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#go grab your nearest book and tell me whats the first line of your page 30!
veiliisms · 2 years
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Tag ten followers you want to get to know better
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Tagged by: @brigadeleadxr​ ty friend :>
Tagging:  nahhh snag it and tag me !​​
name: mocha. or mocha moolatte, via lita. or mocha moolatte mcnolastname, ala rory. star sign: gemini! two days away >:) height: like 5′6. no idea what that is in cm  middle name ?: nunya put your itunes / spotify on shuffle. what are the first 6 songs that popped up?
1. saint cecilia - foo fighters
2. without you - oh wonder
3. sugar we’re goin’ down - fall out boy
4. hell above - pierce the veil
5. thank you for the venom - my chemical romance
6. dice - band maid
Grab one book nearest to you and turn to page 23. what’s line 17?: "the surviving elites recovered and fired.”  // all my books are still packed away, this was left in my nightstand orz Ever had a poem or a song written about you?:  lmao no When was the last time you played air guitar?: almost like. every day when i longboard to work lmao Who is your celebrity crush?: frank iero please call me. MISA bandmaid you too pls thanks. What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?: the most recent one on my mind is like. when people (aka kids) take a huge drink of something and like. let out a huge exhale like that was water from jesus’ tap itself. a sound i love would probably be my dog’s excited whine. its adorable :> Do you believe in ghosts?: i mean, i believe in some sort of tangible afterlife, i think. How about aliens?: without question Do you drive?: yeah! If so, have you ever crashed?: got in a fender bender but it wasn’t big at all. was in a parking lot so we were going like 2mph What was the last book you read?: dude i cant even tell you lmao, i havent picked up a book in ages Do you like the smell of gasoline?: it’s oddly satisfying yeah What was the last movie you saw?: like, in general, forrest gump. in theatres, batman what’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?: oh, man, i’ll spare the nasty details but when i was little my brother accidentally threw me off my scooter and my head... fell into the spokes of a tire chain. i’ll leave the rest to your imagination (it wasn’t terribly serious, just really scary.) Do you have any obsessions right now?: sailor moon. we just released a collab at work so i’ve been stoked. that, and resident evil, can’t wait for 4′s remake.
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marinalor · 8 months
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Ask Me
1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?
2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?
3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.
4: What do you think about most?
5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?
6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?
7: What’s your strangest talent?
8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)
9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?
10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?
11: Do you have any strange phobias?
12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?
13: What’s your religion?
14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?
15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?
16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?
17: What was the last lie you told?
18: Do you believe in karma?
19: What does your URL mean?
20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?
21: Who is your celebrity crush?
22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?
23: How do you vent your anger?
24: Do you have a collection of anything?
25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?
26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?
27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?
28: What’s your biggest “what if”?
29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?
30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.
31: Smell the air. What do you smell?
32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?
33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?
34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?
35: To you, what is the meaning of life?
36: Define Art.
37: Do you believe in luck?
38: What’s the weather like right now?
39: What time is it?
40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?
41: What was the last book you read?
42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?
43: Do you have any nicknames?
44: What was the last film you saw?
45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?
46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?
47: Do you have any obsessions right now?
48: What’s your sexual orientation?
49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?
50: Do you believe in magic?
51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?
52: What is your astrological sign?
53: Do you save money or spend it?
54: What’s the last thing you purchased?
55: Love or lust?
56: In a relationship?
57: How many relationships have you had?
58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
59: Where were you yesterday?
60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
61: Are you wearing socks right now?
62: What’s your favourite animal?
63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?
64: Where is your best friend?
65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.
66: What is your heritage?
67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?
68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?
69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?
70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?
71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?
72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?
73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.
74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?
75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?
76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?
77: How can I win your heart?
78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?
79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?
80: What size shoes do you wear?
81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?
82: What is your favourite word?
83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.
84: What is a saying you say a lot?
85: What’s the last song you listened to?
86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?
87: What is your current desktop picture?
88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?
89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?
90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?
91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?
92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?
93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?
95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?
96: Do you have any relatives in jail?
97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?
98: Ever been on a plane?
99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?
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violetsoju · 3 years
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page 30彡★
kageyama tobio · fluff · 3.2k
a/n: came up w this idea based on a tiktok vid of this trend that randomly popped up on my feed (which i can't find anymore T_T) do let me know if you enjoyed it! ❤️
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“Hey, Tobio.”
The mop of raven hair doesn’t look up to you, eyes fixated on the jiggly onsen tamago on top of the curry tonkatsu.
“There’s this new trend going on.”
He hums in response, fingers gripping onto a pair of wooden chopsticks, manoeuvring the fragile soft lump towards the spoon. Just a few more steps till being cradled snugly in the deep end of the cool ceramic spoon.
“And we’re gonna learn the moves and film it right here after this.”
His fingers twitch. One of the long pointy chopsticks loses its cool and stabs the tamago right in the core, streaks of yellow bleeding across the crisp golden brown tonkatsu. Its counterpart desperately tries to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, but too much yolk has been lost, and more jabs were made in the frantic rescue mission. Not even the string of ‘shit’ muttered could save the day. So long, dear onsen tamago.
You’re finally met with piercing blue eyes glaring at you.
“No. And look at what you did to my onsen tamago.”
“You should’ve scooped it up with your spoon instead of pushing it with your chopsticks. Common sense much?” You thank the waitress for the hot steaming tempura udon. “Plus, you’re supposed to break the yolk and coat the luscious essence over your rice, unless you’re a freak and eat it in one go.”
Kageyama’s scowl softens when a piece of fried tempura lands in his bowl in exchange for a piece of tonkatsu. A glint of delight gleams in the two pair of eyes at the first bite of delicious food, taste buds tingling in satisfaction.
It’s a rainy Wednesday night. And rainy nights call for warm comfort food to make up for the gloomy wet weather brought by the pitter patter parade of fat rain droplets. So after a spontaneous text message, here you are, with an old close friend of yours, inside a small cosy shop hidden in an alleyway without any prior arrangements.
“And let me repeat myself. I’m not going to do any dumb dance trends with you again.” Kageyama restates his point firmly.
“Come on, you had so much fun the last time! Even Tsukki sent a good job sticker in the group chat.” You reason.
“You mean he enjoyed seeing me almost tripping over my feet.”
“That was the highlight, to be honest.”
He smacks your chopsticks away with his at your attempt to snag another piece of tonkatsu, not giving in into your pout.
“Anyway, I was just kidding. You’re in luck this time because it’s not a dance trend.”
Kageyama raises an eyebrow at you suspiciously, tilting his head to ask you to continue on.
“This time it’s a trend where you grab your nearest book, turn to page 30, and the first sentence will describe your love life. Interesting, isn’t it?”
“Just when I thought you’ve outgrown these ridiculous nonsenses.”
“Says the one who still insists on drinking a box of strawberry milk before matches.” You jab your chopsticks towards his direction accusingly.
“That’s different because it actually works. And it’s good.” He counterattacks by returning your gesture.
“I hate to say this but, point taken.”
He triumphantly snickers as you sigh in defeat.
“Aren’t you curious on how my love life is described?” You question, blowing off the steam from your spoon full of udon.
Kageyama chomps on another piece of pork cutlet, unamused at your question. “If you’re generous enough to share, I’d be honoured.”
“‘He smiles’”
“What?”
“That’s the first sentence on my page 30. ‘He smiles’.” You reply matter-of-factly, taking a sip of your hot green tea.
“What’s that even supposed to mean?” His brows knit in confusion, hands momentarily forgetting the spoonful of curry rice in hand.
“Use your imagination, Tobio. Awaken your romantic cells.” You gesture with your hands dramatically, earning a deadpan look from the boy seated across you.
“Does it mean whoever’s smiling is the love of your life? Or someone who’s always smiling?” Kageyama rests his cheek against his left knuckle, trying to connect the dots together.
“Well-“
“Wait a minute! Don’t tell me it’s Suga-san. Because if it is, I won’t allow it because Suga-san is way too good for you.”
He yelps as you not-so-accidentally dip your chopsticks stained with broth into his green tea.
“Shush, we both know how much Suga-san adores me. And everyone else.” You smugly take another bite of your fried tempura as he frowns in disgust after drinking the now broth infused green tea.
“I guess it’s feeling of love at the sight of his smile? Like feeling all warm and fuzzy seeing him smile.”
“Is there someone who makes you feel that way with their smile?”
You swirl the udon with your chopsticks mindlessly for a moment. “Maybe there is.”
You look up to the pair of blue eyes staring back at you, holding the intense gaze firmly, neither side backing down to break the tension.
“Do I know him?” Kageyama falters, a hint of anxiousness cracks in his voice.
“Since when were you so interested in my love life?” You laugh awkwardly, hoping to conceal your nervousness.
Despite the surrounding bustling chatter, the world suddenly falls painstakingly silent, with the irregular beats of two young hearts thumping deafeningly and out of rhythm.
The raven-haired boy succumbs first, looking back down to his half empty bowl. You continue swirling your bowl of udon, mentally slapping yourself at your answer and cracking your head to come up with something to save the mood.
“Well, I could help to scan him for you, if you want. Boys know boys better after all,”
You snap back up to look at the boy seated across you, eyes not meeting yours. This is a surprise.
“Plus, you can save the tears and snot to yourself because I might not be free to attend to your midnight crying sessions. If it really happens.”
A surge of warmth radiates throughout your body at his words. Definitely not from the hot bowl of udon.
Kageyama still has his eyes on the bowl before him, looking anywhere else but you. He tries to keep himself busy by scooping more rice, groaning as he further destroys the onsen tamago, unaware of the faint blush painting his cheeks. Definitely not from the hot bowl of curry, too.
“Don’t worry, he isn’t a jerk. I’m sure you’ll like him too.” You chuckle, adjusting your chopsticks to pick up more udon.
Oh, Kageyama Tobio, what exactly should I do with you.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽.* :☆゚. ───
Scroll. Refresh. Switch apps. Repeat. Sigh.
You’ve been stuck in this constant loop for the past hour. Instead of getting much needed sleep for the next day, you subject yourself to the chains of the device held in your hand, despite the drooping eyelids and strained arm muscles.
What’s so fascinating about social media anyway? If it’s not friends or random acquaintances posting sinful food pics of ootds, it’d be someone ranting about either their work or love life, or memes you’ve already seen before. Sometimes you wonder if you’ve been casted a spell by social media.
Crying out a yelp as the gadget lands right in your face at the slip of your hands, you massage your nose bridge and forehead from the impact, grimacing in pain. It’s not easy being a slave to social media, huh.
Tossing your phone to the side, you roll over to lie flat on your back, sprawled like a star fish on your bed. A long sigh escapes your lips, eyes staring blankly at the bare celling above. Maybe you should really call it a day.
A beep from your phone tells you otherwise.
Tobio [23:17]
I did it. You owe me one box of strawberry milk.
[23:18]
IMG_20210402_961222
You immediately plop yourself up to sit cross-legged on your bed, tapping on the notification to open the message. As expected of Kageyama Tobio, it was a full-page picture of a book, with a small number 30 on the top left-hand corner. But unexpectedly of Kageyama Tobio too, the page wasn’t from those volleyball books or magazines stacked in the corner of his room. Looks like the mini ramble session you gave him on the way to the metro station worked.
“I know volleyball is the love of your life too, but we’re talking about your actual love life here! So no volleyball books or magazines, go rummage Miwa-san’s book shelf for one random romance novel. Just one. She’ll thank me for taking care of your love life.”
Sliding both your thumbs outwards on the screen to zoom in, your lips press together to form an ‘o’, brows arching in fascination at the first sentence.
She knows.
Interesting.
Your fingers dance across the screen swiftly.
me [23:20]
Ohhh interesting. See, it’s exciting, isn’t it?
Tobio [23:21]
I guess so
me [23:22]
Do you think it describes your love life well?
To actually imagine Kageyama Tobio having something that he loves as much as volleyball is, an odd and foreign feeling.
Tobio [23:24]
I’m not sure tbh
me [23:25]
Well spill the tea so I can help you analyse it
Tobio [23:25]
No
You swear you would throw punches at him if he was beside you now.
me [23:26]
Tsk tsk, so who’s the girl you’ve been hiding from me
Tobio [23:27]
Since when were you interested in my love life?
The use of your own words against you has you clicking your tongue in amusement.
You were contemplating between a civil or sarcastic remark when a new message bubble pops up.
Tobio [23:29]
But do you think she knows?
me [23:30]
About what?
Tobio [23:31]
Nvm, forget what I said
Seriously? This conversation is by no means, ending like this. You tap on the video icon on the right-hand corner of the screen hastily.
It takes a few rings for the familiar face to appear on screen, face a little too close to the camera, brows furrowed, lips pursed.
“What the heck, do you know what time it is?” Kageyama huffs in annoyance, running his fingers through his dishevelled black hair.
“Says the one who sent me such juicy information at this hour.” You bend your legs up, resting your hand on your knees for a better angle.
He throws his head back exasperatedly, muttering something inaudible along the static noise from the speakers, resting his head on a wooden frame you recognise. He still hasn’t changed his bed that he has long outgrown, complaining about soreness in his legs and arms that dangle off the edge every night.
“How do you expect me to go to bed with you hanging me like this? You have the worst timing ever.” You raise your hands in protest.
Kageyama buries half of his face in his palm. “I shouldn’t have listened to you.”
“But you get a box of strawberry milk from this! It’s worth it.” You gesture a finger gun to him knowingly.
He moves two fingers away from his face, peeking to see you through the screen like a child. Heaving a long, heavy sigh, he shifts his weight to sit up properly, half of his face still cradled in his palm.
“So, ‘she knows’, huh. Back to your question. What do you think she knows?” A tinge of excitement and fear bubble up your throat.
Kageyama avoids your gaze, looking to the side. “Well, I mean, about my, er- my feelings, I guess?”
“You mean your heart.”
The sentence has his eyes back on you, vivid blue eyes clouded by the shadows of dimly lit room.
“Yeah, uhm, well, I guess.” His voice trails off.
“Well, have you told her before?” You keep your voice steady.
“No, of course.” His words come out like a whisper.
“Then how is she going to know without any words or actions?” It comes out like a blunt statement, but somewhere deep down, a wave of relief washes over you.
“But I’m always there for her. Whenever she needs me, wherever she is, I try my best to be there for her,” Passionate flames ignite across the vast blue ocean. “I know something is on her mind when she bites the insides of her cheeks, when she flicks the tip of her thumb with her index finger constantly, or when she plays with the piercings on her ears. I’m not one with words, but I stay by her side when she needs me to, listening to her rambles or vents, or wiping away tears that stain her cheeks soft like mochi.
“I set notifications the night before to give her morning calls during her exams or important days because she tends to snooze the alarm on days like these. I always have extra band-aids ready on hand because she always somehow cuts and hurts herself, which hurts my heart too. Heck, I even learn ridiculous things that would be the death of me just for her, because nothing compares to the sparkle in her eyes when she flashes her precious smile, brighter than the sun that takes my breath away every time. I-”
Kageyama stops midway, face painted with horror as if he just let out a million-dollar secret. Panic flares in his eyes, mouth agape in incredulity as his body rigids, dumbstruck with terror by what rolled off his tongue so smoothly. You wonder if the line got disconnected because he turned into a static image, with a full-blown flustered look on his face.
You wave at the screen. “Tobio, you still there?”
It takes a few seconds for the raven-haired boy to snap back to his senses and regain his composure, coughing awkwardly in attempt to calm himself down. Small patches of blush blooming furiously on his cheeks peek out from his hands covering his mouth.
He looks cute.
No, he’s cute.
He’s always been cute.
“I- Er- Ye- Yeah, I’m still here.” Kageyama struggles to find words from his tad-larger-than-average vocabulary vault that has seem to disappear into thin air.
“Gosh, breathe Tobio, breathe. Come on, take a deep breath with me. One, two, three.”
He exhales deeply at the count of three with eyes shut close, hoping that all his jitters have been expelled away in the air.
“There you go. Feel better now?” Your lips tug up gently as the boy on the screen visibly relaxes, shoulders loosening from the tension, face free of creased lines.
He opens his eyes slowly, blinking a few times to adjust his vision before returning a soft smile to you. “Yeah, I do. Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
A tranquil silence blankets over the both of you. This time, the steady beats of two young hearts thump in tune like a metronome. Two young souls gaze at each other, basking in the calmness and comfort of the sincere warm smiles that felt so much like home; but too proud to admit they were like lovesick fools, brushing off the feelings that were screaming loudly to be heard, feelings that they were afraid to face.
“Do you think she knows?” It’s a genuine question, one that takes a mountain high of courage to come up with.
“I’m sure she does.” It’s a genuine answer, one that takes a of couple hundred meters of might to emerge from the deep ends of the sea to come up with.
And you both hope that you’re on the same wavelength.
“So back to square one. Who’s the girl?”
“None of your business.”
“Another piece of crap from you and I’ll leave without you at the metro station tomorrow.”
“Sorry.”
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽.* :☆゚. ───
When you reach the designated exit of the metro station the next day, a pair of eyes as blue as the day immediately catches your attention among the crowd, feet shuffling on its own accord towards them. As if there was a detector sensing your presence within him, the owner of the beautiful pair of orbs turns to you, raising a hand in greeting.
Kageyama gives you a smile, a smile that says, ‘I hope my smile makes you feel warm and fuzzy’.
You smile back at him, with a smile that says, ‘I hope you know that I know your heart’.
It’s hard to shake off the pride to be damned, but the two lovesick fools find themselves discarding it slowly, bit by bit with each step taken, together.
【☾】
Kageyama is a creature of routine. He always has his day planned out in detail and hates it when it doesn’t go according to plan, or when something pops out of the blue. But there are a few which he can make exceptions for. So when he receives your text asking for dinner after his training session, he agrees in a heartbeat.
He felt his heart sink deeply in his guts when you said there was, indeed, someone who made you feel warm and fuzzy with their smile. But who was he to have his say when his status was merely just a close friend?
Miwa thought he had lost it when he barged into her room without notice that night, scanning her bookshelf for novels, specifically of the romance genre. It was more nerve-wrecking than retaking exams back in high school with Hinata while flipping through the pages, and it didn’t help much when he finally found the particular page, with the first line inked in black staring back at him in doubt.
He doesn’t know why he sent the picture of the page to you. What exactly was he expecting?
Worse, he doesn’t even know why he started blabbing about how he was always there for you, how much he cares for you, and how much you mean to him. It all just came out so naturally that he could actually score an A+ for impromptu speaking.
But when your eyes were filled with concern while calming him down instead of making fun of him or pestering him for more, something flutters in his mind. Maybe it was from the rush of adrenaline from before, or maybe it was his heart that had leaped out from his chest taking over. He brings up the question once again, with more confidence this time.
He knows you’re not one to lie with your eyes. And he sees the kindness and honesty in them.
A ray of hope flickers in him.
So today, Kageyama musters up every ounce of courage he has, and tells himself it’s now or never: to close the gap he has longed for so long between two hands that swayed side by side. Instead of retreating his hands away when they brush against yours, he curls the tip of his fingers with yours delicately, as if your fingers would melt at his touch.
He hopes that he made the right decision.
And when your fingers curl back, intertwined with his, he knows he has made the right decision, and that his question has been answered.
She knows.
And the fact that he’s the one behind the smile that makes you go all warm and fuzzy, he swears it feels like he could run for miles and miles without running out of breath, soaring even higher than the clouds in the skies. None of the perfect sets he has set in his lifetime could compare to the satisfaction and bliss he was feeling right now.
Because you had set his life ablaze the moment fate brought the both of you together, and you’re his end game.
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chaseadrian · 2 years
Text
white sheets, bloodied shirt part 1
After months of stolen glances and stilted conversation, Bruce Wayne finds it in himself to go after you. But there’s something about him that’s hiding, & you’re not sure you want to find out what that is. PART TWO 
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pairing: bruce wayne (2022) x f!reader tags: 18+ ONLY, explicit, “friends” with benefits, angst, bruce is stifling his feelings, receiving oral, unspoken emotions, emotionally stunted bruce :( word count: 3.7k+ a/n: this is my first time writing 2022 bruce and it was a struggle because i just want fluff all the time lol. going from a character who’s 100% honest abt his feelings to one who is the saddest, most emotionally arrested guy ever was a feat lol but i hope yall like it!!
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Bruce never looked at you during sex. He could barely look at you outside of sex, his eyes always cast downward when you went for a visit with your Aunt Dory, grumbled greetings and his voice hushed when he spoke to her, sparing you a glance or two. 
Despite his best efforts to keep you at a distance, he couldn’t help himself when you showed up one day several months after your first visit. When you found him lounging in the library, hunched over an open book with the fireplace roaring, he’d told you Dory had gone out of town for personal reasons. 
“Oh, alright, well. I’ll uh, I’ll give her a call. Thanks, Mr. Wayne.” As you’d turned to leave, he shut the book and stood up, strolling over to the doorway, hands in the pockets of his black sweats.
He hovered near you, shoulders drawn inward as he tried bringing himself down to your height, “You can stay, if you want.” 
Still not looking at you, he inched closer, fixing your bodies in the corridor before he reached around you to grab the door handle. He was closer now than he’d ever dared to be before, the wide berth of the door affording you time to answer the question he postured. An unspoken inquiry as to whether you’d duck under his arm to leave, abandoning the prospective culmination of months marked by loaded stares, or stay and give in to the sallow mystery standing before you. 
You chose the latter.
Stepping into the library as he shut the door behind you, he stood fixed in front of it to watch you admire the high shelves filled with more books than you could dream of having. Picking out a well-worn edition of The Catcher in the Rye, you started flipping through the pages, reading the scrawled notes in the margins. 
“That was my father’s favorite book.” Bruce took a couple steps towards you, keeping himself equidistant from you and the door, like he was preparing to escape at any given time. Much about him read as desperate for escape; he hovered in doorways, ate standing up, and always had a foot turned toward the nearest exit. There was no present moment for him, just a space to fill until he could take his leave.
“He read it to me as a child.” A smile flashed over his face, “I didn’t care for it.” 
You looked down at the floor. Every part of him was facing you. 
Sliding the book back in its space on the shelf, you started closing the distance between you two, “No? Why not?” 
Bruce looked at you, his blue eyes awash with a wan sorrow that drew you in deeper. 
“I think he wanted to show me what kind of man not to be.” He winced when you made your way into his space, but didn’t make any move to distance himself. 
“Well, did it work?” You brought a hand up to his face, tracing a finger from the imprint of his cheekbone up into his hair. He closed his eyes, his lips pressing into a flat line as he did his best to accept your touch. You lowered your voice to a whisper, “What kind of man are you?” 
Bruce slipped his hand from his pocket and grabbed your wrist, freeing your hand from his hair, his eyes darting around your face, “I’m still figuring it out.” 
You looked at him with surprise. His grasp was firm, but you knew he’d let go at any indication of resistance. Though you knew about as much as the public did about Bruce, you could tell there was something in him just wanting to be loved, to be seen. You couldn’t promise you were capable of either, but in this moment, on the precipice of something more than the fleeting glances and requisite nods of acknowledgement, you wanted to give him both. 
“That’s okay.” You took a step forward, the distance between you now smaller than acceptable for two people who weren’t even on a first name basis. 
Bruce was quick to let go when you flexed your wrist, hand dropping back to his side, his entire body going stiff when you placed your palm flat against his cheek. His eyelids fluttered, rigid muscles melting until he was leaning into the touch. He turned to press a kiss into your hand. 
It was as though the kiss opened a floodgate for Bruce, his hands shooting out from his sides to your waist, pulling you in for a real kiss. His lips trembled as he picked you up, shuddering breaths escaping into your mouth while he situated a hand around your waist, the other on the back of your head, knotting in your hair. Each kiss was careful, but his lips closed over yours as though the world started and ended with them. Harder and hungrier and more confident with every second you kissed him back. The feeling of his tongue in your mouth sent sparks down your throat and into your stomach, lighting a fire that he stoked with the languid wash of his lips. 
His breathing never steadied, but he’d stopped trembling and now held you closer as he carried you to the sitting area, setting you down to lay on the plush rug in front of the fireplace. Bruce slid his shirt off, tossing it onto the chair he’d been sitting in when you arrived, and ducked back down to meet your lips. 
Making his way from your lips to your neck, he unbuttoned your top, lips trailing behind his fingers as he made his way between your legs, eyes darting up as he affixed a hand to the buttons on your jeans. You nodded, and he slid them down your thighs, gripping under your knee to slide each pant leg off one after the other. 
He ran his hands along the outer skin of your thighs, arched back flattening on the rug in front of you, and his lips anchored to your cunt after a few well-placed kisses. His mouth was a hot vent of magma, tongue burning your clit like tap water on a boiling stove. The rest of your body lit up with the fireplace next to you, radiant heat scorching your left side, building until you had no choice but to wrench your shirt off. 
Bruce moved a hand from around your thigh to over your lower abdomen, holding you down when you started lifting your hips against him. The swirl of his tongue on your clit made it impossible not to fight against his grip, to wrest away from the soft rug at your back, but you only succeeded in frustrating Bruce. The muscles in his back strained as he held you down now with both hands, his forearm hooked against your legs to pull you tighter to his mouth. He flattened his tongue, swiping it from your pulsing entrance back up to your clit, lapping up the viscous mixture of his spit and your arousal. The tip of his tongue skated around your clit before he closed his lips, a vacuum of pressure that dizzied your brain, the soft hum in his throat a harbinger for what was to come. 
You reached blindly until your hand hit the wooden leg of the chair nearest you, fingers wrapping around the grain. Your free hand flew to his hair, pressing him into your cunt asking for just like that and yes, fuck and more. 
The warmth of his tongue was a blister in your stomach, his hands a boundary of the space you needed to escape, trapped between his grip and the rug underneath you. Everything he was doing to you was a motive to push and fight and escape, anything to relieve the tension he’d built. He wouldn’t let you, of course, and by the way your body convulsed, twitching and spasming when you finally leapt off that edge, you were grateful he’d been so firm. The orgasm was overwhelming, your brain turning to static as his touch shifted from pleasure to overstimulation, flicking over your clit until you had the composure to open your eyes and tell him enough. 
It wouldn’t be enough for him.
He pushed up onto his knees, “Turn over.” 
You did as he said, his hands on your hips twisting you over as you arched yourself up, still reeling from your orgasm. You were propped on your elbows, head hung between your arms as he pushed into you, a sharp gasp from your mouth, a broken moan from his. 
One of his hands slid from the small of your back all the way up, palm flat, middle finger aligned with your spine. He snaked it around your throat, bringing your head up to see the reflection of him fucking you in the glass paneling of a case filled with rare books, his sweats shoved down mid-thigh. Your eyes caught his, and the transparent gaze bore into you, each thrust deepening the scowl on his lips. 
His cock pushed into you again and again, and though you hadn’t seen it before you felt it, you could tell by the welling pressure in your abdomen that he was big. Each thrust stretching open your walls, a dull pain that had you wanting as much as he was willing to give.
The hand on your hip grabbed tighter as Bruce’s rhythm sped up, pressing deeper and harder as you fisted tufts of fabric between your fingers. You moaned into the hot air, feeling your walls clench around him, pulsing as he fucked you, the gargles of a groan catching in his throat. He forced them away; you could see it in the way his chest swelled with air, breath held until he could swallow the noises your dripping cunt drew from him. 
Bruce’s hips slapped against your ass, each thrust like a wet washcloth hurled at a tile wall, loud and offensive and enough to throw you over the edge a second time. The moans coming from your lips were vile, all whiny and pleading, begging for his cock the way you begged for his mouth. He can’t help himself from groaning as you shake against him, the reflection in the mirror running himself ragged, the hand on your throat sliding down your chest, into your bra to play with your nipple. 
The skin is taut, and he pinched it between his index and middle fingers, the remaining three squeezing dents in the damp skin, sweat trickling from your neck to the web of his hand. 
He doesn’t give you any warning before he cums, naught more than the tensing of his entire body and the sharp removal of his cock. You feel the hot spattering of his cum on your back, watch as his face twists in the glass, eyes screwed shut, biting down hard on his bottom lip to keep himself from making noise, his hand stroking his shaft to release the entirety of his orgasm. 
You’re fallen on the floor by the time he’s coming down, head resting atop your forearms, facing away from the burning flames. The feeling of soft tissue on your back draws your attention, and you look behind you to see Bruce cleaning up his mess, pulling from the box on the side table until all remnants of him are gone. 
