dovey take me here on this table’ type of love.”

“Amber!”

“What? Would you rather me describe as it as ‘make me a candle lit dinner then fuck me on the sofa’ type of love,” she asked, all the while maintaining a perfectly straight face.

You gaped at her. “Amber! We’re in public!”

Amber just laughed. “Whatever, bitch. So? You in love with any of them? All of them?”

Her powerful gaze genuinely made you reflect upon yourself. Were you in love with any of them? It would certainly take a more than a mere moment’s thoughts to confirm it, but— a little voice at the back of your mind whispered, ‘yes, you loved them, all of them.’ A soft smile found its way onto your face.

Amber gave you a big cheesy smile. “I knew it! You love them!”

She squealed like a 13 year old girl at a concert, earning you two looks from your fellow cafe patrons. You giggled at her reaction. “Calm down. Everyone’s looking at us. And, let’s assume for a moment, maybe, and I mean maybe, I was in love. With all of them. What can I do? I don’t want to hurt any of them more than I already have. And… I have a date tomorrow. Jongin was the first Hybrid I ever considered dating. I can’t not give him a chance.”

“Well,” Amber swirled her straw in her tea, “I’d say meet with this ‘Jongin.’ But only after you’ve given serious thought to how you feel about your roommates. If being with Jongin invokes the same feelings in you, then I’m wrong: you’re not really in love with them. Just a different type of love. But, if you don’t feel the same way about Jongin and it’s not a more intense feeling, then I’d say turn him down gently. If he’s a Hybrid as you say, he’d probably smell them on you. So, he might naturally accept the fact that you won’t return his affection. Or he’ll go feral. One of the two.”

You rolled your eyes as she laughed. “Thanks, Amber. Really helped ease my worry.”

She calmed down and reached across the table to grab your hands, squeezing them reassuringly. “But for real: maybe this is an opportunity— a chance to live guilt-free. You’ll be with someone, or maybe even someones, who won’t have any expectations of you carrying their children. Besides, from personal experience, the difference in anatomy can be a real plus.”

“Amber!”

“What? What did you think I was referring to? Dirty girl. I was talking about rubbing ears and warm cuddle buddies. Get your head out of the gutter.”

She smirked at you over the rim of her cup. You knew what she was implying and quite frankly, the idea made you blush. After all, you had never really considered the implications if you really did go ahead with a romantic relationship with any— or all of them.

Was it possible?

Would you be happy?

More importantly, would they be?

As always, reviews, comments, asks, and tags are always loved! ~Peony

Also, please note that I do NOT do tagging lists. Please see my FAQ for why.

Next (Chapter 8) —>

Agape and Pragma Masterlist

Masterlist

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1-800-gaygentsofshield · 4 years

Text

Free Food Skimmons AU

For Agent Daisy Johnson, struggling is an understatement. The agent is borderline broke, her paycheck for SHEILD not coming in for another week or so, taxes and rent are due, there’s a waterline problem that she needs to fix, May wants her to train twice as long now, and she’s starving.

Daisy stumbles into the SHEILD building/base with her headphones in and her hair tied up in a messy ponytail, trying to smooth out her Stanford shirt and black jeans. Food, I just need food, the stands have free food this early in the morning right? Daisy grabs a coffee on the way to the stands, the dull hum in her stomach making her snappy.

She lights up at the sight of the free food, picking up the pace in her walk as she eyes it. Oh yess, free muffin? Please and thank you. Daisy’s hand reaches to grab the last pumpkin butterscotch muffin when another hand comes in and bumps into hers.

Like a animal and it’s prey Daisy’s eyes snap up to look at the person who dares to try and take her muffin from her. When their eyes meet all of Daisy’s anger and territorial-ness melt away at the sight of the other agent. “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t see you!” The woman apologizes and Daisy is there staring dumbly at her. And she’s British, good god.

“I-I, uhm-” Daisy sputters out, her hand retracting from the fresh muffin. “Oh I’m so sorry, how rude of me. I’m Agent Jemma Simmons from Biochemistry but you can call me Jemma.” The Brit says, holding her hand out for Daisy to shake. She shakes the biochems hand and smiles, a blush forming on her cheeks. It is way too early to be talking to attractive British scientists. “Agent Daisy Johnson from computers. You can call me Daisy, or Skye if you’d like..for like most of my life I self named myself Skye even though in St.Agnes they named me Mary Sue Poots. But, then one day my father came along and told me my real name was Daisy so-” The hacker cuts herself off from rambling as she glances at the biochemist.

