Tumgik
#did you not see me get obsessive sometimes over shit I love and (rarely I’d like to think) shit I hate?
myinterestsvary-writes · 11 months
Text
Finished English Class this semester but am going to read this just because. I’m sorry that the book is tattered. There’s a lot of old, poorly maintained books in my house that only recently got out of boxes and were shelved.
Tumblr media
4 notes · View notes
Text
Ever had a promise ring? yeah...worked out like a charm eh? not.
Who knows your biggest secret(s)? even those closest to me who know the most that I never tell anyone, still don’t even know every single thing...
Do you ever get messages/asks on Tumblr? never
When was the last time you waxed anything on your body, if ever? I’ve never waxed
Do you like shrimp? I love it, I live for seafood!
Are you lactose intolerant? no that would be hell considering I’m mostly Italian/Irish so dairy is huge in my diet
Have you ever thought a man over 40 was attractive? respectfully, yes meaning I’d never see me being with them like that but I give credit where credit is due
Have you ever been told your aspirations are unrealistic? pretty much 
Who was the last person you sat beside at a restaurant? my fiance
Who is popular in your country? (Singers, actors etc.) we’re obsessed with Hollywood so take your pick lol (America, btw)
What did you watch today? marathons of SVU, Hot Bench. multiple shows on ID (crime shows/docs), new eps of Neighborhood Wars and Road Wars, Jeopardy, Jeopardy Masters
Peaches or plums? I love both but I never have plums, haven’t actually eaten one since I was a kid so peaches always
Do you understand art? I mean I love art but no, I don’t know shit about it to be honest lol Do/did your parents buy you a lot for Christmas? as a kid it was usually a lot, as I’ve gotten older sometimes it is and sometimes not depending on money but honestly it doesn’t matter to me if I get anything
Out of all the cultures in the world, what culture do you find the most interesting? Native American, always loved learning about them throughout school
Do you like ramen noodles? yeah
Who/what was that last thing that you slept with? my cat
Do your parents do things that “embarrass” you? of course, everyone has that
What IM service do you use the most? I was always YIM, never did AOL. but now it’s all FB messenger
Who was the last person to IM you? Brad
When you eat take-out, do you just eat it out of the containers provided? yeah always
Would you need to sleep with someone before considering marrying them? no
Do you carry condoms? no
How organized are the files on your computer? pretty organized
Did you have a childhood hero? Were they real or fictional? not really
Would you consider dating a psychiatrist or psychologist? I mean I can’t control what their job is, but...good luck to that person cause I’ll be the biggest and hardest case for them especially in an intimate relationship
For each person you’ve kissed, describe your feelings in one word: memories
How do you react when you trip or stumble? panic, embarrassed, anxious, awkward
Are you good at the game Twister? I can’t even remember the last time I played it, I was very very young so I doubt it lol 
Do your friends trust you around their bfs/gfs? yeah I’m not a threat, hell I’m the last person they’d go for and I’d never do something like that anyway
Would you rather make the first move, or your crush? my crush
If you have a camera, when do you use flash? I use my phone and rarely ever
What would you do if you found a gun in your best friend’s bedroom? curious but would figure it’s for protection and think nothing of it
What do you call your grandparents? I called my grandmother Mimi, and my grandfather I called Grandpa although I had a nickname G-Pa for him 
What would be a cool earring design? a star but the punk way of drawing one (think emo ish..like Avril Lavigne for Black Star with it crossed through the middle and a bit abstract)
Besides nightmares, what is the scariest thing about sleeping? flashbacks
Do you look better with red lipstick or black lipstick? red
Ever had a terrible breakup? you have noooooo idea...
Favorite bands? Linkin Park, Three Days Grace, 3 Doors Down, The Pretty Reckless, Paramore, Skillet, Staind, Disturbed, 21 Pilots, Florida Georgia Line, Evanescence...just to name a few 
Favorite quote? one of my favorites is from House, MD. “Successes only last until something screws them up. Failures are forever.” that hits close to home like a ton of bricks.
Wearing any bracelets? yeah one that my fiance’s mom got for me that’s called a Tiger’s Eye
Does your phone take pictures? yeah
Who is your favorite neighbor? I don’t know any except the one on our property, as well as our landlord and his girlfriend on the property as well and they’re nice
Have you ever gotten a detention? a lunch detention one time in 6th grade for a few missed assignments, nothing major. I was an honor roll student, I never did anything that would land me in detention
Does your door have a deadbolt on it? yeah
Have you had any soda today? yeah sipping on Diet Pepsi
What is your favorite scary movie? way too hard to make a list, I grew up on horror and love horror
What’s the most historic thing that has happened in your lifetime? many things...Y2K, 9/11, the Iraq war, first black president, COVID along with several other things like ebola and H1N1 kinda things, the first smartphone the internet...I mean so much and I was born in 1992 so imagine what’ll happen the rest of the time I’m alive..
What happens in your country regularly that people in most countries would find strange or bizarre? hahahaha pretty much our entire existence? there’s so many memes of how Brits think of us and the differences in things between us, for starters
What’s your funniest story involving a car? funny? ummm not sure really 
If you built a themed hotel, what would the theme be and what would the rooms look like? oh lord..either horror, Harry Potter, Pokemon, anime...
Do you think that humans will ever be able to live together in harmony? nope so stop wasting your prayers and efforts.
What’s the most amazing true story you’ve heard? I mean things like that happen every day so there’s no real one story, there’s countless ones
What’s the grossest food that you just can’t get enough of? I’m guessing this means like, diabetes/heart attack waiting to happen? lol I don’t really consider anything I like to eat gross
What brand are you most loyal to? I don’t really buy brand name stuff
Where are you not welcome anymore? .....next.
What’s a common experience for many people that you’ve never experienced? vacations, I guess
What fashion trend makes you cringe or laugh every time you see it? cuffing the bottom of your jeans...looks tacky as hell and is not flattering at all to your legs
What are the initials of the last person you made out with? Z.R.W
If you found out you were pregnant, who would be the first person to know? my fiance, obviously
How old were you when you had your first kiss? 19
Is it awkward when you run into your ex? I never do really but if I do, not really
Were you intoxicated the last time you threw up? no, I wish
Who is your most recent ex? Tyler
Has the person you last kissed taken their shirt off in front of you? well duh lol it’s my fiance :P
Have you ever broken anything because you were mad? no
Do you “blow kisses” often? no
Do you need to “break up” with a friend? no
0 notes
idy-ll-ique · 3 years
Text
My Little Secret.
Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x Innocent!F!Reader
Genre : Fluff, little bit of Angst
Warnings: none
Requested: nope
Summary: Y/N listens to music 24/7 on Spotify. At first Ransom is irritated, but now he knows just how to use the application to his benefit. I mean, come on, it can't be considered stalking if it's his wife, right?
Author's Note: Hiya peeps! oml a ransom drysdale fanfiction 😳 if I ever meet this asshole in real life I'd sock him in the jaw but in fiction? mamma mia. enjoy!
---
Does she really love an app more than me?
Ransom scoffed to himself as he opened his laptop, clicking on the music app, Spotify. He rarely used it, but his wife was obsessed with it. She listened to music 24/7; singing along to the soft tunes in her playlists while working, reading, cleaning, cooking, anything. Ransom thought it was insane how submerged she was in the activity.
Until that activity gave him an upper-hand in their relationship.
When he had first opened the app on his laptop, he was a tad bit surprised at the "Friends Activity" feature. He saw her account. Then, as more months passed, he started noticing how when she was happy, she'd always be listening to some happy playlist, when she was sad she'd be listening to sad songs, et cetera. And he started using it to his advantage.
Now, everyday before leaving his office he'd check the app to see what playlist she was listening to. If it was a happy, dance playlist, well and fine. But a sad one? Ransom's mood would also sour because my darling is not feeling okay. While going home, he'd buy something for her; mostly flowers or chocolates, or a nice little trinket that he'd find in the displays of shops that he thought his wife would enjoy.
He never told her about it. What he was doing would be considered stalking but come on, is it stalking if she's your wife? As the app finally loaded, his eyes immediately strayed to the Friends Activity and his heart clenched when he saw her listening to her sad playlist that she had named Melancholy. Sighing, he turned off the laptop and left his office for the night.
As he drove back home, he stopped outside a flower shop and bought an adorable little bouquet of mixed flowers. "She'll love it," the florist assured him, assuming he was buying it for his significant other. He gave her a quick smile and got back into the car, driving home as fast as he could. When he reached home, his heart broke at the sniffle he heard.
"Kitten?" Y/N's head shot up at her husband's voice as she hurriedly wiped her tears, getting up from her spot on the couch. "Hi, welcome home," she whispered, giving him a quick peck on the lips, smiling widely to avoid being caught. "Hello, how was your day?" He wanted to sigh, to chide her for keeping her bad mood from him, but he only smiled at how cute she looked trying to hide her true feelings.
"It wasn't bad! So, shower first and dinner later or dinner first?"
Now was the time. "Kitten, the truth, please. How was your day?" He raised a stern eyebrow when her face fell. How does he always read me so well? Knowing she couldn't hide now, she hung her head low as her shoulders sagged. "It was bad," she muttered. Ransom pulled her close, her head resting on his chest, his chin atop her head. "What happened? I swear if it's those fucking coworkers of yours—"
Her silence gave him the answer. The thing is, when Ransom and Y/N had started going out, everyone in the city was shocked. A cute, innocent little thing like her dating an asshole like him? Why? She had lost quite a few friends when she told them, but Ransom was there for her. "You don't need them, you have me." He was right. While the world saw him as a first-class jerk, he was the softest soul with her.
Her priorities were always placed before his. He took care of her, treated her like no previous boyfriend of hers had, and within 2 years of dating, he had proposed. People were even more shocked. She managed to get him to settle down?! How?! Then the gossip began. "He has to be cheating, I mean look at him. Look at her," she had heard one time after the engagement. That had made her super upset.
"Ransom, they're talking… someone said you were cheating on me…" She had broken down on his chest that night, crying her eyes out. And Ransom had immediately switched off the television. He sat up, holding her close. "You know I'd never do that, angel. Why would I, when you're with me? Do you really think those women out there have the same effect on me that you do? Huh?"
"Well, they said… they said I was ugly."
"What?! Those fucking whores—"
"Ransom, don't call them that," she had chided, swatting his chest. He caught the hand and brought it to his lips, kissing each fingertip. "If it makes you feel better, no, I'm not cheating on you. I love you a little too much to do that. You mean the world to me, Y/N, there's no one on this planet I'd rather be with than you. And you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen, in and out," he told her sincerely.
Her crying ceased. "Thank you." And he held her close the entire night, rubbing her back as she slept on him. People talking about him? He could handle that, God knows he had been handling that for years. But them talking about her? His perfect, angelic, goddess-like fiancée? No, no, he wouldn't handle that. That whole thing was 4 years ago. People still talked.
"What did they say to you, Y/N?" he asked, coming back to the real world.
"They asked me why I was still with you." He exhaled loudly through his nose when Y/N's arms tightened around him. "I told them I loved you. You are nice, you're not what everyone says you are. But then Amy talked about… about how you used to be— what was the word she used? Oh, uh, yeah, she said you were something of a Casanova before you met me. But I told her that was over."
His arms snaked around her waist, his fingers gently dancing over her hips as she continued speaking. "She insisted that people can't just change over a small period of time. I tried ignoring her but then she started gossiping with someone else about you. And then I snapped at her. But you know me…" Ransom hummed, pressing his lips to her forehead.
His wife had a docile soul. Everything from her looks to her mannerisms was soft. She couldn't yell, she couldn't tell people off— she was too pure to do that. The world needed people like her, to be honest. That was also one of the things he liked about her. Sometimes, he thought about how beneficial it would be for her to hold her own in a fight, but his ego shoved the thought down each time.
He liked being her big protector. He loved taking care of her like that. "Yes, I know, angel. You're too good for this world, you know that?" he mumbled, slightly pulling away from her so he could cup her face, looking into her eyes. She huffed and looked away. "I'm too soft. I can't help it. I don't want to be this way." He chuckled and leaned over to kiss her. "Oh no, you should definitely be this way."
"Why?"
"Because it suits you. Don't change for people who don't even care about you. I like you like this; gentle, caring… you have the biggest heart in the world, Y/N. And I want to keep it that way. Don't let people ruin your innocence. Keep being you." He pressed her closer when she started sniffling again. "You're too good to me," she pouted and he laughed. "That's my duty as your husband, kitten. Look, I bought flowers."
He took out the bouquet from his bag, smiling when Y/N's eager hands accepted it. "Thank you! Oh, these are so beautiful! Let me replace the flowers in the vase on the dining table!" Squealing, she walked away from him, leaving him to stare after her with an infatuated smile. You have no idea what you do to me, angel.
---
"Night, Ran," Y/N yawned, keeping her phone away. He held his arm up and Y/N snuggled into his side, allowing him to wrap his arm around her side. "Night, sweetheart," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her nose. He watched TV for some time until the match got boring; then he switched it off and carefully lay down on the bed, about to doze off when Y/N's phone rang. He blinked. Who'd be calling at his hour?
He lifted the phone off the nightstand, grimacing when he saw the Caller ID. Amy. As soon as he picked the phone up, Amy started blabbering. "Hi! Sorry I'm calling so late, Y/N, but I wanted to apologize for how I spoke to you at work today. It was wrong of me, really, I hope you can forgive me!" Ransom stayed silent, his jaw clenched. He had been hearing that line for years.
"Ransom, it's okay, she apologized, she won't be doing it again. She told me so herself!"
It was never the last time.
"Are you done?" he snapped and Amy froze on the other side. "M-Mr Drysdale—" "Listen, I don't want to hear it. I'm not Y/N; she has a heart of gold, God, I wonder why I let her hang out with people whose hearts are made of pure shit. How many times have you apologized for the same thing, huh? Using my girl's pure heart to your fucking advantage like that?"
"You're being—"
"I'm being what? I'm being rude? Who started it? If you ever mention our marriage in front of Y/N again, I'll have your fucking head." Amy bristled on the other side. "Are you threatening me?" Ransom smirked. "If you don't want to be threatened, I suggest you keep your nose out of other people's business. What mine and Y/N's relationship is like is no one's concern."
Amy stayed silent. "Gossiping won't get you anywhere. I have the best lawyers in the city, and I swear, if Y/N comes crying to me one more time about how someone was rude to her, I'll sue. Trust me, I will take legal action. Is that understood?" Amy quaked at his menacing tone. "Y-Yes, sir." Ransom's lips curled into a devious smile. "Great." And he ended the call.
"Ransom, who was that?" Y/N sleepily murmured next to him. She hadn't heard a word of the conversation, but could tell he was on the phone. "No one you need to worry about, sweetheart, go to sleep. I'm here." He lay down next to her, pulling her close. "You know, I have a question." He nodded at her to go on. "How do you always know when I'm going to be in a bad mood?"
"What do you mean?" he smiled, knowing exactly what she meant. "I mean, I have been wondering for years! Everytime I happen to be in a bad mood, you bring home a gift. It's like— it's like you can read my mind! How?! It can't be a coincidence, it has happened a lot of times for it to be a coincidence," she rambled and Ransom's heart fluttered at how innocent and adorable she looked.
"I have my ways," he teased, lightly poking her nose. "You're not gonna tell me, are you?" she pouted and he couldn't help but lean forward, pressing his lips to hers. "Nope, just so I can keep surprising you." She giggled, snuggling further into his arms until her face was pressed into his bare chest. "I love you so much, Ransom," she whispered. "I love you more, my sweet little angel."
Both of them went to sleep with giddy smiles on their faces.
Oh, and the Spotify thing? That was his little secret. Shh, don't tell anyone!
---
A/N: Leave a like if you enjoyed, thanks for reading!
925 notes · View notes
thefanficmonster · 3 years
Text
My Kind
Corpse Husband x Reader (Female)
Warning: Swearing
Genre: Fluff, RPF (Real Person Fic)
Summary: Having been chosen by the gang to be a guest streamer on today’s stream of Among Us, it’s safe to say Y/N’s super excited but also a bit nervous. The whole of her anxiety gets lifted off her when she meets someone with the exact same vibe as hers - yeah you guessed it.
Requested by @monizzle96 Hi dear! Thank you so much for your wonderful request! I’m so terribly sorry it’s taken me so long to write and post it but here it finally is! I hope you come across it and read it and if so I hope you enjoy it! Love, Vy ❤
This has to be the fiftieth time I’ve checked my setup in the past twenty four hours. But no, I’m definitely not nervous, what are you talking about. Pshhh. Nah, being nervous isn’t in my brand. Plus, what do I have to make me nervous - a group of famous streamers inviting me onto their stream to play Among Us with them because they enjoyed my own streams? Ok yeah, that’s a pretty good reason. Not gonna lie, I almost chucked my phone out of excitement when I received that DM from Toast, telling me they’d picked me to be their guest streamer for today’s date. My stomach was doing somersaults for a good forty-eight hours following that text and then the anxiety slowly started setting in fueled by the expectations they probably have of me.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not inexperienced in the streaming field, I’ve been a streamer longer than some of the members of Toast’s streamer gang actually. But I never managed to garner that big of a following which I’m honestly quite ok with. I have a modest - ok, maybe larger than modest - following consisting of incredibly loyal fans which I will never stop being grateful for. They are all so respectable of me, my privacy and my boundaries. They know the main rules: no shit-talking in the chat or in any of my comment sections, no bashing other YouTubers in my comments/chat, and most definitely not asking for a face reveal. Fun fact: I didn’t even set up that last rule, they all just collectively know not to ask for it. 
I’ve been keeping my brand pretty low-key to avoid garnering some unwanted attention - some of which I’ve already experienced on certain social media platforms following the full body pictures I posted on there - face not visible of course. I tend to also have my webcam on, facing towards my hands working away on the keyboard sometimes when I stream. I don’t know why people obsess over faceless content creators’ hands, but I appreciate the enthusiasm - it also drives me to do a manicure every now and then which ain’t so bad, self-care and all that you know.
Now, back to the subject of my ridiculous nervousness.
You see, it has layers.
I’m nervous of ‘preforming’ underwhelmingly and I’m nervous of what my own fans will think of the person I will become during this stream. They know me as a super chill and laid-back person, which I am by the way, but they might think I’m putting on a show if I exhibit any nervous gestures/vocabulary. I highly doubt they would, but the possibility is not letting my mind rest. And now that it’s about ten minutes till the stream starts, I’m getting doing my best to calm my nerves.
They are all just people. You know they are super chill too. Just be yourself, that’s why they invited you, because you are yourself on all your streams. They liked you for your personality, humor, maybe even your gaming skills. So chill the hell out and be yourself, damn it!
Easier thought than put into action that’s for sure.
I start my stream five minutes early just so I can vibe with my viewers for a little while before I have to meet the gang. My fans always have a way of injecting me with confidence, they remind me of where I was when I started and how far I’ve come. How much I achieved when I thought I’d be nothing and no one, someone the algorithm would simply overlook. But then they entered my life and I entered theirs and it all became much better than I ever thought it would get to be. I rarely tell myself ‘good job’ for the milestones I’ve reached or the hard work I’ve put into my content, but that’s probably cause I orient myself based on that quote from the movie Whiplash: ‘There are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job’ - simply put, I’m never satisfied with what I do and I always strive to do better. My fans, however, make sure I don’t go overboard with it - always serving as a reminder that I’ve done plenty for myself and others. And that’s what makes an amazing fandom, one I consider family.
Whoa, when did those five minutes fly by?!
Ah shit, here we go. Deep breaths, Y/N you got this.
“Hello!“ I say as I enter the Discord call, subconsciously biting my lower lip, grateful the camera isn’t capturing it. However, I make a mental note to keep my hands steady cause that’s the one part of me people can actually see and the last thing I want is for them to see how much my fingers are trembling.
“Oh hi, Y/N!“ Toast is the first one to greet me, “Welcome to the stream! Thank you so much for accepting our invitation.“
“Thank you for having me and inviting me, Toast. This is a huge deal for me. You guys are basically YouTube legends, this is unreal to me.“ I reply, cringing immediately afterwards because of my fangirl rambling. Great way to make first impressions, Y/N. Bravo.
To be fair, they already have an impression of you. Quit stressing.
Aright, you’ve got a point, me.
“Oh please, we owe all that to our fans. We’re really nothing special. All streamers are almost completely alike, we all owe where we are to the people who helped us make it there - our fans. We’re no legends.“ Toast says, bringing a small smile to my face as well as a light pink blush to my cheeks, “And from what I’ve seen, you yourself have quite the following. And your fans seem to adore you.“
“And I absolutely adore them.“ I chuckle, “They mean the world to me. They are the reason I’m here today.”
“Then we have to give them a special thank you, don’t you think?“ The teasing, familiar giggle, widens my smile - it’s Rae, “Nice to meet you, Y/N! I’m Rae, and, no cap, I’m quite a fan of your content. No joke, I binged your entire series of Resident Evil 7 as soon as I found your channel when Toast said he’d invite you.“
This rattles me a bit. I can hardly believe it - am I really receiving a compliment from an A-list name in the streaming world? My fans must be hella proud of me right now. A quick glance at my chat confirms that they indeed are. That in and of itself fills me with joy and newfound confidence.
“Oh Gosh, thank you so much Rae! That means the world to me. You’re all so sweet.“ I reply, lifting my ice cold hands to cool down my burning cheeks, my lips spread into a grin, my stomach filled with butterflies.
“Oh please, we have some real savages around here.“ A male voice, seemingly Charlie’s scoffs, “Don’t overlook us please.“
“Wait, we do?“ A deep voice, one I immediately know the owner of speaks up, “Who? How come I don’t know about that?“
I can’t help bust snort, “Nice to meet you, Corpse. Sarcasm central, I see.”
He laughs, “Just returning it to where it’s due. Nice to meet you too, Y/N. Sick Outlast series, by the way.“
Ok, wait, I have two A-list streamers complimenting my content. Ok, I’m bound to crack open a few beers to celebrate later cause OH MY GOD.
“Thanks! I’m a horror junkie so I’d be lying if I said I haven’t binge watched all your story-times. Personal favorites are the deep web ones, they fascinate me.“
“Oh, you’re one of my kind even more than I expected, huh?“ He replies, the tone of his voice changing, raising a bit due to what I can only describe as excitement and enthusiasm. “I’ve had people tell me it’s twisted, but I really like seeing the lengths to which the fucked up human mind can go to. Like, the shit I’ve read is insane! Some stories I didn’t narrate cause I would’ve probably had my video taken down, it was that messed up.“
My eyes widen, sharing the same excitement at the thought of digging deeper into this phenomenon, “Careful, Corpse, you’re walking a dangerous line of tempting me to deep-dive on Reddit in search of those exact stories.”
“No need.“ Corpse says, his tone now taking up a bit of a cocky note, “I still got them all saved, I can send them to you no problem.“
“Please do! I seriously gotta read them now. If I can’t sleep afterwards, I’m blaming you, Corpse. Just FYI.“ I say, giggling slightly, finding myself all but completely comfortable now. I wonder where all that anxiety went? 
“Blame fully taken. Given that I’m not much of a sleeper, I’ll keep you company whenever you think there’s a killer hiding in your closet or fear a red room pop-up will appear on your computer screen.“ He replies, chuckling.
“Um, that’s oddly specific.“ Charlie comments, “Been there yourself, buddy?”
“Perhaps.“ Corpse wheezes, getting a laugh out of me too, “I will neither confirm nor deny.“
“You know what, I’ll just private message you my number so if you see it call you at some ungodly hour, you don’t freak the fuck out. Sounds good?“ I ask, already prepping to type it out and send it to him. 
“Perfect. Wait...“ he pauses for a second, sounding puzzled for a second, “You don’t have mine.“
“Oh, do I not?“ I reply with a sinister tone - thought to answer the question, I of course don’t have his number.
“Oh, do you?“ He sasses me right back. “If so then you don’t need me to send it to you. Cool.“
Ah, shit
“Wait, no! I-I need to confirm it’s the correct one!“
Damn, never did I think I’d be complimented by some of the most important streamers on this platform, but to get a number of theirs too? That’s a whole another level that will take me time to process. But I’ll do that another time, right now, I have to kick these people’s butts in Among Us and later I have some deep web stories to read.
Turns out, all it takes to get comfortable in a new surrounding is someone of your kind. And Corpse is definitely one of my kind.