You expect him to return to his book, or to walk out of the room and leave you to see yourself out, but he surprises you by laying down on the rug. He doesn’t make a move to hold you, but he’s situated himself flush against you, shoulders pressed together, his knuckles grazing the skin of your thighs, and it’s enough. 
And that’s how it is for the next several months. Lukewarm conversation, a glance spared your way, hushed phone calls late in the night inviting you back. He only ever looks at you in the reflection of the glass, only allows himself the barest of touches in the aftermath, can never bring himself to say your name. 
You come back every time despite it all. Not because he fucks well, not because he’s rich, but because you know the dam will break and one day he’ll let you give him what he wants. 
It was a foggy Sunday night, and you slipped into the manor via a sidedoor Bruce had made you a key for. He was expecting you, but when you walked into the library, it was silent and empty. The fire wasn’t blazing and there were no lights on, no Bruce to be found. 
No bother, your presence around the manor wasn’t exactly a secret, there’d be no harm if you explored the dark hallways and made your way to Bruce’s room. He had fucked you in there a handful of times, but the library had become a kind of safe haven for you two, and you were pretty confident he liked meeting your eyes in the glass. 
The corridors were illuminated by sconces on the wall, dim orange light casting shadows as you padded along the hardwood floors. The rugs did well enough muffling your steps, but the floor still creaked underneath your weight. Much of the manor was still a mystery to you. When you visited Dory, you were often confined to the kitchen or living room. And with Bruce, well, he’d dragged you to a couple of the unused bedrooms in addition to his own, and always the library. Not wanting to push him farther than he was prepared to go, you thought it best to leave closed doors closed. 
Rounding the corner of the entry hallway, you came face to face with a wider, shorter hallway. More like a waiting room than anything else, panel molding on the walls, empty save for some decorative chairs and side tables. You stepped further into the room, looking to either side to check if there was a door you missed or something. 
Nothing. 
As you turned around to leave, your foot smacked into a bump in the rug. 
“Fuck!” You lifted your foot, freezing in place while the pain subsided, your gaze stuck on the lump. 
You walked over to the edge of the rug, lifting it up and taking out your phone to use the flashlight. It looked to be the excess from poorly sautered metal, a thin slit defining the two panels of steel. Your eyes followed the line all the way to the main molding on the back wall, and you dropped the rug to stand back up, dusting the dirt from the floor off your knees and knocking on the wall. 
It was hollow, and when you pushed on the center of the wood, it clicked and slid right into the wall, leaving you face to face with a dark corridor barely illuminated by pale yellow lights. 
Against your better instincts, you stepped through the doorway, turning your flashlight back on until the lights grew brighter and you found yourself at the top of a cascading double stairway. Dirt stained tile lined the walls, and your eyes followed them down to the brown tiled floors, sweeping across the rusting train tracks over what looked to be a command center of some sort. 
You took the left staircase, each step echoing a slap into the cavern. Water pooled in the cracked cement, dripping from the ceiling, all high beams and rusting rivets. Your eyes caught the opaque bulbs of street lamps, attached to the mouth of the staircase, and you turned around as you stepped onto the ground floor, taking in the entirety of the room behind you. 
Wayne Terminal
It was stuck on the arch of the staircase, copper letters greening atop mildewed stone, streaked with water stains. You weren’t even out of elementary school when the Wayne murders took place, so if there had been news about some elaborate new train terminal sponsored by the mayor elect, it wouldn’t have been on your radar. By the way you entered, however, you suspected the more likely scenario was that it was meant to be kept secret, slotted to fall derelict and unused the second Thomas and Martha were no longer of this world. 
Except, someone was using it. 
Did Bruce know? Alfred? Was it dumb luck that some stranger wandered into the terminal and decided to set up shop, somehow not knowing or caring they were underneath the manor to Gotham’s heir apparent? 
A million thoughts flooded your brain as you walked through the elaborate tech, several glowing monitors setup for multiple workstations, what looked to be some sort of crime lab littered in mugshots and manila folders, and a dark vehicle tucked underneath the staircase. 
You’d just started inching toward the car when the flood of bright lights into the cavern propelled you to a sprint. Diving behind the front of the car, you peeked out to see a figure riding up from underneath the ground into the cavern, obscured by the blinding headlights. As the vehicle slowed to a stop, you could just make out two little prongs sticking out from their head before they turned out the lights. 
It was the fucking Batman. 
They swung a leg over the bike and stood next to it, hands raising to the sides of their mask. This was so much worse than you’d anticipated. 
It was fucking Bruce. 
Everyone in Gotham figured that the Batman was backed by some generous benefactor, maybe a puppet for the Gotham PD (that was the crowning theory until the Riddler incident,) or a way for some rich bon vivant to channel their money into helping the city without losing their carefree reputation. Nobody would’ve expected the man behind the mask to actually be the son of Gotham. 
“Bruce?” You stood up from behind the car, treading over to him with slow steps until you were in the open. “Bruce you’re…you’re Batman? How—” 
He froze, and as always it was on you to bridge the gap, to bring him back, so you kept moving forward. 
The edge in his voice said otherwise, his shoulders steeling, a frown embedded in his mouth as he turned his body towards you, “Get out.” 
You continued closing the space between you, outstretching a hand, prepared to hold his forearm, to reassure him that it didn’t matter. Though every nerve in your body was alight with fear, screaming at you to leave and run and never step foot on the grounds again, you wouldn’t. You could never, because even though he only ever found the courage to look at you through the glass, he still had the courage to look at all. To touch you and let himself go, allowing himself something—someone, that was just his. 
You didn’t want to fix him, or change him, you wanted to open him. He would always be held by some unshakeable deity of torment, and you could share your space with that fact, but you’d seen him smile, seen the way he brought your aunt tea during your visits, never expecting her to sacrifice her time with you. There were new flowers in the library every time you visited, and an invitation to sleep in his bed after every evening you spent together. He wasn’t all trembling lips and hunching shoulders. 
He loved your aunt, he loved Alfred, and against everything you’d expected to feel about him when you first stepped into the library, you wanted him to love you, too. 
But he slammed the mask down on the table closest to him, making you jump and freeze in place. There was a stiff silence in the cavern, suspended against even the screeching bats that had stirred at the rumbling of the bike, now settled back into the darkness. 
“Bruce I don’t care, it doesn’t—” You stayed where you were, but outstretched your hand toward him. It was a last ditch effort in a moment you knew could mark the end of everything you’d built over the last eight months, your fingers shaking as you reached for him. It was the same silent question he’d asked all that time ago with the closing of the door, and the tremors in your hand begged for the firmness of his, pleading for him to reach out, give in.
You whispered, “It doesn’t matter.” The pit in your throat brought tears to your eyes as you looked at him, everything in you saying, don’t abandon me.  
He closed his eyes, stiff jaw flexing as he bit back whatever he was trying to keep from saying. 
Bruce met your gaze once he’d swallowed the words, the smudged black warpaint around his eyes served as a menacing harbinger of the next moment. No man’s land circling the pulpit of a warzone, blue eyes burning into you. There was no going back from this. 
“I said get out.” His stare remained glued to you, and you wished more than anything to go back to the stolen glances and blurry reflections. 
“Bruce, please.” 
“Get out!” He didn’t raise his voice to a full yell, but there was a thickness to it that you wouldn’t argue with, the heaving of his chest telling you he was close to storming out himself, close to breaking down into whatever forms of self torture he submitted to. 
So you turned away from him and ran up the steps, blistering hot tears blurring your vision as you stumbled through the dark corridor, a hand scraping on the rugged wall to guide you back into the manor. Your stomach churned with nausea as you sped through the hallway past the library, clasping a hand over your mouth to keep from sobbing, the distinct taste of metal on your lips. You pulled it back to see the palm of your hand scraped to shit, the skin only stinging harder as you stepped out the front door into the cold night air of the city. 
Standing on the marbled veranda of the manor, you bunched the loose fabric of your shirt into your hand, holding it tight until the strain of muscle hurt more than the open cuts, and the chill of the wind was all you could focus on. 
With tears feeling like ice on your cheeks, you ran down the steps to your car, speeding off through the tree lined driveway. You looked in your rearview mirror at the estate; the front door was open, a warm glow silhouetting Bruce in the doorway. 
He grew smaller with each passing moment, and you fixed your eyes back on the road.
You afforded him no further glances. 
785 notes · View notes
aetheternity · 3 years
Text
How they simp ft the Aot boys
This is both Aot universe and Modern universe. I’ll separate them accordingly. 
(The charismatic simp): Jean  
•Aot verse:
☆ He's gonna become your friend as soon as he realizes he has a crush on you and he'll do everything in his power to stay by your side when that happens.
☆ He'll slide into the first available seat next to you in the mess hall and bring extra bread so that he can slide it onto your plate if you're extra hungry.
☆ If you spend a lot of time in the library he'll find a book similar to whatever he'd seen you reading before. (Of course he has to ask Armin what kind of books would be similar to your current choice.)
☆ And once he knows your favorite genre he'll head to the library late at night and grab a couple from that genre. Bookmarking his favorite pages so he can talk to you about it and you'll think he's super smart. (He's definitely fallen asleep with many books on his lap, chest and head since he started crushing on you.)
☆ If you have a hobby that's more interactive like sewing or flower picking he'll offer to carry your little basket or wear the thing you're currently stitching up so you can work better.
☆ And yes he did get caught wearing flowers in his hair by Eren. But it was because you'd smiled so fondly at him while sticking daisies in his brown hair. Giggling so cutely when they fell out. And he was gonna take that memory to his fucking grave regardless of what titan idiot had to say about it.
☆ And yes he did get caught wearing a skirt that you were fixing for Historia. By both Connie and Levi.
☆ Levi who went pale in the face and looked as though he was secretly praying for his own demise to come soon as he slowly closed the door and walked away.
☆ And Connie who laughed so hard he choked on his own spit and had to be helped to the infirmary because he was now coughing every time he breathed. So Karma ig 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️
☆ He just has to touch you..
☆ Oh God he wants to. He's gonna find a way. Whether it's a little shoulder nudge when you're complimented during meetings by higher ups. Or pats on your back.
☆ If you confide in him about your lack of confidence before a mission he's gonna sit with you and talk you through your feelings.
☆ He does this thing where he leans into you when talking. Rests his hand on your lower back as his breath touches your ear. Whispers sweet compliments into your ear because you need that shit.
☆ And it's good enough to make your toes curl.
☆ Guides you by the wrist through thick crowds so you don't get overwhelmed or lost and sometimes you expect it so you reach out for him and the two of you end up holding hands instead.
☆ He's become your little nurse. Like of course he's worried when you get hurt but there's also the opportunity to fix you up. So silver linings 🙄.
☆ If you're allergic to anything he doesn't have it in his first aid kit. Sometimes you'll get like the smallest little bruise on your knee of some shit. And it's not even from training, you just happened to trip while cleaning the stables and now: thumb sized bruise. But he's like "I don't care, sit so I can clean it."
☆ "It could get infected!" He'll try to convince you but like no, no it couldn't come on now it wasn't even really bloody..
☆ If you just so happen to have extra chores he'll go out and bring you some water then offer to help. Or he'll just ask Levi if he can go help you.
☆ "Those boxes could be heavy." He'll tell the Captain. "We don't need anyone getting unnecessarily injured before the next mission." And of course Levi knows what he's doing and sends him to go help because he honestly doesn't wanna listen to this anymore.
☆ If you have back problems or even if you don't he wants to carry your bag. No you don't get a say in it. But you can go ahead and argue with him if you want to.
• "I just think it looks too heavy."
• "Jean, I'm ok I promise."
• "Ok how about this? Let me hold it for a couple minutes then I'll give it right back."
☆ Yeeeaah. You're not getting your shit back. He's gonna walk you all the way to your designated location and then put the bag down where you need to be for that time period. Even if it completely inconveniences him.
☆ And he won't tell you that he had a meeting that he's now over 12 minutes late to. You don't need to know it'd just worry you for no reason.
☆ He has adapted some sort of like sixth sense when it comes to you. Like sometimes he'll wake up in the middle of the night to pee and just so happens to walk past your bedroom door as you're reading a book on the floor or crying or something.
☆ And now he's sitting with you even though his organs are currently failing.
☆ He'll bring you a glass of water or tea or whatever you want. You want food? He'll find it. Want a book? He'll go get it.
☆ Sometimes he sits in bed with you and just lets you cuddle up to him or reads you a book as you lay on his chest listening to the unsteady beats of his heart. Unsteady cause ya know it's you laying on him. And yeah his face is becoming redder by the second but he can't stop staring at your sleeping face. Even if you snore louder than a titan stomping he doesn't give a single fuck.
☆ At some point everyone thinks you two are dating and they talk to you both as if this is the case but you're not! At least not until Jean finally explains that yes, he does have, "Feelings for you." Tells you exactly how long in fact because to him it's crucial.
☆ When he kisses you it's the type of kiss that makes you suck in air. He takes you by the shoulders, slowly looking for even the smallest bit of hesitation in your face and presses his lips to yours. When you pull away you're lightheaded, pupils blown as you look at him with stars in your eyes.
☆ "Oh.. wow." Is all you mutter.
☆ Good luck, you just fed his giant ego.
•Modern verse:
☆ Modern day Jean is more shy and reserved. He'll definitely try to become your friend but he probably has a lot less opportunities to get you alone.
☆ If you both work at the same place you're probably both confined to your own spaces and if you both go to the same school you might have separate classes.
☆ So here's what he's doing: finding anyway, shape or form to invite you out.
☆ He got an extra ticket to a concert. He'll just not tell Connie and invite you to come with him. Because you know.. you deserve a break after work right? There's a new restaurant opening near him? Cool he's already on the phone telling you their entire menu. (He might have memorized it before calling but he won't tell you he's reading off the menu.)
☆ Sometimes he might go to your desk and leave you something sweet or cute. Like candy or little desk ornaments but he's always too shy to write a note that has his name at the bottom so he settles for staying anonymous. His heart immediately grows three sizes when he sees you playing with the desk ornament he left or eating the candy while typing away at the computer.
☆ He'll look out your favorite band so he can find out when they'll come to the city where you guys live and buy the tickets. Maybe he stays up all night, what does it matter sleep is for the weak.
☆ Or he'll find out your favorite restaurant and go there when he knows you might be going so he can just happen to run into you. No obviously it's not creepy. 😑
☆ If he can't seem to connect with you plan b is to pimp out Sasha. He just has to connect with you! So he'll get Sasha to find out any useful information on you and report back or he'll ask Sasha to become close with your best friends.
☆ If not Sasha then Connie 🤷‍♀️
☆ Once he gets useful information that's when he steps in. Oh you have a presentation for school to work on? He's at your door at 10pm with snacks (that he knows you love thanks to Sasha), energy drinks, and information on the topic you're working on.
☆ I'm talking he brought papers full of information in case you need to beef up your slides. He also brought his own laptop so he can search up any information that seems incorrect. He'll listen to you as you talk about your project and give you feedback on your performance.
☆ This might take all night but he can't help his desire to help you. And of course he's not gonna tell you if he has his own homework to work on.
• "You think it's good? Really?" You'll ask as you close your laptop for the night.
• "You're gonna get an A. Especially since I helped so now it's guaranteed."
• He loves the way you snort and roll your eyes at him when he says this.
• "Thanks Jean, you're a life saver."
☆ If you hug him you might also need to help him up off the floor or bandage him up cause he's gonna hurt himself from the shock and excitement.
☆ If you have a work presentation or just in general need help with something you're doing for your boss. He'll dedicate as much time as he has open to helping you with that too.
☆ Need coffee before your presentation? He's running to the nearest shop. Don't really understand the project your boss gave you? He'll work you through it the whole night.
☆ If you happen to tell him on a Friday that something in your house needs fixing all of a sudden he's 'Fix it Jean' now he's telling you he can fix it tomorrow and the second he hangs up he's looking up how to fix a clogged valve or some shit.
☆ And Sasha and Connie are like, "Sir, what made you think you were a handy man??"
☆ He manages though. Brings like three books to your house and looks through all of them simultaneously. Thinks he messed everything up and is about two seconds away from crying on your floor like a toddler with a spilled juice box but he pulls through surprisingly. Has your shit fixed and gets a little kiss on the cheek.
☆ Which leads into him guiltily explaining the truth and telling you everything. From the trinkets to the tickets to now with this thing he nearly ruined in your apartment. But he's so relieved to see you're grateful for everything instead of annoyed like he'd been believing in his head.
☆ Now he gets a real kiss. And Modern day Jean is built different. He's so nervous to touch you like you're made of glass. But when he does he's got his hands on your sides, keeping you in place like you'll run. Your fingers delicately threading through his hair. Giving you the kind of kiss you don't wanna pull away from. You become so quickly attached to the taste of his lips and the subtle beats of hesitation still lingering on him.
☆ You wanna pull his tongue into your mouth. Keep him so close but he pushes you back. "I wanna take you on a date." He mutters with glassy eyes and bright cheeks.
☆ And obviously you say, "Yes."
(The informed simp): Armin
•Aot verse:
☆ As everyone has said a thousand times before. Armin is an informed simp. And within the first week of knowing he has a crush on you he has information on, your family life before you joined the Corp, your favorite food, your favorite color, your favorite flower, your hobbies etc etc.
☆ And every bit of that information is stored in his file cabinet like brain.
☆ When he found out your favorite color he wore it as often as possible in out of uniform situations. Even if it was just accenting the rest of his clothes he found a way to wear it somewhere.
☆ He skimmed through books that had information on attraction and started subtly complimenting you to make you notice him.
• "Hi, [Name] that jacket really brings out your eyes."
• "It's the same jacket everyone's wearing Armin.."
• "Oh.. yeah.."
☆ Sneaks references to things you like into conversation as often as possible. Because you know, right after a meeting is the best time to talk about how your favorite song is tied to the fact that your mom used to sing it to you to help you sleep?? 😃
☆ More power to him.. he's a little confused but he's got the spirit.
☆ He slipped flowers into your favorite books but it didn't really seem to matter because he was never there when you actually encountered the flowers. (But he did often see you talking about the plants with your friends and twirling them between your fingers) good enough.
☆ He found out ways to better help your digestion. You know because what's love if not healthy bowel movements.. cause like every other attempt made him look stupid so he looked through some books on foods to help keep your colon healthy. And he explained it over dinner..
☆ Safe to say the only one who thought this topic was at all interesting was Levi.
☆ He's absolutely bombing and he hates it. At this point you only give him shy little smiles and then just walk away. He knows you probably don't hate him but he hates that nothing is working for him.
☆ At some point Eren's talking to him solo and he explains that he knows about his crush on you. Following it up promptly with, "Why don't you just tell [Name] that everything you were doing wasn't to be weird, at this point coming clean is probably the only way you could still have a chance."
☆ And he hates it that Eren's right. But he marches right up to you when you have chores out in the stables because if he didn't he'd never say all the things rushing around in his brain.
• "Hi Armin." You greet with that smile.. that smile that makes his stomach tense and his heart want to burst.
• He breathes in before replying, "[Name], I.. like you.." You pause where you're getting water for the horses to see his sun kissed red cheeks. "Everything I've done is because I really like you.." He continues, letting out a shaky breath.
☆ A period of far too long goes by with neither of you saying a word and his blue eyes flicker up to you in concern. When you clap your hands together he nearly parts from his skin.
• "Oh! That explains the weird compliments and the stuff about my mom!" You sigh, slapping your head with a smile. "Oh thank God. Armin I like you too."
☆ More silence because 1. He didn't think you'd like him back and 2. Holy shit you like him back!! He's simultaneously having a party in his brain and melting into the floor.
☆ When he finally kisses you it's unsure. Makes you lean into him. Sweet but subtle like gentle breezes on a hot day. His mouth is closed and his arms cautiously wrap around your waist looking for any sign that you want to get out. But you don't. You just wanna keep pecking his cute little lips because he's so cute and everything he's done is so cute.
• "Finally." You guys turn to see Mikasa and Eren.
• "It's about time." Mikasa greets with a little smirk.
☆ And Armin is practically fainting trying desperately to explain that it wasn't what it looked like but his face continues to tell your little audience that yes. Yes it is what it looks like.
•Modern verse:
☆ Modern day Armin is equipped with an advantage.
☆ Fucking social media.
☆ He went to your page and found out your birthday, your family's last name, how many friends you have in real life. Shit if he dug around long enough he could've probably found your heritage portfolio and your social security. (Social media's a little dangerous sometimes..)
☆ So when he becomes your friend and gets your cell number (Another thing he could've probably dug up online.) He sends you things you might love at any and all times of the day. He spends every free second he has, from lunch time to the last hour he has before he really has to go to sleep researching shit you might like so he can send it to you.
☆ And modern day Armin is so sexy in how he manages to get you into a ton of situations featuring him, your cute little blond simp. Modern day Armin needs to write romance anime 😭
☆ He heard you like aquariums not only did he send you a website to get those tickets way cheaper but he also invited himself (telling you that he was already going). And planned to take you around the city to get your favorite food and any other activities where he could drop his extensive knowledge on marine life. Oh you love astronomy? No problem he was just about to go to the planetarium this weekend, you should definitely go along so he can take you to the planet's light show and stare at you instead of the stars.
☆ Oh your favorite movie is coming out? He had no idea.. he just happened to have an extra ticket to see it the day it comes out. Not only is it now free of charge to you for that but he's also already brought a bunch of your favorite snacks to line his backpack with. Even if your favorite snacks are from a different country he got them express shipped so they'd be there sooner.
☆ He also has weather apps on his phone and laptop so that he'll know if the weather changes even the smallest fraction so that he can take you anywhere else if needed.
☆ Yes he definitely has spent a shit ton of money on you but every time he takes you somewhere your face lights up so beautifully that he'd repeatedly slam his credit card on the table to buy you a plane ticket if you even hinted at wanting it.
☆ In this beautiful opposite world you definitely confessed to him. (You better for his pain and suffering.)
☆ He could've jumped for joy knowing his plans worked perfectly but he simply takes a deep breath, eyes full of contentment as he mumbles, "I feel the same way."
☆ When he kisses you it's with his thumbs lightly rubbing the small of your back. Chewing gum spit out only fifteen minutes ago so his breath was still perfectly fresh. Adding just enough tongue to make you arch and gasp into his mouth. And yeah, he read up on how to do that too. And now that you're his, he's gonna need two jobs cause he came to spoil. No you don't get a say in it.
(The interested simp): Eren
•Aot verse:
☆ Yeah I know this one's weird but let me explain. Eren's simping capabilities are so simple they can be so easily described as, interested.
☆ He legit figured out he had a crush on you and then about 15 minutes later he'd found out everything you'd wanna be if you lived to see the end of the war.
☆ It's so obvious he's simping hard, I mean man's was enamored by you talking about your parents workshop back home. 🙄 You know what I don't even think he was actually interested he was probably playing it up but lowkey disassociated
☆ He definitely gets made fun of for it on the daily too but unlike Jean he kinda shrugs it off.
☆ He's not gonna scavenge the earth for information on you. He's gonna let you tell him and he wants you to tell him. Tell him literally everything about yourself and you will cause he'll know if you don't.
☆ Sometimes he plays little games with you to try to figure out some kind of information about you on like a long ride back from a mission or something. It helps him ease the tension in his brain and gives him something new about you. Win-win
☆ He beat the fucking system by just getting you to talk about you and dropping things you both have in common into conversation. He really did better than Armin!
☆ If you have trouble during training he'll talk you through what you're doing wrong and help you work through your issues. If that leads to some touching well then that's just how things will go 🤷‍♀️
☆ The second he has your favorite color in his mind he's buying you a piece of jewelry with the same stone color. Yes this is him marking you as his and no you probably won't realize but the second you put it on in his eyes you belong to him. And now you can never take it off. 😃
☆ He has a little notebook (not for writing journal entries or anything.) It's just sometimes he forgets certain things you tell him and you pretend to pout when he asks for the information again so he writes it down in the notebook so he can read it and remember it again.
☆ There have definitely been instances on more than one occasion where the two of you would stay up all night talking. Sneak into the other person's room. Sitting on the floor together or side by side on the bed. Those are definitely the best nights because you get to show off your Eren trivia and prove you've retained just as much information on him as he has about you.
☆ Another scenario has presented itself in which you're the one who ends up confessing. Eren would come close cheeks flush with pink and whisper, the ghost of his lips on yours, "I think it's kinda obvious how I feel." When he kisses you it's with both hands cupping your cheeks. So hot against your face. Thumbs curving delicately over your skin. He's leaning into your lips over and over again. Recapturing them every time he pulls back but he also loves making you work for it a little, smirking when you have to strech to capture his lips again. Taking every bit of oxygen from your body. You kinda hold onto him with slightly shaky arms when he's finished. But honestly he's only finished for now cause he'll never get enough of your lips now that he's had a taste.
•Modern verse:
☆ Modern day Eren talked to you before he realized he was attracted to you and you haven't gotten rid of him since the day he realized he wanted you.
☆ He sees you walking to your next class or to the copy machine and he trots his way over to match your pace.
☆ When he's not with you, he's texting you nonsensical stuff he thinks you'll find funny. And when he is with you he's listening to every word you say with the dopiest grin adorning his features.
☆ Sometimes when you're talking he'll unsubtly lick his lips to see if he can make your eyes follow his tongue or he'll lean in closer, kinda crowding you a little if you're both standing. Speaking of crowding he pulls you into him by your hips if you just happen to be standing in the way and someone needs to get past you two.
☆ You'll never understand how much harder he falls for you when you look up at him through your pretty lashes. Hands slightly on his chest.
☆ He loves annoying you. Doing little shit like poking you with the eraser on his pencil or snatching your books from you when you're writing while he's talking. Cause he just thinks you should be staring into his eyes while he talks in the same way he does with you.
☆When he brings you dinner he always brings himself something to eat as well and he'll plop down next to you and ask you for details about your day. Smiling fondly at you when you complain about minor inconveniences.
☆ He loves your fingers so much. If he's not staring into your eyes he's looking at the way your thumb drags over your dripping boba/coffee. The way your fingers click perfectly over every key on your laptop. Every now and then he'll reach out for your hands massaging the knuckles because he just wants to touch them so bad. Bonus points if you smile at him while he does it.
☆ Not gonna lie it could definitely go either way with a confession. But it's probably more likely going to be on you unless he just so happens to accidentally confess while sleepy or drunk.
☆ When he kisses you, he cups your chin pulling you close, angling his tongue so it slides right up against your teeth. He softly hums into your mouth and you can tell he's at least a little nervous but his touch is so perfect. His thumb sliding over the edge of your lips as he sucks your tongue into his mouth. You're more than a little ashamed at the whine you let out when he pulls away. But the way he's blushing makes you feel at least a little bit better.
(The Childish simp): Connie
•Aot verse:
☆ Let's be honest, he doesn't know what he's doing. You know, cause you're his first crush.
☆ He's going to work extra hard to drop even the most random jokes and then look directly at you hoping you laugh. Just laugh cause if you don't he might repeat the joke again and that'd be uncomfortable for everyone.
☆ And when you crack a joke he's out here guffawing like it's the best thing he's ever heard. Like he'll legit pause all conversation with his loud ass laughing and everyone in the room is just like: 😒
☆ If he gives you gifts they're normally things he thinks are cool or awesome but every now and then he'll pick a flower and just randomly stuff it in your hair and when you look at him confused smile adorning your face he'll say, "It fits your face." And then awkwardly gesture at you. All you can really say is thank you.
☆ He practically crashes into the seat next to you at meetings. Jean dead ass started pretending to race him for the seat next to you and one time he tipped the chair over and fell on top of it, Levi made him reenter the room properly after he'd managed to stand up.
☆ He sometimes does that I'm not touching you thing to get your attention or taps your shoulder then looks away as you turn to look at him. He'll poke your shoulder a couple times until he's successful in keeping your eyes on him then he'll hover his finger over your head or shoulder until you roll your eyes.
• "Connie.."
• "I'm not even touching you!" He'll laugh
☆ He does nice things for you but they never really work out well for him. One time he got you a glass of water because he thought you looked thirsty and he placed it in front of you when you weren't looking. You turned from where you were talking with Historia and your elbow tipped over the cup spilling its contents all over your lap and meeting notes. He felt so so bad.
☆ One time you tripped during training and got a huge scratch on your leg and Levi stepped in to care for you. He asked Connie to go get the alcohol and in his excitement he ran back and tripped spilling the entire bottle all over the floor. Eren had to go run to the closest store and get more.