She thought the other agent would be weirded out by Daisy’s sudden rambling but she only finds the scientists smile grow even wider. “Well, Daisy, you can have the muffin.” Jemma smiles and Daisy looks at her in awe, the light dusting of freckles on her cheeks, her golden brown, mid-length hair falling down her shoulders, she’s so flipping attractive holy hell. After a few moments of silence of Daisy just staring, Jemma clears her throat, “You can have the muffin Skye.” She says with more clarity and Daisy shakes her head.

“Oh I’m okay, you can have it. I can always grab food somewhere cheep..” Daisy lets her sentence fall as she hears how lame it sounds. “If you insist.” Jemma says, her tone implying that she’s not completely convinced as she slowly grabs the muffin.

Just as her fingertips close around the baked good, Daisy’s stomach betrays her and it grumbles. Loud. The hacker feels her cheeks flush red before she hears a giggle from the other agent, that same knee weakening look on her face.

“Why don’t we share, come Daisy.” Jemma decides, grabbing the taller girls wrist and gently tugging her to a table in the building’s courtyard. They sit down and Jemma pulls out a plastic knife Daisy didn’t know she had grabbed, cutting the mouth watering muffin in pieces.

“Here we go.” Jemma smiles and picks up a piece, waiting for Daisy to do so as well before eating it. Daisy practically groans at the taste, the pumpkin spiced flavored muffin mixed with the warm butterscotch chocolate chips melting in her mouth. “Mm this tastes like heaven.” Daisy groans, making the other woman giggle at her reaction.

They finish the sacred muffin as they talk about work and life in general, both of them putting in commentary to make the other laugh. Once they finish Daisy gets up to throw the wrapper away before coming back to Jemma and smiling.

“Thanks for accompanying me for a single muffin.” Daisy teases and Jemma smiles, grabbing her stuff. “I’ll see you later? I’m guessing we’ll meet again soon.” Jemma says and Daisy nods, a hopeful look on both girls faces.

“Hopefully, I’ll see you later Doctor Simmons.” Daisy smiles before walking towards her designated work wing.

The next day they run into each other again at the food stand, both of them smiling as they lock eyes and wordlessly communicate to share today’s muffin.

As they eat their free muffin together they go over what they’re planning to do, such as what type of samples Jemma is testing today and what kind of code Daisy’s planning on decrypting.

Soon they fall into a routine, each day meeting the other at the same table in the SHEILD courtyard with the days free breakfast food. It’s usually muffins but other times they share breakfast sandwiches, bagels, dry cereal, and more.

One day though, when the two were sharing a chocolate chip muffin, Daisy gets an idea.

“Hey Jemma, would you like to accompany me for lunch? We have breakfast with each other each day so why not? I enjoy your company a lot.” Daisy says sheepishly and Jemma beams like she just won the lottery.

“Of course, same table?” Jemma asks and Daisy nods, a equally wide smile on her face.

Breakfast and lunch. That’s the highlight of the pairs day, seeing each other when they first walk in and rushing to the table when they’re dismissed for lunch.

This goes on for two months, each of them never getting bored of the others company. It’s nice actually, after a particularly hard mission Jemma would sit on Daisy’s side of the table and comfort her, letting her vent and cry on her shoulder. They bring two different worlds with them to the table, Daisy being a field agent and Jemma being in the lab, so it’s nice talking about it with someone who understands but doesn’t at the same time.

“Hey, would you like to accompany me for dinner at my apartment after our shift?” Jemma asks one day, eating a salad as Daisy is eating a loaded wrap. “Yes, of course Jem.” Daisy smiles, taking a drink from her water bottle. “Okay, meet me here once your shift is done so we can share a ride to my apartment.” Jemma beams and the hacker nods. “It’s a date then.” Daisy declares and a blush forms on both of the girls cheeks. “It’s a date.”

They’re still in that odd talking stage when Daisy doesn’t show up to breakfast and Jemma gets a call. Jemmas sitting at the table in the corner, a pumpkin butterscotch muffin sitting in front of her as she waits patiently for Daisy, a smile on her face as she remembers that faithful morning.

The biochemist gets a bad feeling in her stomach when it’s 30 minutes past when Daisy usually arrives through the doors, her hair usually messy but a smile still planted on her face.

20 minutes later her phone vibrates in her pocket, making Jemma jump at the sudden sound. She fishes the ringing device out of her pocket and presses the green button, holding it up to her ear. “Is this Jemma?” A voice says and her eyebrows furrowing, no one calls her by her first name accept Daisy or Fitz.