@maat-the-prescriptive  @simonsbluee  @save-the-sky  @itsminniekat  @hacker-ghost  @bi-andready-tocry  @imtiredaffff  @jazzkaurtheglorious  @hereforbeebo  @fandomgirl17  @chrysanthykios  @maehemscorpyus  @loraleiix  @letsloveimagines  @annshit  @i-cant-choose-a-username-help  @enigmaticmaze  @divine-artemis  @waterlilypat  @idontknowwhatthisisfam  @evi-ka  @classyandfabulous00  @redperson58  @lilysdaydreams @solowheein  @mythicalamphitrite  @axen-gers  @luckygirl144  @nj01  @buddyemily   @the-albino-lioness  @stardream14  @gdhdkfnn  @nomadicgypsyy  @preciousskye  @fluffysuicideunicornsworld  @o-kaelin  @manacharlotte  @awkward-youtube-trash  @lolalee24  @bonky-beerns  @meme-lord-and-savior-sebastian  @strawbrinkofdeath  @teenloves  @tams0527  @browneyespinkhair  @starstruckllamapuppy  @daisychains012  @y0ulooked  @tinytacosuitcaseflap @supernatural-is-my-only-life  @jula-pauline  @melodykitty  @just-that-bi-girl  @crazybutconfidentaf  @lowellshade @alphakees  @bellero  @weallneednamjesus  @starryhanji  @boiled-onionrings  @husherstan  @fockingwhore  @melaningoddessthings  @prettypastelpetals  @haleypearce  @godwhyamiawkward  @y-napotat  @daisychainyoonmin  @little-miss-rebel3  @free-wheelin-bi-sexual  @redmoon261 @darkacademic2  @wiseflamingoqueen  @into-the-end  @namikhai-i  @nastiablr  @thelittleplantlover  @mirktuan  @dont-hyuck @jjk-bunny  @vintagegothlover  @easygoingtheatre  @itsrandombooklover  @miiaivi  @emmybaybee  @befourgolden  @jjk-is-my-shit  @eternalteaaars  @spacebadgerx  @princesslunalight  @acequinn14  @samm48  @misselsbells06 @simp-lykawa  @fo-love  @marishimomura-blog  @therealglenncoco  @cinnamonbun332  @killtherandomness  @sanshinexxxsan  @fee-btheweeb  @press-lay  @cathleenpotgieter16  @jazzydoesstuff  @moonlxghtbay  @forestrain2000  @hyunjinhugs  @blood-of-fandoms  @lovellylies  @ukiyolixx  @simpforhpcharacters  @chrisdylan17  @parkerjisung  @pedernille  @theodonyous  @wineandionysus  @malfoystilinskii05  @morbid-x  @coryisagee  @jessewa26  @scoobydooluver97 @mindintheskies365  @raeanneinwonderland  @indecisive-empanada  @gluttonypalace  @loriane2503  @btsiguess-kpop  @khaoticbunny  @lucidlycactus  @smiithys  @rottenroyalebooks  @kpopgirlbtssvt  @fangirl-tc27  @fr0z3n-1  @notmesimpingfortechno  @shotarosleftpinky  @kunoi-chan  @idk-whats-wrong-with-me  @yikeroonie  @goldenstarofthunderclan  @poetry-and-tea  @ama-do-writing-stuff  @wishbonewolf  @emeraldxhope  @t0xick1tty  @kusuinko  @speakyourselfloveyourself  @sophia902103  @lo-manburg  @classsykittykat  @dmgama  @depressedpuppythatneedscoffee  @btsiguess-kpop  @akaashi-baby  @gun-jong-simp  @geschichtenfee  @yerapotato-wp  @browneyedgirl365  @thysagclub  @sparklycloudnight  @helloatomicshadow  @queentorresstuff @vtte @val-gal  @lucy-bunny17  @aaliyahh0  @katluckybear  @boyleanti  @straybids  @franchesca-791  @cosmicstorm19  @averyisbackinthetrashcan  @aomi-nabi  @xlanawriter  @allensimpsforcorpse
250 notes · View notes
stuckwith-harry · 3 years
Text
Hide-and-seek
A/N: Oh, to be a chicken in times like these. (CW for discussion of death, nothing graphic.)
In the chicken shed it might as well still be the eighties, as though time had only gone on for the humans living in the house on the other side of the fence, but not in here, where the hens are quietly clucking and cooing and enjoying their naps, until Ginny shakes a handful of lettuce in the air like an invitation, a beckoning – then they come hurrying towards her, beaks tearing greedily at the green leaves.
When the hens have had their fill, Ginny looks over the gaggle of bickering ladies and finds her favourite amongst them, Genoveva with her warm brown feathers and clever eyes, who yells and shrieks when Ginny lifts her up by her impossibly soft belly, crouching down in the chicken shed, and pulls the disgruntled hen to her chest.
“Look, I’ll make it up to you”, Ginny tells her quietly. She fishes sweetcorn out of the front pocket of her dungarees and holds her open palm out to Genoveva, not flinching or grimacing when the sharp beak leaves little red marks on her skin as the hen gulps down her treat.
Ginny smiles.
The summer after her first year, she climbed into the chicken shed every day. She was soothed, then, by the arrhythmic clucking and the smell of fresh hay and the fact that the hens allowed her to share their company, that they did not recoil in horror at her sight.
It was her that named them, while she sat here for hours and hours with a chicken in her lap, more often than not Genoveva, who, for all her complaining, was easily the most patient of the bunch, and who nestles into her lap now, blinking slowly in the twilight while Ginny strokes her feathers, the burning inside her ribcage dull and pulsating like that of an infected wound.
Like it was her that took the damn Killing Curse to the chest.
“You’ve no idea how lucky you are”, she mutters, meeting Genoveva’s sharp eyes. “Nothing in those little heads of yours except earthworms and soft hay.”
She sits there for ages and ages like she did that summer, willing the comfort of the soft animal to sink into her like warmth. When she finally gets up to leave the chickens be, she tosses the rest of the sweetcorn into the hay (Genoveva looks utterly betrayed), fills up the grains in the feeder, and climbs out of the shed with the smell of warm feathers and wheat straw still in her nose.
“Chicken-feeding duty?”, calls a voice from near the house as she swings her bare legs over the wooden fence and strolls back towards the Burrow. When she looks for the voice’s owner, she discovers Ron, sitting on the weathered bench below the kitchen window.
“What’re you doing out here?”, she calls out as she comes closer.
“Hiding”, he says dully. “Mum’s crying again.”
Ginny feels something inside her chest take a tumble. “Is anyone with her?”
“Yeah, I’m not that much of a dickhead. Dad and Percy and Bill are all in there.”
“You’re not a dickhead”, Ginny says automatically, surprising them both. Then: “Mind if I stay?”
He shrugs. “Be my guest.”
So she sinks on the bench beside him, joining him in his grim silence. They gaze aimlessly over the soft green hills all around, the shape of the lake like a blue thumbprint in the landscape, where they whiled away so many happier, warmer days than this, and Ottery St. Catchpole’s mismatched roofs in the distance, smoke rising from the chimneys.
Ron finally looks over at her. “Were you with the chickens this whole time? I thought you’d grown out of your obsession with them.”
Ginny musters up a grin. “Never. I love those stupid hens. That was just an elaborate ruse so I could hide in the chicken coop when we used to play hide-and-seek. It never occurred to any of you to look.”
“Well, you stopped growing at about five feet, I figure you fit right in.”
Ginny whacks him in the knee. In a true testament to the severity of the situation, Ron does not retaliate.
She tells herself it’s that, not how much they aged him, the few short months that he was gone.
It’s less blatant now that Mum has shorn back the unkempt mop of hair that was falling into his eyes and growing down the back of his neck like wild weeds when he walked through the secret entrance of the Room of Requirements with Harry and Hermione; now that he’s shaved the patchy stubble on his cheeks and his face has regained a little fullness. But sometimes she still looks at him and wonders how ten years have not passed since she watched him slip away into thin air at Bill and Fleur’s wedding.
“Did anything happen?”, she asks. “With Mum?”
Ron shrugs, expression blank. “Some fool said his name again. I never noticed how rarely we actually said the twins’ individual names until we had to break the habit of saying Fred-and-George all in one go. It’s like he’s Voldemort.”
Ginny doesn’t laugh.
“I know”, she mutters. “Don’t think it’ll ever come naturally.”
He nods mechanically. “Anyway – I made a run for it. I just couldn’t do it right then, having to comfort her and everything.”
Ginny looks over at him. “Funny, you’re so good at it.”
“You just say that because I make the best tea.”
“Well, you do.”
The same way that children can recognise each of their family members by the sound of their footsteps as heard through a wall, or the rhythmic pattern with which they knocked on the door, the Weasley siblings have learned to read each other’s silences since they’ve come home. Often now, they appear at each other’s bedroom doors at all hours of the night, shaken from nightmares or too restless to sleep or, rarely, weeping.
Most nights, two or three or four of them eventually find themselves in the kitchen, where Ginny turns on the lights, and Ron puts on the kettle, and they sit there and while away the small hours in each other’s company, in silence, in quiet understanding, in murmured chatter about nothing at all.  It’s good comfort, the idea that even after everything, there’s nothing in this world that a hot cup of tea can’t fix.
Ginny shifts on the bench next to him, pulling her knees to her chest. “Remember when that fox got one of the hens? I was inconsolable, and you were so nice to me when we put her in a shoebox and buried her behind the house, you didn’t even make fun of me.”
“You lot are different, that’s easy. I just can’t take it when it’s our parents.”
Ginny hums in understanding. “I think seeing Dad cry was worse for me. At the memorial.”
“Cheers, thanks for bringing it up again.”
She snorts.
“You’re good with Harry”, she says softly. “D’you miss him at all?”
He rolls his eyes. “He just sleeps two floors below me, it’s not like he died.”
Ginny winces.
Ron does not miss the look on her face or the heaviness of her silence, as they have all learned to do, and asks in an unnaturally light tone: “How’re you coping with him waking up three times a night?”
He seems relieved, for a moment there, when she smirks.
“It’s not too bad, actually. At least he makes for a great pillow.”
Ron looks appalled. “What the hell happened to the camp bed?”
“Oh, we just keep that around for decoration now.” She grins, comforted by the opportunity to tease him. “And he doesn’t wake up as much anymore.”
His face lights up. “That’s good news, at least. Lead with that next time.”
“Oh, he’s just … stopped going to sleep altogether.”
“That really solves that problem”, he says darkly. “The idiot.”
“I don’t think it’s purposeful”, she says. “He’s always pretending to be asleep when I look at him, but I can always tell. And when he does doze off, I’ll just stir next to him, and that’s enough to wake him up again.”
“He’s a really light sleeper these days”, Ron says apologetically. “The worst camping trip in the world will do that to a person.”
Ginny grins faintly. “Yeah, he’s mentioned it.”
“He’s talking, then?”
“Hm-hm.” She wraps her arms a little tighter around her legs. “Which is good, I guess.”
He watches her for a minute, as though unsure what to make of her tone. “Anything on your mind?”
She laughs. “Anyone ever told you you’re turning into Mum?”
“Well, we’re here anyway!”, Ron says, ears flushing. “Spit it out, will you?”
“He, uhm –”
It has not occurred to her, until right now, how difficult it would be to pass the story on, even to someone who has heard it before. Harry handed it to her because she asked him to, and still it knocked into her like a wild animal, pouncing, the weight of it like a Hippogriff standing on her chest, pinning her to the earth.
“He told me about walking into the Forbidden Forest.”
“Ah”, Ron says hollowly. “No wonder you’re hiding in a chicken coop.”
She looks around at him. “It’s not Harry I’m hiding from.”
“But you are hiding”, Ron says wisely.
Ginny shrugs. “I dunno what I expected. Somehow I’d convinced myself I already knew the worst of it. Which, as it turns out, was a bit stupid of me.”
She draws in a shaky breath.
“I thought he was in on it. Ever since I watched him come back to life at Hagrid’s feet … I thought there was some sort of plan. But there wasn’t, or Dumbledore didn’t tell him, anyway. I thought he knew he was going to survive, and it turns out that, uhm – he didn’t know shit. He went there to die, for real.”
Ginny looks back at him, words coming faster now. “And I’m – I’m so angry, and I don’t know why. Or who I’m angry with. It can hardly be Harry.”
“In all fairness, I kind of felt like punching him when he told us”, Ron says quietly, and her mouth briefly twists into something like a smile. “If anything we should be angry with Voldemort, or Dumbledore, even – but they’re not within punching distance, so what are you gonna do?”
“If Dumbledore wasn’t already dead, I would kill him”, Ginny says. “I swear, I would kill him.”
“Yeah, that sounds reasonable”, Ron says good-naturedly, patting her arm.
“And Harry – Harry keeps apologising, and I don’t know what for.”
Ron’s expression is pained. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“No.”
He sighs. She handed this to him, and now he is steeling himself to hand something back to her. She can tell.
“My best guess is … for not saying goodbye.”
Ginny does not look at him. Suddenly she is blinking rapidly in the fading light, sitting there as the blow rolls over her, something blunt and violent that should have broken her ribs like the impact of a Bludger; but there is no injury, only an ache that does not abate, that sits all around her, inside her. She doesn’t think it’s ever going to go away, all that hurting, writhing and straining inside her like a second skeleton.
“How could he have? We would’ve dragged him back to the castle by the damn hair.”
“Of course we would have”, Ron says robustly.
For a moment he looks like he’s going to reach out to her, hold her, maybe. He seems to think better of it in the end, and she’s almost relieved, dreading what she’d do if someone hugged her.
It’s another thing that won’t ever come easily: showing up on someone’s doorstep, weeping.
“If it’s any consolation”, he says after a while, “I think that’s the worst of it.”
“I’ve been wondering”, she mutters. “Can’t think of very much that beats walking to your own death. No fucking wonder he doesn’t sleep.”
“It’s funny”, Ron says, “I talked to him less than an hour ago, and he seems alright, almost.”
Ginny shrugs. “Isn’t he always? Remarkably functional, considering.”
Ron makes an attempt at a smile. “It’s such a Harry thing to do, though, isn’t it? Always dying for other people. Or trying to, anyway.”
“Hardly just a Harry thing, it turns out.”
It’s all shit, she thinks when he looks at her. Being the person knocking at the door, and the one listening on the other side, opening it.
“He told me about Malfoy Manor”, she says softly.
“Ah.” Ron kicks at the dirt to his feet. “Well, then you know what keeps me up at night.”
“He said – he said you offered to swap places with Hermione. Let Bellatrix have you instead.”
“And? You would’ve done the exact same thing for him.”
Ginny almost smiles. He might as well still be the boy who stuck stubbornly by her side next to the chicken fence all night, when she couldn’t bear to head back to the house, in case the fox ever came back.
“Yeah. I would have.”
It settles on her shoulders as quickly and unnoticeably as night, rapidly falling all around them: everything she would’ve done, in a heartbeat, in an instant.
“I would’ve taken the forest, too”, she says, more to herself than to Ron. “I would’ve done it all for him.”
It seems significant, somehow, that Ron does not resist this. That maybe he knows what it felt like, to Ginny, when they walked out into the courtyard and saw Harry.
That, too, felt like a Bludger to the chest: the sight of him, a kid in Hagrid’s arms, his glasses askew. How she wished it was her lying there, dead in his place.
“Those two”, Ron says abruptly. “Some day they’re really gonna be the death of us.”
Ginny almost laughs.
“So you won’t strangle him for abandoning the camp bed?”
Ron eyes her for a moment, a sort of benevolent sternness in his expression – and Ginny was right, that’s all Mum. “Yeah, I’ll consider it.”
“I’m sorry, anyway”, she says, half-smiling. “For costing you your roommate.”
Ron sighs. “They grow up so fast.”
“And for all this, too. You were trying to hide, I didn’t mean to …”
“It’s all right. You had to find me eventually.”
179 notes · View notes
axwalker · 3 years
Text
Creep 2: I don’t care if it hurts
Tumblr media
HIGH SCHOOL AU
Pairing: Drake Walker x MC  (Lexie O’Brien) Book TRR
MASTERLIST HERE
Synopsis: Drake and Lexie are star-crossed lovers. Her father hates him and forces Lexie to stop any contact with Drake. Lost and heartbroken, he “bullies” her for two years until he discovers the truth of Lexie’s behavior.
A/N 1 This came up to me after I got an ask from @nestledonthaveone​ to write a fic based on the song CREEP.
I used to hear this song when I was a teenager, so when I read this ask, I immediately wanted to write something angsty but situated in high school.
A/N 2: Because they’re younger than usual, I decided to change my  FC. 
Words: 4,110 
WARNINGS: Parental abuse, domestic violence, toxic love.
THIS IS NOT YOUR USUAL MARSHMALLOW DRAKE. He was abandoned as a boy, he’s tortured and he doesn’t know how to express his love. His behavior is not excusable.
This is a dark love story. If you’re not comfortable with it, PLEASE do not read it.  
ALL MY FICS ARE 18+
TAGS ON THE COMMENTS
As this is darker than usual; I’m only tagging the people who commented in the previous chapter. If you want to get on or off the list for this fic, please do not hesitate to ask!! 
DRAKE
Even if she never looks at me or speaks to me again, she’s mine. Even if I’ve been a horrible jerk to her for two years and she pales every time I pull into the parking lot on my motorcycle, she is mine. Just seeing her with him enrages me, so I walk straight toward my usual seat, directly behind Lexie, and slam my textbook down onto the desk.
Startled, Rys looks up at me, “Hey, Walker. What’s up?” 
It’s not the first time he tries to make a move on Lexie. Last time –two years ago, we almost killed each other. Pretty boy might be an entitled ass, but he knows how to fight. Maybe he thinks Lexie is game again after all this time. He couldn’t be more wrong. 
 “Don’t you have a class this period?” I ask him. Liam cocks his left eyebrow, adjusting the straps of his backpack. 
“I fail to see why that concerns you, Creep.”  
My smile is murderous. “Get the fuck out of here before I break your face, pretty boy.”
I think he has a death wish because he looks at Lexie when he talks, “See you after class, Alexis, when your watchdog will be busy mowing my lawn.” Finally, he just shakes his head and gets out of the classroom. I resume my daily routine. Staring at the back of Lexie’s head, tracing the curve of her perfect neck, my cock getting hard over her perfect cherry scent. 
“So that’s what you like,” I say, leaning forward to speak an inch from her ears. “You like them with blond hair and pink polo shirts. Prospects for Cambridge or shit. A huge trust fund. Don’t you? A brat like you needs someone who can spoil her. I bet you’d introduce him to daddy, wouldn’t you?” 
She doesn’t respond. She never does. Her eyes stay stubbornly on the front of the class where the teacher has started writing today’s lesson on the board—my hands fist in desperation. I’m dying for her to talk to me. To look at me. Anything. “Too bad, Lexie. I’ll scare every single one of those fucking entitled boys off. You’re going to sit alone in your house on prom night, crying into your designer sheets like a baby. And I’m going to enjoy it.” 
The only sign that she hears me at all is the quickening rise and fall of her shoulders. Even that tiny display that I’ve upset her is agonizing, floods me with self-loathing, but I can never stop. She ripped out my fucking heart, and I can’t deal with the consequences of that alone. I can’t let her go. I’ll never let her go. This toxic feeling is the only thing left between us. My hands shake with the urge to take her in my arms, to stop the trembling I caused. To protect her from everything. Even myself. I’d love to move my fingers up into the silky, brown hair that reaches the middle of her graceful neck. I don’t have a lot of money; most of the cash I earn as a handyman goes to food and fixing my dad’s cabin, but I’d give every last cent for her to turn and lock those soft brown eyes on me, just one last time. Sometimes when I jerk off, all it takes is fantasizing about Lexie looking at me, giving me one of those shy smiles, and I lose it. One stroke. Maybe two. Done. I can’t breathe without having her close. And I can’t breathe with her close. It’s a strange condition, this obsession, but she’s an addiction that I just can’t give up. 
How could I? She’s intelligent, strong, and so damned gorgeous. Once upon a time, I thought she had a good heart too. But that was before she broke my pathetic heart only because I’m poor. I’ve been hurting since then, and I need her to hurt too. To know what it feels.
“Do you actually think that dumb rich boy would be a good choice for your first time, Lexie?” I grip my desk so tight it nearly breaks down, just thinking about her being kissed –touched by someone else. “At least that’s one thing us poor motherfuckers have going for us. We know how to fuck. If you went out with Rys for a while, you’d eventually give in and come slumming it one night, wouldn’t you? Knock on my rundown cabin door, begging me to fuck you as we both know you’d like.”
A pretty blush is starting to climb her neck. I have to take a deep breath to keep from kiss her pink cheeks. But I think if I got to touch her skin, my wall of bullshit would crumble. I’ve only fucked one girl. Since seeing Lexie for the first time freshman year, there’s been no one but her. I want no one else. She owns my cock as sure as she owns my heart. How easily she’s forgotten about both leaving me in agony. 
“Stop,” she breathes. I freeze. Did she just speak to me? It’s the first time in two years that she’s even remotely acknowledged my existence. 
“Lexie,” I managed to say. I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. That’s all it took. One pleading word out of her mouth, and I’m done. 
“Just stop,” she says again, turning her head slightly. “Please.” 
I fall back in my chair, my heart thundering on my chest. If we weren’t in the middle of class, if I didn’t feel like a monster, I would pull her into my arms right now. I’d hug her until she stopped struggling, then beg her to hit me, bruise me, make me pay for every shitty thing I’ve ever said to her. But before long, the class is over, and she’s leaving the classroom to get out of here. To put distance between us as quickly as possible—and I have no choice but to watch her because I feel physically ill. Still, I manage to get out into the student-packed hallway, my plan to apologize for being crude and a jerk and torturing her for so long. 
My head is telling me not to apologize, though. It’s telling me she deserved it for being such a snob, for breaking me, for valuing money and status like everyone else. My damned heart is telling an entirely different story. It’s insisting there is an explanation for her behavior. Am I going to apologize or not? The decision is taken out of my hands when Lexie opens her locker, and the little gift I left before class falls down. It’s a picture I cut out from our last yearbook. In the photo is a gorgeous smiling Lexie above the caption Most Likely to Succeed. Except I’ve crossed out the caption and added my own. Most Likely to Be a Trophy Wife. Watching her read it, I almost get sick right there in the hallway. Usually, she’s perfectly composed, not betraying a trace of emotion where I’m concerned—a real Ice queen. I’ve always thought she honestly didn’t care. Today, though… she’s not pulling it off. Something is not okay with her, and I don’t like it. She has to bite down on her bottom lip to stop it from quivering as she puts the photo back into her locker, out of sight, her bright eyes finding me briefly, massacring me where I stand. Betraying with one single look how much she has been affected by my actions. Christ. She hasn’t been indifferent at all.
Before I can react, before I can call her name, she’s gone, vanished into the crowd of wild students excited to be leaving for the day. And I know what I have to do. I have to see her. To apologize. To get an explanation for everything. Tonight. I’ll return to her house for the first time in two years.
LEXIE
I’ve known this was coming all day. Sitting on the couch in my living room, trying to make myself as small as possible, I watch my father pace. He rants, gesticulating noisily. This isn’t new, my father’s rage threatening me. But it’s going to be worse than usual. Business has declined for him and it’s put his temper on a trigger. Dad’s new wife, Nancy, hates to be on a budget, and she’s been spending his money like crazy all over Paris --where she’s now. When dad gets home from the office, he’s rarely in anything but a horrible mood. A tornado eating up everything in its path. Completely terrifying. At least dad’s temper makes me forget what Drake told me today, the ugly words he said to me, the boiling anger in his eyes when he looks at me. 
“Are you even listening?” The slap across the face comes as a shock because I’d momentarily disappeared into my thoughts, but the sting quickly brings me back to reality. 
“Yes, sir,” I say, my ears ringing. “I’m listening.” 
“This C on your algebra test is going to drag your whole average down.” He’s waving the test in my face. “What a disappointment you are, Alexis. Your teacher shared my disgust.” I nod solemnly, but I’m listening for the rain outside. “I guess you’re your daughter’s mother after all. A poor Mexican girl who could barely count.” It’s not true. My mom learned English and Greek by herself, and she was a great Spanish teacher in Portavira, but my father would rather die than acknowledge how smart she was. 
“Don’t talk like that about her,” I retort.
My father snorts. “I beg your pardon?” He takes a step towards me, and I can see the threat in his eyes. 
“I’m sorry.” I hate to be such a coward, but I know what he can do to me.” I’ll do extra credit. Something to bring my grade back up to an A.” I wet my lips. “Even if I can’t manage to raise the grade, it’s not going to show up on the college transcripts I sent off with my applications.” That’s the reason I let my focus slip a little in algebra. The finish line is in sight for everyone, and we’re just waiting to find out where we’ll be accepted for college. It’s a wonder I’ve been able to maintain my focus this long in any class, considering Walker sits behind me in every period, brooding making me feel … something. At the reminder of him, I want to close my eyes and dream about him. I replay that night in my garden when he kissed me two years ago, so tenderly and passionately, when he spoke to me so sweetly and honestly before he became the second villain in my story. Someone I dread, as much as I crave the sight of him.  
