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#i literally found out the news last night while playing board games and drinking with my friends and straight up started crying because i wa
ourstarscollided · 1 year
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oh-holy-slut · 3 years
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Bloodlust
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Pairing: Damon Salvatore x fem!reader
Warnings: smut, explicit language, blood sharing, mentions of death, oral sex
Word Count: 2,6k
Summary: Stefan forced Damon to try his animal diet. Damon hated it, but didn't had a choice... until Reader makes a suggestion. Suddenly things get steamy.
Being with Damon was complicated. Him and Y/N have seen each other a lot in the past weeks. The two of them had a lot of fun; saw a lot of movies. Actually, Y/N was sure Damon secretly hated many of those. However, anytime Y/N suggested another dramatic, romantic cliché movie like "Last Song" - the vampire groaned, put his arm around her shoulder, let her head rest on his chest and endured every single second of the movie of her choice.
Damon even flirted and teased Y/N here and there, but didn't lead to anything more intimate so far.
Today was another of those days. Y/N stuck around at the Salvatore boarding house, brought a few of Damon's favorite groceries and a bunch of movies, of which she thought that they will suit his taste. Even if they were a little to bloody and brutal in her opinion.
"Pick one!", she demanded, holding all three Blu-ray sleeves in front of him. Damon just shrugged, not bothering to even look.
"Don't be a killjoy, Damon Salvatore!" Y/N sighed.
"Tell me what's wrong or pick a movie. You've got no choice. And besides that... Which number of drink is this?" Y/N frowned, pointing at the liquor in her friends hand. Damon usually consumed his beloved bourbon with pleasure.
But the man on the couch didn't seem pleasured at all. His facial features totally hardened and a look in his eyes like he was ready to rip someone's heart out.
You put the disc's back in your handbag, closing the zipper and put the bag on the floor.
"Fine. No movie night today. Who are we going to kill?"
A small smirk appeared on Damon's lips, finally looking towards Y/N.
"Stefan and his hero hair. He made me go vegetarian... well, for a vampire... and I can't get myself to eat one of those chipmunks, bunnies or bambis." He shook himself with disgust.
"And why did he count you in? You clearly aren't excited about the changing... So, why did you agree?"
"He said, he would kill me, which is kinda funny. But-" Damon made a wide gesture "he stole my daylight ring. And he wouldn't give it back until I stop feeding on innocent people - and kill them."
"So, you truly let your younger brother blackmail you like that?! Wow... I don't know how to feel about your dieting or your new path. Or whatever this is supposed to be."
"You don't like me killing people either", Damon maintained, while taking another sip of bourbon.
"Well, I don't", Y/N agreed, took a step forward, stole the glass from the vampires hand and put it on a small table nearby. "But I don't believe in forcing as a method to get people to change their minds. I believe that change for the better must be an intrinsic motivation," she added quickly, giving the vampire an innocent smile.
Damon's lineaments suddenly turned from annoyed to curious. "Any suggestions, little one?" The vampire raised an eyebrow and a little smirk showed up on his lips. On the one hand, Y/N blushed over the nickname, Damon called her.  On the other hand she felt skittish looking forward to making a deal with him. Not only a deal. It's far more than a simple agreement.
It's Y/N, actually giving Damon a part of her. The red elixir of life. She was about to give him total control of her body and she not even for a heartbeat doubt that Damon will use it against her.
"Actually... Yeah. There's something on my mind." Y/N said chewing on your lip. "I could open up a vein for you. I mean, you could feed on me. And since you have my permission, there's nothing for anybody to have objection about."
Damon frowned and gave her an incredulous look. "You would do that for me?" The vampire couldn't believe, he understood correctly. Why would Y/N want to get involved with him feeding on her? What's in it for her? Damon tried hard to connect the dots, but he wasn't able to. It all seemed to make no sense. Y/N wouldn't have an advantage of that. The vampire hesitated, pinning his dangerously blue eyes on the girl in front of him.
"Is it so suspicious of me, that I'm trying to help my closest friend?" It pierced Y/N's heart, realizing, Damon's trust in her was rather fragile. "Never mind", she waved the pain away and forced herself to keep her composure. "I only had a hasty idea; you really don't need to fee-"
Suddenly Damon appeared behind Y/N, using his vampirism. "Shhhh", he whispered softly. "I never said, that I don't want your blood. I'm thinking about if we are going to cross a line? Blood sharing can be very personal..."
"It can be? It is personal already. Believe it or not - I'm not gonna offer my veins to all the vampires of Mystic Falls." Y/N rolled her eyes, her arms folded on her chest to point out the indignation she felt right now.
"Kinda sensitive today, huh?" Damon gently stroke a strand of hair behind her ear, Y/N could hear this smug smirk through his words. It was a true 'Damon thing' to do. "I didn't mean it like that, princess." He sighed; unsure if he should agree or not. Damon didn't want to act selfish towards Y/N. He compelled a lot of girls for the purpose of drinking blood in the past. He literally used them as long as they weren't too annoying - and then he acted like they have never met. Damon Salvatore couldn't imagine this scenario with Y/N. They've been so close, the vampire couldn't stand loosing her. The offer was risky, but it also could bring each other even closer.
Damon tried hard to avoid any serious attraction between Y/N and him, afraid of messing up. Indeed, he found himself thinking, and even dreaming, about Y/N more than he wanted to admit. She was smart and had this special sense of humor, the vampire adored so much. She was the only one, who could make him feel good no matter what. Needless to say she had that glimmer in her eyes, when she did something she truly loved. In these moments she was even more pretty. Y/N was hard to resist.
And maybe now he could have her like nobody else. At least the vampire gave in. He wanted her blood. He wanted her.
Y/N flinched by the feeling of Damon brushing her neck with his lips.  "Oh, Damon", she gasped. "Bite me." Y/N almost begged for the vampire's teeth breaking through her skin. Damon loved the sound of her husky voice. In less than a heartbeat he turned into his vampire shape. "If you insist", he grinned devilishly, ready to place his teeth on to her skin.
Suddenly Y/N made a slight move forward with the intention to interrupt her friend. "Did you change your mind?" Damon was close to switching back to human, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. Mostly a lack of understanding, but also a little of disappointment and even anger. Was Y/N playing games on him? While Damon Salvatore was sorting feelings, Y/N turned around, standing now in front of him.
She was so close, not even a piece of paper would fit between them.
Y/N slightly exhaled breath, her eyes darting between the vampires eyes and lips. It was the first time Y/N saw him like this. The icy blue of his eyes, she loved so much, has turned darker. Purple veins appeared under his eyes; Y/N couldn't help herself. Damon's appearance fully intoxicated every fibre of her being. Her fingertips found their way gently brushing over his dark purple veins. She felt heat and softness, while tracing one of them.  It took her a few seconds to get out of trance, realizing what she had done. "Sorry", she murmured with a voice barely audible. "Don't apologize, little one." Damon tilted his head, his lips curled up in a self-assured grin, exposing a perfectly white vampire fang. "I never saw you like this before, you loo-"
"... look like a monster?"
Y/N shook her head. It was nothing like that. Yes, he did look unfamiliar. And she should be scared under normal conditions. Instead, his look hit her in an unexpected way. He looked hotter as a vampire, if it was even possible. 
Y/N cleared her throat, looking up at Damon. "I feel... attracted to you."
"So nothing's changed", Damon teased, raising his eyebrows. The girl in front of him softly slapped him on his shoulder; which was only possible because the vampire permitted. "You are always so full of yourself." She smirked, feeling more confident being to something, they have had been so many times before. Granted, he was terrifying accurate, but she wouldn't serve her feelings on a silver platter.
"I'm still into it. You can bite me; feed on me. I only needed to see you before..." 
A shockwave of electricity flowed through her body the second Damon took her hand and pulled her close.
"I'll be careful", he promised, nuzzling his head into the nap of her neck. Damon once again placed his lips on her soft skin. 
Suddenly a harsh pain made Y/N feel like in a kind of haze. She flinched and let out a groan at the same time, unintentionally biting her lower lip. 
During Damon embedded his fang deeper and deeper, she started feeling dizzy. Her hands searched for the vampires upper body, finally wrapped around his neck. She needed him to lean on. A narrow trickle of blood flowed down her neck. Let Damon feed on her felt like flames licking up every fiber of her body. 
With every passing second Y/N could feel her control slip away. Her body was now firmly pressed against Damon's, like she would want to merge them into one.
Damon noticed her staggering, wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her.
Bloodlust already messed up the vampires mind, so he continued feeding on Y/N.
A tempting moan escaped her lips, but she didn't care to cover up. Y/N's heart was racing, her eyes flattering. It was almost as if he was about to push her over the edge, but in a different way. "Mmm, this...this… feels soo weird... and so good...", she whispered under a shallow breath.
As soon as Damon heard her fading voice, he abruptly
quitted drinking from her.
"Fuck!" He rapidly laid her on his lap and checked Y/N's vital signs, to make sure she was okay. Instinctively he bit his wrist, pressed it against Y/N's mouth. He knew his blood would heal her, but it wasn't going fast enough. A few seconds passed through, to him they felt like centuries. Y/N finally blinked and Damon was relieved. He cupped her cheeks, his gaze never leaving hers. "I thought, I'd gone-" Damon cleaned his throat. "I'm so glad, you are doing well", he whispered, while trailing her lips with his fingertips. "So, fuckin' glad..." The vampire exhaled a deep breath. 
"It... You made me feel good. Strange, but good", Y/N appeased and flushed over the memory. "Maybe you got a little carried away, but I don't mind. I wouldn't trade the feeling for anything."
Y/N quickly interrupted herself, before she could reveal too much.
However, Damon used his vampire skills, noticing that Y/N was hiding something from him. "Isn't there anything else you want me to know?", Damon asked without taking his eyes off her. Y/N shifted and flushed even more. "It's unfair. You use your vampirism to get everything out of me."
"Well, if that were the case, I could easily compel you." Damon shrugged and found back to his smugly self. "Tell me, what you are hiding". He said in a seductive voice.
"I wanted to get lost in you."
Her confession sent shivers all over the vampires body. At first he could not decide, how to handle this. "Are you sure that's what you want? I could really hurt you..." Y/N hummed.
In the next split second, Damon pinned Y/N against a wall, smashing his lips on hers, kissing her with all the passion he had to give. The vampire devoured Y/N with a new kind of hunger. He didn't know he could crave someone so much.
"Fuck me, Damon..."
The vampire felt him getting hard, only by hearing those little three words out of her mouth.
"Say it louder. Tell me, what you want me to do."
Y/N pulled him closer, gently biting his earlobe.
"Fuck... me, Damon." It took her a second to focus and forming the words again. After she was near to climax earlier, it wasn't a long way getting to the edge once more. "Make me cum... You almost had me there..."
A deep moan got over the vampires lips, once he understood, what Y/N was trying to tell him.
With the next blink Y/N found herself in Damon's bedroom, lying on his bed.
From now on there weren't many words needed. Damon's hand's found their way under her shirt, cupping her breasts and make her moan over and over again.
He closely listened to the rhythm of her heart, making sure he would be able to delay her climax to the point he needed her to.
"Don't cum yet... I want to taste your little pussy first."
Y/N grabbed the vampires head, running her fingers through his dark hair - pushing him down, since she was unable to form a single word.
As Damon got down, he didn't take his eyes off Y/N.
He used a hand pushing up her skirt and lightly stroking over her panties with his fingertips.
"My girl is so wet", he praised in a low husky voice."-and I barely touched you."
His dirty words in combination with his touch lead to another moan, almost turned into a scream.
Damon pushed the fabric aside, leaving sloppy kisses on the inside of her thighs.
Y/N's eyes fluttered, when his soft lips reached her middle.
Damon's tongue licking around her entrance was driving her nuts.
"...so delicious..." were the only words she was able to catch up. Damon knew, he couldn't thrill her forever, so he got back to her. He spit on his palms, stroking his hand over his crotch. In under a second Y/N finally felt this releasing pressure of his cock. It was like a switch went off in her brain and she braced herself for the hard thrusts that would follow.
Damon dimmed the whining noises Y/N made with a passionate, hungry kiss.
He cheated with his vampirism to give it to her deeper and faster, knocking out all the air of her lungs while Y/N screamed out Damon's name. Her walls clenched around him and made him twitch. It was like her pussy massaged his dick the best way possible.
Every time he hit her harder and rougher he was making sure he hit her spot with every thrust.
Damon gathered speed one last time and pushed her over the edge until she was a moaning whimpering mess.
With her last contraction around his shaft, Damon was cumming inside her.
"You are so tight, little one", he whispered under his breath. "We should make arrangements more often."
Please like or/and reblog if you enjoyed reading or/and want me to write more stories about Damon.
Thanks guys ❤️
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oneoftheprettynerds · 3 years
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Worth The Eternity: Dark! Bucky x Reader (Vampire AU + Mob AU + Soulmate AU)
This is for @cherienymphe’s 5K Twilight Renaissance Writing Challenge. Congratulations, keep slaying! I wrote this instead of studying, so pray for my paper please lmao.
A/N: This tired girl tried. 
WARNINGS: something between dubcon and noncon present. Triggering, darkish themes.
Summary of sorts: Ever seen Hotel Transylvania 1/2/3? In this AU, mythical creatures exist and have soulmates and you feel a zing if you are blessed enough to encounter them.
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"Boss, we narrowed it down to these core three suspects.” A husky voice, slightly muffled by the sack on your head, entered your ears and you had a hard time being calm.
You had been picked up from your office, specifically the basement of Oscorp Industries while entering your sleek silver car. A pinch in your neck and everything comically blurred. Next thing you know, you are waking up with your entire body sore, your muscles and joints screaming and begging for freedom from tight restraints. Your vision is black, as if you are staring into an abyss and your vision is filled with white and red dancing spots forming patterns, maybe from the hours of inactivity.
Muffled noises of protest and scraping of metal against the concrete floor entered your ears and you realized you are not the only one here held captive. You racked your mind for possible explanations but couldn’t come up with one.
You lived a very simple life, even as the vice president of Oscorp industries. No messing around, no rivalries with other employees, no butting heads with the seniors on the Director’s board. Was this a ploy against the company? Or a domination statement against the weaker species, the humans?
Lucky enough for you, you realized you would soon find out as the sound of a shutter opening and metal clanking noisily filled your ears.
“Took you long enough, Scott. Fill me in.” Another brooding voice reprimanded jokingly and a million goosebumps traveled the path of your skin as you involuntarily shuddered.
“Yes Boss. We tracked the missing sum to the account of this man on the left. He has fourteen other accounts under different names and nationalities, pretty hard to trace but not impossible luckily. This proved he is shady so he’s most definitely involved.”
“This ginger on the right, he made the suspicious call with weird words so we believe he pretty much passed the verdict, calling the shots with the codewords. He has had several surgeries, his face is fucking silicon at this point but his DNA showed us his true identity, Mr. Rumlow here is the Consigliere of The Midnight Moon.”
You sat and listened, piecing together whatever you understood. The pack/mob name more than rung a bell, it scared you shitless. You were quick to catch on, realising that you were caught in an inter species scruffle.
“This shit just got interesting folks. Alright, where does Miss Sexy Legs fit in all this?”
The pencil skirt you wore wasn’t the most modest piece of clothing to exist and the spaghetti straps blouse was a bad choice considering the sheer coldness in this warehouse, the temperature only seemed to go down with the entry of your kidnappers but it’s not like you knew this was going to happen.
You could only assume with your legs on display that you were the one being sexualised and talked about.
“We are not sure about her though, that’s why I said suspects. We have proof the call was made from her phone but the videos show her lending it to a creepy stranger at a café. It might be really good acting but it’s highly unlikely. We brought her in because in the transfer of the stolen cash, her account was an intermediary but it’s a good chance that she was tricked when her phone was borrowed by Mr. Rumlow. Also, she’s a human, you see?”
If it was you being talked about, you felt a jot of relief, just a smudge because at least they were aware you weren’t involved in whatever game they were playing. That didn’t necessarily ensure your freedom, but hey, you were willing to take anything at that point.
“That’s the sweet fucking scent I keep on smelling!” The leader exclaimed as if he made a great discovery, a cure for a pandemic or cancer you’d think. His gruff voice almost had a light, cheery undertone to it, too unlike of a man who was wronged and cheated and was close to murdering someone no doubt. These mobsters are always maniacs like The Joker.
“It sucks that you brought her here. She might not be guilty, but now she knows too much. She’d make a good blood bag though. Maybe I’ll just have a taste, who knows?” The ‘boss’ made a disturbing slurping noise and your heart stopped at his words, a tear almost escaping your eye.
Discussion about drinking blood? You were most definitely in The Vamps territory, your assumption about the inter-species conflict true. You had no doubt you were the weakest in this creepy space, the frailest here, most probably the only human.
“Show me the bastards’ faces.” Like the flip of a switch, the joking man swapped his personality and all but growled. You heard the ripping of cloth and a man gagging, his shrieks muffled. Another flurry of movements and another man retching on the fabric could be heard.
“Well, hello Mr. Rumlow. I must say, brown suited you better.” A horde of chuckles made you widen your eyes, even though only black still filled your vision, as you realised there were at least a dozen twisted, sick men in the room. The fact that they were silent as fuck till now only showed you how disciplined and regimented these soldiers were.
“This one has a pretty face, boss.” You felt the sack ripped off you, and your eyes closed with the sudden flooding of the lights. Your eyes sealed due to hours of inactivity and you kept them shut, afraid to face your tormenter.
A cold hand cupped your cheek and straightened your face that was trying to hide itself in your silky locks by curling in your own neck, the cool metal of rings and insanely icy fingers chilling you literally.
“Open your eyes sweetheart.” A voice called out behind you and you gathered enough courage to face your impending doom, the air as silent as the calm before a storm.
Your orbs opened and gazed into piercing sapphire blue eyes and everything behind this chiseled face blurred. You could swear a ring of pink and red passed over his eyes and you shuddered again, getting overwhelmed due to the eye contact yourself. This wasn’t the usual anxiety you felt while meeting new people, it was somehow both a pull and a push. An inviting comforting pull and a terrifying, ‘stay cautious' push.
You, a self-sufficient woman, who had been independent for as long as you could remember, suddenly felt half; incomplete in a way that you couldn’t fathom. You felt an attraction, a tug towards the man in front of you, and the absurdity of the thoughts and emotions that popped in your brain made you heave on the gag.
Your intellect couldn’t find a reason, your view on love and romance until now completely conflicted. You believed soulmates to be separate pieces of art that complemented each other when together; then what was this broken jigsaw puzzle sentiment you were having now?
Your wide eyes somehow managed to break free of his stare, panicking and looking around to observe, which wasn’t comforting in the least as men with guns and gadgets filled your vision. You were relatively unharmed in comparison to the beaten lads beside you, one with a bruised face and the other with a bloody one.
The handsome man, the Boss’s stare didn’t leave you through the entirety of your searching around, you were sure they saw you as a scared little rabbit, waiting out its inevitable death.
“Lost in her eyes, Boss?” The sideman cracked what he believed to be the funniest joke in existence, earning laughs of the horde of the soldiers around.
 Your eyes went to the Boss’s face, surprisingly when his left your face to glare a nasty stare on his trusted man. His muscular form raised the forelimb, his hand signaling to stop, that effectively quietened the room to a pin drop silence.
With gentle fingers, the man took off your gag and yours lips quivered, throat too dry to make a noise though. You greedily gulped the air through your mouth for whatever reason, maybe just to move your jaw after hours of inactivity.
Maintaining eye contact was challenging, arduous to say the least. It seemed as if he could read you, find everything about you there is to find by studying the flecks in your orbs. His delicate hands, loosened the ties and you were now more so confused, along with the trepidation.
Just what the fuck was going on?
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Bucky had almost lost hope, centuries on this planet and no one to love and cherish, no personal confidante, no soulmate. But good things take time, right? And in his opinion, best things take an eternity. He knows this now.
Expect the unexpected was the truest phrase, idiom whatever it was, in this moment. He had spent countless nights wondering about his soulmate, was she pretty? Ugly? Was she even a she or not? Dumb or witty? He made a lot of scenarios of how they’d meet, the kids, reigning together. He entertained the idea of her being from a different species, a nymph, an orc, maybe a werewolf?
And now that he found her, it was a revelation, a surprise honestly. After all optimism got evaporated, after traveling the dark tunnel for centuries literally, there she was, his beacon of light. Finding her was a wonder, and her being a human was astonishing, a possibility he somehow failed to consider, but he was over the moon cause there she was, right in front of him now. A beautiful, stunning lady in flesh and blood, human flesh and blood, with the prettiest eyes he had ever seen. His zing.
He always liked humans, apart from the similar appearances the vampires shared with them, they were always docile and accommodating. In the last few millenniums, after the mythical creatures showed themselves to the world, the humans understood their place and tier pretty early.
They were smart to surrender and be peaceful as all the species came to light, clever to know that even with less numbers they could be overpowered and bloodshed was detrimental to all involved.
He knew he would convert you soon though, your lifespan far too short for his liking, and obviously, now that he found you, you were to rule together. For Centuries.
His happiness was over taken by the realisation that you were not in the most hospitable settings, you were tied and strapped, being preyed on by his men. He made quick work of the restraints, allowing you to breathe by loosening them first. Your scared, trembling form plucked his unbeating heart’s strings, but strangely enough, his brain found amusement and he felt smug. Seeing you tied up and trembling was definitely a turn on for him, noted.
After commanding his foolish men to stop giggling, he leaned closer to you, your aura comforting and intoxicating as he smelled your hair. A divine scent, an addictive one for sure. The goosebumps on your skin confirmed the reciprocation of his connection.
“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you.” His husky voice, calming but imposing resonated in your ears, his hand tapping your cheek on the other side. Even though the private statement was whispered for you, the deafening silence made every person witness it.
He leaned back, his hands behind his back as he grinned, tone again light like earlier and commanded, “Get her out of here and cleaned up, tell Nat and Wanda, they’ll know what I mean. Then we’ll deal with these guys here, after the lady leaves of course. No scratch on her from this point forward or you’ll lose a limb. Proceed.”  
All three of you, the hostages were going to get ‘taken care of’ but in different ways.
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It had been over twenty hours for sure, you were abducted in the early hours of the morning and now the moon was out again, like one endless night. You remember being escorted to a sleek black car; your limbs ached but you managed to keep up. You tried to keep up with the car’s turns, trying to memorize the streets but your head was pounding and eyes were blurry.
You remembered being led to a suite in an expensive hotel like ones where your conferences were held, being taken to room and given towels to clean up. You didn’t change the dress when given another, the attire being a summer dress even shorter.  A woman came a while later named Wanda who checked the forming light contusions and scuffed skin with hands so delicate, as if you were precious cargo. You were, you just didn’t know.
You didn’t eat anything they provided and after hours of conspiring and overthinking, you heard sturdy footsteps. Since your arrival, only women bothered with you, probably the ones the leader sent. But these were heavier, harder.
The door opened and you glanced up to find the leader who demanded your locking up in this fancy place, his eyes travelling on your form sat up on bed, as you mindfully pulled your skirt down. You were anxious the entire day, dreading your future but nothing was like the restlessness that ran through you in this person’s presence.
Maybe it was the fact he was a vampire, or the leader of a Mob or maybe both, but whatever it was he intimidated you, alarmed you, even though you’ve had only two encounters including the present one. You were smart to be scared, he looked at you like, like you were something to eat, your mind told you.
“Hey.” His raspy voice caught you off guard, not having heard a single syllable out of the women the entire day, your questions being ignored the entire time.
You stared at him warily. Your mind having a myriad of emotions and thoughts. You didn’t want to trigger him, besides the place being armed well, he was a vampire, a beefy one at that and you would be stupid to try anything. Shouting and making a scene was no good either, your best option being the lamest one: to talk it out. You refused to become a willing blood bag.
You let out a long sigh, surprising him somehow, “Look, I have money, resources in the business sphere, information, what do you want? I know I got caught in this by accident, but I’m willing to do a lot of things to get out. Name it and I’ll do my best.” You said with your ‘business deal’ voice, the wise, guiding leader voice from your office.
For some reason though, the man found it hilarious. He slapped his hand on his chest, his boisterous laugh echoing. It wasn’t that good a joke if he believed it to be one. Men, ever so condescending.
“Humans, ever so gluttonous. I don’t want your money, precious.” His term of endearment didn’t fall short to your ears, but you had larger things in play here than a sweet nothing.  
“I have other things to offer, name it.” Within your moral sphere, of course.
“You still don’t get it, do you? And you humans boast you have everything figured about us.”
He neared you and you leaned to the inner area of the bed, refusing to get cornered to the wall if things escalate and wanting to have the option of running away, probably in vain though. With each step he took, a new shudder ran through you because of the closing distance between your bodies, it getting triggered in unexplainable ways.
You didn’t need to say words to prompt him to explain, your scrunched eyebrows already doing that mission. “You should feel it too, you know? The goosebumps, the bewilderment in your insides, you’re intoxicated by my very presence too, aren’t you?”
The more he neared, your breaths quickened visibly, his words becoming truer. Your skin heating, mind losing a bit of consciousness. His presence didn’t affect you to this extent in the warehouse, but now? You were putty, almost incapable to think. You tried to roll over to the other side but your plan failed because he caged you with his bulky hands on your shoulder, body diagonal across yours. With how slow and out of it you were, he didn’t even need his heightened speed to trap you.
“Oh, it’s kicking in, isn’t it? The realization, the surge of love and lust? To be held and cherished and be full of me?” He smirked at your trembling form, your chest heaving and weak arms trying to push him off.
“I’ve read humans feel flushed, hot, so let’s get you out of these scraps, yes?” He slid off the thin straps while you mumbled a very unconvincing ‘stop’. Both actions were pretty pointless because he wouldn’t stop, you both knew that and also, he ended up taking the top off over your torso the normal way.
Your hands barely managed to land themselves on his wrist to pull them off, but the foolish limbs ravished in the feel of his cold skin instead. It was like a high you had never experienced and your body wanted more. It was already addicted to the feel of this stranger whose name you didn’t even know.
He unzipped the skirt, your pathetic body no longer even fighting him as he rambled on. “Among us vampires, well not much to tell but we’re all freezing cold when we find our ‘zing’. Like every normal day. Except for the inability to think and the need for their mate’s blood, of course.”
He came back up to kiss you, his body now in line with yours as one hand held your cheek and the other groped your breast. You had an out of body experience, feeling disgusted for reciprocating the kiss but also wanting more of that, more of him.
He trailed down your neck to your collarbone and you gasped for air, your thoughts incoherent. He kissed between the valley of your breasts, removing the bra sometime in between as you heaved. He wanted nothing more than to rest in those swells for an eternity.
As soon as cold air hit your nipples, one was being sucked while other was being pinched. The nameless stranger alternated between licking like a kitten and sucking like a baby on the breasts. Your rational part felt gross but the dominating side was the one experiencing delight.
He kissed down the sternum, to your bellybutton and then hovered above the thin, flimsy underwear. His hands slid down your sides, down the curve of your waist and hooked themselves at the cloth’s side, pulling them down in a swift motion.
Your legs quaked, trying to close themselves but one muscular arm on your thigh was able to hold them off, throw one away from the other. He leaned down and you were pathetically still under his muscles, your lower limbs either not daring to move or not wanting to.
You wrapped your hands around your torso to hide a bit of yourself, but did that really matter in the larger picture of the events unfolding right now?
You closed your eyes, tears already escaping since minutes ago as you tried to accept the reality of what was happening. A cold sensation on your little button caught you off guard; an infinitesimal fraction of time later, an inhale reached your ears.
You looked down, opening your eyes to find the man smelling you, his Grecian nose poking through your folds and taking in sniffs of your intimate part.
“Please sto-”      
“The scent at its source, so fucking divine. I want a taste.” With that, your sentence got interrupted by his words and then by his action as his tongue licked away. It sucked on the bead, delving in the cavity there pretty fucking deep and he slurped away like he pretended to do when you were blindfolded.
Your back arched like a gymnast, hands that were folded across your chest clawing at your own skin, leaving marks behind. His hands were hooked around your thighs and they threw your legs on his shoulder some point in between. When he thrusted three fingers at once, an audible wheeze left your lips, your noiseless gasps now hoarse ‘Aah’s and you could feel him smirk.
There a also a lot of teeth involved with his razor sharp canines that appeared out of nowhere during this and when he thrusted his fingers particularly hard with his teeth nibbling on your sensitive bud, you shamelessly let go of the inside flow.
It felt humiliating and mortifying, your body glowing with the aftereffects of descending into bliss while your mind wanted to cry. Your soul was surprisingly content with what unfolded, at peace. You hated the diversity of emotions you felt, revolted to find even a bit of positive sentiment at your assaulter’s actions.
While your inner monologue happened, the man got up and out of his clothes painfully quick. You tried to sit your up, feebly trying to escape but ineffectively so. Your eyes couldn’t meet the handsome stranger’s nor did you want to see him naked and removed him form your eyeline, making you get caught off guard when his hands wrapped around your ankles and pulled you down, finishing the small distance you managed to crawl up.
