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moralesmilesanhour · 27 days

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or can u write margo awkwardly admitting to miles she’s a bit weirded out whenever his parents are so nice to each other and her because she’s not used to seeing that, and miles comforting her (and maybe he feels sad for her) about that?

Flowerbyte fluff and angst all in one night golly gee...thanks for requesting!

escape.

“So, Margo,” Jefferson Morales began after saying grace. He dug into the vibrantly orange plate of rice and peas sitting in front of him.

“How’d you and Miles meet? He never told us the specifics.”

Margo’s eyes flickered toward Miles, who gave her an encouraging thumbs-up.

Right. The cover story.

This was her first real dinner with the Morales family since being introduced. Usually, Rio would invite her to eat with them just before Miles interrupted and insisted that Margo “had to get home by six o’clock sharp” and ushered her out the door. This time, though, his mom insisted on having dinner early and won the battle.

“We met at one of those Alchemax conventions for, uh…kids in STEM? We had a really nice conversation and exchanged numbers.”

“They still have those?” Rio piped up as she took a seat with her own plate. “We used to beg Miles to sign up his freshman year. I didn’t think he actually went!”

She looked intently at her son as she said, “I keep telling him that it’s a great opportunity to look for internships before college.”

Miles looked up, and mirrored her tight smile.

“And I keep saying that I’ve done enough science internships to get me a job at NASA,” he replied through slightly clenched teeth.

Margo silently toggled her gaze between the two until Jefferson broke the silence with a cough.

“Anyway, you live far off? Miles tells us he doesn’t get to see you very often.”

“Yeah, I’m actually down in Atlanta.”

Technically not a whole lie; her parents were from Georgia, they just didn’t live there anymore.

…Savanna, Georgia.

Rio turned to Margo with wide eyes.

“Wow, that’s far! And you’re able to still keep in touch?”

“I keep saying to Miles, technology’s amazing,” Jeff laughed after taking a sip of water. “A few decades ago, you needed to write down people’s numbers in a little book. Now y’all got text messaging, Instagram, the Facebook–”

“It’s just ‘Facebook’, dad.”

“ –FaceTime, all these ‘faces’!”

Margo giggled at Miles’ weary expression as she shoveled spoonfuls (fork-fuls?) of rice into her mouth, saying nothing of the fact that in her world, half of the things that Jefferson had just listed off had become obsolete. People’s status updates tended to float above their avatar’s heads. Some didn’t even bother to exchange numbers anymore, preferring to ask for usernames instead.

“Margo, sweetie, do you want any fruit juice? I just remembered we still had some in the fridge.”

Before she could reply, Jeff interrupted with a wince.

“Ooh. See, about that…I think I drank the last of it with breakfast this morning.”

Rio sighed and massaged her temples. “Jeff!”

“I didn’t know we were having company!”

“You always finish everything in the fridge before the week’s even over. You eat faster than Miles!”

“Whoah, why am I in it?”

“And I keep telling you to throw the carton away when you’re finished. Nobody in here listens!”

Margo felt a cold sensation in her chest.

She nearly squeezed her eyes shut as the familiar sentence rang through the dining room, her grip on her fork tightening as Jefferson opened his mouth to respond. Miles saw her tense, but couldn’t get her attention. Her eyes were laser-focused on her plate.

“That’s my fault, honey. Tell you what, I’ll do the grocery shopping tomorrow to make up for it. How’s that?”

Like magic, the woman’s face relaxed and melted into a grin.

“You’d better. I want Margo to have a nice time with us before she has to fly back to Atlanta.”

Jeff turned his attention to Margo.

“Y’know, speaking of Atlanta, I got some extended family down in Charleston, just a few hours from y’all. We used to send Miles down there for the summer when he was younger,” he chuckled, “Came back darker than me, and with an accent!”

Margo blinked. The argument was just…over? The speed at which they moved on gave her whiplash.

She quickly forced a polite smile. “Uh, that’s cool.”

Rio chimed in, “We’ve been planning to send him down to P.R. this year instead, pick up some Spanish for a change.”

Miles was in the middle of finishing up his plate, and nearly choked on his rice.

“Mami, I know enough Spanish to get by,” he coughed. “I don’t think that’s–”

“Not the basic Spanish they’re teaching you at school, mijo. When we take you to family reunions, you can barely talk to your cousins!”

“I’m all for it. We got some great pictures from down South when he was eight–”

“O-kay! I think we’re both done with dinner,” Miles shot up and grabbed his now-empty plate, reaching over to take Margo’s as well. “Right, Margo?”

She snapped out of it and stood up herself.

“Oh–um, sure! Lead the way.”

He hastily led her up the stairs as soon as he dropped their plates off in the kitchen sink.

“Come back down to wash those later!”

“Y’all behave up there!”

Miles looked at Margo and rolled his eyes as he opened the door to his room. Margo snorted.

“Nothing’s gonna happen, dad, I promise!”

Miles’ room managed to be full of stuff without feeling cluttered. There were empty crates stacked on top of each other that he used to prop up extra books or comics, but that gave the impression that he had built a neat fort around himself and the crates were mini skyscrapers. He had two huge speakers on either side of his window that he only used when his folks were out, and the soft neo-soul he played surrounded the room with bass and piano like a warm hug. Margo sat down on his bed, sinking into the mattress a little. She had always quietly envied the boy’s ability to create this second home-within-a-home for himself.

The space next to her dipped as Miles laid down and stared up at the ceiling, his hands resting behind his head like he was on vacation.

“Sorry if that was…a lot.”

“It’s fine.”

“My folks actually really like you, you know? That’s why they talk so much.”

Margo’s eyes flickered downward at his grinning face, and she smiled.

“I know.”

“Alright, just making sure. You just looked a little shaky back there, and you’re never that quiet.”

He sat up and narrowed his eyes at her, jokingly placing the back of his hand on her forehead.

“You’re not sick, right? Don’t spread that shit to me, I got a test tomorrow–”

“You play too much,” Margo laughed, shoving his arm. “I’m not sick. Haven’t had a cold in months.”

Miles lowered his hand to rest partially on top of hers.

“So what is it, then?”

She paused, and spent a few silent seconds staring into the boy’s face. His expression sobered, the furrow in his brow a signal that now was not the time to lie.

She tried anyway and said it was “nothing”, knowing that Miles wouldn’t believe her.

There was a strange sort of comfort to be found in the way he leaned in and said–

“Margo.”

“What?”

“You’re the worst liar I’ve ever met. Why do you keep doing that?”

Margo shrugged with a lopsided grin. “If at first you don’t succeed, right?”

Miles looked away for a second and kissed his teeth, but Margo could tell he had smiled.

She tapped his chin to gently turn his face back towards her.

“Okay, okay, my bad. I’ll tell you.”

He nodded, “Go ahead.”

“I thought they were gonna fight.”

“...Huh?”

“Your parents. At dinner. I thought they were about to fight, so I braced myself.”

Miles looked even more baffled.

“Over juice?”

“Yeah? But then they just sorta stopped, so I got nervous.”

“I mean,” he shifted uncomfortably, “They fight sometimes, I guess. But they don’t, like…fight fight. Like, they make up after.”

Margo looked down and smiled at her socks. “My folks actually make up sometimes, too. It’s real cute. They sit on the couch and watch old movies together with popcorn, then they share some with me. It’s like a lil’ party for just the three of us.”

Miles chewed on his bottom lip. That was the most she had ever spoken about her parents; the only time he’d heard her mother’s voice was when the woman had yelled something in another room and Margo’s computer picked it up.

“So what do you do when they don’t? Make up, I mean.”

Margo hummed in consideration, kicking her feet back and forth before turning to Miles.

“Now I come here, I guess.”

This gave Miles pause. He remembered the first time he snuck out of the house - before he could climb walls. It wasn't to go to any parties, or to escape getting grounded.

He went out just to draw. To get a breath of fresh air without a pair of eyes looking over his shoulder, even admiring ones.

Whenever he got asked too many questions about his grades, or the music filtering through his headphones wasn’t enough, his room felt more like an enclosure that he needed to escape. It got smaller with every inch that his bed shrunk, until his feet were touching the edge.

But this little box of a room was now Margo’s escape. And Miles wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

He nodded slowly. “That’s good. My mom needs an excuse to make arroz con dulce for somebody, so…”

Margo laughed, “I’m always happy to taste test for her.”

“I’ll make sure to tell her that.”

#margo kess #miles morales #atsv fic #flowerbyte #cyberflower #cybershock #moralesanhour #requests

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drpeppertummy · 25 days

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i will be real with you the entire time i was writing this i had absolutely no idea what id already written

[very mild stuffing, mostly just two old fruits eating dinner & cuddling & bein mushy]

Leon slipped his arms around Shel's narrow waist from behind while he cooked, propping his chin against his shoulder. Gently, he snuck his hands under Shel's shirt and rested them on his belly. Shel was a thin person; there was no denying that. Where there had once been hip bones sharply jutting out, though, Leon found only the soft swell of his lower belly. He held his hands there for a moment, taking in the warmth of that soft curve, then gave it a gentle squeeze. Shel smiled and craned his neck around to nuzzle his cheek against Leon's forehead.

Shel had been nothing short of scrawny for just about his entire life. It was only once he started spending time with Leon that he began to soften up a little; perhaps trying to get his dysfunctional sweetheart to eat better was rubbing off on him as well. The two spent many an evening enjoying a hearty home-cooked meal together, just as they were planning to do tonight.

Leon was reluctant to take his hands off of Shel's lovely little tummy, but the dirty cutting board was calling him. He leaned up to kiss him on the cheek before retreating to the sink. Shel remained at the stove, stirring the sizzling vegetables around in the pan. The kitchen smelled wonderful. They had salmon in the oven, drizzled with a glaze of dijon mustard and maple syrup, and cooking on the stove was a colorful medley of squash, asparagus, and broccoli. Leon's belly rumbled, and Shel smiled. He turned away from the stove--the vegetables needed a chance to brown anyhow--and pulled Leon into his arms, nuzzling his face deep into the crook of his neck.

"Shelly!" Leon jerked at the sudden tickling sensation, laughing. Shel hugged him tightly.

"I just like cookin' with you is all," Shel mumbled into his neck. "You're my perfect helper."

"Oh yeah? What are the qualifications?"

"Cute, for starters," said Shel, lifting his head to kiss Leon's cheek. "Sweet. Funny. Uh, warm." He slipped his hands under Leon's shirt to press them into his warm belly, and he gasped at the cold touch. There was little Shel adored more than Leon's plush, pillowy tummy, save for his cats and Leon himself. It was delightfully plump, poking out adorably over the top of his pajama pants, and the squishy little pooch under his belly button fit perfectly in Shel's bony hands. Leon didn't share quite the same appreciation for it, but if Shel loved it so much, he supposed it couldn't be bad.

At long last, dinner was ready, and the two decided to forgo the table and snuggle up together on the couch with their plates. It was a chilly, rainy evening outside, but Shel's cozy living room was warm, and the gentle patter of the rain against the windows was pleasant. Leon's belly rumbled again as they got themselves situated. Shel gave it an affectionate pat, unable to hold back an amused grin.

"Hey, you had lunch today, didn't you?"

"Huh? Um, I think so. Probably?" Leon ran through the long, busy work day in his mind. Shel rolled his eyes.

"Eat your fish, you goofball," he said, smiling fondly. Leon didn't need to be told twice. He gladly obliged, and Shel gladly joined him. Everything had come out perfect. The fish was flaky and flavorful, and the vegetables were tender but still just crisp enough. Leon's empty stomach welcomed the first delicious bites with open arms.

"I don't know if I'm gonna be able to eat this whole thing," remarked Shel, and Leon chuckled.

"Have you ever eaten a whole anything?"

"I ate a whole pea once," said Shel. "Skin and all." Leon laughed out loud, covering his mouth in an attempt to keep himself from dribbling half-chewed squash all over the place, and Shel grinned down at him.