At least that’s one thing us poor motherfuckers have going for us. We know how to fuck. If you went out with that punk for a while, you’d eventually give in and come slumming it one night, wouldn’t you? Knock on my trailer door, begging me to ride you right. 
Should I be ashamed of the way my body reacted to those words? I grew uncomfortably damp in the hard plastic chair, the center of my body clenching, seeming to beat like a heart. His breath on my neck made me shiver, head to toe. Even the way he scared off Liam Rys did something to me. Aroused me. Deeply. It got so bad that I broke the rules and asked him to stop. I can still hear him saying my name in that tortured way after. That shocked, uneven sound. Lexie. And whether I’m ashamed of myself for it or not, I know I’ll think of it when I touch myself tonight. His voice, his hands, his eyes obsess me. 
“College?” My father snorts, tearing the test in half. “You’re not going to college.” 
This grabs my attention. A horrible feeling is making me cold. “I’m…what? What do you mean? I applied to nine different schools. I have a four-point five GPA.” 
For the first time, I notice his red face is about more than just rage. There’s…humiliation. I’ve never seen him display that emotion. 
“None of the American colleges that accepted you offered scholarships.” 
“I’ve been accepted?” I gasp, sitting forward, heart pounding in my chest. “Where? I didn’t see the letters—” 
“All the mail in this house goes through me, Alexis. I read them. And you failed to get academic scholarships. You failed. Not that I’m surprised.”
 I don’t point out that his refusal to let me participate in any extracurricular activities is more than likely to blame for that. I’m too worried about what he’s saying, what this means. The blood is draining from my head, making the room spin around me. 
“Okay, I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry. But…we have money. We can pay tuition, can’t we? Or colleges in Cordonia are almost for free. I can go to any of them; I don’t have to go to NYU.” I have to get out of here. I have to get out of here. This is my way out. College is the escape route. I counted on going back to New York, but I can stay here and go to college in Cordonia City. 
“Listen to you, so quick to spend my hard-earned money—spoiled brat. And of course, you can’t go to college in Cordonia. What for? To end up being a schoolteacher like your mom? A housewife as Nancy?” He laughs bitterly. “No, you’ll stay here, and I’ll help you find someone suitable to marry.” 
I shake my head. “There’s financial aid, then. Loans or I can get a job and go to college in Portavira…” 
“You want to leave, just like her, don’t you? You’re all the same.”
 I don’t even flinch when he yanks me to my feet, shoving me into the wall. In fact, for the first time, I took him right into his eyes. And I can see the violence burning on them has nothing to do with me. It never had anything to do with how I behave, my choices, how hard I worked in school. How welcome I made Nancy feel or cooked a roast. It’s about him and his self-loathing. It’s his sickness. Not mine. I can also see that he was never going to send me to college. Because he wouldn’t be able to control me from a distance or stop me from sharing what I’ve been subjected to since my mother died. Not like he does now. He wasn’t physically abusive all the time. Especially not when his new wife is around. But she traveled often, and then he’d push me. Shove me. Slapped me several times. I’ll graduate at the top of my class for nothing. He knew I would all along. 
That’s when I realize I’m free. I don’t have money, but college is free in Cordonia. I can work, save a little and go to college in one or two years. I’ll be a writer; it’ll just take more time than I thought. “Go to hell,” I whisper. 
He steps back, giving me the momentary satisfaction of his shock. “What did you say?”
Liberated, I scream it this time. “Go to hell!” From the moment I sat down to have this conversation, I knew tonight would be worse than usual, but I’ve just bought myself a ticket to hell. Usually, I can retreat to the untouchable place inside of me as he unleashes his rage, but not tonight. He doesn’t stop at one or two slaps. He punches and kicks, and I’m present for every punch and kick. Every yelled insult. Finally, I start to get scared. I’m crawling across the carpet on my hands and knees, searching for a weapon I can use in my defense when I glance out the window and see Drake staring back at me, his face a mask of horror.
 Drake
 What I’m seeing just isn’t possible. It can’t be real. My head won’t accept it. Not until her terror-filled eyes meet mine through the window and the truth pounds on my chest, leaves no doubt that this is real life. Lexie’s father is beating her. Her mouth is bloody, one of her eyes beginning to swell, arms and legs visibly weakened. I can barely fucking process it before my body is springing into action, desperate to protect her. To put a stop to the worst thing I have ever seen. What the fuck. Scorching hot rage takes over. I kick in the front door and throw myself between Lexie and her father. His fist is raised, but it pauses when he sees me, his momentary confusion giving me the time I need to knock him out cold. It only takes one right uppercut from someone his own size, and he goes down, his blank, glassy eyes staring at nothing, mouth opened. It’s not satisfying enough.
Nothing will ever be satisfying enough. I want to kill him, destroy him, but my Lexie is struggling for breath behind me, and she’s all I can think about. Turning, I approach her, my heart threatening to jump off my chest. As gently as I can, I catalog all of the cuts and purpling skin. No. No. Who could do this to her? Who could lay a finger on her in anything but reverence? Get her out of here. Calling her name, I reach down to pick her up, but she flinches and hurries back, bringing her body up against the wall. 
“Don’t touch me!” Those words filled with fear rip the soul clean out of my body. My hands drop limply to my sides and two years come rushing back, hitting me in the chest like a hammer. Every word, every action. Everything I did to make her life harder when this is what she’s been dealing with at home? Fuck me. 
“Lexie…” My voice is as kind as I can. I feel broken. “I’m sorry. I came here to apologize. For everything.” 
She puffs a humorless laugh, testing her cut lip with the tip of her tongue. “Bet you weren’t expecting to see this.” 
“If I knew this was happening, I would have been here a long time ago. I would have stopped it. I swear Lex.” 
Her expression can only be described as stunned. Maybe even a little pissed. “You are not my savior, Drake. You are my enemy. You’ve been for two years, and I want nothing else from you now.”
 “I am not your enemy.” Those words barely make it out of me, my chest hurts so fucking bad. “Don’t say that.” 
Unsteadily, she uses the wall to try and stand. I try to help her, but she recoils, and it’s a dagger straight into the center of my throat. Nothing less than I deserve, though, isn’t it? Her distrust of me is entirely my fault. I’ve made her hate me. There has to be some way to fix what I’ve done. Please God, let there be away. But right now, my main concern is her physical safety. Knowing she’s been in danger all along is unbearable. I only decided to come here tonight a few hours ago. What if I didn’t? What if I arrived an hour later? The possibilities are going to haunt me for the rest of my life. From the floor, her father groans, shifting slightly. 
“We need to get you out of here,” I say, anxious to get her free of this place. “Now, Lexie. I need to get you somewhere safe.” 
She’s standing now. Leaning against the wall and cradling one arm to her stomach, regarding me warily. “How do I know I’m safe with you?” It’s so much worse that her question is honest. Not meant to hurt me. She honestly doesn’t know if I pose a threat. It guts me where I stand. 
“You are the safest with me,” I say thickly, cursing myself. Wanting to erase the last two years so badly, my hands shake. “Please believe me. I’d die before hurting you. I’d never, Lexie. I’d never do something like that.” 
Her father rolls over onto his back and slurs a few words before losing consciousness again. Still, the sound of the older man’s voice seems to scare Lexie, “I…maybe you can just give me a ride to…a motel maybe?” She pushes off the wall, her step uneven as she walks toward the stairs. “I need some things from my room.” 
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her we don’t have time, but I’m just grateful she’s trusting me enough to leave with me, so I don’t argue. I just wait until she’s halfway up the stairs, then tie her father’s hands behind his back with my belt in case he wakes up before we leave. I have no problem knocking him out a second time, but Lexie has seen enough violence for one night. Cautiously, I walk up the stairs toward the light coming from a room halfway down the hall. This place is a far cry from my home. It’s elegant and clean, and tasteful, but it lacks any warmth whatsoever. It’s cold, like a museum. Turning the corner into Lexie’s room, it’s time to hate myself all over again. There is nothing on the walls, none of the expensive furnishings. Just four white walls, a bed, and a dresser that doubles as a desk. Several textbooks. She looks back at me over her shoulder as if judging my reaction, and I keep my features impassive, though I’m dying on the inside. 
“What can I do?” I ask. 
“How long do we have?” 
“As long as you need.” It’s physically painful not to pull her into my arms when I’m standing this close, and she’s hurt. Sad. Yet full of more inner strength than I’ve ever witnessed in another human being. I’m lucky just to be in her presence. I fucked up royally. And if she allows me back in, I’ll never do it again. It’s probably, definitely, too much to hope for. Being allowed back in. She doesn’t even look sure about having me in her room. Let alone her heart. I was trying to protect my own heart, but I lost it instead. 
 “Um…” She closes her eyes to focus, a familiar trait I’ve seen in class countless times. “There is a black bag in the hallway closet. Can you just stuff anything into it from the bathroom that looks useful?” 
Ask me to bring you a unicorn. I’ll find a way to do it. “Sure.” We work in silence, Lexie taking things out of drawers and adding them to the bag, which I’ve left open on the floor. I add toiletries from the bathroom, and once it’s zipped, I wait, watching her hesitate in the doorway. 
“Lexie?” Conflicted chocolate eyes meet mine. 
“I can’t just leave, can I?” 
“You’re not safe here, baby,” I say softly, trying to keep the residual rage at bay because it’s the last thing she needs. Not to mention she’s had her fill with negativity from me. No more. “How long…how long?” 
She shrugs, the saddest expression in her eyes. “My mom died five years ago. Ever since then, it’s gotten worse and worse. Although I never had a chance to talk to anyone about what happened behind closed doors, you know? I don’t think a person can evolve into a monster. It’s inside him.”
 “I don’t know,” I say. “I became one, didn’t I?” 
That gives her pause, forms a line between her delicate brows. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.” 
She starts to walk past me, stops, standing close enough to fill my nose with cherry. “He told me if I ever spoke to you ever again, he would hurt me. Ruin you, have you evicted. Make sure you never got hired again. I didn’t mean to…hurt you. Or hurt your feelings, if that’s what happened.” 
That revelation destroys me, sets me on fire. “Jesus, Lexie. You were protecting me? And I…I tortured you for it?” I twist the neck of my T-shirt, trying to calm down, but it doesn’t work. I’ll never be calm again “I’m so fucking sorry.” 
She glances at the doorway, then back at me, eyes closed again in that way that says she’s thinking. “All I want from you now is a ride out of here, okay? And on Monday morning, you’ll stop.” She opens her shining eyes again. “No more bullying, Drake. If you’re really sorry, you’ll do that for me.” 
Fuck. I couldn’t say one more single shitty thing to her if my life depended on it. Put me at gunpoint, and I’d rather get shot at than torture this girl for one more second. But I’m highly, painfully aware that with an end to the bullying comes an end to the possessiveness. No more scaring off guys who show interest in her. No more getting close enough in class to count the hairs on her head, to smell her sweet fragrance. And to tell the truth, I’m pretty fucking worried I don’t know how to give those things up completely. I don’t think I can physically do it. This addiction with Lexie isn’t something I can cut off. A leg would be easier to sever. But my hesitation is causing her eyes to worry. If I don’t agree to, essentially, let her go… she’s not going anywhere with me. And that means her safety won’t be guaranteed. I need it to be. More than anything. 
“No more bullying,” I say, finally. A moment later, I follow her out of the room and down the stairs, trying desperately to count the hairs on her head before I no longer have the chance.
67 notes · View notes
legionofpotatoes · 3 years
Note
I love your art, it is very detailed in a neat way. Was wondering how you got started making it as a source of income? How did you get your first paid work, I'd love some advice on how to get started, if that's ok
Thank you. Of course it's okay, although I doubt I have enough work experience in art to really delve into this. I only went full freelance this year, and had been juggling art as a side hobby until then. If you're still interested in my somewhat narrow perspective, and are okay with my long-winded rambles, I'll give it a shot:
So to answer your question fully, I'll describe how I started and move into personal advice and learnings later on. As a disclaimer, I am a white cishet dude in my late twenties with a moderate cocktail of mental illnesses, but overall I can pass for a functioning adult so a lot I have to say may come laced with privilege I cannot fully identify.
So uhh I began drawing in around 2012? I think? Maybe halfway through 2011? And I mostly made fanart for things I enjoyed and tried to branch out in communities that felt nourishing to my style and interests (I caught a bug for alt posters and enjoyed mainstream movies so I spent a long time on posterspy early on). There were a handful of opportunities that came from there but I could only accept a couple because of primary workplace commitments. Still, it showed that networking in a focused community was definitely a good place to start; I myself have huge trouble committing to social networks and really staying socially active, but I knew it was an essential ingredient in succeeding so I tried to make myself be involved in challenges and art support trains etc. as much as I could.
In parallel to all that I also ran a few third party online stores (redbubble, teepublic) for disposable income and would sometimes, if rarely, hit around $100-150 a month from those sources combined. It is a sort of thing that requires helper accounts on other social media sites to promote it on, because the stores themselves have a huge volume of content that translates into low organic discoverability. Obviously it was never gonna be the way towards financial independence through art, and with community projects being few and far between, I opened private commissions in around uhhh 2017 I think, focusing on offering a few styles I knew I could do well, and sometimes operating in individual fandoms (it was mostly a bioware thing to be frank). But I had to close them back down after a year or so, again because of work-life conflict and how badly it was burning me out. The reason I kept trying to monetize this hobby is because I honestly hated what I did for my main job and wanted to see a way out in some shape or form in the future.
And then in 2020 I had to quit my main job altogether because of *gestures at pandemic* and deal with a mental breakdown from all the wonderful things it did to us and me specifically. I took a short break and decided to give art a shot full-time, and that was around May this year. I was planning on opening up commissions again (and I still am), but a few sudden opportunities that fell in my lap moved that timetable down and now I'm grateful to even be doing something I am getting adequately paid for.
So, with that somewhat limited perspective, here's what I've learned that I'd tell myself if I was just starting out:
1. Being a fan of something can be a shortcut towards effective networking kickoffs. Which are important evidently. If you love something and enjoy making content for it, join communities, settle into a combination of social media websites that feel right for those interests + your body of work + your inner rhythm, and try to play to content discovery as much as your mental health allows you to. Like I said, I know that I myself am incredibly bad at self-motivating to talk to people, so I found that synergizing common interests into fanart - which I enjoyed making anyway - could be a way to give myself a gentle nudge forward and build those bridges leading to community activities, which then net experience and coverage. Sometimes even freelance projects from official avenues. Again; picking the right spaces for what you're after is key. Companies roam twitter, concept art recruiters scour artstation or linkedin etc, instagram can land you private commissions and collab opportunities, so on and so forth. Find your niche and try to kick up dust. However...
2. I do not believe that any social profile can replace a good portfolio. The thing that made an immediate difference to me this year was building a coherent, simple website with my best work front and center and a contact form on top. Every single opportunity I got came from that form (maybe via twitter or instagram initially, but always sealing the decision after going through the website), so I firmly believe that showcasing your skills and portfolio in a visually arresting and user-friendly way is a big priority. I had some reservations about tackling that task but fortunately I had help from a savvy life partner and we slapped it together via wordpress in less than a day. Twitter/whatever social media is prevalent in your target groups is definitely important to get the right eyes on your shit, yes, but those eyes will then look for a second stop where your work and rates are more clear and concise. Simplicity is key imo, I cannot overstate this. So make a cute, simple portfolio!
3. Your skills and rates will grow and change as you do. Let them. Over the years I built several lasting professional relationships from my obsession over mass effect and kept getting opportunities both from bioware and their partner companies, some small and some a bit bigger. A one-off job earlier this year opened an unexpected door to another much larger commitment, and then the work I did there brought some attention from small businesses looking for commercial commissions. These were all incredibly different projects in terms of scope and budget, and I've been tackling them all on a case-by-case basis and slowly coming into my own irt my needs, rates, and SOW thresholds. It is still a work in progress (and a LOT of literal work as well), and very much a thing I struggle with in publicly marketing, which is why I felt a tad underqualified to answer your question in the first place (obviously I did not let that stop me). But what it means for me now is that I am rapidly developing into whatever my "version" of a functioning freelance artist is, and when the conditions for that guy are met, I need to be able to confidently plant myself and operate from that space despite past precedents. Do not let anyone bully you into downpricing what you yourself perceive as legitimate products of personal growth and development. Speaking of which...
4. The shitty challenge of turning envy into inspiration, and paddling outside your comfort zones in full riot gear. it is hard, but realizing that being a miserable, self-hating artist in my early days got me nothing but more misery back was the first real step I took and what truly blew the hinges off. I was just not pleasant to be around, I would badmouth my work all the time, and it all somehow made sense in my broken mind because the validation I sought was purely external and the way I sought it was through eliciting sympathy via self-victimization (even when I made something objectively nice). It all led fucking nowhere. Except perhaps to my own narcissism that I one day managed to identify and start managing. So I started looking at things that made me seethe with envy and calmly deconstruct and figure out their inner workings instead, do studies, and find nuggets of inspiration or discover new ways to approach rendering or building up specific elements. It was an application of analytical diligence to what I wanted to be a purely emotional, esoteric workflow, but that I deep down knew wasn't. Art is a discipline and a skill, and maybe it isn't a straight line, but you gotta find some line to thread nevertheless. Being self-hating was almost an identity I had to break out of, and despite it still being like, 4-5% there? I realize its cause and effect on me, my work, and those around me, so it is with a conscious choice that I gently set it aside when I work and especially when I learn. It won't always stay quiet, but the effort is the difference. Your doors towards accepting true growth and venturing into uncharted territories, art styles, and networking will really open from there. But there's a huge caveat...
5. Toolsets, accessibility, privilege, and all the good things that enable artistic expression and profitability are not given equal to all. you might do all the mental work I mentioned to be ready to rock and roll and learn and draw your way out of anything, but digital art is a fucking money pit that asks almost too much at times. I don't got a good case study here but identifying and ensuring accessibility to the tools you need to do your best work is, like, super important. The ergonomics can improve as you make money and settle into the job, but the basics have to be made available to you. And some of that might not even be under your direct control. That can be anything from pen tablets to software subscriptions to opportunities in hiring sullied by sexism or what have you. You gotta navigate all that through careful networking and money/time management. I don't do a good job of devoting specific slices of time to work/study, and my primary clutch is iPad software which went from a good deal to a nightmare scenario over the years. So all I can say here is do what I didn't; network, invest in a PC/tablet, and pick a software you'll learn that won't burn a hole in your pocket.
6. Be nice to work with? This one is hard to articulate and has landed my own ass in hot water in my early years because of how socially inept I am, but nothing is more worthwhile than being.. like. a good person to work with. That can be anything like meeting deadlines, or sometimes missing them but eloquently articulating why, being generous in early stages, being communicable and not too wordy in your emails, having a good grasp on abstract artistic concepts and how to describe them in simple terms, having a clear, laid out framework of your working rates in commercial and non-commercial projects and sticking to those guns with grace, understanding when you need to say no and saying it well, the works. Just being nice. Sometimes that might mean going headstrong with something you believe in, or simmering down and sucking up to the big man, all relative and adaptive. Part and parcel of the service provision dance that we all have to do in order to make bank. Know your lines here, obviously, and don't like. work for nazis. or uh.. *shudders* exposure. but be nice and empathetic and communicable and word will travel eventually. Skill may be in abundance these days, but good people are most certainly not, and capitalism has a way of bubbling up scarcity. Grim, but uh, them's the breaks.
I know I'm ultimately telling you to like. Have a body of work, make a portfolio, grow, and network. But that's really how I see it for now. And being nice can be a cherry on top that sets you apart, along with the inherent irreplaceable voice of your artwork. I think I rambled on enough, but if there is something specific you need my help with, even if you want to come off anon and talk in private, please feel free.
17 notes · View notes
johnkrrasinski · 4 years
Text
So It Goes... 
full masterlist
Pairings: Rock star/Bassist!Bucky Barnes x female!reader (AU)
Word count: 7,149 
Warning: fluff, SMUT! but mostly just me falling in love with bucky, really.
Summary: natasha romanoff aka your annoying roommate coerced you into the howling commando’s live performance at a divebar near your dorm. little did you know, it was going to lead you to the man of your dreams aka the charming rock star boy/bassist, james buchanan barnes.
a/n: this one’s written for @sourpatchkidsandacokecan​‘s “Little Darlin’s Mysteru AU” challenge. i chose band/rockstar au. here’s another love letter to bucky barnes because i love that man with my entire heart and every fic that i write about him is basically just me expressing my deep affection for this man. hope you guys enjoy this one cause i certainly do! also, rock star/boy band bucky is such a concept omg i’m in love
Tumblr media
You laid in your twin-sized bed as you heard the chirping sounds of the birds outside of your window. They were singing cheerily as if they knew what you were feeling and they were celebrating with you. It felt like you were in a Disney movie that you used to obsess over as a kid, where you are the lovestruck princess because you just met a handsome prince who swept you off your feet at first sight.
The birds outside of your window are your animal pals who swoon over you swooning and they spontaneously harmonize and dance to this newfound joy. You couldn’t resist the smile taking over your face. It was too early for you to be awake on a Saturday morning. You were always up by 10 AM. No more, no less. But it was currently 8.45 AM and you still had at least one more hour to get up and be productive.
But not today. Today, you were going to welcome this exhilarating sensation in your bones, and you were going to savour every second of it. Because you couldn’t shake away those baby blue eyes and that suave, boyish charm. The way, they electrified you by first glance and made you tremble when those pupils dilated. You could still feel the way his soft, plump lips hypnotized you last night. And the raunchy way he held you at the bar.
Even when all was said and done, he found a way to haunt you in your dreams.
And you didn’t mind one bit.
-
You were currently in the middle of a crisis due to your upcoming final week. If there’s any word to describe you as a college student, it would be ambitious. The idea of failing or getting less than B+ makes you go ballistic. You were an active student. You joined multiple organizations that expanded your social life. You got along with mostly everyone in your classes and you had your professors’ respect too for your excellent grades and polite manners.
But your lack of dating life irked no one else more than your roommate, Natasha. You loved Natasha with your entire heart, really. She was like a sister to you. You were an only child so you cherished her older sister role in your life. She was, in fact, several months older than you and she always protected you like her own. Starting from the asshole that broke your heart in high school, despite only knowing him through your story, to incessantly pushing you to stop being such a nerd and have more fun.
Natasha was the kind of woman you don’t wanna mess with. She was loyal, brave and quick-witted. She knows how to keep her GPA high, whilst also maintaining a fun social life. She managed to do it all so effortlessly. 
“C’mon, y/n! Just one night! You need to let loose and release all tension on your shoulders, baby. It’s good for your brain before finals start!”
“Noooo, Nat. Rock bands are not my thing and I’d have a higher chance of acing the tests if I study now, okay? Just go. Have fun without me and tell me how it goes.”
“But my boyfriend’s performing, y/n. And I want you to meet him! I promise they are really good. Even if you're not into the music, you can still go for the drinks, right? Also, they’ve got other cute members available so, you might find your own rock band boyfriend too if you go.” She winked. Her smirk was menacing.
“Ugh, I’m not interested in finding a boyfriend, Nat.”
“I know, but wouldn’t hurt if you do, right? Then we can go on double dates and have them write songs about us. Oh God, it’s going to be awesome.”
“Whoa, slow down. I haven’t even learned their names, yet and we are already discussing double dates?”
“Alright, let’s just start with putting on your sexy clothes and meet them yourself. Then we can move onto picking one gorgeous beast for you.”
“What makes you even think that they’d be interested in me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, y/n. Have you never owned a mirror? You are a total babe. You just need to get yourself more action.”
“Ugh, I don’t know, Nat…”
“You are going. And I’m not leaving until you get up and put on something cool. I have patience, baby and I’m going to annoy you all night if you stay. What do you prefer? Going out and have fun and meet some cute boys or me annoying you all night so you can’t study productively.” She glared at you. Her tone indicated that there was no compromise.
“Alright, I’m going. But that’s only because I wanna meet your boyfriend, alright? Not because I wanna find a boyfriend or whatever stupid shit you’re thinking.”
“Yay!” She jumped in excitement. Her face was content with joy and satisfaction from succeeding in persuading you. “Alright, let’s dig through your clothes.” She started rummaging your shared closet and observed meticulously each one of your outfits. “Hmm… Let’s try this one!” She picked up a strapless black sequin dress that you hadn’t worn in forever. You didn’t even remember packing it up in your baggage and brought it with you to your dorm.
You began stripping yourself out of your oversized hoodie and high-waisted shorts. You didn’t feel embarrassed changing in front of Natasha, you had seen each other naked many times. You were roommates after all and sometimes, you just had to be comfortable with the fact that you had private body parts underneath and within the course of four years, eventually, you had to get used to flashing one another at some point.  