His hands left their place as he kissed his way back up your flushed skin, from the swell of your ankle to the swell of your stomach. He licked away the drops of blood around the crescent scratches left by your nails under the intense ecstasy he forced upon you. Then he continued his journey from the swells of your chest to the swell of your cheek, taking you in a fiery, needy yet affectionate kiss.
Your surroundings blurred a second into the kiss, mouth and skin hungry for his touch alike. A thrust had you painfully gasp as you were stretched unlike ever before, impaled to a depth unlike ever before. He kissed away your tears that continued to spill on command of your ashamed mind and leaned back to look into your eyes, a pretty pink passing over them for a fleeting second.
His blue orbs bore into yours and you almost believed he loved you by the intensity of his gaze. At this moment in time, nothing but you two mattered, connected and finally together. How you got here didn’t matter, how unwilling you were didn’t matter. This felt right, felt necessary and was worthy of everything you went through. The rational part seemed to die the instant you two physically connected and somehow, everything and nothing made sense.
But you felt complete.
Your lips captured his of their own accord, and you both smiled into the caress of your lips while he began thrusting, one hand on your waist, the other supporting his weight. Out of breath, he leaned back, still thrusting though, and gazed at you. “Scott back there, he called you pretty, that’s practically an insult. The way you look right now, you’re much more than beautiful. You’re ethereal, my Zing, the loveliest in existence.”
His genuine words tugged at your heart. For some reason you believed him, had confidence in his feelings. Your foreheads connected as he quickened, his hand caressing your skin, the cool against your warm skin soothing. It didn’t take long for you to let go again this time; your previous resolution already dissolved. He neared your ears and whispered, “I want you to scream my name. It’s Bucky.” You nodded absentmindedly, chasing the high.
One particular thrust paired with his canines piercing your skin made you cry out “Bucky!” and you felt him smirking in your neck, lapping the blood. You wilted in bliss and your eyes closed, warmth filling you minutes after. Your eyes were dazed and you felt ‘Bucky’ shift, removing his towering frame from you, a goofy smile on the chiseled face.
With mind free of the aforementioned disapproving thoughts, you checked out his handsome face. It was like you saw him in an entirely different light now.
He gave you a quick peck, his hands cradling your face and he spoke with the utmost sincerity. “You are worth the wait, precious. No measure of time with you will be long enough. But we’ll start with forever to compensate. I’m never letting you go.”
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krystalites · 3 years
Text
stationary date with nct dream
genre: fluff all the way
word count: 2.4k
a/n: this popped off when I was planning a stationary date with a friend of mine. Jaemin's part got a bit short cause I kinda forgot about his existence and added it after I lost all my imagination.
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⌜ mark ⌟
Between Mark's endless promotions and you studying for your exams, you thought it would be nice to plan a stationary date. You needed new supplies and your boyfriend Mark needed some time to himself.
When you and Mark arrived to the stationary you discovered a few days ago, you noticed that it wasn't as busy as usual. There were only a few people and all that could be heard was soft mumbling of these people along with the soft music playing in the back ground. After making sure Mark was well hidden under his mask, hat and sunglasses combo, the two of you quickly entered the stationary and immediately sprinted towards the rack here the colourful pens were stacked. After minutes of trying out pens and trying to create a nice colour palette, you moved on to the notebooks.
Hours passed by, the sun setting and everybody else leaving. Mark lifted his head from the Oz-Pack's he was checking out and smiled at the sight of you trying to pick out a pencil case. You looked adorable looking from a pencil case to another, examining them carefully so you could choose one of them.
"Come on, I'll buy you both of them." No matter how much you protested, Mark didn't listen and still bought you everything you've put in the little basket the cashier gave you when you first entered the store.
On the way back, you squeezed Mark's hand tightly. "I'm sorry if you didn't have as much as fun as I did." you mumbled quietly. Your boyfriend was quick to shake his head and smile.
"No, I really enjoyed it. It was quite calming actually. We should do it again another time."
⌜ renjun ⌟
The idea was all Renjun. Over the few months, he had grown a habit of keeping a diary. He would sketch stuff, tape random stuff, put stickers and more. When you told him that a bullet journal would look really nice and showed him some pictures, he became really excited. A few days later, he asked you to tag along while going to the stationary to buy the items he needed. Of course, you quickly agreed and took him to a stationary you knew that was pretty popular. By the time you guys got there, it was quite late. Only about an hour left to closing the store, it was almost empty.
You two quickly entered the store and started your little journey of looking for the perfect items. Renjun told you he would go for a more brown-ish look, so you both picked out lots of nude coloured supplies with black ball point pens and stickers. He also got a few sketching pens and markers.
And Renjun being Renjun, he managed to convince you to keep a bullet journal too. So whatever you guys picked for Renjun, you quickly bought them too and left the store minutes before closing. Not wanting to end the night, you quickly went to a convenience store nearby and bought a few drinks. You went to a park, sat on the picnic tables and started to decorate your journals.
You had finished earlier, leaving a bit more place for writing and less for decorations. You wrote something inside the journal, left it open and started napping with your arms under your head. Renjun smiled at the sight of you sleeping and noticed that your journal was open. He took it to close it, yet didn't when he saw what was scribbled inside. Instead, he smiled and leaned forward to plant a kiss on your hair.
Words weren't enough to express his endless and pure love to you.
Dear Diary,
I love Renjun.
⌜ jeno ⌟
Jeno was the perfect boyfriend, quite literally. He was caring, gentle, sweet, handsome, funny and all. But most importantly, he never forgot anything you said. Never. In your whole relationship of 3,5 years he never forgot anything you said. Including you telling him about how you ran out of school supplies over face time a few months ago.
Which is how you ended up in front of a stationary you mentioned to your boyfriend over a week ago. He pulled you in, walking over to the yearly agendas to get you the alpaca one you always wanted. Whatever you mentioned to him on that face time, he found all of them. He also payed for them, after you made him promise to let you pay when he wanted to buy something.
After the two of you exited the store and went back to the dorms, you quickly walked over to his shared room with Jaemin. Thankfully he wasn't at the dorm. You quickly pushed your boyfriend on the bed, climbing on his lap and squeezing the hell out of him. He laughed and kissed your forehead, hugging you back.
"Thanks for remembering everything I say, Jeno. You have no idea how loved that makes me feel." you mumbled quietly. He opened his mouth to say something, but you quickly put your pointer finger on his lips. "Let me continue. Seeing how much you care for me makes me really happy and I think that we could actually have a long and beautiful future ahead of us." you leaned to your bag sitting a few inches away from the two of you. You quickly pulled out a box out of the bag and threw the bag to its old place. You opened the box and pulled out two rings. Jeno's eyes widened as the realisation hit him.
"Which is why I'm giving you this promise ring. One day, when we're sure we can come out to the whole world, I'm going to marry you. Until then, let's keep these rings as a promise."
Jeno talked to his manager later that day, telling him that both him and you were ready to go public.
⌜ haechan ⌟
Donghyuck hadn't left you alone in days, clinging on you like a koala. You had come from your hometown to Seoul for two weeks. Your boyfriend missed you like crazy over the months, being in a long distance relationship could be hard sometimes. There were only a few days left, after flying back to your hometown you were going to start your spring quarter of the school year. A friend of yours who used to lived in Seoul had told you about a certain stationary, mentioning cute pens and school supplies you couldn't find in your hometown.
When you asked Donghyuck if he wanted to tag along, he whined and whined until you managed to convince him. You needed him anyways, you still had difficulties in speaking and understanding Korean.
"Do we really have to do this? You only have a few days left, I want to cuddle with you! And more..." He pouted and crossed his arms on his chest. When you finally arrived at the stationary, he entered it unwillingly but you know the mighty power of Stationaries. As soon as he stepped in, he was amazed by the environment and the beautiful supplies and before you knew it he was more excited than you.
After an hour of wandering in the stationary and picking out stuff, the store started to get busy. Considering you had to keep Donghyuck's existence there as a secret, both of you quickly payed and ran out. Giggling like high school girls, you two exited the store and called a cab. While waiting, you two compared the stuff you bought. You had bought all the stuff you were planning to buy and he bought a notebook and a bunch of pens to write lyrics.
The first song he wrote was a love song for you and only you, waiting to be shared to the whole world with only the two of you knowing the meaning behind it.
⌜ jaemin ⌟
When Jaemin came up to you with an idea of a gaming journal, you couldn't say no. He wanted create a little booklet filled with all the games he's ever played, along with ratings and comments about them. He was very enthusiastic about video games, always finding something new to play. Sometimes he would come over to your place to play games with you, or simply teach you how to play one.
The two of you met up at the stationary close your school, as it was in a less busier area. While there, he also declared that this meet up was actually a date. While he was looking at the stuff he wanted to buy, you tried out different pens. Noticing a little white board and a few colourful white board markers, you quickly bought them so you could use them for studying. You had to start revising for your exams in a few days. When you were done, you fund Jaemin in the huge store, now just following him around. He bought different coloured markers and pens and a black notebook. He also got copies of some game covers to stick on each page.
When the two of you got back to the dorms, you quickly pulled a chair next to his table where his small set up was. Placing your newly-bought items on the desks free space. You quickly began sticking the covers on each page, writing the games name and general information, how it ended, on what platform he played etc. At the very bottom, there were Jaemin's comments and a rating he gave. The first few pages were done, and you two were actually very proud of yourselves. It looked really good! Jaemin thanked you and gave you little kisses all over your face. After finishing showering you with kisses, he told you he'd play games with his friends. You quickly climbed on his lap and snuggled into him, burying your face in the crook of his neck with your legs swinging on his sides.
Jaemin smiled at the way you were cuddling with him and shook his head to the sides. He gave you a little kiss on the temple and started playing.
"Thank you sweetheart. You make me really happy by showing interest in my interests."
⌜ chenle ⌟
Chenle had bought you a few last minute plane tickets , and yes multiple tickets, because he wanted you to fly all around the world with him for Dream's world tour. He made you so happy, proving that he doesn't want to be away from you for that long.
When he came home and told you about the tickets, your first idea was to create a small photo album. Though, you didn't want it to be simple. You wanted small details, which is why you were at the stationary now, trying to decide if you wanted to decorate the album with blue-ish colours or pink-ish colours. The items were laid on a small rack in the store, in a less busier part of it.
The date idea was both yours and Chenle's. You wanted him to come with you, he wanted it to be a date. And the closest place where this date could take place was the stationary a few blocks away from his house.
"I think we should go with pink." Chenle said after a very long silence. "The album cover is cream coloured, and pink would go better with that." Imagining what it would look like, you agreed with him. You bought a bunch of pink ink pens, Stabilo's and Signo's. You bought a few black pens and markers too. Chenle insisted on buying pink post-it's too, so you also bought them. Even though the two of you were done with the shopping, you still looked around and bought some stuff for the next school year.
Hours passed by in the little store. You found your boyfriend in the very back of the store, checking out agendas. You tapped his shoulder with a little smile, and let out a loud laugh when he flinched.
"Calm down, Lele. It's just me." He pouted and flicked your forehead gently. "You scared me! Are we going home?" He asked and rubbed his eyes. He was feeling sleepy. Something he does whenever he feels like he could sleep at the spot. "You look tired. I think we should." With your answer, you exited the store hand in hand.
Later that night, right before falling asleep, Chenle whispered something in your ear.
"I can't wait to travel like this with you, I hope we can do it with our children sometime in the future."
And you did it.
⌜ jisung ⌟
To say Jisung was freaked out would be an understatement. The first day of school was tomorrow, and he hadn't bought any school supplies. He called you last minute, rambling something about going to the stationary with him because you had a lot of "knowledge about pens and everything. You being the amazing significant other you are, quickly agreed and got ready.
After meeting Jisung in front of the stationary and making a list of everything that needs to be bought, you quickly got to work. Files, copy papers, scissors, pens, erasers and whatever else you need for school. You bought a few stuff for his locker too, so he could decorate it. You got copies of all the necessary papers and forms, quickly putting them all in a file you bought from the store.
Almost an hour later, you were finished. You quickly went to the dorms together to organize all of the stuff you had bought. While sticking the name tags on the notebooks, Jisung looked up at you ,who was sitting on his bed, and smiled gently. After watching you carefully write Park Jisung on each tag both in Hangul and Romanisation for a few minutes, he finally spoke up.
"Hey Y/N..?" You turned your head to him and tilted your head to the side. "Yeah, 'Sungie?" He blushed at the simple nickname, despite having heard it for almost a million times. It really affected him that much. "I wanted to thank you for helping me out today. I'm sorry I asked you to come over just like that, but I couldn't have finished all of this so soon without you." You chuckled and finished tagging your last item, quickly jumping on his bed, right next to him. You pulled him on your chest by pushing his head on it. Jisung smiled and wrapped his arms around your waist.
This was his happy place.
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gildedmuse · 3 years
Text
Hey, everyone.
So recently I've (predictably) very not well. Actually, whenever I don't post for long periods, just assume my body is trying to kill me. But I've gotten messages from three people asking if I. Okay, which is super sweet. I am actually trying to work on the next All Hearts, a really long ZoLaw post and two request fics, but mixing chronic kidney pain and capitalist society's mandate to work 40+ hours is not recommended.
But to prove I'm okay and still me, here is some Shanks antics with him being a total slut while Mihawk and Beckman just roll their eyes and go along with it. [Shout out to @jhaernyl who not only listens to me ramble about this stuff, but actively encourages it]. I also have many thoughts on the latest episodes and so many screenshots it's embarrassing. Hopefully, when I'm in less pain, I'll get around to actually posting those. Otherwise I just look like an insane person who literally takes by the second frame shots every time Zoro is on screen.
.... What is that? I look like that anyway? Fair.
Shanks Is A Bad Influence
It feels like Buggy and Shanks split up after Roger's death (the crew was told to, and they are the only ones who went to his execution) and I find it impossible to think Shanks didn't immediately set out and find a crew; like, pirating is the only thing this kid knows in life. This means two things:
He set out from East Blue. Also, he seemed at ease and familiar with the East so it's possible he spent like a year there getting everything together. Maybe he even played around in the other blues for a while before heading back to the Grand Line. I say this because his crew is from all over so either he found and recruited them in the Grand Line or visited various blues. Either way, I'm gonna say it took him about two years before getting a 'proper' start. In that case, he would have started out properly at the age of 17 and we know One Piece likes it's parallels.
That still puts Shanks at 17 to Benn Beckmen's 28. How the fuck did Shanks manage that? I'd call it grave robbing, but let's face it, the little tyke probably got up to some actual robbing of graves as well.
My point being everytime Shanks teases Mihawk about keeping this 19 year old kid on his personal island, mostly shirtless, Benn Beckmen just lifts an eyebrow.
Excuse me, captain, who had prefected the 'opps still don't have my sea legs' trip-and-fall into their first mates lap by the age of 17?
Shanks: Beckmen, you caught me! *Shamelessly nuzzles up* Thank goodness! I could be a devil's fruit user after all and - Ahh!
Benn: *Drops Shanks straight over the side of the ship into the water*
Shanks: *Sputtering* What what that!?
Benn: Checking to see if you had eaten a devil's fruit on us, Capatin.
Benn: You didn't.
Smart ass. But he can't resist Shanks forever. Shanks will wear him down eventually.
Next time Mihawk tracks him down for another match - because you know he gets bored way quicker than he'll ever admit and Shanks is at least amusing a challenge - Shanks makes a big deal out of how Mihawk follows him around, "accidentally" revealing they slept together, sighing about how it's so hard to resist him.
Benn Beckmen is just leaning against the side of the ship, sipping his booze.
Shanks: -and I can't stay for hours like last time!!
Mihawk: Are you quite done?
Shanks: *whispering* Does Benn look jealous?
Mihawk: He looks bored. Much like I am. Is this some strange attempt to get out of my challenge, Akagami?
Shanks: What? No, come on I told you I was game. But, hey, could you do me a favor? Maybe like try and kiss me or something? Like take a swing like your going to hit me but then stop shot and grab me by the waist instead.
Mihawk: .... Trickery is beneath you. Besides, you're absolute rubbish at it.
Shanks: Oh, come on, I would totally help you get laid if you asked!
Mihawk: .... *Sigh* I want a proper match afterwards.
Mihawk: *In a forced, monotone voice* After this I will take you to my lair and have my way with you, Akagami.
Mihawk: ... My lair? Really?
Shanks: *Holding up cue card with quickly scribbled line* What? That is how you talk.
Mihawk: I can't believe I wasted precious hours of light tracking you to this atrociously rural port.
Shanks: See? Now, read the next one.
Benn: Captain? If this is going to take all night, I am going to go join the rest of the men in the tavern.
Shanks: Huh? Wait! Benn! What if Miha really stabs me this time!?
Benn: *Salutes Shanks with his bottle* Sounds like that is his plan captain. Have a good 'challenge'.
Shanks: What? No... *Reaching out hand, like he might die if Benn leaves, looking completely devastated* Not even a little jealous...
Mihawk: You couldn't have thought that pantomime would actually work.
Shanks: Benny, don't leave me.... *Turns to Mihawk, immediately brightening* Oh, well, there's always tomorrow. Hey, Miha, guess whose free all night and horny as a pirate in the calm belt?
Mihawk: .... *Sigh* Very well.
Mihawk might as well get something for the trip he made. Although, he's reconsidering if the sex was actually worth the trouble after he ends up listening to Shanks worry half the night that Benn is shacking up with someone else (after a couple hours of rough and raw fucking, admittedly).
Is it the hat? He likes his captain's hat. Miha, you think his captain's hat is sexy, don't you?
Mihawk: It's utterly ridiculous.
Shanks: ....
Shanks: ....
Shanks: *Smile* Ahh, Miha, I knew you liked the hat!
Shanks: What do you old Northerns find sexy?
Mihawk: I am only four years older than you.
Mihawk: And silence.
Trying to convince Mihawk to go spy on Beckman for him. Shanks doesn't actually care if he does sleep with someone else, it's more that Beckman didn't immediately turn angry and jealous like Buggy would have that has him paranoid.
Mihawk is going to fuck this annoying red head again just to shut him up.
Mihawk: Maybe he doesn't like red haired boys who don't know when to be quiet?
The next morning Shanks is pacing among his poor crew that's gotten stuck listening to Shanks obsess about Beckman again. IS IT REALLY THE HAIR!?
It's not even a matter of Shanks's age (or obvious immaturity). I mean, Beckman got on board and stayed, didn't he? Beckman just enjoys watching Shanks try so hard to get his attention. Like Benn's attention isn't constantly on Shanks. He had to when his captain is always one step away from disaster.
He only left him with Mihawk because it was clear Dracule is not a real danger to Beckman's captain.
Except maybe insulting him to death. But Beckman is pretty sure Shanks can handle it. He's met Buggy. He's suspects Shanks LIKES it if anything.
It gets to the point where when they dock somewhere and see Mihawk waiting, or come back to the ship and spot his familiar silhouette, most of the crew goes off somewhere for another drink (sometimes the newer kids will stay to watch such an awesome fight, everyone else is like... Look, you'll have plenty of opportunities later. This is not a one off.)
Benn just takes a look around, nods to Mihawk (a silent signal for, "he's all yours, do with him as you please, if anything happens to him I will track you down and make sure your last few hours on this blue world are as painful as humanly possible") and heads off.
Oh, it's just the Hawk boy.
That's fine then.
Benn use to be a sailor on a trade ship between the North, East, West and Grand Line. He's seen it all.
They called him The Gun Slinger BEFORE he joined Shanks's crew and became a pirate.
So this young, broke ass kid from the streets of some near artic northern island trying to pass himself off as a Lower North rich type has a thing for his captain? Not really enough to keep Beckman up at night, no matter how good at swords he's supposed to be
Besides, he's pretty sure for the kid to keep tracking down Shanks, he must be bored out of his skull. He's not going to do anything to endanger their captain.
Not if Shanks is the only thing he can find to keep him entertained.
One day, Mihawk is going to be waiting on the dock when a bunch of Red Haired pirates are stumbling home, laughing and chattering amongst themselves (Shanks's crew always seems to be in a good mood). One of them will catch sight if Mihawk and walk by with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.
The captain's occupied. Seems likely he'll be 'occupied' for a good while, too.
Mihawk won't smile, but he will think "So you finally warmed him up to you, Akagami?" and snort lightly.
Poor Benn, though. Mihawk could never imagine being with someone so much younger than him. Shanks is only four years his junior and already it strains Mihawk to put up with his occasional moments of "youthful whimsy" (aka being an annoying, immature child)
"A young, cocky pirate with strangely colored bright hair"
Mihawk just putting that on his Not To Do List.
That lasted until Roronoa.
(Mihawk just looking at Zoro knowing this is bad news.)
Mihawk: *Takes list from Benn*
*Cross out, scribbles*
*Hands back to Benn*
Do Not Do:
- A young, cocky pirate with strangely colored bright hair a silly hat, who is overly dramatic and in any way, shape or form related to Gol D Rogers.
Ace: Hey what's up?
Mihawk: *Takes list from Benn*
Go ahead, Benn, laugh it up. Mihawk is aware he has a type. Young, pretty, and utterly insane.
After that night where Shanks was otherwise 'occupied', it's over six months before Mihawk sees his friend his rival again. He is, as expected, far too smug and proud looking.
Shanks: Oh, Miha, so sorry you came all this way, I'm-
Benn: Well, I'm off, captain.
Shanks: What!? But we, you, I... Benn, hessoeexyarentyouworriedforyourcaptain?
Benn: *patting Mihawk on the shoulder* Have fun with him. Don't forget to return him by noon tomorrow, we have a schedule. Oh, but if you can babysit him for at least four hours? That would be great.
Shanks: BABYSIT!?
Mihawk: I suppose I can be troubled to do so.
Shanks: TROUBLED!?
Benn: Thanks, Hawkeyes. I owe you.
Shanks: *Fake tears clinging to his lashes* You two are so mean!
No, don't feel bad for him. Shanks is just trying to guilt the two of them into bed at the same time, and they both know it.
Thanks no thanks, they're not into that. But Shanks can be pretty cute when he's trying so hard (Benn) and at least he's not as boring as everything else in this world (Mihawk) so they allow him to keep up the act
Shanks: *looking at Zoro's wanted poster over Mihawk's shoulder* But I feel like you'd gladly go to bed with him and his captain if he asked. That doesn't seem fair to me. You'd never go that far with me and Benn.
Mihawk: *Eyes Benn*
Mihawk: *DEAD. ONLY.*
Mihawk: I have my reasons.
They can and do agree on plenty of things, including reciprocally not being that attracted to each other.
Shanks: Sounds fake to me
Shanks: But guys!
Shanks: This isn't about you
He's gonna need you guys to drop the egos and focus on what HE wants. I.E., being in the middle of two sexy Northern men.
Honestly, so mean to poor Shanks!
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bibbawrites · 3 years
Text
I Want Your Midnights - Owen Joyner x Female Reader (SMUT - 18+)
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Request: NONE 
Word Count: 2568 words
Summary: You bring your boyfriend Owen home for your family New Years party, which ends with you getting a little more than a New Years kiss 
Warnings: swearing, mentions of drinking, oral s*x (both male and female receiving), squirting, slight overstimulation 
A/N: this is literally just 2.5k words of self indulgent babble lol so this idea came into my mind and I couldn’t get it out, i know i should be working on requests but i just had to write this, sorry!  as i said, this is very self indulgent, the way new years is described is exactly how my family and our neighbours (who are close friends at this point lol) celebrate each year so i couldn’t help myself  sorry for any typos, its 4am lol  hope you enjoy it! 
Tag List (let me know if you want to be added, removed or if you change your url): @happinessinthedarkesttimes​ @littlemissaddict @vicesvsvirtuesfanfic @headheartbellarke @lovesanimals​ 
Every single year your family celebrated New Years Eve exactly the same way. 
Your neighbours across the road would set up a table and chairs on their driveway, and your family and your next door neighbours would head across the road for a barbeque and drinks under the stars, with the Christmas lights that covered the three houses shining in the darkness. 
And then after food the kids would always head inside to play a board game or battle it out on Just Dance, only stopping at midnight to watch the New Years fireworks go off and to run around with sparklers. 
That’s how New Years had been for as long as you could remember. Only this year, things were going to be slightly different. 
You were bringing Owen, your boyfriend of just over a year. You had celebrated New Years apart the year before, opting for a text to wish each other happy new year instead. 
But you’d been dating for over a year now, and you couldn’t wait for Owen to meet your friends and family, and have the chance to ring in the new year together. 
Owen pulled his truck into your parent’s driveway, parking before turning to you, his eyes full of anxiety. 
“You’ll be fine, they’re all gonna love you.” You assured him, grabbing onto his hand. He bit his lip. 
“There’s just so many people to remember.” He sighed slightly. “Give me a recap?” 
You nodded. 
“So you know my family’s names, right? Mum is Alice, Dad James, brothers Tom, Will and Lucas.” You said, and he nodded, so you continued. 
“Rose and Max own the house we’re going to, and their daughter is Sophie. Then our other neighbours, the ones next door, are Graham and Pam, and their daughters Violet and Bella. You’ve met Violet, she’s my best friend, remember?” Owen nodded again. 
“I think I’ll survive your family, it’s just everyone else I’m worried about.” He told you. You rubbed your thumb over the back of his hand. 
“It will be okay. I’ll make sure to introduce everyone when we get over there, okay?” You said, leaning across the car to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Now we should probably get inside and see if Mum needs help with anything.” 
You climbed out of his truck, walking around to his side of the car and waiting for him to hop out, grabbing onto his hand when he did. He locked his truck and with a last reassuring squeeze you were leading him around to the front of your house. 
“Do we knock?” He questioned as you reached the door. You giggled and shook your head. 
“Knock knock!” You called out, opening the front door. 
“It’s open.” Your mum’s voice called back from the kitchen. You led Owen down the hallway and into the kitchen, smiling widely when you saw your mum and dad stood behind the bench. 
“Look what the cat dragged in.” Your mum joked, and you dropped Owen’s hand to give her a quick hug, then your dad next. When you stepped back he grabbed onto you again. 
“Mum, Dad, this is my boyfriend Owen. Owen, this is my mum Alice, and my dad James.” You introduced. 
“It’s very nice to meet you sir and ma’am.” Owen smiled, and you squeezed his hand to reassure him. 
“Oh please, call us Alice and James dear. It’s so nice to meet you, I’ve heard so much about you I feel like I already know you.” Your mother laughed. “This one never shuts up about you.” 
You pouted. 
“Don’t expose me.” You said. Owen grinned. 
“It’s okay baby. if you asked my mum she’d say exactly the same thing.” He told you and you smiled up at him, before turning your attention back to your parents. 
“Is there anything you need taken across the road?” You asked and your dad nodded. 
“We were just about to take the chairs over, do you want to tell the boys and we’ll all head over now?” He suggested and you nodded, dragging Owen behind you as you went to find your three brothers. 
After introducing Owen to your brothers and collecting the chairs from your garage, the seven of you headed across the road to where your neighbours had already set up the table and barbeque. 
“Hello everyone!” Rose greeted from her spot next to the table with Sophie, as you made your way up the driveway. 
“Ooh we’ve got a ring in.” Max joked, coming over from his spot behind the barbeque. 
“This is my boyfriend Owen.” You introduced. “O, this is Rose and Max, and that’s Sophie.” You pointed to each one as you said their names. 
Owen waved shyly and Rose smiled. 
“Don’t be nervous, we’re all very nice.” She said and Owen smiled back. You placed your chairs down at the table, before turning to find your other neighbours heading up the driveway. 
Violet was the first to reach you, throwing her arms around you. 
“Hey friend!” She exclaimed as you hugged her back with one arm, your other hand linked tightly with Owen’s. She pulled away, grinning happily at your boyfriend. 
“Hey Owen it’s good to see you again.” She said, pulling him into a hug too. You giggled at the slightly shocked expression that covered his face for a few seconds before he hugged her back. 
“Nice seeing you too Violet.” He replied. She turned to her family. 
“This is Y/N’s boyfriend Owen. Owen this is my mum Pam, my dad Graham and my sister Bella.” She said. Owen smiled at them. 
“Howdy.” Graham greeted, while Pam and Bella just waved. 
“Now.” Your mum spoke up. “Should we get this party started?” 
Everyone settled in quickly, loud chatter filling the air as the sun went down. The three fathers headed over to the barbeque, Owen joining them tentatively, and you watched from your chair as your father handed him a beer and made sure to include him in the joking. You smiled, watching your boyfriend visibly relax which could have been because of the alcohol, but also could have been because of the fact that he could finally let go of the fear of being rejected by your friends and family. 
“So Y/N, how did you meet?” Rose questioned, drawing your attention back to the women who were sat around the table. 
“We met through a mutual friend, he was having a little halloween party and invited me and introduced me to Owen and we hit it off and started dating a few weeks later.” You explained. 
“When was that?” Pam asked. 
“Last year. We’ve been dating for a year and a month or so.” You told her. They all nodded. 
“He seems like a good one.” Your mother said and you smiled, looking over to where Owen was stood, laughing at a joke Max had made. 
“He is.” You agreed. “He’s a very good one.”  
The dinner part of the night went well, everyone loudly joking around. Owen had fitted in well, confidently adding to stories and asking questions, and you couldn’t help but smile at how perfect the situation was. 