☆ At some point in time he walks into your room and sloppily pours his feelings out to you as you sit on your bed staring at him in confusion. His face is like beet red and he's breathing like he just ran a marathon. But you laugh and tell him you think he's adorable. You think he's gonna hug you when he pulls you in under your arms but he just holds your back super tight with both hands and swings you around till you can't stop giggling. His kiss is sweet a little sloppy cause it's his first but he's eager and cute as he pulls you into his chest. Probably bites your lip in a playful way and you can't help but lean into him.
•Modern verse:
☆ Modern day Connie is probably annoying the fuck out of you. He sends you memes all day! Put your phone on silent all you want you'll just come back to 40+ messages. And he likes to call you when he's not busy which means you're forever regretting giving him your number.
☆ He'll deadass go to the bathroom and face time you in the stall talkin bout some, "What're you doing right now?" And you're like, "Mfer what are you doing right now!"
☆ He takes any given opportunity to flirt with you and he's so goofy you won't realize he genuinely means everything he says,
• "I really hate your last name." He randomly says
• "What'd my last name do to you?"
• He shrugs, "I think you should change it."
• "To what?" You scoff
• "Springer 😘"
☆ And he calls you for the stupidest shit when he's at home:
• "Connie, what's wrong? You called me like four times in a row."
• "Which animals do you think would be the bitchest if they spoke human?"
• "Bye Connie 😑"
• "No wait!"
• "What?"
• "Send nudes."
☆ Loves to lay on you when you're sitting. Like he'll deadass drop his whole weight onto your back while you're sitting in your desk chair trying to work. He's just looking for a way to touch you and doesn't know how to express that.
☆ Yes he does have you in his phone as something crass and no he's not willing to change it. Most likely some shit like fat ass with a heart or Mommy/Daddy as a personal joke.
☆ And yeah you find him super annoying until this one night when he's texting you pics of his old family dog back home and he tells you everything about the dog's life from when he was a puppy to the day he passed and he shows you pics of him kissing the little pups head and holding him and things like that. The last video he sent was him crying while holding a framed photo after the dog's passing during Christmas time. And it's the first time you've ever been provoked to hug Connie instead of choke him.
☆ When the time finally comes for Connie to tell you his feelings you're in a good place to accept them and tell him you like him back. And that's when he pulls you in around the neck and gives you a surprisingly natural kiss. His mouth is parted slightly, hands gripping the back of your shirt a little as he keeps you close. He allows you to take the lead. Forehead warm where it's pressed against his. You both can't help but stay like that for awhile.
(The lowkey simp): Levi
•Aot verse:
☆ Rule number 1 you cannot know he is simping. He'll take it to his grave but if you're not oblivious you'll probably catch on.
☆ When he disassociates during a meeting his eyes get darker in the middle and he just rests his chin on his palm and stares at you. Doesn't matter that the meeting has been going on for more than an hour and he has yet to blink. He doesn't even know he's doing it. When he comes back down to earth he just blinks normally and looks away. And if no one tells him he'll honestly continue to do it. Sometimes in different positions, he's laying back in his chair head forward but his eyes are on you a couple seats down on the other side of the table.
☆ He picks up items whenever he goes into town. And I mean every. single. time. For you and he makes sure it's something you'll love and while you're out training he'll stuff it in a box and place it on your bed.
☆ He writes you anonymous notes with little inspirational words on them in places only you'll find them. But it's inspirational in Levi terms so it's shit like, "Stay alive for tomorrow." And "Don't look down because the sun is up."
☆ When he needs a break from work he just closes his eyes and thinks about you. Sometimes he does it just because he secretly loves that warm floating sensation he gets.
☆ Like Eren he'll trot up beside you whenever he can. But he won't say a word unless you say something first.
• "Hi Captain." You greet when he pops into your peripheral vision.
• Genuinely can not help how soft his eyes are when he looks at you, "Hello." He replies
☆ He'll find some reason to complain about the way his entire squad cleans their rooms so that he can also have an excuse to say he'll reclean them so that he has an excuse to make a bee line for your room first and be trapped in your scent. Taking your sheets off the bed and holding them to his chest, sweeping, getting that extra elbow grease on the windows so they're more spotless than even his standards.
☆ And of course because he doesn't want you to know he's simping hard for you he has to deal with you paying him the same amount of attention as the other higher ups which he hates with a burning passion. Like why don't you like him more? He does way more for you on a level that you can see. You should be more affectionate towards him. You talk to him everyday.
☆ I don't think I need to tell you Levi's shy so you'll be confessing. And you start by telling him you know the notes are from him because while Levi's intelligent he's also stupid. Like who the fuck else has access to your uniform clothes and would care enough to go in your drawers just to leave a piece of paper with the words, "Life is never so shitty that you can't at least better yourself."
☆ He kinda just lowers his head as pink soaks his entire face. And you lift his chin up to press a slow chaste kiss on his lips. He doesn't touch you. He can't bring himself to but he manages to kiss back. His irises so bright when you pull away. "Thank you Captain." You tell him before you leave. He's definitely genuinely worried his heart is getting ready to explode as he stares at the closed door.
•Modern verse
☆ Modern day Levi is a fucking mess. He doesn't know shit about having a crush and he knows it's you really early into meeting you but he's like, why them. He managed to spend his entire existence avoiding romance and yet here you are. He doesn't even know what he wants from you so sometimes he comes off a little more aggressive when he's talking to you.
☆ He stares directly into your soul when you're sitting across from him for any reason. You had to have had a crush on him first because he genuinely doesn't know what to do with himself.
☆ If you invite him somewhere he scoffs immediately following it up with a, "I'll be there."
☆ He rereads your messages whenever he's bored. And if you send him good morning texts he'll be thinking, morning beautiful angel. The one time you sent him a good morning text with a heart he analyzed it so long that he never replied back to you.
☆ The second he figured out how to use personalized ringtones he made yours something soft and sweet. Most likely with violins or maybe with a harp.
☆ A couple times while he was bored during a meeting or class he wrote your initials in cursive in his notebook. One time he wrote it on the front of his notebook by accident and had to throw that one away. Which honestly made him sad because he really liked how it looked.
☆ When you confess to him it's by accident and the way his face lights up is actually the most precious thing you've ever seen. He comes back down to earth slow and admits that he "feels the same." Under his breath of course but you heard and that's what counts.
☆ When you kiss him you instantly notice how small his lips actually are 🥺🥺 like you've stared at them before when he was eating and stuff but his lips are cute and so small. And he's so hesitant to kiss back. But then he does and you can kinda feel the tension leave him a little. His arms a little shaky as he supports himself. It probably looks like two middle schoolers kissing for the first time honestly. Right down to the sitting on the edge of the bed thing. But Levi's lips are so warm and he's such a naturally good kisser that you indulge for as long as you can.
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iliveiloveiwrite · 3 years
Text
Pain in My Heart // Benedict Bridgerton
Request: Could I please request a Bridgerton imagine where Eloise or Daphne are trying to matchmake Reader with one of their brothers (you can pick which one) but Reader actually hits it off with another brother who's in love at first sight (again, your choice!!). - @libraryoffandomsuniverse
A/N: I am so sorry for how long this has taken!! I hope I have done your request justice. I had a lot of fun writing this, I’m pretty proud of what I’ve come up so I hope you like!! Thank you for requesting! Title: Pain in My Heart - Otis Redding
Pairing: Anthony Bridgerton x Fem!Reader (Platonic), Benedict Bridgerton x Fem!Reader (Romantic)
Warnings: pining, mutual pining, awful flirting (I can't write it for the life in me), unrequited love (?), a pride and prejudice moment, love confessions, fluff, very very light angst.
Word count: 4.7k
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There wasn’t a lot that Daphne and Eloise Bridgerton had in common. It was thought by their mother that due to their closeness in age, they would get along swimmingly. However, by the time that Eloise could speak for herself, it became increasingly clear that there were to be no two people different than that of Eloise and Daphne.
However, whilst the two did not share the same tastes in music or literature, they were united in the hope that they would see their elder brothers happily in love.
It is on a Wednesday in the middle of February when Daphne decides that it is time for her eldest brother, Anthony, to find a wife.
Her decision is made when Anthony stalks into the family drawing room. The only sign of his anger being the blazing of his eyes. Dramatically, he throws himself onto the closest couch, his legs stretching across the pale blue fabric as he laments the meddling of mothers.
Daphne barely represses the urge to roll her eyes. She could tell that Eloise was having a hard time not telling her brother how easy he had it in comparison to rights of women and marriage.
Thankfully, however, Anthony is saved from such a lecture by the announcement of a beloved friend. (Y/N) (Y/L/N) had known the Bridgerton family for as long as she had been alive. The same age as Daphne, the two had fallen into an easy friendship that grew more cherished the more time passed.
Upon her announcement, Anthony sits up with keen interest. An action not missed by both Daphne and Eloise – they share a look, one only understood by sisters with masses of brothers.
“Dear (Y/N),” Daphne greets, standing from her chair to greet her lifelong friend, “How have you been?”
“I’ve been very well though it has only been a couple of days since you saw me last.”
Daphne laughs; a light and airy sound. “I can still miss you in that time. Come, sit by me and we can catch up.”
The two women are soon joined by Eloise who places her book down on the table, spine up so she does not lose her page. From where they sit, neither Anthony nor Benedict can hear what the women seem to be whispering about though it seems to be of a serious issue with grave looks on their faces.
Benedict decides that he doesn’t like the look of frustration on her face; the furrow of her brows. If it wouldn’t raise questions of his sanity, he would press his thumb to the furrow, smoothing out her brow so not a trace of the worry remained.
“(Y/N),” Anthony calls, interrupting the conversation currently taking place between the three women, “Would you be attending Lord and Lady Hopton’s ball later on this week? Lord Hopton has done nothing but discuss the expense being put into the event.”
(Y/N) swallows her small sip of tea, placing the cup and saucer down on the table before answering the eldest Bridgerton. “I do plan on attending,” She smiles, fiddling with her gloved fingers.
A pleased smile breaks out across Anthony’s face as he nods. Turning away from her, Anthony walks back to the pale blue couch that only mere moments ago he had thrown himself across in vexation at his dear mother. Now, he sits down gently, making sure every ounce of his nobility is on show.
Benedict cannot help but roll his eyes at the antics of his elder brother. As if on a covert mission for the crown, Benedict’s gaze slides back to her – runs over her figure, taking in the way her dress sits on her form and the way her smile lights up her whole face. He’s a fool in love, he realises, but he would rather be a fool in love with her than a fool in love with anyone else.
It’s as if he finally understands what the poets write about; how the artists never paint more than their muse. As Benedict peers down at the sketchbook in his hands, he comes to realise that he has been drawing her for months. He has found his muse and it’s close to breaking him when he sees the plotting glance shared between Daphne and Eloise.
(Y/N) sits at the table, utterly unaware of the plan being concocted between his sisters. He has the urge to scream, to yell but he keeps quiet. Benedict becomes the very definition of decorum; smiling politely at her when their eyes meet from across the room. The very moment sends his heart skipping a beat before picking up a rhythm he isn’t certain is compatible with life. He has to stop himself from reaching up to grab his chest to ensure his heart doesn’t beat right out of it.
All too soon the moment is over, and she returns to laughing with his younger sisters, but even she knows that something has changed between them. (Y/N) wasn’t one to believe in love at first sight; the very notion belonging only to fairytales, but she, herself, could not deny the thrill that overtook her body when she met the blue eyes of Benedict Bridgerton.
-----------
Lord and Lady Hopton owned one of the last remaining Tudor residences in London. Many had fallen during the reformation, but in some strange stroke of luck, the Hopton’s home had remained largely undamaged. From there, it passed down the male line as all properties and titles were wont to do in such a society.
The current Lord and Lady prided themselves on the tracking of their lineage, dedicating themselves to the conservation of their home. It was rare for them to throw a ball such as this one, but with the favourable weather, Lady Hopton was able to convince her husband it would be well enough for the courtyard to be used to entertain their nearest and dearest.
There was no set theme; an idea many were grateful for. As much as (Y/N) loved the dress up, the competitive nature between eligible ladies wasn’t something she was in the mood for.
The atmosphere is much more relaxed as (Y/N) takes a turn about the room, smiling politely at the women she has grown up with in London society. They would be civil towards each other, but there was no real friendships forged. (Y/N) was quite content with the Bridgerton brood.
Though they had arrived together, (Y/N) found herself wandering from the comforting presence of the family. She could feel Anthony’s eyes on her, and she thinks of Daphne’s suggestion from the other day; the eldest Bridgerton girl had all but suggested that (Y/N) marry Anthony.
Whilst the suggestion was flattering, (Y/N) hadn’t stopped thinking of the moment she shared with Benedict. She thinks of the moment often; remembers the way his stare felt, as if he was staring into her very soul and he liked what he found. She thinks of the way her body responded; the shiver sent through her and how she realised that she liked the way he looked at her. As if she hung the moon and stars in the sky for him, and him alone.
(Y/N) loses herself in the crowd. She wanders and wanders, watching new love form and old love strengthen as she catches sight of couples beginning their night. (Y/N) continues her ruminating until she bumps into something hard. Another body.
(Y/N) cringes when she finds herself face to face with the chest of Benedict Bridgerton. “Benedict!” She gasps, “I’m sorry.”
He steadies her with a gentle hand to her elbow. “You have nothing to apologise for. You looked to be deep in thought, I’m only sorry for interrupting you.”
(Y/N) feels her skin begin to flush. I was thinking of you, she wants to cry at the man, but she only just manages to refrain herself.
Benedict laughs before he can stop himself. “If you’re reacting like that, I have to know what you were thinking of.”
“Nothing for nosies,” She responds, a coy smile crossing her painted lips.
Benedict gasps, pressing a hand to his chest in mock hurt. “You wound me, (Y/N).”
“I’m sure you’ll recover,” (Y/N) laughs, patting Benedict’s arm in mock pity.
“I don’t know,” Benedict expresses, his eyes running over her face and outfit. “I think I’m going to need someone to nurse me back to health.”
(Y/N) feels her skin once again begin to heat at the insinuation in his words. She had encountered banter before with the Bridgerton brothers, but she had never encountered such overt flirting. Benedict’s eyes glittered with mirth; his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes – this was him. This was Benedict in his element; he was an artist, a gentleman, and a man that could render her speechless with a simple line of speech.
She finds it hard to respond for a moment; finds it hard to string two thoughts together in his intoxicating presence. She flounders for a second, watching Benedict continue to smile widely as if he had nothing better to do than waste time with her.
Eventually, she collects herself enough. She peers up at the man from under her lashes, fluttering them to the best of her ability as she whispers, “Such requests may make the recovery period a lot longer and a lot harder.”
Leaving the man speechless, (Y/N) pats his arm once more before taking her leave. Feeling hot and bothered by her encounter with Benedict, (Y/N) ambles over to drinks table. Daphne and Eloise stand there nursing their own drinks; they smile widely at their friend as she approaches the table.
“Have you given thought to what I suggested the other day?” Daphne asks; watching her best friend over the rim of her lemonade glass.
“Courting Anthony?” (Y/N) clarifies, reaching for her glass of the tepid drink. She frowns absentmindedly; it was one of the main issues with balls, they never could keep the drinks cold enough to be refreshing throughout the night. They almost always turned sour.
“The very suggestion,” (Y/N)’s dearest friend states with a smile.
“It wouldn’t work,” (Y/N) protests, urging her friends to see the truth. “We aren’t suited for each other.”
“Anthony disagrees,” Daphne chimes, looking and feeling all to superior in the conversation. “He confided to me only yesterday that he wants to court you.”
The ground is close to swallowing her whole; the walls becoming far too close for her liking. Her mouth is dry when she tries to swallow around the lump in her throat. “That wouldn’t be fair to him,” She croaks, feeling all too close to tears.
“Why not?” Daphne demands, making her vexation known by placing her hands on her hips.
“Daphne,” Eloise interrupts, glancing warily between the two women. “(Y/N) isn’t in love with Anthony. She’s in love with someone else.”
The fight leaves her beloved friend in an instant; she brings a hand to her mouth to cover the shock of Eloise’s words. “I didn’t know,” She whispers, “I wouldn’t have pushed so hard.”
“I know you wouldn’t have,” (Y/N) appeases, “I’m rather new to this.”
“Do we know who it is?” Daphne asks, unable to keep the excitement off her face as she thinks of the handful of men worthy enough to love her dear friend.
(Y/N) sighs, deciding whether to come clean and tell her longest friend that she has found herself hopelessly in love with her brother. She hadn’t even expected it. “It’s Benedict,” She eventually confesses, feeling pressured by the investigative gaze of Daphne Bridgerton.
“Benedict?” Daphne asks, confused, “As in my other brother?”
“The very same,” (Y/N) comments lightly… too lightly as if ready to be on the defence for her feelings for Benedict.
Daphne blinks once, twice before her face breaks with the most beautiful smile. “Oh (Y/N)!” She cries, “This is wonderful!”
“He might not love me back,” (Y/N) whispers, doing her best to keep a light spin on the situation but the idea that Benedict may not return her feelings hurts far more than it should.
“And Anthony still wants to court you,” Eloise reminds her, her voice close to pity.
“Speaking of the devil,” Daphne murmurs with a smile on her face, “Anthony is heading this way.”
“He is?” (Y/N) asks, pivoting on the spot to the find the eldest Bridgerton making his way through the crowd. He smiles at his sisters, briefly checking their glasses to ensure they were sticking strictly to the lemonade offered. When he is suited with what he finds, he turns to (Y/N) and holds out his hand. “Would you care to dance?” He asks her with a confident smile.
She nods her consent, taking his offered hand and allowing herself to be led to the floor. Anthony leads her expertly across the floor; lessons as a child and years in the London society forging him to be an impressive dancer. He makes her laugh as they continue dance, and whilst (Y/N) has a good time with the eldest Bridgerton, she cannot see herself falling for the man like she can see her entire future with Benedict.
------------
The ball had wound down naturally; families and lovers beginning to make their way home through the early morning London streets. (Y/N) travels with the Bridgertons, having arrived with them in the first place. Daphne focuses on the streets of London, doing her best not to fall asleep before getting home to her bed.
“How are you getting home?” Daphne asks, not removing her gaze from the darkened streets of the capital city.
“I’m not sure, I don’t want to have to wait for another carriage,” (Y/N) complains, holding a hand to her mouth to cover a yawn that had slipped out. The tiredness was clinging to her bones now; she wanted nothing more to crawl into her own bed, sink into the pillows and fall into a dreamworld where Benedict climbs into the other side of the bed.
“Stay with us,” Eloise invites, meeting Anthony’s eyes.
“I wouldn’t be an imposition?” (Y/N) asks smally; the last thing she wanted was to be burden on her friends.
“You never could be,” Anthony smiles, “You’re always welcome to stay the night.”
“Thank you, Anthony,” She whispers, reaching for his hand in the dark and squeezing.
Silence falls for the rest of the ride; the weariness of each of them punctuating the air, creating a warmer atmosphere that leaves (Y/N) blinking away sleep. Eloise does her best to remain awake, but her head soon winds up on Anthony’s shoulder to which the man looks the surprised. He recovers quickly, adjusting his younger sister to make her more comfortable.
The Bridgerton siblings and (Y/N) all sigh in blessed relief when the carriage rolls to a stop outside Bridgerton House. The door opening lets in a cold blast of air, making her shiver as she reaches for the handle to help herself down.
“Here,” Benedict’s voice sounds in the dark light of night, “Let me help you.”
His hand reaches for hers; it clasps hers gently as he helps her down from the carriage. All too soon, his hand falls from hers and (Y/N) is left feeling bereft from the absence of his touch. “Thank you,” She whispers, taking a risk and glancing up at the blue eyes already fixed steadily on her.
“You’re welcome,” He murmurs. Benedict glances back to the carriage to find the rest of his family descending on them. “Goodnight,” He whispers, ducking his head in a bow and leaving her on the steps of Bridgerton House.
(Y/N) watches the man depart in somewhat of a daze. If she focused hard enough, she could still feel his hand in hers. She could feel every fingerprint, every crease, every line in his palm. She could feel it all; she wanted to feel more. She wanted everything with that man; would happily offer up her everything for a single glimpse at what it could be like to wake up in his arms and be happy.
Sighing heavily, she touches a hand to her forehead, pausing in the grand entryway of the Bridgerton family home. She felt so keenly for the man that she knew she would suffer the worst fate to man should he not return her feelings: heartbreak.
“(Y/N)?” Anthony calls from the door, his arm around Eloise’s waist. “Would you meet me in my study? I need to talk to you.”
“Of course,” She allows, smiling at the sight before her. Anthony whispers something to his sister to which Eloise offers her goodnights and begins to climb the stairs to her room, Anthony following behind her with a worried look on his face that only a beloved brother could master.
Anthony’s study smelled of wood polish; the mahogany desk sitting by the windows being the main feature of the room. It’s dark wood providing the much of the fragrance in the room; it’s a comforting scent. (Y/N) smiles when she realises that it’s comforting as it reminds her of the Viscount; the scent of his spicy cologne intermingled with the wood, becoming one and the same.
“Thank you for waiting,” Anthony whispers, closing the door behind him, “I know how tired you are, but I really wanted to speak to you.”
“Whatever’s the matter?”
Suddenly, Anthony no longer holds the prowess of a Viscount but rather, looks like the eighteen year old boy handed a peerage all too soon. He runs a hand through his hair out of nerves, pacing back and forth behind his desk. Eventually, he comes to a slow stop, resting his hands on the back of his father’s ageing chair. “Have you given any thought to your future?”
“It’s been on my mind more and more these days,” She answers honestly. It’s all she has thought of since her eyes met Benedict’s across the room and she got a glimpse into what her mornings, afternoons, evenings with the man could be like.
“I think we could be good together,” Anthony argues, offering up a slice of his heart for the taking, “I think we work well together.”
“Anthony, may I be honest with you for a moment?”
“I’d hope for nothing more.”
She takes a deep breath; steeling her nerves before smiling at the Viscount. “With all due respect, I don’t think you do love me.”
Anthony moves to interrupt her; a flash of anger and upset in his eyes. He quietens when she holds up a single hand; begging him to let her continue. “Anthony, I think you were looking for someone to stop your mother from pestering you about marriage. I just happened to walk into the room at the right moment.”
Anthony frowns; he takes in (Y/N)’s words, letting them roll around his mind as he thinks back to the first day when he realised he could truly love the woman sitting in front of him. Violet Bridgerton had been on him from the moment he walked through the front door; producing yet another list of eligible women in London that he could find a potential match in. He had taken the list from his beloved mother and in the privacy of his study, he had ripped the list to tiny pieces making sure that none of the names were legible.
On some level, he has always loved her. (Y/N) had been in his life from the very day she was born; mother being friends, Violet able to offer (Y/N)’s advice as she was her firstborn. At this point, Violet was a seasoned expert on motherhood. Anthony had always known of the girl that was best friends with Daphne; he had watched her grow up. On some level, he has always had some feeling for her.
He knows know, though, that those feelings could never broach romance. There was too deep an affection between them.
“You’re right,” Anthony states, “It wouldn’t be a love match.”
“It wouldn’t,” She affirms, taking a seat in front of the large, wooden desk. Silhouettes of his parents and siblings decorate the space; it brings a fond smile to her face. Anthony presented a strong front, but in private, he was as much the adoring son and brother.
“But you think you have found your love match,” Anthony declares, wanting to clear the air.
“I’m not sure,” She laughs mirthlessly. “I have no clue as to whether he feels the same.”
“He’d be an idiot, not to,” Anthony compliments, “Do I know the lucky man?”
(Y/N) looks sheepish as she stares at the Viscount. She had already confessed to Daphne and Eloise – what harm could one more person do?
“It’s Benedict.”
“You love him,” Anthony whispers; not an accusation, not an ounce of anger in his voice. A simple fact stated for the room.
(Y/N) nods. “I do. I love him with all that I am and all that I know I could be.”
A sad, bittersweet smile crosses Anthony’s face; he won’t speak of how the words hurt him. He reaches for her hand and clasps it tightly between both of his.
“Go to him,” He whispers, “You have my blessing.”
(Y/N) stands. Her intention is to leave the room and find the Bridgerton who had so readily taken root within her heart, but first she crosses to where Anthony stands behind his desk. He watches her with curious eyes as the silk of her glove brushes his cheek; his eye flutter closed when he feels the featherlight press of her lips and the whisper of her gratitude.
Anthony keeps his eyes closed when she pulls away from him; he keeps them closed until he hears the tell-tale click of the door. It is only then that Anthony allows himself to open his eyes and peer into the heartbreak now cracking open his chest. Not for the love he though he felt, but for the utter want racing through his body. He wants a love like that; he was going to find a love like that.
They would be happy together; he thinks to himself as he breathes in the floral scent of her perfume. They would be happy together, perfectly suited to the point that Anthony craves such intimacy. One day; he promises, one day he would hold such a treasure within his hands.
-------------
Bridgerton House remained warm and inviting even after the family had long retired for bed. The sconces lining the walls still lit; their warm light easy on anyone’s eyes should they need to traverse the hallways for whatever reason.
The path to Benedict’s room isn’t one she has taken often. Thinking on it, (Y/N) realises that save for being shown the door on her first ever visit to the London home, she has not stepped foot close to the room since. Until tonight, that is.
Her skirts swish delicately underfoot as (Y/N) makes her way to his room. She doesn’t dare utter a single breath for the fear of being caught; all around her slumber her closest friends. If she were caught by a member of staff, her reputation balanced on being ruined.
Her hand trembles as she clenches it into a fist, raises it to the plain white door and knocks twice. She waits on the threshold, twisting her fingers into her skirts – a nervous habit she’s had since she was a child. She was thankful that she no longer bit her nails down to the bed.  
“Come in,” calls his quiet voice and her nerves only heighten. Taking a deep breath, she pushes open the door that could reveal her future.
“(Y/N),” Benedict gasps, the deep v of his shirt falling open, revealing far more of his bare chest than (Y/N) had expected to see tonight.
“I wanted to talk to you,” She whispers, hovering between the doorway and his room. She does her best to not stare at the defined muscles on display but loses the battle. Her eyes run over the parts of his muscular torso and the strong forearms shown with the sleeves of white shirt rolled up. She didn’t think it was possible to be attracted to the forearms of a person, but here was Benedict proving her wrong.
“What if you get caught?” He whisper-asks, worry lacing his tone as he glances at something behind her. She turns on instinct only to find an empty hallway and three lit sconces.
“Anthony knows where I am,” She retorts, stepping further into Benedict’s room.
“Anthony?”
“He gave me his blessing.”
“To enter my room… unattended… late at night?”
“Essentially, yes,” She smiles, thinking back to her conversation with the Viscount.
“Why were you talking to Anthony?” Benedict asks before he can stop himself. He doesn’t like the simmering jealousy he feels that the picture of (Y/N) alone with Anthony in his study. He clears his throat to chase away the hollow ache of envy; he doesn’t want to picture the conversation. He doesn’t think he could handle it.
“He asked me to court him.”
“Oh,” Benedict responds, feeling his heart begin to crack in his chest. “What did you say?”
“I told him I couldn’t. We wouldn’t suit each other and one other thing.”
“What other thing?”
“I don’t love him. I love someone else.”
“You do? Do I know them?”
(Y/N) laughs, stretching her arms out as she gestures to Benedict’s bedroom. “I’m stood in your room in the middle of the night, Benedict, with full knowledge that if I were to be caught by any of the staff, I would be ruined. What does that tell you?”
Benedict frowns, refusing to let himself fall into the hope growing in his chest. He feels like Icarus; too close to the sun, too close to thing he wants most in this world.
“Stop this pain in my heart,” She commands weakly. “Stop this pain and tell me if you feel the same. If you don’t, I understand but I’d ask you not to tell anyone of this midnight visit.”
His mouth runs dry, and he finds it hard to answer. He’s falling, falling, falling for the woman stood across from him and he cannot find the words to accurately describe the depth of his feelings for her. That day in the drawing room – he’s known her for years, always been aware of her, but that day, it was as if he was finally seeing her for the pure beauty that she inhabits. She could rival Aphrodite herself.
Upset shutters across (Y/N)’s face as she nods twice, trying her best to keep the burn of tears at bay. “It’s okay, Benedict,” She whispers, turning for the door, “Thank you for listening.”
At the last moment, Benedict reaches out and snatches her wrist. “Don’t go,” He pleads, “Don’t leave me. I don’t think I could live with myself if you left me.”