You put it on as you started to feel a little uncomfortable. You weren’t used to wearing skimpy dresses. Already wearing it for less than three minutes, you were constantly lifting the hem of the dress to prevent it from exposing your boobs and revealing your inner thighs. And the material felt itchy on your skin too. “Nat, I’m not sure about this. Let’s just wear a leather jacket and jeans.”
“Nonsense! You look bomb! Give your leather jacket and jeans a break, alright? Okay, turn around so I can see your behind.”
You twirled as she said, restlessly.
Tonight was going to be a longspun night…
-  
The air felt crisp against your skin, as the breeze swept through your freshly curled hair, causing a few strands shading your sight. You struggled to walk steadily in your 7-inch heels that belonged to Natasha because you didn’t have a pair of your own. You were cool with wearing ankle boots pairing them with a sparkly dress. But Natasha didn’t think it was a cute look.
“What? Boots and dresses don’t go along, honey. Oh my, you need a serious makeover!” She was derailed.
You eventually settled with a silk red dress with a seductively low cleavage on the front, exposing the globes of your breasts. You were already as uncomfortable as it is, this dress didn’t make it any easier to act normal.
So you had to endure walking in these deadly shoes of torture, whilst clad in nothing but a scanty material with makeup painting your entire face. Great. What had you gotten yourself into? Damn you, Natasha.
You and Nat were walking arm in arm to the bar where “The Howling Commandos” were performing. That’s the name of the band that Natasha’s boyfriend was in. They have been a group for 5 years now, they had been doing this since they were in high school. Clint and the rest of the members were several years older than you and Nat. As soon as they graduated, they decided that they wanted to keep making music rather than working mundane, dead-end jobs.
Yep, Natasha told you that much.
Clint and Nat had been dating for two years now. They rarely saw each other due to the band’s packed schedule. Although, they would FaceTime each other every night, talking about each other’s days. You heard it all, from their most disgustingly adorable flirtations, to the most inappropriate, not so PG-13 confession.
They would literally pretend to smooch one another through the screen when you were doing your homework or when you had your nose deep in a book. You’d try to cover your ears by putting on your earbuds and turning up the volume so you could give them privacy but also, you didn’t wanna hear them talking about what they wanted to do to each other if both of them were here.
You knew Clint well enough to not feel like you were meeting a complete stranger. Natasha would often tell you to say hi to him and she had told you a lot of wonderful things to Clint. Clint would often talk about the band too on the phone, how someone called “Bucky” would piss him off by stealing his leftover sandwich. Or someone called “Sam” would often interrupt their chat by reminding him that it was soundcheck time.  
“I gotta go, babe. Sammy’s not gonna stop yelling.”
“Aw, okay, tell the boys I say hi! Love you.”
“Love you too, baby.”
It’s like a daily podcast for you every night.
The dive bar where The Howling Commandos were performing thankfully wasn’t that far from your dorm. Natasha was super thrilled when Clint told them that they were going to perform here. They were finally able to see each other after a while, and because this was going to be their last gig until they come back with a new album, he said he was going to stay and spend some time with Nat.
You were happy for both of them. You’d never say it out loud but, a part of you was secretly jealous of their love. They managed to maintain such a fun, loving, and healthy relationship despite the distance and differences. Natasha once told you that she was never one to settle with a man for too long but, Clint changed the game for her. You smiled at the thought. They were genuinely in love. If you were to find yourself a boyfriend, you wanted the type of love that they had.
But not tonight. You were okay with being single. Just because a part of you wanted what Clint & Nat had, doesn’t mean that you actually need it or you’d die. You were too much of a goal-oriented person to be chasing over something that should come naturally. You had grown so comfortable in being alone, that you stopped desiring love so much. It wasn’t getting you anywhere. So you lived your life, being grateful for your friends and family. You invested your time in your education and passion. You were content.
When you arrived at the bar, the room was full with a crowd. You walked in with Natasha trying to make a space for yourself so you could walk through them. You could barely anything else due to the number of bodies blocking your view. Natasha held your hand as she took the lead and fought through the crowd to get to the front, where she could get the best view.
There was a blonde-haired woman standing on the front, so close to where the band were going to play. When Natasha slightly grazed her whilst trying to stand next to her, she didn’t look the slightest bit happy. She glared at Natasha as Natasha noticed. She glared back at her.
“Excuse me, there’s more space in the back, maybe you can stand there instead of cutting through the line.”
“Excuse you, miss. I’m dating the band’s drummer, so I can stand wherever I want, thank you very much. If you don’t like that, then the exit is right there.” She pointed to the door of where we walked in from.
The blonde woman rolled her eyes as she folded her arms against her chest. After you stared at her reaction, you realized that you actually know her. She was in the same social science class with you. You had never really talked to her because she often sat in the back and immediately left after the class was done, but you remembered her name. Her name was Dottie Underwood. Your classmates called her Dot. The ones that she liked anyway.
You decided to stay quiet and let it pass. It’s not like she even recognized you even if you start a chat with her. You don’t think it was a good idea either since she and Nat literally just snarked at each other. You directed your sight to the stage and waited for the famous Howling Commandos to appear.
One of the spotlights turned and highlighted a man walking on stage before he talked into the microphone at the centre. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, a group of brilliant lads, that make all the ladies go feral wherever they go, and their showstopping music are going to make us sing and jump tonight. Please welcome, The Howling Commandos!”
The crowd roared with cheers, the sounds of their enthusiasm filled the atmosphere. Their claps were jovially in sync as four, drop-dead gorgeous young men stepped into the stage as their presence shifted the energy in the room.
The first one was a blonde-haired with breathtaking bone structure, forming a ridiculously handsome face. His hair shone under the spotlight like the sun amidst the clear sky. He had an amiable demeanour about him. His smile was gentle and welcoming. He waved to the crowd and stood directly behind the microphone.
The second one to walk in was a dark-skinned man with an undeniable charisma oozing out of him. He had a neatly trimmed beard that only added to his spicy appeal. His smile was radiant as he also waved the crowd. He stood on the left side of the stage, a couple of steps behind Steve who was apparently the lead singer.
The third one to walk in was Clint. He was everything Nat described him to be. Placid and nonchalant. His smile was amenable as he greeted the crowd. He walked directly to the background, where the drumset was placed. He sat down on the drummer’s chair as he picked up the sticks he was going to play with.
The last one to enter was a literal Disney prince coming to life. His prominent boyish charm completely bedazzled you. His blue eyes gleamed under the spotlight as they lingered on you for a second. He immediately shifted his gaze as he kept walking towards the right side of the stage, but you swore that when he caught you staring dumbfoundedly at him, you could see the flash of a quick smirk on his face.
He only nodded to the crowd as he confidently picked up the bass guitar that was previously placed on the floor and put on the leather straps around his neck. His eyes turned back to you as you found yourself still bluntly staring at him. Something about him just enchanted you. He had that boy-next-door charm about him but also, a bad boy persona that was irresistibly enticing.    
That flash of smirk that you saw earlier resurfaced and it was getting harder for you to pay attention to anyone or anything else in the room other than him. His gaze grew more intense as the noises of the crowd faded into the background. You were lost in this lethal game of eye contact until Natasha accidentally elbowed you by screaming her lungs out to respond to the lead singer’s introduction.
“Good evening, SHIELD’s Nest! How are we feeling tonight?” The lead singer vivified the crowd. They responded with a reassuring reaction. “I’m Steve Rogers and these are my buddies,” he turned his head to the left, as he started introducing the other band members.  “The handsome guy right there is Sam, and in the back, there’s Clint, our brilliant drummer boy and this ladies’ charmer right here is Bucky.” As he pointed to the magnetic man who had held your attention hostage since he first walked in.
“And we are The Howling Commandos.” He paused for a second before carrying on with his prelude. “Alright, so the first song that we’re going to play tonight is called ‘Rusted Love’. Enjoy.” Steve removed his mouth from behind the microphone and started cueing the band to play. “1,2…”
Sam and Bucky started strumming the first few notes as a few people cheered. Then Clint jumped in, flaunting his talent in mastering the drum with his sticks. The energy in the room felt more energized as people started moving a part of their bodies. Then Steve amazed the room with his sultry voice, singing the words that echoed through the Sound system of the bar.
“I’m a flying kite in a hurricane, you paralyzed me with your touch and your lips got me addicted…” Steve shut his eyes, relishing the rune. You had a feeling that those lyrics wouldn’t just stay lyrics tonight…
-
They played another four songs that night. The crowd danced, jumped and screamed the words to their song passionately. You, on the other hand, was probably the most tranquil person in the crowd. You didn’t really know much about the band, let alone their music. So when everyone was constantly pushing you because they were too lost in the moment, you eventually tried to get out of the crowd and sat on the bar instead. Natasha was also too lost in supporting her boyfriend, that she almost didn’t notice you leaving.
Through the vibration of the crowd and the music, you had to really lean in to get Natasha’s attention and to get her to hear you. “Nat! I’m gonna sit in the back and wait there. I’m a little thirsty.” She had a giant smile on her face due to the zest the band inflicted. “Okay!” She yelled back, then carried on with her foxy moves.
You struggled to walk through the crowd, trying to not step on anyone’s feet as you made your way to the barstool. What you didn’t notice was, Bucky’s disappointed on his face when he saw you walking out on him. He noticed that you weren’t exactly as thrilled as anyone else. Although, he noticed your stolen glances as you shied away from him when he stared back. He even tried to wink at you once but you immediately looked to the floor, hiding away your blush. He swore he saw the way your cheeks reddened. Not that he wasn’t used to getting that reaction anyway…
You exhaled a breath of relief as you finally broke out of the congested mass of people. You sat on the barstool as you ordered a glass of rum and you waited as the music still reverberated robustly in your ears. You sat there as you started looking through your Instagram. Nat’s icon was the first one to appear in the row and you clicked it to see what you were expecting. She recorded a video of the band, then zoomed in to Clint, as he was ardently drumming the beat.
She put on a heart eyes and fire emoji with the text; “that’s my man!”. The next one was her and you singing along to the second song they played that night. You were able to actually mouth the words after they played the last chorus and you were a quick learner, so you memorized the repeated words easily after the third time. You scrolled through your feed a few more minutes until your order finally arrived.
“Enjoy, miss.” The waiter winked at you. He was probably in his mid-20s, he had warm brown eyes and a sweet smile. His dark hair was slicked back as you stared a little longer than you should. He was obviously attractive, but, you didn’t say anything back to him. You just smiled back in a friendly manner and uttered silenced thanks.
After sitting by yourself for about a half and an hour, like all good things, the show must come to an end. Steve Rogers concluded the show with a final thank you and goodnight as the spotlight shut down, like the drapes closing over a theatrical show. The crowd clapped and some of them started leaving, while others immediately went to the bar to quench the thirst from screaming along to volatile rock music and jumping up and down, getting lost in the tune.
Natasha patted your back as she jumped on the empty chair next to you. Thank God, she was quick on her feet, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to get a seat. “Hey! God, I need a full shot of whiskey right now.”
“Yeah, go crazy.”
She scoffed. “Huh. As if that wasn’t crazy enough, back there.” She signalled the bartender to make an order. “So, what do you think? That was fun, right?” The cute bartender from earlier walked to her as he asked her what would she like to drink and she quickly replied.
“Yeah, they’re pretty good.”
“Pretty good? They’re damn talented. Especially the drummer back there. He totally killed it.”
“Yeah, okay, they are amazing. But you know their music isn’t my kind of music, so can’t say  I really enjoyed it that much.”
“Okay, but you must’ve at least enjoyed the view, right? Don’t think I didn’t catch you and bass boy making several eye contacts back there.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You took another sip of your glass to cover your embarrassment.
“Oh my God, you totally do! Look at you blushing!”
“I’m not!”
“Yes, you are! Admit it! You like Bucky, don’t you?” She playfully pushed you to tease you.
“Oh my God, shut up Nat! You’re causing a scene!” You tried to lower yourself, now that you’re able to speak in a normal volume.
“Nope, I won’t stop until you admit it. Don’t worry, y/n, Bucky’s always been a charmer, so I totally get your attraction.”
That caused a peculiar sickness in your chest. It’s not like you were falling in love with Bucky, no. You didn’t even know him enough to like him. He may be an eye-candy but if he’s really as “charming” as everyone is saying, then that means, he’s one of those dangerous fuckboys that you should avoid at all cost. Because that means, he’s probably only going to manipulate you into thinking that he really cares for you, when in reality, he only wanted to get in your pants. Nope, not gonna happen to you. You weren’t going to be a new notch in his belt.
“Well, then that means he is bad news and that gives me even more reason to feel anything but attraction toward him.”
“Oh, no, y/n, I don’t mean it like that. He’s really sweet, and he’s always been the most chill one in the group. Trust me, you’re gonna love him. Just, give him a chance first, alright? I’ve known him long enough to know that he’s into you.”
“Into me? Nat, he doesn’t even know my name.”
“He will.” She winked again, as she took a sip of her whiskey.
Not long after that, Clint appeared from behind, without Nat realizing. He surprised her by wrapping her waist from behind as he whispered into her ears; “how’s my best girl?” Nat was slightly stunned but as soon as she realized it was her boyfriend, her expression instantly turned into a joyful one. “Hi, baby!” They immediately smooched as she wrapped her arms around his neck while standing face to face now.
“Did you like the show?”
“I loved the show, you guys killed it as always. Oh, and by the way, this is y/n, my number one bestie and the best roommate anyone could ever ask for. Now you finally meet her in person!” Her excitement was genuine.
“Hi, y/n! Heard so many great things about you, but you probably can’t say the same, huh?”
“No, actually I can. Nat wouldn’t stop talking about you every night even when I’m blatantly ignoring her.” You joked.
“Well, is that right?” He looked at Nat to assess the truth on her face.
“Yep,” you carried on. “She would say you’re hot, funny and kind, and all these wonderful things. Including the ones that I’m not supposed to hear.”
They laughed. They kissed once more, as Clint stood next to her seat, ordering a drink for himself. Next to you, you could hear Nat saying, “oh, where are the boys? Are they not thirsty?”
“They’re just packing up, babe, they’re gonna join us in a few.”
“Good, ‘cause I think there’s someone y/n would like to meet.” She teasingly wiggled her eyebrows at you, as you sent her a murderous glare. Your lips silently mouthed, “what the fuck?” but Clint picked up her tone and he quickly got the message.
“Oooh, who is it? Is it Steve, Bucky, Sam? Just let me know which one you like and I’ll deliver them at your door tonight, y/n. They’re all single and ready to mingle anytime now.”
You laughed nervously. “No, no, no, no. Nat’s just saying shit.”
She turned her head to her boyfriend and shook it.  “No, I’m not. She and Bucky practically eye fucked on stage.”
You instantly slapped her arm, staring deadly into her eyes. “Ouch!” She put her hand on the spot that you struck, even though it wasn’t even that hard. Classic Nat. Dramatic as always.  “Nat, you can’t just–”
Before you even managed to finish your sentence, she darted her eyes to somewhere behind you as she pointed at whatever got her distracted. “Oh, here they are!” She smirked. She raised her eyebrows at you before she stood on her feet and hugged the anticipated men.
“Hey, guys! Killer show back there!” Nat started hugging Sam and he kissed her cheek, and then she moved onto Steve and the last one to join was Bucky. You muttered ‘shit’ to yourself as you pondered on how you should act. Should you act like nothing ever happened during the show between you two? Or were you going to address the elephant in the room, and just straight up flirt with him, now that he wasn’t being so closely watched anymore?
You didn’t know which would be the best option so you just took a big gulp and drank down the entire glass of Rum you had left. Maybe if you were less sober, you wouldn't excessively overthink. You weren’t even sure whether he was really staring at you or not. For all you knew, he could be staring at another beautiful girl in the crowd that was standing beside or behind you. And if you act impulsively now, this would be like that cheesy moment on Rom-Coms, where a girl waved back to the guy who she thought was waving at her but it turns out, he was actually waving at another girl who was coming from the same direction as her.
Nope, you weren’t going to be that girl.
So you just smiled and nodded along as Natasha introduced you to the rest of the boys. You didn’t want to be rude so you sat on your chair, facing them with an interested look, even though all you wanted to do was just shrink and leave this goddamn place.
“Hey guys, here’s my bomb-ass bestie slash roomie. Her name’s y/n! Isn’t she stunning?”
When Steve was about to offer his hand to you, Sam immediately inserted himself in front of you and Steve. “Well, hello, good-lookin’. Can I buy you a drink?” Sam, being the cool dude he was, he leaned back against the bar counter on his elbows as he shamelessly flirted with you.
“Nope, thank you. I just had one.”
“Oh, you look like you could use another one. Here, let me get that for you.” He cued the bartender to make an order and you instantly tried to stop him, telling him that it wasn't necessary, but it looks like the bartender was already taking his order for you.
And then, out of nowhere, Bucky suddenly stooped in like a hero. “Hey, Sam, why don’t you back off? This one’s mine, alright?” That elicited a questioning look out of you. “Mine?” He didn’t even know you.
“Oh wait, so this is the one you told us about in the dressing room?” What the hell? You thought. They were talking about you as if you weren’t there at all.
“Yep, so why don’t you fuck off and get out of here before I get myself drunk enough to shit on your bed?” His tone was menacing but you could tell that this was a normal, daily conversation between the two.
“Jeez, alright. I’mma leave. You don’t need to wave your dick all over my face.” Before Sam moved to another spot, he patted you on the back and said, “good luck.”
What? What the hell was that for? The bartender came in with your order and served another glass of Rum right in front of you.
“You don’t need to drink that if you don’t want to.” He carefully spoke to you, as if he was trying to not scare you away.
“No, I think I need to. Tonight’s been a pretty crazy night.” You took a sip, the cold drink felt nice on your tongue.
He chuckled. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
“Oh, how crazy can it be for you? Isn’t this like, what you do, every night?”
“Yeah, but, you never really get used to it, you know? Sometimes you just wanna sit in the bar and have a nice talk with a pretty gal and hide in the booth or something.”
That… Warmed up your heart. Damn, if this is his way of flirting, it was truly working. You could see now why everyone was calling him ‘a charmer.’ He really had a way with words. And stares. His baby blues really know how to captivate you and froze you on spot.
“I’m Bucky, by the way.” He offered his hand to shake yours.
“I’m y/n.” You shook it with a smile.
“Did you like the show?” He asked.
“Gotta be honest with you, buddy, your music isn’t exactly my kind of music. But you guys were awesome.”
He paused for a moment as if he was contemplating what he was going to say next. “Think I got a little distracted up there.”
“Oh yeah? Why is that?”
“Cause there was this pretty lady in a red dress that I couldn’t take my eyes off of.” His gaze even grew more intense now. He was looking at you like you were the only thing in the room. Then his eyes darted to your lips, as he licked his. And before you knew it, he started inching his face closer to yours as he held his gaze on your plump, painted lips, while you could feel his breath more and more as the seconds went by.
And then… His lips were on yours. It’s like the clock just stopped ticking and every noise faded into the background and you were the only two people in the room. His lips felt soft against yours, and the way he licked your bottom lip made your head spin. You ajarred your mouth to let his tongue enter as it got tangled with yours.
You were aware that Nat, Clint and Steve who were having a conversation are now watching you like hawks, but you couldn’t care less. Not when Bucky’s hands grabbed your face, so he could have more control over your mouth. You were practically out of breath by the time he looked into your eyes, that are now slightly darker than a few seconds ago. He loved the sight of you, with your lips slightly swollen.
“Let’s go somewhere more secluded.” You could only nod and then took his hand after he offered you his as you got off the stool. He led the way and you couldn’t help but notice the glances that were thrown by several women along the way. They were staring at him with incontrovertible full of hunger eyes, one even shamelessly put her hand on his shoulder, as she coquettishly smiled at him. Bucky only smiled back and nodded at her but he kept walking with you in his hand.
Even if you were practically a pair, you felt invisible. Everyone’s eyes were on you, but not precisely on you. This must’ve been something normal to him, you thought. You weren’t used to big crowds and inundated with attention, and you weren’t used with unquestionably holding a stranger’s hand and letting him take you wherever he had in mind. But you did anyway, and you weren’t having second thoughts.
Bucky led you to the cramped lavatory and locked the door. The lack of space made it even harder for you to breathe when Bucky was this close to you. He pressed his body to yours, as he kissed you once more. Slowly, but you felt the spell in your bones. “All I could think about on stage was tasting those luscious lips.”
You were spellbound by his magic. You could barely speak another word when his baby blue eyes were looking at you so intensely like that. But you gathered every cell in your body to utter the words anyway, “do it again, then.” You boldly challenged him.
He grinned a Cheshire cat smile. He grabbed your face again and eagerly consume you with his mouth. He then moved his hands to the back of your thighs to elevate you onto the sink. He put his hand on your thigh and the other hand went to the back of your head as he grabbed a fistful of your hair, while still kissing you even deeper.
He pulled away to stare at your distraught state and asked the question, “can I touch you?”
You licked your lips, as you nodded. “Please.” His mouth was on yours again, as the hand that was on your thigh moved to the bottom your dress, delicately inserted his fingers to feel you against your red lace panties. You could feel yourself growing wetter and wetter as he motions his fingers in circle harder.
Your breath quickened. Your mind was getting hazy as the second passes by. The right strep of your dress had fallen off of your shoulder, and Bucky utilized that opportunity to pull down the other strap and he began groping your breast, tenderly pinching your nipple. That elicited a petite yelp out of you. He groped your breast once more as he was still toying with your nipple.
He began kissing your neck, shortly finding your sensitive spot as you threw your head back. You shuddered. Your hands grabbed his hair, wanting to feel him closer. “Bu- Bucky… Please. I need to feel you.”
You didn’t wait for his response and immediately lifted up his shirt. You were stunned by the sight under the dimmed light of the bathroom. Clothes really didn’t do this man any justice. He should never be allowed to wear any coverups, ever again now that you had seen him. He was sculpted by the Gods themselves. His biceps felt robust in your dainty hands and the V-shaped line on his hips led to somewhere you really wanted to wrap your lips around.
Your hands quickly zipped down his jeans and his boxer along with it, and you didn’t hesitate in feeling his throbbing member right there, right then. It felt tremendous in your trembling hands, and you felt it getting harder with every stoke of your palm.
“Oh, fuck, doll, don’t stop.” His voice was raspy in your ears. It was the sexiest goddamn sound you had ever heard.
“Yeah, just like that. Go faster, doll.” He sucked your earlobe and his hand fisted your hair, making a mess out of it. You didn’t mind one bit. You wanted to be a mess for him and only for him. You somehow still managed to pamper him with all the senses you had left, even if your mind was clouded with every part of him.
“Bucky, put it in me. Please.” You begged with a quavering voice.
“Your wish is my command, doll.” In a second, he pushed into you and it sent an electrifying jolt all over your nerves. You threw your head back in mingled pain and pleasure. He felt even more full now that he was fully seated inside you. He lifted you from the sink and pushed you to the wall on the opposite.
You circled your arms around his neck as your back was slammed against the concrete. Then Bucky began thrusting vigorously. You shut your eyes and moaned his name. Bucky, on the other hand, didn’t. He kept his eyes wide open to watch you with full attention. He loved seeing the way you were drunk in him. The way you forgot your name more and more every time he slammed back into you.
He loved the squelching noises ringing in his ears, better than the melody he was used to creating in the studio. The sound of your heartbeat was far more gratifying than the way Clint played his drum. Oh, how he could write an entire album solely about you in this state alone.
“You feel so good around me, doll. So. Fucking. Tight.” Your moans became louder with his filthy words in your ears.
“I’m gonna make you mine.” This time, his voice was sultry. It was rather beguiling than mortifying.
His hips kept moving and out of you with a vehement tempo, and then just like that, you crumbled. You screamed your pleasure, not caring if anyone could hear you. Bucky was still moving, trying to reach his own climax. Shortly, he was with you. He unleashed his cum deep inside you, adding the mess that was dripping all over your thighs.
You were a beautiful mess. And Bucky loved it.
After a few minutes, coming down from your high, you breathed into Bucky’s neck, not wanting for it to be over yet. You were a little scared that Bucky was going to walk out and pretend nothing ever happened between you. You didn’t know how many bathroom stalls Bucky had brought different women to and fucked them silly right there. You had a lot do unravel about him, yet, you weren’t certain whether he wanted to let you in or not.
“You okay?” Bucky whispered into your ear. You only nodded, still a little hazy from ecstasy.
“I’m gonna put you down now, yeah?”
“Okay.” He slowly set you on your feet, as he was still staring at your face. You leaned against the wall, trying not to collapse. Bucky picked up his shirt and put it back on along with his jeans and boxer.