After dinner, as per tradition, the kids of the three families headed inside, leaving the adults to sit and chat. You dragged Owen inside, sitting together on the couch as the younger kids decided what to play. 
“Why don’t we go back outside and play hide and seek?” Bella suggested and when everyone agreed you all headed back outside and down the driveway onto the road. 
“Oldest counts first.” Sophie said, and Violet groaned loudly before covering her eyes and beginning to count. You grabbed Owen’s hand, pulling him with you. 
“I have the perfect hiding spot.” You told him, dragging him up into your front yard and into a small space between your house and a large bushy tree that concealed the two of you perfectly. 
“You’re not scared of spiders, are you?” You questioned, and Owen’s eyes widened. 
“I’m scared of all bugs, you know this.” He exclaimed in a hushed voice. You pulled an apologetic face, before an idea popped into your head. 
“I know something that will keep your mind off it.” You said, before pulling his face down to kiss him passionately, slipping your tongue into his mouth. He groaned, pulling your body against his as he kissed you back, the two of you lost in your own little world. 
“Ew oh my god, get a room!” Violet’s voice came and you and Owen jumped apart quickly. 
“Shut up.” You replied and Violet laughed. 
“Whatever. Found you, go join the other losers in the street.” 
Midnight finally came around after hours of running around, playing Lego Rock Band on Xbox, and playing the family friendly version of Cards Against Humanity. 
Everyone regathered in the living room, watching as the timer on the tv counted down, and you all joined in noisily. 
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!” You all cheered, and you grinned as Owen pulled you in to a soft kiss. 
“Happy New Year O.” You mumbled against his lips. He smiled as he pulled away. 
“Happy New Year.” He replied. 
After exchanging well wishes with everyone you decided to head home, accepting your mother’s offer of staying the night in your childhood room. 
You watched as Owen pulled his clothes off, leaving him in just his boxer briefs. 
“Happy new year indeed.” You joked, your eyes raking his body. He blushed, stepping closer to you. 
“Your turn.” He whispered, pulling on your dress and helping you take it off, leaving the two of you stood in just your underwear. 
“Does your door lock?” Owen questioned softly, reaching out to run a hand down your side. You swallowed as you shook your head. He made a sound in disappointment. 
“Guess we’ll just have to be careful then.” He said, closing the gap between you and lifting you up to kiss you. Your legs wrapped around his waist as he spun around, placing you down onto your bed and climbing on top of you, reconnecting your lips. 
You ran your hands through his long hair, scratching slightly on his scalp, causing him to moan into your mouth. He grinded his hips down into yours, causing you both to gasp at the contact, your kiss getting steamier by the second.
Owen broke the kiss, panting slightly. 
“We don’t have a condom.”  He muttered.
“That’s okay.” You kissed him softly. “We can improvise.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Oh yeah?” He questioned. You nodded, pushing him off you and forcing him to lay back on your bed. You palmed his dick through his underwear and he groaned.
“Fuck Y/N.” He muttered. You shushed him.
“Don’t want to be caught, do we?” You said, before pulling at his underwear, letting his dick spring free.
Owen moaned as you lent down, licking a single line up his dick, swirling your tongue around the tip.
“Make sure you’re quiet for me baby.” You instructed, before taking his dick in your mouth, putting as much in as you could without choking and wrapping your hand around the remaining part. Owen’s hands tangled in your hair as you bobbed your head, licking and sucking on his dick and occasionally scraping your teeth gently along it to hear his shaky gasp.
“I’m close baby.” Owen warned eventually and you tapped on his thigh to let him know it was okay for him to cum, a signal you had been using since the first time you messed around with each other. You continued to bob your head, humming against his dick which was all he needed to tumble over the edge, his hot cum filling your mouth as he moaned into your pillow to stay quiet. After working him through his orgasm you pulled off his dick with a satisfying pop, before swallowing his cum and leaning down to kiss him.
“Your turn.” He instructed once you broke apart from the kiss, flipping you over so that you were laying on the bed. He quickly undid your bra, throwing it to the floor before kissing his way down your chest, pulling one of your nipples into his mouth. You bit your lip to hold back a moan as his tongue flicked at your sensitive nipple. He pulled away, before repeating the same actions with your other nipple, and once he was satisfied he began kissing his way down your abdomen, stopping only to pull your panties off.
He spread your legs before making himself comfortable between them. He lent down, sucking a hickie into both of your inner thighs.
“Owen.” You moaned quietly and he grinned up at you.
“That’s it baby, you ready?” He asked and you nodded.
“Please.” You said, your tone verging on begging.
He grinned again, before burying his face in your pussy, his tongue flicking at your clit as you bit into your pillow to stay quiet.
“Delicious.” He commented cheekily, before slipping his tongue inside you, his hand coming up to massage your clit as he tongue fucked you.
“If you keep doing that I won’t last.” You warned and he ignored you, his tongue flicking faster.
“Owen.” You groaned, as he moved his mouth back to your clit, sucking it into his mouth. “I’m gonna...”
You were cut off by your orgasm shaking your body, moaning quietly into the pillow.
Owen looked up at you, giving you a cheeky look before continuing his assault on your now extremely sensitive clit.
“Owen what are you doing?” You questioned shakily. He laughed, the vibrations sending shockwaves through your body.
“Helping you start the new year right.” He explained before returning his attention to your pussy, his tongue flicking at your clit once more.
It didn’t take long for the familiar feeling of your orgasm to reappear, and you warned Owen quickly, gasping when he sucked your clit back into his mouth as a response.
Your orgasm hit quickly, and to both of your shock you squirted all over Owen’s face. He pulled away, staring at you in shock.
“Holy fuck.” He said after a moment. Too exhausted to reply you just nodded.
“Fuck.” Was all you could get out. Owen grinned.
“I didn’t know I could make her squirt.” He muttered, mostly to himself, as he grabbed one of the towels your mother had left out for the two of you to use in the morning, wiping his face and chest with it, before heading back to you.
“You okay baby?” He questioned, wiping your thighs that were covered in liquid from when you squirted.
“Yeah just exhausted.” You said, letting Owen clean you up.
Once he was done he grabbed your underwear from the floor and helped you pull it back on before offering you his shirt he had been wearing, which you accepted sleepily. He pulled his boxer briefs on before pulling back the covers of your bed and helping you in, climbing in next to you.
You yawned, snuggling into his chest as he wrapped his arms around you.
“Happy new year O, I love you.” You whispered.
“Happy new year, I love you too.” He replied, placing a soft kiss on your lips.
You snuggled closer and not long after that you found yourself falling asleep, ready for another new year with your amazing boyfriend.
341 notes · View notes
dakarimainink · 3 years
Text
Rooftop Drinks
WARNING: Fluff, slight angst, smoochy smooch
Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Reader (You)
Wordcount: 1,7K
Note: Not betad, all mistakes are my own.
This is part 2 to the story Night Swim
Masterlist
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It was the perfect summer day. The sun was setting behind the tall city buildings, setting the sky on fire and casting long shadows.
With a bottle of your favourite drink in hand, you admired the view from atop your apartment building. Your friend Michael had managed to unlock the door leading up to the roof, allowing you to have a small summer party with your closest friends. The soft hymns from the portable speaker set a relaxing mood. The scent of flowers and warmth made you smile.
“Hey, sorry we’re late.”
Your ears perked up at the familiar voice. You looked over your shoulder and saw Pedro walking through the rooftop door. Your heart fluttered and ached at the same time; it had been six years since you last saw him.
You admitted to yourself he looked just as good as last time, if not better, with a sharper jaw, slightly messy hair and trimmed beard. You had deliberately stayed away from movies you knew he had appeared in, mostly to stop yourself from longing for him, as the ache was too much.
Behind him came an unknown woman. You furrowed your brows at the sight of the young and beautiful woman with long silky-brown hair, pouty lips and shiny blue eyes. She almost clung to Pedro as they stepped onto the roof but threw herself around Sofia with a big bright smile.
“Sofia, it has been forever.” The young lady chimed.
You turned away to gaze back at the view over the city. You felt your heart ache. You didn’t even want to think about it, but you convinced yourself you were happy for him. After all, it had been six years since you last saw each other, even spoken with each other.
“Elle, let me introduce you to the group.” Sofia said. “Over there is Michael, Samantha, Anna and Jonathan, and over there is Y/N.”
You turned around at the sound of your name and quickly nodded at her, mostly out of courtesy. Your eyes were immediately caught by a pair of dark brown orbs staring right at you. You couldn’t hold back the smile stretching out your lips when he had caught your attention.
“Drinks are over there in the cooler.” Sofia added and guided both Elle and Pedro over.
You didn’t know if you should approach them or just stay put. You had missed him. A lot. A lingering pain within you for the past few years. You remember the first time your friends had asked you to join them to the cinema to see Pedro at the big screen, but you had declined, terrified it would be too much for you.
You decided to be the bigger person, you couldn’t continue to ache for a man that clearly wasn’t interested in being more than friends, except now he might not even be interested in that.
You shuffled your way over to your group of friends and sat down next to Anna. She clinked her bottle with yours and you took a sip.
“So tell us, Pedro, how’s New York been treating you?” Samantha asked eagerly.
He rubbed the back of his neck with a breathy chuckle. “Well, with a mix of hard work and luck I seem to have managed to make a somewhat name for myself.”
“I know! You were absolutely amazing in Game of Thrones.” Anna chimed in.
“Yeah dude, Oberyn Fuckin’ Martell.” Michael high fives Pedro with a proud smirk.
“Thanks guys. It’s been quite an adventure.” He admitted and smiled. “I have been missing you though.” His eyes wandered across all of them and stopped at you.
You felt your heart jump at his staring eyes and awkwardly gulped down your drink. A slight blush rose to your cheeks. Why did this man still have such an effect on you?
Sofia placed a deck of UNO cards and two board games on the table. “Let’s play some rounds.” She smiled.
After two hours of drinking, playing games and reminisce over past adventures, you had noticed Elle was clinging more and more onto Pedro. For each touch, giggle and smile, you felt a punch to your guts. You had considered to just leave the party, make up a lie you weren’t feeling well, but a part of you believed it would help you get over him, to see him happy with another woman.
You stood up from your chair and sauntered over to the cooler to grab another drink. Instead of walking back to the table, you walked over to the edge of the rooftop and sat down on the parapet.
“You’re not joining for next round, Y/N?” Anna called from the table.
You turned your head to look at them. “No, I’m out this round.” You reply and turn back your head again. Your eyes slid across the lit streetlights and the small black figures roaming the streets below.
“Hey.” The soft voice tickled your ears and you turned your head to look at Pedro. “This seat taken?” He gestured to the available space on the parapet next to you.
You smiled warmly. “No.”
He sat down next to you with a beer in hand. His eyes stayed on you before he turned to look at the city. “You’ve barely spoken all night, is everything okay?”
You keep your gaze at the tall buildings. “Everything is fine.” You fiddle with the bottle in your hands. “Elle seems like a really nice girl.” You mumbled.
He glanced over at the table before turning back to you. “Yeah, she is.” He replied. “How have you been? We literally haven’t spoken in six years.”
You looked up at him. “I’ve been good.” You lied, feeling that lingering ache in your heart. “And you?”
“I’ve been good, perhaps a bit miserable without you guys, but good. I am sorry I never texted you back, a lot happened and it all drowned away with the acting and then I got a new phone and number and lost all the contacts on my old phone.”
You looked back on the street below. “Don’t apologise, I understand.”
“But I need to apologise, Y/N. I’ve felt terrible the past years, especially the day we were going to meet up for coffee. I tried to call you but didn’t get through for some reason and I never had time to drop by the coffee shop due to me having to leave.”
“Pedro.” You breathed out and looked up at him again. “You don’t need to excuse what happened. I am glad you found success in New York; I am very happy for you.”
The silence lingered between the both of you. Neither sure on how to proceed. It was obvious to Pedro you felt some kind of resentment towards him. He took a sip from his beer and gazed out on the city again.
“Remember the night before I left?” He asked with a smile.
The corners of your lips quirked up at the memory. “Of course I do.”
“Remember I wanted to tell you something?”
“Yeah, I assume you wanted to tell me about New York.”
He turned his head towards you and his dark brown eyes scanned the side of your face. You turned to meet him.
“No.” He breathed out.
“No?”
He chuckled nervously. “I wanted to tell you; that I wanted to kiss you.”
Your jaw lowered at his words. Your heart sped up and you felt your consciousness almost blacked out.
“And I still do.” He admitted and swallowed thickly.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea considering your girlfriend is right over there.”
He furrowed his brows. “Who? Elle?” He sounded surprised. “She’s not my girlfriend, we work together and she is an old friend of Sofia.”
“Oh.” You felt like an idiot. You wanted to bury yourself in a deep black hole, never to return. “I am sorry, I thought…”
Pedro laughed deeply, his laughter vibrating through his chest. “It’s okay, I know she’s very clingy, it’s her way of coping with anxiety. She leans towards people she trusts.” He explained.
You lowered your gaze, feeling like a true idiot.
“But as I said, Y/N…” He placed a warm finger under your chin and lifted it up to meet his eyes. “I still want to kiss you.” While holding your gaze, he slowly leaned forward and stopped a mere inch from your lips. His breath hot breath brushed against your lips.
You leaned forward and lightly claimed his lips. It was soft and gentle, the feeling of longing resonating between you both. His fingers brushed along your jawline to the back of your neck and pulled you closer, deepening the kiss.
Your heart fluttered and a warmth enveloped your body as he parted your lips and begun a slow and erotic dance with your tongue. You lifted your hands and carefully intertwined your fingers in his dark locks.
He placed his other hand on top of your thigh and pulled you closer until your knees bumped. He ended the kiss and sighed out while admiring eyes scanned your features.
“I’ve missed you.” He whispered and tucked a loose hair strand behind your ear.
“I’ve missed you too.”
You smiled at each other. He grabbed your hands and stroked his thumbs across your knuckles. “Y/N, I want this to be something more and I want it to work.” He confessed and held your eyes. “I have wanted this for a long time.”
“Me too.” You admitted and your smile widened. “Let’s give it a try.”
His eyes lit up at your words before leaning forward and capturing your lips once more. One hand slid up to the back of your neck while the other were placed on your hip. He continued the dance between your tongues.
“About time.”
You pulled back and turned to find Jonathan looking at the both of you. Your cheeks burned red.
“I was wondering how long it would take for you to finally get together.” He winked, took a sip from his beer bottle and wandered off to the others.
You looked at Pedro again and chuckled. Jonathan was right, it was about time you finally made it.
(Wanna be added to my tag list for Pedro Pascal and his characters? Let me know.)
(taglist: @lazyunknownwerewolf @rrtxcmt @linnie0119)
152 notes · View notes
harmoni-me · 3 years
Note
hi! wanted to tell you that i absolutely love your writing skills, it’s so different from the others that i've read and it makes me feel so warm inside. keep up the good work! i'm really looking forward to seeing more
if you don’t mind, i'd like to request for a poly nagito x sweetheart reader x kokichi where they’re still in the crushing/pining stage and being confused about their sexuality. thank you, have a good day/night!💙
Phew! I finally did it! My fingers kinda hurt from typing all this haha! But I loved the request a lot! I played around with the concept you gave me as well, so it’s a story that branches out into multiple styles of writing. I do have to warn you though, goodness is this one long! But I hope you enjoy it all in the same! <3
I’m so sleepy lol 
quick trigger warning beware! : There is a scene in this where a character goes through mental hysteria that contains some panic attack like symptoms. If you are sensitive to that writing, please, skip the the fluffy scene that if used for comfort right after :) (Or just don’t read it at all, don’t worry! Harmoni understands!)
Nagito Komaeda x Sweetheart Reader x Kokichi Ouma! Pt. 1
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Also can we just talk about this gif? It makes me so happy...This artist is so good too like WHOA! Check them out! 
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“No…“
“1, 2, 3, 4-“
“NO-“
“5, 6, 7, 8!” Nagito finished, moving the silver, dog-shaped play piece across the board in rhythmic taps.
“NOOOO! BOARDWALK, NAGITO?! FUCKING BOARDWALK?!” Kokichi shrieked in a fit of rage, slamming his Panta drink onto the table, while standing up and causing an absolute fit.
Nagito was chuckling at the enraged boy, who was now standing on the kitchen counters, stomping in pure fury. Kokichi was a huge brat. A clingy, competitive, always-begging-for-something, whole-hearted brat. Though, Nagito would have to admit that he could never stay mad at Kokichi, in fact, he would have to say that he barely gets mad at him. Ever. He reminded the white-haired boy of a playful puppy, bounding and bucking happily when getting what it wants. It made Nagito’s heart melt, evaporate, then simply melt again, even when he was a cursing mess stomping on the granite countertops, getting scratches all over it.
“Woah! Nagi, that’s amazing! You got Boardwalk really early in the game, that’s so cool!” You smiled, while also laughing at Kokichi’s ferocious cursing as ambiance. Your smile drove Nagito’s attention away from the angered boy, and his heart went through overdrive once he saw your sweet smile, radiating so much contagious joy. It’s almost as if he was on a roller coaster that contained a different track each and every time he rode it. One minute, his heart would be doing loops, and the next, it excitedly go up again.
. . .
Now, this is where the problem begins. Well, the one of three problems that plague the three individuals all playing a simple game of Monopoly on a Sunday night. This is Nagito’s problem: Whenever he has an effect on Kokichi, making him oh-so-lovable in his eyes, his heart swells and fills his chest to the brim. Oh, was this feeling that was so incredibly foreign to him feel so wonderful when it dawned upon him for the first time.
Nagito could always draw the memory back within his vision in surreal detail. Kokichi and Nagito were loitering in the hallways of Hope’s peak, with the shorter purple-haired boy dragging the pale, frizzy haired boy by the hand to apparently “Conjure up the biggest most awesome-est prank Hope’s Peak has every witnesses since built into existence”. Honestly, how could Nagito say no to something that holds so much potential hope and despair, all contained in one big gift-wrapped surprise of a prank on the whole school?
After planning for a few hours, Kokichi seemed to have a fuse broken in his brain due to thinking about a truly fool-proof plan. The somewhat drowsy prankster reached into his schoolbag and pulled out two twin bottles of grape Panta, sliding one over to an unsuspecting Nagito. The purple plastic bottle bonked into Nagito’s forearm, knocking the bottle down from the force.
“Nehehe, I guess you really are the Ultimate Lucky student, huh? It just so happens I packed an extra today, Shamrock! Make it up to me sometime soon, okaaaaay?” Kokichi giggled, teasing the lanky, somewhat socially-awkward Nagito who was sitting across from him on a desk within a totally abandoned classroom. Nagito thanked the other, though, Kokichi really couldn’t respond due to being in the middle of chugging his favorite carbonated drink.
Nagito turn to his own bottle. He wasn’t the biggest fan of old-fashioned artificial grape flavored things, but it wasn’t the worst. Plus, it would be quite rude to refuse a drink from a friend, right? So the white haired boy simply picked up the bottle, and twisted the cap off, as per usual etiquette of opening a soda bottle.
Splash
It didn’t take too long until Nagito knew what was going on. The drink had exploded everywhere. The bottle of soda was basically empty by the end of the grape-geyser showcase, and poor Nagito was left drenched in purple, sticky, sugary liquid. The drink already was starting to dry into a thin, sweet crust on his skin, making the boy on a whole other level of uncomfortable. Though, it was kind of expected that Kokichi would be absolutely laughing his butt off in the moment, sounding like some sort of hysteric hyena mixed with a duckling quacking at some breadcrumbs. It was a laughable sight, no doubt, Nagito literally looked like the embodiment of a sad, wet dog.
But then Kokichi settled down after a bit, controlling his breathing from the pathetic sight. After doing so, he got up out of his seat, and knelt down to scrummage through his bag, revealing a regular branded water bottle. He then made his way over to Nagito, and without hesitation, sat himself on his soda-soaked lap.
“Aww, really going for that kicked puppy look, are you now? Well, since I’ve had all my laughing fun from this, I guess it’s only natural that I help you out, hm? Or would you rather just stay just like this? Oh, now, I wouldn’t mind it if we did…though it seems your eyes beg to differ…well in that case, let’s clean you up, shall we?” Kokichi hummed, teasing the ever living daylights out of the wet and miserable boy.
Kokichi then did something that made Nagito’s heart pound harder than it ever had before. The teasing boy reached behind his neck, untying his beloved checkered bandana. He then carefully opened the water bottle, and poured the contents onto the fabric. Once ensuring it was thoroughly soaked, Kokichi started to wash off as much of the stickiness he could. to Ruffling Nagito’s hair, from gently washing his pale cheeks, which were now sprinkled with specks of rose, and finally gliding the cloth along Nagito’s clothes and hands.
A few things in Nagito’s mind had clicked into place after Kokichi had handled him with the care equal to that of a lover. Well, ironically, Nagito had caught feelings for his tiny little prankster brat of a friend. Was it a huge surprise? Not really, based on the track that Nagito was on.
Another piece of the puzzle had snapped: Kokichi was a a guy. That was something really to think about. Never had Nagito found men attractive, but…
Finally, the last, and most worrying puzzle piece out of them all: Kokichi wasn’t the only one he has fell for. His heart has become torn in that moment, with every day becoming more of a wrestling match to the death rather than a silly tug-of-war between feelings. The other side of his heart was unsure, and fell for another person that had lifted him up through his lowest lows, supporting him like a much needed pair of crutches when having a sprained ankle.
And that person, was you.
. . .
“Ok ok ok ok ok! Listen here you little damn shamrock you!” Kokichi huffed, now sitting back on the ground, leg crossed, “You and I both know that I have Park Place, right? Right! Now, my dear little clover, I want to make a deal with you, if you will?” Kokichi smirked with evil intent clear within his irises.
“Ooo! Deals! Nagi, I think you should listen to Kichi, making profitable partnerships is pretty much his specialty.” You giggled, basically becoming Kokichi’s personal little advocate. He let out a quick “Yeah, what she said!”, causing Nagito to laugh and nod, gesturing for an explanation of the deal.
“Well, personally, my little clover, I feel like we should team up, you know? We could completely dominate over sweet our little gumdrop over there, making them drop to their knees in submission to us. You know, I have a feeling you and I both would enjoy it...” Kokichi shuffled a little closer to the platinum blonde, voice dropping, “We could rule them over together, as equals, or even make them surrender if they ever have the chance-“
“Sure! Though, you should probably get out of jail first.” Nagito chuckled, making the other boy grumble.
“OH YOU-“
“Heeeeey! I wanna join in too! It sounds like you guys are having fun and stuff, while I’m all alone…” You puffed out your cheeks, sadness dripping in your voice.
Both of the boys shot up to look at your somewhat downcast features, and oh, how it wreaked their hearts in one fell swoop.
Kokichi automatically shot up from his position, puffing out his chest in preparation for a new speech.
“O-ok! New deal! We ALL join evil forces TOGETHER, and absolutely destroy the game with all of our property, while reaping in the greedy rewards of the capitalist regime!” Kokichi loudly proclaimed, chuckling at the end of his new deal.
You gasped, “Deal! Deal! Taking over a money-based board game with my two favorite people ever will always be a yes for me!” You laughed, smiling at the thought of the three of you taking over Hollywood streets with a pose of limos, while using bags stuffed with pure cash as weapons made it ten times funnier.
Kokichi smiled, resting his hands behind his head, “Yeah! Let’s end it here and just say that we kicked so much millionaire ass that we now have control over the whole economy!”
. . .
This is the second problem, Kokichi is so undeniably confused. About what? About himself. He was sure as all hell about how he felt about you, he always went soft and squishy for you, and not to mention he would be extra clingy when it had to do with you. Headpats? Common, and always appreciated. Cuddles? Been there, done that with you.
But, then there was Nagito. Kokichi would never say this out loud, but he thought that Nagito was so…pretty. And god, Kokichi was a huge sucker for pretty people. Though, once he realized that his feelings didn’t go to just one person, that’s when he started to panic.
He had to take in multiple things at once, trying to accept it all at once, but it was just so incredibly difficult. He has spent the whole entirety of his life to perfect the art of lying, and one thing that he learned constantly manipulated his own mind and thought process, tearing it into metaphorical shreds.
In order to pull out a lie that everyone can believe, you have to lie to yourself, and proclaim your own illusion of your truth.
Did Kokichi want to believe he was immensely attracted to Nagito, who just happened to be a guy? No, he really didn’t. It wasn’t normal.
Did Kokichi want to believe that he had fallen so fucking in love with two of his closest friends? Hell no. In society, you had to pick and choose, it’s one or the god damn other.
Right?
One night, all of these feeling and thoughts rushed into the boy’s conscious all at once, building immense pressure within his head and chest. Was this a nightmare, or-
Suddenly, his throat started to close up on him, making him gasp out in agony, wheezing on the covers of his bed, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes.
Instinct kicked in within the speed of light. Kokichi shakily reached over to his phone, grasping onto it, and quickly set up a group call. Almost immediately, the two people he was panicking over had picked up.
“Hello? Kokichi? Is there anything you need?” A raspy voice rang out. It seems as if Nagito was awoken by the sudden calling.
“Yeah, Kichi? Is there anything wrong?” You softly spoke through the phone. It calmed Kokichi a little just hearing the two of you guy so worried over him.
“I-I know It’s out of the blue-“ Kokichi gasped for air “B-but can you guys please come over?”
And oh boy, did you and Nagito get there in record time.
After just a mere ten minutes, you and Nagito were outside of Kokichi’s bedroom door, and the both of you could hear the desperate hiccups and gasps of your poor friend.
The both of you had no doubts, nor questions. You just wanted the struggling boy to feel safe.
“We’re coming in.” You said, affirming your actions with light knocking on the bedroom door.
When the both of you came face to face with a Kokichi with puffy red eyes, clutching his heaving chest, and thick tears rolling down his face, it felt like the both of you just got shot in the heart, the weight of it sinking down into the stomach, emitting a feeling that could only be described as pure pity. But the two of you automatically got to work.
Sooner rather than later, You and Nagito were cuddling Kokichi from either side, supporting him, as well as being his shield for protecting his small, delicate frame from his own cruel thoughts. You had started to run your fingers through Kokichi’s hair, causing his breaths to become fuller, and not nearly as hitched. Nagito also wanted to contribute in his own way, so he decided to mindlessly draw messy shapes and squiggles into Kokichi’s side, hoping that what he was doing would be of any help.
After only a mere five minutes, Kokichi had passed out from exhaustion, but the two of you kept on doing what you were doing, wanting for the boy in-between you two to have sweet dreams about all of what he desires all night long.
Kokichi has never let go of that memory, and never will for the rest of his life, and it’s a constant reminder on how much he had lied to himself. He actually wanted the truth out of something for once in his life, and that was how long it would be in order for the loves of his life to live without restraint of societal chains. Whenever it was, he would always be ready. Always, with arms as open as the horizon.
. . .
“Why in the world are we watching Big Hero 6 again? Didn’t we watch this, like, a month ago?” Kokichi trudged from the microwave, to the plush couch, bowl of buttered popcorn in hand.
“(Y/N) wanted to watch it, is there a problem?” Nagito tilted his head, holding the remote, about to press play. You were bouncing in anticipation, because this movie was just never a disappointment.
“Hm, well, I GUESS there’s nothing wrong with it….just don’t be surprised when you hear me snoring.” Kokichi huddled up beside you, placing the bowl of popcorn on you lap.
“I deem you the popcorn peacemaker! Your job is to make sure no one’s being a pig.” Kokichi snickered, while you giggled at your new role in life.
“Nagi? You like popcorn, right? Here!” You placed the bowl on his lap, causing him to smile.
“Hey, HEY! NO! That means I have to reach my WHOLE ARM over to to Lucky boy, JUST SO I CAN GET SOME POPCO-“
“Sh sh sh! The movie is starting!” You giggled, shushing the purple haired boy, while you heard a little chuckle from the white haired boy who was next to you.
. . .
The last problem was you. Your heart bubbled up in joy whenever you where around these boys, making your face erupt like a volcano whenever something slightly suggestive is aimed at you when it has to do with either one of them. You liked both of them, a lot, and you gave everything in order for the three of you to flourish in bountiful friendship. Yeah, that’s the problem, it was friendship.
Oh, how desperately you wished that everything could be easy! If life were like an infinite rolling of crashing waves, things would be flawless, predictable even. Unfortunately, life really likes to give you the short end of the stick, and this was honestly one of the shortest sticks someone like you would have never asked for. The loving of two men, both equally, and having an intense desire to treat them as lovers. What would they do as lovers? Where would they go as lovers? The questions and possibilities are endless…
The only time where you felt as if the friendship could’ve resembled anything somewhat romantic, was a summer evening trip to the beach.
The water was the perfect temperature, the ocean was as clear as glass, and the sand didn’t burn the soles of your feet. The boy’s were in their swimming trunks, having their own little fun. Nagito was afraid of getting to deep into the ocean, so you always stayed in the shallow end, trying to capture as many tiny fishes as you could with your bare hands.
Kokichi insisted that him and Nagito bury you in sand, leaving your head poking out of a sandy little cocoon. When the sun started to set, you got some supplies that you brought, and lit the fire that the group planned to create. Everyone gathered around it, cooking hot dogs on sticks, and crafting tasty s’mores that we fed each other.