As it turned out, Shel was right. He had the stomach capacity of a stray chihuahua, and, despite a valiant effort, the big hunk of fish proved to be just a bit too much. He set the plate on the coffee table, covering it with a napkin to keep the cats out of his leftovers, and settled himself against Leon's lap, resting his hands on his full tummy.

"Full already?"

"Stuffed." Even not having cleaned his plate, Shel had pushed himself just a smidge too far, his stomach teetering just on the edge of discomfort. His tummy poked out ever so slightly under his soft pajama shirt, and Leon gave it a gentle pat.

"Boy, I'll say," he said, surprised at how firm his belly felt. He supposed it couldn't have felt too bad, though; that pinched pout of discomfort he was all too familiar with was nowhere to be seen on Shel's pretty face, only a content, sleepy little smile. Leon gazed down at him a moment, utterly gripped by his beauty--his delicate features, the crinkles of the smile in his eyes, the sea of silver waves that was his hair.

"Leon, eat your dinner," said Shel, both amused and touched by the look of adoration on Leon's face. It wasn't a look he'd ever imagined anybody might direct toward him, but it was one he was almost growing used to now--used to, but certainly not tired of.

"You're very distracting, you know," said Leon, tenderly brushing one of Shel's remaining mousy brown hairs out of his face before picking up his fork again. Shel smiled innocently at him, batting his eyelashes sweetly. Leon rolled his eyes and took another bite of salmon. He was beginning to feel full himself, although not quite full enough to slow down; each bite was still just as irresistible as the last. He didn't start slowing down until he was nearly finished, his belly growing snug against his shirt.

While he only had a few bites left on his plate, Leon's stomach had finally begun to catch up with him, and those last few bites were beginning to seem like a lot. He paused for a moment, letting out a little sigh. His belly gurgled softly as its contents settled, and he brought a hand to his mouth to stifle a quiet burp. Shel gazed up at him adoringly from his lap, appreciating the mundane sweetness of his movements and the way the glow of the light filtering through his thick, dark hair from above made him look like an angel. It wasn't an angle he often saw Leon from, being taller than him. Leon glanced down suddenly, finally noticing Shel's stare.

"Hey, good-lookin'," said Shel with a suave smile, and then he broke into laughter at the cheesy line. Somebody at work had once said that Shel's laugh sounded like an old man being smothered to death, but as far as Leon was concerned, it was the most beautiful sound in the world. He grinned down at him and ruffled his hair.

"Hey! I just brushed that," Shel exclaimed, grabbing at Leon's hand.

"You're gonna make me drop broccoli all over your head!"

"I'll just pick it off and feed it to you," teased Shel, reaching up and plucking a piece of broccoli from Leon's plate. "Finish your dinner already so we can get to foolin' around." Leon laughed, and Shel fed him the broccoli, then licked off his fingers.

Slowly but surely, Leon finished off the last few bites of his dinner, his belly feeling snug and tight as he pushed it just over the edge of stuffed. It had rounded out nicely against his shirt, not alarmingly distended but undeniably and visibly full. He set his plate down beside Shel's on the table and leaned back with a sigh. Another little burp bubbled up and escaped, and he rested a hand atop his belly.

"Man, that was a big hunk of fish," he said, rubbing at the taut bulge of his stomach.

"Wasn't it? And you were makin' fun of me," teased Shel.

"I still ate the whole thing, though," said Leon.

"I guess so," agreed Shel. He lifted Leon's shirt up just enough to expose his belly button, then leaned his head in to plant a kiss on his tummy. Leon blushed brightly. With an adoring look in his eyes, Shel sat his hands on Leon's sides, idly rubbing the soft skin of his belly with one thumb. Slowly and deliberately, he placed another kiss, letting his lips linger against the warm surface for an extra moment. Then, he snuggled up against Leon, wrapping his arms loosely around his waist and resting his cheek against his tummy.

He remained there while Leon gently stroked his hair, listening to the soft gurgles of his belly as it worked away at the big dinner. As big as it had been, neither of them felt uncomfortably full, although it wouldn't have taken much more to get them there. Leon rested his other hand on Shel's tummy, enamored with the way it bulged just barely noticeably under his shirt. This was all that "foolin' around" would consist of tonight; they both were full and sleepy and perfectly content to simply stay there and hold each other.

#writing #belly kink #tummy kink #stuffing #stuffed belly #xleonx #xshelx #this is one of the longest things ive written in a while #which isnt saying much #its like 3 pages

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cosmic-crybaby · 10 months

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Blue Skies - Tommy Shelby

Chapter 14: ‘Fade Into You’

Warnings In This Chapter: fluff,fluff,fluff. Some angst at the end (I can’t help myself, sorry)

Masterlist:

---

Thomas Shelby rarely got a night off.

Being a gangster came with the stress of the life they lived. Which also meant…

No time off.

But when your kids were away you missed their feet padding around the house. Without the sound of them running about, taking the horses out on the field, and whole mess of the Shelby Company Limited the two of you finally had the chance to enjoy each other's company over some dinner. After a busy week at the bakery, you were happy that you got to be alone with the man you adored. Much to your dismay, running the bakery by yourself just got harder and harder as the weeks went by. Polly was right.

Of course she was, she always was.

Ever since the night of the dinner party, the family was more open to you stopping by to visit Thomas in the office or joining him to the pub. This, of course, meant you would often run into Lizzie Stark. You didn't say much than a small head nod of acknowledgment before you would enter Thomas' office. If only she knew.

Thomas had a talk with you shortly after you had moved in, whether or not she should keep her position at the company. And being the forgiving and kind soul you were, you told him not to bother.

'Let her stay, Thomas…Do not punish her for your mistakes…but if I find out she fucks up again, she is gone…no further questions,' You told him sternly.

Plus Thomas knew better.

He also knew better than to invite you to any and all family meetings. With the exception of one. You and Thomas had attended a dinner with the rest of the business, and when Arthur started talking to John, who talked to Ada, who then brought Polly into it. At one point you found yourself slipping deeper in the knowledge of the family business. Shortly after it started, only did you wish you had stepped out. The longer you stayed, the more you realized how often you were getting involved with helping Thomas make decisions, double checking the accounting books, and being around to hear the gruesome carnage they planned, the more you tried to push the lifestyle away.

But you knew that was all inevitable.

So instead, you focused on your time with Thomas. You had sat across from each other at the dining table, eating chicken and vegetables quietly as it was all you could manage without feeling sick to your stomach.

“How was work?” You asked him, pushing the pieces of peas in a corner of your plate to eat the other, more desirable greens on your plate. Thomas takes a small sip of whiskey.

“Work was…” He takes a heavy sigh. “Well, work was fuckin’ work,” He muttered, making an obvious stop to the conversation. His work-life was overwhelming, of course anyone would find stress in a business like that. He glanced up at you for a moment. He wasn’t partial in talking about work while eating, most of the time, so these answers were always anticipated. But you still managed to make sure to ask him anyways, show him you’re still interested in him and that you still care.

He clears his throat before asking; “And you?”

“Busy as always,” You nod once. You refrained from giving away the fact that you were working yourself to the bone. Thomas would have you homebound in an instant if that were the case.

“You should look into hiring help, eh? We can get someone more than qualified…especially since you’re further along,” He arched a brow and motioned to your stomach. You chuckled dryly, putting a protective hand over the bump as your eyes shifted from your plate up to him.

“Thank you, Sweetheart but I don’t need any help right now. I am more than capable of handling the work,” You smiled.

“If I had anyone else behind that counter it would be like…” You paused. “Like an unwanted guest…It’s just tradition, love you know that all too well,” You shrug. He went quiet for a moment. You watched as he picked at the food on his plate. Sighing, you set your silverware down on the plate and stand up, pulling out the chair right beside him.

“Look,” He set his silverware on the plate as you reached for his hand.

“I know you are worried but I can handle this myself, I am not sayin’ I don’t appreciate your help, but all I want you to do is focus on the issue at hand…Stopping Luca Changretta, okay?” Your hands caressed his face as your thumbs brush over his cheek bones. His skin was warm as you glance at the freckles on his skin and the color regaining in his face. His eyes scan your face for a moment, a ghost of a smile causing the corner of his lips to turn up in the slightest. He reached his rough hands up to grab yours and bring them to intertwine with his.

“(Y/n)…” He paused, swallowing quickly. He was at a loss for words.

“Yes?” You peer through your long lashes.

He stared at you. The way your eyes looked so big and bright, your skin was glowing. Your voice was like heaven to him.

“Will you marry me?” The way his words casually flowed, as if he was having a perfectly normal conversation with you. Your eyes widened as your lips parted. Quickly leaning forwards to pull him into a hug. Your arms tightly wrapped around him as he gently kissed your temple and his hand rubbed your back. You held him close to you for a few silent moments, just trying to take in his proposal. You only let go and looked at him again when he whispered your name. Again you were at a loss for words as you looked up at him.

“I…I’m not sure,” You whispered, slightly shaking your head. You took his silence as a que to continue.

“I mean…If I say ‘yes’, God how can I say yes when we hardly know each other,”

Thomas caressed your cheek with his hand, using his thumb to wipe the small tear from the corner of your eye before it could roll down your face. As if he told you that everything was going to be okay.

“And how can I say ‘No’? I already love you so much,” Your voice cracked as you looked away, pressing your head to his chest as you listened to his heartbeat as it rapidly thumped against his chest.

“I am apprehensive…that if I do agree to marry you I will never know if we actually got married out of necessity or out of love…If I decline then I’ll never know if I passed up the love of my life,” You spoke quietly, holding him tighter. After another moment of silence, just soaking everything in before he said:

“I will never pressure you into giving me an answer…but know that I do love you, very very much and it would be an honor to marry you,” He said.

“If you’ll have me?” He added at the end with a small smirk. You let go of him, your hands clasp around his own as they rested by your sides.

“Yes…” You told him with a nod.

“Was that a yes?” He asked with a smile. After you confirmed he pulled you into a kiss.

“You thought I was gonna say no, eh?” You giggled. He exhaled in relief as he chuckled dryly. If he was being honest, he thought you were in fact going to say no. He pulls you into another deep kiss before reaching into his pocket to take out a small, velvet box. Opening it to reveal a ring. It had an oval ruby in the middle that laid on a golden floral bouquet design with small diamonds embedded, decorating the band.

You gasped at its beauty. Sniffling as he slipped the ring on your finger.

It was a perfect fit.

A few days later, you had stopped at the doctor's office for another check-up. With a clear head after learning your baby was perfectly healthy, you went home. You had gotten home a little later than usual but even at this time Thomas would usually be home by now, yet he was nowhere to be seen. You had waited up for hours, only to end the night eating dinner and going to bed disappointed. You were not aware what time it was when you stirred awake when you felt the mattress dip from his weight. He was exhausted and beyond aggravated as he let out a relaxed sigh after finally getting some kind of rest. He felt guilty for having drinks in his office rather than coming home sooner, unfortunately that’s expected when you live like a Shelby.

Thomas had to have been in deep sleep by the time you fully woke up in the middle of the night. Groaning as you rest a hand on your stomach to sooth the frequent late-night kicking. With his back turned to you, his slow breathing was a clear indication that he was fast asleep. You attempt to press your body against his, cuddling close to him. Craving that much-needed comfort from him. The second he felt your hand on his bare shoulder he pushed himself away.

Flinching your hand back, offended and confused, you sat yourself up. Hair a mess and eyes still dry and heavy with sleep. He grumbles groggily as you rubbed his arm with your hand. Testing to see if it was a genuine or involuntary reaction.

“Thomas…” You whispered. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m fuckin’ tired,” He mumbled, still facing away from you. You laid back down, making yourself comfortable again by propping all of the pillows around your stomach and between the two of you, giving him space as you laid awake staring into the back of his head.

“Do you…do you not find me attractive anymore?” You asked him.

You heard him let out a forced, heavy sigh before he shifted.