“I don’t understand,” She whispers; confusion lacing her voice. Her eyebrows furrow as she stares at the man before her, “You didn’t say anything. You stayed silent; I took that as my cue to leave.”
Benedict shakes his head. “Don’t go,” He whispers, bringing a hand up to card through the loose strands of hair framing her face. He almost preens as she leans into his touch. “I feel the same, I love you just the same,” Benedict confesses; feeling the weight leave his chest.
“You do?” She asks; her voice small but hopeful.
“I do,” Benedict smiles, brushing her cheek with his finger, “I think I always have, but I didn’t realise until recently.”
(Y/N) sniffles as tears threaten to make an appearance. She laughs wetly, unable to stop the giggle from leaving her mouth as Benedict wipes away the tears. “I hope those are happy tears,” He murmurs wryly.
“They are,” She answers, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him down to her level. “They definitely are.”
“Good,” He answers.
Their faces are so close now it would only take a fraction of a movement to press their lips together; to seal the promise of their union. “Kiss me, Benedict,” She whispers; need lacing her voice as she stares into his famously blue eyes.
Benedict doesn’t need to be told twice; it isn’t often he gets to kiss a goddess.
********
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everlasting-stories · 3 years
Text
To Feel Again [M]
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Genre: light angst, romance
Warnings[!]: smut, penetration, creampie, unprotected sex, mentions of adult toys
Pairing: Doyoung x Reader
Words: 4.4k / One-shot
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Valentine's Day: the day of roses and hearts and chocolates and romantic candlelit dinners. When people proposed marriage and professed undying love.
You sighed, staring unseeing into your bowl of cornflakes as they succumbed to their milky grave and turned to soggy goop. Funny how a date on a calendar could open the pit of despair that lived somewhere near your stomach. It had to be near your stomach. You've been reasonably hungry until you've noticed the date and the pit opened. Your hunger had fallen into it, and the memories and pain rose out of it.
There was a time when this day had been wonderful. Life had been wonderful, you didn't need Valentine's Day, but you celebrated it with reverence and, sometimes, wild abandon.
You knew what love was, what it felt like to love a man and how it felt to lose him. You remembered what he'd said that last morning, how he'd kissed you; how the sun had lit his face as he smiled, promising he'd be back. You also remembered the police, how the sun seemed to dim as they told you the phrases out of courtesy. They were sorry for your loss. They will let you know of details as soon as the investigation on the accident comes to an end.
Since that time, Valentine's Day had passed unheralded, unheeded and uncelebrated. You knew you were a joke of the office - entering thirties soon and never been fucked, that's what they said. The borning woman who had no idea what fun was, wouldn't have known what to do with a man if by some miracle you did catch the attention of one. They were wrong, of course. Not that it was any of their business; it certainly didn't affect your ability to do your job.
If you chose to act and dress your age and spend your evenings quietly, rather than as mutton dressed as lamb in some gaudy nightclub, surely that was your right?
You sighed again, getting up from the table, taking your cereal bowl and dumping the gloop down the sink. A bleak day of petty jibes and pitying looks lay ahead. At least you knew what to expect this year.
Last year had been your first Valentine's Day with this particular company and, therefore, your first with this particular bunch of malicious people - your fellow employees. As front counter receptionist, you were the company's first "public face" and some of your co-workers had decided it didn't look good if that face wasn't surrounded by gifts from admirers on this day.
When the first bunch of anonymous flowers had arrived, you've been flustered, flattered and flabbergasted that anyone would send you flowers. You had hurriedly cleared a space on the counter for them, proudly displaying them, fussing with them to show them off at their best and make them visible from the greatest distance. You kept touching them, moving them slightly, reaffirming they were really there. Your heart sang; someone had noticed you. Maybe he was too shy to reveal himself; maybe he was married and couldn't: your mind was alive with questions, trying to solve the mystery of their origin. You were all in all happy.
Then a large box of chocolates arrived, closely followed by more flowers. By lunchtime, these had been joined by a little plush cherub, two red plush love hearts, a pair of earrings, three more bunches of flowers, four assorted boxes of chocolates and a large jar of candy hearts. They all carried the same anonymous message. And you knew then and there what is the catch behind this.
By the end of the day there were nine flower arrangements, ten boxes of chocolates, three cherubs, the two red love hearts, three teddy bears, two jars of candy, the earrings and a gift box containing four pairs of edible undies. Just before the close of business the final humiliation came - a fantastically wrapped see through box containing an inflatable male doll with vibrating tongue, a massive purple vibrating dildo and a copy of the Sex for The Beginners book.
You had to stay at your post until the last visitor or client left. But the rest of the staff was already heading out of the building. Some boggled at your desk, some snickered, a couple made loud crass comments and a very few had appeared horrified at the pile of stuff surrounding yourself. The building had almost emptied before that last visitor departed. You were sure that, too, was a set-up, particularly when you saw it was the client that had been visiting quite frequently lately.
Myungsoo ushered the man to the street and turned back to you as you gathered your coat and handbag, ready to escape.
"Gee, you're a popular girl. Who would have thought?" He reached your counter and began collecting up the flowers, grinning madly. "Let me help you with all that."
Before you could say a word, he bundled all the flowers, chocolates and assorted other items into your arms. You could barely see where you were going. Myungsoo put his arm around your back and shepherded you out the door, peeking at the vibrator in its transparent box. "There you go, sweetheart. Looks like you're definitely gonna get some action tonight." He turned smartly away, laughing as he rapidly put distance between the two of you.
You obviously had thrown the whole lot in the nearest dumpster and hurried to the relative sanctuary of your car before breaking down and sobbing, burying your head in your hands to hide from prying eyes of curious passer-bys.
Standing at your kitchen sink, you wondered what they'd pull this year. It couldn't be worse, could it? You sighed again and then abruptly shook your head, standing straighter. To hell with it - you were not going to let them get to you today.
It had already begun when you arrived. A bouquet of irises sat at the front of the counter. You were tempted to throw them straight in the garbage, but decided they were too pretty, too unusual. So they stayed. Curiosity got the better of you as you looked at the card, expecting it to say something sappy and insincere, as last year's cards had.
"You are worth far more than they will ever realise. Hear the flowers."
You pondered the card. Hear the flowers?
What on earth did that mean? You raised an eyebrow as you settled into your post: at least it seemed this year would be more intriguing than last. During quiet moments throughout the morning, you'd pick up the card, reread the cryptic message and study the beautiful bouquet, but its secret was never revealed.
No gifts arrived for you, no more flowers. You were relieved, but it only served to deepen the mystery of the flowers. As your lunch hour approached, other staff began filtering out of their offices to take a break. They all noticed the irises. Several of the women stopped and commented on their beauty. No one laughed.
As always, you left the building for lunch. You would usually grab a sandwich somewhere and do a bit of window shopping. Anything to get away for an hour - if you stayed in the office, someone always "needed" you for something.
When you returned, a neatly typed page was on your desk: "The meaning of flowers". One line was highlighted in blue: "Iris: Have Faith. Don't Give Up On Hope." A single purple violet was pinned to the page. You scanned the page to find "Violet (Purple): You occupy my thoughts". You put the page to one side, but still in view, unsure whether to laugh at it and throw it along with the flowers away before the punch line or wait it out. This was definitely a far more sophisticated assault than last year.
Throughout the afternoon a steady procession of couriers arrived, carrying flowers and gifts. You nervously watched each one approach your counter, only to breathe a sigh of relief as the teddy bears and hearts, the chocolates and flowers were all destined for other souls.
At 4:30PM a man approached your station: nothing unusual in that; everyone that came to see someone had to check in with you. What was unusual was that he actually saw you as a fellow human, not a robot programmed to take names and give directions. He smiled at you, a real smile that reached his eyes and warmed your heart. Something familiar in his eyes...
"Good afternoon. My name is Kim Doyoung. I have an appointment to speak to Choi Myungsoo. Would you mind letting him know I am here, please?"
Quickly, you dialled Myungsoo's extension, giving him the information. Myungsoo, as usual was brusque to the point of rude, telling you to "entertain the idiot 'till I'm ready for him - he's not supposed to be here for another 15 minutes".
You were tempted to tell the polite gentleman exactly what Myungsoo had said, but instead used your tact and diplomacy (that was why you were hired after all) to tell him that "Mr. Choi is a little delayed. He will be available in a few minutes."
With that being said, you offered him a seat.
Again he smiled. "Those are beautiful flowers," he said, nodding towards the iris bouquet. "A discerning choice for a lovely lady."
You lowered your eyes, feeling the heat rise in your face, knowing you were blushing.
His voice softened and became much quieter. "You don't remember me, do you?" Your eyes flew to his face, confused. Were you supposed to know this charming man?
"I had an appointment here at the same time, on this day last year. I was waiting outside for a taxi when you left. That was uncalled for, the whole situation that happened - mean and heartless and exactly what I would expect of Myungsoo and his friends. I deal with them only because I must. They offer a service unparalleled in this town."
He leaned across the counter, his voice so low only you could hear. "How they manage it, I cannot tell. They are pig swill and don't know a pearl when confronted with one." Doyoung paused, seeming to weigh up his next statement, then leaned closer to you. "Did you hear the flowers?"
Your eyes again flew to his face, your mouth falling open a little. "You sent them?"
"I did. And the violet. I had hoped to counter whatever crass display they had planned this year. Would you possibly consider spending the evening with me?" His face was eager, hopeful. "A nice dinner?"
You were stunned, flattered, amazed - but also wary. This was Myungsoo's client. He could easily have been put up to this. You studied his face closely, seeking any hint of a lurking cad. His face fell. "But, of course, you have other plans. I apologise for embarrassing you." He moved away and sat, abashed, on one of the hideous lounge chairs to await his appointment.
You studied this man. He didn't seem to fit the mould of Myungsoo's usual cohorts. For one thing he was unerringly polite. He was also good looking, very, very good looking, without being outstanding or flashy. He was also much closer to your age than Myungsoo's and had an air of quiet confidence, like he had nothing to prove to anyone and nothing to fear from them either. You looked at the flowers. Could Myungsoo have possibly thought of something this elegant? You didn't think so. You took a deep breath: to hell with it.
"Mr. Kim?" He looked up. "What time would you like to pick me up?"
In your bedroom, staring at the clothes hanging limply in your closet, the cool bravado that had claimed you as you agreed to the date vanished. In its place indecision, doubt and outright terror took hold. It seemed painfully obvious to you now, away from the office and that lovely man, that it was all another twisted joke, something for the office beautiful people to laugh at during tomorrow's coffee breaks. Why did you say yes? Your wardrobe was woefully inadequate. It was years since you'd been out with a man; you were bound to make a fool of yourself, even if it wasn't a set-up.
At that thought your heart jumped and lurched. The possibility that Mr. Kim - no, Doyoung; this was a date not a business appointment - was sincere in his wish to take you out only heightened your confusion and indecision.
Finally, in desperation and the realisation that if you didn't decide soon, you'd still be in your underwear when he arrived; you chose a chanel-knee length cremé skirt and baby pink cashmere sweater, topped off with knee length boots. The heels were quite high, but you remembered him being tall, so that wouldn't be an issue, as long as you didn't fall over in them.
You were saved from an overcritical examination in the mirror. You had just completed applying your makeup when Doyoung arrived. You grabbed your coat and quickly walked out the door, before you had time to rethink and back out.
"You look lovely," Doyoung said, smiling down at you. Feeling the heat creeping up your cheeks; you weren't used to receiving compliments, particularly from someone like him. You mumbled a shy thanks as he helped you put on your coat and led you to his car.
Sitting in the car as he drove, you were able to study the mysterious man that is Kim Doyoung. He was extremely handsome, not in the classical sense, but he certainly was far from a plain looking man - a man at peace with himself. He knew who he was and was content with that; he knew what he wanted and how to get it; and what was beyond his capabilities and lost no sleep over it. He obviously managed quite well; his car was expensive but not too flashy.
The restaurant he took you too was a quiet small place, away from the standard eat-and-entertain strip. It was intimate without claustrophobia; the decor was elegant without being overbearing; the lighting low but not dim; the service attentive without being intrusive. The food you could not describe - later, you barely remembered what you had eaten beyond it being "nice" - your attention was totally taken by Doyoung.
He was gallant and charming; helping you with your coat and holding your chair for you at the intimate table for two tucked away in a corner. Doyoung quietly suggested items on the menu he thought you might like. It was obvious he'd been here before, was a regular, but usually without company. His choice of wine was perfect to go with the excellent food as you enjoyed each other's company.
And you talked.
You learned a lot about him. Doyoung was 34, older than you had thought; he had been engaged, but his fiancé decided to break off the engagement for simply falling out of love. He had had a series of short term relationships that had petered out and, for the past several years, had lived a solitary life, rarely going out with women. He didn't work as such; his livelihood came from investments, which explained him being a client of the company you worked in. Myungsoo may be a jerk, but he was the one of the best investment brokers around.
He had been attracted to you the first time he met you, a year ago, but had been intimidated by the evidence of all your admirers. When he realised it was all a cruel joke played by his adviser and the other brokers, he was mortified. He had seriously considered changing brokers, going to another organisation but that would have meant he had no chance of meeting you again. So he stayed. He had been in your office on three occasions since then, and each time had seen your quiet, unflappable charm and how your talent and lovely nature were either ignored or taken for granted by those around you. He was determined to gain your attention, but without the office cricus freaks being able to use it against you, hence the mystery flower delivery this morning.
You found yourself opening up to Doyoung. He seemed sincerely interested in hearing what you had to say, hanging on your every word. It was a liberating and wonderfully powerful feeling. You weren't used to being the centre of anyone's attention. You told him of your pride at the independence since the loss of your lover, all those years ago. You were happy in your little home, content with your work, rarely coming to the attention of the office jokers.
It was over coffee that you admitted to Doyoung something you haven't admitted to yourself: your life was lonely and you missed the affection of another person. You missed the companionship of sharing your life with someone.
Immediately after the words had left your lips you regretted them. You have given away too much of yourself, been too forward. You lowered your eyes, not wanting to see the closed expression you knew would be on his face, so you didn't see the fleeting look of pain, quickly followed by understanding and hope.
However, you did feel his hand close over yours and squeeze lightly. You looked up into a face of gentle eyes and soft smile. "Would you like to take a walk with me," he said quietly. "I think it's time we leave - they want to close the restaurant anyway."
You looked around yourself noticing that you two were the only people other than staff left in the restaurant, and many of the lights were dimmed. You gasped in wonder - you had no idea you've been there so long. "Yes, a walk would be lovely."
Doyoung ushered you along the street and across a small, neat park to a promenade along the riverbank. It was enough lit to feel safe and you walked along arm in arm. You felt his arm snake around your waist hugging you closer to him, and you snuggled against him, your arm around his back. The moon was up, the stars were out and the night was peaceful and clear.
Your heart was singing and your eyes sparkled. You've been right to take this gamble. He was sincere, and it was wonderful. But the night was late, and it was rather cold.
You shivered. Doyoung felt it immediately and turned off the promenade proposing to head back toward the street where he had left the car. "I'd better take you home. It wouldn't be much of a date if you ended up ill."
At your door, Doyoung formally thanked you for a lovely evening and asked if he could see you again. You smiled and surprised yourself only a little by reaching up and kissing him lightly on the lips before saying: "Would you like to come in for a nightcap?"
Doyoung blinked, looking mildly bemused for a moment before studying your face. "Are you sure?"
Oh, most definitely, you were sure. You have thought of nothing else since you two have left the river. He looked right, he felt right, and he smelt right. You wanted him but was sure he'd never make a move. He was too much of a gentleman to ever force the issue.
You took his hand and led him into your home, kicking the door closed with your foot, shutting out the rest of the world with its mean people and ugly attitudes. You reached up to kiss him again. This time he lowered his head to yours, cradling your face in his hands as he returned the kiss. The lips met and parted, allowing the tongues to join and caress each other. His hands moved down from your face to caress your body, yours moving up from his hips. Both of you parted, searching each other's faces for confirmation of your desires.
"I think we're on the same page," you said. "Why don't you leave your coat on the couch? Do you want the nightcap now, or after the tour?"
"I'll put a hold on the nightcap," Doyoung answered, reading the desire in your eyes and knowing it was mirrored in his while stripping off the coat.
"Right."
You took his hand again. "This is the lounge. There," you pointed to the right, "is the kitchen and dining room. This way," pulling him down the hall, "is the second bedroom, the bathroom and," dragging him through a doorway, "here is the main bedroom."
"Very nice," he said, looking around, trying not to focus on the bed.
Suddenly shy, you both looked at anything but each other, awkward in a lack of intimate knowledge of each other. Doyoung tentatively reached out a hand to you, aiming to caress your breast, veering off at the last moment to your shoulder, but still lightly brushing your breast with his fingertips. Your gasped breath emboldened him and he reached his other hand, caressing your other breast lightly as you shivered under his touch and sighed.
Your own hands went to his chest, running down the front of his shirt and back up, then beginning to undo the buttons, pulling the shirt from his trousers and teasing his bare skin with your fingers.
Doyoung pulled his shirt off and then raised the sweater over your head and off the arms, moving in to kiss you as his hands went around your back to undo the clasps of a bra and returned to cup your breasts. The sensation on your breasts as he caressed and pinched the nipples sent a sharp message straight between your legs. You could feel yourself becoming moist and shuddered under his touch; breath becoming uneven.
Pushing him away you removed the skirt, letting it pool at your feet while looking into his eyes. Doyoung took the hint and began unbuckling his belt, then grinned foolishly and sat beside you to take off his socks, sneaking kisses of your neck and shoulders as he did so. You both stood again, slightly apart. He dropped his trousers and you could see his briefs pushed out of shape by his erection, the fabric straining.
Doyoung stepped up, taking you in his arms, kissing down your neck and across the collarbone, his hands lowering to your hips, sliding under the elastic and beginning to tug your panties down. Your own hands flew to the top of his briefs. Together, you pulled down the underwear, stepping out of them and standing naked before each other. Again Doyoung moved first, holding you and gently pushing backwards onto the bed, following after you onto it.
He ran one hand down the body of yours, teasing and tickling the beginning of your womanhood and beyond, teasing you with his fingers, tickling across your mound and easing around your damp centre. You moaned as he explored, your hips twisting and twitching. It had been so long since another man had touched you there. It felt amazing, wonderful, but achingly short of what you needed. You could feel his hardness against your thigh. Reaching down, you took his cock into your hand. It was hot, hard and pulsed under your touch. Doyoung groaned and his hips jerked convulsively. You kissed him hard and whispered fiercely, "Please, it's been too long. I need you, now."
"For me too, far too long," Doyoung gasped back, rolling you onto your back and positioning himself before gently splitting your lips and sliding steadily but firmly into you. Your moans were prominent in the air as he stretched and filled you right, not stopping his steady thrust until he was wholly inside you, your warm walls gripping him tightly. Your eyes met and locked as you lay still, immersed in the feeling of each other's body.
Being warm, wet and a safe haven, you were engulfing his cock. Doyoung was filling you with his hard heat, owning your body completely. You fit each other perfectly; you could see it in each other's eyes. You belonged together.
As great as this feeling was, you needed more. Doyoung slowly withdrew, till only the very tip split you. Both groaning as he pushed back in, again slowly feeling each other with delectable inch. Slowly in and out, in and out, revelling in the feeling of each other's bodies, gradually building up speed as your need increased.
You could feel the fire building, the tension increasing as sensation on sensation smashed into you with each thrust, your body twitching, your hips writhing. Still it built; higher, tighter, fiercer. Your entire being was wrapped around Doyoung's cock as it pumped in and out of you. You could hear him grunting with each thrust, feel his body trembling as he got closer to his climax. His speed increased and you breath got caught in your throat, your back arched, legs went stiff as you began to twitch when the white light exploded through you, spreading warmth and scattering your senses.
You felt, from far away but deep within you, Doyoung losing his rhythm before coming, pumping wildly into you, grunting and thrusting hard one last time as he shot deep inside you feeling spent but overly fulfilled.
Your hand was making lazy circles on Doyoung's chest as you lay, curled against his side with a head on his shoulder. You weren't sure how you've come to be in this position, but it felt so right and he smelled so good.
You were at peace while drifting off to sleep.
Waking up without feeling body by your side, you immediately felt the loss. Doyoung wasn't there. Your heart dropped, the pit near your stomach threatened to open and engulf it. Sensing the tears coming up, you accidentally feel something on your side with a hand.
He wasn't there. But there was a note.
"I am so sorry. I hate to leave you, knowing you will wake alone. There is something I must do."
You had just finished reading when the phone rang, disturbing your thoughts. Grudgingly, you moved to answer it. "Hello."
"Wish I was still beside you."
Your heart flipped again. The pit dissolved so you could breathe again before whispering, "Doyoung."
"Y/N. Tell me, what are you planning for breakfast?"
"Uhm. Coffee? Maybe some toast. Why?"
"Don't move. I'm on my way. With breakfast. And it's better than toast."
You lay back in bed, listening to the dial tone after he hung up. Surprised, you smile softly. You must remember to thank Myungsoo for introducing them.
If this is how you will feel loved and feel free to love again, you have no complaints.
Your new chapter is about to begin and hopefully, it will last for a very long time with a man named Kim Doyoung.
243 notes · View notes
capt-spooki3 · 3 years
Text
By The Witch's Grace
Route Unlocked: Wilbur
Chapter Four: One on One
A Sbi "choose your own story" fanfiction
Click here for story description
Warnings: cursing, description of anxiety, light angst, injuries, blood, talk of scars
4.7k words
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Y/n stepped down the stairs on the porch, they decided on going to see what Wilbur was doing since he was sitting next to the house. As they walked down the last step, they had turned to say hello to him but Wilbur had already hopped up with the guitar in hand and a big smile on his face when he saw them.
“Hey! Uh Y/n, good morning, I was going to ask if you could help teach me guitar?” He held the instrument up in his hands, gently like he was afraid to break it. “You seem like you’d be a good teacher.”
They looked him over and couldn’t help a smile and giggle at his gentleness.
“Yeah, I would love to teach you, here let’s go to the basement. I have my music books down there and we can get started teaching you some scales.” They offered to him, walking over to guide him to the lower doors on the home, and his eyes lit up as he followed them with excitement.
“I have to warn you though, it’s been a year or two since I’ve played anything, so I might not be as great of a teacher as you think.” They said while keeping the door held open for him to walk inside after them.
“You know more than me at least. I think that will make you a fine enough teacher” He spoke with an obvious smile in his voice, closing the door so he could follow after them and stopping only when Poppy ran up to him with a loud meow so he took a couple of moments to pet her. “I gotta go, sorry sweetie.”
Y/n jogged down the stairs, glancing back to see if Wilbur was behind but heard the soft meow of Poppy and figured he was giving her attention. They walked over to the bookcase filled with music books, all of them being hand-me-downs from the old woman from town that was practically their family now. She didn’t have any children of her own so Y/n simply took up the role for her so they inherited all of the music-related things they had. She was too busy to ever use it and happily gave it away when Y/n showed interest, but not before teaching them how to play.
They hummed while looking over the books, trying to find the one they knew had beginner information in it when Wilbur hurriedly joined them downstairs. They gave him a quick glance, seeing Poppy trailing right behind and tail held up high.
“Aww… she really likes you, Wilbur.”
He glanced back at the cat and smiled. “Yeah, well I really like…” He trailed off and slowly closed his mouth, clearly regretting the words he wanted to say. “Uhm, anyway, how do you... start learning this stuff?”
Y/n grabbed a book off the shelf and turned to face him, taking slow steps toward him as they flipped through pages and glanced over them. “Well, I watched my teacher play a few songs and had her teach me how to play the songs she did. That probably isn’t the best way to learn, but I think it worked pretty well.” They shut the book with a loud thump and extended it to him.
“If you want to learn chords and stuff first though, we can do that. Just whatever you think would be easiest for you to understand.”
He quickly set down the guitar to lean against a chair then took the book from them and opened it up, looking at the pages and trying to see if anything looked familiar or if it made any sense. Of course, it didn’t. It just looked like bunches of weird words and symbols that didn’t mean anything to him.
“I think… I’d like to hear you play.” He glanced up to meet their eyes then back to the book with a laugh. “‘Cause uh, this just looks like a mess of words.”
“Fair enough,” They started as they walked over to grab the guitar from beside him. “Honestly it took me a while to understand all that musical lingo too so I don’t blame you for wanting to start here.” They plopped down in the chair that was beside his and took the small wooden pick from between the strings on the neck of the instrument and strummed a couple of times before needing to tune a few strings.
Wilbur sat down, watching them for a moment before he focused on the book and read through a few pages while Y/n got the guitar in tune. They gave it a couple more strums before nodding their head in contentment with remembering how to get it in tune and situated it on their lap so they could play.
“Okay, I think I’m all ready. So the song I’m going to play is the first one I was taught. I can’t-” They laughed out of a bit of embarrassment, putting their fingers on the right strings. “I can’t remember who wrote it, but it was called Rounds. Now let’s see here...”
-
(cue Rounds by The Oh Hellos)
-
They strummed the chords, seeming a bit unconfident as they were afraid of messing up after not playing for so long. A good few times of repeating the same lines of music, they swayed slowly from side to side as they finally got into it.
They were so busy making sure they wouldn’t mess up that they didn’t notice Wilbur, who had long abandoned the book and was sitting as close to the side of the chair nearest to them to watch. He was leaned forward but slouched a bit since he was resting on his elbows though his eyes watched their hands move to make each new bit of sound. He didn’t miss the chance to sneak glances at their face while they were completely concentrated and not worried about him.
Y/n started to hum a soft tune along with the music, to which they didn’t even notice Wilbur softly joining in with a smile. Even as they hummed louder, loudening the strums as well, he remained undetected as he harmonized with them.
They changed the chords, dying it down, and stopped humming which indicated a change to the course of the song. They let out a breath before taking in a deep one and with the final two strums, they started.
“Am I still speaking?” They straightened and flicked their attention to Wilbur who sung the words along with them, he had a soft smile and a look of pure contentment. They couldn’t help but smile a little back at him, more in surprise than anything. They had to glance back to make sure their fingering was right but looked back at him to make sure it was really him singing with them.
“Yeah, I’m long in the wind.” He dipped his head down a bit, then looked away but continued to sing. “I’ll go on and on and on again, if my chest don't cave in.”
They cut the strum short with their palm and he looked back at them, confused. “You know this song!? There’s no way.”
“Oh really? Well, what about if I…” He averted his gaze, thinking for a moment before looking back to sing again. “Be the sun as my witness! Better prophets could pen. A thousand words for every chord I could ever begin.”
“No way…”
He giggled a little at their astonishment. “That’s my favorite verse.”
"Well, now you've gotta tell me where you learned that." Y/n eyed him with a smile before turning back to the guitar as they played over some of the later parts in the song, but still casting little glances as they waited for him to speak.
"One of the maids back at the castle actually, she was like a second mother after Kristen passed, she sang that song a lot. I helped clean clothes when I wasn't on duty or training." He explained, sitting up and leaning back in the chair but still watching Y/n. "I didn’t know there was music to it though, your humming kinda shot the memory back into me."
“So you know the whole thing?”
“I believe so, why?”
They stopped playing random chords and turned their body to him so he could fully see the guitar this time. “Let’s start again. Watch my hands okay?” With a smile at him, they looked back at the strings and started the song over again but with more confidence. They tapped their foot to the beat this playthrough of the song to keep themself in time.
They played through the song flawlessly, but Wilbur was unsatisfied as he didn’t have the chords down. So they played through it again and again. By the fourth time they ended the song, Wilbur was sitting crisscrossed in the chair, hands in his hair with a confused and completely lost look on his face from not retaining any of what they played enough to try for himself. Y/n laughed to themself and stood up, stretching their body from sitting in the same position for so long.
“Okay, I have an idea if you’re comfortable with it.” They looked down to him as he messed up his hair, smoothing it all down, and watched them curiously. “I can sit on the ground with you, so it’d be easier to help, and direct your hands. We can take it chord by chord, but it’s pretty repetitive so I think you’ll do good with it.”
“Absolutely because I am so lost. Like how do you memorize this stuff? I could never.” He said while moving off the chair to sit on the rug just under the chairs.
“You’ll get it, don't worry. I swear it’s not as hard as you might think once you play enough.” They sat down right in front of him and handed him the guitar. He took it slowly and held it awkwardly, obviously very unsure of how he should be holding it. Holding back on giggling, they scooted closer and guided his hands and the instrument to its proper placements then let him get comfortable with holding it.