One could say that that night might be the most casual and platonic friend trip ever, but something was off.
Everyone looked at each other differently that night. When looking into their eyes, it was oddly intimate. It was like all of the stars in the night sky reflected off their eyes conveyed so much...love.
That night, you felt so adored, so cherished and cultivated to the brim of your existence. You felt something, and maybe the other boy’s did too, but that feeling has changed your life.
Thanks to these stupid boys; These stupid boys that you’ve given so much to, you don’t think you could ever love any other.
One you’ve helped get out of a terrible degradation cycle, another you’ve helped to not lie to himself, and not as much to others.
And thanks to your down to earth humility, your heart has been stolen, and it was going to stay taken by those lovely, unique boys who have helped you out of so many ditches, and so many of life’s cracks and dents. God, how could you not fall?
Their lives were precious to you, but you had no idea how they would feel about an actual relationship, so you’ve always been terrified. Petrified and paralyzed to the bone to ever think of what may happen if you were the cause of the fracture of the friendship. You didn’t want to ruin something that has taken so long to build, yet can be torn all down due to a selfish desire.
But, maybe, just maybe, if they went to you first, confessed everything that was bottled up inside, dittoed on how you felt…
Then you might just be the luckiest person to live on this earth, there’s no doubt about that.
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astarryon · 3 years
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Tame Your Demons
Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader
Warnings: Violence, blood mention, implied assault, language, general criminal minds things
Summary: The deal you have with Spencer is simple. You call him to take care of the men looking to take advantage of innocents on the street, and he comes to ensure you don’t kill them before he gets the chance. Unfortunately for the both of you, though, things don’t always go according to plan.
A/N: This is my latest love letter to Spencer Reid and Criminal Minds! Part Two will be posted a little later this week, and will be for a slightly more mature audience, if y’all catch my drift. A big thank you to @reids-trauma​ for letting me run this fic by her, she’s literally half the reason it even saw the light of day. Enjoy!
Masterlist
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You see him before he sees you.
It doesn’t hurt your feelings— it’s the norm, in any case, and it’s what typically happens each time you reach out to plan a rendezvous. Part of the agreement is that you get to set the location, and you’re always careful to pick places you’re comfortable enough to slip your way out of unnoticed in case he ever morals up and brings his team to corner you. To his credit, that hasn’t happened yet — though you’re not naive enough to give up on the idea that it ever will just yet — but never subscribing to uncertain chances was a lesson you’d learned a long time ago.
But you know you’re safe for tonight, at least. He wouldn’t be meandering around the bar for such a prolonged amount of time searching for you if there were rows of feds waiting to take you into custody as soon as you stepped foot out the door. It takes a full fifteen seconds before his wandering gaze finally touches on you, another three before the glint of recognition appears in his eyes, and by the time he’s straightening his spine and striding purposefully toward you, it’s been an entire minute. Damn. Someone was really starting to lose their touch.
“You’re late, Doc,” you simper, arching a brow as you knock back a hearty sip from your glass. “Didn’t your mommy ever tell you it’s rude to keep a lady waiting?”
“Couldn’t be helped,” Reid huffs, crossing his arms over one another as he tries — and fails — to sidle up to you in a casual manner. You note the way he avoids touching the bar at all costs, how he folds in on himself like an exceptionally uncomfortable piece of origami. And then, of course, there’s the suit, far too dressy for a place so casual as the lively little bar nestled in the far side of downtown Georgetown. Jesus, the only way he would look like even more of an off the clock fed would be if his badge were superglued to his palm. “Getting away from the others without raising suspicion on such short notice isn’t exactly the easiest thing to pull off.”
“Yeah, well,” you chuckle, taking another sip from your glass. You make eyes at him, pointedly and conspicuously allowing your gaze to rake his lanky, suit clad frame head to toe. He looks good in the outfit he’s picked, the dark black of his jacket drawing the eye to the maroon button down he wore beneath it, and you marvel at the way his chosen color palette sets off his skin in the dim light. If Reid notices your staring or cares, he makes no show of it. Your ogling doesn’t bother him, not like it used to — doesn’t even make him blush, to your admitted dismay, though you suppose that makes sense. Spencer Reid is nothing like the sweet, shy boy he used to be. He’s not so wide eyed and naive anymore, though you’d never expected that to last very long in the first place. Still — getting a rise out of him had always been your favorite part of your arrangement. If you don’t get to keep that going, these meetings are about to become significantly less fun. “That’s the deal, isn’t it? When I call, you come running.”
“That’s the deal,” he mutters, nonchalantly waving off the approaching bartender. “And I came running. So who is it?”
You jut your lip out into a pout, resting your elbows atop the bar before settling your chin against your palms, sparing only a moment’s thought for how low the neckline of your dress must be dipping with the switch in position before casting the worry out of your mind. Were any other man your company tonight, you might have felt more concern for your modesty, but Spencer Reid was far from being anything like most men, and, honestly, the day you caught him checking you out was the day you mentally marked another tally on your side of the metaphorical score board. “Why’s it always straight to business with you?”
“Because—“
“No ‘hello’,” you go on, skirt riding further up your thigh as you cross your legs over each other. Not even a spare glance. Damn. “No ‘how are you,’ no admission of your undying love for me. If you’re not careful, Spencer, you’re going to start hurting my feelings.”
“No offense,” Spencer retorts, sounding particularly unconcerned with whether his words actually offend you or not, “but your feelings aren’t exactly my top priority right now. Arresting whoever this man is before you take it upon yourself to brutalize him is.”
“Well he’d deserve it, if I did,” you tell him matter of factly, swirling the contents of your glass as you pretend to be more interested in that than the eye-catching man just beside you. “This one likes to take advantage of young girls in clubs who accept drinks from strangers because they don’t know any better and still think there are nice people left in the world. Sometimes he keeps track, like it’s a game, and tries to see how many he can assault in a night, and this most recent time three of them made it home all right, but the fourth one turned up in a dumpster. So, yeah, Spencer, you’ll have to forgive me for figuring that if he ends up in a back alley with a couple of bruises and a broken leg he probably got what was coming to him, but don’t insult me by implying that I don’t know how to keep a promise.”
“If broken legs and bruises were all you left men with it wouldn’t be such a problem,” comes Spencer’s dry remark. “Unfortunately for the both of us, you seem to have a particular affinity for leaving men in comas.”
An affinity with which Spencer was all too familiar, you knew — not because he’d fallen victim to your habit of enacting revenge for all those poor defenseless victims, but because he’d caught you in the act with someone else. Two years later and you still weren’t positive how he’d managed to track you down. Spencer had told you minimal things — that an acquaintance on the city’s police force had reached out for his advice on a mysterious case of incapacitated men turning up in dark alleys, rarely little more than a few minutes away from going brain dead. That he’d been surprised to realize you profiled as female, considering the amount of unadulterated rage your behavior presented. That he’d made the decision to do what he could to keep from turning you in provided you help him be able to do so with a clean conscience before he’d even found you standing over some man with a white-knuckled grip on a tire iron.
“Give me your word that you’ll contact me first,” he’d instructed, a shockingly small amount of hesitancy glinting in his irises. “Give me your word that from the moment you call me, I have twenty four hours to find you so I can take care of all those awful men the right way. If I don’t make it in that time frame, they’re fair game, but if I find out that you laid a finger on them before you called me, I’ll personally see to it that you do time for every single man you’ve hospitalized. Can you agree to that?”
And you had. Partly because you had no interest in spending any prolonged amount of time behind bars, and partly because the odd sense of emotional recognition he’d gazed upon you with had been so unlike anything you’d ever been met with from another human being that you were essentially startled into instant complacency.
“He’s in the bathroom,” you sigh, downing the rest of your drink and flagging the bartender down for another. More for show than anything else, though you know the theatrics aren’t strictly necessary. Your drink of choice while out with company is much more coke than it is rum, and after two years there isn’t any doubt in your mind that Spencer is aware of that. “Has been for a while now, as a matter of fact, because he’s pompous and arrogant and wants to make sure the bait is set right for the barely legal girl he’s meeting here tonight.”
“Don’t suppose you want to share with the class the barely legal method you used to figure that one out?” Spencer deadpans, plucking your new drink from the bar and draining a few healthy sips before you even have the chance to reach for it. That’s something he’s never done before, though you suppose his repulsion to germs wouldn’t factor in one way or the other since the drink was fresh. But Spencer never indulged in alcohol around you, and was always incredibly careful to keep his guard up during these meetings. Either he was playing a different angle tonight, or something in him had drastically shifted.
“Only if you want to share with the class why I’ve been tailing this guy for two and a half weeks while you dodged my phone calls,” you retort, never breaking eye contact as you grab the glass and tilt the rim to your mouth, in just the same place that Spencer’s had been. You think you see a vein in his neck pulse as you swallow, but you can’t be sure whether the lights are playing tricks on you, so you decide not to count it. “Not like you to leave an innocent man’s life in my hands.”
Spencer arches a brow, eyes narrowing as he searches your face for something you’re not sure about. “Not like you to wait to hear back from me before doing anything about it.” He pauses, then, and more to himself than to you mutters, “And I’ve never said they were innocent.”
“Guess you’re right,” you mutter, shrugging a shoulder and leaning back in your chair as you let your eyes scan around the restaurant. The man you’re looking for is still nowhere to be found, and with the way your nerves are beginning to fray beneath Spencer’s all too calm and collected scrutiny, it’s hard to get ahold of your imagination as it barrels toward the worst case. “He’s still not back.”
“He’s probably still in the bathroom,” Spencer offers, giving an unconcerned shrug of his own. “You said he was a primper.”
“It’s been almost twenty minutes,” you shoot back, fixing him with a harsh stare. Normally you’d bother to be a bit more vivacious when speaking to Spencer, even in spite of your own irritation, but the sinking feeling in your stomach is making it impossible to pay attention to niceties. “That’s never happened before. Something’s wrong.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing.” But even to you Spencer’s words sound hesitant, like he’s trying to convince rather than tell, and somehow his lack of confidence only serves to make your throat that much thicker. “He couldn’t have left already, you would’ve seen him.”
Yeah, you would have — provided you hadn’t allowed every ounce of your attention to be monopolized by Spencer. You’d been so preoccupied with trying to appeal to his attention, so hung up on matching him wit for wit and taunting and tempting him with bared flesh and sultry gazes that, truthfully, anything could have escaped your notice in the last couple of minutes. Anything. And if some poor girl ended up preyed upon, if she ended up beaten or assaulted or worse, it wouldn’t be as simple as blaming the monster taking advantage of her. You wouldn’t even be able to blame Spencer for distracting you. No— the only person you’d have to blame would be yourself.
“He’s gone,” you breathe, horror a jagged knife twisting in your stomach. Your hands shake so badly that Spencer has to uncurl your fingers from around your glass so he can set it gently down for you. “God, he’s— I let him get away. He’s gone.”
“Don’t work yourself up,” Spencer insists, and if you weren’t sure your panic was playing tricks on you, you’d have sworn you saw his hand reach out to comfort you, just as you saw apprehension tensing his expression. Of course the one thing it took to get a reaction out of him would be unbridled panic. “Listen to me, everything is fine.”
“Not for whatever girl he decided he liked enough to blow off his date for!” you hiss, and it’s a strain to keep your volume low enough not to attract the attention of any other patrons, but you manage. “We need to— Spencer, we have to stop him! He’s going to hurt somebody!”
“Okay,” Spencer tries to calm you, quickly moving to his feet. You can’t get a read on the way he’s looking at you, can’t tell if he’s taking you seriously or trying to decide if he should make a phone call to he nearest psychiatrist, but he seems to be picking up on the urgency of the situation, so you make the choice to let it go. “Let me go check the bathroom to see if he’s still here. If he’s not there, then we can start worrying.” He turns, taking three steps towards the bathroom before spinning on his heel and coming back to say, “Just— stay here, okay? Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
And as you watch his back as he makes the trek towards the restroom, you think about doing what he tells you to. Truly, you do. Spencer could walk into that bathroom and find the man you’d been planning to turn over to his custody and come back with him in handcuffs, unable to help leveling a handsome smirk at you by way of a silent I told you so. You could be panicking for nothing.
But… if there was even the slightest chance that someone innocent could be in the worst kind of danger, was it really worth leaving their fate up to a coin toss?
You’re on your feet as soon as Spencer’s out of sight, beelining for the exit and dodging between other patrons until your legs have carried you out the door and immediately to the dimly lit corner of the block, lined with the closed shops and darkened alleys the man you were after would need to get away with the unspeakable acts he planned to commit. Even as you book it to stop what you know in your gut to be happening, you can’t help but to hope that Spencer had been right. Things would certainly be easier to stomach, were that the case.
But, as you’d somehow known with sickening clarity, the closer you draw to the dark alley gaping between the buildings down the street, the more prominent sounds of a struggle become. You heard a man’s voice — deep and angry and enough to set your hands shaking and your mind blazing with fury — and then, beneath that, the muffled, whimpered cries of a young woman, the sounds of which were so pitiful that you didn’t need to have laid an eye on her to know that she was already sobbing. After that, all thoughts of Spencer effectively flew out the window. Suddenly all there was in your mind’s eye was you, some poor innocent girl having the worst night of her life, and what you were going to do to ensure that nothing bad befell her or any other girl ever again.
“Hey!” you screech, running head first into the alley. “Get the fuck off of her!”
There isn’t any time to survey your surroundings, to take stock of the fact that the man you’d known would be out here was in the process of brutalizing a young woman — one who looked to be barely more than a teen, to your unadulterated horror — nor was there time to really assess what you were barreling toward. All you knew was that your body moved of its own volition, and it was much too late to think things through once you’d collided so forcefully with the assailant that you’d knocked him bodily to the ground. It was too late to second guess yourself now, to wonder whether it wouldn’t be smarter to wait for Spencer, who could actually, legally take care of this guy. The only thing that mattered now was getting justice for everyone who had been too incapacitated to stand up for themselves.
“What the fuck?” the man hisses from beneath you, but you’re already whipping around to get a look at the frightened girl staring down at you. Her eyes are rimmed red, tears trailing down her cheeks, and to your morbid relief, you note that she appears to have no more than an expression of horror on her face.
You’d made it in time, then. By the grace of some higher power, you’d made it in time.
“There’s an FBI agent in the bar down the street,” you bark at her, struggling against the brute strength of the man you were trying — and failing — to keep pinned down. “His name is Spencer Reid. Find him.”
And that was all you had to say before she was running off down the alley and out of sight, the mercy of her safety striking such a psychological chord that you were just distracted enough for the man beneath you to throw a punch that successfully manages to clip you on the jaw, causing stars to swim in your vision as a result.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” he hisses, quickly pushing himself to his feet and leering over you with a sneer. It made sense that he was under the impression that he had the upper hand— were you anyone else, he likely would have, and you’d have been little more to him than a replacement for the target you’d just saved.
But you weren’t anyone else. You weren’t helpless, or defenseless, and you certainly weren’t about to let this lowlife get away with all of the things he thought he was. No — you were someone hellbent on making a lasting difference in the world, and if that had to start with this guy getting his head bashed in, then so be it. You were down a tire iron, but your rage was weapon enough.
You wait until he grabs at your shoulder, waiting for just the right moment as he fully extends his elbow before punching as hard as you can against it in the opposite direction, not pausing to hear the sickening crunch of his bone snapping before rolling to the side, jumping to your feet, and subsequently kicking out his knee with a high heel clad foot. His howls of pain are equivalent to music in your ears, but you don’t pause to revel in the sound before you continue on with enacting your justified persecution. In this moment, you aren’t yourself. You’re not sure who you are, as a matter of fact, but you know it isn’t someone willing to let this lowlife get away with the mass amounts of pain and terror he’s inflicted on so many innocents.
“You like that, baby?” you snarl, letting your foot fly against his unprotected ribcage over and over again between sentences. “Does that feel good? Hmm?”
“You—“ The man cuts himself off with a hacked cough, spluttering and moaning as blood trickles down his chin. You’re not sure if that’s because you’ve kicked him in the face without noticing or because you’ve done enough damage to have already caused internal bleeding, but you’re not overly focused on figuring it out. “You psychotic— bitch,” he spits, and the hatred he gazes up at you with is so potent that you can’t help the wicked grin that curls across your mouth in response.
“That’s right,” you murmur, hovering your foot over the center of his chest for just a moment before digging your heel into his sternum. The harder you press, the louder he roars, and the louder he roars, the more you’re inclined to ensure that his screams continue. It’s a vicious cycle, but one you’re much too fond of to let go. “I’m a crazy, psychotic bitch because I’m a woman who stands up for herself and other women, and because I won’t let shitbags like you take advantage of us. Do you even know how old that girl was?”
His face contorts in pain, hands flying to your ankle in an attempt to pry your foot off his chest, but with one arm out of commission and pain proving to be too much of a distraction, he doesn’t manage to make any significant progress in alleviating your attacks. “Fuck you,” he hisses, but even to your ears, the vulgar words sound weak and reedy.
“I’m sure you’d like to,” you shoot back, digging your heel in that much further. You wait until you see tears welling in the corners of his eyes before letting any of the pressure up, and when you’re sure he’s hurting too badly to try and pull a fast one on you, you step off his chest and kneel to the ground, straddling his torso before your hands snake up to form a necklace at his throat. “You’re not used to girls fighting back, are you? You’re not used to anyone putting up a fight, and because of that you think you can just take whatever you want. Is that right?”
His eyes bulge out of their sockets as you begin to squeeze, hissed obscenities caught in his throat with nowhere to go, and the more he claws at the manacles your hands form, the tighter you let your grip become. It’s power, what you feel as you reconcile with the fact that you’re now quite literally holding this man’s life in your hands, and for a moment, you forget everything else. That you were only in this situation because you’d set out to save someone, that you’d sent that very same someone to go and fetch Spencer to come resolve all of this, that you weren’t an angel of death enacting revenge upon those who rightfully deserved what was coming to them. All those things washed away in the night, in just the same way as the beginning rainfall washed the man’s blood onto the ground in runny pink ribbons. It was only you and him, now. Nothing else mattered.
“You know, it’s men like you,” you snarl, squeezing so tightly against his throat that your knuckles go white and your fingers stiff, “that make people afraid to walk home alone at night. To send their kids off to college, to let their little ones grow up and experience the world. Because there are always— always monsters like you just waiting to take advantage of us. And no one’s ever made you pay for that, before, have they? That’s why you’re still so cocky, and confident enough to pull this shit out in the open because you know you’ll get away with it.”
Distantly, in the back of your mind, you think you hear someone calling your name. It’s hard to say for certain; with how focused you are on enacting revenge, on making sure this lowlife feels every single ounce of pain he’s ever managed to inflict on another unsuspecting human, your senses aren’t left with much more of an attention span. Even if they had been, you wouldn’t have bothered using it. Your fury, burning your nerves like hellfire, proves such a strong beacon of desire that you have no choice but to indulge. It feels good, the way his breath catches beneath where the heel of your palm digs into his throat, and you can tell by the way his eyes are beginning to cloud that if you keep it up, if you press just a little harder, squeeze just a little more—
Warm, strong arms snake around your middle, forming an inescapable cage of iron trying to pry you off the man beneath you, and the primal snarl that rips from your throat in response is a clear threat, but it does nothing to deter them. Hyperfixated as you are on finishing the job and ensuring that the man on the ground never lives to breathe another day, you don’t have the attention to spare, but your subconscious takes in the sharp scent of cloves filling your nostrils, the soft brush of curls against your shoulder, the domineering grip shackling your wrist maintaining a surprising air of gentleness. Your name is hurriedly whispered into your ear once, twice, three times, and by the fourth round you realize they’re not whispers at all — they’re shouts.
“Let go of him,” Spencer barks, bruising your ribs with how harshly he yanks you backwards. “Listen to me, listen to me. Let go of him.”
“Get off me!” you hiss in pain, stars dancing across your vision as you feel a slight bend in one of your bones, throwing an elbow back in retaliation. It lands square on his chest, and though the resulting grunt of pain he gives is certainly satisfying, it isn’t worth the grip you lose on the man’s neck. Once you’re down by one hand, it isn’t at all difficult for Spencer to wrench the second one back, and before you know it you’re a good ten feet down the alley, kicking and screaming wildly against Spencer’s grip as the monster you’d nearly strangled to death sputtered his way back to life.
“Calm down,” Spencer snaps, voice deep and low in your ear as he adjusts his grip around your torso so that you’re more fully pressed agains his body. “You need to breathe, do you hear me? Snap out of it. She’s okay. You got here in time and she’s okay. She’s safe, and you’re safe. Calm down. Calm down.”
You want to tell Spencer that he’s wrong. That you can’t be safe, that no one can be, so long as the man groaning on the ground across the alley is allowed to keep breathing. That this man can’t be allowed to live another day, waiting for the next opportunity to take advantage of an unsuspecting stranger who didn’t know any better. That it would be better to put him down now than to wait around for him to fuck up all over again, to ruin someone else’s life.
So you do.
Or, you try to. But all that manages to leave your mouth is little more than bent sobs and broken screams.
“It’s okay,” Spencer goes on, “it’s alright. Everything’s alright.” He uses the grip he’s got on your arm to spin you around, muffling your sobs as he brings your head against his chest and keeps it there with a gentle hand rested against the back of your head. Your body’s shaking so badly against his that, with your eyes still closed, you’re certain you’re still struggling to free yourself from his grip. It isn’t until you feel your fingers — numb with cold and shock and adrenaline — curl into his jacket that you realize you’re holding onto him for dear life. “Just breathe. Just breathe. You’re okay.”
“He was going to—“ You cut yourself off with a choked sob, shaking your head profusely. “He was going to—“
“I know,” Spencer murmurs, “I know. You don’t have to explain, just breathe.”
You hate this — that he’s caught you in such a vulnerable position, that he’s bearing witness to the rapid decline of your mental state. You hate that this is what it took to finally get him to wrap his arms around you, to offer words of reassurance and certainty rather than fixing you with unimpressed looks and exasperated eye rolls. Most of all, though, you hate that he’s now seen you at your worst, and that, going forward, he’ll never quite be able to dissociate you from the monster you truly are.
You don’t know how long he holds you there, murmuring insistent reassurances into your ear as he holds you gently to his chest. For how at odds it is with every other interaction you’d had with him — those ones where he’d roll his eyes, wave you off, regard you as little more than a vapid, spoiled brat who was all too used to getting her way — it’s nearly impossible to reconcile how you’d grown used to being treated with how you were being treated now. And though it’s certainly the last thing your mind should be focussing on, though you really don’t have the mental capacity required to work through this on top of everything else, you can’t help but come to the realization that you’re actually quite fond of the change.
A voice from across the alley cuts through the careful atmosphere of misguided comfort Spencer has crafted for you, and though he won’t let you turn around — actually goes so far as to squeeze his arms more tightly around your middle so that you can’t — the very sound of the man’s voice sends you dangerously close to the edge of the precipice all over again. “Are you… the fed that bitch was talking about?” His voice is hoarse, and half his words come out in broken hacks. It’s childish in the most juvenile of ways, but you can’t help the twinge of satisfaction that sparks to life in your blood. “Arrest her! She tried to kill me!”
“Actually,” Spencer mutters darkly in response, “from where I’m standing and from what that high school senior told me, she was only trying to stop you from committing assault. If anyone here is getting arrested tonight, it’s you.”
“Are you— are you fucking serious?” The blatant shock shooting his cracked voice up two octaves might have been funny, were the situation that led to it not so horribly severe. “She broke my fucking leg!”
“Thing is,” Spencer shoots back, never even missing a beat, “they do a lot worse to rapists in prison. I’d know— I’ve seen it.” The way his voice drops as the words tumble from his mouth catches your attention, but you don’t have the time to properly contemplate asking why before he’s going on. “You ask me, she went a little too easy on you. Remember that when you finally get what’s coming to you.”
And then Spencer’s calmly leading you away, maintaining a gentle yet firm grip on your waist to keep you from trying to look back. Even if you could, you don’t imagine you’d be much inclined to. You have no remorse for what you’d nearly done, and, truthfully, you’d left men in far worse states in the past. You know that; Spencer does, too. Yet, even in spite of that, even in spite of the fact that this was the second night he’d born witness to you attempting to kill a man, his touch on your body remains soft, and he curls over you like a protective blanket.
“We can’t just leave him,” you find the strength to whisper once you’ve put a healthy amount of distance between you and the alley’s opening. The street lights grow brighter the closer the two of you get to the bar, and you’d never admit it out loud, but it makes you feel that much safer. “He’ll get away. You need to… you need to go back.”
“I called the police as soon as I went to go check the bathroom,” Spencer tells you, leading you back into the safety of the bar. Suddenly surrounded by the sounds of raucous laughter and joyful whoops, it’s almost easy to forget what just occurred outside — almost. “They were on standby in case anything went wrong, but I had them hang back until I could get you out of there safely. They’re probably in the middle of cuffing him now.”
“And the girl?” you ask, so dazed that you don’t even protest or make any sort of snappy remark as Spencer gently helps you into a secluded corner booth. “She’s... you made sure she got home safe?”
“I called her a taxi and gave her my phone number,” Spencer answers, fixing you with as reassuring a stare as he can manage. “She’s going to give me a call in the morning about pressing charges. She was scared and a little banged up, but he didn’t... nothing happened. You stopped it before it could.”
You’re too weak to do anything with the knowledge but nod and sink down to the table, protectively covering your head with your arms as you squeeze your eyes shut and try to breathe. Dark thoughts, thoughts twisted in rage and a deeply intense need to protect, continue swirling through your mind, and if you’d thought catching your breath was impossible before, it’s effectively become something of an Olympic sport now, though the reasoning for why effectively evades your understanding. What you’d been through tonight, what you’d been ready to do to that man — if he could even be called a man — isn’t anything that’s never happened before. Hell, scum like that were the very reason you’d gotten caught up with Spencer in the first place.
But… something’s different now. You can tell by the way the oxygen rattles through your lungs, the way you can’t still your shaking fingers as they clatter against the tabletop. You don’t know what it is, where it’s come from, or how to stop it, but it’s there, and you can feel it.
Fingers softly brush up against one of your wrists, startling you so forcefully from your reverie that you can’t help the cry of shock that drops from your mouth as you yank your arm back with as much urgency as if you’d been burned. Seconds pass, then ten, then thirty, and even as your subconscious mind works double time to interpret the concerned light in Spencer’s eyes in response to his touch, you remain unable to fully come back to the present.
“You need to eat something,” he tells you, casting his eyes back down to the table. It’s a testament to how much time has passed that there are now two glasses of water covered in condensation that, up until this point, you’d not even been aware were present. “It’ll help with the shock.”
“I’m not going into shock,” you mutter, squeezing your hands together and resting them in front of you. Spencer catches sight, but if he has something to say about it he keeps it to himself. “And I’m not hungry. I just want to go home.”
“And I’ll take you there,” Spencer responds, metaphorically digging his feet in. “But you need to eat something first. And drink water.”
You roll your eyes, shakily moving to stand. “I’m not—“
“Sit down.” The hard glint in his eyes, sharp and metallic as a knife, makes it clear that he isn’t asking, and against your stubborn will, you immediately do as he commands. You want to think it’s simply because you’re too tired to fight back rather than too frightened or intimidated, but then, you can’t quite be sure. At least, not until Spencer leans across the table, insistently holding your gaze in something that you think might be a warning, and it’s only now that you realize he’s been holding back his frustration in favor of seeing to your needs, just as his composure begins to slip. “I told you to wait for me at the bar.”
“Yeah, you did,” you respond with a halfhearted roll of your eyes. “You should have known better.”
“No,” Spencer shoots back, “you should have listened to me. Instead you went and broke your word, all because you had something to prove to yourself.”
You can’t help but scoff in disbelief at Spencer’s implication, momentarily startled into genuine speechlessness. Those words hurt — so much so that you really weren’t inclined to admit that they did, lest Spencer think he have more power over you than you were actually willing to give him. So instead, you pushed back the hurt and leaned into the rage. It wasn’t healthy by any means, but at this point, you’d try just about anything to cut through the debilitating numbness medicating your senses at the moment.
“I didn’t break shit!” you hiss, repressing the urge to scream. “And if you really think I did what I did because I was thinking of myself, then you’re just as bad— no, scratch that, you’re… you’re even fucking worse than the rest of them!”
And you expect Spencer to launch some scathingly cruel insult back at you, one that cuts you deeper than you’d ever known words could be capable of, because Spencer’s a genius, after all, and he’s kept up with you enough over the years that he knows how to make an insult hurt if he wants it to. To your admitted surprise, though, he doesn’t open his mouth and hurl knives your way; he doesn’t even look at you like he wants to hurt you, in the way that you’re positive you’re looking at him. Instead, he only blinks down at you, carefully analyzing the expression on your face and the fury in your words before giving you any kind of response. It’s more than you deserve, really.
But Spencer’s soul has always struck you as kind.
“You could have gotten yourself hurt tonight,” he sighs, shaking his head in what you think could be disappointment. “You realize that, don’t you? That what you did was reckless and ridiculously stupid?”