“I am very attracted to you but I need to sleep,” He mumbled again. “Please do not trouble yourself with this, not again,”

Rolling your eyes you laid on your back.

“I’m not it’s just…just painful for me that you refuse to touch me,” You whispered, the hurt evident in your tone. If he was looking at you, if he had taken a moment to just look at your face…your eyes, he would know just how hurt you actually were.

But instead all he said was:

“I’m sorry that’s painful for you,”

You fully turned to your side, your back facing him as well as you bit your lip as it trembled.

---

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themultifandomgal · 21 days

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Sweet Pea- Grease Is The Word

Hopelessly Devoted To You

My heart has been broken since prom night, that night I cried myself to sleep. All I want to do is get over Sweet Pea and move on, but the truth is I can’t. I spent last night with Betty, Kevin and Veronica who told me to just forget him. I can’t sit around and just wait for him to come running back to me. I’m hopelessly devoted to him.

Toni, Cheryl, Kevin, Betty, Veronica and I are all sat at a table in the lunch hall. They’re all gossiping about prom and how amazing it was. Sighing I play with the good on my plate

“YN? Are you ok?” Kevin asks

“Let’s see shall we. Sweet Pea’s told his friends that we’ve had sex, when we didn’t, and every so you just don’t do that right? Then he takes Josie to prom”

“Ignore Reggie. He’s a class A asshole. He probably made up the rumour” Betty says giving me a small smile. I return the smile, but quickly frown when I see Sweet Pea walking into the cafeteria with Fangs

“What the hell is Sweet Pea wearing?” I ask with eyes wide open looking at Sweet Pea wearing a basketball uniform. Toni turns around to look then face me again.

“Tried out for the basketball team”

“Why?”

“To impress you” Veronica nudges me

“Said he wants to make up for prom” Toni continues

“Well he can tell me that himself” I cross my arms over my chest and look away as he and Fangs walk over to our table

“Err hey YN” Sweet Pea says scratching the back of his neck. I don’t reply to him “look I’m sorry about prom. I want to make it up to you. Let me take you out tonight, to the drive in” I’m about to say no but Kevin butts in

“Shell be ready for 7”

“Cool” with that Sweet Pea and Fangs leave

“What the hell Kevin” I push him

“You were going to say no then would end up mopping about. Just go and I’m sure he will make it up to you”

“Hmm” i hum in reply.

That evening I sit next to Sweet Pea in Fangs’ truck eating popcorn. He pretends to do the fake yawn harm on the shoulder move I give him a quick glance before going back to the movie

“Do you want to get a little closer?”

“I’m good” I reply

“At least smile. I thought we’d forget all about the whole prom thing. I said I was sorry”

“I know you did, it’s just that summer was a lot easier because it was just us two”

“I know, wait your not talking to someone else are ya?”

“No why?”

“No reason” I frown looking at Sweet Pea who’s trying to act unbothered “I wanted to know if you’d take my ring?”

“Wait seriously?”

“That’s if you want it” I nod my head in response. Sweet Pea takes my hand in his and places he’s pinkie ring on my thumb since it’s way to big “I really am sorry” he leans in and places a kiss on my lips, but his hand moves up my thigh. I pull away “what’s the matter?”

“I just don’t feel comfortable doing that here”

“What did you think coming to the drive in meant. Look around YN everyone’s doing it”

“Just because you’ve given me your ring doesn’t mean I’m immediately going to jump your bones” I jump out of the truck and leave.

#sweet pea x y/n #sweet pea x reader #sweet pea x oc #sweet pea imagine #sweet pea #riverdale imagine #riverdale imagines #riverdale

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typingdyslexiaisathing · 20 hours

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Just Another Cooking Session (Obey Me!) fic

summary: The kitchen is filled with cooking and chatter. Mostly of the human exchange student talking with Lucifer and Beelzebub. Casual, fluff, romance.

Molly was currently in the kitchen of the House of Lamentation. Making the meal for the demons she dearly loves. A few pots on the stove steaming as they cook various items. While Molly took the time to finish a plate of sub sandwiches to then hand the whole plate over to a very hungry Beelzebub. Who gladly took the plate to kiss her on the cheek and begin munching away. Making Molly smile as she started chopping fruits for a fruit salad.

It was at this point Lucifer walked into the kitchen to look very irate. His steps taking him to sit next to Beelzebub and sigh. So Molly moved to pour the now whistling tea kettle. A steaming mug of green tea soon in Lucifer's hands for the demon to smile in gratitude. His words warm and only hinting at his fatigue. "It would seem you expected my arrival. Or were you going to ask me to join you?"

Molly sighed to nod as Beelzebub nudged half a chicken sub over to Lucifer for him to eat as they talked. Which Lucifer took without question to nibble on as Molly kept chopping fruit. Her words sullen and soft. "I've been having a hard time with a specific want. Namely how I feel about a certain someone." Beelzebub kept munching as Lucifer raised an eyebrow. The Avatar of Pride soon sipping at the tea to then muse a little. "Here I figured you would go to Asmodeus for this kind of discussion. But I take it you already did?" Molly nodded to then huff. "Spent all day doing a spa treatment therapy session with him over things. Which also led to him crying over the fact he isn't the one I fell in love with and ended up as number three." Lucifer flinched as Beelzebub paused mid bite. The Avatar of Gluttony asking, "Do I get to know where I am on the list, Molly?" This had Molly smile sadly to tap Beel on the nose. "Number two is you, my beloved teddy bear." Beelzebub blushed to then hum as he finished his current sandwich. While Lucifer sighed to note, "I already know I am not in the top five. Which stings a bit when it comes to this... Situation."

Molly chuckled to then tap Lucifer on the nose. "You place fourth, actually. But it's mostly a tie between you and Mammon. Do not let that out of the kitchen." Lucifer thought on this to then grin with a fiendish glint to his eyes. "Number one has been apparent for a good long while to myself and to Lord Diavolo. Despite the fact that said number one is completely unable to fathom such. Yet it suits both of you so very well that your heart belong to Leviathan." Beelzebub hummed to then lick his fingers free of sauce. "Right. Both of you love anime and video games. Both of you tend to be really shy. Passionate and tactful. Like two peas in a pod." Molly looked to her hands as a blush roared over her face. Making Lucifer chuckle as he sipped his tea. "I remember when Leviathan fell asleep with you in the living room after the both of you had challenged a tournament group online. Mammon and Satan had also joined the tournament and fell to your combined might. But then you both took second place. Leviathan looked heartbroken for you to openly throw your arms around him and say how fantastic he had done. He'd been about to cry for you both losing. yet you praised him and looked like you had won first place in all three realms."

Beelzebub grinned to openly chuckle. "I still have that photo. It's my favorite of you two together. Levi never expected you to be so happy over losing. But then you made it clear it was his skill and effort that mattered. He told me later how stunned he was. So I told him what you tell me." Molly smiled to recount her manta out loud. "Do your best and celebrate how far you get. That is what really matters in the end." Lucifer nods to finish his tea and smile. "Leviathan will always struggle with his sin. But when he is with you... That emptiness is filled for him to savor the now. I could not ask for more for any of you." Beelzebub stills when Lucifer turns to him to place a hand on Beelzebub's shoulder and hum a warm notation of affection. "This family is the most priceless treasure in all of existence. So we need to be glad for what we have. But I vote we do a special something for Molly and Levi. What say you, Beel?"

Beelzebub nods to then grin. "I want to do that. In fact, I may have an idea on what we should do. There's supposed to be this big concert in the Human World next month that Leviathan mentioned." Molly blinks to then squeak. "Oh! The concert is for the Final Fantasy series! All the best music from the games are going to be played by a live orchestra! It happens once a year and tickets can be extremely hard to get!" Lucifer grins to note, "Would the music include that one album of piano music you gave me as a surprise?" Molly nods for Lucifer to pour himself another cup of tea. "Then we should get tickets. For all of us. But then we get you and Leviathan a special after concert gift. Namely a reservation at a fine restaurant to have an evening to yourselves." Molly soon rushed over to tackle hug Lucifer and Beelzebub for both demons to hug her back. The human giving happy squeaks of sheer excitement. "Thank you so much, Luce!"

#obey me!#obey me! shall we date?#obey me: one master to rule them all #obey me shall we date #obey me! one master to rule them all #obey me! fanfiction #obey me! fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic

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itsgigikay · 1 year

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Fine Line Part II

A/N: I apologize in advance for any misinformation I don’t celebrate Christmas, and for any misspelling. Again I’m sorry for the late update life got in the way hopefully the last part won’t take me this long to update. Feedback is always welcome!

Warning: death

Harry Styles X Reader

(Christmas) 2019

After Harry had proposed to Y/N, they stayed in London for a while. Harry had his tour coming up in April of 2020. They had wanted to spend more time with family and together. Christmas was great, they felt whole again, and they were surrounded by their loved ones, they needed nothing more.

They had Christmas dinner at their house this year. Usually, they would spend Christmas Eve with Y/N’s family. Y/N would help her mom in the kitchen, they still do their American tradition, making potato roast, roast turkey, stuffing, and many veggies carrots, peas, and brussels sprouts. We can never forget mashed potatoes and gravy! At night Y/N’s family would pass around the gifts they got for Y/N and Harry, and Harry and Y/N would give the gifts they got their family.

On Christmas Day they would spend it with Harry’s family. It would consist of Y/N, Gemma, Anne, and Harry, in the kitchen cooking with the music playing out loud. Gemma and Harry would take care of the dessert, Y/N and Anne would do the cooking. Anna would invite all family friends and family for the dinner. The dinner was filled with bringing up childhood memories, happy moments, and much laughter. They would always end the night with games, the young kids would be passed out on couches and the adults would be the ones acting like children. They always had a blast, being surrounded by their loved ones.

This year Y/N wanted to spend it all together so they invited Y/N’s and Harry’s family over to their house. On Christmas day both Y/N’s mom and Anne came early to help prepare in the kitchen. There was a lot to do because both families will be coming, Y/N’s family does an American tradition, and Harry’s family does an English tradition. Y/N had told Harry to pick out the games they’ll be playing after the family dinner.

This so happens to be both of their favorite holidays so they go all out, their house was decorated beautifully. The outside house was decorated with yellow lights all over the edge of the house, around the ground, bushes, and driveway doors. There was a long green garland on the edge, with red ornaments, of the first door and a green wreath with a red bow on the door.

The inside of the house had two black doors before entering, both opened as a sign of welcome. On each side, there was one medium size white snow-like tree with white lights, gold glass, and plastic ornaments. On each side of the house, there were curved stairs cases, they had tinsel and garlands intertwined within the railing. In the center of the house, there was a big long dining table with a white-covered table cloth, white plates with gold rims, gold utensils, glass cups, white candles with gold holders, white flowers, small tiny white and gold Christmas trees and deers, it was gold and white theme.

The living room had cream couches with beige throw pillows and covers. A big flat-screen TV was hung in the center with a fireplace and two beige Christmas stockings under the TV. In between the two couches, there was a square glass coffee table sitting in the middle with everything that is needed for entertainment. There were board games from heads up, uno, twister name any type of game there was. There were also gram creakers, marshmallow fluff, M&M, skittles, licorice, and white icing for the kids to make some houses.

When both families came together god was messy but a good type of messy. By dinner time the adults were eating and talking loudly, the kids were going in and out, upstairs and downstairs, food was on the floor, drinks were spilled, and being stepped on, it was messy and loud. By then it came to them to move on to the living room it was more relaxed because the kids settled to make their house, it was still loud but a good loud because it was all laughter coming from playing the games. It was a night but a night they loved, enjoyed, and wouldn’t want it any other way.

Harry and Y/N had spent New Year’s and Harry’s birthday in London with their family, after that they had traveled to LA to get things going for the tour. Y/N wanted to get some wedding planning done because the tour is going to start soon, in April and he always gets busy before confirming everything, checking if everything was good to go for the tour.