“Let’s get out of here.” Bucky offered you his hand, like the gentleman that he was as if he hadn't just fucked you into oblivion in a public restroom.
You took his hand with a smile. You didn’t know what was going to happen after you walk out of the door, but you were going to savour every second of being in his arm if this was going to be last time you’ll ever see him.
-
You went home with a contented smile on your face. You were like a teenage girl who had just been asked to prom by her crush. How could you not, when Bucky offered to walk you home and left a kiss on your cheek before he called it a night?
Natasha was going to stay at Clint’s hotel, so you were supposed to walk home alone. You knew eventually this was going to happen but Natasha and Clint used it as a reason so Bucky and you would spend the night together too. You didn’t mind one bit, though. You wanted to elongate your time with Bucky and your wish was granted.
You offered him to come inside and stay for a little while, you were secretly hoping that you could go for the second round, but Bucky only chuckled and shook his head.
“Not tonight, doll. I ain’t that kinda man. And you need rest. But I’ll call you tomorrow, yeah?” Then you and Bucky exchanged your numbers and he waited until you were really gone from his sight.
You walked up to your dorm with butterflies in your stomach and sparks fly all trailing over your footsteps. Thank God, Natasha wasn’t here. If she were, she would’ve relentlessly teased you all night and made you admit that she was right to coerce you to come.
And you would’ve had to admit that she was right. And you didn’t like admitting that you were wrong.
But tonight, you were going to admit it to yourself though. Sometimes, doing something that frightens you the most would endue you in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine.
And you were going to thank your lucky stars tonight for embedding Natasha Romanoff in your life because, without her, you would’ve stayed in your shell and Bucky could’ve fucked someone else in that restroom instead of you.
That might’ve happened in another universe, but not tonight. Tonight it was you and you were really hoping that you were going to see him again in your dreams tonight. You had one taste of him and it wasn’t enough.
Bucky texted you not long after you took a shower.
“Dreaming of me, yet?” Wink emoji.
“Well, if I were, I wouldn’t be texting you right now, would I?”
“That’s true, but at least you’d be drenching your sheets because of me and I don’t think I have a problem with that.”
“I don’t need you to do that, maybe I can use some toys in my drawers tonight. They seem pretty bored.” Thinking emoji.
“Oh, doll, you are killing me here…” Drool emoji.
“You like it.”
“I do.”
“Goodnight, Bucky.”
“Goodnight, doll. Thinking of you here.”
You turned off your phone and the screen went black. You changed into your pyjamas and washed off the remnants of your makeup and let the slumber take over you.
Bucky’s face loomed over you, somewhere in a fancy balcony, the view of the city stretching over, added to the beauty of the scenery. He was wearing a navy blue suit with a white dress shirt and no tie. The first couple of buttons were unbuttoned, giving you a majestic picture that he was. His hands that were in his pockets, took yours as you exerted yours to him.
He leaned in with a bright smile under his stubbly face, his blue eyes sparkled like Sirius star.
“Fly with me, doll.”
“What if I fall?”
“Then I’ll catch you.”
521 notes · View notes
bunny-hoodlum · 3 years
Text
Asynchronous With You: Ch 6
ship: naruhina
rating: teen (quite possibly mature or explicit later)
tags: Modern Day AU, Foster Siblings, Family, Angst, Unrequited Love, Poor Communication, Missed Opportunities
summary: An awkward journey full of self-denial and missed moments between two foster siblings. Perhaps their love will find the right timing someday.
"I think everyone should know," she said.
They were walking the usual route to their high school, the train station coming up ahead. Naruto kept a protective though furtive gaze on Hinata as he walked behind her on the steps.
He swore she's never modified her skirt. It would be against the dress code she's forced to protect. So he has no idea why it feels like he's seeing more of her than usual.
"Know what?"
Usually he's already doing this, because he's worried about perverts. Even in grade school, he was worried. If it weren't for their teachers educating them on Stranger Danger, he probably would have had to do it himself.
He had to learn it the hard way before Kurenai-obasan took him in, but so did Neji apparently. That's why he's gotten good at being less obvious with his suspicion, and also why he can better tell apart intent based on their body language.
He used to perceive everything around him to be potentially malicious. He never realized the toll that had been taking on him until Neji taught him how to really see.
He stood close behind her on the platform as they waited.
"That we're fosters."
A burst of wind shot through the platform, ruffling overcoats and business suits and whipping pleated skirts and loose hair in a sudden frenzy.
The PA announced the train's arrival, and it wheezed to a stop soon after.
He observed Hinata as she flattened her skirt down and smoothed her bangs, but none of it registered in his brain.
It was simply auto-pilot for him to follow her onto the train, then using his larger frame to block the other passengers from nearing his little sister.
Right. His foster sister.
In all of their nine years together, they've never told anyone. It wasn't that it seemed weird, it just… never occurred to them?
But now it did seem pretty weird.
"Why, though? In a couple years, it's not going to matter anymore."
She turned her face against her shoulder to look at him, but he didn't know what she was thinking. It was the same schooled features she put on last night when visiting Neji, like there was a one-way mirror and only she could see through him.
Then she looked away.
"You're not going to introduce a girlfriend to Kurenai one of these days?"
"Hmm?" The suggestion bloomed in his mind and quickly withered. The idea wasn't… very appealing. Something about inviting judgment onto his life and stuff. He defends himself in every aspect but at home, and he'd rather keep coasting on the good thing he's got. "Dunno. Hadn't ever thought about it."
He certainly wasn't going to introduce any of the one's he's taken to bed when the apartment was empty. He's rarely done it with the same girl twice, mainly because he can't help but lose interest.
He blames it on sexual incompatibility.
"Well, I know I will."
He misses the melancholy hedging around her words, and latches onto the opportunity for an easy ribbing.
"You're gonna bring a girlfriend over?" he's happy she shoots him a look so that she can see his corny grin, otherwise he worried she might've mistaken him for serious.
He's nonplussed by the severity of her glare, but then she says "Maybe when you're not around," and he no longer knows what to think.
"Wait, what? Hinata?" He's craning left and right in hopes of catching a smirk or a giggle from her, but she's evasive. Has she? "Hinata, are you--?" And since third grade she said? "Also, what's that supposed to mean 'when I'm not around'? Huh? Hey, what's that supposed to mean 'when I'm not around'?? Hinata???"
"We're getting off topic--"
"Bullshit! I have questions!"
She ignored him.
"I vote to tell our friends that we're fosters. And I'd like to have it taken care of during Lunch. What's your vote?"
Is this what she sounds like during her Public Morals Committee meetings? Because it was doing something to him.
Oh, right. She wanted an honest answer.
But… "What do you get out of announcing this? I mean, aside from knowing how to introduce me in the future or whatever. Have you thought this through at all?"
What's the rest of the school going to say?
The guys who share their skin mags with him might get wary and reject him. The girls he's dumped might try to get to him through her. Teachers might give up on disciplining him, essentially offloading their responsibilities onto her as both Public Morals Committee and his sister. And he wasn't having any of that shit again.
All kinds of things could bite them in the ass one way or another.
She hasn't replied to him at all, and he thinks she's upset again, but he has to make his point.
"Hinata, the way things are now isn't broken, so what are you trying to fix?"
"It would help me."
"Huh? How? With what?" He waited, and she was silent. A drop of dread sank in his chest for her. "So something is wrong," He leaned in closer, causing her to shrink. He sighed. "Hinata, for someone who wants the world to know we're fosters, you sure don't seem willing to rely on me like a sibling."
"I don't favor Neji-niisan over you."
"Yeah, well, you don't have to," Tension clutched at their throats. "People always have more history with their blood. I can't really compete, y'know?"
He can't compete at all, actually.
Sometimes he thinks his only true brother is Sasuke, but he still wants to work at this. She just has to let him.
"I'm sorry. I just thought it would be less lonely if we could talk to each other normally again. And we only see each other at school these days, so…"
He envisioned her waving to him in the halls between periods, or her having a reason to cheer him on during a deadlift tournament. It would prevent people from making the wrong idea about them.
Damn, he felt stupid now.
"Fine!" He intoned with mock-annoyance. "If it'll make you happy."
She looked over her shoulder again, and what she found was his warm, supportive smile.
________________________
Hinata gathered her friends, Kiba, Shino, Ino and Sakura.
And he gathered his friends, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Chouji.
Ino had tsked in distaste when she saw Sasuke, had gone as far as to drag Sakura away so that the others sat in-between them. He caught some sort of nickname from her lips, but wasn't sure what she had really said.
As Naruto stood before them alongside Hinata, his gaze fell on the skinny lad scribbling away at his sketchbook, and immediately his fight instinct was switched on.
"What's your monochromatic ass doing here??! Did anyone invite him?!" He jabbed a finger in Sai's direction.
The monotone, softboy, little creep didn't even look up.
"I'm making a record of these proceedings for posterity," he lifted the sketchpad and flipped it around.
Inkified Naruto was pointing right back at him with an agape snarl. Sai then proceeded to show everyone else individually, and they all cracked up, one by one.
Ino was absolutely dying. Stomach-clutching and tears rolling, the whole nine yards. She snatched the sketchpad from Sai and begged if she could keep it.
"Whaddya want that for??" Naruto interrogated. He was so about to punch Sai and throw his art supplies in the pool. This was Hinata's announcement and the softboy was ruining it.
Ino mockingly tilted the sketchbook side to side. "Something to keep your ego in check, Charato."
Hinata faintly snorted. He wasn't sure until he saw how she had her face turned around and her shoulders were lightly trembling.
He frowned at her, feeling betrayed.
"Ahhhh, alright, enough! Me and Hinata have gathered you all here for a reason! So shut up and listen! Hinata, tell them!"
Hinata jolted out of her humor, her face flushing as though this were the first time she's done public speaking.
"Uh, Uhm… Naruto-kun and I… we're foster siblings. We, uh… we live together," Hinata froze up under their collective stares. With a stiff smile, she half-heartedly sang "Ta-da," and punctuated it with rather embarrassed jazz hands.
"And as our friends, you're the first to know," Naruto added. "Also we don't care if the whole school finds out. So don't worry, we're not sharing this out of confidentiality."
Their collective shock evaporated rather quickly.
Sakura was the first to speak. "Well, that answers a lot of questions. And raises plenty more." She ended it with a growl and a glare. That accusatory look irked him.
"Feel free to ask away! I've got nothin' to hide!"
Sakura flattened the back of her skirt as she rose up like a dignitary representing The House of Hyuuga. And then like a certain video game attorney, she pointed at him.
"I always wondered why you obsessively protected Hinata in the past, but never showed any romantic initiative towards her. Now I have to ask, knowing the sex maniac that you are: Do you ever sneak into her bedroom?"
"No," He answered unconvincingly. He looked at the jury one by one, unsure how much of their scrutiny was sincere or misperceived. Sasuke was leaning forward, arms circling around his knees. He looked a little too interested in the idea of him and Hinata… doing things… "I-I've never done that! I would never do that! Hinata's special to me, okay?! You've got a filthy fuckin' mind, Haruno!"
"Me?! You've tried to sneak into the female locker rooms!" Sakura took off her shoe and slugged it at him. "Multiple times!"
Naruto hunched up and twisted away as the shoe smacked his shoulder and bounced away.
Hinata moved in between him and the one-woman mob. "Okay, this is getting out of hand--"
"I will never fucking do that to Hinata. I was in an orphanage for six years. And they're not all run by saints."
Dammit.
This was way more than he ever wanted to share.
He took a few steps back before turning tail. He jogged downhill as fast as he could.
What was he doing?
Uzumaki Naruto doesn't run away.
But it was either that, or… have them watch him cry.
________________________
AN: So this is missing a scene cuz I cut it. I might not use it anymore, and instead I'll see if the backstory I had expanded upon will be worked in later on in the plot. Because before I started writing this, I had anticipated that things would actually get cuter from here on out. (Also anticipating that I may work in at least one smutty chapter in the future. Yeah, it's totally diverging from this fic's original concept when I posted it for Secret Santa, but that's okay!) And the total Ego Death I unexpectedly wrote just feels kind of Deus Ex Machina in a way to Naruto's vices. I just can't have him maturing right now. That's a plot route I don't have any material for, and I don't quite see it as not defeating the other stuff I had planned to write. (I'm also happy to state that I'm starting to get a better picture of how to condense this content on AO3, because I honestly feel like this could be Ch. 2 now. :B I mean, it's too short on its own if I do, but it kinda has that hook for the rest of the story.)
I hope you enjoyed this update! 😘💕💕💕
18 notes · View notes
jubesy · 3 years
Note
3 for Midotaka and 46 for MatchaBlossom for the drabble prompts please? (I've recently gotten into sk8 too and I haven't seen much content about them yet) thank you! 💕
Thank you for the asks! Sk8 is so good. I’m really enjoying it so far~
I managed to keep the MidoTaka short, but the Matcha Blossom ran long, haha. I hope you like them!! And thanks again~
MidoTaka #3 “Make me.”
“Kazu, unhand my lucky item,” Midorima said, arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his lips. “I have to sit in on a surgery today.” They had already graduated and Midorima was well into his residency at Todai hospital, but he still insisted on following Oha-Asa daily.
Not that Takao minded. In fact, he fully supported his boyfriend’s weird obsessions. All of them.
Still, he was so fun to tease. 
Takao grinned. “Make me.” 
Midorima’s eyes widened behind his glasses. Then he glared. “Kazu…” 
“Listen, I’m about twenty centimeters too short to play keep-away,” Takao offered. “So, let’s just end this quickly, Shin-chan.”
A long exasperated sigh. “What do you want, Kazu?” 
Takao bit his lip, holding his boyfriend’s lucky item behind his back and blinking up at him through his bangs. “A kiss?”
Midorima raised an eyebrow. “Just a kiss?” 
“Mhm.” Takao closed his eyes and puckered his lips, waiting. However, instead of the chaste peck he was expecting, Midorima roughly pressed their lips together, pulling Takao against him and deepening the kiss.
When they broke apart, Takao found himself dazed and empty-handed.
“Thank you, Kazu,” Midorima said, holding up the small fan. “I’ll see you tonight after work.”
Takao nodded dumbly and waved as Midorima left their apartment. He’d lost, in a way. Since his boyfriend had gotten one over on him. But in many other ways, he’d won.
Request a drabble here!
Matcha Blossom #46 “I’m in love...shit.” | Ao3 mirror
It was a late night. They’d been extremely busy, which was good. But that meant that no one was able to do their side work until after hours, which slowed down closing, which kept Joe from finishing his inventory and getting to input his order until nearly one in the morning.
He did not have his usual visitor tonight. He’d sent Cherry a text earlier, letting him know they were swamped. And even though he hadn’t replied, Joe knew he’d at least seen it. He was so tired that he didn’t have the energy to be offended at being left on ‘read.’ He just typed a quick, ‘Finally done,’ before walking toward his bike.
However, just as Joe was about to head home, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that Cherry had messaged.
‘Come over.’
That was rare. Joe usually played host to his childhood friend at his own restaurant and then the two parted ways. Sometimes, he’d crash at Cherry’s after ‘S’ races, just because he was bored and it was fun trying to come up with recipes with the few things the other had on hand -- honestly, did he even go grocery shopping? -- But never just randomly like this. Well, not since high school, probably.
‘Miss me?’ He typed back, adding a winking emoji before sending.
Kaoru is typing… ‘Die.’ 
Joe chuckled and started to respond, but Cherry sent another message.
‘I want pizza.’ 
Oh, was that so? That sounded pretty good actually. Well, not take-out pizza. Joe had grown up with his Italian grandfather and no one in his family could stand the chain store stuff. He didn’t feel like typing anymore, so he called. Cherry picked up on the second ring. “Did you order it already?” Joe asked.
Cherry was quick to reply. ‘Are you an idiot?’ Joe snorted at that. ‘Like I’d order something you hate.’
Joe laughed. “It’s kind of hard to eat pizza without ordering it,” he supplied.
A scoff came over the line. ‘Obviously, you’re going to make it.’ 
Ooh, Cherry was being feisty tonight. Cute. “I’ve already locked up and even if I hadn’t, the truck doesn’t come until the day after tomorr--”
‘I have the ingredients already,’ Cherry interrupted. ‘Just get your overly-muscled ass over here.’ A pause. ‘I’m hungry.’
Cherry had gotten the ingredients? Cherry had gone shopping? He’d gone shopping with Joe in mind, knowing that he couldn’t stomach Japan’s poor excuse for pizza? Something warm blossomed in his chest. “Okay.” 
‘I’ll see you in fifteen minutes.’ The call ended.
Joe stood there, dumbfounded, the heat from his chest spreading up his neck to his face. He swallowed. “I’m in love…” Then, realizing what he said, that this was Cherry he was talking about, he cursed. “Shit.” Then he got on his bike and rode off toward Cherry’s house, his body still pleasantly warm.
Request a drabble here!
60 notes · View notes
papabirdurskeks · 3 years
Note
I ask this both for Baron Dark, Ariandel and SkekSo !
Give me a character and I will answer: @ben-the-hyena
Oh boy a triple feature! :D Here we go, folks!
Under a read more cause its going to get long but each listed character will be split apart evenly!
First up is Baron Dark!
Tumblr media
Why I like them: He is just bombastic in personality! He lives loud in his actions and words, participating in most of the action himself while also showing he is a threat and menacing altogether! I also like that he is one of the few villains that shows he cares for his crew as a “family” (at least for most part of the series before being overtaken with obsession to have power more on his own). Given the dynamic we are given from the show, its obvious he cares and treats them all on a level of respect as well, something so rare to see nowadays! And I also enjoyed that his reasons to take over and do the shit he did in the series, “Because I can!” is just as refreshing and fun to see in a villain too!  And again, his design is a top tier design I love overall! Its menacing, powerful, and outright amazing! Definitely adds to the character and how well he works in effect to keeping my attention! Like just look at that design! And his VA did a wonderful job of adding to that charm that is just delightful to see in his personality! Overall, he is totally a villain I would love to see more of in the future!
Why I don’t: I say my dislikes often fall on the usual tropes of a kid’s show of the 90s. He talks too much when he could be doing things himself and falls victim to the typical “I am too powerful” but doesn’t think of the obvious steps ahead that will be his downfall. But honestly, its so small I don’t find it jarring or that bad to be in the way! It was the 90s and aimed at kids at the time, so we can’t expect TOO much out of that xD
Favorite episode (scene if movie): Oh man, that’s a tough one cause every scene/episode Baron is in he totally slays it! Its either a tie from the first episode to the very last one cause the stakes of start and finish are so well done, I love it all! 
Favorite season/movie: Obviously, the TV series is the best version of him! The comics sucked and turned him too OOC from what was initially given! Like how does one go from point A to be Z so freaking fast? xD
Favorite line: “Because I can.” Yeah, not gonna lie this was indeed my favorite line of his xD
Favorite outfit: Honestly, the outfit he gains near the end of the series is by far my favorite! Its like a mix of the Bejeweled Catacomb Saints and Mictlantechutli put in one and its befitting of the Baron given his gain in power! 
OTP: Baron and Cyborn are my OTP and are married, fight me. 
Brotp: Definitely Brotps with the rest of his henchmen though I see them more being like his adoptive children! 
Head Canon: Baron is of indigenous background! I also like to headcanon that the white tuft/strands in his hair are truly his and have been there since birth!  (I have so many more HCs for him but I will keep it short cause it can go all day x’) )
Unpopular opinion: Don’t think I have one, at the moment at least. 
A wish: To have gotten more information/lore on him and the entire cast, honestly! I would have loved to see more of his character explored and what more he could have had to offer as a series main villain! Hell, the whole damn series had so much to offer! And just the relationships he has with the others and what more he could have done post season and before! So much potential there to be explored! I honestly would not be objecting to a reboot/revival or continuation of the series! 
An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: Though with that said, if a reboot does come around, don’t turn it into the mess of current cartoons we have. Not that they are all bad but most of them have been very disappointing in keeping my attention and liking. Keep the same type of messages it had before! It worked beautifully as it did then and still does work now! I’d love to see the same formulas used while also updating it to be more gritty and mature like they did for Castlevania! Just... Don’t turn it into a cringe worthy mess that will ruin Baron and all the characters in the series! Don’t do what the comics did! 
5 words to best describe them: Charmingly evil, badass, fun, conniving bastard, and menacing. 
My nickname for them: Mega dork (affectionately speaking)
Next is Ariandel!
Tumblr media
Why I like them: Oh boy, there is a lot to say in terms of why I like him but I will try to keep it short and simple for time purposes!  His design is top tier for me! Like a rotting skull like face? Check! A monstrous body much like a bird’s? Check! And to add he is a giant Corvian, which are one of my favorite enemies in Dark Souls III!  His personality also differs from the usual loud, bombastic, and proud characters I tend to gravitate for. Instead, he’s withdrawn and rather sad to look at and hear. You know he’s going through a lot but don’t know exactly what it is. In game, one can sort of get hints as to what has gone on behind the scenes but at the same time, its still vague and hard to really pinpoint what really did happen. So he has that air of mystery to him that I honestly adore in many characters as it leaves room to explore deeper into their lore! But I also find his personality relatable as well as sympathetic.  But that’s just me, I can gush about him all day but I will cut it short here x’)
Why I don’t: To be honest I don't have any reason not to like Ariandel other then the small fact that he followed Friede and let the Painted World rot in such a terrible state. But that is so minor of an issue to me to really make a difference, lol. I adore this giant bird man!
Favorite episode (scene if movie): I have to say the scene where he ultimately snaps and breaks out of binds after seeing Friede's lifeless body before him is my favorite scene of his. The amount of pain and anguish heard in his scream and the way he moves prior and after; I can very much relate to that feeling. Sometimes, actions truly convey the emotions better in the most powerful means necessary. And this scene alone truly nailed it.
Favorite season/movie: He's only ever seen in the Dark Souls III DLC, so obvious answer points to the DLC!
Favorite line: "When the Ashes are two, a flame alighteth. Thou'rt Ash, and fire befits thee, of course..."
Favorite outfit: Uhh, he doesn't really wear any clothes save for his cape? So I guess the cape does him well as he is, though I always draw him without it xD
OTP: To be honest, I don't ship him with any canon characters within Dark Souls. Friede does not deserve him..
Brotp: Ariandel being best friends with the Ashen One is my ultimate Brotp! Just think of how much of a valuable ally he could have been!
Head Canon: I know his origins are debatable, as either theory I have for him can be plausible but I often lean more towards the idea of him being half Giant and half Corvian! IDK why but I just like it a lot more x’)
Unpopular opinion: While Ariandel is partly responsible for what happened to the Painted World, I still feel he was manipulated overall and probably at one point did have a change of heart before being forced into complete isolation. He plays more the role of the willing/unwilling accomplice then the actual perpetrator of the crime.  
A wish: He could have had a happier ending without having to die for Friede. I know, its Dark Souls. Such a thing is expected to happen in the Soulsborne series but its a wish, right? 
An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: That anything beyond the infatuation he had for Friede took place. Just.. No. He loved her but never could ever have her in that sense and never did. Just no, she is horrible to him. 
5 words to best describe them: Sad, lonely, birdman, withdrawn, and tragic
My nickname for them: Papa bird
And lastly for skekSo!
Tumblr media
Why I like them: I think its as obvious as the case for Baron Dark. I like evil, smug bastards that shine through their wickedness and don't usually hold back. In the case of skekSo, I actually didn't care for him at first but then after my second viewing of the show, I started to like him more and enjoy his villainy! He's selfish, arrogant, vain, and conniving and I love it! Added that his design is really appealing to the eye and how he carries himself out, I gotta say he's one of the few villain characters from a show that makes the turn around for me to like them instead of hate them more. Also, his voice. Can NOT go wrong with that voice cause DAMN, its good and shows just how powerful a villain can be with a voice like his. And those eyes. Oh man, those eyes!
Why I don’t: Despite his villainy being the main point that caught my attention, its also a part of his downfall too. His constant greed and arrogance pushed him too far into doing what he did and ultimately cost him everything in the end; including loyal allies that end up dying for him in the long run. I hate how easily and quickly he changes his mind when actual logic is put into perspective of his plans and how quick he is to dismiss someone else when they don't please him anymore or things don't go his way for the smallest things. And yes, that is part of his character, I know that. That is what makes him as scummy as he is and why I love how trashy he is. But I also can't ignore just how easily he pushed skekVar away and believed skekSil despite knowing just what a lying bastard he is. IDK, it just feels too obvious but at the same time, it is what it is and I am not upset about it in the least x)
Favorite episode (scene if movie): Honestly, I enjoyed all the scenes with him in the show but mostly in particular with his interactions with skekVar, especially towards the end of the series. It showed a peak part of his vulnerability in his character that honestly I doubt he ever shows to anyone else. He spends most of his time pushing others around and making them fear him but with skekVar there is a sort of mutual respect going that really speaks out in a different way. Maybe I am just reading too much into it, but I always did enjoy how they interacted with one another!