You bark a harsh laugh in response to that, shaking your head as you go on squeezing your hands together. “In case you didn’t notice, I wasn’t the one in danger. Believe me, you didn’t have anything to worry about.”
“You said he’s escalated to killing girls after assaulting them,” Spencer presses, and it’s only as you minutely glance down at the table that you realize he’s curling his hands into fists of his own. “Did you ever stop to think that if he’d managed to overpower you, that could have happened to you too?
“Well it didn’t, did it?” you snap, searching for the power to quell your sudden annoyance. You know it’s misplaced; Spencer’s only doing his best to take care of you, without saying as much in so many words. You should be happier for it; after all, hadn’t you spent years attempting to get Spencer to consider you? To leave lasting impressions on his mind? To sneak your way into his late night, private, personal thoughts? Sure, on the surface it had all been more for show than anything else, but… even if he’d never known the truth, you certainly always did. “I’m fine. Okay? Fine. I’m not going into shock—“
“You’re certainly acting like you are.”
“— I’m not having a panic attack—“
“Again, you could have fooled me.”
“— and I’m not hungry! Okay? I’m not! I just want to go home!”
And it’s lucky that Spencer had the foresight to seat the both of you as far away from the general population of the bar as possible, lest any of the unsuspecting strangers hear the two of you squabbling over something so harrowing, but even if he hadn’t, you wouldn’t have cared enough to bother lowering your voice. All of these people, laughing, chatting, obliviously participating in their good times, and all the while an innocent girl had nearly been violated just a few buildings away out on the street. It wouldn’t have been their fault — really, the only person that should have been held accountable was hopefully being dragged to the police station at this very moment — but the fact that life could so casually go on while a child had to suffer the worst night of their life in silence just didn’t sit particularly well in your throat.
You inhale a deep breath, squeezing your eyes shut as you brace against the inky misery staining your senses. When you open them again, blinking through the stubborn tears trying to form in the brim of your eyes, you find Spencer carefully considering your face, and all you can do is hope he doesn’t notice the way your lip wobbles.
“I just want to go home,” you say again, hardly managing to get the words out in anything above a whisper. “Please, Spencer, just… I don’t… I can’t be here right now. Please just take me home.”
It’s hard to say what exactly takes the fight out of him. It could be the way you’ve said his name, softly, desperately, pleading in a manor which you’re certain he’s never heard from you before. But then, it could also be the tears welling in your eyes, far more conspicuous a sight than you’d have liked and one Spencer had only ever been confronted with once before. Whatever it is that’s done the trick, it prompts the softening of his gaze, along with the gentle downturn of the curve of his mouth. Just out of the corner of your eye, you think you see his fingers dancing hesitantly over the table top as they steadily migrate closer to yours, and though he doesn’t try to make contact with you this time, he manages to offer you an inexplicable amount of comfort as his fingers dance in a mirror image of the motions of yours.
“Okay,” Spencer concedes, frustration fading out of his expression to allow concern to take the lead. “If that’s what you need, then okay. But— just, put this on, at least.” Before you can interpret his meaning, he’s shrugging out of his jacket and pushing it across the table, and before you can protest, he’s pressing forward stubbornly. “It’s raining outside, you’re shaking, and that dress is gorgeous but it’s not going to stop you from catching hypothermia. Just wear it until we get to the car.”
He’s not leaving you a choice, judging by the glint in his eye that makes it clear he isn’t willing to hear any back talk on the subject. You consider doing so anyway — partly because you’re not sure you’re in the mood to take orders from Spencer, no matter how emotionally distressed you are, and partly because you’re afraid the weight of his jacket on your skin and the scent of his cologne in your nose would be just a bit too intimate for you to handle in this moment — but ultimately, you do as he asks, grabbing at the dark bundle of fabric and wrapping it around yourself like a blanket of protection.
It’s… warm. And it smells good, too. Embarrassing as it is, concentrating on further inhaling the scent of it — of him — is nearly enough to instantly cause your hands to cease their trembling.
“Let’s go,” Spencer murmurs, offering his hand as he stands from the table.
Wordlessly, you take it.
––
Part Two: Something of a Dangerous Game
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Text
white silence and the fragile reality
summary: The world had been destroyed and put back together again, but not without sacrifice and while Sam and Bucky were ready to move on you were afraid of never being able to fill out the footsteps you were trying to follow.
characters: bucky, sam, reader (platonic)
warnings/synopsis: post-endgame (spoilers), pre TFATWS, slight mentions of loss/death, a little angst, one or two swear words, otherwise just best friends being there for each other, fluffy ending. This is based on the request by @superwhoflarrow123​ I had so much fun writing this and I really hope it’s anything like you imagined! (roughly 2.5k words)
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The compound halls were empty, the flickering fluorescent lights made the whole place look as if it was haunted and honestly, sometimes you actually thought it was. Sometimes a shiver still ran down your spine whenever you passed Tony’s lab or Nat’s favourite red armchair in the space that once was a cosy movie room but now just felt empty. And more often than once you had to swallow down the lump in your throat that caused bittersweet tears to flood your eyes when watching their favourite mugs collect dust on the upper shelves. You still remembered the endless days and nights you spent in quiet sorrow with Natasha during the five lonely years together in these very halls. The peanut butter sandwiches you silently prepared each other every morning and the unexpected tight hugs soon became your only form of solace, afraid that the other might slip away too.
Now everything should be different. The world was saved, Thanos defeated and yet you felt like a piece of you was missing now more than ever. You realized it just a month after Tony’s funeral while standing in the fancy compound kitchen cooking chili that you were planning to take to one of the shelters that cared for those who got lost during the Blip and haven’t truly found their way back home yet. The smell reminded you of a time long gone, a time you thought you’d never want to think of ever again. You still remembered the evenings Steve’s, Bucky’s and your family spent together when all of you were just kids, heating up canned chili and playing old board games while the last of your firewood burned down in the fireplace, never daring to move too far away from it because the heating broke a long time ago and the small cramped apartment otherwise was cold and grey. You remembered being so incredibly proud and still shedding one or two tears when sending Bucky off into war, but that feeling of sadness was nothing compared to the excruciating pain you felt when under heart-wrenching sobs Steve told you that Bucky fell off the train and you thought: that was it. Life couldn’t be more painful than this. You soon had to learn that it definitely could.
You could still see the inside of the plane whenever you closed your eyes. You could still see yourself grabbing Steve’s hand while he said goodbye to Peggy that restored your belief in true love and then just holding on to each other as tightly as you could, waiting for the end. You didn’t remember the crash or the ice, just how you woke up in a strange room that was supposed to feel familiar and yet you could just feel it from the moment you awoke: nothing would be the same anymore. The world you knew was gone. Of course, you and Steve stuck together, helping each other adapt to a world that was so different from the one you once knew and finding a new purpose with The Avengers. Finding Bucky probably was the scariest and happiest day of your life and from then on you did everything in your power to hold onto that small sliver of hope that maybe everything could be okay again. Your small family finally was united again and it felt like it was a new chance for all of you. You just never thought it would end like this.
It was two months after Tony’s funeral when you could finally bring yourself to leave the compound again and try to pick up the pieces of your life. The wet grass made a squishing sound under your boots and the air smelled like fresh rain and new beginnings as you walked over to the front gate of the compound. The black shiny car parked in front of it was the first sign of normal buys life after you were alone for so long that you had to take a short moment to breathe before you pushed open the once automated gate. “Hey, you still remember us?” Sam’s familiar cheery voice called out through the rolled down driver’s window and that was the first time a small smile tucked at the corners of your mouth again.
From then on you decided to make an effort again. You wanted to heal, not only for your own sake but for theirs too. And you knew, Sam and Bucky would be right by your side. The compound started to feel a little more alive again, memories of long lost days turned from black and white to new colours whenever they were around. And they were around a lot. Finally, you were able to think about anything else than what you had lost, but then one day you saw the familiar shield leaning onto the side of the couch and Sam looked at you like one would at a lost child. “Time to move on,” he said softly and you knew he was right.
It was a sunny day, the rays of warmth caressed your face in a way nothing else could and in the air hung the smell of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers. The blue, white and red shield soared through the air like a metal frisbee, occasionally blocking out the bright sunlight from your view. The soft summer breeze carried Sams laughter over the field and it almost felt like nothing had changed at all. “Hey, Buck! I’ma throw my shield as far as I can and you go see if you can catch it, yeah?” Sam urged the brunette but only earned a scowl in response. “I’m not a fucking dog, Wilson.” You snorted and shook your head when Bucky actually started walking over the field backwards, one eye on the shield and waiting for Sam to eventually throw it. “If you catch it drinks are on me tonight!” You could hear Bucky swearing under his breath but as soon as the shield was cutting through the air he started running after it as if his life depended on it and Sam cackled next to you. Everything seemed so normal and easy, no trace left of the sadness of the last months and for the first time in what felt like ages you actually allowed yourself to think about the future again. The small smile that had played on your lips faltered as you started to realize what you were actually doing. Sam had told you about his plans just one or two weeks ago, said he had a responsibility now that he needed Bucky’s and your help with and when you agreed to work with him you hadn’t thought about it yet. But now it rolled over you like a big wave threatening to drag you underwater. “Now be a good boy and bring it back, buddy!” “Fuck you!” Bucky yelled and instead hurled the shield so high that it looked like it was cutting through the clouds. “Be right back,” you mumbled without even looking at Sam and turned around. “You okay?” you heard him ask concern lacing his words and you just waved your hand dismissively in his direction before stalking off. You ignored Sam and Bucky’s bickering behind you as you wandered in no specific direction. You didn’t know where you were going or what you were planning to do, it just suddenly had felt like an ice-cold hand was wrapping itself around your heart and you knew you needed to leave. Pictures flashed through your mind, past fights and battles and between all the mess there was one calming constant: Steve. A sob escaped your lips and you clasped your hand over your mouth, not hearing the footsteps that were trailing behind you.
“Hey.” You suddenly felt a warm, familiar hand wrapping itself around your arm and when you didn’t make a move to turn around Bucky was stepping in front of you, his grasp gentle and his baby blue eyes concerned. “Hey,” he said again, voice gone really soft when seeing the single tear rolling over your cheek that you immediately wiped away with the back of your hand and an annoyed grunt. “What’s wrong?” your best friend asked and suddenly you couldn’t hold back anymore. You didn’t care about how he would feel about you anymore. He was gone for five years but you knew him since kindergarten and you quite literally faced the end of the world together. “I can’t do it!” you burst out. “I can’t do this, okay?” you started to sob, your arms flailing around trying to make him understand what you meant with this and a soft look took over his features. “Can’t do what?” he asked gently and pulled you to sit down with him in the grass. “All of this!” you yelled, your chest heaving under the panicked weight you were trying to get off. “I’m not like you and Sam, okay? And I’m definitely nothing like Steve. I’m not the hero type!” you claimed hoarsely but Bucky just shook his head. “Why would you even think that after everything that happened? After everything you did over the last five years?” You let out a sarcastic laugh. “I was helpless, Bucky! If it would have been down to only me all of you would still be…gone.” “No. Stop doing that! Stop comparing yourself to them. You are as much of a hero as they are.” You wiped the tears from your cheeks again and shook your head. “Only because Steve was still there. I can’t do this without him,” you mumbled and Bucky just let out a little sigh before pulling you into his broad chest. It was silent for a little while. The happy chirping of the birds almost seemed as if they were mocking you.
“I miss him too, you know?” Bucky spoke again quietly and sighed again while resting his chin on the crown of your head. “You still remember him before everything went to shit?” he asked and you could almost hear the nostalgic smile on his face. You huffed. “He was a skinny idiot with a hero complex.” Bucky’s laughter rumbled through his chest and made your head vibrate a little. “I would have been caught dead before telling him but I always thought he was the bravest of us,” he said and memories of a beaten-up blonde kid with smudged bloodstains on his upper lip and raised fists filled your head. “He would have been squished like a pancake if it wasn’t for us,” he continued and a little smile tucked at the sides of your mouth. “I know what you are trying to do,” you grumbled. “Then shut up and listen.”
Bucky lifted his head from your chin and you could see him looking at you from the corner of your eyes, but you just kept staring at the line of trees surrounding the compound area. “You know what the first thing was that came to my mind after I escaped Hydra and got my memories back? How I had let you and Steve down.” Your head whipped around, mouth parting a little and a soft “Bucky,” escaping your lips. You could never imagine the pain he had to go through while being captured and even after escaping and it hurt you to know, that he felt like it was his fault. You wanted to assure him, to tell him that there was nothing he could do that would make you feel let down, but he just kept talking. “You and Steve were doing these amazing things, saving the world and shit and I was doing all this fucked up stuff. It just felt like I wasn’t worthy to be your friend anymore, y’ know?” Regardless of his words, there was a little smile lighting up his face. “I told Steve how I wasn’t worth saving because of all the pain I brought upon this world and you know what he said?” he laughed a little, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over,” he quoted and you immediately knew where it came from. “Peggy.” A smile grew on your lips as you thought of the fierce brunette that changed not only Steve’s but also your life. “Should’ve known he can’t come up with shit like that,” Bucky laughed and you snorted grinning and then wiped at your tear-stained cheeks. You knew what he was trying to tell you. He wanted you to feel comfortable with letting your past behind, to start fresh and just try your best. “You are not alone.” Bucky looked at you all serious but gentle again and this time you didn’t dodge his gaze. “I’m with you. And so is Sam. No one is expecting you to be like Steve. Honestly, no one even wants that. We want you. You are amazing and strong in your own ways and I really think we can’t do this without you. We will do this our own way and we’ll mess up, but that’s okay. We’ll be together. As a family.” Your vision was starting to get blurry again and Bucky tugged you against his chest again. “Thank you,” you croaked out, sniffling quietly, knowing you didn’t need to say more. You sat there together for a little while longer just enjoying being able to hold each other again after all that had happened and only let go of each other when you heard Sam’s fake offended voice.
“Are you really havin’ a sentimental moment without me right now? I feel so betrayed!” You chuckled and stuck out your hand to tug down Sam so he was sitting next to you, not bothering to hide the tears in your eyes from him anymore. “We promise to never have a sentimental moment without you ever again, ‘k?” you assured him and let your head rest on his shoulder. You knew that he understood what you meant. They were stuck with you know and they wouldn’t have it any other way. The sun was slowly settling, tinting the sky a golden hue and the air getting chillier so that the three of you decided to get back inside and leave the training to another day. As they were walking towards the compound Sam and Bucky were bickering, as usual, arguing about what to order for dinner and casually bumping shoulders with each other until even that degenerated and they were full-on shoving each other. You shook your head grinning as you trailed behind them, but before following them inside you turned around one last time. Your face soaking up the last warm sun rays you whispered a little promise into the evening air. “I won’t let you down.” You watched the sun disappearing behind the trees before turning back around. Sam and Bucky were standing at the terrace door watching you. “You comin’?” Sam called out and you took a deep breath. “Coming!”
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puckbuddies · 3 years
Text
The bucket list (part 1)
Tyson Jost x reader
6454 words
Thanks to @justjosty for helping me figure out the idea and to @canadianheaters for being my biggest fan always ❤
AN: so back in the day when I was still in the Avengers fandom, I read this fic about doing a bucket list and my fic is inspired by that one. I tried really hard to find it but I think the account deactivated :(. Anyway enjoy 
This was it. The start of the most boring summer vacation of your life. And all thanks to your dear best friend who had decided that staying in Calgary for an internship was more important than coming home with you. This was the first year ever you would have to spend the summer without Ava and you really weren’t looking forward to it. Ever since five years old you guys had been inseparable. Living in the same street, taking up hobbies together, going to the same school and eventually the same university and yet, this was the end.
You were just being dramatic, it was most definitely not the end. Still, standing in Kelowna International Airport by yourself, it kind of felt like it was.
It was just a month until you would see Ava again but that was the longest you’d ever been apart and you hoped it wouldn’t put a strain on your friendship. To be quite honest, you already missed her.
You were happy to see your parents of course and wrapping them up in a hug in the middle of the airport made you forget about Ava for a second. You hadn’t seen them since the middle of march and you knew that being home would help you relax regardless of your company.
Ava didn’t leave your mind for long though, just like she didn’t pretty much the whole flight home and you knew exactly why she didn’t. You could still recall the conversation you both had about a week before.
~~ “But it’s going to be so boring without you.” you whined while dramatically flopping down onto the sofa.
“Find someone to make it fun then. You know, this is the perfect opportunity for a steamy holiday romance.”
“Who wants a holiday romance when you could have New girl marathons in your comfiest pajamas?”
“Y/n, I’m sorry. You know I want to go home too but this is really important for my future.”
“I get that and I fully support you. I just wish it didn’t mean I had to spend a month inside my room.”
“Stop being dramatic. You can still do fun things, you don’t need me for that. Maybe you’ll do cool stuff this summer without me holding you back.”
“Yeah like learning to paddle board.”
It was kind of an inside joke between you two. You loved the water while Ava was not that big of a fan. Whenever you had an argument on holiday, you joked that you would leave her to go paddle board and the discussion would be forgotten after the laughter it pulled out of you both.
“Oh my god you totally should! See there’s lots of things to do.”
You were quiet after that. It was actually not a bad idea. This summer would be the perfect time to do all the water related things that Ava didn’t want to do. But then again, you didn’t know how fun it would be to do it by yourself.
A gasp pulled you out of your thoughts and it startled you so much that you almost fell of the sofa you were lying on.
“I just had the literal best idea ever! You should make a bucket list with all the cool things you’re going to do this summer. That way you won’t have any time to miss me.”
You thought about it. And then you quickly decided to disagree with her proposal.
“No thank you.”
“I could help you make it.” ~~
And by that she meant I could make it for you and you have no say in it whatsoever. After a lot of disagreeing and a quick argument, you figured you had to go along with it. You’d known Ava long enough to know that she wasn’t going to change her mind on this.
And so on that faithful Wednesday afternoon, Y/n’s summer bucket list was created.
Number 1. Go to the annual blacklight party
Number 2. Learn how to paddle board
Number 3. Wear the dress (you know the one)
Number 4. Karaoke in public
Number 5. Eat five different kinds of fish
Number 6. Go cliff jumping
Number 7. Volunteer somewhere
Number 8. Climb a tree
Number 9. Spend at least 100 dollars while shopping (treat yourself)
Number 10. Relearn how to play guitar
Number 11. Adopt a dog
Number 12. Find best friend the best souvenir ever ;)                                                
Number 13. Lay in a flower field for one hour (to feel like the main character)      
There was a lot that was wrong with the list. You had absolutely no desire to sing karaoke in public and adopting a dog seemed pretty unrealistic in such a short time frame. There was no way you could take it back to Calgary with you after summer and leaving it with your parents was no option.
To say the list was in the back of your mind was an understatement. It was the main focus of your thoughts the majority of the time. While it was meant to make your summer more fun, the stress that you were getting out of it was not worth it in the slightest.
The first week, you ignored the list completely. You still had a whole month to complete it and your main priority was family. Your parents had thrown you a welcome home party with all of your family that had left you in a state of happiness for a couple of days after and you had no desire to dull that feeling. Still, you couldn’t quite forget about it for some reason.
When you opened the document for the first time the beginning of the second week, you were still as unsure about it as you had been in the beginning. There were some things you were willing to start on but the majority of the items would still be left unticked.
You started practicing guitar that week, having found your old one in the garage. Slowly but surely you were getting the hang of it again and you were quite enjoying it even if it meant that you had to keep your nails short. What you didn’t miss was the way your fingers hurt every time you touched something after having played for a while. All in all, not as hard as you had imagined it to be and you were happy that you did it.
Number 10. Relearn how to play guitar ✓
--
The end of the second week of summer vacation came with the faithful blacklight party. The Kelowna annual blacklight party was probably the main event of the summer for anyone ages 17 to 27. It was an event you usually went to with Ava. You always had the most fun getting ready together. This year however, that was not in the cards and you had to get ready by yourself.
You had texted a couple of your high school friends to see if they wanted to meet you there. Some of them agreed and you set up a time and place to meet up. The fact that you wouldn’t be arriving solo calmed your nerves a little bit, but you hadn’t seen these people in three years and you had no idea how the vibes were going to be. Deciding that a little alcohol wouldn’t hurt you, you poured yourself a shot right before you had to leave.
You had to admit, you looked good. Not that you were trying to pull tonight but with the way you looked, you felt like you could.
Checking one last time to see if you had everything you need, you made your way to where you had agreed to meet up. While you walked, you took the time to breathe in the fresh air. Walking at night was not something you enjoyed doing in Calgary for obvious reasons. Here, you could see more of the stars and you were reminded of how much you liked just being under the night sky.
You arrived at your destination a couple of minutes later and were warmly greeted. Seeing these people again felt weird but also strangely familiar. You spend a big part of your life seeing them every day so you assumed it was only normal to feel like that.
You did one more shot before you made your way to the party. Excitement was creeping up through your nerves as you remembered how much you loved the annual blacklight party. It had always been the figurative start of the summer for you as the actual start of summer was spend at your desk dying from studying too much and sleeping too little.
You made a silent promise to yourself that you were going to enjoy yourself. Even if the company wasn’t necessarily who you’d prefer to have by your side, you were going to have fun dammit.
Arriving at the place, there was a lot more people than the year before. You almost immediately noticed how much more crowded it was.
Your friends didn’t seem to mind this as they promptly dragged you to the bar, not that you were complaining. After that you made your way to the pool to catch up. There were some people splashing around and a couple heavily making out but other than that, it was the least populated area. It gave you an opportunity to talk a little bit about what everyone had been up to since graduating.
You had to admit your attention wasn’t completely there -you blamed the shots- but you were genuinely interested in what they had to say. It was kind of sad that you’d been home for two weeks without texting them. Sure, there were some people from high school that you never wanted to see again but most of them were alright. Most of them were studying too and shared your pain there. You made a promise to at least hang out one other time while you were all still here for the summer.
After a while, your group started to disperse. Some people had disappeared some time ago to get more drinks but had never returned, others were planning on beer pong somewhere in the yard.
But you didn’t want to go play drinking games, you wanted to dance. So far, you had stayed outside and you felt like you had put on your favorite white dress for nothing. there were so many people inside that no one would notice you were alone and you wanted to take advantage of that. And so you said goodbye to your friends before you made your way to the dancefloor.
The air was noticeably thinner inside, most likely as a result of the young adults all dancing in an area way too small for comfort. Before actually joining them, you made a quick detour too the bar to get what you told yourself was your last drink of the night but even you weren’t sure if you actually believed that.
It was more difficult than you anticipated to get in between everyone. You could feel beer being spilled down your back and you cringed at the feeling of it running down. You make a mental note to put your shirt in the wash before you laid on your bed when you got home.
Once you got to an open spot – open was relative, you were still touching at least two other people – you started regretting your decision to go dancing alone. It seemed like everyone had someone else but you.
But it was too late now. You had fought hard for this spot and you weren’t giving it up. Dancing felt kind of uneasy at first but that soon got better as you noticed no one was paying attention to you.
You felt great. There was nothing in your mind apart from the lyrics to the song that was playing and you felt yourself relax. This was exactly what you needed to destress yourself.
Your arms were swaying all around you as you got lost in the music. When you opened your eyes again, you made eye contact with a guy a few feet away from you. Giving him a quick once-over, you concluded that he was pretty attractive. You gave him a look that invited him over to dance with you and waited for him to come over.
You didn’t need to wait long as the guy was enthusiastically making his way to you. Up close, you got to see more of his features but the one thing that stood out was his incredibly curly hair. it was bouncing along to every movement he made.
He introduced himself as Tyson and followed it up with an incredibly cheesy pick up line that you could only laugh at. He was very cute but you had no intention of this going somewhere. all you wanted at this moment was to dance.
Dancing with Tyson was fun because you invited him to dance with you. What you didn’t enjoy was the looks people were giving you as you were swaying your hips to the music. Especially this one guy that was not even trying to disguise the fact that he was looking at your ass.
Your body felt sticky and it got too hot all of a sudden. It seemed like Tyson could feel the shift in your mood. He observed you for a second only to conclude that you not having a good time anymore.
“Do you want to go outside for a second?”
You nodded in response. Making your way outside was a lot easier when you had Tyson pulling you behind him. He was taller and bigger than you and had no problem bumping into people to find a path. You kept your head down as to not attract anymore attention from creeps.
Once outside, you wasted no time taking a deep breath of fresh air. You didn’t notice it then, but there was barely any oxygen inside and it made you dizzy when you were walking out. It could’ve been the alcohol as well. Deciding to not take any chances, you plopped yourself down on the ground so you could lean your head against the wall.
You didn’t notice Tyson had left until he held a fresh bottle of water in front of your face. You thanked him quickly before taking the biggest sip of your life.
It was quiet for a while. Tyson had taken a seat next to you and you were currently trying to clean up your shoes to the best of your ability even though you knew that getting them clean again was impossible.
“So why are you at this party all by yourself?” Tyson spoke into the silence.
“Blame Ava, she left me here alone for a whole month. And then she’s forcing me to go to this party even though I really don’t like being on my own and she knows that. I have other friends but I lost them some time ago.” You were rambling. In a different circumstance, you would’ve held yourself back but you were tipsy and really needed to let your frustrations out. Complaining to a stranger at a party seemed a great idea for the time being.
“How is she forcing you if she’s not even here?”
“Because I promised her I’d do this stupid bucket list we made and I can’t break a promise. Even if she did leave me here.”
You leaned your head back against the wall in frustration. Why you had ever agreed to this, you had no idea. It seemed like fun at first but the reality of it soon caught up to you. You weren’t spontaneous or adventurous and you really fucking hated fish.
“What kind of bucket list?”
“How many kinds of bucket lists do you know?”
“A sex bucket list?”
“No!” Your answer came fast and a bit louder than you expected. Fortunately for you, the people around you were too caught up in drinking and dancing to pay attention to you.
“It’s more like a summer bucket list. I have a month to complete it. Well, technically 2 weeks now because I put it off too long.”
“Can I see the list?”
He looked at you with genuine curiosity. Deciding that you didn’t really have anything to lose, you reached for your phone in your back pocket and pulled up the list.
Tyson looked at it for a few minutes while you stared straight ahead. You could just say fuck it and not do it. But then Ava would be really disappointed in you. You knew she didn’t make it to annoy you, but more so to bring you out of your shell.
“Why is climbing a tree on here?”
“There’s this tree behind my house that I’ve always been too scared to climb because I fell out of it.”
“So you’ve not climbed a tree since that moment?” he said with a teasing smirk.
“It’s a childhood trauma leave me alone.”
Your tone was slightly snappy which caused Tyson to erupt into laughter. You knew it wasn’t serious but you still didn’t appreciate the fact that he was laughing at you. At nine years old, almost breaking your arm was a big deal and you felt justified in staying away from trees since that day.
“Have you ever been skinny dipping?”
“No?”
“I think you should put skinny dipping on the list. Ooh and quad bike driving, that’s always fun.”
“Excuse me who’s list is this?”
“It’s ours now, I’m helping you remember?”
“When have you ever said that?”
“It seems like fun. Besides you can’t go singing karaoke on your own, that’s just sad.”
As much as you tried to refuse his help, Tyson didn’t give up. For some reason unbeknownst to you, he really wanted in on the list. You could keep arguing with him or you could just agree. So that’s what you did. But only because you were 90% sure that Tyson would not remember your conversation in the morning.
After giving him your number you decided that you had enough of this party. While it had been fun, you drank a little too much and the only things that were going to make you feel better tomorrow were water and your bed.
Saying goodbye to Tyson was not as easy as you thought it would be. He only let you go after reminding you four times that he was going to call you the next day. Each time you just rolled your eyes and affirmed his statement, knowing full well that he wouldn’t. It would surprise you if he was out of bed by noon by the amount of drinks he had consumed.
Eventually, you did make it home and nothing could separate you from your bed. Even if your social battery had run out a couple hours ago, you were kind of glad you went to the party. The last thing you did before tapping out, was send Ava some pictures of your night as proof that you actually went.
Number 1. Go to the annual blacklight party ✓
 --
The next morning, you were woken up by your phone going off. You groaned at the noise and the headache it brought with it. You were angry with yourself for setting up an alarm after a night out  when you had nothing planned. Until you saw that it was not an alarm.
An unknown number was calling you and you groaned even harder at this. Why would someone, someone you didn’t know at that, ever call you. You barely ever used your phone, it’s primary use being social media. Anyone you spend any amount of time with would be able to tell you were the worst text responder ever.
Deciding you were not in the mood for talking, you hung up. The person would have to wait until after you found painkillers and some coffee.
Only you weren’t so lucky. Almost immediately after you hung up, your phone went off again. You got a bit worried when you saw it was the same number calling you. What if it was an emergency. You has no idea why anyone would put you as an emergency contact but you still picked up just in case.
“Hello?” was all you said. Your tone was laced with worry that you could hear even over the hoarseness. You should’ve went to look for water first.
“Oh you picked up, I almost thought you were ignoring me.”
It took you a minute to recognize the voice and when you did, you closed your eyes in annoyance. How the hell did Tyson sound so chipper when you felt like your throat was a desert. He’d had way more drinks than you had.