“Ready?”
He glanced up at them then back down to his hands and the guitar, nodding a little bit. “Yeah… yeah, I think so.”
With that, they directed him on where to put his fingers for each chord and when he needed it, moved his hands themself or held their hand over his so he could get a feel on how to hold it. They were incredibly patient with him even with his ever so often apology for not being the fastest learner, he was trying hard to understand and remember how to play each chord they taught him. It got easier when they got into the system to teach him one chord then play the chords he knows to revise them all in a way. And after a while, he had all the needed notes down for the entire song.
“Wait, that's it? I did it?” Wilbur sat up straight and when they nodded, he gasped and smiled before moving closer so their knees were touching. “Okay, okay teach me how it goes, I’m ready!”
“Okay! Okay,” They stopped to giggle and thought for a second to make sure they told him the right notes.
The song slowly came together, it was slower than it should be played and he messed up quite a bit but none of it discouraged him. Wilbur never once got frustrated and would just silently correct himself and look for affirmation that he did well. And once he got comfortable with the song and played through it completely, Y/n sang softly to put it all together. Needless to say, he got distracted by them and when he tried to recover, fumbled with the strings and grew flustered by his obvious nervousness. 
He let out a soft sigh, staring at the strings and very clearly thinking or seeming like he wanted to speak.
“Are you okay?” They leaned down to get into his view to which he looked at them and back at the guitar, smiling with a little laugh.
“Yeah, yeah I was just thinking… you know if you were a musical term, I think melody would fit you best.”
“You think?” He nodded confidently. “Well explain then, why would I be the melody?”
“Well truthfully, you just remind me of music. Like the parts of it that can be addicting but also more soothing than anything else, even the part of it that moves you to your core.” He met their eyes, holding the contact as he tipped his head to the side. “Yeah… just the embodiment of music. But if you were to fit somewhere specifically it would be the melody.”
They opened their mouth to ask him another question so he could talk about this more, but the sound of the front door opening and closing caught both of their attention with Phil’s voice following after.
“Y/n? Wilbur?”
“Down here!” Y/n called, leaning back to look over at the stairs. Phil made his way down the stairs and stalled as he looked over the scene of the two but just smiled.
“Hey, I’m going to start cooking. You two take a break and come help me, alright?” He told them before heading back up the stairs. Poppy, who had been fast asleep in one of the plush chairs, had perked up when hearing Phil and jumped off and ran past Y/n and Wilbur to follow him upstairs. They both put away the couple of things they got out before walking upstairs and to the kitchen.
“But seriously Wilbur, you’re doing really well. You kept going strong no matter how many times you messed up. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you Y/n, maybe I’ll get better than you.” He teased, shoving them lightly with his shoulder and earning a shove right back before they walked ahead of him to see Phil. He was already busy dicing an onion with some meat already cooking.
Phil looked back when the two approached him but quickly turned back to watch his hands. “What were you two up to? It looked like you were teaching Wilbur guitar.”
“They were and I have to say,” Wilbur leaned on the counter beside Phil. “I think I’m doing pretty well. In all honesty, I think I might be a melomaniac.” He looked over at Y/n and looked them up and down with a smile, but turned back to Phil and talked about whenever he found interesting from learning to play the guitar as if what he did never happened. 
-
“Come on, just look through it with me please!!” Wilbur begged Y/n, walking around in front of them to stop them from walking out the door as he held a thick book in hand.
The whole morning he had been trying to get Y/n to tell him what their favorite song was and as soon as he got the dreaded ‘I don’t know’ he raced to find the biggest music book he could so they could find one to show him. They were supposed to go practice magic with Phil as soon as they were done eating and didn’t want to leave him waiting any longer than they had to.
“I’m sorry, I can’t right now. Look I will once I’m done I promise!” They pushed his arm gently to get him to move, but all they got was a pout out of him. They rolled their eyes and sighed, taking a step back. “Okay um, I remember a song in one of those books. It was one of my favorites to play. Uh, one of the lines was… ‘days fade into a watercolor blur’ but I can't remember the name right now, can I go?”
“Yes! Absolutely, thank you my melody, I hope your magic lessons go well!” He patted their back before he raced off past them and assumably down to the basement, leaving them very caught off guard.
“Melody..?” They stood there thinking for a moment, but shook it off and headed out of the door to find Phil. He said he’d be sitting with the chickens that morning so obviously, that was their first place to look. Just as expected, he was sitting in the dirt with a rooster in his lap and a few of the rooster’s hens hanging around. Phil glanced up and when noticing Y/n he smiled and waved them over.
“Hey! Sorry, I meant to be here sooner but Wilbur was insistent that I show him my favorite song from my music books.” They explained, walking slower when they neared Phil as to not disturb the chickens and sat down in front of him.
He chuckled and watched the rooster as he pets him. “That’s quite alright mate. He’s really taken a  liking to you, I’m sure you’ve already been able to tell though.” He just smiled fondly, taking in a deep breath. “He never has been one for keeping his feelings hidden away, just like with Sally, the poor boy wears his heart on his sleeve. I bet he doesn’t even realize, he probably thinks he’s being so sly.”
Y/n laughed a little bit at his assessment. Phil was spot on, but after raising someone it wouldn’t be too hard to know all about them. They reached out when a hen came out to them and stroked the side of her face with their finger. “He’s sweet though, I didn’t expect him to be so eager to take up all my time.”
“Well…” They looked up at Phil when he trailed off then followed his eyes when he looked over to the house. They then noticed Technoblade sitting beside the house, obviously meditating. “In case you get tired of Will, you can always go give Techno some company. I think he’d like your presence.” Turning back to Phil, he watched them with a hopeful expression but dropped it when they just stared at him. He slowly got up, giving the rooster time to hop off his lap.
“You don’t have to for my sake, I just think it would do him good to have a partner- er uh-” He stopped, fumbling over words a little bit. “I mean- like a friend. A companion. But choose who you wish! I’m not picking sides here.” A blatant lie. They couldn’t help but laugh at him.
Y/n stood up, assuming Phil wanted to move somewhere else. “Of course, Of course. I think it would be hard to get tired of him though.” They watched the hen they were giving attention peck around on the ground near their feet. “He’s giving me a new found passion for music because of his excitement towards it, it’s refreshing.”
He chuckled softly, walking past them and patting their shoulder. They turned to follow him and stayed quiet while they walked slightly behind him but at his side. He stopped at the tree line and looked in, seeming a bit lost in thought, and turned to them after a moment.
“Y/n, would you mind telling me about the eye?”
They went quiet, not sure how to respond as the light heartedness of the situation was stripped from them at the mention. Instead, they looked down at the necklace which forever hung around their neck. At this point, it felt more like something chaining them down than a tool to help them be a better mage like they hoped it would be. “Where do I even start?” They tried to laugh off the lump rising in their throat but looking up and meeting Phil’s worried expression just made tears prick their eyes. He took a step closer to them, but they took a few back in response. “No, no I’m fine just… I’m okay.” They kept their eyes on the ground, sniffling as they felt a tear run down their cheek.
“Mate, we don’t have to talk about it if it’s hard to.” Phil said softly, keeping his distance from them.
“It just… made me realize how afraid it made me. It's…” They looked up suddenly, still having tears in their eyes. “Phil, it’s taken over me. It’s- it’s possessed me! I was so scared when it happened. I mean it has only happened twice but what happens when it does again!? I don’t- I-I don’t know…” Their breaths got caught in their throat and they took short shuddering gasps trying their hardest to contain it and not break down. Not here, not in front of someone they just started to know and trust. They felt their legs start to get weak and their vision was nothing but a blur from the tears.
Phil grabbed ahold of their arms and they met his eyes, now noticing how hard they were breathing. He pulled them in and hugged them tightly to which they held onto him, using him as a solid form to help them ground themself again. They mumbled small things about how scary it was to wake up halfway down their forest path to town and how they could feel the evilness of the eye right before it took over. He stayed quiet and listened to them, rubbing their back slowly once they had calmed down a little.
They took a deep breath and rested their forehead against his shoulder. Finally releasing a little bit of the pent-up fear and anxiety that was building up around the eye had lifted the static that festered in their chest. “Phil…” Y/n said quietly as they slowly pulled away from him though they kept their eyes averted away. “Is there anything I can do to get rid of this?”
“I…” He started but trailed off. It was clear he was clueless, still, he cleared his throat and reached over to rub their arm comfortingly. “I’ll figure something out. I promise.” They looked back at him and he smiled at them which finally earned a small smile in return. “Do you still want to learn some magic? I know some music-related spells.” When their eyes lit up a bit, he chuckled and took a seat on the ground, ushering them to join him.
Y/n spent most of the day outside with Phil. He taught them little spells and tricks to incorporate magic into their music, he sang a few songs as a way to show them and it turned out he had a rather nice voice. A few times when they got caught up in emotions, he offered fatherly advice and joked with them to lighten the mood. He was quickly growing to be like the father they never had… or at least remembered having. It was until he was in the middle of meditating with them that Tommy came up to them, he was dirty and holding onto his forearm with a bit of blood that was seeping through his fingers. Y/n saw him first as they opened an eye when hearing footsteps approaching them. He kept his eyes on the ground, clearly trying to make it seem like he didn’t have tears in his eyes.
They jumped up and ran over to him, startling Phil who finally noticed his son. “Oh, Tommy what happened!?” They reached over to look at his arm, he pulled away at first and they looked at him. He met their eyes and sniffled again, finally letting his arm go to show them a deep cut that was actively bleeding. “Oh my gosh, are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere else are you?” They asked him while taking off the cloth they were using as a belt and wrapped it around his arm to help maintain the bleeding and checked him over right after. Phil was beside them now, looking Tommy over while he stared at the ground.
“I didn’t think the sheep could actually be that scary, I-” He hiccuped a little, squeezing his eyes shut to stop himself from crying more but they fell anyway. It seemed that getting hurt overwhelmed him. Phil brushed some of his hair back and softly consoled him to calm him down. It took a moment, but he started talking again. “I was messing with them and tried getting on one’s back, it bucked me off and that upset a few of them and they ran at me. I was running away and tried jumping over the fence and that… obviously didn’t go well for me.”
“Aw… yeah it’s barbed wire. Let’s get you inside, I can help you clean this-”
“It’ll take too long, it’ll get infected if we let it be.” Phil butted in and moved Y/n’s hands off of Tommy’s arm. He undid the cloth that was thoroughly bloody now and gave it back to Y/n. He gently put his hand over the cut and kept it there as it glowed a soft white, within no time he took it away and the wound had closed up enough that it wasn’t open. “You’ll still need to clean it but-”
“Oooh! It’s been forever since you’ve done that, that was so cool!” Tommy said excitedly, his eyes and nose were still a little red from crying, but he was smiling and looking at Phil with bright eyes like he wasn’t upset just a second ago. “Can you do that again?”
“Wha- no! You’d have to get hurt again for me to do that- and do not go get trampled by the sheep or some shit.” He sighed, lightly laughing. “You little shit- are you alright though? You’re not hurt anywhere else right?”
Tommy shook his head and looked down at his arm, wiping away some of the half-dried blood that only smeared more from the blood on his hand. “I probably have some bruises, but now I just smell like shit.” Phil laughed and went around him, patting his back and pushing him forward to get him to start walking back to the house to which Y/n followed right beside.
Techno seemed to know something was up as he put down the wooden staff he was training with and hurried over to the three of them. “Did something happen?” He immediately noticed the blood on Tommy and grabbed his shoulder to stop him and looked him over.
“He’s fine, mate, don’t worry. I healed him up, he’s okay.” Phil said in a hurry to cure Techno’s worry. 
“Haha yeah bitch, now I’ll have a badass scar like you.” Tommy said with a smug look, but Techno just rolled his eyes and gave him a little shove.
“It’s only badass if you have a cool story behind it.” He corrected and held his head up to look down at his brother. “What’s your super cool story behind it?”
Tommy puffed his chest out and stood tall to try and seem as big as Technoblade. “Yeah, well I had to fight off all the sheep in the pastu-”
“Okay! Nope, inside with you!” Y/n grabbed his arm and pulled him away and toward the steps of the porch. “You two can continue your little… whatever this is inside, you need to get cleaned up.”
He groaned and made a face at them. “Yeah okay, MOM.” He snickered and rushed inside with Phil following after with a smile. They followed the two, watching Techno jog over to grab the staff he left before he started walking back to the house.
Y/n grabbed herbs and soap once they got into the house and helped Tommy clean himself up before they sent him off to bathe. They washed the blood off of their belt the best they could before they went back downstairs to put away their things by themself before hearing a knock on the wall. Turning around, there was Wilbur beside the stairs watching them.
“Hey there.” He started with a bit of a smile and walked over to them to watch where they were putting everything. “Um, once you’re done, want to come see what I’ve learned today?” He watched them expectantly and they couldn’t help a smile. They reached into a barrel and pulled out two apples, throwing one to him without warning though he still caught it.
“Yeah, let’s go. Bet you’re still not as good as me.” They walked past him and nudged him with their shoulder playfully. He chuckled and followed behind with a poke to their arm.
“Mmm yeah we’ll see about that, won’t we”
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82 notes · View notes
gffa · 4 years
Text
I swore for about ten entire minutes that I wasn’t going to do a set of recs for THE OLD GUARD, I was just going to watch the movie, indulge in a bit of fanart, and then I would be done. But then I was like HOW ABOUT I HAVE SOME FEELINGS INSTEAD? and here we are. So HAVE SOME FEELINGS ABOUT ANCIENT IMMORTALS AND REASONABLY ANCIENT IMMORTALS AND BABY IMMORTALS.  COME YELL ABOUT FEELINGS WITH ME, FANDOM. THE OLD GUARD RECS: ✦ An Unrecorded History by xpityx, joe/nicky, 1.1k    Joe closed the book and dropped it none too carefully on the table. He would have liked to have thrown it away—to prevent anyone else from reading it—but it was far too easy to make copies of books in these times, so he knew it would be no use. He also could not quite bring himself to discard something as precious as a book, no matter how poorly written it was. ✦ keep yourself alive for me by retts, joe/nicky, NSFW, 1.7k    Nicky grabbed Joe’s hand and pulled him towards the stairs, not that there was any resistance from Joe. ‘If I remember correctly, this one has two bathrooms, doesn’t it?’ ✦ let’s give them something to talk about by lacecat, joe/nicky & andy/nile, nsfw, 4.8k    In which Nicky and Joe take liberties with recounting history, because it’s fun. ✦ Family Dinner by dadvans, joe/nicky & nile, 2.4k    The only time Nile ever sleeps a full night and feels remotely part of herself is when she stays with Nicky and Joe, who shampoo brains out of each other’s hair in the shower and clean their guns on the couch watching Chopped reruns. ✦ one burning candle, one wind-whipped flame by Dialux, joe/nicky & andy, 5.1k    Yusuf dies, and dies, and dies, and lives, as well, for a thousand years. Nicolo’s by his side for all of them, and it’s not quite the love story of eternity, but it’s theirs: and that’s enough for them both ✦ Future Days by maroon, joe/nicky & andy/noriko, 2.1k    “Then why untie me?” The man grins, terribly amused, and awfully affectionate. Andromache wants to look away, but for some reason, can’t. Maybe because the look in his eye reminds her of herself, a lifetime ago. “Because my beloved is soft, and kind, and will flay me alive if he’d known I tied up a woman.” ✦ Islands of Hours by RC_McLachlan, joe/nicky, 1.5k    There eventually comes a lull, and so they go to Malta. ✦ take out by j_gabrielle, joe/nicky & nile, ~1k    It probably should bother her when Joe kicks the door to the flat open and promptly marches in to deposit their takeout on the living room table. All while he is tracking half-dried blood and mud on the shiny tile floors. “You, ah,” Nile says even as she hurries to pick through the night’s offerings. “They let you on the subway like that?” ✦ all a smooth plain, and the soil deep by inlovewithnight, andy & nile & joe & nicky, 2.1k    After London, they all need to rest. ✦ we are golden by retts, joe/nicky, ~1k    Joe lowers his gaze to the open page on his lap. The sketch is of a man on a charging horse, hair and beard whipping in the wind, sword in one hand and a shield in the other. The eyes in the drawing are the same eyes watching him now. His Nicolo. 'You were a hard fucker to kill back then, Nicky.’ ✦ An eagle’s old age, a sparrow’s youth by BakedAppleSauce, joe/nicky, 2.2k    Joe comes shuffling back into the room, heavy footsteps that mean he’s either tired, or not really trying, or both. Familiar as breathing. Nicky’d recognize him anywhere, walking among a million of strangers. In which some people are laying low for a while, in more ways than one. ✦ A Most Forgetful Death by RC_McLachlan, joe/nicky, 1.2k    “You’re an incurable romantic,” Nicky says, and though his expression doesn’t so much as twitch, Joe can hear the laughter languishing between the words, can feel it on his tongue and rubbing up against his teeth when Nicky meets him halfway to smear a kiss against his mouth. ✦ Luce e ombre by sheafrotherdon, andy & nile, 1.2k    The discomfort is so new that it startles her, and she searches her memory to remember a time before she was immortal: a time when a cut, a scrape, a bruise hurt for longer than a moment, long enough to interrupt sleep. The memories don’t come ✦ When I Am with You by takethisnight_wrapitaroundme, joe/nicky, NSFW, 5.4k    “You… would like to waste a thousand euros’ worth of champagne by pouring it all over me?” Nicky has to repeat it aloud to make sure he’s heard right. While spending some quality time together on vacation in France, Nicky has a surprise for Joe. And Joe, as it turns out, has a surprise for Nicky. ✦ the common tongue of your loving me by spokenitalics, joe/nicky, NSFW, 1.4k    “It’s just— Do you ever wonder how much we’ve forgotten?” Nicky asks, eventually. “How many names and faces and places have just… faded away from our memory?” ✦ i have loved you for a thousand years by owilde, ~1k    It’s him. Again. Yusuf shields his eyes from the blinding desert sunlight, staring into the near distance where a man is stood, alone, a harsh silhouette cut against the bright blue sky and peach-coloured sand. ✦ this is why by retts, joe/nicky, 1.2k    Small as it was, they had their own room in the London safe house, which was a good thing because Joe was prying open Nicky’s mouth with his fingers. Not with his tongue, much as Nicky would prefer it, but with three calloused fingers sneaking inside his lips as if Nicky wouldn’t wake up from the intrusion. He was on his back, Joe pressed closer to him than his own shadow. The slant of moonlight from the window illuminated Joe’s dark eyes as he bent over Nicky. Joe sucked in the corner of his mouth, a tell that he’d never shaken off all these long centuries. ✦ I Found Peace in Your Violence by j_gabrielle, joe/nicky, 1.5k    5 Times Joe and Nicky kill each other + 1 (of many) times they killed someone together ✦ life is very long by kaydeefalls, joe/nicky & andy & nile & booker & quynh & copley, 7.1k    Andromache tells him: “The Greeks used to have seven different words for love. Well. More, probably. But I remember seven.” She shrugs. “There are many ways to love one another, and life is long. We’ve time enough for them all. It’s the only thing that makes it worthwhile.” Nicky and his immortal family, over the centuries. ✦ take a breath by BeStillMySlashyHeart, joe/nicky & andy & nile & booker, 1k    Once they are safe, Nicky and Joe take a moment together. ✦ Between the Hour and the Age by hauntedjaeger (saellys), andy & nile & joe & nicky, 2.5k    “To the Art Institute of Chicago,” Andy echoes, “so that my breasts may be culturally appreciated in perpetuity.” She tips the bottle and lets out three drops. As they fall to the stone floor, Joe and Nicky rap their knuckles on the nearest pieces of metal: the other lantern for Nicky, the oxidized helmet for Joe. One rap for each drop. In another time, they might have struck their swords on shields. ✦ how we live by retts, joe/nicky, ~1k    Life, though, brings pain. Goddamn pain. Bullets that struck his cranium and pelvis – the big bones in the body – are forced out. The rest went through him, carrying organ tissue and muscle with them. Those lost bits have to be regrown. Bones realign and the ribs in his lungs retract so they can breathe again. So Nicky can breathe again. And when he breathes, he thinks, Yusuf. ✦ Paradeisos by Enneara, joe/nicky, 2.9k    Traveling through Greece with Yusuf after fleeing the Holy Land, Nicolò suffers a crisis of faith. ✦ The Language of Love by 1derspark, joe/nicky & andy/quynh & booker & nile, 4.5k    Or five times Nicky hears Joe speak his language and one time Nicky returns the favor. ✦ Le Vite by ScribeofArda, joe/nicky & andy & nile & booker, 8k    Nicky breathes out. “What did I miss?” he asks, staring out at the hills. “Why didn’t I see this coming?” After everything, after finding Nile and losing Booker and Andy’s new mortality, Joe is pissed off. Nicky is just tired. ✦ The god of my idolatry by Petra, andy/nile, NSFW, 3.4k    “You said you were worshipped as a god.” “I was.” Nile steels herself and asks, “Would you like to do it again?” Andy laughs and throws back the contents of her glass. “They don’t teach you pick-up lines in the Marines, do they.” ✦ love is not over by retts, joe/nicky & andy & nile, 1.3k    'Babe, do you know what this reminds me of?’ asked Nicky. Joe licked his lips and tilted his head to the side, gaze intent on the mole on Nicky’s cheek. 'What?’ 'The first time you drew me.’ ✦ Case Analysis by skeeno, joe/nicky & andy & booker & copley, 3.4k    It’s not totally out of the ordinary for the people Copley meets in his line of work to be extraordinary. But he’s intrigued by these four. ✦ compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience by Jack_R, joe/nicky & andy & quynh, 11.9k    ‘You are a shame to your countrymen and the lowest of the low,’ Yusuf said, ‘and your mother copulated with a dog.’ ✦ Everything in moderation (even moderation) by BakedAppleSauce, joe/nicky, NSFW, 6.1k    The novelty has worn off, of course, but it’s not the novelty that keeps anybody coming back, anyway. Novelty never sustains anything. ✦ What the Water Takes by xpityx, andy & nile & quynh, 1k    Here is a secret she will never write down. ✦ Stracciatella by ScribeofArda, joe/nicky & andy & nile, 4.8k    “None of us have any evidence of the ways we have died,” Nicky continues. “But you remember the fall, don’t you? You remember the first time you died, the way your blood spilled out as your throat was slashed. I remember the first time I died, when the love of my life drew his sword across my neck as I drove mine into his chest and we both fell to the sand.”
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marvel-ousnesss · 3 years
Text
Unrequited (Valerio x reader)
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Warnings: angst, use of drugs, alcohol, cursing, cheating, breakup, mentions of Valerio x Lucrecia 
Word count: 2000-ish
A/N: Sorry this took so long, I hadn't been motivated to write anything until recently. As always, I love to hear comments, thoughts and feedback. Also, thank you so much for supporting my work, hope you enjoy 💜
Masterlist
Request
“Stop it, Valerio.” You abruptly close the book you're holding, eyeing the teacher as you place it on the desk. “They won't even let me get out of the house.”
He had been nagging you all week long about some party he was dying to go to, and you wanted to, really. The only problem was that, a few days ago, the two of you had dragged Guzman on a nightly adventure to the beach, which seemed right at the moment, since he had spent the whole summer sulking. Your dad practically had to drag you home by an ear, and, to say the least, your family didn’t wanna hear a beat about parties or your friends any time soon.
He scoffs, “seriously? Your parents are like the chillest people ever, they weren’t even that mad.”
Incredulous, you look at him up and down, betrayed by the amused grin that flicks on the corner of your lips. “Just checking, were you there on Thursday? One step out of line, and I'll be walking around with an ankle monitor.”
“Y/N, Valerio, is my class, perchance, interrupting your conversation? Should I take it elsewhere?”
With a quick apology and a glare at your boyfriend, cutting the conversation was cut short. However, it was naive to think he'd just settle for the answer you had given him.
“Whatever, Y/N," he grumbles. "I’m sure They'll let you if I,” he frames his face and smiles coyly, “am the one who asks.”
"Geez, why didn't I think of that!". Turning the page of your textbook, you deadpan. "Oh, right, dick-in-a-sock incident.”
Valerio lowers himself on his seat as his face embraces a new tone of crimson. After a second, he recovers. “Can't believe you brought up that teeny-tiny mistake of mine. Low, Y/L/N, even for you.”
You open your mouth to respond, but the bell rings.
When it stops, you continue, “Seriously, V, they've been all over me these last few days, it's a long shot.”
Both of you get out of the classroom and begin to make your way to the lockers. “Just tell them Polo’s gonna be there, don’t they love Polo?”
You sigh, checking the time on your phone. You only have fifteen minutes before your next class began, and, honestly, lack the energy to spend them trying to knock some sense into your mule of a boyfriend.
“Fine,” you settle. “I’ll call them in a minute. But, don’t get your hopes up.”
“Too late.” With a captivating smile, he leans in and pecks your cheek.
After you agreed to at least call your parents, Valerio's mood improved considerably the rest of the day. The rest of the classes went by uneventfully; before you knew it, you found yourself in the car, duffle in hand, on your way to the Montesinos'.
You arrive at their house and let yourself inside, leaving your stuff at the door and heading straight to the kitchen, looking for something to drink. When you turn around to face the stairs, Lu’s making her way down.
"So, how did you manage to dodge your sentence this time?"
"Haggled my freedom, sort of." You place a glass on the table and open the fridge to fetch a bottle of sparkling water.
She rolls her eyes and sighs, exasperated. "A call from my dad would’ve done it".
"Thanks, but it wasn’t that bad, really, " you assure, pouring some water into the glass then cutting a lemon in half. "Just have to take my brother to some birthday party next week and, in exchange, they gave me their blessing for Valerio's thing, and let me stay at yours after."
"God, Y/N, you complain about my brother 24/7 and, in the end, the two of you are just as stubborn."She grabs an apple and takes a bite. "You could've saved yourself the trouble completely."
"Oh, well."You take a seat by the kitchen bar. "Guess it takes one to know one."
"Anyway, what are you wearing tonight?"
You unlock your phone and browse through the gallery. When you find the picture, you stop and point a finger at her. "You're gonna hate me. " You show her the screen smiling from ear to ear.
"Oh, my fucking god, Y/N! How- I- is that the Valentino you were drooling over the other day?"
You just grin.
"You, bitch, how did you get your hands on that?"
"Aunt Millicent."
"Of course," she huffs.
"Turns out that there were a few perks of her going off to Milan." You shrug. "But that's not important right now, what are you gonna wear?"
With that. she drags you up the stairs and into her room. You spend the rest of the afternoon immersed in makeup experiments and debates about fashion until Valerio and Guzman shout your names to start pregaming.
You enter the party together and go straight to the most vacant area of the VIP zone. After grabbing the first round, you join the others at the table and sit down with Polo and Carla for a few drinks. The group remains wrapped in conversation until Ander walks up to his friends and drags them to the bar, probably to tell them about his most recent disagreement with Omar. Soon after, Lucrecia makes eye contact with Nadia, muttering something about her daring to come, and standing up with a huff. Knowing she's physically incapable of keeping herself out of trouble, Carla stands up with a roll of her eyes and follows her.
Valerio lets his arm fall around you and chuckles, taking a sip of his drink. "And then, there were two."
“Wanna get high?" You don't wait for him to answer verbally. Instead, you grab his hands and pull the two of you to stand up.
He laughs, grabbing a bottle of whatever was on the table beside yours.
The two of you sprinted to the nearest restroom in a fit of giggles and lock the door behind you. He puts the bottle on the counter and reaches his pockets, freezing as soon as he lifts his gaze. You dig into your clutch and shake a small bag in his face.
"My treat," you grin, resembling a kid in a candy store.
"Oh, my, little miss Y/LN!" he gasps in fake horror. "What happened to the ankle monitor you were telling me about."
"I won’t tell if you won’t."You smirk, carefully arranging the lines.
The party comes to an end a few minutes before sunrise. You reunite with Lucrecia and Guzman by the entrance of the club and the four of you get in the Montesinos' car. Your head rests on Valerio's chest and he traces lazy patterns on the skin of your arm and shoulder.
When you make it to the house, Lucrecia doesn't waste a minute to drag a tipsy Guzman upstairs, waving a quick goodbye on her way. You giggle, well aware of your friends' plans for the night. Then, you head to the kitchen for a snack.
"Confess it." Your boyfriend stares at you from the stairs, arms crossed over his chest. "The only reason you ever visit is that we have a better pantry."