“This is her, yes.” She says and she hears a sigh of relief on the other line. “I’m here from the SHEILD hospital wing, you’re Agent Johnson’s emergency contact-” As soon as she hears the word emergency contact she stands up abruptly from her chair and grabs the muffin, placing it in her bag and walking towards the hospital wing.

“When did she get here.” Jemma asks as her mind starts racing at the possibilities. “An hour ago.” The voice says and she flares up. “I am the head of the medical and biochemistry departments, why the hell was I not informed the second she got in.” She hisses and the voice at the other end freezes.

“D-Doctor Simmons, I-I’m so sorry I had no clue it was you, I-I-” The voice tries to explain and Jemma cuts them off. “What room.” She deadpans, rushing through the medical wing doors.

“R-room 4C.” The voice says. She doesn’t respond as she hangs up and runs up the flight of stairs, slowing down once she reaches room 4C.

“Doctor Simmons you’re her-” Another intern tries to suck up to her but she holds her hand up and silenced them, grabbing Daisy’s chart and walking into her room.

The biochemist closes the door behind her and looks at the intern who called her, “Doctor Simmons I’m so sorry I didn’t tell-” The intern starts and Jemma shakes her head. “Out Fisher.” She commands and he quickly leaves with his tail between his legs.

“Fucking interns.” Jemma huffs as she sees Diasy awake with a loopy smile on her face. “Oh thank god.” She says, rushing over to Daisy’s side and checking her vitals. “Poor intern, you went off on him over the phone.” Daisy smiles, wincing as she lightly laughs. “Sorry, I’m just frustrated that you got in a hour ago and I wasn’t informed the second you got admitted.” Jemma sighs, pulling up a chair and sitting next to the agent.

“It’s not like I’m complaining, dom Jemma is kinda hot.” Daisy jokes, making a blush appear on the Brits face. They both smile softly at each other as they fall into a comfortable silence, the steady beeping of the heart monitor cutting through it.

“You have me as your emergency contact?” Jemma says, her voice sweet and her smile even sweeter.

Daisy blushes and closes her eyes, a smile still on her face before she feels Jemmas hand slide into hers. “Yeah it is, I’m sorry it might be too foward, I just don’t have anyone else and the first person I thought that would make the trip for me was you an-”

Jemma cuts off Daisy’s rambling by placing a kiss on her lips, her other hand gently cupping her cheek. “It’s sweet, thank you. And of course, even if I was halfway across the world I’d still make the journey for you.” Jemma says softly, a blush taking residence in Daisy’s cheeks once again.

“You’re perfect Jemma Simmons..” Daisy trails off and Jemma shakes her head, humming lightly as they enjoy the closeness. “Kiss me again Doctor Simmons, it’ll help with my pain.” Daisy whispers and the Brit laughs softly, “If it helps the patients wellbeing then who am I to deny it?” Jemma jokes, leaning in again and kissing her soundly.

They kiss for a few minutes, happy that they’re together and Daisy’s okay. Jemma slowly pulls away and smiles, squeezing the agents hand as they lock eyes. “Now that you’re okay..” Jemma starts, gently hitting Daisy’s non-bandaged shoulder. “What the bloody hell happened to you?” Jemma asks and the hackers hand comes up to hold her shoulder.

“Mm, mission went south. We were dealing with Hydra agents and they threatened to capture one of our biochemists for information. They showed us your picture so I did the most reasonable thing when someone threatenes to hurt the girl you’re interested in, I killed them. One of them took me by surprise though and shot me in the shoulder before May killed them.” Daisy explains, Jemma staying silent the entire time and listening intently until she’s finished.

“Oh Skye, honey..” Jemma whispers, her hand gently caressing the brunettes cheek and Daisy leaning into the touch. “Darling that was very sweet and heroic but I don’t want you going around and risking your life trying to protect me.” The scientist says softly and Daisy shakes her head.

“If it means kisses and cuddles I’ll take the chance.” She jokes and Jemma playfully shakes her head. “There’s better ways to get kisses than taking bullets for me.” She hums, her thumb running over Daisy’s knuckles.

“Noted..Hey Jem?” Daisy says after a few beats, making the smaller girls eyes perk up. “Will you be my girlfriend?” She asks sheepishly, her grip slightly tightening on the doctors hand. “Of course darling.” Jemma hums and Daisy looks like a kid on christmas morning. The hacker practically beams with pride and Jemma laughs softly before leaning in and kissing her girlfriend deeply.

#agents of shield #daisy x jemma #skimmons fic #skimmons #daisy johnson #jemma simmons

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