On March 13th LA had gone on lockdown before Harry could even finish confirming everything for the tour. They were devastated, his fans were devastated, but also the world is in chaos, doctors didn’t know what was going on, and loved ones dying left and right from this virus. Y/N and Harry obviously had to quarantine together because again they did live together in LA or London home are where both of them are.

The country called it an emergency, and the whole world declared it a lockdown emergency, where no one but essential workers was out and working. As quarantine went by Y/N and Harry had to preoccupy themself. They had called all their loved ones to check up on them, every other day they’d call their parents, one day Harry’s parents and the next Y/N’s parents. This also gave them the perfect time to start or get a picture of what they wanted for their wedding. They honestly just wanted their friends and family. They didn't want the public to know when and where it will be, the fewer people they invite the more of a secret it’ll be.

In June, Harry and Y/N were able to go back home to London. When they finally made it to London all they were thinking about is their own loved ones, they wanted to see them, hug them, and see how they were doing. Y/N had already lost her grandfather due to the pandemic so seeing her family is something she’s been waiting for. Ever since the loss of her grandfather she feared that another loved one won’t see her in white walking down the aisle. She didn’t want to wait another year or so, a person doesn’t know what will happen by that time.

“Harry?” She questioned looking up at him as they were cuddled up one night on their couch. He looked back down at her as a sign for her to continue.

“I know we said we’d wait to get married but I don’t think I want to wait so long to get married,” she said softly, scared of what his response would be.

“Why the change in mind, Lovie” he asked back sitting up and giving her his full attention

“It’s just…what if..” she started with her voice shaky, she was scared to continue, she was scared of what he’d think.

“What if what?” Harry was looking at her confusingly.

“What… if one of our parents doesn’t make it until then, I want them all to be there.” She finally confessed to him what she was scared of, she felt as if a weight had shifted from her shoulders, and she felt relief that she left out her worry.

“When were you thinking?” He asked curiously furrowing his eyebrows.

“I don’t even know really, maybe by October or November? I don’t want a big wedding, we can even have it here. I saw actually people doing their wedding in backyards and they had just the people that were necessary, we can have it in our backyard.” She rambled on, overthinking.

“We can do whatever you want, dove if that’s what you really want.” He caressed her cheek, a sign of reassuring her, and she slightly leaned into his touch.

And that’s what they did when they told their family the type of wedding they wanted, they didn’t care, they didn’t care it was so soon, they didn’t care how small it’ll be, as long as they’re happy.

November 1st, 2020 was their day and they couldn’t be happier. They had everything set up in their backyard a beautiful white flowered arch, white chairs for the guests, and white petals all over the grass going along the aisle. In the end, they just had their parents, siblings, Tom, Tyler, and Jeff, they even had Jeff marry them off. It was beautiful Y/N’s sister was a photographer so they did have all the memories of the night. After the wedding ceremony, Y/N and Harry had a slow dance, Harry had actually written and recorded a song for this moment and they are the only ones to hear it. Y/N had become Mrs. Styles at the end of the night, It was all they ever wanted and they couldn’t be any happier.

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mattohonbung · 10 months

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kulan cafe

🇸🇴 somali

📍 skyline aka build america plaza in bailey's crossroads, falls church, virginia

📅 dinner; July 2023. 1st time

😋 overall: I literally have no metric for somali food but since it's the only one of its kind in the area, I hope it sticks around. I love getting surprise sides, and they know how to season their damn meat!!!! I'd come back in a heartbeat.

more food pix + detailed review under the cut!

🍵 not pictured is the tea we ordered, 1 cup each. it came out PIPING HOT so we had to wait a bit, but it was so wonderfully spiced (cardamom?). sweet too, but a little too sweet that it got a little cloying once it cooled down. at room temp, all the spices made it taste a little medicinal; reminded me of a natural cough syrup or something. I'd order it again but drink it while it's still hot.

🍚🐔 rice w/ chicken suqar - this was my fav dish! the chicken was soooo tender and well-spiced (not much else you can say about it when you can't identify spices that well lmfao all I know is that i loved every bite). the rice took up half the plate and then some! I loved that it came with raisins; it reminds me of afghan pulao.

I would SO get this again!!!!!!

🥗 didn't take a separate photo of the salad that came with this dish but it was pretty good. I liked taking bites of it in between these heavier meat dishes. the vinaigrette helped lift it! I'd get it again.

it reminds me of the side of salad that kabob places usually include. I wonder if salads are a western influence and what kinds of vegetables are native to Somalia.

🫓🐑 sabaya w/ lamb - it's always a gamble getting lamb or goat from restaurants but I'm so glad I did cos this lamb wasn't dry whatsoever and I loooved the spice rub on it. there were some chewy parts that I had to spit out but it was prob tendon so that's to be expected.

also I was drooling the moment I saw them bring out this plate cos the flatbread looked sooo flaky BUT it ended up being chewy and dry af 😔 it was difficult to pull apart 😢😢😢 I'm genuinely so sad about this cos it prevented this whole meal from being a solid 10

I wouldn't get a dish with sabaya again. I'd have a dish with lamb again tho! maybe I'll try their pasta next time.

🥘 unknown side that has potatoes, peas, and ??? - lol right after the cashier/server brought out the sabaya w/ lamb, he was like "I'm not done!!!" and brought out THIS DISH. and then he was like "NOW the dish is complete." thank god he did cos that sabaya needed moisture... badly

didn't even know that the dish even had sides so i'm not sure how to get it again... but I definitely want it again. I love tasting a delicious spice combination for the first time 🥰

they brought this out a little late into the meal but they also gave us a bowl of their house-made hot sauce, which was made of jalapenos. it wasn't that spicy (tbf the server told us that as he put it down) but its freshness helped lift some items.

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💲 price - $17-$20 for each plate, which I think is fair given the generous portion sizes. definitely stuffed 2 people, with some food left over (mostly carbs haha)

🗒️ other notes - it didn't taste salty or anything while I was eating but once I got home, i was SO THIRSTY i downed half my water bottle like a whale. 🐋

anyway the cashier/server was really friendly to us. after he asked us to rate the food, he made a point to tell us that everyone cooking this food is family and actually from somalia, not like "other restaurants" (who most likely have latino people working in the back).

this plaza feels like the ethiopian version of eden center. hoping i'm not cursing the place as I write this but I wonder when fairfax county will start drooling over the land as ripe for redevelopment and ethiopians will have to organise for anti-gentrification like viet folks are rn (if you're reading this, follow viet place collective)

#somali #bailey's crossroads #falls church #virginia #dinner

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viking-raider · 3 years

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Southern Generation - Part II

Summary: Working for Lily is going well for Sy, but he wants her to meet a special lady in his life, and manages to get her out of the house.

Pairing: Syverson/OFC

Word Count: 5,698

Rating: PG - Language, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Angst

Inspiration: An old fic I wrote and wanting to write a Sy fic.

Author’s Note: Thank you to @wondersofdreaming

“You've been getting here more early than usual.” Lily commented, handing Sy his usual morning coffee as he arrived on the property. “You fly here like Superman or something?”

She teased him as she sat down on the brand new porch swing that Sy had built with the scrap lumber from the porch and siding.

Sy laughed and leaned back against the porch railing. “No, I've been staying at the Sunway Motel in Celina.” He confessed, crossing his ankles. “I've been too tired to drive back to Austin most days, I don't want to fall asleep at the wheel or anything. So, I've been crashing there to keep it safe, and it just makes getting back here a sight easier, than a three-hour drive.” He told her, shaking his head.

“One-way.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lily frowned, offended to hear it.

“Well, I don't want you paying that out of your pocket.” He replied, frowning back at her. “It's not a big deal for me.”

“I do technically pay you to stay there, Sy.” Lily answered, shaking her head at him.

“True.” He nodded, staring at the tips of his boots. “But, I also have a Military paycheck.” He informed her. “Again,” He sighed, pressing his lips together. “I didn't want you paying for something I can pay myself. You buy enough things as is.”

“Well, I would have offered to pay for it.” She started, folding her legs. “But, I also would have offered you one of my guest rooms.”

Sy blinked at her, he hadn't expected that from her, it seemed a bit toward. That thought made him paused, blinking at himself. Did Austin 'Fuck and eat you out til you can't walk' Syverson just have an abstinent thought.

Holy fuck, I did! He thought, staring at her.

And it wasn't because Sy wasn't attracted to her, because he very much was.

She was a beautiful young lady. The way her eyes lit up, every time she smiled, even when she was being shy. She came just to his shoulder. Her hair looks so silk and soft, that it took everything in Sy's power not to reach out and caress his fingers through it to find out just how pillow-y soft it was. She was dainty, but had curves in all the right places, for Sy to hold onto her. He bit the inside corner of his lip, thinking about gripping those hips of hers and kneading them in his big mitts, to rub up against that plump, heart shaped ass, to grab or bury his face in those matching breasts.

Sy cleared his throat and took a deep gulp of his cooling coffee, praying his growing erection wasn't too obvious to her.

What a way to ruin it, Syverson. He berated himself, trying to rein himself back in.

“Anyway,” She said, breaking the silence and getting up off the swing. “The offer stands, if you want it.” She told him, and went back inside.

He stayed there long after she had gone upstairs to her office to start her own workday, even after his coffee cup was empty. He turned around, setting the empty cup on the railing and watched the sun slowly climb higher into the sky, before sighing and getting back to work, siding the back portion of the house; thinking he might start working on the roof next. Since Spring was due soon and the weatherman said it would be a cold and rainy one.

“I'm going to be late tomorrow.” Sy said, that afternoon.

“Okay.” Lily smiled, taking up his empty lunch plate and turned towards the sink. “Everything okay?” She asked, turning the faucet on to do them and the ones from breakfast.

“Everything's great.” Sy smiled, leaning back in his chair and grinning.

“I've never seen you smile so big, since we met.” She teased him, chuckling.

“I made a friend in Baghdad.” He explained, giddy. “She's finally over here in the States, so I need to pick her up at the airport.” He was excited about getting Aika again, even more so for Lily to meet her.

“I want you to meet her.” He added.

Lily's stomach clenched hearing him talk about whoever she was, a bit down to find out he apparently had someone special in his life. “I look forward to it.” She said, focusing on the plate in her hand.

“Great!” He beamed, getting up from the table. “I'm sure the two of you will be two peas in a pod!” He said, heading out the back door to finish his work.

“Totally.” Lily sighed, frowning to herself.

The next day, Lily was a complete wreck about meeting Sy's friend.

She had tossed and turned all night, barely getting any sleep as she kept thinking about the meet. She knew the woman was going to be gorgeous, why wouldn't she be, if Sy had been so excited about her being in the States and she was able to capture the attention of his ocean blues. Eventually, Lily got out of bed, tired of not finding a comfortable position and peace of mind to fall asleep. Besides, knowing her luck, she'd be subjected to dreaming about meeting the lady and all her, super model glory.

So, she padded down to her office and flipped on her computer, deciding to get her day started early and finish the few projects she had going on with a couple of clients. But, not even that helped her forget about the situation, if anything it made it worse, her leg impatiently bouncing to the tune of her agitation and self-pity. Running a hand through her hair for the hundredth time, before putting it back up, yet again, she huffed and stood up, pacing the floor of her office, from the window to the door, and back, biting her fingernails and mumbling to herself.

“Why would you even have the remotest chance with a guy like Austin Syverson?” She berated herself, yet again. “Good lord, look at the man! He's an actual man and you've never even kissed a boy. He's the whole package and you're just full of baggage. This is definition of friend zoned, and you bloody well know it!”

Sy had driven back to Austin after leaving Lily's place the night before. He was so excited to retrieve Aika from quarantine. It felt like an age since they last saw each other, but not as long as it might have felt, if he hadn't had Lily for company and the work on the farm to do, day in and day out.