Favorite season/movie: Well, skekSo didn't get much screen time in the movie other then him dying and turning to dust so.... Definitely enjoyed him more in the show then the film xD
Favorite line: "NOOOOO!" (Yes, this scene is still very infamous to me for personal reasons but the way he carried out his "no's" cracked me up each time xD)
Favorite outfit: Honestly, the main outfit he wore throughout the show. It's just so regal and goth, I love it! And as a goth and fashion enthusiast myself, I am all up for the style he has! The battle armor he wore near the end made it a tad more laughable to be honest.
OTP: I started shipping him with skekVar but ended up with an OT3 of skekVar and skekZok. So now all three of them live in a happy relationship with each other in my noodle~
Brotp: I see him being on neutral terms with skekMal! 
Head Canon: I feel that even in the show it wasn’t seen or given, but he did feel a lot of remorse and regret after the loss of skekVar. He seemed very close with him and spoke with skekVar with more trust then he did the others. Perhaps in secret he did mourn the General’s loss. 
Unpopular opinion: Does this count as an unpopular opinion? I know most people see him with just a few strands of hair but I tend to see him with a head full of long flowing white locks he keeps hidden beneath his clothes. It adds to the extra layer of vanity for a proud Emperor such as he! He looses it over time the darkening consumes him and withers down his health. 
A wish: To see what he was like as an urSkek prior to being split up into a Skeksis and urRu. Yeah, I know people don't care or like the urSkeks all that much but honestly, I would LOVE to see more urSkek lore and see what it was that made SoSu so special among his peers. It was said, after all, he had a voice that could move the stars but was conflicted and consumed with darkness. Honestly, I want to know why and who he was prior to all of this mess! SkekSo even says in the show he still has nightmares of the life before so I wonder, what they were and how it was! So much potential here, man!
An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I don’t think I have any of these to be honest? At least with skekSo. Not that I can think of on top of my head now. 
5 words to best describe them: Proud, absolute piece of shit, pretty, conniving, and menacing. 
My nickname for them: Stupid idiot
16 notes · View notes
datk-popblog · 4 years
Text
Imagine...
NCT Dream as Your Boyfriend
(not a request! I thought I’d do a little write write for you guys haha❤️)
Tumblr media
Renjun:
He’s such a loving boyfriend. Like he’d do anything to show his affection for/towards you.
Whenever he’s super busy with comebacks or just work in general; he’ll ALWAYS make up for it.
Like for example. If he missed 5 days to spend time with you, he would spend 5 days on little dates with you. It’s the little things he does.
The boys always mention how much he talks about you and omg he gushes everytime.
“What can I say? I’m obsessed with her!”
Cute little nicknames for you like “lovely,” “Buggy bear,” “Honey bee,” and “Doll face”
He likes to make you dinner a lot. Like a lot a lot.
“This is the fourth time you’ve made me dinner in the same week, babe.” “I can’t let my wifey starve!”
He was the type to get your relationship very open to the members but very secret in public.
Renjun always wants to protect you from the hateful critics and what they have to say about your guy’s relationship.
When it came to meeting each other’s parents; man oh man he was a wreck.
“Are they gonna like me? Especially your dad! I have to look very clean and nicely dressed. I can’t look like a jerk!”
He wouldn’t shut up about how nervous he was gonna be the entire ride. It got so bad it started making you overwhelmed and nervous😭
On his days off, he literally took you anywhere you wanted to go.
The spa? He’d get a mani pedi to pamper himself too because he’s a supportive boyfriend so why tf not.
Even dates to the amusement park? Like one day he’d be like “it’s my day off, so, let’s go to the park.”
Even dates to South Korea’s fanciest restaurants like omg.
THIS BOY LOVES TF OUT OF YOU ITS BEYOND.
When it’s sexy time, he knows what you like and how you like it delivered.
One day he found out you can squirt and he’s literally been making you squirt over and over ever since.
Yeah, Renjun looks very innocent on the outside with a dash of glitter to him; but when you two are alone he MANHANDLES the fuck out of you.
Sometimes he doesn’t mean to hurt you. He just is really rough and it comes off super duper aggressive.
After sexy time, he ALWAYS ALWAYS makes sure to nut in your mouth. Whatever position you guys are in, he’ll turn you around or stand you up.
He just loves watching his liquids drip from your lips. He gets off looking at it.
After sex, he’d cuddle you so so hard. Like he’d fuck the hell out of you, but wants to be little spoon? Like dude wtf
“I love you soooo much my lovely.”
Ugh omg just hold this boy and cherish him
Tumblr media
Jeno:
He’s such a tease boyfriend and it SHOWS.
He likes to brag about how hot you two look together (and y’all do look hot PAUSE)
“That’s my baby. Her fine self!”
He enjoys bringing you to his practices. He knows you like to watch him dance
Sometimes you’ll be there at the studio for hours and you’ll get super tired.
“I’m sorry I’m taking long baby girl. We’ll be home together soon.” He’d tell you then go back to practicing
The one special thing about Jeno is that he’s soooo reassuring. From little compliments to accomplishments.
He loves to praise you for how much you’ve done and how good you take care of him
“I love you so much. You’ve done everything for me.”
Like if you passed a test or something from school, he’d take you on a date.
Even if you didn’t pass the test he’d still treat you because he loves you so much!
Jeno likes to leave little love notes around your guy’s room. It’s like a scavenger hunt. You’ll find them behind the tv, under your pillow and bed, in your shirt drawer. Literally everywhere.
When it came to announcing your relationship to the world, he wasn’t afraid. He did NOT care at all. Regardless of what the company said. SM told him to wait at least one year and he did it after 6 months.
“I know you’re meant to be my forever. I can feel it in my heart, babe. I know you are.”
When it came to sex, he was super super sweet and slow. He loved taking his time with you. He wasn’t dominant but was when it was the right time.
Lovesssssssss to suck your toes.(IK ITS WEIRD BUT HE LOVES IT!!!!) He loves tf out of your feet???
For your guy’s first time, Jeno put roses on the bed and serenaded you with a guitar and literally had you meLTINGGG.
“I love you so much. Whenever you’re ready; I’m ready.”
He liked for you to be dominant sometimes but would never force you. He never forces you into doing stuff you never wanna do; especially during sex (or in general)
After sexy time, it was shower time together.
You both just hugged one another in the shower and let the water run over you both. And during all this, his thick arms just embraced your frame.
When you were in his arms you felt loved and at home.
“You know I love you right?” “You tell me all the time, Jeno. I’m aware.” “I just love saying it.”
(Jeno is my bias so this made me feel so lonely writing his section. I hate it here😭)
Tumblr media
Haechan:
Haechan is known as the sassy one but in the relationship that’s literally how he is. It’s the Gemini in him.
Don’t be surprised if sometimes he has an attitude. He just had a bad day at work.
“I don’t mean to yell or snap at you. You know I love you, baby.” And he’d hold you so so tight
You guys wouldn’t ever argue sometimes but if you did you both would ignore each other.
Then the other mates would have to fix the issue with you both.
“If you guys don’t stop with the petty shit!” -Renjun
Haechan LOVES your kisses.
If you didn’t kiss him in a certain amount of time he’d fake cry and stomp his feet.
“Jagi~~!! I need your kis-“ “omg there. Be quiet”
When he was gone for work (for literal months) it was so hard for you guys to maintain a good long distance relationship.
You guys would FaceTime all the time but it was never the same because you wanted him in person.
“I don’t know the next time I’m able to see your face. I miss you a lot though, baby girl.”
You would see Haechan all the time and how good he was doing on the web but omg YOU MISSED YOUR BABY
Occasionally he’d come back home and stay with you for as long as he needed to.
“You should travel with me and sing with the group. A female touch would be awesome.” “Haechan, I love you, but I’m not singing with 127.”
Soon enough he convinced SM to bring you wherever he went so now you’re with the boys. All. The. Time.
“You’re my new assistant, Y/N. I demand a bottle of water.” “Kiss my ass, Haechan”
SEXY time with Haechan ooooooo chile
He likes to lift you up and hold you against the wall and kiss your neck.
Or even doggy style. Haechan just loves the view from the back.
Whenever he hits it from the back, he digs his fingers right at the bottom of your back. Or even grabs your shoulders to go in deeper.
You only know when he’s close when his body starts slowing down and you feel his body jerk.
“I wanna nut in you so badly, Y/N!” “Well don’t do that.”
Eventually he nutted in you and you had to take a plan B. So that’s that
“I told you not to do that to me, babe.” “I couldn’t just hold it back. It came out.”
After 10 months of dating, he bought you a promise ring. Seems quick but he KNEW it was meant to be. He’s not letting you go; no matter what.
“Soon, I’m gonna turn that ring into an engagement ring.” Haechan smiles
Tumblr media
Jaemin:
I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone more affectionate than Na Jaemin
He’s such a loving boyfriend like super loving
Before you would go to work, he would pack your lunch and make sure to add little hearts and notes in your lunch-bag
His little notes would say something like: “I love you so much my honey bear,” “Have an amazing day at work. DONT overwork yourself.”
LITERALLY SO AFFECTIONATE
If you went somewhere without him, he would be a little offended but would end his disagreement w/ a “text me when you get there. I love you.”
and holy fuck if you did NOT text him, he’d lose his mind
you guys have each other’s locations
THATS WHEN YOU KNOW ITS REAL AND LEGIT
when Jisung was around, it was literally a competition for whoever gets Jaemin first.
Jaemin would occasionally pick Jisung over you. He’s fake and it shows
“where’s all the love and attention I need?” You call out.
“Baby, you have to wait your turn.” -Jaemin
when you guys argued, he would literally feel so guilty. especially if you had reasons to be pissed off.
like you would have receipts and he’d just cry. not to play victim, but because he wouldn’t ever want to hurt you emotionally, or physically.
“I’m really sorry...I promise I won’t do it again.”
he made it up by kissing you endlessly.
sexy time with Jaemin was everything you desired it to be
little comments in-between sex like: “i love you princess,” or “do i make you feel good?” 
UGH WE LOVE TO SEE IT
okay but Jaemin is more of the submissive type. he rarely gets dominant with you.
“i’m tired of riding you jaemin. my legs hurt.” “don’t worry, babe. lay down.”
like he KNOWS how to put it down
like he knows what he be doing too like wtf man
Jaemin makes dinner practically every night. this man is never not cooking.
“do you want pork or soup tonight?” “how about pork IN the soup?” “Y/N, I love your thinking.”
HE EVEN MAKES SURE YOU HAVE A NAPKIN ON YOUR LAP SO YOU DON’T SPILL ANYTHING HOT ON YOURSELF
Jaemin as your boyfriend>>>>>>anything else
Tumblr media
Chenle:
HE IS SOOOO LOVING!!!!!!!
Chenle likes to wake you up with breakfast in bed
even though sometimes he can burn the food or miss an ingredient
“how does it taste, baby girl?” you smiled and kissed him
“I LOVE IT!”
Chenle was very very giving
he would always buy you something (RICH CHENLE CHECK)
little trips to the mall, coffee shops, jewelry stores
“babe do you want this?” “Chenle, I don’t need-” “Grab it. I’ll get it for you”
he brags to the dreamies about you ALLLLLL THEEEEEE TIMEEEEE
“you see Y/N as my lock-screen? isn’t she so frickn beautiful!”
“Chenle, you’ve mentioned Y/N about a hundred times” -Haechan
“And I don’t regret it.”
if you guys are far away from each other he’ll always ft you. there’s never not one day he’s not talking to you
“holy shit. I miss you so much. I’m going insane!” “Chenle, it’s just three more weeks.” “I can’t even go 3 minutes without thinking about you.”
since you guys have a studio apartment together in South Korea, he does surprise pop up visits
he’ll literally be sitting on the couch and scare the shit out of you
“Chenle, you didn’t tell me when you were gonna be home!” “I thought I’d surprise you when you come home from work.”
When he came home, you guys made love. Like he was holding it in for YEARS!!!
Chenle is rough af when the times right. Like especially when he hasn’t seen you in so long.
“Tell me when to slow down. I don’t wanna hurt you.” He whispers in your ear
He likes to kiss your neck and leave hickies when he’s on top. HE ENJOYS LEAVING MARKS ON YOU
He’s very demanding
“Tell me you love me. Tell me, Y/N. Say it, baby.”
Sometimes he gets tired and makes you ride him. And when you slow down, he grabs the fUCK OUT OF YOUR HIPS
“Chenle, I cant go any faster. My thighs hurt.” “Here let me help you.” AND BOOM. HES ON BEAST MODE
As soon as you guys finish, he cuddles you so hard and rubs your booty. He doesn’t care to put boxers on after sex because he’s just so comfortable
“That was so amazing. When’s the last time we’ve done something that well together?” “Chenle, I don’t know. You’ve been gone for 3 months.”
“Yeah but how’d you get so well.” “Chenle what?!”😭😭
If you guys rest long enough; he goes for round two. There’s nothing holding this kid back. HE WILL FUCK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU BC HE MISSED YOU
If you guys ever have small arguments it would literally be for five minutes and boom. You guys are best friends????
he hates arguing with you because he feels it’s a “waste of time” and it “emotionally hurts the relationship”
which he’s not wrong because who would want their relationship ruined on stupid arguments
“Y/N quit ignoring me and make out with me.”
This KIDS ALWAYS IN THE MOOD FOR YOU
he’s just never around you anymore so it’s just a bunch of orgasms built up
Chenle is awesome in all the right ways. This kid is the best boyfriend.
Tumblr media
Jisung:
I’m pretty sure Jisung has told you and other people hundreds of times he’s gonna marry you.
“you have no idea how much I fucking I adore you, Y/N.”
yeah he’s the baby of the group, but you’re HIS baby.
“Jagi! You have to eat something! I’m not letting you go anywhere til you eat!”
he’s very very caring. sometimes he doesn’t show it in a talking way, but through his actions; it speaks so much louder.
Jisung can be a little awkward sometimes. especially around the members.
If you were to kiss him when the dreamers were there, he would get super red and would be on hush mode.
“Jagiiiii~ You aren’t supposed to do that. You know how I feel.” “But you and I both know how much you love it.” You smiled
when he first met your family, he was very scared. I mean like sweating through his dress shirt scared.
“Jisung, baby. they’re gonna like you a lot, okay? Don’t be so nervous.” “Yeah, but what if they ask me a question and I don’t respond? Imagine if your dad asks me what my intentions are with you? What the fuck am I gonna say?”
DONT WORRY. HE KNOWS WHAT TO SAY HES JUST SCARED AF I-
he literally shakes when he meets your mom but not your dad???
after he met the fam, they loved him a lot
Jisung is the sweetest person how can anyone NOT love him. like cmon
when you guys came out to the public, he took you E V E R Y W H E R E
and i mean everywhere
You were his date to music awards, debut stages, game/talk shows, etc.
Jisung loved bringing you everywhere with him. He says it makes him feel safe and at home every time he’s with you
(i wish someone felt that way about me. ima cry)
(this next part im NOT getting into detail. ik how lots of you feel about baby Jisung therefore it’ll be not so r-rated)
love making with Jisung is the softest thing ever.
before he does ANYTHING to your body, he ALWAYS makes sure you’re okay with it.
“Baby, you know I’ll always put your feelings first. I love you.”
He wasn’t rough(unless you asked or begged) he was always gentle
whenever he was on top, he liked to bury his face into your neck and give you neck kisses and soft nip at your ear
whenever you rode him, he’d just grab your hips and does the work for you. he knows how tiring it can be for your thighs so he goes all out by helping
his soft mOANS ARE TO DIE FOR. like literally he lets loose when it’s private time
moral of the story; find yourself a Jisung bc you won’t regret it.
----
It’s been WAY too long since I posted. I’ve been working full-time at my job now and saving up for a car ! Im super excited for myself guys omgggg. I missed you guys so so much
xoxo Jay
248 notes · View notes
k-writesthings · 4 years
Text
Early Mornings
I wrote this because I’m in the mood for some happy Levi Content, especially after Chapter 133, where my man is just BROKEN.
(Also this is x Reader because I want to try my hand at writing these, please let me know what you think!) 
(And it’s first person because I’m not comfortable writing second person yet)
Word Count: 1655
Warnings: Cussing, Intimate Touching (SFW)
      The soldiers of the Survey Corps had either seen too much or not enough. There was no in-between, because just one Titan attack would change the cockiest bastard into a war-weary soldier. That’s what happened to me, and that’s what happened to every other scout, too. With that sudden shift came night terrors, hallucinations, and shell shock. You’d be lucky to wake up and not be in a cold sweat after seeing, smelling, and hearing what I and so many others have. It plagued you, haunting your dreams, your thoughts, your life. And often, you couldn’t escape.
    But sometimes, when you were safe…
   You could forget. 
    Lazy mornings would help me forget. The memories that weighed on my conscience would slip away, melting into the seams of what I understood as I snuggled under the covers. The warm morning light cascading over my face would remind me of where I was and nothing else. A warm body next to me would let me know that I am loved. And I was alive, carefree even, for however long we were nestled beneath those blankets.
   This was one of those mornings. A particularly nasty dream roused me, yanking me from my sleep like a fish caught on a line. It was shocking and sent my senses into overdrive, making me gasp for air as my eyes shot open. And then I realized. I wasn’t in danger, not at that moment. And I wouldn’t be, not for a while.
   My fear subsided quickly, dissolving into a low hum of adrenaline that was guaranteed to keep me awake. The air was chilly and there was a slight draft in the room, probably from small gaps in the old walls. I yanked the covers up and over my shoulders and shifted to my side to keep out the cool air. I was faced by the man sleeping beside me, causing me to lose interest in my slightly cold shoulders. His sleeping face was a look of pure peace, something I would never see grace his features otherwise. Always worried about something or another, always stern and expressionless; that was the way Levi went about his everyday life. And while I knew he wasn’t actually an uncaring bastard, mornings like these proved his humanity, and made me love him even more.
   I rarely woke up before Levi. He was an insomniac and usually only stayed asleep for about three hours. It was a blessing whenever he slept until after sunrise. He was also a lot more tolerant of everyone and everything when he slept for a healthy amount of time. That meant less stress for him and more sleep the next night. That cycle might continue for a couple days or maybe even a week, and I’d love to just see him well-rested and calm. But mostly, my favorite thing was waking him up when he slept in.
   Today, Erwin had planned a meeting with Premiere Zackly about funding for the Regiment, and then Hange scheduled a training session for our three respective squads. As much as I didn’t want to wake Levi, I knew I had to. I glanced outside to get a feel for the general time. The sun was already ascending into the sky and the rays danced across his skin in time with a wind-blown tree that stood outside our window. A small smile played on my lips as I brushed some stray locks of hair away from his eyes, which were still closed. My fingers wandered to the back of his head as I scratched the short hair of his undercut. He let out a soft, unconscious groan at the touch.
   Surprisingly, Levi craved physical affection, just not in public. But, when we were alone and in bed, he was usually touching me in some way. Whether it was just resting his foot against my leg, or cradling me close to his chest, there was almost always contact. While I wasn’t complaining, I quickly realized this was because of a lack of affection in his childhood. Much like with his obsessive cleaning stemming from growing up in dirt and squalor, he needed affection to make up for what he didn’t have in the Underground. And I was always happy to provide it.
   I peeled back the comforter a bit to expose Levi’s shoulders and back, marred by bruises and areas rubbed raw from his frequent use of the ODM Gear. I leaned over and pressed kisses along the strap indents. We both loved when the other would pay specific attention to these areas, and it was how Levi usually woke me up. I was just returning the favor. As I continued my affectionate assault on his purple and red skin, his breathing began to quicken, and I could tell he was waking up. 
   “Hey, baby.” I whispered into his ear and pressed a kiss to his temple. He groaned again and I felt his hand come up to stroke the small of my back. “I can’t believe you slept so long. I almost didn’t wake you, but Erwin planned that meeting at noon.” 
   Levi’s eyes opened slowly and met mine, his icy grey irises cutting me to my very core. He closed them again and tugged my body closer to him, nestling his head into the crook of my neck.
  “Damn Titan-sized bastard…” He spoke lowly, his voice sending vibrations through my chest. I giggled at the sensation and brought a hand up to rub the back of his head again. Levi sighed in contentment before he pulled away and looked me in the eye. “Did you sleep well?”
   “As well as I ever do, I guess. I can’t stop seeing last month’s expedition in my dreams, but that always seems to happen.” My voice shook as my thoughts suddenly ventured to that shit-show. It was the highest amount of casualties we’d had that year. There was a sudden fog bank, which separated my squad from the rest of the Regiment. We-
   “(Y/N).” Levi’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. His hand was resting on my cheek as I met his eyes again. He still looked stern, but there was a specific sense of concern lacing his features. “Don’t think about that right now. There was nothing you could do.”
   I let out a quick, huffing chuckle as I leaned my forehead against his. “I’ll never understand how you do that.”
   “Do what?”
   “Read my thoughts.”
   The tiniest smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. “It’s cute that you think it’s hard. You have an expressive face.” 
   I rolled my eyes at Levi’s teasing and leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips. They were usually chapped and rough, but I had been making him put on a salve before he went to bed to save his perfectly kissable lips. They were nice and soft against mine, now, as he deepened the kiss. Without breaking our connection, I flipped Levi onto his back and straddled his waist, cupping his face in my hands as my tongue broke through his slightly parted lips. He moaned softly and grasped my waist. I felt his lips quirk up in a smirk against mine and savored the moment with him, knowing I wouldn’t get to touch him like this for almost twelve hours.
   I reluctantly pulled away from our make-out session and listened to Levi’s heavy breathing. My eyes slowly opened, though I didn’t realize I had closed them in the first place. Levi’s eyes were still closed and there was a deep blush on his usually pale cheeks. I smiled, knowing I was the only one who could do that to him. I rolled off of him and laid against his side, resting my ear against his chest to listen to his thumping heartbeat.
   “Levi?” I raised my head to look him in the eye. He was still blushing.
   “Mmm?” 
   “You’re blushing. I made you blush, Captain.” I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.
   His blush deepened (if that was even possible) and he averted his eyes from my face. “Tch, shut up. I could make you blush.”
   I raised my eyebrows in faux surprise. “Could you now? I don’t blush at much, you know.” Of course he could make me blush, but I was just having fun messing with him.
   In a flash, he was straddling me and leaning down to trail his tongue along my collarbone. The sensation sent sparks to my stomach. But, instead of my face heating up, I just felt the need to laugh. 
   “Levi! You’re just tickling me!” I cackled as he continued his assault. He grunted against my skin and he suddenly switched to sucking and biting at different parts of my neck. And that did make me blush, but also sent waves of panic through me. Before he could do too much damage, I shoved him off of me and leapt off the bed, running to the bathroom.
   “(Y/N)?” I heard Levi call from the bedroom as he followed after me. “Are you alright? Did I hurt you?” 
   I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my neck. It already was becoming mottled with purple bruises. Groaning, I dropped my head against the glass. Levi put a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face him.
   “You got fucking marks on my neck, you bastard.” I leaned into him and buried my face in the crook of his neck. “I can’t hide this shit, you know that! And we have to see so many people today. You’re the worst.” I mumbled into his skin.
   His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me close. I expected an apology to grace those dastardly lips and I awaited it eagerly. 
   “I still made you blush.”
   “Oh, you fucker.” 
    I wasn’t the only one with a marks on my neck after that comment.
(Alright, that made me feel better. Idk about anyone else, but I’ve always kind of headcanonned Levi as super submissive in bed because he craves contact. This was based off some rumor that Yams had said it in an interview, and I honestly think it’s really perfect for Levi. But that’s just me!)
(This was honestly just to indulge myself, but pleas don’t worry! I have not forgotten about my requests. They are on their way!) 
(Also, please request more Levihan I love them) 
91 notes · View notes
lightwdangelo · 3 years
Text
You Take Care Of Everyone, Please Take Care Of Yourself Too
Hello people! I’m back with one more fanfiction, this time with Solangelo!
Summary: Yes, we could say Nico was starting to get worried. Not that he didn’t trust Will to take care of himself, obviously not, far from that. But...
Will is exhausted from college and work in New Rome
You can see it in ao3 too!
Walking down the streets of New Rome, with his back a little sore and feeling a knot forming in his stomach, he had just finished a project he was helping Reyna with, so he was coming back home a little earlier than planned. What would be great, he would be able to see Will after a hell of a week they both had.