The groan you let out caused Tyson to start laughing just like he did last night. Somehow the sound of his laugh made your conversation come back to your mind.
“Tyson” you all but whined, “Can we just forget about it please? I’m really not in the mood for it today.”
“Will you be in the mood tomorrow?”
“I’ll be in the mood never.”
“Oh come on, it’s not even that bad. There’s no time like the present!”
The fact that he was so happy about this was a mystery to you. But then again, this would sound like a fun idea if half of the things on the list weren’t designed specifically to taunt you.
It wasn’t all bad. You’d been wanting to volunteer somewhere for the longest time, you just hadn’t found the time for it and you would love to adopt a dog. You could still remember you begging your parents for a dog every single day when you were young. They kept insisting that a pet didn’t fit in the family and thus you had abandoned that idea a long time ago. There was no way they were going to let you adopt one even now.
“Just let me make myself at least a little presentable and then I’ll be ready to go.”
All you got in return was a cheer too loud for your hungover self and it made you throw the phone on  your bed. The last thing you heard before you hung up was Tyson asking you to text him your address.
You were going to do that. After you had your coffee. Pulling yourself out of bed was way harder than it should have been. Normally you were pretty good with your alcohol but you assumed the month of sobriety while you were studying for your exams had something to do with it.
After thanking the heavens your parents weren’t home to witness you in this state, finding the nearest painkillers and quickly taking a shower, you were finally ready to face Tyson. You had a passing moment of stress while you thought about the fact you were going to send him your address. He was still a stranger after all. still, somehow you felt like you could trust him.
So you sent him your address accompanied by an invitation to your house in thirty minutes. If you thought you were lucky for your parents not being home to see your hangover, you just got a whole lot luckier now. If they saw you with a boy in the house, they were never going to let you hear the end of it.
True to his promise, Tyson arrived at your house exactly thirty minutes after you send him the text. You didn’t know if it was planned or if it was just a coincidence, but you were impressed.
“So where do you want to start?” he asked almost immediately when you arrived in the kitchen. You knew there was no need for small talk but you didn’t expect him to just go for it straight away.
“I was thinking we could do something easy first. You know, to get into it.”
“So tree then?”
“I told you that’s not easy.” You said it with a laugh and Tyson giggled right with you.
“You’re going to have to do it someday and we’re already at your house. I’m curious about this enormous tree that you have in your backyard.”
“The only reason I told you that story is because I was convinced you were too drunk to remember it in the morning. The fact that you do still remember is killing my vibe right now.”
You were surprised at how easy it was to go along with his teasing. From the first moment, you could already tell that Tyson was a very friendly person and it was plain to see that he could get anyone to talk to him. Still, you were known to be a little cold when you first met new people so the fact that you felt comfortable around him meant something.
“Nah I wasn’t drunk. I can handle my alcohol. Unlike you apparently.”
Your expression turned into one of fake offense at his words. He was right of course, but he didn’t need to say it.
“I let you into my house for what? To get bullied? You should know that I’m in reach of the cookbooks and I will not hesitate to hit you.”
“Okay Okay I’m sorry please don’t hit me.” He knew you weren’t being serious, the smile on his face was a good indication of that.
“Do you really want to do the tree today? I need to work up to that one.”
“So what do you suggest?”
You stayed quiet.
“Tree it is then.” he said, the smirk on his face noticeable even if you weren’t looking at him. You could tell by his voice that he was really enjoying this situation.
Without saying much else, you went to put on your shoes and moved in the direction of your backyard. The tree in question was situated in a field behind your house. Looking at it now, you wouldn’t say it was a particularly large tree, but there were still nerves bubbling inside of you.
Sighing loudly and a bit too dramatically to show Tyson that you really weren’t happy, you took a while to study the tree. There were a few low hanging branches that you could use to push yourself up on. The leaves at the top constructed your view.
“I just go for it?”
You were nervous. And your voice showed that. It was at that moment that Tyson realized you were legitimately scared.
“Do you want me to do it first? To test if the branches are safe?”
“No I think I want to do it now. I don’t need to know exactly how high this tree is.”
“Well good luck.”
And with that you were off. After giving your phone to Tyson to take a picture of you in the tree, you took your first cautious steps forward. Figuring the best way to do it was to not think about it too much, you placed your left foot on the lowest branch you could find.
Before long, you were already a third of the way to the top and it was alright. You felt your nerves turning into excitement. Wondering why you had been afraid all those years, you let your confidence take over and looked down at Tyson.
“Long how high I am.”
“Yes you are. Can you go a little farther so I can take a picture?”
Your newfound confidence allowed you to go even faster than before and you got to the top in record time. If people saw you right now, they’d believe you did this for a hobby.
When you got to the top, you quickly posed for a picture. Ava would not believe the smile on your face.
But then came the hard part. Getting down. It’s not that you were scared of heights, but you didn’t need to be reminded that there was about 4 meters of nothing between you and the ground. The confidence you had climbing up, dwindled slightly.
While you made your way back to the ground, albeit a lot slower, Tyson shouted words of encouragement at you. You could faintly hear them in the background but were to focused to make out any specific words.
You swore the moment your feet made contact with the ground was the best moment of your life and you let out a little shout of excitement to go along with your thoughts. That was your fault for putting this off for literal years.
“You did it!”
“I did it! Oh my god that’s crazy. I’m so proud of myself.”
Without thinking about it, you pulled Tyson into a hug. It didn’t last long as you separated from him to continue jumping around for a little bit. In the corner of your eye, you could see Tyson laughing at you but you didn’t have it in you to care.
“Look at all the energy you have, we could go cliff jumping right now.”
“Yeah no, I’ll need at least a day to calm down my heart rate enough to do anything else.”
You were ready to go inside again and take a nap. You felt like you had just ran a marathon and you didn’t know if it was because of the adrenaline or your hangover.
As you got inside the first thing you did was text Ava the picture Tyson had taken. Turns out, he took a whole collection of photos. There were at least 20 pictures all taken at different times and you got higher in the tree as the pictures progressed. At the end of the series, there was a video. You were slightly scared to open it as you had no idea what to expect.
The image was the same as the picture. It was just you climbing the tree. Only it was accompanied by Tyson speaking over it like he was presenting a nature documentary. The video was really blurry as he was all the way zoomed in on you and it ended with a shot of his own face filling up the camera.  
You burst out laughing at this. Tyson didn’t even need to see your phone to know what had caused your laughter and a smile took over his face.
“What is this Tyson.” Your words were barely intelligible as that were spoken in between breaths.
Tyson just shrugged in response. You decided to sent both a picture and the video to Ava. She wanted you to have fun and this video was proof that you had.
You waited for a little bit to see if she would respond and when she didn’t, you opened up the list again to see if there was anything else you could do.
Most of the items took a bit of planning to pull off and you were not in the mood to actually go out. This left number 13 as your only option.
“Are you allergic to grass Tyson?” you asked seemingly out of the blue.
Tyson was looking at his own phone and didn’t immediately register what you had asked him. He thought about it for a while and eventually shook his head no.
“Then how would you feel about lying in a field for an hour?”
“I’d rather go quad driving but I mean yeah let’s do it.”
You rolled your eyes at this. There was no way you were going to break your arms on a quad bike. Still Tyson didn’t let go of the idea. The whole way to the field was spend bickering about if you would of would not go quad driving and skinny dipping. His argument was that as it was now a joined list, he should have some say in the activities. You just questioned why he wanted to go skinny dipping so bad.
After a short walk, you did arrive at the field in question. You picked this one because if was filled with pretty flowers in seemingly every colour and would make for the best picture. A picture that you would be taking this time, not Tyson. You couldn’t say you enjoyed his photography skills as much as you enjoyed his company.
“Are you ready?” you asked Tyson.
Instead of answering you, he walked a little further into the field and lay down on his back. You decided to do the same thing only a little more graceful. While Tyson basically threw himself on the ground, you sat down first. Before you put your head down, you set your alarm to go off in exactly one hour.
After about 3 minutes of laying in the field in dead silence, you still didn’t really feel like a main character. You let out a deep sigh at alert Tyson that you were bored.
“Are we allowed to talk?”
You turned to face him.
“I think so yes.”
“Okay good because I don’t think I could lay here bored for an hour.”
“Same.”
And after that it was quiet again. It occurred to you that you hadn’t really talked to Tyson. You had no idea how to strike up a conversation. Every time you guys had talked, there had always been a reason, but now laying in the field you would have to fill the silence with small talk and that was not your forte.
Instead you busied yourself with watching Tyson. He was more attractive now then he was under the lights at the party but he still had his curly hair.
“Are you going to cut your hair?” it was the only thing you could come up with that wasn’t hey how has your summer been so far?
“Are you saying I should?”
He said it in a teasing way and you were glad he didn’t take it the wrong way. Looking back, it definitely couldn’t been taken as an insult.
“No. I like it. it’s just something.”
“Wow that doesn’t sound good at all.”
“No stop I didn’t mean it like that, I actually like it.”
But it was too late. Tyson was already laughing too hard to hear what you just said. You wanted to reach out and run your fingers through his curls but decided that that would be really weird so you kept your hands to your sides and just laughed along with him.
When you’d both calmed down, silence overcame you again. This time though, it wasn’t uncomfortable. You didn’t feel the pressure of trying to fill a void like you did the fist time.
“We should talk about our schedule for the list.”
It was a good idea. You had another 12 days to complete all of it and that didn’t leave you much room to rest. Tyson told you he had to go to the gym basically every morning and laughed once again at your shocked expression. I’ll show you my muscles when we go swimming don’t worry. Though it was clearly meant as a joke, his statement still made you blush.
You decided that you would take the next day off to just relax and would move on from there. You also agreed to volunteer at the local animal adoption centre where you would take a look at the dogs. Even if actually adopting one would most likely out of the question.
After that, the conversation moved beyond the list. You learned that Tyson lived in Denver and was just here for a couple of weeks with his friends. Friends who apparently were very excited to meet you after learning that you met at the party.
You didn’t know if you were flattered or scared that they already knew who you were but you didn’t give it much thought figuring that you would meet them eventually.
You were just about to ask another question when Tyson gasped beside you. thinking there was a bug or something you whipped your head to the side only to find Tyson looking at the sky in wonder.
“You scared me.”
“Dude look! It’s a bird.”
“Birds fly in the sky?”
“No dummy, it a cloud in the shape of a bird.”
You whispered a rude under your breath before turning to look in the direction he was pointing. Right above you was indeed a fluffy bird cloud.
“There’s a heart next to it.”
“Oh, I didn’t see that before. That’s cute.”
You went back and forth like that for a while. The shapes were slowly becoming less and less recognizable. As time went on Tyson was just shouting every word that came into his head while you were dying laughing next to him.
You were laughing so hard that you almost didn’t hear your alarm going off. But you did. And it brought you back to reality.
“That was an hour?” Tyson asked.
“Yeah it seemed way less.”
“Well I don’t know about you but I definitely feel like a main character.”
“You already were a main character you dork, you play sports professionally.”
“I thank you.”
He held out his hands for you to take and pulled you up without much effort. Walking back to your house was filled with more jokes and Tyson acting ridiculous. You kind of wished you picked a spot further from your house so you could spend more time with him but you knew that you still had two weeks with him.
As you approached your house you didn’t really know what to say anymore. You had no idea how you should go about saying goodbye, not knowing if he was a hugger or not.
It seemed like Tyson had the same problem. You were just standing across each other in your driveway without saying anything. Figuring you needed to at least say something before you let him walk away, you took a breath and began.
“Tyson?”
He lifted up his head to look up at you with questioning eyes, not saying anything to give you the room to speak.
“Um thank you, for helping me. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed spending time in a field by myself so thanks.”
“It’s no problem really, I enjoyed today.”
The way he said it, you could tell that he really meant it and it made you happy. Even though he invited himself into your little adventure, you still wanted him to have a good time.
As you said goodbye to Tyson one last time and went back inside, the ping of your phone caught your attention. Your screen lit up with a text from Ava.
Getting a hot boyfriend was not on the bucket list ma’am ;)
Number 8. Climb a tree ✓
Number 13. Lay in a flower field for one hour (to feel like the main character) ✓
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Sakura's First Guitar Lesson
Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've posted some writing here because most of the time I use my a03. For Sk8Tember writing athon I originally wanted to do Fairy Tale day which is tomorrow. However, since I'm currently in the middle of changing up my writing style from first person to third person to try and be a better writer I thought that it would be for the best that I pick Instrument Day because guess what? Today is my birthday! I'm now officially 22 years old even if I don't look or act like it. I'm here to celebrate my birthday with everyone by sharing my new writing with all of you.
Songs mentioned in the fic:
La Via Strangiato: Rush
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK1hmDpa8bo
The Long And Winding Road: The Beatles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR4HjTH_fTM
Let It Be: The Beatles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDYfEBY9NM4
Sakura Nanjo rocked back and forth on her heels outside of the music studio that she had her first lessons in. Since she told her parents that the thing she wanted to do more than anything in the world was to learn how to play the bass guitar just like her hero, they had been encouraging. Haru even found that he had a profound interest in learning how to play the drums. In reality, he wanted to do it so that his sister wouldn’t feel alone in wanting to try something new. He would never admit that to her though. There were some things that his sister did not need to know. She would never let him live it down if she knew the actual reason why he was so adamant about learning to play the drums.
“Sakura, if you keep doing that you’re going to wear yourself out. I know that you’re excited but it’s really starting to freak me out.” Her best friend, Miya Chinen, reminded her lightly with that same small smile that he often had when he was around her. He couldn’t help but find this childish and excitable side of her adorable. She would always be cute in his mind but especially when she got excited about the simplest of things. Like learning how to play an instrument that had always spoken to her.
“I can’t help it! I’m excited, I’m nervous, part of my brain is screaming at me because what if this is a really bad idea and what if I’m not any good at this thing that I’ve never tried before and change is terrifying and-“ He lightly put his arm around his best friend cutting off her word vomit. She only got like this when she was way past nervous and her brain to mouth filter failed her.
“Change is scary but it can also be good for you. You told me so yourself that this is something you’ve wanted to do for all your life right?” Sakura nodded her head nervously trying to stop this anxiety from bubbling up inside of her. With the recent diagnosis of aspergers syndrome she’s still learning to cope with the help of her friends and family.
“Well yeah, I’ve always loved the idea of playing music. Especially bass guitar because of my fixation on Rush and on Geddy Lee as a whole.” She argued and he just chuckled lightly at his best friend. Leave it to her to want to do something that could potentially become life altering just because her favorite singer did it too.
“Then I think that it would be a great experience for you to have if it’s something that you really want to do. It’ll make you happy and give you a hobby that you didn’t have before. You really need to have more hobbies other than cooking Saki.” She sighed knowing that her best friend was right as she looked over at the music studio.
“I know that it’s bad. But this could be something that I get really passionate about. I already know that it won’t necessarily be easy. Nothing really ever is easy for me.” She looked down at her skateboard tracing the end of her Haku dragon sticker before sighing slightly. Nobody ever did anything by being anxious about every little change that they came across. If that was the case then most of her favorite music would have never come to exist.
“Skating came rather easily for you after you got those grips for your feet. You just needed to distribute your weight easier than the way that you were.” Miya argued lightly hating that she would get like this sometimes. She shouldn’t ever have the need to feel sad. He preferred her when her ruby red eyes lit up with happiness rather than downcast and saddened like they were right now.
“Yeah that doesn’t mean that I’ll be good at this though… what if all of this is just me being childish?” She just sighed burying her head in her hands. Now that she had been told to stop being so overly excited the dread was starting to sink in. Her playing bass guitar? Yeah and the moon is secretly made of cheese.
“I don’t think that it’s you being childish. I think that it’s you trying to make yourself into a better version of yourself. You’re clearly not happy and you barely do anything for yourself simply because you want to. Saki you can’t know that you suck at something if you’ve never really tried it before. I know that you can do this because you’re the bravest person that I’ve ever met. You can literally do anything that you set your mind to. If you can dream it you can do it.” He comforted her and watched as slowly the light came back to her eyes.
“You’re right! I can do this, and I’ll be good at it as long as I work hard enough at it. I know that I can do this.” She clenched her left fist and shook it up at the sky daring anyone to tell her otherwise. If you asked Miya, this was the first thing that he really noticed about her that was different. He never met anyone that was as determined to do their best until he met Sakura. Her determination to defy every obstacle inspired him to push past his limits as well.
“That’s the stubborn best friend that I know and love.” He lightly teased and she looked down at her lap picking up the instrument that was there. The second that Kaoru found out his beloved daughter wanted to learn to play bass guitar he found the best one that he could through hours of off the clock research. He wanted his little girl to be happy and if this is what would make her happy and confident in her own wicked way then he would do everything that he felt within his power to do so. The guitar that he had eventually chosen for her was a lilac colored and sparkly one that he thought just suited his little girl’s personality.
“Shut up, I know I’m super stubborn already. It’s why me and Haru struggle so hard to see eye to eye because he’s just as stubborn as I am if not more.” She huffed a breath thinking about the argument that her and her brother had gotten into last night. It had been about something so stupid but it had just got blown way out of proportion and now she wasn’t sure if things were going to be awkward around him for a while. It had been about who was going to make dinner that night and Haru just blew up at her. Of course, never to back down from a fight the only thing that Sakura did was yell right back at him.
“He’ll forgive you eventually Saki. He always does you’ll go home and there will be forgive me cookies on the table for you. Besides he’s usually the one who yells first and knows that you will yell back. I’ve never once seen you actually pick the fight with him personally.” Miya hated when Haru would purposefully try and ruin her mood. He knew that he was just going through his own personal hell as he was still in the early stages of transitioning but he didn’t need to take his anger and aggression out on her.
“This one was really stupid though. It was just over who would make dinner since dad had to be at the restaurant late and mom was working late surprising absolutely no one ever.” Kaoru had always been the type that worked long hours even at the cost of not spending a whole lot of time at home with his children. He did the best that he could with the time that he was given and had mandatory time with them on weekends but the house was most of the time silent except for the twins. And sometimes they just couldn’t be around each other without a screaming match breaking out.
“You guys are the kids of Cherry and Joe, it would be weird if you guys didn’t fight constantly.” Miya tried to joked just to hear her laugh, which it worked. The first thing that really drew him to her was that laugh. That loud and open sound when she was well and truly tickled by something or the more quiet sound that he got right now when she was emotional.
“That’s true, come on, I’m thirsty all the sudden and want to get a drink before I have to go in for my first session.” She stretched getting off of the concrete and offered her best friend a hand up off the ground before she stepped onto her board.
“Arizona sweet tea?” He offered her that option and she nodded her head with a small smile on her face. She had fallen in love with her best friend’s sweet tea that he had gotten her addicted to after they got introduced to each other.
“What are you going to do while I’m doing my session?” Miya gestured to his backpack where he was hiding his switch that he brought with him today. He knew that he’d want to spend the afternoon waiting for his best friend to finish her session.
“I’ve got my games in here don’t worry about me. I want to spend the afternoon with you. You’re my best friend and I want to support you in any way that I can.” He encouraged her as they pulled into the connivence store so that they could get their tea and some snacks while they waited. This was a huge deal for her and he wanted her to know how much he supported her.
“You’re going to be amazing Sakura. I know that you will be because you constantly give everything that you can into your interests.” Miya knew that she could do anything that she put her mind to because if his best friend was anything it was bound and determined to do her best at every little thing that she tried. Even if she found that she wasn’t as interested in the idea of playing her favorite instrument as she made it sound both in her head and in the music she listened to, she wouldn’t back down without a fight. That stubborn nature combined with her kind heart had him being pulled even deeper into her orbit.
“I sure hope that your right cat-boy because I am so nervous right now. As was prevalent by my earlier word vomit.” He just smiled softly at her doing his best that he could to be her support system as much as he knew that she was nervous.
“Sometimes your nerves stop you from doing things that you’re really good at though. They stopped you from making genuine friends before now didn’t they? Being nervous about something is considered totally normal. But you can’t let those nerves run your life Sakura. Otherwise you’ll never get anywhere. If you let nerves stop you then there’s so much you can’t really achieve.” He knew the amount of almost crippling anxiety that she struggled with. He had only ever wanted to support her and push her further. As they stopped in front of the music studio and she took a deep breath opening the front door and hearing the sound of somebody in one of the rooms practicing.
“Hello! Are you here for a lesson or just here to see what kinds of facilities we offer here?” Sakura lightly yanked on her ponytail just to try and ground herself.
“My mom scheduled my appointment, it’s Sakura Nanjo. I want to learn how to play the bass guitar.” She told the clerk and Miya just squeezed her hand sympathetically. Talking to people that she didn’t know was never a skill that Sakura had excelled at. Haru was always the people person not really her.
“Oh that’s right!! Your mother did call in to our shop so we’re excited to begin to teach you. We’ll have your teacher be with you in just a moment. You’re welcome to look around. He mentioned that you’d bring your own instrument?” She nodded her head holding up her guitar sleeved she had walked her with her.
“He bought it for me a few days ago and came home with it the day before yesterday!” Sakura showed her the guitar that her mom had bought for her that matched her personality.
“That is really pretty!! It does seem to match your bright and bubbly personality. Are you here for lessons too or just moral support?” Miya put his arm around his best friend’s shoulders supportively with a small smile on his face.
“I’m just here for the moral support factor. She struggles with nerves and anxiety and I thought that it would be easier for her if she had me here to support her.” He reasoned and she smiled gratefully at her best friend. Despite only being friends for a few months she knew that there was something unique about the video game obsessed boy next to her. Something that was life altering and that she wouldn’t ever want to change.
“That’s really sweet of you!! I’ll go and tell your teacher that your ready to learn.” The worker went off in search of the bass guitar teacher and Sakura’s ear twitched lightly.
“Are you hearing La Villa Strangiato?” Her ear was always in tune to when a Rush song was being played around her. Miya couldn’t help but laugh lightly at her as he had been hearing it since they had come into the studio. She must have been way too nervous to notice that somebody had been playing a song by her favorite band.
“They’ve been playing it since we walked in. Want to go and see who it is?” She followed the sound of the guitar as it led her to a spare room where a girl with dark hair and baby blue highlights was playing a guitar. She was wearing a different school uniform than the one that they were wearing. It had a music note on the band around the arm. Maybe she went to a music school of some kind? Whomever she was, she was clearly absorbed in the music that she was playing. And what’s more than that, she was a good. Good from years of clear practice at her craft and good from knowing exactly what she was doing. Miya accidentally leaned into Sakura’s side a bit too far trying to get a better look at the girl and knocked her over. The girl that as playing the instrument suddenly stoped and looked over at Sakura who was on the ground.
“Sorry Saki!” He frantically apologized offering her a hand and helped her to dust off the back of her skirt.
“Are you guys new? I thought that I closed that door!! Sorry if I was playing too loud, my dad runs the studio here I don’t take lessons.” The girl apologized very clearly worried that she had distracted them from something.
“Sakura is here to get lessons but she’s a huge rush fan and knew exactly what you were playing. She wanted to see the person that was playing La Villa Strangiato.” Miya explained to the girl lightly put off by the fact that the girl instantly took Sakura’s hands in her own.
“A fellow Rush fan?! At long last!! I’m Kayla Sunohara!! Super awesome to meet you Sakura.” She introduced herself excitedly and Miya just possessively gripped her hand.
“I’m Sakura Nanjo, this is my best friend Miya Chinen. How long have you been studying Alex Lifeson?” Miya buried his face into Sakura’s shoulder, trying on a whim to keep the possessive nature that he was feeling come up his spine. She’s allowed to have other friends and not just me. She should have a female friend who likes the same style of music as she does. It was only a matter of time before Sakura made another friend that wasn’t just me. She’s too nice for me to keep all to myself like that.
“Oh I’ve been studying his work since I first started playing when I was seven!! What about you? You interested in studying Geddy Lee?” Sakura gripped her bass guitar a little bit firmer in her hands nodding her head.
“That’s so cool…” She gushed and Kayla just laughed a bit waving her hand up and down in a dismissive manner.
“It’s not really anything that fantastic, I’m nowhere near his level and I probably never will be. But his guitar is what inspired me to pick up my own. What about you? Why did you want to learn bass?” Miya couldn’t help the halfhearted glare that he was sending to the other guitarist. He didn’t know why, maybe it was because he hadn’t had friends in so long but he wanted all of Sakura’s attention on him.
“Sakura?” The lady in the front of the studio called her name and she instantly lightly hugged her best friend noticing the slight stiffness in his appearance.
“Miya, I have to go. Is there something wrong?” He shook his head at her putting on the fakest smile that he could muster at the moment.
“I’ll be alright, I’ve got my games and I’m going to play these games with Sunohara.” He lightly told her and she just sighed a little bit.
“Look we’ll talk later cat boy alright? Don’t do anything stupid like start a fight or whatever.” She lightly told him with a small smirk on her face going out of the room and carrying everything over to the room.
“Miss Nanjo? I’m Shizuko, I’m going to be your teacher.” She took a deep breath just trying to do the final calming of her nerves. “I’m Sakura, it’s nice to meet you.” She bowed before her teacher with a small smile on her face carrying the guitar.
“It’s nice to meet you as well. Why don’t you come with me and we can figure out what you want to do and why?” As her teacher led the way she couldn’t help but look at everything with this sheer ease of wonder and light.
“So, why do you want to learn how to play bass guitar?” She sat down in the chair in front of her putting the guitar on her lap lightly.
“I want to play guitar because I was deeply inspired by Geddy Lee. My dad he raised me on Rush because that was what he loved back in high school.” Her teacher listened to her speak passionately about her love of the music that had inspired her to get through the day.
“My little sister has been studying the art of Alec Lifeson for a majority of her life. So I totally get that you can be inspired by the lead singer. He’s a big inspiration for everyone that ever felt like they didn’t fit in. She’s going to probably take over this studio one of these days.” Shizuko bragged about her younger sister that was now bonding with Miya over a shared love of video games in the spare room.
“I met your sister! She was playing La Villa Strangiato in another room. I thought that she was really amazing at it too. She’s really talented.” Sakura exclaimed her praises towards the other main guitarist. Her teacher just laughed a little bit already foreseeing a future friendship between her newest student and her younger sibling.
“You really know your stuff if you knew the exact song that she was playing. Music has always been something that brought us closer together as a family. Performing has been something that was passed down through the lines. Our dad taught us when we were just little kids so it’s always been a big part of our lives tighter. So what do your parents do?” She put her guitar on the floor knowing that this would just be an initial interview to see what she wanted to do and why.
“My dad he runs an Italian restaurant, Sia La Luce by the marina that’s what I’m going to do when I get older too. That’s what I was doing until both of my parents decided that I should be allowed to be a teenager for a little while. I’ve wanted to play bass guitar ever since I first started to deep dive and I really learned what music was and what instruments did what. It wasn’t just Geddy Lee. I’ve been inspired by countless other artists as well.” She reasoned and the teacher just smiled to herself. She had a feeling that this student would excel really far at the guitar. She also thought that her sister might finally make a really good friend.
“Do you do well in school? Do you have any other interests?” She nodded her head with a small smile on her face thinking about her lessons in skateboarding.
“I’m currently learning how to skateboard finally. My parents both do it and compete in their own ways. My brother picked it up like a fish to water. I’ve only recently started to learn how because a friend wanted to teach me. He’s the first friend that I’ve ever made. I was relatively well liked by my classmates but we weren’t ever really friends. I do pretty good in school depending on the subject. I’m mostly good at math and English but struggle with science. That’s my brother’s area of expertise.” Sakura talked about the little things in school that she enjoyed doing.
“Science isn’t for everyone and it’s not your fault that you aren’t very good at that class. I’m sure that yo excel in other areas. Who are some of your other heroes in music that aren’t behind Rush?” As important as having one hero was, Shizuko knew that she wouldn’t get very far if that was the only genre of music that she wanted to play.
“The one that my mom got me hooked on from a young age was Queen so I’ve always admired John Deacon. He was the quiet one so not a lot of people really think about how important he was. He was both an incredible bass player but he wrote some of Queen’s most iconic songs. Also, Paul McCartney has always been one of my favorite musicians for The Beatles and for Wings. Really I found a lot of different musician heroes that I could aspire to one day learn more about. I have a recent diagnosis of aspergers that caused me to rethink a lot of what interested me.” Sakura was still just ever so slightly self conscious about what had interested her. She’d had so many people judge her that weren’t Miya it felt like. Shizuko couldn’t hep but smile softly as this young tween in front of her reminded her so much of her when she was younger. From the admiration that she had of all these different styles of bass guitarists to her naturally shy disposition.
“There’s a lot of really beautiful Beatles songs, do you have a favorite one?” She nodded her head with a small smile on her face.
“My favorite is The Long And Winding Road. Many times I’ve been alone and many times I’ve cried anyway you’ll never know the many ways I’ve tried. It reminds me of my relationship with my brother. We get into a lot of really heated arguments but at the end of the day he’s my twin brother and I love him.” The entirety of Let It Be was her favorite non-Rush album of all time and it was one that she listened to consistently when she was alone in her bedroom. Her parents got her a record player when she was eight because that was the item she most desperately wanted. Ever since then she’d been collecting records and she shared it with Haru.