"To be honest, I thought you already knew that." You grab a pack of chips and walk toward his bedroom, passing by him and kissing his nose softly.
You don't fall asleep that night, writhing in Valerio's arms and debating whether or not to go find something for the hangover that was already beginning to haunt you. When you open your eyes, the first rays of sunlight are already peeking through the window. You decide to get out of bed. You throw the blanket off you and turn, expecting to see your boyfriend, but only find a mess of his blankets instead. You check the time on your cell phone: 8:22 a.m.
Seeing no point in continuing your attempts to get some sleep, you put on the shirt that was laying on Valerio's desk chair and leave the room. As you're crossing the hall to the pool, you hear noises coming through Lucrecia's door. For a moment, you think it may be her and Guzman, but remember hearing him say that he had to go home at dawn to get to a swimming competition.
You try to ignore the noise and convince yourself it's none of your business; but, when you continue to walk away, your ears are invaded by a voice you knew quite well. "It couldn't, they can't-, they're...", a million thoughts invade you. You take a deep breath and to open the door.
There are no words to describe the feeling of your heart being ripped in the blink of an eye. Your legs threaten to collapse and blood rushes to your head, making you dizzy for a brief moment. Not only do you find your boyfriend in the bed, with an unreadable expression coating his face, but you find your best friend redhanded, looking right at you like a deer in headlights.
You don't even try to digest the scene; instead, you run out of the house, suddenly not caring about your current apparel. Part of you wanted to shout what you had seen, to ruin them, but they meant too most to you. You couldn't do it, no matter how much you wanted to get it off your chest.
Luckily, your house was empty. You went straight upstairs and locked yourself in your room for the rest of the morning. You did whatever you could to take your head off what you had seen, but nothing worked. In the end, you wrote it down, desperate to get it out somehow. You hadn't opened your diary since you were twelve, but it was relieving; a weight was lifted off your shoulders.
You spend the remaining of the day so deep in thought, that you didn't even notice your family arriving from the park. You drifted off to sleep after working on some homework, only to be woken up by our brother's voice.
"Y/N, your boyfriend's here!" Hearing the word sends a jab of pain through your body. However, you reply, "I'll be down in a second."
You put on a hoodie, some shoes and leave the fort that was your room. Your parents are focused on a movie, so you take the opportunity to step into the backyard with Valerio.
You face him, trying to appear emotionless, even if your bloodshot eyes give you away.The childish gleam in his face is nowhere to be found, his shoulders are more drooping than normal, and his eyes are almost as red as yours. You wonder if it's because of the crying or the cocaine.
“How long?”
“Before I went abroad.”
You attempt to walk back into the house, but he grabs and pulls your arm, begging you to stay and listen.
You sigh. “I won't say anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
He stays silent for a few seconds, bringing himself to believe that your thoughts on him were actually that low. Then he mumbles, “I don’t care about that, I know it’s unorthodox, and that you’re probably gonna stop talking to us now, and-“
You didn’t have the energy to hear him ramble. “Look, yes, I’m really shaken, to say the least, it's the first time I’ve seen something like that.” You grimaced. “But, the point is you betrayed my trust, V! Completely!” Your voice shakes, you try to clear your throat but it comes out as a sob. “I- even if it hadn’t been her, you hurt me. You promised you’d never do it, but you did!
He takes your hands, and, even if you don’t resist, feels how tense that makes you. Hours prior, it would’ve been comforting. “And I’m sorry, really. I did it without thinking, Y/N/N, it won’t happen again.”
You pull your hands out of his. “Please, V, it’s been happening for more than a year, half of the time we’ve been dating.”
He stays quiet.
You quietly question, “do you still love me?”
This time, his bottom lip quivers and his voice cracks when he answers. “I care about you, a lot, you know that.”
That’s the last you bear to hear. You avert your eyes from him. “I forgive you. You can go now.”
“Y/N/N…” He moves closer to you, but you shake your head, stopping him.
“Please,” you croak.
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creepyproxies · 3 years
Note
Can you post 100 question about you , we will ask for the answers?
Okayyy!! Send a number, and I will answer!
1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?
2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?
3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.
4: What do you think about most?
5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?
6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?
7: What’s your strangest talent?
8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)
9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?
10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?
11: Do you have any strange phobias?
12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?
13: What’s your religion?
14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?
15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?
16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?
17: What was the last lie you told?
18: Do you believe in karma?
19: What does your URL mean?
20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?
21: Who is your celebrity crush?
22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?
23: How do you vent your anger?
24: Do you have a collection of anything?
25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?
26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?
27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?
28: What’s your biggest “what if”?
29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?
30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.
31: Smell the air. What do you smell?
32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?
33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?
34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?
35: To you, what is the meaning of life?
36: Define Art.
37: Do you believe in luck?
38: What’s the weather like right now?
39: What time is it?
40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?
41: What was the last book you read?
42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?
43: Do you have any nicknames?
44: What was the last film you saw?
45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?
46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?
47: Do you have any obsessions right now?
48: What’s your sexual orientation?
49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?
50: Do you believe in magic?
51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?
52: What is your astrological sign?
53: Do you save money or spend it?
54: What’s the last thing you purchased?
55: Love or lust?
56: In a relationship?
57: How many relationships have you had?
58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
59: Where were you yesterday?
60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
61: Are you wearing socks right now?
62: What’s your favourite animal?
63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?
64: Where is your best friend?
65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.
66: What is your heritage?
67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?
68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?
69: Biggest turn ons?
70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?
71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?
72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?
73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.
74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?
75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?
76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?
77: How can I win your heart?
78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?
79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?
80: What size shoes do you wear?
81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?
82: What is your favourite word?
83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.
84: What is a saying you say a lot?
85: What’s the last song you listened to?
86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?
87: What is your current desktop picture?
88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?
89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?
90: Turn offs?
91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?
92: where are your parents from?
93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?
95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?
96: Do you have any relatives in jail?
97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?
98: Ever been on a plane?
99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say
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cheri-translates · 3 years
Text
[CN] Victor’s Exhibition Date (Eng Translation)
🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date which has not been released in English servers! 🍒
NOTE: @redqueen-hypothesis​​ did the translation for this! All I did was proofread and format! It’s on my blog because Red says so and I have to comply :<
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[ This date was released in CN on 7 December 2020 ]
MC: According to the map, it should be… right ahead!
Victor: ...you don’t need to look at the map. Just watch where you’re going.
Victor: Turn at this corner and we’ll be there. There’s no need to keep looking at your phone.
A few days ago, when I was agonising over what television program to produce for the theme ‘Heart’s Whisper While Going into the New Year’, a notification about an exhibition popped up on my phone.
The exhibition hall next to New Light Mall was going to hold a ‘Speak Up’ exhibition. I saw a few recommendations for the exhibit, and thought that it was meaningful, and also felt that it was in line with the New Year atmosphere.
Since the opportunity presented itself, I quickly booked Victor’s Sunday afternoon.
MC: CEO Victor’s rare time off has been taken over by me to do overtime - do you have any complaints?
After hearing what I’ve said, Victor raises an eyebrow, a slight laugh escaping him.
Victor: What if I do?
MC: If that’s the case…
MC: Since I don’t think I could afford your overtime wages, how about I treat you to a cup of coffee later? I’ll look for the nearest cafe in the area…
When I lower my head to look at my phone, searching for a list of cafes in the vicinity, Victor lets out a sigh and grabs my hand, pulling me to turn a right at the corner.
MC: Ahh, the nearest cafe is located right outside the exhibition hall!
MC: Online reviews say that their croissants taste good. From the pictures they’ve posted… it seems to be true.
Victor: And here I was, thinking that you’d really come with the intention of figuring out the plan for your television program.
MC: I do intend to! But right now, I’m missing the… spark of inspiration.
MC: If the afternoon turns out to be fruitless, I’ll simply treat it as a day out! It’s not too bad.
MC: Besides, don’t you think the two of us have very few opportunities to look at these sorts of exhibitions together?
Victor: … yes, it’s my fault for being too busy.
MC: That’s not true. You already take out so much time to accompany me, and I always drag you to all sorts of noisy places.
MC: It’s time to let art nurture my soul, and help me attain a gentler disposition.
Victor’s hand, which had been holding mine earlier, slides down my palm, warm fingertips stroking the back of my hand gently, before lacing his fingers with mine.
Victor: Then, let’s go.
-
Cafe owner: So the both of you haven’t planned the overall route to view the exhibition?
The cafe is located right at the entrance. After securing the tickets to the exhibition, I pull Victor to the cafe first.
However, today’s exhibition hall seems a little deserted, and the cafe has very few customers.
The bespectacled middle-aged owner seems refined and gentle and is a good host. Before long, he’s already started a conversation with the two of us.
MC: Is the exhibition very big?
Cafe owner: There are three floors in total. If you browse every exhibit once, it should take quite a while.
Cafe owner: This is why many visitors choose a single floor to focus their attention on, and give less time to the other two.
When Victor takes his coffee, he nods politely at the cafe owner.
Victor: Do you have any recommendations?
Cafe owner: Haha, if you’re talking about recommendations, I’d suggest the second floor. It’s most popular with visitors, since the main theme of the floor is ‘Love’.
As the cafe owner says this, he places both hands on the bar counter and chuckles at the two of us.
Cafe owner: Stories on the second floor and those related to the exhibits are real. So instead of saying that you’re looking at the exhibits, it’s more of you looking at authentic stories.
I steal a glance at Victor.
Victor: It’s your choice.
MC: Then let’s go to the second floor first!
MC: Coincidentally, most of the exhibits I’m interested in happen to be on the second floor as well.
Happily, I pick up my latte and tuck the exhibition brochure into my bag, determined to explore the second floor.
Victor is one step ahead of me and pushes open the door of the cafe for both of us, giving the cafe owner a slight nod before we leave.
When I turn back to look behind me, he has already taken my hand, pulling me towards the second floor.
After stepping up the last flight of stairs, the large exhibition hall appears before my eyes.
It’s not at all like what I had expected. There aren’t any mundane objects put on display here such as handwritten letters or small gifts. Instead, these are real pieces of artwork.
All sorts of beautiful sculptures, paintings, and musical instruments have been set up. Even the lighting is so beautiful that if I were to use exquisite words to praise it, it would still sound modest.
MC: It really is an art exhibition…
Victor: There are a few works from some of the best artists of their time. You should be careful not to miss any of them.
Even though the silence in this large exhibition hall is only broken by the sound of our footsteps, one lighter and one heavier, the interior decor of the exhibit is very cozy, lacking the coldness that keeps one at bay.
Pure white stone pillars, warm yellow lights, the lack of the usual glass coverings separating exhibits, and every placard for each exhibit seems as though it’s been handwritten by the person who contributed it.
Walking between the exhibits, the feeling I get is one of warmth, and the volume that I had been suppressing since I walked into the exhibition hall steadily grows.
MC: Victor, look at this!
I take out my phone and snap a picture of the oil painting hanging on a wall.
MC: The placard says that the artist’s girlfriend is known as ‘Mouse’. So in every piece of artwork, there’s an adorable mouse subtly hidden somewhere.
After pressing down on the shutter, I look up once again to search the artwork for a little mouse.
MC: Wow, he’s really creative! The mouse in every piece looks completely different!
MC: This chubby little one looks really cute, this one seems really sharp and intelligent… they all suit the theme of each artwork. If you don’t look very carefully, it’s difficult to notice them, and they don’t ruin the art at all.
With a hand stuffed into his pocket, Victor lifts his eyes to stare at these paintings, a look of contemplation surfacing on his face.
Victor: This exhibit is called “Marks”.
MC: Yeah… it’s a title which lets others easily understand what it’s about.
Victor turns around to give me a low chuckle.
Victor: If that’s the case, tell me what you understand from it.
MC: Are you testing me again?
I think about this for a moment, then rush to stop him before he can tell me the answer, shaking my head.
MC: I’ll tell you my answer later! But first, come with me to see another exhibit!
I pull Victor along with me to the walkway, deeper into the exhibition, following my memory of the exhibition brochure I had looked at earlier, and come to a stop in front of several thick diaries.
MC: This exhibit is called ‘Today’s Weather’. It’s the exhibit I wanted to center my program around.
MC: These are the diaries of a woman who wrote down everything about her life for a full ten years. In these diaries, she often mentions “Mr A”, the person she likes very much.
Victor nods, flipping open one of the books silently.
Victor: From what I can see of her personality from her writings, she seems to be quite similar to you.
MC: Do you know what’s written on the last page of her diary? ...‘Congratulations on your marriage’.
MC: The “Mr A” she liked so much rejected her confessions several times, and he later moved overseas, causing them to lose contact with each other. The next time she heard of him, it was an announcement of his marriage, and that’s where her diary stopped.
Victor’s hand pauses in flipping a page, his expression slightly dumbfounded.
Victor: So what was the point of her writing this diary?
I look at the yellowing pages of the diary, and think back to what the brochure had mentioned about it.
MC: There was no reason.
MC: She later said that this was her true life story - a simple and calm one. During these ten years, she studied hard and moved to the city, becoming a person in charge, a manager, and then a director… and never once gave up on herself.
MC: Although the entrance test she took back then was exceptionally difficult, she persevered with the thought that the school was rather close to the high school Mr A had once studied at.
MC: She felt that by attending a school near to his, she could bring their lives closer together.
MC: There were no waves of joy or anguish - only trivial sentiments.
Even though there were some incidents which made her feel sad, from the cute and excitable way she described everything in her diary, she lived rather well despite feeling some regret.
However, after saying so much, Victor doesn’t respond. I walk to his side and tug on his sleeve.
MC: We’ve finished looking at this exhibit. Do you want to leave?
Victor: Since this is the exhibit you wanted to use for your program, shouldn’t you take a few more photos before leaving?
MC: I planned to, but I thought you might find it pointless.
Under his questioning gaze, I answer honestly.
MC: I’m sure in CEO Victor’s mind, there are many more important things going on every day… you wouldn’t be interested in trivial things such as romantic sentiments. And even then, you’d be able to understand them easily.
Victor gives a small laugh.
Victor: If I weren’t interested in such things, why would I be accompanying you here over the weekend?
He glances back at the diaries, his expression one of deep contemplation.
Victor: In truth, the same emotions can be felt by different people. I can understand her feelings.
I never thought Victor would answer in such a manner.
MC: Do you think that it was a waste of her time to write these diaries?
Victor: No.
Victor’s gaze rests on a page.
Victor: The writer wrote it down herself - “The time I spent loving someone, not a single second of it was wasted.”
I rarely hear such words leave Victor’s mouth, and it makes me feel a little surreal. In my memory, we very rarely talk about the topic of ‘love’. Maybe it’s because he rarely says what’s in his heart. Maybe it’s because I’m used to being thick-skinned. We never have the opportunity to seriously understand the meaning in these words.
When he looks at these exhibits, do we feel the same emotions?
I contemplate this for a moment, before looking at him once more.
Victor: What do you want to say?
MC: I was thinking about what you asked me earlier.
I take two steps towards him. Even though the distance between us is small, he doesn’t step backwards. Instead, he simply turns towards me.
MC: I think a love like this is very interesting. You meet a person and feel such emotions.
MC: From that day onwards, you’re never the same person again, and are completely changed. Like some sort of… mark.
MC: It’s a sort of mark that can be left in literature or in a photograph… and I can feel it.
Victor’s eyes are lowered. In his clear and tranquil eyes, there are ripples of light and shadows.
Victor: Such as?
The smile tugging at the corner of his mouth is clear, and I ponder this seriously.
MC: For example, the way I write proposals has changed.
MC: The format of my proposals has changed. The indent of the first line, font size 15, 1.5 spacing between lines... it’s the format you find most pleasing to the eye!
Victor’s eyebrow quirks.
Victor: That’s all?
MC: There’s more! I’ve become so much more picky with food. I never used to complain that food tastes bad, but eating at Souvenir has cultivated my palate. Now, when I eat even Michelin meals, I feel as if something’s lacking…
Victor smiles slightly and shakes his head, taking my hand.
Victor: Come with me.
In the innermost room of the exhibition floor on the second floor is a display board. On it depicts the entire process of how the exhibition first began and how it expanded.
Above all the pictures of the people who’ve helped to plan this exhibition…
MC: It’s the cafe owner from earlier!
Victor: You made preparations before coming here, yet couldn’t recognise him?
MC: I was saying that he seemed very familiar!
MC: If that’s the case… the story of this exhibition - it should be his, isn’t it?
He fell in love with a girl’s literature and art secretly in his youth, yet didn’t know how to confess, and much time passed without progress. When he finally mustered up his courage to confess, the girl passed away from cancer.
Those are all the words written on a whiteboard, and they seem a little simple and stereotypical. But when I think about how a person experienced this, my heart can’t help but feel sad for him.
Victor: That’s why the name of this exhibition is ‘Speak Up’. The existence of these marks is how these feelings are being conveyed.
MC: No matter whether it’s from a tiny mouse hidden in each artwork, the longing written down in a diary, or a sculpture carved in the image of their lover - all of them bear their own longing in some way. Even this exhibition is a voice for the cafe owner to speak up about his past regrets.
All these fragments come together in my mind, moving my heart.
MC: Victor, even though this is a little old-fashioned… if I want to make a program about entering the New Year and about this ‘Speak Up’ exhibition, will you reject my proposal?
Victor’s gaze sweeps over me, his brows smoothening.
Victor: I’ll decide after I see the quality of the proposal.
After we finish viewing the exhibition, cold rain and freezing wind come the moment we step out of the exhibition hall. It was so sunny earlier… Why is it raining all of a sudden?
Victor: I’ll get Goldman to pick us up.
MC: Huh? That’s not needed-
I pull out the tickets for the exhibition in my bag.
MC: I remember that the complimentary gift with this exhibition is an umbrella! All we need to do is exchange the tickets at the counter.
Victor casually takes the tickets from my hand.
Victor: Wait here for me.
MC: Alright.
While waiting, I glance over at the cafe and happen to see the cafe owner closing up his cafe for the day. He turns the sign from OPEN to CLOSE, before locking the door and dropping the key into his pocket.
This seems to be his usual, everyday life.
He notices my gaze on him and gives me a quick wave in greeting, before heading into the exhibition hall.
This world has many people who can’t say what is most important to them… but I’m different.
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When I snap out of my thoughts, Victor is already heading back to me, umbrella in hand. In the dark and gloomy night, the lights of the street lamps flicker, silhouetting him in light and shadow as he walks slowly towards me.
I see tiny droplets of water clinging to his hair, the hazy light shining in his eyes.
The marks that I have must be conveyed in the most direct way.
MC: Victor, do you hear the music being played in the exhibition hall?
Victor doesn’t catch the underlying meaning in my tone, and instead begins to explain it to me.
Victor: It’s to alert the people in the exhibition hall that it’s about to close.
I can’t help but give him another hint.
MC: That’s all you thought about? You don’t find the music somewhat familiar?
Victor falls silent, his brow furrowed, as if he’s really thinking hard about this.
Not giving him a second more to think, I run ahead of him with small steps, wearing a smile as I turn back to extend my hand to him.
MC: Would this gentleman honour me with a dance?
Victor’s eyes widen slightly.
MC: The first time you taught me dancing was to this song.
The world around us is silent, and all I can hear is the wild beating of my own heart, pounding with anticipation.
MC: This is how you’ve given me marks of my own… and changed me.
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Warm fingers brush my palm. Before I can register what’s happening, he’s already pulled me into his embrace. Along with the violin’s melody, I move my feet to dance with Victor, and the two of us turn in a circle fluidly. Even though night is quickly falling, everything before me is filled with shining light.
Joy blooms in my heart with a thump, like a resplendent firework soaring into the night sky, exchanging greetings with the sky full of starlight.
There are no words to describe the happiness I feel in this moment.
MC: What about you?
Victor: Me?
MC: Don’t you have anything to say to me? After this afternoon of visiting the exhibition, I thought it would have left some sort of impression on you.
Victor pauses in his footsteps, holding me a little tighter. The light and hurried rain droplets are blown over by the gentle wind. He tilts the umbrella, blocking the drizzle completely.
Victor: Dummy.
Raindrops patter down on the umbrella, paired with the sound of his low voice; it’s as if all surrounding noises have faded away to nothing, and he’s the only one who exists in the world.
Victor: Because a certain greedy cat always says she wants to eat something sweet after dinner, I made pudding before leaving the house.
Victor: Do you think this is a mark of how I’ve been changed?
221 notes · View notes
blueprint-han · 4 years
Text
pickup lines ↠ hhj ♡
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             ↳ inspired from the song i love you by treasure. (no relation to the song idk why i was inspired)
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genre: fluff type: drabble word count: 1.9 K ⇥ warnings: none except one (1) teeny tiny kiss (just a peck nothing too suggestive), lot’s of fluff and pickup lines and that’s a warning. 🥺 IF THIS DOESN’T SHOW UP IN THE TAGS THIS TIME I WILL FUCKING FUME. network tag: @stayverse​
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↯ note: uhfuyewhf please forgive this random outburst that overcame me, fluffy boyfriend hyunjin is just !!!!. Also my first fic woo hoo !! no particular premise of this blurb idk what this is for but i’m still gonna write it. ⇥ dawn.☀️
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A long, deep sigh.
A cheek pressed against his palm, resting his head against his elbow as he stared off into space. The library was relatively quiet around him, no other sound other than the timely flipping of the page by the two other people sitting in the almost empty, spacious room.
And of course, the sound of you humming the tune that poured through the earphones you were sporting. Hyunjin could almost swear that he would fall asleep from the tune, if it weren’t for the hard wood underneath him.
Hyunjin pouted when he noticed you completely immersed in your sociology 101 textbook. Studying to be a data analyst was hard, and while it was both yours and Hyunjin’s dream job, (instead of focusing on the plethora of books lying on the table) Hyunjin found staring at the love of his life much more interesting than analyzing any sort of data.
Sunlight poured in through the open window. It was still fairly early in the morning, and while Hyunjin hated waking up early, he was more than ready to do so the moment you called him the previous night, begging him to tag along on the pretext that “it would be boring to go alone.”
And the moment you entered the library, you picked out your books and quickly drowned yourself in them, and in less than five minutes, Hyunjin found himself the one who was “bored.”
You felt a poke at the side of your arm, startling you out of your concentration.
“Hey.”
Pulling your earphones off, you smiled at Hyunjin. “Yeah?”
“You said you’d be the one bored but now I’m the one bored.” Hyunjin humphed, folding his arms across his chest. “Remind me why I accompanied you?”
You laughed, gently pinching his cheek. “Because you’re a good boyfriend.”
Being the dramatic llama that he was, Hyunjin rolled his eyes, though the subtle smile on his lips told you otherwise. “Fine finish it soon now.” He pointed before poking your arm again. “Or I’m gonna leave you and get subway for myself.”
You gasped in fake betrayal, clutching your heart as your eyes widened. It was a known fact that Hyunjin was too smitten for you, far too caring and considerate to leave you alone in the library without breakfast. And you loved to tease him about it.
Anyways, the act faltered in two seconds the moment you giggled at him.
“You’re adorable, have I ever told you that?” You mimicked his position as you faced him, admiring how he looked at the moment. Heavily lidded eyes, messy black hair, and the sunlight from behind him almost made him look like he was glowing.
At your words, Hyunjin felt the tiniest blush creep up his cheeks as he shyly admitted. “You tell me every day!”
“Well I’m going to keep telling you that, so…” you shrugged, turning your attention back to your books as hyunjin internally groaned. The library didn’t allow use of phones either, so he couldn’t just start playing around with it to kill time.
Brushing his hair off his forehead, his eyes sparkled when a thought popped into his head, a smug look on his face. Quickly grabbing his cellphone from the back of his pocket., his fingers moved against the screen — not quick enough for the librarian to notice — but at this point, it hardly mattered. The librarian was almost asleep on his table — he must’ve not adjusted to the early hours of his job very well.
When your phone dinged — signifying the arrival of a message — Hyunjin watched intently as you picked up your phone and tapped the screen a couple of times. When you grinned widely, Hyunjin knew his message had the desired affect. In all honesty, that was Hyunjin — always looking for subtle ways to tell you he loved you, and ways to keep you smiling and happy.
You reached over to push your reading classes up your nose before turning to look at Hyunjin’s direction, raising your eyebrow playfully.
Hyunjin:  Guess what I’m wearing?
He had a similar grin on his lips as he silently coaxed you to reply, and so you did just that.
You: What? Your uniform? 🤭
Knowing Hyunjin, you knew that the answer would not be so simple, but nevertheless you curiously waited for the answer.
When the reply came in, the smile on your face turned into a wide, ear-to-ear smile, cheeks almost hurting with how widely you were grinning. You tried desperately trying not to alert anyone of what you were doing, but it was getting harder with how adorable Hyunjin was being.
Hyunjin: No, the smile you gave me. You: usdyuegwydedh 🥺🥺🥺 You: you cheesehead! 😘😤 Hyunjin: But I’m your cheesehead - ;D
Hyunjin, still staring at you was in a similar state. He admitted that watching you laugh and smile was something he could never grow tired of. He treasured that moment, and it always seemed like you lightened up the whole room with just your smile.
“Hey!” you looked at him, books totally forgotten as you stared into his eyes.
“They say the eyes are the mirror to the soul.” Hyunjin said, straightening up his posture as you eyed him confusedly. “You must have one beautiful soul.”
Your jaw dropped open at the sudden explosion of pickup lines coming from your boyfriend, rolling your eyes to the back of your head as you felt yourself grow coy at his compliment.
“Oh gosh, what’s gotten into you.” You whispered, slapping his arm slightly. Hyunjin smiled devilishly when he noticed your beaming face, feeling oddly relaxed — but then again, he was always relaxed when he looked at you.
“ On a scale from 1 to 10 you’re a 9 and I’m the 1 you need. “
You gasped, squealing as you slapped his arm yet again.
“Oh lord, your cheeseball stop being so cute my heart can’t handle this.” You pouted, and Hyunjin bit back the overwhelming desire to squish your cheeks.
He always did everything in his power to make you happy, and it never changed, even after a year of dating. The love between you was pure in every way, and you couldn’t help but feel lucky to have such a caring and lovely angel for a boyfriend.
“Come on, I need to focus now, just half an hour more?” You managed to convince him (only after giving him your traditional puppy eyes which you knew he would never be able to resist), before turning your attention back tot he book.
Twenty minutes passed. Hyunjin had found himself a book to read in the mean time, but he wasn’t the type to be patient. It wasn’t ling before he reached for his phone yet again.
When your phone dinged again, you quickly snapped your attention from where it was fixed on Hyunjin, hiding it under the table as you stealthily read the message.
Hyunjin: Can we go eat now?
You laughed to yourself, brushing hair off your forehead before replying.
You: There’s still 10 minutes left 🤭 Hyunjin: Please I’m hungry 🥺 Hyunjin: pls pls pls pls pls pls pls 🥺
You quickly looked at the watch before sighing, smiling at Hyunjin before shutting your book and stretching your arms out. You’d been there for about two hours, since your college library opened fairly early. As expected, Hyunjin let out a silent squeal of victory, quickly helping you pack up before getting out of his seat, all to eager to get out of the cramped space.
“Remind me to never tag along with you again.” He chided playfully, and like you said before, you knew Hyunjin was too soft to be able to ignore your pleas — and even if he did, you had your secret weapon: puppy eyes. You only giggled and nodded. “yeah, whatever.” Allowing him to intertwine your fingers together as he pulled you out of the building.
Once you were out of the building and walking towards the nearest subway, you decided to go the park (which was incidentally opposite to the subway shop). As you walked in the almost empty park, you munched on your sandwich slowly, whilst Hyunjin had already devoured it all. You figured he didn’t drink his coffee before coming to the library, and you didn’t bother to ask either.
Hyunjin had still not et go of your hand, and every once in a while — out of pure habit — he would squeeze it gently, just as a form of reassurance. It never failed to warm your heart.
The both of you found a clean bench under the cool shade of a tree, enjoying the breeze as you finished your sandwich; while Hyunjin simply looked around the rows of trees and plants that were planted along the edge of the ground.
When Hyunjin caught your gaze on him once again, another thought popped into his head as he smiled yet again. Personally, he had no idea how he was acting so cheesy today, but seeing your reaction did not encourage him to stop.
“Do you have a map?” You boyfriend asked all of a sudden, and you frowned confusedly. Of course, you’d let your guard down from the previous explosion of cheesiness, which only fueled it more.
“Why do you ask?” You murmured.