Yes, we could say Nico was starting to get worried. Not that he didn’t trust Will to take care of himself, obviously not, far from that. But Will was looking like a zombie recently. The bag under his eyes was bigger than ever, he was barely talking, sleeping, or eating. This was unusual. More than unusual.
Well, Nico wasn’t that aware of the situation until he actually saw the estate his boyfriend was. This last week they barely saw each other with the thing Nico was helping Reyna with besides Will’s classes and work.
The blond boy was sitting in front of what looked like billion of books and notebooks but he wasn’t reading them. He just looked at everything, with an unmoving pen in his hand, and a cup of coffee in front of him. He didn’t seem to see Nico, even though they were in front of each other.
He looked like he had zoomed out. Shit
“Sunshine? Are you okay?” No response “Will?”
Nico walked slowly towards Will, he didn’t want to scare him, he knew how awful this was. He should’ve realized sooner that Will was close to a breakdown, that he was overworking, fuck, he was so busy, they were so busy.
“Babe?” Nico touched his cheek lightly and Will jerked away from his dream, more like a nightmare.
“Darling” He probably wanted to look excited, but his voice was a reflex of how exhausted he was “You are home early, what happened?”
“The stuff I was helping Reyna with is done and… Your coffee is cold, why you’re drinking it?”
“I really need to study these things” He gestured to all the things on the table “I have a test coming soon, and-”
“No,” Nico said with a frown on his face. He couldn’t believe he was hearing this
“No what?”
“Will, you’re literally looking like a zombie, and I’ve seen zombies!” Will just stared with that look on his face “Don’t look at me with that face ‘You’re exaggerating’ because I am not! You were literally zoomed out when I came home” His last sentence was quieter, full of worries.
“I’m fine, Nico!”
“The fuck you are”
“Nico! I really need to study, okay? I’m not having enough time to do it with the internship. There’s always something more and more and” His voice cracked a little and he sighed “I’m fine, Neeks”
He closed his eyes and his breathing was shaky. His expression was all too familiar to Nico, he was trying not to cry, not break.  Nico hugged him as tight as he could, ready to protect him from the world.
“You can cry, my love” Will started shaking in Nico's arms, he tried to talk, but he couldn’t. Nico never saw him this way. It broke his heart and he just wanted to hold him closer. “Let it all out”
After the gods know how long, Will stopped crying and stood up from his place, and smiled softly, maybe to convince himself that everything was okay. It wasn’t and that was okay.
“Thanks, darling” Nico tried to give him his best ‘wanna talk about it now or later?’ “I’ll take a shower, okay? Be right back”
Knowing Will, he would just take a shower and go back to study, and he would get overwhelmed again, so Nico did what every loving boyfriend would: He hid Will’s books. And, prepared a cup of tea. He didn’t know exactly what was passing through Will’s mind, but he knew that studying wouldn’t help
“Darling” Will said when he came back “Where are my books?”
“Is that my shirt?” Nico pointed out
“It’s actually mine, you just stole it.” He started looking around “Don’t run away from the question, where are my books?”
“I hid it; you won’t be studying anymore today”
“Are you out of your mind? Why the hell did you do that for?”
“Sunshine, you’re not in the mind to study. Seriously, you’ve been working as fuck, and you just had a breakdown. I am not letting you touch these books again until tomorrow afternoon”
He rolled his eyes but laid down on the sofa with his head in Nico’s lap while muttering something that looked like “You’re impossible”
“Stop being grumpy. I made tea, you’ll have to sit”
“But you’re so comfy,” He said, and to make his point, he hugged Nico harder. The son of Hades said nothing, just ran his hands in Will’s hair. It was wet, but it didn’t make it less good.
“What we’re going to watch?”
“I was thinking of Star Wars because it’s your favorite, what do you think?”
“I’m not in a Star Wars mood, actually?” Nico frowned because, wow, that was rare. Will always was in a Star Wars mood “I think we should watch a Disney movie”
“The Beauty and the Beast, right?” This was the one that Will always chooses. Every time. On a hand that Nico didn’t really like to rewatch movies, Will was obsessed with it. He lost his count of how many times he’d come home and catch Will watching the same movie he had just watched a week ago.
They just sat there watching the movie peacefully, Nico passing his hands lazily through Will’s hair and humming along with the songs that he already listened to a thousand times because his boyfriend was also obsessed with the soundtrack of the movie. What a dork.
“Neeks” Will said “This scene looks like us”
“Care to elaborate?” The scene he was referring to was when Belle was tending Beast’s wounds
“THAT HURTS” The beast shouted
“If you’d hold still it wouldn’t hurt as much!” Belle responded
“Well, if you hadn’t run away this wouldn’t have happened!”
“If you hadn’t frightened me I wouldn’t have run away!
“When you came to the camp, after Gaea and all that shit, you were a brat who wouldn’t let me take proper care of you. I can’t even count how many fights we had that looked kinda like this one”
Nico just kissed Will’s cheek aggressively as an answer. He was right, after all. They fought quite a lot when Nico got injured back in the old days. He had his motives.
“And I do look like the Beast a little”
“No you don’t” He sat up straight with a frown on his face
“A little bit, love” Will’s face just looked more and more confused “Look, everybody is a little scared of me; I can be grumpy sometimes…”
“Every morning, darling”
“Oh shut it” Nico smacked him lightly in the head where Will laid in his lap again “Are you hungry? Because I’m starving”
“I could do some pizza, actually. I can put it in the oven, pause the movie” He stood up and went to the kitchen
As Nico watched him, he thought about it earlier. He didn’t know exactly what had happened but he wanted to help. He hoped he could figure something out to help his love feel better.
Will’s curls were in a mess, and his T-Shirt wrinkled because of the position he was on the sofa. He looked relaxed, so different from how he had been during the week.
“I missed you,” Nico said not realizing how soft his voice had gotten
“I missed you too” Will leaned in the counter “Sorry, by the way.”
“For?” Nico stood confused and went to the counter to be face to face with Will.
“The only thing you should be sorry for is for not taking care of yourself,” Nico said after Will gestures vaguely at the table “Tesoro, you take care of everyone, please, take care of yourself too”
“I know, It’s just…” He sighed like saying this was a difficult task. It was. Nico knew how fucking hard was expressing his feelings, “Back when we were on camp I used to do it regularly. I worked until I was exhausted, and then one of my siblings would take over. But, now I’m alone. I don’t have them to cover me up and I have to take care of everything. Plus the uni things. There, I’d just be a healer twenty-four seven. Now I have to be a student, and a healer and somehow both of these things twenty-four seven”
“Sunshine,” Nico said softly because he didn’t know what else to say. He hugged Will tightly “We’re going to figure this out. You should get some breaks from the hospital to focus a little more on your finals. You said they were coming up, right? They would understand”
“But I need to be there and-“
“And you need to take care of yourself and your finals, so taking a break of something only for a while” Nico gave emphasis in the last sentence “Won’t be bad.”
“Maybe” Will sighed, “Can we not talk about this right now? It was good venting but I don’t know if I’m really good at thinking about it. Tomorrow we’ll find a solution, but right now I can’t make myself think about this without stressing”
“Ok, fair enough” Nico tiptoed and brought Will’s face down to give him a forehead kiss and they enjoyed each other warmth in the middle of their kitchen until the alarm went off telling them that their pizza was ready
“Let’s finish the movie, shall we?”
When they finished their pizzas Will laid on Nico and by the time the movie finished, they were both asleep. They would wake up tomorrow with their backs sore, but they couldn’t care. In each other’s warmth, they knew everything would be okay.
16 notes · View notes
fanmoose12 · 4 years
Text
a little fic i’ve written based on this. Enjoy!
��Erwin!” Mike burst into his office, looking unusually pleased. “You would never guess what I just witnessed!”
“Hange and Levi making out in a corridor?” Erwin replied without raising his head from the paperwork.
Mike’s jaw dropped. How did he—? Could Erwin read minds now too? “How did you guess?” Mike dejectedly asked.
As he finally looked up, Erwin wore a smug grin on his usually serious face. “I’ve seen them too. Several times actually.”
“Huh? And you didn’t think to tell me? I thought we were friends, Erwin!”
Erwin shrugged. “I thought you knew. With your nose, I was sure you couldn’t miss this new development.”
Mike made a face. “You know I try not to smell Hange. Remember that time when I sniffed her hair and got an allergy for a whole week?” Mike shuddered at the memory, but then a huge grin appeared on his face. “Hey, do you think they’re trying to be secretive about this?”
“I’m sure of it. Have you noticed that Levi stopped sitting next to Hange during meetings?”
“And they don’t eat together anymore.” Mike nodded. “I thought they were fighting or something… But they are just trying to hide their relationship? Should we tell them we found out?”
Erwin didn’t answer for a long moment, staring into distance and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Hey Mike,” he finally called. “Want to start a bet?”
Mike shook his head. “You and your obsession with gambling.”
“Do you accept or not?”
“Who are you taking me for? Of course, I accept! What are we betting on?”
“On how long Levi and Hange will continue to keep their relationship in secret.”
“Two weeks.” Mike stated undoubtedly. “Two weeks and the whole Survey Corps will know that they’re fucking.”
“Aha,” Erwin smiled enigmatically. “But the bet isn’t about that. It’s not about when everyone else will find out. It’s about when Hange and Levi will realize that everyone knows.”
“In that case…” Mike trailed off, thinking. “In that case, two months.”
Erwin hummed. “I’d say it will take them a year. At the very least.”
“The one who loses buys the best booze from MPs?”
Erwin smirked, shaking Mike’s hand. “Deal.”
***
To his shame, when Moblit saw them for the first time, he had completely misinterpreted the situation. He saw Captain Levi bent over Squad Leader Hange, and only one thought came to his mind: Captain Levi finally snapped. She managed to push him to the edge. And now Captain was trying to kill Hange-san with his bare hands.
In his defense, the lab was as dimly lit as always, with only a few candles illuminating the large room. Besides, all Moblit could see was Captain’s wide back. And the quiet groans coming from Squad Leader Hange only further proved Moblit’s guess.
He almost made a move, almost took a step closer, determined to at least try to save his beloved superior. Sure, Captain Levi was abnormally strong, and Moblit honestly didn’t have a chance in a fight against him, but he couldn’t just abandon his Squad Leader, right?
Moblit had already raised his leg, when he heard it, loud and clear.
“Oh, Levi, y-yes, exactly there…”
Moblit froze in place, with his leg still raised in the air. His cheeks reddened instantly, and he closed his eyes, trying to drawn out all the noises. Now everything was beginning to make sense.
Captain Levi wasn’t trying to kill his Squad Leader, oh no, he was trying… he was doing… Moblit closed his eyes tighter, trying not to think about what exactly his two superiors were doing right now. Instead he focused on planning what should he do next.
Obviously he had to leave, and leave quickly. As much as he cherished and respected his Squad Leader, he had no desire to know anything about her personal life. With Captain Levi, of all people. But Moblit also had to be extra careful. One wrong move, and they would hear him. Captain Levi would hear him.
Yeah, Moblit definitely wasn’t looking forward to that.
He slowly and very, very carefully took a step back. And then another one. And another one, until his back had hit the door. His hand tentatively touched the handle and turned it, mindful to make as little sound as possible. A second later, and the door was opened, and Moblit was almost saved.
Although, as it turned out he didn’t have to worry so much. Captain Levi and Squad Leader Hange seemed too focused on whatever they were doing to notice him.
As he finally exited the lab, Moblit breathed the sigh of relief. He needed to get drunk right fucking now. He had to get this image out of his mind.
If only he had known then that it was the first but definitely not his last time seeing Captain and his Squad Leader together.
***
Petra always admired her Captain. From the moment she had set her eyes on his not so tall, but definitely proud figure, her heart was filled with immense loyalty and adoration for this man. He wasn’t only strong and fearless, but he was kind and considerate too. Maybe, he didn’t show it, but Captain cared about other people and his fellow soldiers. And sometimes, Petra felt like Captain was paying extra attention to her, like he was especially kind and caring with her. It was probably wishful thinking, but Petra liked to think that she was special for Captain. Not just another one of his subordinates, not just another member of Survey Corps, but someone who he could talk with and open up to. Someone he trusted and someone he cared about.
That’s why Petra didn’t like the rumors about her Captain and Squad Leader Hange. Of course, as so many others she also noticed that something was going on between them. There was something weird in their interactions. Something unspoken, but almost palpable. And as hard as she tried to ignore it, Petra couldn’t deny that Captain Levi was different around Squad Leader Hange. He was less guarded, more open. As Petra watched him during one of his many banters with Squad Leader, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Captain’s eyes were almost shining as he gazed at the bespectacled scientist.
But still, Petra was just a girl. Even if she was a strong soldier and one of the most prominent fighters in the whole Survey Corps, deep inside her still lived a gentle soul, filled with hope and desire for love. And so she hoped against all odds that one day Captain would finally see her and realize his feelings for her.
Petra was slowly making her way through the dark corridors of Survey Corps’ headquarters. It was almost midnight, and most soldiers had already retrieved to their beds, but Petra knew that one person was still awake. Captain Levi’s insomnia was a known fact amongst the scouts, as almost everyone at least once saw him up at night, working in his office or drinking tea in the mass hall.
And so Petra decided to surprise Captain with a cup of tea. She bought it specifically for him during her last trip to town, and Petra hoped that its exquisite taste would lift Captain’s spirits. Maybe, he would even grace her with that rare, but pretty smile of his.
Petra speeded up, eager to get to Captain’s room. She smiled as she turned the corner and saw that the light was still coming from his room. Petra took a deep breath, gripping the tray with tea tighter in her hands.
She was almost by Captain’s door, when she heard a voice coming out of it.
“Levi, c’mon!” Petra immediately recognized Squad Leader Hange’s deep voice. The corners of her mouth slid down. What was she doing so late at night? And in Captain’s room?  “You can’t just ignore me, I’ve finished my work earlier, so we could spend more time together!”
“I’m busy.”
“Leeeevi!” Hange whined. “Are you still angry with me?”
Huh? Did Captain and Squad Leader Hange have a fight? Curious, Petra took a step closer. There was a small crack in the door, and through it she could see what was going on inside the room. Captain was at his desk, probably writing a report, while Hange leaned on his chair.
“You threw me out.” Captain replied. It was obvious that he tried to make his voice sound neutral, but Petra could hear that his words were tainted with anger.
“I was in a middle of an important experiment!” Hange threw her hands in the air. “I couldn’t let you distract me!”
“You. Threw. Me. Out.” Captain repeated, turning his head to glare at Squad Leader.
“But Levi! I came here today, didn’t I? And I apologized!”
“You didn’t.”
“Well, I’m apologizing now.”
Squad Leader moved from her place and only Petra’s quick reflexes saved her from gasping out loud. Because Squad Leader Hange got to her feet and then sat down. Right at Captain Levi’s lap. With wide, shocked eyes Petra watched how she casually circled her hands around his neck.
“I’m really, really sorry for throwing you out, my dear, beloved Levi.” Hange punctuated her words with a kiss. “Is your heart kind enough to forgive me?”
“You’re so full of shit.” Captain replied gruffly, his hands coming to wrap themselves around Squad Leader’s back. “Fine, I can finish this work tomorrow.”
“Yay!” Hange exclaimed, leaning in to give Levi another kiss. She yelped in surprise, when Levi got up, still holding her in his hands. Her legs circled Levi’s waist, and Petra closed her eyes, taking a swift step back.
She had seen more than enough.
She turned around, making her way back to her room. As she walked through the dark corridors, Petra realized that she didn’t feel as sad as she probably should be. Seeing Captain and Squad Leader made her realize that she wasn’t in love with Captain Levi himself, but with an idea of him. She dreamed about someone who would be strong enough to protect her, but wasn’t Petra already strong? Maybe, she didn’t need someone to protect her, maybe, all she needed was someone, who would be holding her hand and fighting alongside her, not hiding her behind their back.
Besides, it seemed like Captain Levi and Squad Leader Hange really made each other happy, and Petra was happy for them. In their world, cruel and dangerous as it was, it was vital to cherish every moment with your loved ones.
And Petra was happy that Captain Levi managed to find a person like that. Someone, who cared about him and listened to him. Someone who was always there for him.
In the end, she was really happy that Captain fell in love with someone. Even if it wasn’t with her.
***
When he first joined Survey Corps, Jean preferred to ignore all the rumors about Captain Levi and Squad Leader Hange. Of course, it was funny to gossip about them during breakfasts, but Jean didn’t dare to joke about it in the presence of Captain Levi. Besides, it was hard to imagine Captain and Squad Leader together.
When he was still just a recruit and before he got to know Captain and Squad Leader Hange, Jean couldn’t understand the roots of those rumors. Both Captain and Hange-san seemed completely foreign to the concept of love and affection. Captain was always so serious, and his hard eyes always made Jean shudder. And Squad Leader Hange seemed too invested in her work and research to notice anyone who was shorter than four meter.
But as the time went by and Jean survived one disaster after another alongside two veterans, he started to realize that he was wrong. Captain Levi, as scary as he appeared, was actually a very kind man. Sure, he frequently kicked Jean’s ass and made him work harder that Jean ever thought he was capable to, but he did it, because he cared, because he wanted Jean to become stronger, because he wanted to do everything in his power to ensure his survival.
And Hange-san was the biggest weirdo Jean had ever seen, there was no denying it. However, she wasn’t crazy or heartless as some soldiers claimed. She was actually kind of nice, and sometimes she even reminded Jean of his mother. Not that she was as annoyingly over-bearing as Jean’s mom, but her gentle smile and kind eyes frequently made Jean think of his family and home.
When she quietly asked him if he was tired, or when she brought tea for him, or when she ordered him to take a day-off, noticing the dark circles that started to appear under his eyes, Jean couldn’t help the wave of fondness and affection that settled over him as he gazed in Commander Hange’s eyes.
And, of course, as he got to know Commander Hange and Captain Levi, Jean couldn’t ignore the signs of their undeniably strong bond. He noticed the shared jokes and gentle teasing, the small, but fond glances and the not so discreet touching of each other’s hands. There was no denying that Captain and Commander cared for each other more deeply than they showed.
And really, Jean would have been very happy if it all stayed that way. If everything he knew about his superiors’ relationship ended with them holding hands beneath the table. But, unfortunately, life wasn’t as kind to Jean as he had hoped.
When he saw them for the first time during his training in a forest, Jean was terrified. He saw Captain Levi pressing Commander Hange against one of the trees, holding her tightly and kissing her passionately, and not a single joke or jab appeared in his mind. He felt nothing but panic.
One wrong move, and Jean was sure that Captain would see him. Sure, Commander Hange would probably just laugh it all off, but Jean wasn’t too keen on spending his entire week, cleaning the dirtiest toilets in the Survey Corps’ headquarters.
One time was more than enough.
So he slowly backed up, trying to make as little noise as possible. He knew he couldn’t use his ODM-gear, afraid that it would be too loud in the quiet forest. So Jean carefully climbed down from a tree and headed back to the barracks, trying to put this incident out of his mind.
And maybe, he would have forgotten about this, but once he saw Commander Hange and Captain once, he couldn’t stop catching them in the most unexpected places. He’d go to a library to find himself a book, and Commander would be there with Captain Levi sprawled beneath her. He’d decide to clean his horse, and in the stables he would happen upon his two superiors, passionately making out on a stack of hay. He’d go to the town to visit his mother, and on his way back to the headquarters he would see Captain and Commander, dressed in their civilian attire and kissing on the bench in the park.
This was honestly getting ridiculous, and what baffled Jean the most was the fact that Captain Levi and their highly intelligent and observant Commander were confident that their relationship was a complete secret to the others. They acted surprised and embarrassed when someone walked up on them, and their ridiculous excuses became a running joke amongst Jean’s friends from 104th.
Jean honestly had half a mind to tell them the truth. To tell them that they didn’t fool anyone, and that they didn’t need to fool anyone. Not a single soul in the Survey Corps gave a fuck about their relationship, they were actually happy for them. Jean and his squad were especially happy for them. Sometimes they even joked about Commander and Captain being the mom and dad of Survey Corps, as they so often acted like their parents.
But in the end, it wasn’t any of Jean’s business. If they wanted to keep it a secret, they surely had a valid reason for that. Or maybe, they didn’t, and both Captain and Commander Hange just weren’t comfortable in sharing the details of their personal lives. Whatever the case, they were adults and Jean’s superiors, so he could do nothing, but respect and tolerate their relationship.
Jean cursed, as he walked up to Commander Hange’s office and saw Connie leaning on the wall next to the door.
“I take it Captain Levi is already inside?”
Connie’s cheeks flamed and he made an expression that was half-horrified, half-disgusted. “For fuck’s sake, Jean!” he whispered with wide eyes. “You can’t just say things like that!”
As he understood what Connie had implied, Jean’s face reddened as well. “I didn’t mean it like that!” he said, trying and failing to keep his voice devoid of embarrassment. “I meant to ask if Captain is inside Commander’s office, and not inside… ins—” he paused, spluttering and blushing a deeper shade of red.
Connie burst out laughing. “Man, you should have seen your face!” he patted Jean’s shoulder. “It was hilarious! Oh, Sasha should have been here to see it!”
“Shut up!” Jean hissed, turning his face away. It was still as red as a tomato. “It was you have misunderstood me in the first place!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Connie smirked. “We all know that you’re a pervert, Jean, don’t try to deny it.”
“Whatever.” Jean muttered, still avoiding Connie’s eyes and gripping the papers in his hands tighter. “Anyway, how long have you been standing there?”
Connie shrugged. “Almost half an hour. So get in line, Mikasa’s also waiting, she needs to talk with Captain Levi.”
“I just need Hange-san to sign some papers for me.”
“And I need to get a provision list from her, so like I said. Get in line.”
Jean sighed, leaning on the wall next to Connie. They stood in silence for some time, before the peace was interrupted by a long and loud moan. Both Jean and Connie winced.
“I hope they’ll finish soon,” Jean mumbled, running a hand through his hair.
“Well, it’s a little impressive, don’t you think?” Connie nudged him in the side. “Not that Captain or Commander are old, but, well, they’re not young, right? And here we are waiting for them to finish for almost an hour.”
“Connie.” Jean pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice strained. “I’m begging you – shut the fuck up.”
“I’m just saying,” Connie raised his hands in a placating gesture. “They have great stamina.”
Jean groaned. “Please, can we stop talking about sex between Captain and Hange-san? I really don’t want to think about it.”
Connie opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted when the door to Commander’s office opened, and Captain Levi walked out.
His cheeks were the faintest shade of red, and his expression was unusually relaxed. There was even a hint of a smile on his lips. “Jean, Connie.” He nodded to them.
“Captain!” Connie saluted, while Jean poked his head inside Hange-san’s room. She was sitting at her table, her hair even messier than usual. There was a wide grin on her face and she was quietly humming while shifting through papers on her desk.
And suddenly, Jean felt a surge of bravery run through him. He looked down on Captain Levi, his lips curving into a smirk. “Captain, did you and Commander have another one of your strategic meetings?”
“Of course,” Levi grumbled, raising the collar of his shirt higher. Jean exchanged a look with Connie, as both of them saw a small hickey on Captain’s neck. “If you have any business with Commander, do it quickly. She had a long day and she needs to rest.”
“Strategic meetings are so tiring?” Jean barely held in a laugh, as he saw that Captain’s cheeks became red again. He muttered something intelligible before swiftly walking away.
Jean and Connie waited for him to disappear behind the corner before bursting out laughing.
“Man, how haven’t they noticed that everyone knows about them?” Connie asked between his laughs.
“Noticed what?”
Both Jean and Connie whirled around, their eyes widening and face paling.
“H-hange-san?” Jean asked shakily.
“C’mon, guys!” Hange smiled brilliantly at them. “Tell me what was so funny! You know I like a good laugh!”
“Ehh,” Connie scratched the back of his neck, desperately trying to avoid Commander’s gaze. “Sasha and Niccolo, that Marleyan guy, well, they, um, confessed to each other!”
To Jean’s knowledge, they didn’t. He wasn’t sure if Sasha even knew about Niccolo’s feelings, but it wasn’t a bad excuse. Maybe, Hange-san would even believe them.
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Hange clasped her hands in delight. “I’m very happy for them. In our world, it’s important to find someone to love.” She extended her hands and ruffled Jean and Connie’s hair. “You should find yourself someone, too, boys.”
“Have you found yourself someone like that, Hange-san?” Jean asked, eyeing her carefully.
“Of course,” She agreed instantly, smiling gently. “I have you two, Sasha, Mikasa, Eren and Armin.”
“And Captain Levi?”
“And, of course, Levi,” a pretty blush appeared on Hange’s cheeks. “Where I would be without him?” She shook her head, straightening her shoulders. “Anyways, do you need something from me?”
“It can wait.” Jean waved his hand. “Take some rest, Commander. It looks like you need it.”