“Fuck,” He huffed, drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel. “I really hope the two of them get along.” He mumbled to himself, fidgeting in his seat. “Maybe, I should have told her about Aika. What if she's allergic to dogs, or doesn't even like them?” He questioned, suddenly doubting himself. “I know she likes horses, but a dog isn't a horse, and the horse isn't on her property.” He glanced at his mobile phone in the passenger seat, questioning if he should just call Lily and tell her he's bringing his dog to the farm, for her to meet.

“No.” Sy shook his head, brushing it off. “It'll be fine. This will be great! They'll get along perfectly and it'll be a happily ever after.” He nodded, pushing himself to be positive as he pulled into the facility to pick Aika up. “Captain Austin Syverson, here for my dog, Aika.” He told the lady at the front desk, then signed the release paperwork, while they brought her out to him.

“Hey, girl!” Sy called, as Aika charged for him. “Oh, I've missed you so much, bug!” He said, rubbing her erect ears and scratched down her back, making her back leg go wild. “I've got someone special I want you to meet.” He said, getting the German Shepherd into his truck. “You're going to love her.” He smiled at Aika, who licked his scruffy cheek.

“And she's probably going to spoil you rotten.” He chuckled, pulling out of the parking space.

“Oh shit.”

Lily gulped seeing the kicked up dust cloud on the driveway, as Sy's truck approached the house and felt her heart stop, knowing at any moment, she would be meeting his special lady in a matter of minutes. She had been trying all morning to put on a brave and supportive face, not wanting to make herself look like a fool in front of them. “I can't do this.” She gulped, running into the bathroom upstairs and vomited into the bowel several times, before quickly brushing and rinsing her mouth out.

“Afternoon, Lily!” Sy yelled, getting out and giving her a wave as she stepped out onto the porch, he was positively beaming. “You ready to meet her?” He asked, gripping the handle of the passenger door.

“Yep!” She called back, forcing a smile. “As I can be.” She mumbled under her breath as Sy opened the door.

A bark filled the humid air and a big German Shepherd jumped out of the truck, jumping on Sy a few times, before noticing Lily and bee-lining for her.

“Oh.” Lily gasped, surprised that Sy's special lady, was a dog. “Hey.” She grinned at Aika, bracing herself has Aika put her paws on her chest. “Aren't you a beauty.” She said, scratching her erect ears and relieved beyond all belief.

“See, I told you the two of you would get along.” Sy said, stepping up on the porch, relieved as well.

“That you did.” Lily agreed. “What's her name?” She asked, looking up at him.

“Aika.” He replied, scratching Aika all over. “I found her as a stray during my last deployment, she was just a pup. So, I took her in and took care of her. She's been stuck in Quarantine since before I got back, and they just released her today.” He explained as Aika bolted off the porch and zoomed around the front yard.

“You don't mind me having her here, do you?” He asked, biting the corner of his lip.

“Are you kidding?” Lily laughed, watching Aika disappear in the tall grass. “She's more than welcomed here.” She assured him, with a sweet smile. “Any time.”

“She's not really used to grass.” Sy laughed, as Aika attempted to pee on every blade she could. “You might get a few holes as well.” He added, knowing the Shepherd's like to dig.

“Please, I doubt anyone will notice.” Lily giggled, looking around the neglected yard.

Sy went to work on his latest project on the property and Aika spent most of the day running around the land, investigating what Sy was up to or lounging on the floor in Lily's office upstairs. Lily sighed and rubbed her face as the phone downstairs in the kitchen rang. She pushed back in her office chair and carefully stepped over Aika, to pad down the small set of stairs that led directly into the kitchen from the upstairs.

“Hello?” She chimed, pressing the receiver to her ear with her shoulder, waving at Sy as he passed the kitchen window and rounded the side of the house, then frowned, when no one answered her greeting. “Hello?” She repeated, a little bit louder. “Are you there?” She asked, checking to make sure the call was connected properly.

“What's wrong?” Sy frowned, stepping into the kitchen as the receiver fell to the floor at their feet.

“Nothing.” She squeaked, quickly bending to pick it up. “Just being clumsy.” She told him, hanging the phone up.

“Well, who was it?” He asked, tilting his head at her strange behavior.

“I don't know.” She replied, shrugging her shoulders and ran a hand through her hair, not turning around to look at him. “They never said anything. Must have been a wrong number or something.” She told him, heart thundering in her chest. “I need to finish my work.” She said, then rushed upstairs, leaving Sy staring up after her.

“I talked to your neighbor, Billie Marlowe.” Sy said, tugging a cloth out of his back pocket and wiped his face and head with it.

“Oh?” Lily replied, stirring a bit of honey into her tea.

“Yeah, he said, his daughter, Skylar, would be competing in a barrel racing competition this Sunday, in Dallas.” He told her, studying her carefully. “I was wondering, if you had thought about, maybe, going with me?” He asked, licking his lips.

Lily froze, the container of liquid creamer hovering over her steaming cup as she stared across the table at him, eyes wide. “I-”

“Oh, come on.” Sy pressed, brow creasing. “It's my treat. I'll drive and everything. It'll do you some good to leave the house.” He tried coaxing her. “Just for an hour or two.”

Lily continued to stare at Sy, her hand growing sweaty around the plastic container, before she set it down, her shoulders slumping as she did. “All right. Only for a few hours, then we come back. I have a deadline.”

Sy burst into a grin, his blue eyes bright. “Great.” He said, rubbing his hands together. “It doesn't start until eight and her competition doesn't start until eight-thirty. So, we'll have plenty of time.” He told her, excited to go to the fair with her.

Three days later, Sy got Lily in the car and they drove forty-five minutes from Celina to Dallas. The first few minutes in the car was quiet, until Luna's nerves got the best of her.

“When was the last time you went to a fair?” She asked, looking at him.

“Oh, man.” Sy huffed, frowning out the windshield as he considered it. “I think I was sixteen, it was an end of the year thing for my Junior year at high school. I didn't go to my Senior one, since I was getting ready for basic training.” He told her.

“What about you?” He asked, glancing at her.

“Never.”

“You've never been to one?” Sy snapped, shocked.

“Nope.” She shook her head at him.

“Not even for school?”

“I was home schooled.” She explained. “My dad thought they were a suck and waste of money.”

“That's the point.” Sy laughed, shaking his head. “Wasting money on artery clogging food and probably unsafe rides. It's a rush, but mostly from all the sugar.” He grinned at her, amused.

“You'll love it, I swear.”

“I'll take your word for it, Captain.” Lily smiled back, hoping he didn't see how freaked out she was.

They finally reached the fair grounds and a place to park, Sy got them all access bracelets, so giddy as they entered the fair grounds. Lily took several deep breaths as the crowd around them thickened and stuck close to Sy. She really didn't want to ruin Sy's fun at the fair, he had been jabbering about it since she agreed to go with him, telling her about the all fun rides and food. He was like a little boy, reliving his first fair experience, and she knew it had been over ten years since he had been to one. So, she put on a brave face and tried to smile, every time he glanced at her.

Which was every few seconds.

Sy and Lily got on several rides to kill the half hour until the barrel-racing competition started under one of the big tents set up in the huge field. She rather enjoyed the Ferris wheel, just her and Sy in one seat, spaced out from everyone else on the ride. She did think she was going to throw up on the sudden drop ride, but managed to keep it down, making Sy laugh at her as he saw her face from the corner of his eye as the two of them got off the ride.

“You all right?” He chuckled, resting his hand on the small of her back.

“I think, my stomach is somewhere between my brain and my toes.” She chuckled, despite herself.

“It'll even out again.” Sy laughed with her, rubbing her back.

“Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls,” the fair announcer came over the intercom system throughout the fair. “The Barrel-Racing Competition is due to start in ten minutes, in tent number six! So, find your seats now!” He informed the herd of fair-goers.

“Oh, we should head out that way.” Sy said, pulling out the little fair map and directed them towards the tent. “Why don't you find us a place to sit and I'll go get us something to munch and sip on.” He told her, at the tent's entrance.

“Sy..”

“It'll take two minutes.” He told her, squeezing her shoulder, then disappearing into the crowd that was trying to funnel into the tent.

“Fuck, Austin.” Lily gulped, starting to tremble as she turned into the tent and looked for somewhere to sit, before finding a place in the second row, near the exit.

Sy weaved around the countless people in the main walkway of the fair, before spotting a food vendor with something he thought Lily would love to try out and headed that direction, to standing in line. He was only in the line for a moment, when he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see who it was, breaking out into a smile.

“Mr. Marlowe.” He greeted the farmer, sticking his hand out to the other man.

“Please, just call me Billie.” Marlowe replied, smiling up at Sy and shook his hand.

“Sy.” Sy answered. “You must be excited to see your little girl compete.” He said, as they stood side by side and progressed through the line.

“That I am.” Billie beamed, like the proud papa he was. “I am surprised at you though.” He added, pulling off his John Deere hat, ran his hand through his short, salt and pepper hair, and rubbed the over-tanned skin of his neck.

“Why's that?” Sy frowned, shaking his head.

“I saw Ms. Lily with you.” Billie replied as they got to the counter. “My farm has been in my family for four generations. I knew the couple that lived at Ms. Lily's place, when I was a lad. They passed away and their kids didn't want to be farmers, so they sold the place and Ms. Lily bought it a few years back. In that time, I have never seen her leave the property. The closest I've ever seen was when she fetches the mail, and she does that in a jiffy.” He laughed, stepping up to one of the two cashiers, while Sy went to the other.

“What do you mean?” Sy frowned, then gave the cashier an order for two elephant ears, a coke for himself and a Dr. Pepper for Lily.

“Oh.” Billie frowned, realizing Sy had no clue.

“'Oh', what?” Sy pressed, annoyed.

“You don't know about Ms. Lily being Agoraphobic?” Billie asked slowly, blinking at Sy with a shocked look. “I thought you knew. Practically everyone in Celina knows about it. My boy, Travis, who works at the Celina supermarket, even gets her groceries for her and delivers them, and everything.”

Sy floundered, his mouth opening and closing for a moment. “I didn't.” He sighed, clearing his throat. “I just thought she was a home-body.” He said, shaking his head. “Well, I suppose she is a home-body, it's just a bit more complicated than that.”

He felt silly, all of the signs were there, right in front of his oblivious face. He had never seen her leave the property in the weeks he was there working. She was always, either, in the house or on the porch, the furthest from the house he had ever seen her was the mailbox. She got clearly anxious about any mention of leaving to go anywhere, and her car hadn't moved since the first time he saw it in the dirt driveway. Everything made so much sense to him now, with the sudden realization he had left her, alone, in a tent full of complete strangers.

“Shit!” He barked, taking the food and drinks and rushing back to the tent. “Are you okay?” He asked, as soon as he found her in the crowded stands.

“Other than starving, I'm all right.” She replied, looking up at him.

“You're sure?” He asked and sat down beside her, he could see the tremble in her shoulders. “You're shaking.” He pointed out, his brow creasing with concern.

Why did I push her into this! He berated himself mentally.

“I'm just cold.” She frowned back, which wasn't a complete lie, it was rather nippy out and she had left her jacket in the truck.

“Oh.” Sy gulped at her, setting their snacks down on the empty bench in front of them and peeled off his Five Finger Death Punch hoodie. “Here.” He said, handing her the toasty warm garment.

“Thanks.” She blushed, pulling it on.

The comforting warmth of the fabric settled around her, wrapping her up in Sy's scent of dark vanilla, the fresh cut pine boards he had been working with, fresh air and patchouli, from his beard oil. The tremor vibrating through her body instantly subsided as she huddled herself up inside Sy's hoodie, suddenly feeling safe, safer than she had ever felt in her life before, the murmur of the crowd vanished and everyone melted away, but Sy.

Sy smiled at her, watching as she stopped shaking. “Are you still hungry?” He asked her, picking up the heavy paper plate with the lumpy and sweet pastry dough on it, covered in butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.

“What in the world is that?” She frowned down at it.

“It's called an Elephant Ear.” He chuckled, letting her take the plate from him and picked up his own. “It's delicious.”