“Because I keep getting lost i your eyes.”
“Aghhhh,” you groaned, covering your face with your palms as you looked at Hyunjin. “Where do you even get these from?” You pouted at him.
“I don’t know, maybe you bring it out of me?” Hyunjin shrugged.
“Hmph,” You pinched his soft cheek lightly, smiling as you did so.
Next, he grinned, tilting his head to the side as he gazed into your orbs. You sensed another attack coming ahead, but did nothing to stop it, because deep down, you were enjoying this way too much.
“You know at this angle, as the light hits your eyes.” A dizzy smile on his face as he gently fixed his hair, tucking some of the strands behind his ear. “I can see myself and I look great.”
That caused you to close your eyes, erupting into a fit of giggles as your eyes morphed into the softest of crescents.
Hyunjin opened his mouth yet again, but this time, you were quick to stop him.
“Ah, no young man. No more, or I’m gonna combust.” You tucked your own hair behind your ear.
“Nooooo,” He whined, pouting as he gave you the softest look that he could muster. “One more, please? Just one. Please please please please please-”
“okay fine! One more, and then no more, deal?” You looked at him smugly, and he nodded.
“Okay so, kiss me if I’m wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right?”
Hyunjin had chosen that line for a joke, expecting to get yet another slap on his arm, or a shy turn of your head. What he didn’t expect was for you to blush profusely before you leaned in, pressing a soft peck to his lips.
When you pulled away, Hyunjin’s eyes were widened as you stared at each other silently for two seconds, before you snapped your fingers in front of him, pulling him out of his daze.
“You were wrong.” You stated as nonchalantly as possible, shrugging at him as you got up, grabbing your bag as you began walking towards the exit.
“H-hey, wait for me!” Hyunjin cried, not being able to suppress his smile as he ran towards you, immediately entwining your fingers once again. And the rest of the walk was spent just like that, in peaceful silence as you enjoyed each other’s presence in the cool, moist air.
“You’re such a goofball,” You mumbled at him, gaining his attention as you rubbed your thumb against the back of his hand. And before he could even reply with his loving, playful gaze, you completed the statement yourself, eyes twinkling in content.
“But you’re my goofball.”
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↯ note: i pray to every god out there please just show up in the tags for fuck sake i worked hard on this ; - ; ⇥ dawn.☀️
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357 notes · View notes
lovelylogans · 3 years
Text
the himbo chronicles
part i | part ii
part of the wyliwf verse.
warnings: kissing, underage drinking, kissing with consent while under the influence, please let me know if i’ve missed anything else!
pairings: roman/logan, offscreen patton/virgil
word count: 8,877
notes: i simply could not resist writing about these good good boys for a moment longer. i love them. this work takes place in the late summer/early fall between logan’s freshman and sophomore year of college, or almost four years after the main storyline. if you need a quick rundown of the characters (i know seven new characters might be a lot to digest!) here’s a quick guide to each of the boys. please enjoy! 
one had a certain expectation when it came to many college-aged boys living in the same house together. partying. general revelry. chaos. messy surroundings. the loud blaring of video games. more than just a touch of hedonism, certainly. 
logan sanders is a rather atypical college-aged boy. in his past reveries when considering college, he'd thought of the libraries he'd spend hours in, the books he'd pore over, the professors that would come to mentor him. perhaps the occasional errant thought of a party he'd be dragged to, but then his brain had moved to college newspapers and their framing on pieces when it came to excessive drinking and how to interview fraternity presidents concerning their unsettling hazing rituals. 
during his senior year, a fair amount of his fretting had transitioned into how to handle the distance from his father, patton, and pseudo-father, virgil, back home in sideshire, which proved itself solved quite handily; yale is close enough that it's not even a notably long drive. the other worrisome part, though, were how to visit his long-term boyfriend, roman, who was no longer even in the same state. but they'd made it work, over the past year, and logan is currently sitting in an armchair he'd dragged over to the front window of the house, trying and miserably failing to pay attention to some of his class reading.
once he'd gotten to college, though, those social expectations for the rest of his peers had certainly been proven, if simply by virtue of examining the rest of his classmates. his life, however, seems ill-contented to have left it at that; he can safely say that his social circle is not entirely like he'd expected his college friends to be.
for instance, as he hears the creaking of the old wood floors behind him—
"if you start making fun of me for waiting by the window for roman again i will take points from your good noodle chart," logan threatens, and adam scampers off with barely-contained snickering.
he had not expected to have to say that sentence during his college years at all.
there's a hastily-stifled laugh, and logan swivels around to see jordan, who is certainly paying very studious attention to his own class reading.
logan's eyes narrow at him. 
"you usually study in the kitchen," logan says, just barely keeping an accusing tone out of his voice.
"more natural light in here," jordan says, nodding to the window, his lip caught between his teeth.
logan scowls.
"...okay," jordan relents, "and—"
"i knew it."
"c'mon, none of us have met him before!" jordan protests, even as logan is calculating the chances of being able to kick jordan out of here. they are not particularly good; he can hear andrew, derek, and edward loudly talking about their SQUH-SQUH-SQUH SQUAT CHALLEEEEEENGE! in the living room, which is open to the kitchen. the counting of the squats they can do is very noisy, not even factoring in the trash-talk.
"privacy would be appreciated," logan says.
"in this house?" jordan says skeptically, which is a fair point; there are nine of them crammed into five rooms. logan's room is technically a single only by virtue of it being an attic that can barely fit a lofted bed with a desk and a dresser warring for space underneath. logan is fairly certain that janus's shared room with matthew in the basement was never intended for long-term human habitation, either.
"i knew i should have met him at the station," logan says, ruffling the pages of his book. 
"is logan talking about us?" matthew shouts from the living room. his feet pound against the hardwood as he poked his red head around the corner, his eyes going as teasingly pleading as jordan's. "you're not gonna make us miss meeting our step-daddy, are you, mom?"
the "mom" thing is somewhat new, too, and also an aspect of college life that logan had not foreseen. perhaps logan should have seen it coming when he started instituting a chore chart and a chart for good behavior with plastic dinosaur toys as rewards. for reasons that elude him, the boys named it the "good noodle" chart.
he had mostly started the chart after what might have been a joke from janus, in retrospect, but he certainly isn't going to stop now, not when it's been proven to be so effective. 
what he says instead of respond to matthew's question is "have you finished the dishes?"
matthew hesitates, looking back over his shoulder to the countertops.
"...yyeesss...?"
logan arches an eyebrow at him. "if i walk in there, will there be dishes in the sink?"
matthew attempts to model his eyes after jordan, widening them and trying to look innocent. he isn't as gifted at it.
"it would be a shame if you had to be demoted on the good noodle chart because you didn't finish your chores and—" he glances at a notecard— "chirped me about roman."
a pause.
"was that accurate?" logan says. "is it 'chirped?'"
"cory!" matthew bellows over his shoulder.
"yeah?" cory shouts back. 
"hockey trash-talk is chirping, right?"
"yeah!"
"thank you!" matthew shouts back and turns to face logan. "yeah, it's chirping."
"hockey," logan mutters, scrawling this onto the notecard. the influx of sports-related slang to his notecards is another unforeseen aspect of college life. "it's hockey-specific, that's what i was missing."
a beat.
"the sooner you can get them done you can pass it to the next person on the chart. do the dishes," logan adds severely, and matthew stumps off to the kitchen, grumbling something under his breath that sounds a lot like “ugh, mom.”
say what one will about the good noodle chart—it certainly is a successful motivator.
perhaps the plastic bag full of dozens of mini bubble-wands that the boys saw logan receive in the mail this week is doing more of the persuasion rather than the necessity of the chores, or logan himself, but it works.
“logan?”
“hmm?” logan says, distracted by wondering if derek vacuumed the living room or if he dragged around a dining chair make lines in the carpet again.
jordan, grinning, nods to the window, and logan whips his head around just in time to see a taxi pull into the driveway.
the sudden surge of excitement and happiness and eagerness is enough to make him stand up, because roman is right there, logan can distantly see him in a red shirt in the back of the taxi. logan hastily tosses his book onto the nearest table and goes for the front door as quickly as he can without running outright.
by the time he is near enough to roman to see the details of how he’s styled his hair that day, a piece of lint on his shoulder, the way he’s slung his bag on his shoulder, he’s paying the taxi driver. 
he turns around to face logan, and logan loses his breath.
god he’s so handsome.
logan doesn’t know if it’s a month’s absence, or if roman has indeed grown more beautiful by the day, but roman is so lovely. his skin glows in the late summer sun, grinning at logan wide and bright, and logan can’t stand there and drink in the sight of him, chronicling every single miniscule difference that he can, because roman grabs logan in a hug, pulling him close.
logan wraps his arms around roman as tight as he can, burying his face into roman’s shoulder and inhaling; the familiar scent of his cologne, his floral body wash, the gel he uses in his hair.
“i missed you,” roman whispers, breath warm against logan’s ear.
“me too,” logan mumbles, squeezing him tighter. usually, roman hugs him even tighter back, but today, he falters.
“um.”
logan pulls back enough to see the quizzical look on roman’s face. roman nods at something behind him.
“i think we have a bit of an audience.”
logan glances back over his shoulder in time to see all seven of the boys—plus a peek of janus in the back, surely egging on the chaos—jostling for the best view at the window where logan had just been keeping vigil.
“it’s not too late to call the taxi back and go somewhere private,” logan says, turning to face roman again. “i could show you the library.”
roman grins at him. “are you kidding? i’ve wanted to see if you were exaggerating about them for ages.”
logan scoffs. “as if i’m the one prone to exaggeration in this relationship.”
roman’s grin widens, the corners of his eyes crinkling up. “fuck, i’ve missed you so bad.”
what else can logan do but pull roman in by the waist and kiss him?
even muffled by the closed door and the thick glass of the window, logan can hear the boys hooting and hollering and yelling “GET IT, MOM!!!” and “ow OW!” and roman laughs against logan’s lips.
logan smiles into the kiss, and he thinks that roman’s weekend visit probably couldn’t have gotten off to a better start if he’d tried.
the first thing that someone says when logan and roman walk into the front door is “what the FUCK, mom, you didn’t tell us he was HOT!”
roman swivels to face logan, offended.
“of course i think he’s hot,” logan says, bemused. “i’m dating him. he’s obviously my type.”
“yeah, but,” adam says, and he gestures to roman’s body at whole. “he’s fucking hot, though.”
there’s a rumbling of agreement from the other boys—sans janus, who has obviously met roman before—and roman immediately preens at the attention.
because roman is undoubtedly hot. his brown skin is glowing—logan has seen him wearing facemasks on their video calls enough times that he knows it’s not incidentally clear, perfect skin—and he’s maybe not quite as bulkily built as, say, derek, who can pick up logan and janus simultaneously without breaking a sweat, but roman is strong by virtue of his profession and it shows. 
“thanks,” roman says, grinning.
“i mean,” adam adds hastily, “all respect to you and logan, i mean this in, like, the bros-appreciating-bros way, not the i’m trying to steal your man way.”
“i figured,” logan says dryly, considering that adam, notably lacking in a sense of impulse control, has never offered any romantic inclination towards men before.
“well, roman, this is—everyone,” logan says, and points at each housemate as he says their name.
“adam rothschild—”
“hi,” adam adds belatedly. 
“—matthew van doren—”
“'sup,” matthew says, with an upward nod of his red head.
“—cory hollingsworth—”
cory flashes a peace sign from where he stands beside janus.
“—jordan arlington—”
“nice to meet you, man, logan’s been looking forward to this for fuckin’ ever,” jordan says.
logan, refusing to blush, continues with, “edward morton—”
“shalom, bro,” he says.
“—andrew de loughrey—”
“hey, dude.”
“—derek carmichael, and you remember janus, of course.”
“nice to finally meet you all,” roman says, an arm wrapped comfortably around logan’s waist.
“you’re fucking yoked, bro,” derek says, appreciative. “what does your leg day look like? your quads are insane.”
“thanks, man,” roman says, extending a denim-clad leg with all of his typical grace. his legs are insane, to be fair. “part of the job—has logan mentioned i’m a ballet dancer?”
there’s a chorus of agreement, and so as they relocate, unspoken, to the living room. all of the other boys listen to some of the exercises roman discusses, and roman offers demonstrations of barre warm-ups upon request, his hand on the kitchen island, to great enthusiasm.
logan probably should have guessed that hearing about the workout regimen of a ballet dancer would go a long way in convincing this house full of “jocks” that roman was worthy of their adoptive, same-age mother. he’s pleased that by the time this line of conversation is winding down, it has been proven to be a very effective icebreaker.
even if he is a little grumpy to lose the warmth of roman’s hand where it had been resting on his knee.
however, once that conversation does trail off, logan gets to his feet.
“how about i take you on a tour of the house? i can show you my room.”
“ooh, mom, get it,” andrew says, to great whooping and a wolf-whistle which elicits more laughter from the other boys.
“remember, house rule, sock on the doorknob!” says someone who can surely only be adam.
“i’m making a bad noodle chart now,” logan says, attempting to fight the blush that’s surely creeping onto his face, “all of you have been demoted to the bad noodle chart.”
roman reaches out and takes logan’s hand. “you actually have a noodle chart? i thought you were kidding.”
“i am not kidding,” logan says sourly, directing a glare toward the boys.
jordan, mercifully, provides a very handy distraction by order of shouting out “MARIO KART TOURNAMENT I CALL ROSALINA,” which immediately descends into chaos as the boys fight over who gets peach, or yoshi, or else fighting over their “lucky” switch controllers.
janus meets eyes with logan, rolls his eyes, and promptly siddles his way into one of the four coveted spots to play as wario. somehow janus never has to engage in this arguing, even though logan, the house mother, has to fight with the boys to get to play with isabelle—
whatever. it’s fine. as adam launches himself at jordan to literally wrestle him to the ground for the honor of playing as rosalina, logan takes advantage of this to slip further into the kitchen with roman.
“we could probably make a getaway attempt now, it would be an ideal time,” logan says, a touch anxious; this is roman’s first time meeting the boys, and logan knows better than most people that being in the (boys-and-janus-dubbed) himbo house can be overwhelming. 
“no way,” roman says warmly, squeezing logan’s hand, and logan’s heart flutters in its chest. “show me the rest of the house, c’mon.”
logan shows roman the good noodle chart in its place of pride in the kitchen, taking a moment to detract a gold star sticker from adam for tackling jordan, writing unnecessary violence (mario kart) on the line beneath specifically meant for the reason for the latest detraction in red dry-erase marker. 
he adds a star for jordan without writing exactly why.
roman takes a moment to survey the chart and immediately barks with laughter at the bottom line.
“don’t,” logan grumbles.
“but c’mon!” roman says, delightedly pointing at the section of the chart that has special microscope stickers instead of gold stars.
it says logan workaholism 
and then, in different handwriting and a different colored marker, (and drunk shenanigans). 
“yes, well, you’ve seen the chart now,” logan says evasively, tugging roman along, and roman follows with a smile on his face that’s a bit too big for logan’s liking.
logan hadn’t even been on the chart. but no, he listened to adam’s recommendation for a drink one time (he should have realized that would turn out to be a horrible idea) and now he was on the good noodle chart, specifically so they could detract a sticker. he shouldn’t be on the chart, he runs it!
he still has the most stickers of anyone, though, so there.
logan shows roman their kitchen, which is more well-stocked than one would expect a stereotypical a college kitchen to be. there’s two mini-fridges so that edward can keep kosher. within the normal fridge, and in the cabinets, there’s an overwhelming supply of protein bars, shakes, and powders, in addition to plenty of fruits and vegetables. 
he slips with roman up the stairs, unnoticed by everyone screaming at the four lucky players of the first leg of the mario kart tournament. from a glance at their ridiculously oversized flat screen, janus seems to be swiftly overtaking the lead due to taking advantage of a secret passage.
logan gestures vaguely to the rooms leading off the landing, telling roman who occupied which, as well as the communal bathrooms, but as there are no common spaces on either of the floors that roman has not already seen, he essentially leads roman straight up to the attic.
his room.
he tentatively opens the door for roman to look in and behold it, which roman immediately does.
logan’s lofted bed is crammed against the wall that divides the attic at the apex of the roof, as the opposite wall slants with the angle of the roof. everything is lit by the window opposite the door; logan debates flicking on the overhead light, and decides against it. the afternoon sun does just fine.
logan’s bed is made, his indigo duvet tucked neatly over his white sheets. his desk is pushed beneath the bed, with his laptop, a notebook, and a mug from remy’s café full of pens resting on it, the shelves above the desk that the boys had helped logan install nearly toppling under the weight of all their books. logan’s backpack sits in his desk chair, logan’s dresser shut. the rest of the floorspace is overtaken by a comfy rug and a pitiful excuse for a beanbag chair, which roman promptly sits on, wiggling to get comfortable.
“i like it,” he proclaims. “it’s cozy.”
logan tries to smile at him. the room is cramped and logan knows it.
all the other occupants of the house come from, to put it in plain terms, the same world of wealth and status that his grandparents occupy. as a matter of fact, his grandparents had been incredibly pleased that logan’s roommates had been “up to snuff,” a roundabout way of saying they’re of an appropriate caliber for our ivy-leaguer grandson.
logan knows that it was no coincidence that his roommates offered him his “cozy” room and therefore a lower amount for rent, all of them reasoning that as he had the smallest and least convenient room and if he was not there to supervise the house would surely explode, as part of this offer was surely due to the fact that they knew that his budget did not stretch as far as theirs did. 
for one, he is the only roommate with a job. for another, he is the only one who knows how to budget. 
well, janus would likely be able to figure it out, but he’s never needed to, which is the point.
derek hadn’t even recognized what “those little slips of paper” in logan’s hands were when logan attempted to discreetly coupon during a grocery outing.
educating them on what coupons were was... an experience, to be sure.
logan’s musings are interrupted when roman takes hold of his hand and gently tugs at logan. logan obligingly sinks onto the ground to join him, settling practically on roman’s lap.
“hey,” roman says, voice husky.
“hi,” logan says, in a tone that strikes him as strangely shy.
roman reaches out and makes a grabby hand, to which logan rolls his eyes and settles more decisively on roman’s lap, unable to keep the smile off his face, which roman can surely see, given the way that logan is now directly facing him.
“better?”
“much, thank you,” roman says graciously, settling his hands at logan’s waist and gently squeezing. 
“i must agree,” logan says, resting his hands on roman’s shoulders and squeezing back. roman offers him a slanted smile.
“love, what a long way, to arrive at a kiss,” roman says, pausing to pick logan’s hand off his shoulder and press a kiss to his palm, achingly soft, “what loneliness-in-motion, toward your company!”
“you can’t just quote neruda off the bat, it isn’t fair,” logan complains, despite the fact that his heart has been sent aflutter, but he is cut off when roman’s lips meet his.
oh, how logan’s missed this. he’s familiar with the pressure of roman’s lips against his, the warmth and breadth of roman’s hands wrapping around him, the way logan’s hands fit perfectly on roman’s shoulders, and missing it has been like an ache.
languid, unhurried afternoons in the summers by the town’s lake; inexperienced hands slipping up shirts in their childhood bedrooms; illicit kisses in the gazebo when they were both meant to be at home; his memories seemed to pale in comparison to having the real thing, right now. roman’s heartbeat and the rush of logan’s pulse in his own ears and the sweet, perfect slide of their mouths. they break to breathe, staying forehead-to-forehead.
“but you and i, love,” logan murmurs, “we are together, from our clothes down to our roots: in the autumn, in water, in hips, until we are together—only you, only me.”
“you skipped a few lines,” roman teases.
“i editorialized,” logan says. “taltal is not particularly applicable to our situation, is it?”
“and i suppose it isn’t raining,” roman says, mock-thoughtfully. logan smiles and leans in for more.
roman responds, sliding his hands down logan’s back and eventually coming to grip at logan’s thighs, and logan arches into the touch—
—"ow!”
—and logan leans back, careful to avoid the slant of the roof he’d just hit his head against, putting a hand on where his head throbs in complaint.
“oh, i’m sorry!” roman says frantically. “i’m so sorry, c’mere, c’mere, let me look—”
“it was just a bump, it’s not so bad,” logan says, but he squirms and twists so that roman can see the point of impact.
roman cautiously runs his fingers through logan’s hair, paying close attention, and gently presses his fingers down. logan winces.
“tender?”
“a bit.”
“i’m sorry,” roman repeats, now running his fingers through logan’s hair, careful to keep his touch light.
“i hit my head getting out of bed and getting up from my desk for a full week before i got used to the angle,” logan says with a shrug. “kissing you is the most pleasurable way this could have happened.”
“well, now, still don’t like that clever little brain of yours getting bumped around,” roman says, frowning. 
logan points to where, at this angle, roman can see the protective pool noodle secured to protect himself from hitting his head against his bed while standing up from the bed. janus had cut it for him with an exacto knife. logan is unsure where janus keeps this exacto knife. he hopes it’s hidden somewhere safe; sharp implements were just asking for trouble in this household.
“better now,” logan says, then, when roman’s still frowning, “i’m used to it, really. and besides, i’m the second-shortest in the house; no one else would take this room. well, janus would be the only other person who wouldn’t be constantly hitting his head, but i think he prefers the basement.”
“like an evil lair,” roman grumbles.
“precisely what he said,” logan says dryly. “can you imagine derek in here?”
they both take a moment to imagine derek, who stands at six feet and seven inches tall, slouched over at most points of the room.
“yeah, that’d be a bit of a tight squeeze,” roman acknowledges. 
“besides,” logan says. “there are plenty of ways to be comfortable.”
he adjusts to sit on the comfy, fluffy rug—bought specifically for floor-sitting in mind—and pulls roman along. roman, getting the idea, moves the beanbag to use as a pillow, and lies back against it. logan curls up on the ground with him, resting his head over roman’s heart.
roman takes a moment to switch to scratching his fingernails against logan’s scalp, and logan tries not to shudder with pleasure too obviously.
“i like it in here,” logan says. “i like that i can go out of the window to sit on the roof, if i wanted. i like that i have the clearest view of the night sky. i like that i have a single room. and—”
he points to the side of the rafters that would not be visible to someone standing in the doorway of the room; only from within it are the stick-on, glow-in-the-dark stars surrounding the photographs of logan’s loved ones are visible. the one most visible from here is himself and roman eating lucy’s at the winterfest where they had their first kiss. 
“—i like that there are unique decorating ideas i could only put into function in this room.”
roman kisses logan’s head, and, with that, curled up together on logan’s bedroom floor, they start talking about everything and nothing at all, and logan’s heart feels full and fit to burst with happiness.
look. matt’s fully aware that he’s cynical about love. it’s a bit hard not to when, growing up, his primary example of love was his dad and his revolving door of brides. 
he’s pretty sure he’s on stepmom number eight, by now, he isn’t really sure, he hasn’t met the latest one. 
(dad scheduled the wedding during peak crew season and matt’s dad, a yale alum himself, is all proud about him being on the team of the first rowing club formed at an american college. so matt didn’t go and his dad might have just assumed he had a regatta then. whatever. matt isn’t too fussed about it, seriously. he thinks her name might be tina? tara? fuck, he should probably work that out before thanksgiving break, shouldn’t he.)
(wait. goddammit. the last girlfriend was trisha. did he end up marrying trisha? he thought his dad dumped trisha because trisha got pissed at him for doing something in a dream of hers. fuck he seriously needs to do some googling before thanksgiving break.)
(wait. shit. it was tori who did the dream thing, because she was super into the astrology-dream-palm reading deal and she’d tried to figure out matt’s birth chart, so now he can flex that he knows he’s a leo sun taurus moon sagittarius rising to the girls he tries to pick up. that happened years ago, god damn it, who the fuck is his dad married to right now?!)
ANYWAYS. he doesn’t really have an optimistic view of love, especially at their age. so back when he’d first been getting to know logan, he’d been pretty surprised to hear that logan had a long-term boyfriend. logan didn’t really seem like the stereotypical college kid clinging to their high school sweetheart, like, at all. 
there had been a girl on his floor freshman year who woke up half the dorm during her kicking-and-screaming fight with her high school boyfriend that she’d tried to long-distance with and ended up dumping after a month. he’d kind of been expecting to hear that logan was going to break up with his boyfriend, because, like, how many childhood sweethearts actually make it?
but no, no screaming fights for logan—honestly, matt’s pretty sure if he heard logan actually yell it would be the scariest thing ever—and now the boyfriend is here.
who is, like, not exactly what matt had expected? he’d thought roman would maybe be a copy of logan, someone else crazy smart and crazy dedicated to school, and, in the kindest way possible, a major nerd. 
roman seems... cool.
like, first of all, he’d immediately understood and talked training routines with the rest of the house, which, like, respect to logan, who goes on runs and keeps his shit pretty tight, but he isn’t exactly the most gym-rat kind of dude. 
roman’s routine sounded really interesting. matt’s got pretty good legs himself—you kind of have to, to be on the rowing team—but roman’s calves and quads and glutes look unreal. man could probably beat them all in a squat challenge tournament without breaking a sweat. 
also, logan keeps himself looking like a eighteen-year-old tax accountant, with his polo and tie, but roman is dressed, like, suave. casual enough, sure,but his short-sleeved button down shirt looked like it was made of silk or satin or some fancy shit like that. it’s unbuttoned to show off the gold necklace he’s wearing. he’s wearing dark jeans at the exact right place on his waist.
logan has not exactly stepped into “going out” clothes, except for like combing his hair and wearing blue jeans. they’re going the pub that logan invariably picks on the rare nights he goes out with the rest of them—a coffee shop by day, a bar by night, and very unfancy.
logan is absently fixing roman’s collar so it sits straight as roman examines himself in his phone’s camera to check out his reflection. he flashes a smile toward logan in thanks. 
logan smiles at him, something in his eyes going soft that matt’s never seen him do before, and—
and, okay, if anyone he knows is smart enough to figure out how love works this early on, it would probably be logan.
"you sure, bro?” andrew says, leaning against the open car door, not yet sliding into edward’s bmw. “’cause i can dd this time, i think it’s my turn anyway—”
edward’s already shaking his head. “shabbat’s tomorrow, dude. gotta get up early to go to temple anyway, gramps would derail the whole service if i turned up hungover.”
andrew shrugs. “if you’re sure,” he says, and at last he slides into the car that is absolutely filled up with people over the legal capacity. 
usually, logan picks a fit about this, talking about things like seatbelts, but right now he’s perched on his boyfriend’s lap and doesn’t seem to mind at all.
janus, sitting beside them in the very back, is eyeing them like he’s ready to start elbowing them if they get too lovey. which like. logan, getting lovey? unlikely.
(however, the seven of them have made a pact to be as obnoxious as possible if the boyfriend gets too lovey. they didn’t include janus on this, because apparently janus and roman had a brief rivalry Thing in high school and it would probably piss logan off if they started fighting, but anyways. bros take care of bros.)
“are ya ready, kids?” edward asks as he starts the car.
“aye aye, captain!” the other six of his bros and, a little surprisingly, roman, call back. logan looks confused at this, as he usually does, and janus rolls his eyes, as he usually does.
“to the pub!” edward declares, and so they’re off as cory and jordan frantically play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets the aux cord.
jordan wins and as such immediately puts on his playlist, a few of the boys starting to sing along to nicki minaj—oh, sick, it’s the pump-up playlist. hell yeah, that means that beyoncé is coming up. edward fucking loves beyoncé.
edward peeks into the rearview mirror, and he sees roman pressing his face into logan’s shoulder, like he’s hugging him, and logan smiles, looking very pleased.
and as edward drives on, everyone joining in when “love on top” comes on, even over the raucous performance of ther rest of his bros, he could swear he hears roman’s voice, floating up to the driver’s seat even from where he’s singing in logan’s ear.
“baby it’s you, you’re the one i love, you’re the one i need...”
damn, edward thinks to himself, impressed. he’s got a good voice.
logan’s cheeks go a little bit pink, and he smiles, ducking his chin; roman takes a moment from singing into his ear to kiss him on the cheek.
also, that’s cute as fuck.
“shots?” cory demands. “shots, shots, shots?”
“we just got here,” logan says, usually the sole voice of reason and also being boring, but he doesn’t seem to be standing as firm as usual. that might have something to do with his boyfriend, who has an arm going over his shoulder, saying “hell yeah, dude!”