“You sing really, really well for somebody your age. That takes a lot of talent, have you ever done it professionally?” Do my friends in Italy count? We’re kind of a band I guess and I always love singing with them. While Sakura had friends before Miya, they didn’t live in this country. Rather they all lived in Italy. They were the only large group of people that had welcomed her into their group.
“I have a couple of friends in Italy where my dad did his studying for his restaurant. We go back every summer just about and my friends and I we sing. I’ve always appreciated singing because it was something that I could control. It could be loud or quiet. I could train it to sing in different styles.” She explained her dynamic with her small group of female friends that welcomed her with open arms years ago. Found family movie nights on Friday’s were something that she always looked forward to even if it was earlier in the afternoon for her then it was for them.
“I don’t know very many young girls that are that into singing. They do it for fun a lot of them but none of them that do it for fun are very good. Not unless they put in the effort. Talent takes effort. You have to put in the work and make the commitment in order for talent to come from that. Taking on an instrument is a pretty big commitment especially with the guitar. Sometimes you just want to throw the thing against the wall and call it a day. But then you get back to it and you’re suddenly able to do it and you feel this sense of self worth and accomplishment.” Shizuko tried to make her young pupil see things from her perspective. She had lost a lot of younger students because they weren’t serious about the instrument. Once they saw the first sign of struggle they threw in the towel and gave everything up.
“I’m willing to put in the work. I just need a teacher to show me how things work.” Sakura never did anything halfway. She was either all in or had absolutely zero interest in the task at hand. She had grown up around the sound of a bass guitar coming from every room in the house in some capacity.
“I can tell that you’re one of the serious ones about this otherwise you wouldn’t have stayed after that talk. Most of the students leave because I’m “too harsh”. I just want people to try their best and to succeed in the areas where they should.” The teacher ranted and Sakura couldn’t help but laugh a little bit. That threat hadn’t even begun to diminish her joy at the idea of simply being here.
“My mom is a lot more scary than that so I’m used to the idea of being threatened. Music has always been a part of my life and now I want to learn how to play it.” She said confidently and by the look on her face Shizuko knew that she had found a gem in the rocks.
“That was why I wanted to learn how to play bass too. I grew up hearing it with my dad because he loves all different kinds of music really but it was a whole lot of Beatles, Rush, Queen, Heart, and a lot of other artists that just seemed to flow out of the windows. I’m glad that you came in today Sakura. I can’t wait to start teaching you. We’re just going to gloss over the essentials today.” Sakura looked at her teacher one question burning in the back of her brain. “What is your favorite Beatles song?” Shizuko blinked a little bit in confusion before a small smirk appeared on her face.
“My favorite Beatles song is Let It Be. Has been since I was a little kid, Mary was my mother’s name. She died last year so it’s been kind of a rough point in my life. But that song has always gotten me through bad times. And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me. Shine until tomorrow let it be.” As Shizuko told her new student about her song obsession Sakura’s heart warmed. It was such a beautiful story that she couldn’t help but love it.
“I’m sorry for the loss of your mom. That really must have hurt something awful. Is it just you, your dad, and your sister now?” Sakura pulled her hair back a little bit further with a small smile on her face playing with the ends of her ponytail.
“Thank you so much sweetheart that makes a lot to me. My dad has a girlfriend, they were divorced for a while since Kayla was younger. It was a bit of an experience for me to deal with but we’re still a family anyways.” Shizuko reasoned and her student just smiled sympathetically at her. She had no idea what it would be like if there was a fight that just pushed things over that sometimes tightrope edge that her parents walked on. When she was younger she feared that one day one of them would fall off the tightrope and it would end their relationship. That it would go out in a burning inferno and that one fatal argument would end their bickering relationship. It wasn’t until she got a bit older and wiser when she learned that their love language was bickering.
“I’m glad that you were still able to have that family. My family can be a bit loud and chaotic personally. It’s a lot of bickering and a lot of arguing sometimes about the simplest of things. But I love my parents even if half the time it’s like I’m the parent and they are the children under my care. My twin brother isn’t really that much better.” Shizuko laughed openly at the idea of this family as she could completely visualize it. From what she had gathered when she had spoken with Kaoru Sakurayashiki the man seemed like a complete overprotective but at the same time loving mom figure.
“So you have two dad’s right?” She nodded her head getting out her phone and showing her a picture of them all skating together.
“I have two dad’s. My brother and I were surrogate children because they wanted kids with their own DNA. To keep things less complicated when we were kids me and Haru decided okay your mom and you’re dad. It’s been that way ever since. Our family dynamic is a bit unique because of it but I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if they weren’t my parents. They bicker like people that have known each other their entire lives because that’s what they do.” She settled against the back of the chair that she was currently in.
“Do you and your brother bicker a lot because of the fact that your parents do?” Sakura sighed heavily playing with her index fingers. She hated the fact that she had instantly been called out like that.
“Well… yeah we kind of do. Both of us are naturally stubborn types of people and sometimes it gets to be rather explosive. If it’s a day that we don’t get into at least a little spat well then that’s a miracle I feel like. We’ve really put our parents through hell these last several years especially.” She picked at the hem on her skirt just wishing that she could finally get along with her brother. It was so hard for them to see eye to eye though. Half of the time she had no idea what he was thinking and why he was doing the things that he was doing. She just wanted to help and every time that she tried he exploded on her.
“Sometimes siblings just don’t get along. You’re one of the lucky pairs if you don’t fight every time that your put in the same room together as children. My sister and I still fight a lot because we’re just different kinds of people. I’m sure that it’s the same way with your brother and you.” The older of the two of them felt the pain that the younger one went through like it was her own. There was a time a few years ago where a positive relationship between her and Kayla seemed like a wish on a dying star. It was just plain not going to happen.
“I want to be a better sister to him. I know that I do. I also just really want something to bond with him over. He wants to learn to play the drums.” Her teacher smiled at her instantly feeling that sense of love that Sakura had for her brother.
“Now that we’ve gotten all of that personality stuff squared away I know how to properly teach you. We’ll put primary focus on songs from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s rock n’roll because that seems to be the genre that you enjoy the most. I appreciate the taste it’s a welcomed change of pace. I get so many people that tell me their favorite artist is somebody more modern.” She got her own red guitar that looked familiar enough to the young tween in front of her.
“That a version of Brain May’s red special isn’t it? For the bass guitar?” Shizuko grinned openly at the girl in front of her for recognizing the iconic guitar.
“My dad also happens to make guitars here so I asked for this one to be custom made once I started teaching. It’s always been my favorite guitar that’s an icon so I asked if he could take that concept and make it into a bass guitar for me. I used to do band when I was in school and now I’m going to college for music theory.” That guitar had gotten the teacher through a lot when she was younger. Everyone has their little things that they’re obsessed with and for Shizuko that would definitely be her guitar. She couldn’t live without it.
“That sounds like me with my cookbook. I can’t go anywhere without it. My mom calls it my grounding object because it helps me to stay calm and it helps me to remember my goals and ambitions. I want to one day make food that will make people happy just like my dad. If that means that I have to do the same training that he did in Italy for four years then so be it. Whatever it takes to make people smile when they eat my food.” Whatever it takes to make Miya happy when he eats my food. I want to keep making meals for him that he’ll love. I want to get him on a healthier diet. She shook the thought right out of her head, now was not the time to start thinking about Miya. It was the time to start learning the basics of the instrument that had always inspired her.
“Your mom mentioned that you have a recent diagnosis of aspergers?” She nodded her head unzipping her own guitar and showing it to her teacher.
“I got it a few weeks ago when it was still summer break. We went to Hokkaido to get it in a beach town since my family and found family wanted to go on a small vacation.” The shiny guitar that was in her hands made Shizuko smile softly. It was obvious that everyone in the familial unit that made her heart happy.
“Does that boy that was with you, is he in your found family?” She blushed a bright pink and her teacher couldn’t keep back the cackle of laughter from leaving her.
“Miya is my best friend, I’ve only known him for a few months but he’s… well he’s everything to me. I never had a friend before him really. I was popular enough with my classmates but was never asked to hang out when I wasn’t in class. That was fine with me but I never really thought about how deep down lonely I really was. Loneliness started to get to me and I was depressed every time I would go to school.” As Sakura talked about what she went through during these last few months the sadness in her voice was evident. She had spent the last couple of months just half alive until she met Miya who had brought life and color back into her eyes.
“I’m sorry that happened to you sweetheart, I know that you’ve struggled a lot during the course of your life. Sometimes we just need to wait until the right person comes into your life. I didn’t meet my best friend until I was eighteen and she’s been there for me every step of the way. I only had rent-a-friends during my entire childhood.” Shizuko reasoned and she played with the ends of curly hair with a small laugh.
“He’s easily the best thing that has ever happened to me. We do everything together now and he’s been teaching me skateboarding.” She lifted the guitar that was in her hands and put it over her lap. Shizuko demonstrated the first cord that she would be teaching her and Sakura easily copied the same note. She was instantly feeling the energy that she was actually really good at this job.
“Skateboarding can be very difficult but I know that you must feel very passionately about the art from. It can be a lot of fun actually. My friend’s and I used to do it all the time when we were back in high school. I still skate because it’s rather simple to get from place to place that way.” Shizuko reasoned with the young girl as she showed her the chord again and Sakura hit it with ease. The teacher was surprised at the amount of talent that the girl clearly had for somebody that had never touched a guitar before. It was something that she was just clearly passionate about.
“I was never really able to do it until a friend of mine was able to make me a custom board. I had to have little divots for my feet to go so that I could maintain my balance. I have really bad balance normally so trying to do that on a skateboard was just a plain old recipe for disaster.” Sakura laughed a little bit at the pain of the moment as the timer on Shizuko’s phone buzzed.
“We spent most of the session today learning about each other so that we can better work together through this experience. I know that you’re going to be one of the best students that I’ve ever taken on. I’ll see you again next week?” Sakura nodded her head zipping up her guitar before her teacher stopped her.
“For right now, I think that I should keep the guitar here. It’s probably difficult skating with it right? I can have my sister drop off a rental at your house since she’ll probably be one of your closest friends.” Her teacher reasoned and she handed the sparkly guitar to her teacher.
“Thank you, I’m looking forward to you teaching me as well!” She looked down at her shoes with a small smile on her face. Sakura bowed right before she left the room easily picking up her backpack with a small smile on her face as she heard Miya’s familiar laugh.
“Hey! I finished my session. What did you two get up to?” Sakura flopped onto the ground next to her best friend and he instantly put his arm comfortably around her shoulders. He had missed her despite her only being gone for a small amount of time.
“We were just playing some Crash Bandicoot!! Your friend is really good at video games. How did your first session with my sister go? Was she too hard on you? She can be a lot during first sessions. I try to be a lot more open minded and friendly with my students.” Kayla mentioned off handedly as the pinkette just shook her head.
“No she was actually really, really cool. I liked my studies quite a bit and I’m excited to come back next week. I’m hungry for dinner though, you coming cat-boy?” She lightly ruffled his dark hair as he nodded his head against her shoulder. As much as he knew that she had to make new friends and that it wouldn’t be just the two of them forever and ever he would always be protective over her. She might be her friend but I’ll always be her best friend. Nothing in the world can change that.
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litwitlady · 3 years
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Never Have I Ever (5/?)
Read the Board Game Verse on AO3.
The next Friday night Michael shows up early and with a list of demands. ‘Put on some warm clothes and grab a couple of blankets you don’t mind getting dirty. We’re taking this show on the road.’ He heads into Alex’s kitchen to pilfer the fridge, and Alex doesn’t bother asking questions, he just does as told.
Outside at Michael’s truck, they toss the blankets and whatever Michael took from his kitchen into the bed. ‘Your firepit? Where are we going?’
‘The desert. Our old spot. Hop in.’ A little thrill shivers down Alex’s spine as he climbs into the Chevy. In all their years of each other, spending the night in the desert has only ever ended one way.
Their drive out is twenty minutes of quiet, radio softly playing between them. Michael’s window is down despite the chill, and Alex enjoys the way the wind dances through his hair, making a mess of his curls. Every couple of miles, Michael glances over at him with a promise-painted smile, the same way he used to when they were seventeen.
They turn off the highway, tires kicking up dust clouds behind them. Beyond the mountains the sun is setting, pink and purple and orange flames licking at the first stars daring to blink down at them. The desert around them looks the same as it ever does with pockets of snow still unmelted from the season’s first snowfall. Eventually, two familiar mesquite trees appear and it’s like coming home, both of them breathing a little easier.
Michael puts the truck in park. ‘This place never changes.’ He slides out of the Chevy and before Alex has even set foot on solid ground, he’s managed to float everything out of the bed and onto the desert floor. ‘You want to sit on the ground or would the tailgate be easier?’
He looks nervous and that makes Alex nervous. ‘On the ground, near the fire. Just need a hand getting down there.’ He reaches out to Michael, asking for help but also offering comfort for whatever anxiety is biting at both their heels. Michael helps him onto the blanket and plops down beside him, the fire close enough to keep the encroaching sting of autumn winds at bay.
Scattered around them is an array of food. Everything from paninis oozing melted cheese to a handmade Greek salad from a recipe Michael had found at Isobel’s house while rummaging through her cookbooks. ‘I might have gone a bit overboard, but in my defense, I skipped lunch and was starving.’
Alex is already halfway through one of the paninis, eyes closed in satisfaction. ‘This is delicious.’ Michael makes a mental note to keep the panini maker he’d borrowed from Max. It’s not like Max ever uses it anyway.
Once they’ve eaten their way around the blanket, Michael gets back up and removes a large black case from his truck. ‘There’s a reason I wanted to come out here tonight.’ He winks down at Alex. ‘And no, it’s not the reason you’ve been thinking since I first mentioned the desert.’ Alex looks away quickly, hiding the disappointment that suddenly floods his face.
Michael doesn’t notice, too busy pulling a large telescope from the velvet lining inside the opened case. ‘Mars is brighter than it’s been in years this month. I’ve been itching to get out here and have a look. Isobel gifted me the telescope on our shared birthday in June. I was going to pawn it.’ He shrugs and peeks his eye through the eyepiece, adjusting the fingerscope per the instructions he’s found on his phone.
Alex looks up at the night sky and finds Mars with his naked eye. It is extraordinarily bright, a glowing pink orb rising through the inky black expanse of space. And when Michael finally captures it in the lens of the telescope, he gasps and grabs at Alex’s arm. ‘You can see so much detail. All the pockmarks and craters. And the dust looks almost orange. It’s amazing. Look.’
He drags the telescope closer to Alex so he doesn’t have to move much, checking through the eyepiece one last time to focus directly on the red star. Leaning back on his heels, Michael motions at Alex to take his place and turns his own eyes upward. They are both looking at the same star but he also knows they are seeing something entirely different. He huffs out a sharp laugh which draws Alex’s eye away from the telescope. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘Nothing. Just metaphors and nonsense. The ways that perspectives get so warped and are so hard to understand when everyone doesn’t have the same telescope.’ Alex gives him a funny look and Michael laughs outright. ‘I’ve been hanging around Max too much.’
Alex shakes his head gently. ‘No. I think I get what you’re saying. For a long time, we’ve wanted the same thing, but we’ve been coming at it from our own messy angles. I’ve often thought we were similar to the codes I break. We’re on the same page, but written in a language the other needs help translating.’ Michael nods at him, smiling sweet.
They spend an hour searching through the various stars and distant galaxies before a growing ache in Alex’s chest pushes him to ask a question he’s been holding inside since they decided to work on their friendship weeks ago. ‘One day you’ll be able to find your star. The one you’ve been searching for since you crawled from that pod. And you’ll figure out how to finish building your ship.’ He pauses to collect himself, already feeling the emotion in his chest threatening to overwhelm him. ‘One day, you’ll be able to go home.’ His eyes start to burn with unshed tears, but he keeps going, meeting Michael’s gaze with determination and readying the fortress around his heart he was so sure he wouldn’t need anymore. ‘Is that still what you want?’
Michael reaches up and swipes at the first tear that falls from the corner of Alex’s eye. ‘I found my star a long time ago. And I’m not going anywhere without you.’
Alex drops his eyes to his hands. ‘I have no right to ask that of you. I know that. Not after all the leaving I did.’ He tugs nervously at the hem of his shirt, hands starting to shake with the cold. ‘But I’m never going anywhere without you ever again. I promise.’
‘I know.’ Michael grabs an extra blanket and wraps it tight around Alex. ‘So what’s tonight’s game? Didn’t see you toss anything into the bed when we were leaving.’
They both lean back against the Chevy’s tire. Alex stretches the blanket around Michael’s shoulders so that they are sharing more than just the woven wool’s warmth. ‘How about the classic drinking game, Never Have I Ever? Sans alcohol but with a new twist.’ He grins, lips sharpening at the edges and eyes darkening with dare. ‘Instead of taking a drink, you have to kiss the other person.’
Michael snorts. ‘So we’re just soundly saying goodbye to the friends experiment then?’
‘No. Platonic kisses only. No kissing on the mouth and no use of tongue.’ Alex hears the bullshit in his words and knows Michael does too. His nerves return and he begins to second guess himself. ‘Or we can play like normal. There’s still plenty of wine left. Or not at all. I’m happy to just sit here with you too.’
‘That’s okay. I like the new rules. Not much of a wine guy anyway. Who goes first?’
‘Me.’ Alex sits up a little straighter and spends a fair amount of time considering his first move. ‘Never have I ever used my telekinesis to do literally anything.’ He follows the statement with a cheeky grin, clearly quite proud of himself.
‘Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be? That’s how we’re going to play?’ Alex tries to suppress the manic giggle that bubbles up in his throat but loses the fight pretty quickly. Michael shakes his head. ‘Have a placement preference?’
‘Nope. I’m looking forward to wherever you choose.’ He blushes and struggles to meet Michael’s eye, muscles tensing in anticipation once he feels Michael shift against him.
A breeze nestles between them, but neither of them notices. The cool air doing absolutely nothing to assuage the heat pulsing between them. Michael presses his lips to Alex’s temple, less a kiss than a remembrance of every kiss that has come before. Alex closes his eyes and lets this new memory burn a spot next to all the others.
It’s strange. Michael has kissed him goodbye dozens of times over the past few weeks. None of them half as affecting as this barely glancing touch.
Abruptly, Michael pulls away. ‘Never have I ever gone to war.’
Alex reopens his eyes at the sound of Michael’s voice. ‘If we keep this up, we’re going to dig ourselves into a hole, Guerin. One we can’t get out of.’ He brings his fingers up to the sleeve of Michael’s shirt. ‘You told me to dress warm when all you’re wearing is this thin t-shirt.’ Michael watches as Alex slowly guides the sleeve up over the top of his arm. Alex bows his head far enough to leave a trail of rough, chapped kisses where the bony end of his collarbone meets his shoulder.
Michael’s breath hitches the instant Alex doesn’t stop with one single kiss. The dry scrape of his lips sending goosebumps down to his toes, his heartbeat a staccato rhythm echoing throughout his entire body. ‘That doesn’t feel at all platonic.’ His voice is low and strained, edged with the desire to flatten Alex hard against the wool blanket beneath them.
Alex smiles and smacks his shoulder with one last loud kiss. ‘I guess that depends on your perspective. Never have I ever stepped foot on another planet.’
‘How about I share a little bit of my perspective with you?’ He scoots impossibly nearer to Alex, hand cupping his cheek and tilting their mouths dangerously closer. Their breaths mingle together although Alex is almost certain he’s not breathing at all anymore. Michael’s lips hover over Alex’s, the anticipation building to a crescendo they’ve both been waiting for since five Friday nights ago at the Wild Pony. And it doesn’t matter how many times they’ve kissed before. Because there’s never, not once been this much hope waiting for them on the other side.
When Michael’s lips finally land on Alex’s skin, they narrowly miss his mouth. Instead they fall at the corner of his lips, a sliver away from touching home. Alex exhales, half-groaning with the comedown. He’d been sure, so sure this was their moment. Swallowing down what he really wants to say, Alex turns to Michael just as he pulls away. ‘Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.’
‘I think this was the best idea.’ He tilts his head and smiles at Alex so beyond innocent that Alex yelps when Michael pushes his shoulders roughly onto the blanket and slides effortlessly between Alex’s welcoming thighs. Alex barely has time to take another breath before Michael’s mouth steals it away, sucking at his bottom lip so desperately Alex has to lift his head to chase after Michael’s urgency.
The kiss is needy, both of them grasping at each other like they’re dangling off a cliff holding on with nothing more than their fingertips. Michael’s hands tug at Alex’s hair, jagged, work-worn nails digging into the softness of his scalp without apology. And Alex fills the gaps between Michael’s ribs with his fingers, feeling Michael’s lungs expand with each new, shuddering breath. Eventually twisting Michael’s t-shirt so tight in his fists it rips at the seams.
One kiss becomes two becomes twenty until neither knows whose tongue is whose anymore. Michael’s shirt is long gone and Alex’s pants are shoved halfway down his thighs before either of them has the sense to stop. ‘Your skin is like ice, Alex. It’s too cold out here for this, even with the fire.’ His breathing is ragged, his chest heaving. Leaning back on his knees, he helps Alex back into his jeans, despite his ardent protests that he’s not too cold, and grabs the remaining blanket to wrap around them. Even with two thick, wool blankets, the night air is still harsh enough to make both of them shiver. ‘Maybe we should go back to your place.’
‘No. Please not yet.’ Alex shifts closer to Michael, joining their bodies wherever he can reach. Laying his head on Michael’s chest, he hums in satisfaction at the steady beat of his heart. ‘You’ll keep me warm. Tell me about the stars like you used to.’ Alex points to a random patch of desert sky. ‘Isn’t that Polaris?’
Michael snorts into Alex’s hair. ‘You’ve always been so bad at this. You can’t really see the North Star from here. It’s not bright enough.’ He drags Alex’s still-raised finger to another part of the sky. ‘That’s Gemini. The twins. I’ve always thought of me and Max as Castor and Pollux. But the version where only one of them, Pollux probably, is immortal.’
‘Max is Pollux, I’m guessing?’
Michael nods, chin tapping against the top of his head. ‘Yes.’
The stars glow brighter as Michael spends the next hour recounting so many of their mysteries, fingertips dancing up and down Alex’s arm like he’s tattooing the stories into his skin. Alex pretends like he’s never heard them before when in reality he’s had them all memorized for over a decade. The stars and Michael’s stories are what had kept his first tour overseas from chewing him up and spitting him out.
Tilting his chin, Alex kisses into Michael’s neck, leaving a sloppy trail in his wake as he nibbles up to his ear. ‘Take me home.’
The warmth of Alex’s house beckons as they pile everything back into the truck. With no traffic, they pull into the driveway in record time, not bothering to unpack the Chevy before heading inside and straight to Alex’s bedroom. They collapse onto the bed and undress each other slowly, allowing the furnace’s heat to melt them into nothing but nerve-endings and sensation, their sweat-slick skin sliding smoothly together.
Once they’re sated and sleepy, Michael throws a leg over Alex’s thighs and wraps an arm around his waist, tugging him as close as possible. ‘I guess we’re dating now.’
59 notes · View notes
topsytervy · 3 years
Text
Book Lovers ~ Pope Heyward
Blurb: You have a crush on Pope and Pope has a crush on you. Your love for books brings you together.
Word Count: 3,376
Warnings: swearing, poorly written towards the end cause I'm bad at ending writings, probably spelling/grammar errors, I think thats it.
I started writing this as a whole bond over books thing and then it kind of got away from that a bit but not really I don't think.
Also, the way i was going back and forth between writing this and something Calum Hood related cause its his birthday and I love him was insane.
~~~~~~
You sat on the beach on a towel, a book in hand as the sounds of screams and waves filled the air.
Not too far away sat Pope, staring at you as JJ, John B and Kie surfed. He watched as you brushed some hair behind your ear before turning the page, completely engrossed by whatever it was you were reading. 
"Are you serious?" Pope jumped as his head swiveled to look at the voice that spoke.
Kie stood there, surfboard under her arm with an eyebrow raised, the two other boys behind her.
"What?" Pope shrugged, acting as casual as he could.
"Really? Playing dumb Pope? Thats JJ's job." She answered, setting down her board and sitting next to him.
"I take some offense to that, Kie." JJ told her which only caused the curly-haired girl to roll her eyes.
"Just go talk to her, Pope."
Pope widened his eyes. "Are you crazy, Kie?"
"If talking to someone you like is crazy then have me committed but last time I checked it was normal." 
"What would I even talk to her about?" 
"Oh, I don't know. She's only reading a book. Gosh if only you read." Kie told him, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
Pope sighed before getting up. 
"Go get 'em, tiger." John B grinned as him and JJ took a seat next to Kie, watching as Pope made his way over.
He was about halfway to you before he turned around and walked back, shaking his head. "I can't do it. It's rude to interrupt someone's reading ya know. That and Toppers walking towards her." 
JJ scoffed. "Really, man. Toppers got nothing on you. Besides, I'm pretty sure they're just friends."
"Oh quite the opposite, JJ. He's got money and a way nicer boat." 
John B shot Pope a look. "How dare you insult the HMS Pogue like that."
"You know what I mean. He can buy her literally anything she asks for." 
"Okay. So he's got money and a nice boat. That means he's trying to compensate for something. Any guesses as to what that is?" Kie stared at Pope.
JJ grinned, deciding to answer for his best friend. "His di-"
"Personality, JJ" Kie cut off the blonde. "What he lacks in personality, he makes up for with money. Topper is boring as hell. He doesn't know the meaning of excitement and adventure. You do. I'm sure you have way more in common with her than Topper does." 
Pope took one last look at you, book open but ignored as Topper chatted with you. You just smiled and nodded before standing up and gathering your things, waving a small goodbye to Topper as you did. 
You glanced over and saw the Pogues watching you so you brought up your hand and sent them a small wave, blushing when Pope smiled and waved back at you.
The next time Pope saw you was at the library. He was getting a couple of books for a paper he had to write and you were there, scanning the shelves, trying to figure out what book you wanted to read next.
Pope had looked over and froze when he saw you just a few feet away from him, fingers ghosting over the spines of books as you read the titles. 
You had agreed to ride with Kelce to the library considering he needed a specific book to read and you needed a new book to read. You chewed on your lip, focusing on each one before pulling one out that caught your eye, reading the blurb before ultimately deciding that you didn’t want to read that one now. 
Pope took a deep breath before scanning the titles himself, attempting to find one that he had already read that he thought you would enjoy. He finally found one and grabbed it, walking over to you.
"Having troubles?" He asked.
You jumped slightly before looking at him. "Little bit. It's hard to find which one to read next, ya know."
Pope nodded before handing you the book. "You might like this one. I read it and could hardly put it down. It's definitely on my list of books to own." 
You took it with a smile. "Thanks."
 "It's no biggie." Pope shrugged. 
You smiled again before walking backwards towards the checkout counter. "I'll see you around, Pope." 
Pope grinned at the fact that you knew his name. "I hope so, Y/N."
You blushed slightly before turning around, meeting up with Kelce who immediately noticed your reddened cheeks.
"What's going on over here, Y/N/N?" He asked, pointing to his own cheeks.
"Nothing." You mumbled, placing your book and library card on the counter. 
Kelce looked around, trying to spot who was making his best friend blush before shrugging.
Later that night, you and Kelce were sitting on his living room floor with Rafe and Topper, a board game set out in front of the boys as you read your book and listened to their conversation. 
"Topper, St.Louis is not the capital of Illinois." Rafe said for what felt like the hundredth time. 
"What are you talking about? Yes it is!" 
Kelce took a deep breath before looking at Topper. "Top, sweetie, if you think St.Louis is the capital of Illinois, then what's the capital of Missouri?"
"Boise?"
You peered over your book with a blank look on your face, Kelce and Rafe having the same look on theirs.
"Come on guys, you know I'm bad at geography." Topper whined.
"I think," Rafe started, looking at Kelce, "We need to bust out that Sequence state capital game from second grade."
"I think I lost a brain cell during this conversation," Kelce rubbed his temples.
"Good thing you're not playing fucking jeopardy or you'd really be screwed, Top." You said.
Topper turned his attention to you. "Not all of us are book smart, Y/L/N." Topper leaned over to look at the page before squinting. "Whatcha reading that's better than playing a game with us, anyway?" 
You held up the book enough so they could read the title and Rafe raised an eyebrow. "Where'd ya find that one?"
"Someone recommended it to me." You blushed a little at the interaction with Pope earlier that day.
"Oh ho ho. That is the same blush you had at the library. You like this person." Kelce pointed.
"Shut up, Kelc."
"Wait. She was blushing? Oh snap."
"Spill the name, Y/N."
You rolled your eyes at your friends before replying. "I don't have to tell you three anything."
"Come on. If you're not gonna tell us then how will we tease you?" Rafe whined.
"That's exactly why I'm not gonna tell you. You'll just tease me and then whenever he's around, you'll act all juvenile."
Topper looked at the two boys before turning towards you. "If we promise that we will keep the teasing to a minimum when he's not around and that we act mature about this, will you tell us?"
You bit your lip before hesitantly nodding. Rafe, Topper and Kelce's eyes widened, eager to hear the name about to come out of your mouth.