“It's as big as one!” She chuckled, balancing it in her lap and pushed up the oversized sleeves of Sy's hoodie, not wanting to get it messy as she tore a piece of the dough off and popped it into her mouth. “Mmm.” She melted, licking her coated lips. “That is sinful.” She moaned, smiling over at Sy, who simply folded his and took a massive bite out of it.

“I told you!” He mumbled around his mouthful, grinning ear to ear.

“I might have to learn how to make these.” Lily said, tearing off a bigger piece and licked her fingers clean of the cinnamon and sugar combination.

“Oh, don't threaten to spoil a man!” Sy laughed, gently touching his shoulder to hers.

“Hey, here she is!” Lily called out, pointing to the girl entering the center of the tent atop a horse. “They look so good together!” She grinned, beaming with her own dose of pride in Skylar and Juniper.

Lily lifted her hand and waved as Skylar looked out over the crowd, she spotted Lily and waved back at her, smiling. Skylar got herself and Juniper into position, taking deep breaths to try and settle her jittery nerves and focus on her task ahead. Skylar was given the signal and she was off, speeding as fast as she and Juniper could go towards the first barrel in front of them. Lily scooted towards the edge of her seat, her half eaten elephant ear forgotten in her excitement. Skylar seemingly sailed through the cloverleaf pattern she had to make around the barrels and back to her mark.

The crowd clapped as she went out, letting the next rider and their horse take their turn at the competition. Lily finished off her elephant ear and sipped at her Dr. Pepper, eyes glued to the beautiful horses and focused riders as they went around and around the barrels, kicking up dirt as they went.

“I really hope she wins.” Lily said, looking at Sy, only to realize he had been watching her the whole time, and not the racers. “What?” She squeaked, eyes wide. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No.” He smiled back, then chuckled. “Well..” He picked up the paper napkin he was given with the elephant ears and gently brushed off a line of brown sugar and cinnamon that Lily had on her cheek. “Just a little sugar.” He told her, softly.

“But, other than that, you're...” He paused for a moment. “Perfect.” He whispered, breathlessly.

Lily gulped and her cheeks warmed, biting the inside of her lip and fidgeted inside Sy's hoodie. “Thank you.” She mumbled back. “For the..” She motioned to her cheek, shyly.

“Of course.” Sy nodded, a tender smile on his lips. “But, I hope she wins too.” He added, turning back to the event.

“All right everybody, it's time to announce the winners for first, second and third place!” The announcer said, standing in the middle of the racing area, a microphone in his hand and a big cowboy hat on his head, as his boots shined with their spurs.

Lily crossed her fingers, making Sy chuckle at her.

“In third place is,” the announcer said, lifting a clipboard he was holding. “Paige Whitley with thirty-four seconds!”

The crowd clapped and whistled as the girl came up and took her ribbon for third place, then stood to one side of the announcer.

“In second place is, Ainsley Ortega with twenty-eight seconds!”

Another round of claps, whistling and yells from the crowd as she took her place beside Paige. There was a moment of pause and the suspense was starting to drive Lily stir crazy as they waited for him to announce the first place winner.

“and the first place winner of the Dallas Heritage Fair is,” He paused for a dramatic affect. “Skylar Marlowe with twenty-one seconds!”

“Yes!” Lily shouted, her arms flying up as she bounced in her seat, overjoyed. “She did it, Sy.” She grinned at him, throwing her arms around his neck, in her moment of overzealous excitement, forgetting herself.

“She did.” Sy grinned, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her back.

He unconsciously turned his face into her hair and took a deep breath, smelling her Lavender and Rosemary shampoo in it. They stayed like that, in a timeless bubble, before they recalled themselves and pulled apart again.

“I'm sorry, I was excited.” Lily blushed, brushing her hair behind her ear.

“Same.” Sy replied, clearing his throat. “I should get you back home now, it's been two hours.” He said, picking up their empty plates, napkins and soda cans, standing.

“I-” Lily froze, watching him dump them into a trash bin nearby. “I don't—mind—staying another hour, if you're not.” She told him, a hard lump in her throat. “I mean, there's so much of the fair I haven't seen, since it's my first time, and you spent a pretty penny on our access bracelets.” She said, lifting her arm, the sleeve of his hoodie slipped down her arm, revealing her red bracelet.

“Be rude and a shame to waste it, don't you think?” She asked, staring at him, shyly.

Sy studied her for a moment, weighing what he knew of her now, but she looked and seemed all right, for the most part, just her usual shy and withdrawn self. “If you want too, Lily. Then, I'm more than all right with staying and showing you the rest of the booths.” He said, his voice soft and—protective.

“I would like that.”

Sy smiled at her, gently, then offered her his arm, which she took. He escorted them out of the tent, with the rest of the fair-goers. Sy took her around the fair ground, stopping at booths that Lily showed interest in. He paused at one booth, seeing all the stuffed animals that were hanging around it and pressed his lips together, before glancing at her and deciding to give it a shot, wanting to win something for her, so when she saw it, she'd remember the fun she had at the fair; and think of him.

It was a shooting game booth, giving the player a minute to hit as many targets as they could, each target was worth a certain amount of points and moved quickly. But, Sy wasn't at all worried, this was his element, his military career made something like this easy. So, he took up the bee-bee rifle that the booth runner gave him, slotted it against his shoulder and held it through pure muscle memory. He patiently waited for the signal for him to start, watching the painted metal targets move on their tracks.

“Ready!” the booth runner called, standing to the side. “Set! Go!”

Sy's body instantly tensed and he started firing, his movement was sharp, quick and calculated, hips and shoulders pivoting as he hit each of the targets, only missing two in the full minute he had. Lily stood beside him, fully impressed by his skill.

“Seven hundred and forty-nine points.” the booth runner read off the scoreboard at the back of the booth. “That's the highest score yet!” He said, impressed himself. “You have a pick of whatever you want, sir.” He told Sy, motioning around to the stuffed animals, some were super teeny, while others were nearly Lily's size.

Sy surveyed the selection of stuffed animals, before a certain one caught his attention and smiled at it, it was perfect for why he wanted it. “That's the one.” He said, pointing out the medium sized, curly furred and light tan, teddy bear.

“A perfect choice, sir.” the booth runner praised him, taking it down and handing it over to Sy.

“Here.” Sy smiled, turning and holding it out to Lily. “He's for you.” He told her, gently, as his heart thundered in his chest.

Lily slowly took the bear from him, it was silk soft and plush, it felt nice under her hands, making her instantly smile as she stared down at it. She was touched that Sy had gone through the trouble of winning the game to get her a prize, no one had ever done something so kind, sweet and thoughtful for her before, it made her a bit emotional.

“Thank you.” She whispered, hugging it to her chest and looked up at Sy. “I love it.” She assured him, seeing the concern in his blue eyes that she wouldn't.

“Good.” He beamed, his heart still thundering, but it felt light and hopeful. “I'm glad.”

It was nearly dark by the time Lily and Sy finished their tour of the fair grounds and headed back to the house. Lily convinced Sy to stay for dinner before he headed back home, wanting to thank him in someway for taking her to the fair and showing her such a good time, something she hadn't had in as long as she could remember.

“Your cooking never fails to amaze me.” Sy chuckled, popping the last bit of his biscuit into his mouth. “It's the definition of a great home cooked meal.” He praised her, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his lean tummy through the fabric of his shirt.

“Well, you have the appetite of a Viking.” She giggled back, blushing at her plate.

Sy laughed again, his own bearded cheeks coloring. “True enough.” He agreed, smiling brightly at her.

“Thank you for taking me today.” Lily said, speaking softly. “I really did have a lot of fun.” She confessed, shyly twisting her napkin in her hands, and thinking of the teddy bear that now took up a prized spot on her bed, upstairs.

“I did too, I'm glad you agreed to go with me.” Sy nodded, tilting his head at her. “Did us both a great deal of good to get out and do something fun.”

“I should let you take off, before it gets too late.” She answered, after a brief moment of silence. “I know it's a long drive.”

Sy cleared his throat, biting the inside of his lip, he didn’t want to bring up staying at the motel down in Celina, so the drive was easier to make and gave him more hours in the day to work on the seemingly endless list of projects that needed to be done, to get the farm back into running order, again. He didn’t want them to argue after such an amazing day.

But, he knew she was right.

“Thanks for dinner.” He said, taking his plate to the sink, wanting a reason to linger a second longer. “Good night, Ms. Lily.” He smiled at her, as they stepped out onto the porch. “I'll see you in the morning.”

“I'll be here, with coffee and breakfast waiting, as always.” She replied, standing barefoot on the smooth and solid board of the porch.

He chuckled, bidding her good night again and got into his truck. As he drove to the motel, he recalled all the smiles she had given him throughout the day and the sound of her victorious laugh, when she beat him at the ring toss game, but sweetly gave him the bracelet she won, making him glance at the macrame, blue and gold turquoise beads weaved with black thread and tied with a slip knot, that hugged his thick wrist. His skin tingled as it remembered the gentle touch of her dainty fingers as she slipped it over his hand to his wrist and tugged it secure.

Sy wasn't a jewelry person, other than his watch and his dog-tags, but for as long as he lived, he vowed to never take that bracelet off.

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flying-guinea-pig · 2 years

Text

Not What He Seems Ch.14

That’s it folk, we’re done here :) AO3 link

Chapter 14 - Family

“Pass the rice.”

“Say please.”

“Pretty please with a cherry on top?”

“I don’t know which scares me more,” Brad mused. “When you look murderous or when you try to make that puppy-face.”

Maria threw a pea at him in retaliation. Eduardo passed her the rice, since Brad was too busy ducking and laughing.

The apartment was filled with the greasy, mouthwatering scent of takeout. Elisha had put on some upbeat background music. Outside a spring storm tapped on the windows, but inside it was warm and cosy.

Thomas sat back in his chair, surrounded by the familiar teasing and joking, and couldn’t help but relax. Something inside of him that hadn’t felt quite right ever since that night was finally thawing.

On the other side of the table was Tyrone, poking at his food and listening to the easy conversation around him. He must have felt Thomas’ gaze, because he looked up and smiled.

Twelve, Thomas thought, remembering this afternoon and what Tyrone had told him. Twelve, and at the same time centuries old. How difficult that must be. How painful to see everyone you cared about grow old, while you never really could.

(“You were just a kid.”

“Bill Cipher didn’t care,” Dipper Pines had said.)

“- no way you can. Come on, prove me wrong.”

“Okay dude, be ready to be amazed!” Eduardo shoved his chair back and took off his shoes.

When his socks followed, Elisha cleared her throat. “Could you move this to the couch?”

“What exactly are we doing? I wasn’t paying attention,” Thomas admitted.

Tyrone seemed distracted as well. He had barely touched his food. This wasn’t the first time Thomas noticed how human he looked. Only this time he knew it wasn’t just a disguise, but more of a might-have-been. A human soul turned into a demon, a demon’s soul released into the human reincarnation cycle in return… It still sounded crazy.

(“Evergreen,” Thomas had said, as puzzle pieces slipped into place. “I get it now. Very clever.”)

“Eddy claims he can use chopsticks with his feet,” Brad said.

“A useful and rare talent, I’m sure,” Elisha said, visibly amused despite herself. “But not one for the table we are all using to eat.”

“I’m moving, I’m moving,” Eduardo said. “Got an extra pair of chopsticks?”

Maria put down a single dumpling on the coffee table with an air of ceremony. “Go ahead.”

(“My twin sister. She was the original Mizar. And I know she’s still around, her soul at least – but I miss her,” Dipper Pines had said, shrinking down into himself until he was small, and so very young. “I can’t expect every reincarnation to be the same. They’re all Mizar. But they’re not all Mabel.”)

“It’s never going to work,” Brad said. “I don’t believe – what the heck? How are you doing this?”

“I have skills, dude,” Eduardo said, chewing on the dumpling. He swallowed it. “Tadaah!”