Hange chuckled, running a hand through her hair. “Then I guess I’ll retire for today. But if you need me, don’t hesitate to come and get me.”
“Of course, Commander.” Connie saluted. “Have a nice evening.”
She looked at Jean and Connie fondly, patting their shoulders. “Thank you, boys. You should rest as well. Gather all your friends and visit town or something. Have some fun. You deserve it.”
Connie and Jean nodded with a smile, and Hange bid them farewell, closing the door to her office and heading towards her room.
When Hange reached the end of a corridor, she was joined by Captain Levi. He looked around, checking if anyone was around, and then wrapped his hands around her shoulders. Commander Hange leaned on him and together they walked away.
Jean sighed, as he watched that scene. Suddenly, he remembered dark eyes and beautiful black hair. He remembered a soft, rare smile that was never directed on him. Jean ran a hand through his hair. Who would have ever thought that he would be envious of his two superiors?
“C’mon,” Connie tugged at his coat. “Commander Hange gave us a permission to go to town. Let’s use it to get drunk at the tavern.” Connie smirked, hugging Jean’s shoulder. “Maybe we’ll find our special people there.”
And while, Jean was very doubtful that it would be true, that his heart would be able to love anyone, except her, he still let Connie drag him out to the bar. And, maybe, his friend was right, maybe, Jean would also meet someone who would love him. Who would make him just as happy as Commander Hange and Captain Levi made each other.
150 notes · View notes
adenei · 3 years
Text
Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride - Chapter 5
AO3 || FFN
Ron
Ginny: Chelsea Cake Shop. 14:30.
Me: Wow, thanks for the short notice. Not like I had other plans or anything.
Ginny: Oh, shut it. I know you covered your weekly wedding last night.
Me: So I can’t have a personal life, then?
Ginny: LOL don’t make me laugh.
Ginny: One more thing...you know how you use a pen name for your professional career? 
Me: ...and you use one in your personal life sometimes so people don’t know you’re a famous female football star?
Ginny: Yeah…
I did not like where this was headed so I pressed the call button and put the phone to my ear.
“Please don’t!” she answered.
“Ginny, do not tell me that your fiancée only knows you as Jenny.”
“What was I supposed to do? My maid of honor, the one who introduced us, only knows me as Jenny. I couldn’t just drop a bomb like that in front of them both! I care about her friendship too much!”
“Obviously not enough if you’ve been lying about your identity for five years. Are you really that distrusting of people?”
“No! It’s not that. It’s just— Look, my schedule has had me all over the place with training and games that this is the first off season we’ve spent a lot of time together. I know she’s my neighbor, but with our schedules we were lucky to meet up once a month when I was in town. It was just easier, and she became too good of a friend, and a constant in my London life that I didn’t want to jeopardize that.”
“And now you’ve got a maid of honor and a fiancée who think you’re Jenny Warrington and not Ginny Weasley. That’s great Gin, really great.”
“Can you please just cover for me today? If the press finds out that Ginny Weasley’s getting married, it’s going to be a shit storm. I have to keep the cover.”
“I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”
“Thanks, Ron.” She sounded relieved, but I was still on edge.
“Just be careful. There’s a lot of people who might get hurt from this web of lies you’ve created, including yourself. So don’t fuck it up anymore, alright?”
Ginny was rarely ever quiet, but she didn’t respond to me right away. That’s how I knew I’d gotten through to her. At least that’s what I hoped.
“I know,” she finally said. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“See you,” I said as I hung up the phone.
~o~
I walked into the bustling cake shop and reminded myself that this was business. It was not a family visit, and the two people Ginny said she was going to be with did not know that I was her brother. They’d have to be really dull to not realize it when they saw the two of us next to each other, though. The only major difference was our eye color and height.
As I looked around in search of my sister, I noticed another familiar face. What in the bloody hell was Hermione doing here? Maybe she was with her newly engaged friend, but of all the bakeries in London, what were the odds they’d also choose this one? I forgot to keep looking for my sister as I stopped to watch her conversing with the baker. It seemed like she knew him rather well, which made me wonder if other brides also used this place for their wedding cakes on her recommendation.
I finally saw Ginny come into view from behind a table with several five tier cake displays on it. She was holding hands with a relatively scrawny man with messy black hair and glasses. He didn’t look like her normal type, so I guess that could be a good thing.
As Ginny made her way over to Hermione, I felt my eyes widen a bit. No fucking way. Maybe she thinks Hermione works there. Yeah! That was it! Except that it wasn’t; Ginny looked up and saw me standing there and waved me over. Fuck.
“Oh good, you’re here!” I heard her call.
I watched as Hermione turned around to see who she was talking to. She froze and her face became pale. Ginny’s fiancée seemed to have gotten a phone call, and he dismissed himself briefly.
“Hermione, there’s someone I’d like you to meet!” I heard Ginny tell her as she grabbed Hermione’s arm and pulled her over to me. “This is Billy Weston! I spoke to him yesterday about covering our wedding, and he agreed! I was honestly surprised he had the opening in three weeks!”
“Three weeks?” I said as my eyes widened. 
She shot me a death glare, and I knew it was a warning to not blow her cover. In my defense, she left that part out in this morning’s conversation. So that was on her.
“Yes, three weeks. Remember? I told you that on the phone when we arranged for you to meet us here today.” She bulged her eyes out at me in much the same way she did when Mum pissed her off.
“Oh, right. How could I have forgotten. My apologies, Miss Warrington,” I said in my most polite business voice.
I flashed a grin at them as my eyes settled on Hermione. Her expression was a mixture of confusion and anger. This probably wasn’t good.
“Anyways,” Ginny forged on with the conversation, “this is Hermione. She’s my maid of honor, and a wedding connoisseur. She absolutely loves your column! A lot of my own ideas and inspiration have come from the articles she’s clipped and saved from your writing.”
 There was sparkle in my sister’s eyes as she basically told me Hermione was obsessed with my alter ego. I couldn’t help but smile even wider at Hermione, who was shaking her head vigorously at Ginny. This was going to be fun.
“Well, it’s always nice to meet a fan. I’m flattered,” I said as I held out my hand.
She looked down at my hand in disgust before her eyes shot back up and matched my own. “You can’t be Billy Weston. He’s so imaginative and romantic and well spoken, and you’re so—”
“So what? Please, I’m on the edge of my seat here,” I chided. I couldn’t help that it was so easy to get her going.
“So cynical and negative and—and that’s not even your name! Unless you lied to me when you introduced yourself as Ron,” Hermione said with a huff.
“I am Ron Weasley. Billy Weston’s just my pen name. Can’t have all the crazy column lovers like you be looking me up and stalking me, now can I?”
“Wait, you two know each other?” Ginny said, slightly alarmed.
“Barely,” Hermione answered before I could explain. “We only met at a wedding a couple of weeks ago,” she explained to Ginny. “Can I speak to you in private for a moment?” she rounded on me through gritted teeth.
Oh, here we go, I thought, as I followed her back out the door. I gave Ginny a sympathetic shrug on my way out. The door had barely closed behind us when Hermione let loose.
“You lied to me!”
“No, I didn’t,” I responded simply.
“Yes, you did! You lied about who you were at the wedding—”
“No, I didn’t. I introduced myself using my given name. I am Ron Weasley, and I am a writer. You never asked what I write about, so I never told you.”
Who the hell does she think she is? Telling me that I’m the one who lied! I felt my ears growing hot as I was trying to control the anger. I knew it wouldn’t be good for either of us if I lost my temper. All the progress I’d made the other night at the bar was already in jeopardy. I needed to focus on the story.
When I looked back at her following my retort, I knew I’d gotten through to her because it took her a moment to regain her thoughts and respond. Ha! One point for Weasley.
“So, which is the real you, then? Are you secretly a romantic on the inside and you just pretend to be a love-hating pain in the arse? Or do you really just hate weddings that much and are ironically stuck writing them?”
That was a loaded question, and one I was not about to answer truthfully outside of a bakery. “What does it matter? I was hired to write commitments, and if I get paid, then of course I’m going to do it. Not everyone has to love their job.”
She let out a groan of frustration. “Do you even know how to give a straight answer? Or is that part of your journalism training, too?”
“Guess you’ll have to continue getting to know me to find out. Now, technically I’m here to interview Jenny, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back inside.” 
I could see my sister watching us through the glass with that dark haired guy staring awkwardly. Oh, right, that’s Hermione’s boss, too. For a city with over seven million people, this was turning out to be a small, small world.
Hermione
I thought weekends were supposed to be fun and relaxing. This one was anything but that. The cake tasting appointment was a disaster. Not for Jenny and Harry! No, for me. I finally got to meet my wedding columnist idol, and he was the one man I loathed more than anything in the world.
Maybe not quite loathe, but very close. After all, we did have a good time the other night. But he lied to me! He had every opportunity to tell me who he really was, but he didn’t. And then Jenny had to go and blab my secret that I loved his articles! Worst day ever. 
I put the last plate back in the cupboard when there was a knock on my door. It was probably Jenny. Not bothering to look through the peephole I opened the door. It wasn’t. No, it was the last person I had any desire to see. Seriously? What the hell was he doing here?
“Go away,” I said as I tried to shut the door in Ron’s face. 
“Come on, you’re not even going to ask what I’m doing here?” he asked.
“No. I know what you’re doing here. You’ve come to lie again,” I retorted.
“For the last time, I didn’t lie. Come on, Hermione, I just have a few questions to ask about the bride and groom, that’s all.”
“And you could have easily done that earlier today,” I told him. 
“Last I checked, you took off before I even had the chance. And since the wedding’s in three weeks, we’ve got a lot to cover in a short amount of time.”
I had to admit, Ron was really clever when it came to persuasion. Not that I was surprised; he was a journalist, after all. Knowing he wasn’t going to leave me alone, I opened the door a bit wider to let him in. I made sure to shoot an eye roll in his direction to let him know I wasn’t pleased.
“Thanks! I can see that ‘saying no’ thing is really going well for you,” he said with a smirk. 
Damn him and that lopsided grin. I walked around to the sofa and sat down and he followed, sitting on the opposite side. It wasn’t in my nature to be inhospitable. Even if I didn’t like the guest.
“I’ll have you know I almost said no to being Jenny’s maid of honor until she gave me this bangle,” I said, holding up my wrist for him to see.
Ron held a voice recorder up to his mouth and clicked it. “Maid of honor folds easily when bribed,” he said.
I quickly grabbed it from his hand. “No, the maid of honor actually thought the gesture was really sweet and genuine. Of course she was going to say yes to one of her best friends!”
Ron snorted and I gave him a disgusted look. “Just ask your questions, will you?”
“How did the bride and groom meet?”
I sighed. Because of my stupidity, I thought resentfully. “Do you remember the night you brought me my Filofax at the club? I invited Jenny to join me and they saw each other from across the room. It looked like one of those ‘love at first sight’ meetings that you see in movies.”
“Huh. The hopeless romantic painting a perfect picture. What would you call our meeting, then? Wasn’t that some sort of noble act on my part to help the damsel in distress?”
Ron was looking at me in what appeared to be complete seriousness. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not as I felt my jaw drop. After a few moments of awkward silence I burst out into laughter. 
“You can’t be serious! Sure, it was chivalrous. You almost had me, too, until you started sputtering your wedding hate nonsense in the taxi. I would hardly call you being the first one I saw when I woke up and helping me home ‘love at first sight.’” 
He laughed along with me. “That was harsh. I did manage to get a date out of it, though.”
“It was a moment of weakness,” I said defensively.
I watched Ron look away as he shook his head at my strong headed nature. I felt my heart tug against my chest as I noticed how attractive his smile was in profile. No...there was no way I was going to let myself feel anything but annoyance and dislike toward him.
“So, what else do you want to know?” I asked. 
He looked back up at me, and I could see the thoughts whirring in his mind through his eyes. Before he asked me anything I saw him freeze as he looked over my shoulder. I had a feeling I knew exactly what he was looking at.
“What is that?” he asked, and was out of his seat before I could respond.
“Nothing!” I said as I leapt up to try and beat him to the closet.
I was barely able to slip between him and the half open doors. It was a constant battle to keep them shut because it was overflowing. As I tried to push my weight against them, Ron leaned in and put his arm against one of the doors, wedging it open against my back. I knew it was a lost cause to even try and hide it, especially after he caught me in two weddings a few weeks ago, so I slid out of the way and let him see the closet’s contents.
“Holy shit,’ he said with a breathy laugh. “You kept them all? How many are in here anyway?”
“That doesn’t matter!” I said defensively.
“What is with brides? This whole mentality that they have to make their bridesmaids wear dresses that are the ugliest thing ever so that they look good? Aren’t they supposed to pick their friends? I don’t get it,” Ron said, shaking his head.
“That’s not what it’s about at all! Every wedding has some sort of theme, and every bride has some sort of vision that they want the dresses to match. It’s different for everyone! And they’re not all bad! Some of them are really elegant.”
It wasn’t a lie. There were some I enjoyed wearing. Others deserved to be burned, but Ron didn’t need to know that. 
“I dare you to show me one that’s not bad,” he challenged.
I laughed in his face. “One? Please, that’s easy!”
I shooed him away as I turned to the closet and dug my way through the tulle and satin, finally deciding which one would eat his words.
“Ha! See? This one was really nice!” I held the hanger with the dress up against my body as he cocked an eyebrow in my direction.
“I don’t know...I think I’d need to see it on,” he said contemplatively.
We stood there staring at each other for a moment, until I finally relented. I wanted to prove him wrong, and if this was the only way to do it, then so be it. 
“Fine. I’ll be right back.”
I marched into my room with the dress and shut the door. What was I doing? A man was over at my flat who I didn’t know very well, and now I was trying on a bridesmaid dress to prove a point? Ron Weasley was so infuriating, yet when I stopped to really think about it, I was kind of enjoying his company. Arguing just seemed to be our thing. 
I zipped up the dress against my back and turned to look in the mirror that was mounted on the back of my bedroom door. It was a strapless black bodice, and the skirt was made of multicolored tulle that splayed out like lightweight feathers. The colors were a mix of pastel pinks and soft blue-greens that cascaded to the floor. A large black bow connected the black top with the skirt. 
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and walked back out into my living area, where I saw Ron still investigating the closet full of dresses. 
“Well?” I asked.
He turned around to look at me as I posed with my arms out in a question. Before I realized what he was doing, he held up a digital camera and snapped a picture of me in the dress. I didn’t even know he had a camera.
“Hey!” I said in protest.
Before I could ask why he’d taken the picture, he said, “You think that’s not bad? Hermione, you look like a peacock!” He began sniggering as he motioned for me to turn around in the dress.
“Well, I think the colors complement each other well,” I said.
“Come on, Hermione, really? Would you ever wear that dress again?” He gave me a knowing look.
My intention was to dig my heels in and insist that I’d already worn it multiple times. But one look into his eyes and I couldn’t lie, so I faltered. “I—I’d wear it if it were shorter. It might be cute for a cocktail party, or maybe a club night,” I said as I shrugged.
“See? You know I’m right,” he teased. At least, I thought he was teasing.
“Well, this is definitely not the worst one,” I told him. 
If he wanted a show, I’d give him a show! I turned back toward the closet and grabbed the most hideous dress I could remember, and marched right back to my room to change. “You’d better prepare yourself for this one!” I called.
“I can hardly wait!” he responded.
The dress I chose was a two tone mermaid style that opened up to the knees in the front. The underside was the same yellow-green chiffon as the bust that connected to a halter strap. There was a ruffle of fabric down the bodice to the center of the skirt, which was a bright ocean blue, with sequins that outlined mermaid scales. When I walked out of the room, I was pretty sure Ron’s jaw hit the floor, and not in a good way.
“What did you do to piss off that bride?” was all he managed to say.
“It was a destination wedding! In the Mediterranean, on the beach.”
“Was it a themed wedding?” Ron asked seriously as he took another picture.
“No!” I laughed. “You want a themed bridesmaid dress? I have plenty! Holiday themes have been popular.”
“What? No way. You’re not serious,” Ron said, shaking his head.
“Oh, but I am,” I said as I began pulling out all the holiday themed dresses and carried them into my room.
First, I showed him the Halloween themed dress. It was a bright pumpkin orange with a black spider web overlay, followed by a kelly green dress with matching shoes for St. Patrick’s Day. “The bride was from the States and the groom from Ireland,” I explained when Ron gave me a questioning look.
There was a Christmas themed wedding I’d taken part in a couple years ago where the dresses were made of cotton with a Christmas plaid pattern. The last I had was a fourth of July themed dress that I walked out in last. The upper half was royal blue and the skirt were alternating red and white vertical stripes.
“I’m sorry, are we in the United States or England?” Ron asked as he looked around at his surroundings.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “It was a last minute cancellation of a bridesmaid for a friend’s cousin. I flew to Tennessee for the weekend and took part in the most—” I had a hard time remembering the word, but suddenly it came to me, “redneck style wedding.”
“Redneck? Do I even want to know?”
“Their words, not mine! It’s used to describe rural Americans, I think. I’m not really sure. They were a different type of people, let me tell you. If you could have seen the wedding guests!” I did my best to give him the best possible depiction of that particular wedding, but I think I only succeeded in confusing him more.
“So, which holiday wedding was your favorite?” he asked as I walked over to the kitchen to grab some glasses and a bottle of wine. Alcohol was necessary if we were going to go through that entire closet.
“Well the St. Paddy’s Day wedding was quite the good time, as you can imagine. The Halloween wedding was, too, for that matter. Christmas was hard because I didn’t get to see my family, and if I can avoid going back to the States for a wedding, I’d be perfectly fine with that.”
“Well, they’re all certainly special. Though, I’m surprised...no Valentine’s Day wedding? Of all the ones you’ve been a part of?”
He was right! I’d totally forgotten about that one. I stood up quickly from my spot on the sofa and ran to the closet. “Thanks for reminding me. This one’s a real gem.”
I walked back out minutes later in a bright fire engine red dress with a plunging neckline that revealed more than I was comfortable with. As if that wasn’t enough, there was a slit in the front of the long evening gown that came up to mid thigh. I looked briefly in the mirror to make sure everything was covered as appropriately as possible, and ran a hand through my hair before making my entrance
“Bloody hell,” Ron said. “That was for a Valentine’s Day wedding? Did the bride want you all to get laid after?”
“I think that was her original plan, yes,” I agreed as I felt my cheeks grow hot under his gaze.
I was a bit uncomfortable at the way he was looking at me, but there was a tiny part of me that felt empowered by the way his eyes widened at the sight of me in this dress. Like I was attractive and desirable. Before his eyes could linger too long, I grabbed another set of dresses and disappeared back into my room.
“I call this next set: the pink parade!” I said through the door, before making my appearance in the first frou-frou  dress.
“Holy ruffles!” he commented.
I didn’t blame his lack of words about the pinkish-coral strapless gown with a beaded bodice. The overly ruffled tulle skirt mimicked that of the mermaid dress with the raised skirt in the front, sans the two tone colors. The second pink dress was two tone, with zebra stripes on the bust and the underside of the skirt. 
“Well, that one did have potential. The animal print really ruins it,” Ron said with a laugh.
I wasn’t sure if it was the wine or just my ability to somehow let loose around him, but I found myself making claw motions with my hands and pretending to ‘rawr’ in a sexy way. Yeah, I needed to stop that before I did something later that I might regret. The next pink dress looked like it was straight out of a mashup between the eighties and the movie, ‘Cinderella.’ it was long sleeved with extra poofy shoulders, and the ugliest bodice style I’d ever seen. Oversized bows donned the skirt, which looked like it needed layers upon layers of crinoline to fill it out.
“Where’s the hoop?” Ron asked when I came out in it.
“Of all there is to comment on this dress as is, and you ask me where the hoop is?” I responded curiously.
“Do you really want my other opinions on this one?”
“Nope,” I said, turning around before he could change his mind.
The last pink dress was a blush one shoulder style that would have been rather becoming if it weren’t for the skirt that looked like giant rose petals.
“You look like a cupcake,” Ron said, which made me burst out laughing.
“I thought the same thing, actually. Next up, more two tone dresses.”
“There’s more than two?” Ron asked incredulously.
I showed him the ballroom style hot pink satin outer shell with endless layers of neon yellow crinoline underneath, the orange and camouflage hunting combo with the cowboy boots, and two dual color chiffon dresses. One was a light and dark purple combo with zig zag stripes over the bodice, and the other was coral and seafoam green with a more subtle pattern. The latter needed the subtlety considering the colors clashed enough on their own.
My closet was still a third of the way full after all those dresses, but we both seemed to be having a good time, so I kept the fashion show going. There was the white lace dress, where all the bridesmaids wore white, and the bride wore color, the neon yellow-green rocker dress with the see-through skirt and fur scarf, and the periwinkle blue regency style dress complete with accessories.
“Gloves, purse, and umbrella?” Ron asked with a disbelieving look on his face.
“Accessories are important for any outfit,” I said in the most royal voice that I could muster, which sent us both into hysterics.
“What about that black ruffly one?” he asked me.
“Oh, no…” I said, pulling it off the rod and holding it up. “This one was way too short. I’m not trying it on again.”
“Ah, we haven’t reached that level of closeness yet?” Ron teased.
“Nor will we ever,” I said with a triumphant smile.
I held up the dress for Luna’s wedding that I wore last weekend, as well as the ones he saw me in for Katie and Parvati’s weddings two weekends ago. Then there were only a few remaining after that. 
The long lime green gown with the jeweled empire waist, the Renaissance fair inspired brown and gold dress, and a forest green velour maxi dress. The two remaining ones had to do with rainbow themes. There was the indigo satin floor length gown with flowered straps. And how could I forget the final dress, that was an actual rainbow colored bridesmaid gown. 
“Don’t get me wrong, I love color as much as the next person, but I think this crossed the line,” I said as Ron was shielding his eyes from me. Pretty sure you’re brighter than the sun. And that’s saying something after the lime green dress and that neon fur one.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about being blinded anymore as that’s the last one,” I said, flopping down on the couch next to him.
“Twenty-seven dresses,” he said in disbelief. “Why would you put yourself through that torture?”
“It’s not torture for me. I genuinely enjoy helping people, and making their day special. And believe what you may, but no matter how awful some of those dresses are, I’ve made a lot of great memories in them. Plus, I’ve met a lot of amazing people,” I added before I could stop myself.
He looked at me curiously. “What do you mean? The other people in the bridal party?”
“Er, yes,” I said quickly.
“Hermione, why does it sound like that’s not true?” He really was ever the journalist, always working to uncover the truth.
And it looks like I wasn’t convincing enough.
“Because it’s not,” I admitted. “I run a side business called Wilkins Weddings. I’m essentially a bridesmaid for hire, doubling as a wedding planner for any bride that requires one or both services. That’s the real reason I’ve been in so many weddings.”
I had no idea what possessed me to say it. Wilkins Weddings was so personal to me, and I never let anyone in on the secret. Lavender only knew because I needed her sometimes for the business. My dad didn’t even know, and he was the second closest person to me. I even had the opportunity last night to tell Jenny and I still hadn’t. Yet here I was, pouring my soul out to this man who I barely knew.
“Wow. That explains a lot. So, you take all the stress off the bride all while ensuring their day is perfect? Are you trying to kill yourself before you’re 35?”
Of course he was taking the mickey out of me. I shouldn’t have said anything. “I don’t even know why I told you that. No one knows, and yet somehow I told you, of all people, and of course you’re mocking me about it!”
“Look, Hermione, I just think there’s more to life than helping other people get married and giving them their perfect day. You’ve been in all those weddings, had the chance to meet countless people, and you’re still single? Are you even trying to find your own happiness?”
I couldn’t believe him! How could he say any of that to me! He didn’t know me at all, and that just proved it. “Of course I want to find someone to love and marry and spend the rest of my life with! They’re out there, I know it. They just haven’t noticed me yet.” I grabbed both the empty wine glasses on the coffee table and brought them to the kitchen.
“It’s getting late. You should probably go,” I said.
“Right. Well, thanks for tonight. It’s been fun. I’m sure I’ll see you soon. What with the wedding and all,” Ron said as he grabbed his bag and walked to the door.
“Yeah. I can’t wait,” I said sarcastically.
He flashed me that lopsided grin of his as he let himself out. I waited a moment before I locked the door behind him. It was all fun and games until I remembered the massive mess of dresses I now had to clean up.
As I carried groups of dresses back to the closet and hung them up, I couldn’t help but wonder when I’d finally get to add a wedding dress to the mix. Figuratively of course, since I’d be sure to have my dress preserved. I’ve been ready and waiting for my own happily ever after my whole life, and I was becoming frustrated. I hoped that someday soon I wouldn’t have to spend every night alone.
16 notes · View notes