You sighed, bookmarking your page. "His name is Marcel. He wears glasses and wears a sweater vest. A bit on the awkward side but very sweet."
Kelce and Topper shot each other confused glances, never having heard that name before. Rafe, on the other hand, cocked his head to the side with an unamused look and a 'really'.
"You know this Marcel, Cameron?" Topper asked.
"Yeah. If you watch the Best Song Ever music video, you'll meet him. I do have two sisters, remember." He answered.
You shrugged. "Worth a shot."
"Come on, Y/L/N. Just give us the name." 
You held up your hands in surrender. "Okay, okay." Your three friends leaned forward, staying quiet with raised eyebrows. "Pope Heyward." 
"Oh my God," Topper breathed.
"Can we not do the usual 'traitor' bullshit please? I feel like my mom is already going to have a fit."
"What makes you think we'd do that?" 
You shot each of them a look before standing up. "I gotta get going. You guys have fun and Topper," you looked at the blonde, "learn your damn capitals."
And then you were out the door.
****
Pope walked into The Wreck a few days later and spotted you in the corner, book in hand while you ate your food. Pope was so focused on you that he didn't even notice Kie appear next to him with a water pitcher in her hand.
"You gonna stand there all day or you gonna sit down with her and start up a conversation."
Pope whipped his head to look at his friend before shrugging. "I guess I could but sh-"
"She's reading and its rude to interrupt someone whos reading. I know." Kie rolled her eyes before walking over to your table.
He saw you smile at Kie and greet her before nodding. You looked past Kie and saw Pope. You grinned and waved him over which Pope happily did, taking a seat across from you.
"Want anything Pope?" Kie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just get me the usual." 
Kie smiled before walking away towards the back.
"I finished that book you recommended to me last night and I was speechless. The ending was...wow." You leaned back in your chair, taking a drink of water. 
"I know right. That book made me want to read all his other works and they're all just so amazing." Pope grinned.
"His writing is so poetic that I was surprised I wasn't reading an actual poem."
"Exactly. He's such a good writer."
You two talked for hours about different authors and books you guys liked, eventually both of you started writing down names of books and authors for the other to check out.
"How long have they been like that?" John B asked, JJ sitting beside him along with the kook boys who joined them unexpectedly with no hassle whatsoever. 
"Lets see. You five have been here for 45 minutes to an hour, Pope showed up a couple of hours before you. So...almost four." Kie smiled before scurrying off to wait on another table.
"Four what? Hours?" JJ asked. 
"Yes, dumbass." Rafe rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the table where you sat with Pope.
"They both look so happy." Topper commented.
"Because they are. They're in love." Kelce sighed with a dopey smile on his face, resting his head against his hand.
"Aren't they a little young for love?" John B raised an eyebrow.
Kelce shot him a look which caused John B to raise his hand in surrender. 
"What do you think they're talking about?"
"They're both nerds. Take a guess."
JJ opened his mouth to object, offended on behalf of his best friend but John B stopped him. "No, no. He has a point."
You glanced at your watch before standing up, saying something to Pope who nodded, handing each other your phones. 
JJ smirked. "My boy is getting some." Rafe, Kelce, and Topper all turned to look at JJ, unamused with his words. "Or not."
*****
Pope shook his head. "No way. That is one of the dumbest and most cliche tropes ever." 
It was a week later and you and Pope sat at The Wreck again, having a conversation about whatever you recently read and now, apparently, your favorite and least favorite tropes.
"I have to disagree. Enemies to lovers has my heart." You responded, taking a bite out of your burger after you spoke.
"One bed and they have to share reigns supreme." Pope popped a fry into his mouth like that was the end of discussion. 
You held up your finger as you finished chewing before swallowing. "You have to have some love for the enemies to lovers trope then because a lot of enemies to lovers involve sharing a bed." You pointed out.
"What about friends to lovers? Hmm? Hmmm? That right there is practically gold and bed sharing comes into play." 
You rolled your eyes. "At some point, a friend likes another. I can tell you in confidence that I had a crush on Topper, Kelce, and Rafe at some point in our friendship. It was bound to happen because we hang out so much. Enemies to lovers though? Who willingly hangs out with their enemy? No one." 
Pope laughed. "Alright. Sure. Whatever." 
"Don't whatever me Pope. I'm right and you know I am." You laughed. 
Pope held his hands up in surrender.  "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Kiara walked over to your table and you smiled. "Lets ask Kie."
"Ask me what?" Her eyes darted between you and Pope.
Pope turned to Kie. "I want you to be honest with me, Kie. Which trope is better? Best friends to lovers or enemies to lovers."
Kie blinked slowly as she spoke. "I was just coming here to ask if you need refills or anything else."
"This is more important. Best friends to lovers or enemies to lovers?" 
You both looked at the girl expectedly and she shrugged. "I'm more of a fake dating girl myself so neither."
"Or both." You raised your eyebrows.
"True. Enemies could fake date or friends could. Sounds like a both thing for me."
Kie just turned and walked away, shaking her head with a small smile. 
Your phone dinged and you looked down, seeing a text from your mom. "Thats my mother paging me." You sighed as you stood up. "This has been a fun date, Pope." 
"Date?" 
You felt your face heat up from embarrassment."Oh, was this...not- I shouldn't have assumed. I'm sorry."  
"No, it was. I just didn't think you'd think of it as one." Pope quickly said.
You smiled before kissing his cheek. "I'll talk to you later then.'
Pope blushed as he watched you walk away, paying for your half of the meal before exiting the building.
****
It's been a month since you and Pope became official. A lot of your dates were either study dates, beach dates, or dates that consisted of you two eating at The Wreck while discussing anything under the sun.
Pope was kind of scared when you asked him what he wanted to do for a living, considering everyone else thought it was weird but you were supportive.
"That's cool." 
Popes eyes widened in shock at your words. "Really? No 'why would you choose a coroner' or 'why the hell would you wanna work with dead bodies'?"
You shrugged as you stole one of the fries from his plate. "I think it's cool. It's a job not many people want but it's an important one." 
That was probably when Pope knew that he was in deep with you. The fact that you didn't judge the things he was passionate about and what he wanted to do. That just made him fall for you more and let him know that you were the perfect girl for him.
Now here you were, spending the weekend together in the best way.
You sat in Pope's living room, okay laid in Pope's living room, watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Pope had the house all to himself for the weekend and invited you over for a Harry Potter movie marathon since you two just finished rereading the entire series. 
So here you were, curled into your boyfriend's side with his arm draped over your shoulders, holding you closer if that was even possible. 
You sighed as Alan Rickman appeared on the screen. "I miss him."
Pope kissed the top of your head as he rubbed your arm. "I know, sweetheart. You say that everytime he pops up on screen."
"I can't help it. He was just such a good soul." 
Pope smiled, twirling some of your hair around his finger. He loved listening to you talk about things and people you were passionate about. The smile on your face whenever someone, usually him, brought up one of those topics was worth it and he could listen to your voice for hours on end, which usually happened when a topic of interest was brought up. 
"Are you even listening to me?" You'd ask, tapping his wrist.
"Every word."
You'd lean back and cross your arms, a smirk on your face as you raised one of your eyebrows. "Oh really?"
He'd nod before speaking. "You were saying how you think iced coffee is better than regular hot coffee."
You'd make an impressed face. "Are you going to say anything at any point in this conversation."
He'd pretend to think about it before shaking his head. "I'm good." 
You'd roll your eyes before purposely bringing up a topic that would cause him to talk some because just like him, you were obsessed with seeing his smile when he was interested in a topic and hearing his voice.
"Pope, did you hear me?" 
Pope blinked before shaking his head. "No. Sorry. I was spacing this time."
"I asked if you wanted to make stir fry tonight?" You laughed lightly at the space cadet you called a boyfriend.
Pope smiled and nodded. "Sounds great. I'll ask dad if we can raid the store for whatever we don't have." 
You both pulled out your phones, you to get the recipe and Pope to ask his dad if it was okay to take whatever was needed for dinner. 
You walked into the kitchen and started pulling out whatever you could find that was needed for the stir fry before writing down on a notepad what was left.
"We got the go ahead." Pope told you and you held up the notepad.
"Then let's go on an adventure." 
You two paused the movie and made your way down the street towards Heywards hand in hand.
"Have you ever seen the Percy Jackson movies?" You asked, genuinely curious if Pope had or not. Pope shook his head and you let out a laugh. "Oh boy. We might have to take a break from good ol' HP so you can watch them." 
"Why?" Pope swung your arms as looked at you.
"You might find them...interesting. That's all." You shrugged.
"Are they good?" 
You smiled up at him as you leaned your head on his arm. "You'll have to see."
Normally, you wouldn't recommend watching the movies to anyone but when it came to Pope, you wanted him to see it. You wanted to see him rant about all the differences and how bad this adaptation was. You wanted to see him get all flustered at the smallest details that the movies got wrong and complain about how this doesn't do the books any justice. 
"Are you setting me up?" A small smile sat on Pope's lips.
You placed a hand to your heart.  "Ouch Pope. That stings."
He just laughed before kissing your temple as you approached Heywards. Pope unlocked the door and you followed him inside, picking up the rest of your ingredients before walking over to the counter and pulling a 20 out of your pocket, sliding it under one of the boxes for Mr.Heyward to find.
"Really? You know my dad loves you right? Like you don't have to pay him for this stuff. He gave us the okay." Pope said.
You shrugged. "It's fine and it's only right. I mean, I'm taking things from his store. The least I can do is pay him." You turned to the security camera and waved before pointing to the box the cash was under and doing the hand signal for money.
"You do know he cant check the system from his phone right?" 
"Yeah but if he plays it back, he'll know and no one else will see the footage." You smiled before turning back to your boyfriend. "Ready?" You asked as you placed your things in a bag. 
Pope grabbed your hand and the bag as he nodded. "Lets get cooking." 
You laughed as you followed him back outside, waiting for him to lock the door before beginning the short journey back to his, the pair of you thinking about how lucky you were to have someone like the other.
~~~~~~
38 notes · View notes
the-fiction-witch · 3 years
Text
Blind Date p1
REAL LIFE
COUPLE TBS X READER
RATING ADORABLE AF
Tumblr media
I sat with my friend luke as we had some coffee outside of a local london cafe. 
"How's things with you and arthur?' I asked before having a sip of my tea
"Great got the ticket confirmations for our trip to south korea" he smiled
"Awesome" I laughed
"You have got to get back on the dating game"
"Eh, I like dating I just don't like the apps and stuff you know, tinder is just people looking for sex I want something more then two shags and another blocked number" I sighed 
"You know I had this exact conversation with someone earlier" he laughs 
"Luke I am not going out with Mikey so his parents think he's straight we've been over this" 
"Not Mikey,"
"Who then?"
"A mate of mine, little older then you, into motorbikes, fits your aesthetic-"
"I don't need a boyfriend who fits my aesthetic"
"Don't you?"
"Shut up"
"And I was having this exact conversation with him this morning, he hates the Apps and wants to meet some nice girly for more then a fling"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, trust me dudes a boarded line technophobe" he says "I had to go over and show him why he kept getting instagram notifications"
Which made me giggle 
"You see, how about I see what he's doing and arrange you two a little blind date?"
"I guess so Luke" I shrug 
I sat at my vanity in my tights, bra and underwear, slowly taking my hair out each curler and brushing it down a little so the curls where not quiet so intense doing my make up nothing too heavy as it is first date and a blind date at that. Once I was done I got up and forced my heels onto my feet already hating it when my phone went off 
Luke: hey hun, your date just left and is on his way to the restaurant have fun you too ;) 
I slipped my dress on and packed my handbag slipping my Jacket over my shoulder, 
Y/n: okay tell him I'm on my way, how will I know him?
I locked up my house and headed down the driveway as my phone went off again 
Luke : he says he's waiting outside with a cigarette and a present for you
I was worried but I kept walking down the dark, half broken London streets, all I had to light my way was the street lamps and my phone as I followed the maps to the restaurant, the clicking of my heels against the pavement, the sounds of cars and buses rushing by, why did I wear these shoes? I hate these shoes. Why did I walk? Why didn't I just get a taxi? Ughh I am so having a large red wine when I get there. I saw I was just down the street from the place so I put my phone away and checked my make up and reflection in the window of a closed shop. I was all good so I took a breath a walked up to the restaurant initial I panicked as I didn't see anyone, but I saw a little down the street where some chairs and tables sat for the restaurant during the day, it had a black metal fence to seperate it from the rest of the pavement, a man stood there.
He was taller then me, if I had to guess from here he wasn't six feet but high fives atleast but I think the shoes helped. He had black dress shoes, a black pair of suit pants with something in his pocket, a tight leather belt a black button down tucked into the pants with a slight patten I wasn't sure what of in it, he had a black slightly trench coat like jacket over him a ciggertte in his hand, watch on his wrist, he looked nervous in his face even if he still looked attractive, his hair fixed to one side alot clearly still a little wet from where he had washed it. He was the only one around so I went closer catching his attention away from the ciggertte in his fingers, his eyes glanced to me looking me up and down quickly taking in alot of me much like I did to him moments ago. He put the ciggertte out on the metal fence and smiled 
"Y/n? By any chance?"
"Yeah" I nodded 
"Ahh great, I was getting worried" he says 
"Yeah I uhh I walked" I smiled "sorry luke didn't"
"Oh, Thomas" he smiled offering his hand 
"Lovely to meet you" I smiled taking it he gave my hand a gentle kiss 
"Lovely to meet you too, he uh he didn't say you'd be so beautiful" 
"Ohh well thank you very much" I blushed "he didn't say how handsome you where"
"Your sweet, ohh uhh I got you something" he smiled moving his hands to his pocket "I wanted get you a real one but all the shops where closed so I thought then you can keep it longer" he smiled heading me a silk rose 
"Ohh thank you, it's beautiful" I smiled happily taking it "shall we go?"
"Well if you'd like to have dinner with me?"
"I'd love to" I smiled offering my arm, he happily linked arms with me and lead me inside he delt with the hostess and we where lead to a table that overlooked the outside garden space of the restaurant closed up at the moment for the night I went to get my chair but he stopped me 
"No, no let me" he says pulling my chair out for me
"Ohh why thank you" I giggled letting him tuck it under me and then take his own seat across the table "your very sweet" 
"First impressions you know" he smiled fiddling with his hair 
"Can I get you two started with some drinks?" The waiter asked bringing some meal menus I hadn't even looked at the drinks one on the table already but I knew what I wanted 
"I'll have a large glass of red wine please" I smiled 
"Very good madam, and for you sir?"
"Uhh I'll take a large cola, I'm driving" he answered
"Aww don't make me drink all by myself" I laughed
"Ughh alright, white wine but make it a spritzer" 
"Very good," he says before heading off 
"Sorry I shouldn't" I began
"It's okay, your right. One drink with you isn't going to hurt" he says 
"So you drive here?"
"Yeah, it was pretty far so I just drove" he shrugs "you said you walked?"
"Yeah, I thought I'd have a wine and I didn't want a taxi"
"Perhaps if we… go out again I'll have to come by and pick you up" 
"If?"
"If" he smiled "you ever been here before?" He asked as we both glanced over the food menus it was all so impressive and I had no concept what half of it even was 
"No never, have you?"
"Once but they have… changed things since I was here last"
"What sort of things?"
"The thing I liked has disappeared from the menu"
"Aww that's disappointing"
"Yeah, but hopefully that will be my only disappointment this evening" he says gently moving his hand across the table so his fingers grazed mine not looking up from the menu as he did. 
"Let's hope" I smiled gently moving my fingers against his own the waiter returned and we out in our order and he dropped off our drinks "so? How do you know luke?" I asked 
"Uh, not all that well actually." He says "I went to school with arthur"
"Ohh, yeah I like arthur"
"I kinda think it's impossible to not like arthur he's a bundle of joy and enthusiasm" 
"He is," I laughed
"How do you know luke and arthur?"
"Luke and I where neighbors growing up, he's probably my best friend" I smiled "he said you uhh don't so all apps and all"
"Ohh no not really, I keep forgetting my phone does more then just… be a phone. I'm not good at all the twitter, facebook, and that sort of thing"
"Yeah me neither" I smiled just then our food arrived "so uhh… how long have you been single? If you don't mind me asking"
"Ohh uhh," 
"It's okay, I shouldn't have asked" I said playing with my food a little
"No, not it's alright, I understand if your curious" he says "about six, seven months now. So… not to long,"
"Six months isn't that long" I said more to myself 
"Yeah I know, it was uhh a quick seperation you could say" he says "do you uhh mind if I ask?"
"A year" I answered trying to smile 
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked"
"It's okay, he ran off. Cheated on me got another girl pregnant" I said 
"Y/n. I'm so sorry" he says taking my hand 
"It's okay, I'm good" I answered smiling at him 
"I feel like I have to tell you now since you told me" he laughs
"You uhh don't have to"
"No it's okay, moved to the other end of the world, missed her family and all, and then just broke it off said she found someone down there so" he says "very much done and over"
"I'm sorry"
"It's alright, if she hadn't then I wouldn't be on this nice date with you" 
"Smooth" I laughed having some wine
"I try" he smiled "sorry I haven't even asked you what you do or anything"
I explained my job to him as simply as I could and he did likewise explaining it in that wash where you never completely say what your job title is but give and overview of what you do, the conversation moved to family and such, and we ended up just chatting about everything and nothing for a good while until we had finished eating, our plates taken away just nursing our drinks 
"I uhh I have to be honest y/n." He spoke up
Yay, here it comes the this was really fun but I'm not feeling any connection or anything
"I uhh I really like you,"
I stopped short almost choking on my drink 
"Sorry I know it sounds a little strange when we have literally been on one date but, I really like you. And I would really like a second date if… you wanted to go out with me again?"
"Yeah I'd liked that" I blushed "I'd love to go out with you again Thomas"
"Great uhh when are you next free?" He asks 
"Well I have nothing going on tomorrow night"
"Yeah me either," he says moving his hand to ghost mine a little "anywhere you wanted to go?"
"I've been dying to see that new movie everyone's been talking about" I said moving my hand closer too "but since it a horror, you'll have to promise to hold my hand if I get too scared" 
"I'll happily hold your hand, weather your scared or not" he smiled taking my hand intertwining our fingers "shall we get the bill?"
"Yeah its a long walk home" I said 
"I'll drop you off home don't worry about it" he says as he got the waiter to bring the bill 
"You sure? I don't want to be any trouble"
"I'm sure it's no trouble at all. And I'll pick you up tomorrow for the movie" he says "ooh I should probably give you my number so we don't have to talk though Luke'
"Ahh yeah good point" I said as I got my phone and we traded numbers just then the bill came so I reached for my purse
"No, no I'll get it" he says getting his wallet from his pocket
"No I can't let you pay it's not fair"
"I'm more then happy to y/n, its a date put your purse away it's on me" he says putting his card on the table 
"We split it. I insist" I said putting mine with his 
"Alright, but I'm paying for the tickets tomorrow" 
"And I'll pay for the popcorn" 
"Alright love" he smiled
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ukiyoart · 3 years
Text
Soooo I wrote a kinda rough draft story based on my stardew character so here it is :D
Starts off with the beginning of Elliot’s story, then there’s the sound of a foghorn and it switches to Elliot, startled out of his focus. He looks out the window, but there is only gray (see what I did there hehe)
Then it’s Anni, sitting on the mountain with Sebastian. She feels happy as she leans against him and watches the twinkling lights of the far of city she used to live in. Sebastian lights a cigarette, which Anni tells him he should quit. He grumbles that she’s probably right, but smiles, puts it out and kisses her. And etc, something like the mountain scene.
Anni is at first only friends with Abigail, Sam and Sebastian who is her boyfriend. She’s also acquainted with Emily, though she’s mostly just friendly.
Elliot is friends with the old fisher living on the docks, and Leah, a fellow artist who likewise came out to the country to focus on her creative works.
Elliot has seen the new resident of Stardew Valley around, but never really spoken to her. But one day they bump into each other at the supermarket, quite literally. Anni apologizes for hitting him and Elliot says he’ll only forgive her if she gets coffee with him.
“I have a boyfriend...” she says deadpan, but he assured her he only needs a break from his writing and someone to share his ideas with. Anni agrees if he’s going to pay the bill.
So he asks her what kind of books she likes and they talk about books for a while.
The next time they run into each other, Elliot finds Anni drinking in the back corner off the bar, and asks if he can sit with her. She agrees. After a few verbal exchanges, he finally asks her what’s wrong. Slightly buzzed, she vents about paying the bills, and Elliot relates that the most he can afford is his shabby cabin on the beach, but it’s charming in its own way and it’s the perfect place for his writing. Anni thinks it seems like a nice place to live, far away from other people. Like her boyfriend, she says, then starts complaining about how he sometimes seems like he could care less about her. Elliot assures her that certainly can’t be true, to which Anni just shrugs and takes another swig of beer. Elliot orders a whiskey, and they both drink and laugh till the bar closes.
The next day Anni appears at Elliot’s door with a basket of Apricots, apologizing for her whining last night, and thanking him for talking with her all night. He smiles and says it’s no big deal, and thanks her for the fruit. He asks her where she got it, she sheepishly replies that she grew them. He smiles and invites her in, she politely refuses saying she’s got plans with her boyfriend
She goes to the fair with Sebastian and Sam and Abigail. They go on the Ferris wheel and several roller coasters. Finally at the end of the night, they all get ice cream and watch the boats light up the river. Everything seems wonderful, but when Anni gives him a little flower, he is unenthusiastic when he takes it, then runs to catch up with Sam and Abigail. Anni rationalizes he just doesn’t like flowers that much, which she already knew, then goes to catch up too. When she gets home she lies on her bed and looks up at the ceiling, her anxious thoughts catching up with her once again. Does he really hate flowers that much? It was only a joke! Or was it her that he was unenthusiastic about?
She asks Abigail about it, who only says that Sebastian is an independent person, and it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking.
Sam says not to worry about it.
Back to Elliot, he is hanging out with Leah at the beach. She’s painting, and he’s writing down ideas for his story. Leah asks him how his story is going, which he enthusiastically says he’s gotten some much needed inspiration. Leah asks where he got it from, and he asks if she knows the new girl from the city. Leah hasn’t really interacted with her either. Elliot tells her about their coffee trip, and mentions that she seemed genuinely interested in his book, and had some great ideas. But mostly, it was her that inspired one of his characters. Leah teases his admiration of her, which Elliot waves off by saying writers tend to romanticize everything. He goes back to writing and periodically staring out at the sea.
Leah, intrigued by Elliot’s description of her, seeks out Anni and introduces herself. They talk as they shop, then She asks what kind of things Anni likes. Anni isn’t sure how to answer, she starts off with staple things like board games, hanging out at the bar with friends, then gets more comfortable and says she enjoys gardening and watching the fog rise from her pond in the early hours of the morning when it’s still dark. Leah says she would love to paint it sometime, and suggests they go apple picking. Right now? Anni is surprised but goes. They talk a lot and start becoming good friends.
Later Anni and Abigail Sam and Sebastian are trying to figure out what to do, Anni low key suggests apple picking. Sebastian shuts her down, saying he doesn’t really enjoy being out in the sun. Abigail agrees, saying she doesn’t want to get a sunburn. Anni is a little disappointed, but doesnt show it. They decide to play pool at the bar, which Anni still thinks is fun so it lifts her mood a bit. She has a good time, and Sebastian buys her a drink and tells her he’s sorry if he seemed kind of rude earlier. Anni tell him it’s fine and thanks him for the drink.
The next day, Anni goes with Leah and Elliot to skip stones across the lake. Anni tells them about how her other friends didn’t seem very interested in apple picking. Leah points out that not all people are interested in the same things. Anni expresses that she shares a lot of interests with Sebastian, but she wishes he wasn’t so emo sometimes. She brings up how he barely sets foot in the sun, at least not without a hoodie over his face. Elliot says that it’s great to share interests with someone, but in the end it’s shared values that makes them a precious friend. So even though Sebastian will not always agree with you, as long as you share a view of what’s important, you’ll be okay. Anni smiles and says that’s good advice. They continue skipping stones, until Anni gets a text from Sebastian saying “come immediately it’s important!” She apologizes and says she has to go. After she leaves, Leah says Anni is so cute! And Elliot agrees that she really is a sweet person.
Anni gets to Sebastian’s house and finds him grinning in the wet grass with a frog in his hands. “This is the emergency???” Anni asks, puzzled. “I never said emergency” Sebastian laughs, then shows her to frog, explaining how he found it by a little puddle. Anni thinks it’s cute that he’s so excited, but tells him not to make her worry. Sebastian laughs and tells her if he’s ever in trouble, he’ll use all Caps. Anni shakes her head, but laughs.
Next day Anni is working at the coffee shop, Leah comes in and says she didn’t know Anni worked here. Anni explains that she didn’t, she just applied for part time the other day to help with the bills. Leah asks her what her main job is. Anni doesn’t want to say at first, but after some prodding she admits that she’s a farmer. Leah thinks it’s awesome and asks why she’s shy about it. Anni tells her how Sebastian and Abigail and Sam aren’t really country people, and it rarely comes up. Leah asks if Sebastian knows, Anni says he does, but he’s never really come to the farm. He probably thinks it’s just a family business I help out with. Leah is concerned, but Anni says that she doesn’t plan to be a farmer forever anyway, she’s taking an online course for computer science. She and Sebastian might even open up their own business someday. Leah still isn’t convinced, but leaves it alone.
Some stuff in here, Anni tells the squad she likes farming and they are supportive, she introduces them to Elliot and Leah, they do some fun stuff together and become friends. Elliot helps Anni realize there are some red flags in her relationship with Sebastian, not that he is bad but they just might not be the most compatible for the long term. Meanwhile, Anni starts to catch feelings for Elliot, and battles with her growing love for him and her attachment to Sebastian. With the help of Abigail and Leah, and even Sam, she gathers the courage to work it out with Sebastian, and they decide that they should break up. Things are tense between them for a little bit, they still want to be friends but Sebastian is hurt that Anni doesn’t love him anymore, and Anni wants to reassure him but isn’t sure how to make him understand. Elliot finds her crying and she tells him about their breakup, and how she doesn’t love Sebastian any less, she just has realized they would only be unhappy if they continued a romantic relationship. Elliot comforts and hugs her, reassuring her that he only needs time to come to terms with it, and with enough patience and understanding hopefully they can patch things up properly. Anni hugs him tightly, then looks up at him before kissing him on the cheek. Elliot is surprised, but thinks she’s just emotional because of her situation.
The next day Anni apologizes, slightly embarrassed. Elliot tells her it’s alright, that she’s going through a lot and he understands. Anni can’t tell if she’s grateful he didn’t think anything of it, that’s one less thing to worry about right now, but she’s also kind of disappointed he doesn’t think of her that way. She moves on and asks Sebastian if they can talk. He agrees, and she lets him know that she never fell out of love with him, she just realized they wouldn’t be very happy in a long term relationship. Sebastian expresses that he thought he just hadn’t done enough for her, and that was why she didn’t want to be with him anymore. He’s relieved that’s not the case. They seem to get along better after that.
After that Anni continues talking to Elliot a lot, but now their conversations are much more relaxed and not about drama, many are about books and places they would love to travel, etc. Elliot finishes his book, and everyone comes to listen to his reading. He thanks everyone for their support, and thanks Anni for agreeing to have coffee with him one day, without her he would never have thought to write what he did. Soon after, Elliot invites Anni to go with him on his rowboat after he fixed it. Anni agrees, and they talk about his book for a while. Elliot starts to thank her again, then starts acting a little flustered and confused. For once I don’t have the right words.. he says... for the way I feel about you. He ends up kissing her on the cheek to convey his affections, asking her if she feels the same way. Anni happily agrees, and they share a kiss.
Soon after they start dating, making it publicly known. Abigail, Leah and Sam are supportive. Sebastian tried hard to be okay with it, but he resents Elliot.
They all go for a picnic by the lake. Sebastian acts defensive and rude around Elliot, and Anni is upset. She goes to talk to him, worried that she’s hurting him and sad that he can’t get along with Elliot. Elliot stops her, and says to let him talk to Sebastian. Anni is reluctant, but Elliot says that she doesn’t need to fix everything herself, and he wants to help. He goes and talks to Sebastian. Sebastian is annoyed at first, but after realizing Elliot truly loves Anni, he admits that he wants Anni to be happy, even if it means she isn’t by his side. Elliot suggests he let Anni know, so that she can be free of worry and released from her romantic ties to him. Sebastian ponders this for a moment, then frustratedly says he doesn’t want to let her go yet and storms off. Abigail walks up next to Elliot and says she’ll talk to Sebastian. She goes off, then returns with him, motioning him over too Anni. He pulls her away privately and tells her that he still loves her, but he can see that she’ll be a lot happier with Elliot. Anni hugs him and thanks him for understanding. Sebastian hesitates, then embraces her back for a moment, before she pulls away and takes his hand, beckoning him back to the rest of the group. Sebastian tells Elliot to treat her better than he could have. Elliot laughs and agrees, then goes over to Anni and hugs her from behind. Sebastian watches wistfully, but smiles and looks towards Abigail, who nods approvingly.
And so on and so forth, a happy ending :)
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