Maria whooped. Thomas laughed, and Elisha shook her head with a smile.

“You’re all ridiculous,” his fiancée said.

“It’s not that difficult.” Eduardo slipped the chopsticks from between his toes and sat back upright. “Want to try?”

“How about you, Tyrone?” Maria teased. “I bet you can’t.”

“Pff, of course I can. I just don’t feel the need to prove it.”

Brad glanced at him, and his uneaten plate of food. “You’re awfully quiet tonight.”

“Yeah, well,” Tyrone said, with a wry smile. “Nearly getting my friends killed dampens the mood somewhat.”

“That’s no reason to mope around,” Maria claimed. “Everything worked out fine, right?”

“I’m just glad it wasn’t you after all.” Brad made a face. “I was kinda worried about your weird PMS thing.”

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Elisha said, with a rather dry look at Brad.

“He means the whole Beast-and-Star theory,” Thomas saved Brad from his fiancée.

Which wasn’t right, he realised. They claimed Alcor had two faces – and maybe he did. But there was a third face, the one that loved candy and adventures and games. Not the destructive demon, not the fire-wreathed saviour. Just a child that never got to grow up.

“I don’t have a ‘weird PMS thing’!”

“Sure, whatever. Let’s just all be glad we’re alive and leave it at that.”

“Ugh.”

“There was a challenge given,” Maria reminded them, a glint in her eyes. “How about it, Tyrone? I bet you can’t pick up that dumpling with chopsticks, without using your hands.”

“Fine, challenge accepted. Get me those chopsticks.”

“Let’s make it interesting, shall we? If you succeed, you get my dessert. But if you fail, you owe me a little favour.”

“I take back what I said, this is your scariest expression,” Brad said. “Maria, scheming.”

“A favour, huh?” Tyrone grinned, back in his element. “You have something particular in mind, then?”

“Yep,” Maria said, matching his mischievous energy with her own wide grin. “Just your help with some little adjustments on my motorbike. Sentient vehicles are all the rage, after all.”

“Oh Stars,” Thomas groaned. This was a horrible idea.

“Deal!” Tyrone said, brightly. He snapped his fingers, and the chopsticks floated through the air, delivering the dumpling to his mouth before helpfully moving Maria’s banana fritters to his own plate. “Thanks for the free dessert!”

“Hey now, that’s cheating!” Maria laughed.

Tyrone only shrugged and returned to his plate, where he finally started eating with his usual enthusiasm. “What did you expect? I am a demon.”

(“I was a normal twelve-year old, with a twin sister, Mabel,” Dipper Pines had said. “One summer our parents shipped us up north to a sleepy town called Gravity Falls, to stay at our great-uncle's place in the woods…”)

-----

There was a girl, opening a door. She had soft brown eyes and thick curls. Her shirt depicted a cartoony image of a cactus in sunglasses and had a truly ridiculous pun on it.

Elisha swallowed her fashion advice and smiled. “Amy Wethers? My name is Elisha McKenzie. I’m here on behalf of a mutual friend. Messy hair, short, tends to float when he gets excited?”

“Oh,” the girl said, leaning against the side of the door. Wary, but not completely unapproachable. “I’m familiar. Why did he send you?”

“Just to talk,” Elisha said. “You probably have a lot of questions and I know for a fact that Alcor can take some time to get used to. I also know some little tricks to get him out of your hair when he gets too annoying. Can I come in?”

------

Back in the Mindscape, there was a place called the Midway Bar. It was the place demons visited to relax, to socialise, and occasionally make deals.

There was an empty table in the corner. A moment ago it had been occupied, now it was empty. This may have something to do with the large pair of curled horns currently stuck in its surface.

“I’m not here to fight,” Alcor said, the horns still vibrating slightly from the force with which they had been rammed into the table. A drop of sulphurous demon blood sizzled on the wood. “Just redecorating a little. That’s fine, isn’t it?”

The Bartender was frowning in his direction. The low-level demons that had fled to the edges of the room stayed there, wary. Each of them wondering if they could run, and for how long.

“Can’t fight inside the Midway Bar, right?” Alcor added. “I promised the Bartender. I’m playing nice, see? But I’m not promising the same if you leave. Come on, let’s have a talk. I have some deals to offer. To low-levels only, though. Limited time offer! You don’t wanna miss it!”

The Bartender sighed, but went back to cleaning glasses.

Alcor’s burning eyes found the nearest demon. “Come a bit closer, don’t make me yell at you.”

“Eep!” said the Skeleton Bug. She turned one eyestalk towards the exit, another towards the Bartender. A third remained fixed on Alcor, whose shape was still coated in little flecks of demon blood, of several different colours.

Behind her, those lucky bastards who weren’t the focus of Alcor’s attention slipped out.

Alcor beckoned them closer. Itpolec, halfway through climbing through a window, suddenly thought better of it and hid underneath a table.

Asopiel pulled herself together, her storm clouds thickening. “You’re not going to destroy us?”

“That depends. You have two choices. One of them is this,” Alcor said, and shoved a densely written parchment in front of their trembling eyestalks and other assorted sensory organs. ‘Oregon University Safe Summons List’ it said, on top of the document.

The Skeleton Bug swallowed. “And… the other choice?”

Alcor smiled. Or showed his teeth, at least, all several rows of them. “The other is me.”

~The End~

#transcendence au #fic: not what he seems #alcor the dreambender #thomas strange #the demonology gang #elisha mckenzie #various demons

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diaryofabeautyfiend · 3 years

Text

It Had to be Witches

Dean and Sam are on a hunt at Rowena’s request. When Sam is out of commission, Dean has to work with you.

Warnings: Unprotected p in v (wrap it before you tap it!) male oral receiving, fingering, mention’s of witchcraft, brief mentions of ritual style murders, brief mention of animal sacrifice, Dean is a sad boy.

Word count: 3567

All written and proofread (poorly) by me. All mistakes are my own. Please don’t copy or repost my work. Likes are great and I’ll love you forever if you repost and comment. Thanks for reading.

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Sam and Dr. Philips examined each of the women’s bodies. Carved into their limbs were runes consistent with the ones Rowena described. She said she was sending an expert who lived in the area but the boys hadn’t made contact yet.

“The other agent who was just here asked the same questions. Don’t you guys talk to each other?” Dr. Philips covered the bodies. Some of the women he knew personally.

“Different departments. You said he was just here? How long ago?”

“She. Her name is Diana Luna. She’s down at the evidence locker. All the women had the same necklace. She went to check it out.”

Sam thanked the doctor and set off to find you. First he called Dean. “Looks like Rowena’s story checks out. Her expert was just here. The bodies were marked with runes and all of their tongues cut out. And, get this, they all had the same necklace. Maybe a coven?”

“Of course. Of course it’s witches, Sam. Look, don’t go far. I’m on my way.” Sam was sitting on a bus bench reading coroner's reports when you approached him. Due to the nature of the case, Rowena insisted the elder Winchester carry out the task at hand. “Use Sam as bait.” she instructed.

“Agent Cornell? I’m agent Luna from the Lansing office.” You extended your hand. “Director Macleod sent me.”

“Yeah, I bet she did. Bring me up to speed.”

“Sure. I’ve got what you’re looking for right here.” You blew a very potent powder in his face knocking him out. You put the lankier Winchester into your truck and sped back to your house. Getting his dead weight up the stairs was a task but you did it. “Sweet dreams, Sam.”

Dean searched the entire town square for Sam with no luck. He tried his phone again and it was going directly to voicemail. Sam could hold his own against any witch but Dean was still worried. As he unlocked the door to the Impala, he heard you call his name over his shoulder and turned his head to see who was speaking. You blew the dream dust into his face rendering him unconscious.

He was heavier than he looked. You shoved him into the back seat and pried the keys from his hand. Baby growled angrily when she started but you had her purring for you in no time. You drove him back to your house and dragged him inside where you intended to tie him up. Rowena coached you on all their tricks. You took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and divested him if anything sharp. With his wrists and ankles bound in a pretty decent slip knot you splashed his face with water to wake him.

“Morning, handsome.” he smirked as you wiped his face.

“Big mistake, sweetheart. I’m guessing you’re the one we’re looking for.”

“Pretty and dumb. Rowena was right and you would be guessing wrong. Her name is Teresa Wilson. She came seeking asylum with our coven a few months ago. Said her whole order was obliterated. Turns out, she wasn’t exactly who she said she was.”

His face split into a cocky grin, “They never are. What do you want with me?”

“You need to help me find her. Rowena gave me a locator spell. When I cast the spell, I’ll need your fancy bullets. Problem is…”

He laughed heartily, “Problem is you can’t touch ‘em, am I right, sweetheart?”

“You would be correct.”

“And what’s in it for me?”

You took a step back just out of his reach just in case, “If you help me I’ll let your brother live.”

He strained against the ropes veins bulging in his forearms. “If you touch one hair on his head I’ll rip you apart myself. You hear me, witch?”

Your nails dug sharp into the meat of his cheeks so he would look at you. “Relax, baby. Your brother is safe. He’s asleep upstairs dreaming of puppies and rainbows as we speak. But if you don’t help me, he’ll never wake up. And, Dean, when I kill someone, it sticks. No resurrections for Sammy this time.”

You’ve never seen a human man snarl before. It was pretty cute. Rowena warned you not to be mesmerized by his sweet face and his Disney Princess eyes but you couldn’t help it. The man looked like he would, in fact, rip you apart. And, Hecate help you, you wished he would. You traced a finger along his sharp stubble covered jaw. His eyes turned up to look into yours, throwing daggers at you. “Anyone ever tell you how cute you are when you’re angry?”

“All the time. Get to the spell so I can take my brother out of here.” he growled.

“It’s not time. If I untie you, are you gonna be a good boy or do I have to hit you with my knock out dust again?” You couldn’t take your eyes off of his perfect lips smiling at you.

“Sure, mommy, I’ll be a real good boy.”

You knelt in front of him and parted his knees slightly to undo the first knot. “Such a smart ass.” He growled low in his throat when you peered at him through your lashes. His dick grew painfully hard against his jeans as you slid your hand up his legs to maintain balance. Of course you noticed though he tried to squeeze his thighs together to hide his arousal. “Do you like me like this, Dean?”

Of course he did. You were just his type. A little bratty but you had a good heart. Rowena told them about you. The little warrior for the Grand Council. They constantly sent you to do their dirty work and you did so without question like a good soldier. No wonder Rowena paired the two of you. You were the female version of him. “Like what?” His voice was low and dripping with need.

“On my knees for you. Looks like you do.” You winked at him but he looked away embarrassed.

It had been a long time since he felt a woman wrapped hot around him. Everything in him wanted to follow your siren song and happily crash. He couldn’t do it. This story always ended bloody. “You couldn’t handle it, sweetheart.” He peered down at the bulge in his pants. So did you. Your core heated at the thought.

“Is that a dare or a double dare?.” He spread his legs and licked his lips inviting you to take what you wanted. You shook it off and focused on the task at hand. “Well in any case, I made you dinner. Pot roast, potatoes, peas and carrots. Eat if you want.”

It did smell amazing. His stomach growled remembering that all he had was coffee this morning. The living room and kitchen were well lit and warm. He felt at peace in this place. More so than the bunker where it could sometimes feel clinical and cold. “You got a pretty nice place here. You all alone?”

A sly smile played on your lips, “Just me.” You sat the plate down in front of him with a cold beer and a bottle opener. The oven timer dinged and, when you opened the door, the aroma of cinnamon and spice wafted through the air.

“That pie?” He sounded choked up.

“Apple. I have an orchard in the back. Rowena filled me in on how to keep you happy.” You sit it on the windowsill to cool while you ate. “I can’t have you bashing me over the head and running off before we kill this bitch.”

He shoveled a fork full of potatoes and gravy into his mouth humming in appreciation. “Why me? You had Sam here. He’s much better at this witch stuff than I am. Why drag me out here?”