“getting shots my treat!” cory says, and he rushes into the scrum in front of the bar before logan can protest and try to pay for himself.
janus catches his elbow and allows himself to be pulled along with him, which is cool. janus is probably cory’s closest non-sports friend ever, because he and jan are, one, roommates, but two, kids adopted from other countries as symbols of their white parents’ supposed generosity (he’s chinese, janus is haitian, they handshake meme over white people misunderstanding the culture and history of their countries of origin) so they tend to get each other’s deal more often than other people in the house.
they’re already planning their “oh so sorry we’re busyyy” excuse and activities so they don’t have to go home over thanksgiving break. 
cory leans down to talk into janus’ ear—it’s a friday night, so it’s as busy as it gets here—and practically shouts, “how long have they been dating again?”
“four years,” janus says back; cory has no idea how, but janus can always be heard in any crowd, he never has to shout. 
“are they, like,” cory says. “i mean. are they like. i dunno what i’m even asking. is their relationship, like, nice, i guess?”
janus arches an eyebrow back. “do you happen to remember my previous relationship?”
mm, yeah. asher fleming, resoundingly shady, but very willing to dole out the cash whenever janus so much as pouted at him. which janus seemed to like, so good for him, cory guesses, even though asher fleming was sketchy as fuck, in his opinion. dude could rest in fucking pieces.
“what about that makes you think i am a good person to ask.”
cory opens his mouth, closes it. opens it again.
“hey, what can i get started for you?”
oh thank god. “uhh, nine—wait, ten—ten shots of vodka? boyd and blair, if you’ve got it. and open a tab,” cory adds, forking over his card.
“you got it,” the bartender says, taking it, and then pauses, taking a moment to take stock of cory.
cory flashes a smile at her. she smiles back, and turns for the bar, going to hunt down ten shot glasses and a tray, her brunette ponytail bouncing as she goes.
janus nods after her. “she’s cute.”
“yeah, but she’s working,” cory says, turning to lean back against the bar and scan the pub to see where the rest of his dudes have gone. “i’m like ninety percent sure not asking out a girl when she’s trapped at work is part of bro code.”
janus follows his lead, leaning against the bar.
“they’re adorable,” he says abrubtly, his eyes fixed on the table that the rest of their roommates have claimed, jostling each other for space.
“huh?”
“logan, when he’s with roman. they’re adorable. it’s disgusting. he gets all,” janus’ mouth twists. “sappy.”
“really?!” cory says, stunned. logan, sappy? the closest they’ve ever gotten to sappy logan is after running the full gamut of logan’s stages of drunkness.
“bet you fifty bucks logan initiates pda within ten minutes,” janus says.
“i’ll take that bet,” cory says immediately.
as he approaches the table with the tray of shots, logan reaches over to squeeze roman’s hand and then just hold it on the table. he realizes what he’s started to realize every time he makes a bet against janus, which is that he probably shouldn’t have made a bet against janus. cory literally never wins.
"hey, man, they made this wrong,” andrew lies cheerfully, setting the glass in front of logan. “you like peach schnapps, right?”
this is a thing he and the other dudes like to do, and logan gets into a snit when they do, but c’mon. andrew has literally unlimited access to cash, why shouldn’t he use it to spoil his friends?
and then logan usually says something about taking care of himself, but like, it’s covering your drinks, dude, it’s not a big deal.
logan gives him a look, a i know what you’re doing here look, a i am about to throw a fit because you paid for me look, but before he can say anything roman breaks into the conversation.
“oh, damn, i was gonna pay for logan’s next drink,” he says, sounding a little disappointed that he couldn’t treat logan to his drink of choice. “how much was that? i’ll cover it and you can get my next one, l, like we’re on a date.”
andrew, skeptical, waits, because this kind of tactic doesn’t work with logan, but—
logan relaxes back into the seat, turning his eyes to andrew.
“oh,” andrew says, and turns to crane at the menu. “uh, since it’s wells night, five or six bucks should cover it.”
“nice,” roman says peaceably, and forks over a ten. “just to cover my bases for my next drink on the tab—hey, who opened that, anyway, and what’s their venmo? i wanna be sure i have it so i can pay my share in the morning.”
“cory did—i’ll pull it up,” logan says, taking roman’s phone from his hand and searching for cory’s venmo profile.
huh. crisis averted.
andrew gives roman a thumbs-up over logan’s head, and roman grins back at him.
look. there are certain stages of drunkenness, right.
derek could be called a party—what was that word janus said? cone-is-sour?—connoisseur. like, he knows these things, okay. he knows that people have certain telltale signs of what they do when they start getting drunker.
for him, he gets all overheated and red-cheeked first, then he kind of stops having the concept of volume control, then everything sounds like the funniest thing in the world, there’s a bit about hugging his bros and singing along to whatever song the bar’s playing super loudly thrown in there most nights, and then he gets really sleepy, and after that his memory gets blurry. easy, simple way to tell how drunk he’s getting.
logan’s stages of drunkness are... pretty wild. like, holy hell is logan a lightweight. he got, like, very past tipsy after drinking two wine coolers once. they’ve all kind of taken it upon themselves to improve his drinking tolerance, gradually.
anyways. derek thinks he’s got logan’s stages figured out by now, along with the rest of the dudes, and the stages are as follows:
rambling when he talks
Science!
I Love My Friends
wandering off, most likely to fall asleep in a weirdass location
it turns out there might be a stage 1.5, but this stage might only be unlocked when his boyfriend is here.
stage 1.5 of logan drunkness is cuddly.
they’ve been playing the “who can pay for the most drinks for everyone but mostly for logan” game, which means that they’ve been mixing their alcohol (careful to steer clear of beer, though, ‘cause that could turn to beer before liquor during the next round, beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear, derek knows his fuckin’ booze) and trying drinks of what everyone else is trying, seeing if they can come up with a new favorite drinks combo before the night ends.
with one hand, logan’s currently stirring his plastic straw in a cocktail called a bramble. with the other, he’s got his arm flung across roman’s shoulders, occasionally adjusting his stance, and any time he catches anyone’s eyes during a conversation he beams, like, this is my boyfriend, isn’t this so great?!
and, like, look. he knows it’s basically dude code to kind of haze each other a little bit, whenever a new significant other comes around, just to make sure they’re up to snuff, but c’mon.
their uptight, workaholic house mom, drinking on a friday night like he doesn’t have a care in the world? practically unheard of.
derek’s pretty sure he can pin the sudden lack of tension in logan’s shoulders and jaw on the man that logan is currently staring at. roman is telling a story about a drag show he and his girl friends went to see in new york, and logan’s looking at him like roman hung all the stars in the sky, grinning whenever roman looks over at him.
like. come on. how is derek meant to haze that. it’s too fuckin’ cute.
logan is putting in an order for waters at the bar because while the boys are good at remembering to hydrate for sports reasons, no one ever remembers to hydrate for drinking reasons. a hand gently touches his waist, and, with a whiff of familiar cologne, roman slides in next to him at the bar.
“hey,” logan says, a little too aware that this is the closest they’ll get to a private conversation for the rest of the night.
“hey,” roman echoes, loose and easy with alcohol. something low in logan’s belly thrums pleasantly at the sound.
“check-in?” logan requests. “i know that this can be a—a lot.”
to put it delicately.
roman grins at him. “your friends are cool, this bar is cool. you’re cool. i love you so much.”
logan, who would later put this decision down to being plied with alcohol, pulls roman in by the collar and kisses him hard.
roman seems surprised, just for a moment, before he responds in kind, pulling logan in at the waist and kissing him back, equally enthusiastic.
his boyfriend is visiting, he’s making out with him in a bar like a normal college kid would make out with a significant other, and everything seems wonderful.
roman, looking thoroughly kissed, handles the ribbing and joking the boys start as soon as they get back to the table with good humor, grinning at logan like it’s a private joke between the two of them.
god, logan’s so in love with him.
"hey, babe?” roman says.
logan hums around his straw, looking at roman with half-lidded eyes. fuck he’s so hot.
roman shakes himself a little, trying to focus, before he asks, “on a scale of one to ten, how chill would the guys be if i suggested we go somewhere we can dance?”
logan swallows, and roman’s eyes follow the of his bobbing adam’s apple.
“probably very chill about it,” he says dryly. 
roman smiles. “and how would you feel about going somewhere to dance with me?”
logan bites his lip, but still smiling.
“probably very enthusiastic about it,” logan says quietly.
roman grins at him. “yeah?”
“yeah.”
with a swiftness that probably belies how eager roman is at the very concept of holding logan close in his arms, roman calls out to derek, “hey, dude, is there a good club around here? i kinda wanna see y’all dance.”
derek puffs out his chest. 
“oh, bro, you are not ready,” he says gleefully. 
adam leans across the table.
“hey, wait, you’re, like, a professional dancer, right? maybe you can teach us a routine!”
oh, now roman has the perfect routine in mind.
adam has been known to get down at a party, okay. he’s a pretty decent dancer. his party trick is being able to swing around on poles installed into frat basements for “structural integrity.”
but, like, adam also knows that a literal professional probably has some tips, so he’d asked, right, which has now turned into—
“okay, again, from the start, ready?” roman asks, standing at the front of the group. janus and logan are at the edge of the room. adam’s pretty sure janus is recording this on his phone.
they’re also, like, in the center of most of the club’s attention, but roman seems very cool with it. which, likes, makes sense; dancing professionally, crowds come with the territory. the other six of his roommates are standing in loose lines, spaced out so they don’t kick each other in the heads.
“five, six, seven, eight,” roman starts, then, over the sound of six dudes who are all over six feet tall jump-kick then drop rapidly into what roman called a grand plié, which you would probably do slower for a stretch but this is CHOREO, sings, “now from the top, make it drop—”
logan, after trying so hard not to laugh at the sight of his boyfriend teaching tiktok dance choreography to what, ostensibly, looked like a group of typical frat boys, is attempting to catch his breath and hydrate at the bar. 
well. dehydrate, technically. a vodka soda is certainly working to dehydrate him.
“hey,” roman pants, appearing from the crowd, flushed, with at least two more buttons popped than he’d had when they entered. “hot over there—can i—?”
before he can ask, logan offers his vodka soda, and roman says “thanks” before he gulps down a good portion of it, fanning himself.
“i love dancing,” he says happily.
“i know, dearest,” logan says, perhaps not as dryly as he would if they were not both intoxicated.
“oh! and i love this song!” roman says brightly, as the dj transitions into a new song. 
logan smiles at him; the song is not a recent release, and logan thinks he might be able to place it.
“dance with me?” roman says, his eyes pleading. logan finds himself helpless to resist, and so he drains the rest of his drink.
roman smirks at him and takes hold of logan’s tie, gently leading him to a corner of the dance floor, rather than in the midst of the scrum of it, which logan appreciates; while he is perfectly willing to dance with roman, he is not so adept as to not make a fool of himself in the case of any impromptu dance circles.
there is, logan realizes once he listens to the lyrics, perhaps another motive of roman’s for dragging them into a less populated corner.
i’m telling you to loosen up my buttons, babe, but you keep frontin’, say what you’re gonna do to me, but i ain’t see nothing...
roman’s hands slide from logan’s tie to wrapping around logan’s shoulders, pulling logan so that they’re pressed up against each other, and logan grips roman’s hips, which are shifting sinuously to the beat.
“couldn’t dance like this at the chilton winter formal, could we?” roman says lowly into logan’s ear, and logan snickers.
“not unless we wanted to be lectured by mr. gardiner, no.”
“ugh, he was a fucker, i still haven’t forgiven him for being so strict about your math quizzes,” roman says, scowling. then, with a laugh, “no drawing lots to see who gets breathalyzed, no snooty rich kids to judge us—”
“i’m still surrounded by rich kids.”
“yeah, but your rich kids seem nice,” roman says thoughtfully. “‘cept for janus.”
“he’d take that as a compliment.”
“why did i bring up janus when i’m trying to grind on you,” roman mutters to no one in particular, and he then proceeds to handily distract logan by pressing impossibly closer. 
roman’s hands slide up logan’s shoulders to briefly cup logan’s face, then slide back down to squeeze his shoulders, using the movement to roll his hips against him, and logan’s world narrows down to the heat of roman’s body, the scent of roman’s sweat and cologne, the beat of the song thrumming through to his very bones.
roman twists in his hands, leaning forward, then standing back upright to lean against logan, swaying his hips all the whlie. he reaches a hand lazily back, dragging it down logan’s face before cradling logan’s jaw.
logan twirls roman back to face him again, his grip on roman’s hips tight and possessive, and logan leans in to devour roman in a kiss. he can feel the pounding of hearts against his chest, and they’re so close he’s uncertain whose pulse is whose.
“—I DON’T GIVE A FUCK WHO TALK BEHIND MY BACK ‘CUZ A BITCH KNEW BETTER THAN TO LET ME HEAR!” jordan screams at the top of his lungs, along with the rest of his bros. all ten of them have piled back into edward’s car, and roman has taken over the aux, which is actually a phenomenal move, he has put on banger after banger. 
edward—the sole sober one in the car—is grinning to himself even as he turns into his parking spot near their house.
they all groan when he turns off the car, and therefore turns off the music.
“yeah, yeah,” edward says, good-natured. “everyone out, i wanna go to bed!”
everyone pours from the car, logan stumbling slightly when he jumps down from the suv.
“i’ve got you, my love,” roman says grandly, and squats before logan. logan snorts, slightly, but then proceeds to clamber onto roman’s back, accepting his piggy-back ride.
“onward!” roman declares, and jordan grins a bit, shaking his head, before he jogs ahead so he can open the front door for them. he watches logan giggle and mash his face into the side of roman’s neck, and he watches roman’s face glow.
the rest of the dudes kind of split off, from there. edward, true to his word, goes to bed; adam, derek, cory, and and andrew sit in front of the tv to start up a drunken game of mario kart; matt pours himself a glass of water and starts chugging it; jordan goes to grab his own water bottle from his room, because he has dish duty next and he doesn’t want to give himself too much trouble.
by the time he’s changed into more comfortable clothes and gotten his water, he runs into roman on the stairs.
“oh! hey, dude,” he says. 
“hey,” roman says. “uh, hey, do you guys have spare blankets and pillows and stuff, and where do you keep them? i figured i’d probably crash on the floor or the couch or something.”
jordan surveys him.
“yeah?” he says, in a tone that’s carefully neutral. they continue down the stairs together.
“yeah,” roman says casually. “uh—i know he’d wanna cuddle, but we’re both a bit drunk, so. got him some water, got him into bed, he fell asleep pretty quick.” 
jordan knows it’s the bare fucking minimum to take care of your drunk significant other, but he feels his respect for roman rise, even just a little bit. that’s a bro move.
“yeah, man,” jordan says. “uh—we’ve got blankets down in the living room, but some of the dudes are playing mario kart, so you might have a while to wait to free up the couch.”
roman brightens.
“oh, sick. does anyone play peach?”
jordan snorts. “you’re gonna have to fight someone for it.”
“bring it on,” roman says.
roman hums to himself, quietly, as he ascends the stairs. he has to take a couple minutes to juggle the plates in his hands to be able to open the door, but he succeeds eventually.
“rise and shine, nerdo,” roman sings, careful not to be too loud.
he sees logan stir, and, before roman can say anything in warning—
thump.
“fuck!” logan snarls, flopping back in bed with a hand to his forehead, glaring up at the ceiling that has grievously injured him.
“oh, baby,” roman says, setting down his plate on logan’s desk before he rises on tip-toes so he can see logan’s face. “lemme see.”
logan groans and pulls his pillow over his head.
“still a morning person, i see,” roman teases, before he nudges a plastic water bottle into the bed. “drink that, baby, it’ll make you feel better.”
“nerdo isn’t your best work,” logan grumbles, muffled by the pillow.
“yeah, well, i stayed up until three with the dudes playing mario kart,” roman says dryly. “birdo, nerdo?”
logan peeks out in time to grab the water bottle, squirm as upright as he can, and proceed to chug it as mechanically as possible.
“how’d you sleep?” logan says, once he’s drained about half of it.
“eh, fine,” roman says. “the couch is pretty comfy.”
logan frowns.
“it was couch or floor,” roman says, before logan can say anything. “i think we could maybe squeeze to fit up there, and considering we were, y’know—”
“i get it,” logan says.
“i was gonna make you a big breakfast, but,” roman says and hands over a plate with two pieces of toast sliced into triangles and slathered with crofter’s. “figured you’d like this better.”
logan smiles, taking the plate, and then leans wildly out of his bed in order to cup roman’s face and kiss him good morning.
the kiss is good. it’s very good. but—
“your breath stinks,” roman says, and logan chucks a pillow at him.
“you aren’t exactly a morning rose, either,” logan grumbles, and roman snorts, taking a bite of his own crofter’s with great fervor.
over their breakfast—logan in the bed, roman on the beanbag—they talk about their plans for the rest of the weekend; going on a walk around campus, going to see logan’s favorite spot in the library, getting tacos from the best little spot in town for lunch.
“granted,” logan says thoughtfully, “i have these ideas in place today, but we’ll see how the boys interfere with it.”
“i’d be fine if they did,” roman says.
“yeah?” logan says.
“yeah,” roman says. he grins up at logan. “wanna explain why they kept calling me step-daddy when i was making us toast?”
logan flops back on the bed with a groan, and, even with all of his theatrics, roman can tell logan’s very pleased that his boyfriend and his friends get along.
(they absolutely get along. roman has already promised to record a dance tutorial for them to “dancing queen” next.)
notes: major thank yous to @teacupfulofstarshine and @airiervessel for helping me flesh out the boys! songs in the order they’re mentioned: “love on top” by beyoncé, “wap” by cardi b. ft. megan thee stallion, “buttons” by the pussycat dolls, “thot shit” by megan thee stallion, “dancing queen” by abba.
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chibitantei · 2 years
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Rules; tag 10 followers you want to get to know better!
Tagged by: @edgyearring
Tagging: do you think I know 10 people. get out of here
Name: Elizabeth
Star Sign: Pisces
Height: screams in 5′0″
Middle name?: It starts with an M and it is not in English.
Put your itunes/spotify/youtube on shuffle. What are the first 6 songs that popped up?
Jazzy Glitch Machine — Teikyou
The Business of Emotion (feat. White Sea) — Big Data
Need You Here — I Dont Know How But They Found Me
You Will Be Perfect — Portal 2 OST
BangBangBUR! ···n? — Hiroyuki Sawano
Sister — E ve
Grab one book nearest to you and turn to page 23. what’s line 17?:
“My little brother and I spent our days cooling our feet in the little brook that ran through the forest, drinking ramune from porcelain Kiyomizu-ware bowls, and delivering bento and Akadama port wine to Master Akadama.”
Ever had a poem or song written about you: Nope.
When was the last time you played air guitar: I’m just going to roughly estimate this to be 10.
Who is your celebrity crush?: I never had one and still don’t have one.
What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?: uh I hate the squeaky ones. I like rain??? why is this a question
Do you believe in ghosts?: Maybe? If you heard the stories my mom tells, maybe you’d shit your pants too. All from her personal experiences.
How about aliens: I'mma keep it real with you, no.
Do you drive?: Yeah.
if so have you ever crashed: No.
What was the last book you read?: My biochem textbook... To spare you, I’ll just put Wanted it to be a Game here. The only Adachi and Yu roleswap fic I’ve read and the only one I need to see at this point.
Do you like the smell of gasoline: No. It makes me want to die.
What was the last movie you saw?: Everyone loves Spirited Away :^)
What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?: Not really an injury, but once I had 4 bloody noses in a day.
Do you have any obsessions right now?: P4 and predictably I focus on Naoto only, assorted anime, slight MSA.
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lavenderbexlatte · 3 years
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office hours
Tumblr media
nct 1.8k words gender-neutral reader insert Reader x Qian Kun SUGGESTIVE/NSFW
🖤 warnings: vaguely inappropriate work relationships, kissing n’ touching, a boner 🖤
connect with me! / masterlist
“Any final questions before I let you go?”
You glance out over your small class of undergraduate seniors, anticipating the usual last-minute queries about due dates for next week or term definitions from your lecture today. These students are pretty bright, all things considered, and extremely attentive even though your senior seminar class meets in the morning.
That’s why the question that one of your back-row girls asks bowls you over as much as it does.
“Doc, do you think Professor Qian is cute?”
“Professor Qian? In the music department?” you ask, trying to hide how flustered you are.
“Yeah. D’you think he’s hot?” the girl repeats, grinning as she shoves her notebook into her bag without breaking eye contact with you.
“I guess…I’ve never really thought about it,” you say honestly.
The girl hums. “Well, I think he’s pretty hot.”
You get the feeling that she’s got an agenda, a feeling that’s only solidified when you see a few of your other students struggling to hold back laughter and smiling into their books. This is not gonna fly. They can’t make things weird for you, these little punks.
“Any other final questions?” you ask, “About the material?”
Heads shake around the room.
“Okay. Go home, and you better have your summaries to me by Sunday night!”
The students pick up their bags and their books and their Hydroflasks, and they leave the room in their ones and twos. As the last one bids you goodbye, and you’re left alone with your notes again, you sincerely hope to yourself that this isn’t going to become…a thing. These kids (young adults, actual grown adults, though you always think of them as kids) are far too old to be pulling shit like this on you.
Truly, deeply, sincerely, you hope that your 22-year-old student is not planning on trying to bag the music professor. That would be way too much trouble to have on your radar.
You sling the last of your class materials into your bag, and head for your usual stop after your ten o’clock class: the nearest dining hall. The school gives you free lunches on the days that you teach, so you might as well take advantage.
One trip through the buffet-style lines later, you’re balancing your full plate as you scan the room for an open table. The only one you can spot, however, is right next to a group of students, and holding court is none other than your senior girl with the apparent penchant for older men.
“-like a fucking idiot!” you hear one of the other students laughing, “He’s faculty. He’ll get fired.”
“Only if I snitch,” your student is saying.
“Or if literally anyone finds out,” says another one.
“No one would find out. No one would care,” your student dismisses. “Unless they’re in the music department, no one even knows who Qian is.”
So she’s really trying to fuck Qian Kun, huh?
It’s none of your business, really. But if this actually happens, and it even gets out that you knew and said nothing, it’ll be your ass on the line, too. And you’re really not one to fight important shit like Title IX. But the girls at the next table aren’t letting up, the conversation turning more and more raunchy and giving you a growing desire to plug yours ears with the shitty cafeteria napkins for some sense of deniability.
You stab at your meal, annoyed at the position that you’re in now, the liability you hold. Fuck.
You’re gonna have to go see this other professor, and head off this mess before it begins.
---------------
It’s rare that you’re on campus in any place but your own department, but you find yourself in the music building later that evening. You’d done a quick snoop on the faculty page and found Professor Qian’s office hours, and decided that sooner is better. If you can get to him before your (admittedly pretty and fit and 22) student does, then maybe you can spare everyone the headache.
His office is tucked at the end of the hall, farthest from the doors into the building. Lucky him, you think. Your own tiny office is smack in the middle, with essentially no privacy as other faculty and students come and go all day long. The door is shut when you reach it, but the light inside is on, so you knock.
“Just a sec!”
You oblige, waiting and praying to anyone who’ll listen that you’re not about to see a very familiar coed behind this door.
But no. When finally, the door opens, all you see is Professor Qian.
He’s not someone you know well, or someone you see often, and maybe that’s why you spend such an awkward amount of time just looking at him. Your first extremely stupid thought is that your student is kind of right: he’s cute. Thick brown hair, neat eyebrows, a jawline that makes him look like a goddamn marble sculpture…
“Can I help you?” he asks.
You nod, mentally kicking yourself for being weird. “Yeah, hi. Can I come in?”
Qian Kun gives you a brilliant gentle smile that reveals deep dimples, and gestures you into his (blessedly empty) office. You introduce yourself, give him your name and your department, and after a cordial handshake and pleasantries, stood in the middle of the tiny space, you decide to just come right out and say it.
“I have a student who I think you know,” you say, “She’s a senior and a double-major.”
He asks for her name, and you give it.
“Yeah, she’s in my senior seminar,” Professor Qian tells you.
“Mine, too,” you say, “And she’s gotten a little…TOO comfortable in class, lately.”
His grin turns lopsided. “Are we talking eating without permission, or something less tasteful?”
“She has made it clear that she’s interested in some things involving you. And her. And sex,” you tell him, fighting to keep your voice level and not actually die of embarrassment.  
Now the grin disappears entirely. “Seriously?”
You nod, “The exact words I heard were ‘he’s super stacked and I want to-‘”
“Whoa, okay!” Professor Qian cuts you off, “Okay, yeah. No.”
“Professor, I’m sure you know this, but I can’t let anything like that happen. We’ll both get canned,” you say.
“Kun.”
“Pardon me?”
“Call me Kun,” he says, “We’re colleagues, don’t need to dance around titles.”
“Kun,” you repeat, “Alright. But you – you’re not going to-”
“Christ, no,” Kun says emphatically, looking scandalized.
“Good. This has been the most thoroughly uncomfortable conversation of my whole career, but good,” you say.
“I would rather you bring it up to me than let things get worse,” he assures you.
“I’m sure it’s flattering to know that students are interested,” you joke. “Sort of wish I was that kind of attractive.”
Kun laughs. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’ve always thought you were attractive.”
Your brain comes screeching to a halt so quickly, you’re sure Kun can hear as it slams on the breaks and leaves you confounded and blinking at him. He has the presence to look a bit sheepish, having just turned this around on you.
“I’m sorry, was that too much?” he says, running a hand through his hair nervously.
“Unexpected but appreciated,” you reply. “And what do you mean, ‘always?’”
Kun shrugs, leaning back against his desk. “We share a lot of students. They talk about you, that makes you stand out, I see you around. Frequency bias.”
You crack a smile. “So, I come here to save you from one of my horny students, only to find you’re my secret admirer, is that it?”
“You could say that.”
He looks amused but not smug, satisfied but not cocky. The way he’s leaning his weight back on the sturdy wooden desk makes it really difficult not to notice his strong thighs in their fitted slacks, or his chest against the thin fabric of his shirt.
Maybe you were a little harsh, before, judging your student’s attraction to him. You can see the appeal. Completely.
You take a step closer to him, which isn’t difficult given the extremely limited space in the office. “You spend a lot of time thinking about me?”
“A completely normal amount of time,” he replies.
“What kinds of things do you think about?”
Kun reaches toward you suddenly, and then hesitates, leaving his hand hovering in the general direction of your hip. Fascinated, you cover his hand with yours and bring it down to meet your side, as he intended.
“How you always look so put-together but act so cavalier,” he says, finally. “How the kids say you curse in lecture and sit cross-legged on your desk and watch TikToks on your phone, but also grade harder than anyone in your department.”
You hadn’t known that anyone noticed those things. Not your students, and least of all some random colleague.
“So what do you wanna do about it?” you ask, genuinely curious.
“Well,” says Kun, taking hold of your hip more firmly, “Since you’re right here, and the door is shut, and you’re not one of my students…”
You laugh, and his smile makes those dimples pop out again.
“Then,” he says, “Then I think I wanna do this.”
You can say with absolute certainty that you didn’t come here to kiss Qian Kun, but that’s exactly what’s happening. He kisses calm and steady, and you’re ready to about melt into his arms. It’s just a few gentle presses of your lips against his, until he suddenly grabs you around the waist and spins the both of you, so that you’re the one up against the desk.
He lifts you the little bit so that you can sit on the cold surface of it. You move your legs to either side of his hips, and he groans a bit as he draws even closer. As he settles his body against yours, you can feel the barest beginning of an erection pressing against your inner thigh.
“Excited already?” you ask, amused, as Kun traces a path of kisses across your jaw.
“Maybe,” he replies, “Are you complaining?”
“Not at all.”
He laughs at that, which makes you laugh, and you hook your arm around his neck to bring his mouth back to yours. You could get used to this, you think, as one of Kun’s hands sneaks down to jerk your button-up out from where it’s tucked into your nice jeans. As soon as he has access, that hand goes right up your shirt to find purchase-
KNOCK KNOCK.
You jump, and Kun glances over his shoulder at the door, panic evident on his face. Before he can call out to tell whomever it is to wait a second, the door swings open.
“Hey, Qian, I had a question about the performance review for-”
Of course, it’s her. Your student, the very same one with the hots for Kun, walking headlong into the office. When she finally looks up and sees you there, on the desk, legs spread and Kun between them, she freezes.
“I…” she sputters, “I – I guess I’ll come back later.”
“Close the door behind you,” Kun agrees.
She nods, looking mortified. “Yeah, yeah, of course. S-see you on Monday, Doc!”
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