“You’re more reliable when making difficult decisions. You’re what I need. Another beer?” He nodded breathing in the soft floral scent that wafted off of your skin as you moved.

You didn’t offer any further information and Dean thought that was probably for the best. If he got in his head about the situation he would lose his nerve and that can’t happen. That’s how people die. As of late, Sam has had a lot on his mind. Dean would have to shoulder this burden. At least Sammy was getting some rest.

The two of you shared a comfortable silence only marred by silverware hitting ceramic. “Well that was delicious. Thank you….umm…I don’t think I caught your name.”

“I didn’t give it to you. I’m Y/N. But I wouldn’t mind if you kept calling me sweetheart. Pie?”

Dean's heart beat hard in his chest at the thought of calling you sweetheart “Maybe a little. So when do we do this thing?”

“Eat your pie then meet me outside. I have to prepare.” You slipped out the back door down a dimly lit path to your cauldron. You threw in the mandrake and tobacco. Last was the chicken that you had to slaughter. You grabbed a hen from her coop and stabbed her with your athame. It made a terrible sound which sent Dean flying through the back door ready to fight.

“What the hell was that?”

“Chicken.” You allowed the rest of its blood to drain and discarded the carcass. “periisti. lates. Ego te quaero. I vestrum adprehendet vos.” You chanted over and over until a glowing beacon appeared. “We have to follow it.” The orb circled the two of you then floated towards the Impala. You retrieved his keys from your pocket and started off for the car.

“Whoa whoa whoa. What are you doing?”

“Following the orb.” He grabbed your arm as you started to slide into the driver’s seat.

“No one drives my baby but me. You sit shotgun.” He impatiently waited for you to scoot over. When you reached for the radio he slapped your hand away. “Are you serious?!”

“What? There were other decades besides the 70’s.” He bit his lip and flared his nostrils letting out an unsettling growl. “Driver picks the music.”

“You are a child. Just drive. The spell won’t last forever” you huffed.

“So, just you huh? No boyfriend? Girlfriend?” You didn’t answer keeping your eyes trained on the orb. “Yeah me neither. Maybe later we can grab a drink.”

“My god. Can you keep it in your pants until we’re done? It took a left!”

He sped up taking off after it, “I see it. So that’s not a no.” That was all the invitation he needed. The truth was you would have given it up the moment those green eyes stared into your soul.

“It’s not a no. Let’s focus.”

Baby ate up miles of dirt road before reaching the highway. A couple of miles ahead the orb sped for an exit into town. You were led to the motel where the boys were staying. The door to their room was wide open and there Teresa stood bathed in the light of the orb. You bid it a job well done and sent it on its way.

Teresa, caught off guard, quickly muttered a spell pinning Dean to the wall, sending the gun skittering away. You faced each other down while Dean struggled. “She’s a kid!” he groaned in pain.

“I’m nineteen thank you. You don’t have to do this Y/N. Come on. We’re sisters. We share the same DNA. Let’s take them on together.” Tears welled in your eyes. You may have been blood but you weren’t sisters. She grew up far out of the Grand Council’s reach while you were their trained lap dog.

“Only half little sister. You’re hopped up on enough stolen magic to power the entire city. The Grand Council sent me to take you down. Adiuro te in nomine Hecate. Adiuro te in nomine Dianae. Tuae vires cum luna decrescant.” you chanted. She fought back but the binding spell was powerful. She didn’t have enough magic to hold Dean and fight you so she let him go. When he regained composure, he dove for the gun.

Without warning, Teresa gained the upper hand. She held out her arm and used all of her might to pull you towards her. Blood stained tears fell from your eyes as you struggled to breath. With every last ounce of strength you had you doubled down on the binding spell long enough to hold her so that Dean could put her down. The blast of the shot filled the small motel room filling your ears with a high pitched whining. You collapsed onto the floor where Dean scooped you into his arms.

“Hey, Y/N. Wake up. Stay with me. Shit.” He carried you to the car and gingerly set you down next to him. The drive back to your house felt long. When he got you inside he placed you on the couch and called Rowena.

“Is it done then?” she asked in her thick Scottish brogue.

“Yeah but your girl’s unconscious. She’s breathing but she used a lot of magic. A lot. I don’t think you’ll be calling on her anytime soon.”

“Keep her warm, Dean. I’ll be there soon.” The line went dead. He sat on the floor in front of you and brushed your hair from your eyes.

“Sweetheart, you need to wake up. We were supposed to grab that drink, remember?” He pressed his lips to your temple lingering there for a moment when he heard Rowena’s laugh trill behind him.

“I should add matchmaker to my long list of talents. Out of the way, Dean. I’ll get your girl fixed right up.” She patted his hand and pushed him aside.

His face flushes hot burning all the way to his ears. ”She’s not my girl.”

“Of course. Now, what seems to be the trouble, dear?” She placed her hands on your head. Her eyes glowed as she spoke over you. Your lashes began to flutter and you woke up. “There she is. Good as new.” You and Dean exchanged a look. “That appears to be my cue to go check on Samuel.”

“Thank you, Rowena.” your voice was hoarse barely above a whisper.

“Not at all, dear.”

Dean pulled you into his lap rocking you gently, “You scared the hell out of me, sweetheart.”

“I had to stop her. She hurt too many people.” You felt guilty for ending her but even guiltier for letting her go as far as she did. Guiltier still for not pushing harder to be in her life. “It was my fault.”

“Hey, no it wasn’t. What? You think you should have been a better big sister? You didn’t lead her down this path, Y/N.” You rested your head on his shoulder “All these years and all the stupid fucked up shit Sam and I did, I blamed myself. I took on that burden. Alone. It’s a lonely awful place to be. I’m begging don’t do that to yourself.” He held your face in his hands forcing you to look at him. He wanted to kiss you. You would have let him if he leaned in. Instead he brought you back down to his chest just to hold you. He saw so much of himself in you. You were headstrong and self righteous but your intentions were altruistic.

You melted into his arms so lost in him that you didn’t hear Sam and Rowena slip out. Dean offered his brother only a small nod to let him know you were ok. He had several texts from Eileen anyway. Happy to see his brother didn’t have to spend another night alone, he went back to the bunker.

You sat in silence for a while when you started yawning. “Shit. What time is it?”

“After midnight. I should get outta here.” You untangled yourself from his grasp but didn’t stand. His hands stayed respectfully at the small of your back. You locked eyes with him. Your core tingled as he brushed errant hair from your forehead.

“Or you could stay. We haven’t had our drink yet. Though, you don’t need to get me drunk, handsome.” You kissed his jaw and down his neck working your way to his collarbone. A soft moan escaped his lips when you nipped at his neck. “I mean you enjoyed me on my knees and all.”

“As pretty as you looked,” his voice was low and gravelly, “And, I mean you looked gorgeous. We really shouldn’t.”

You genuinely pouted your lips backing off of your ministrations, “Why not? I want to. And you clearly want to. You’re a fucking legend, Dean. Show me just how legendary you are.”

He arched a brow at you and smirked in the way that only Dean Winchester does. “Flattery will get you everywhere, sweetheart.” Finally his lips were on yours. The force of his kiss took your breath away. It wasn’t predatory or greedy. It was slow and sensuous bordering on hunger. His whole body was hungry for you. Dean Winchester was hungry constantly looking for something to fill the hole inside him. For the moment, that was you. He felt like he was floating and was suddenly very warm. If he stopped kissing you he knew he would just stop breathing. He couldn’t bare the thought.

“What are you doing to me?” His chest heaved. “I feel like I’m on fire.” Surely this must be a spell or enchantment. He pulled you back in for more but this time his hands strayed from your back. They traveled to your hips then under the hem of your shirt to feel your flesh warm against him. He had to feel you. To be inside of you. Deft fingers unbuttoned your jeans. Without breaking the kiss he stroked your clothed core working up a rhythm that flooded you with arousal.

“Touch me, Dean. Please” you cried. Pushing your panties aside his fingers explored your dripping pussy. His pace is maddening. Your hips snapped fucking back hard. “Fuck, Dean. So good. I need your cock. Want you to split ne open.”

“You’ve got a filthy mouth, Princess. Come for me and I’ll give you what you want.” And so you gushed around him moaning like a witch on fire. When your heart slowed to a normal rhythm you stripped naked. Before he could get undressed he took a moment to kiss and touch every inch of you. If this was only for tonight he wanted to savor you. “God you’re beautiful.”

“So are you.” You pulled him up and undressed him, never once breaking eye contact. His cock was red and weeping just aching to be touched.

On your knees in front of him you took the whole burning thing in your mouth. To Dean, you were the most stunning creature to exist. You swirled your tongue around the head while you hollowed your cheeks sucking him in deeper still.

“You’re doing so well, sweetheart. Fuck that feels good.” His hands grasped the back of your head keeping you steady while he fucked your face. It started feeling too good like he would blow his load in your mouth. He had to feel your sweet cunt. “Let me feel you, baby. Fuck I need you.” You pulled off with a pop and climed into his lap. Both of you whimpered when you sank onto his length. The stretch was exquisite. Your pussy held him so tight. You ground your clit over his pubic bone while he fucked into you with a brutal pace. “You feel so good. M’not gonna last. Come for me, baby. I need it.” Your twat fluttered around him, milking him for all he was worth. You kissed once more fighting to hang on to the last tendrils of tenderness and warmth that you could.

“Stay. Please. Just for tonight” you whispered.

He tightened his grip on you. “Of course, sweetheart. All night.”

He hated to leave you but the sun rose like a beacon calling him away. If he didn’t leave then, he wouldn’t have ever left. Last time he stuck around and fell in love, he had to learn the hard way that he could never have this. Maybe he would call you the next time he swung through town. Maybe you’d spit in his face for bailing. He brushed the hair off your forehead and kissed your temple. “Bye, sweetheart.”

You woke when you heard the Impala roaring to life in your driveway. He left a square of paper with a phone number scrawled in pencil “I’ll always answer. -DW” You put on your robe, went down to your cauldron and threw it in with a few bundles of sage and some witch hazel to sever any feelings. On the next full moon, you’d do a cord cutting to make sure it sticks.

“See you around, handsome.” In his eleven hour drive back to the bunker, any feelings that you have would slowly fade. The two of you would go back to being too afraid to feel and far too afraid to fall in love. Dean wouldn’t hear from you again. He wouldn’t really remember where you lived. But, every time he drove through Michigan, he’d feel a twinge in his chest. And, no matter how many rituals you did, you’d feel him too.

#sam and dean #dean winchester #dean winchester angst #dean winchester smut #Dean Winchester fluff #dean winchester x reader #Dean Winchester x witch reader

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vnderoos · 4 years

Text

in the stars ✷ draco malfoy

(gif is not mine, credit to the owner) warnings / language, slytherin!reader, half blood prince setting word count / 4.6k

masterlist in bio ↴

Y/N LEANED AGAINST THE STONE wall outside of Professor McGonagall's classroom, like she always did, with her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for Draco to meet her outside. She'd come from her Potions class with Slughorn and she couldn't wait to tell him that she'd actually nailed her brew that day. It wasn't uncommon for her to feel lost in that class, finding herself much more adept when it came to Charms or Transfiguration, but that day was the first time in a while where she'd felt like she hadn't totally fudged everything.

She pushed herself off of the wall with a sense of eagerness when she saw Draco's head of striking, blonde hair sail out of the doors. A bright smile painted itself onto her face, expecting him to head right towards her so she could gush about her accomplishment and maybe, just maybe, get a huff of amusement from him as a congratulations, but he walked right past her. It was like he didn't even see her as he walked by, his blue eyes staring straight through her, and her smile faltered.

Sure, he'd been a little quieter than usual and they hadn't hung out outside of class as much as they used to, but he'd never blatantly ignored her like that.

It stung a little, honestly.

Shaking the confusion off of her face and unfurrowing her brows, Y/N took off after him. "Oi, Malfoy," she called and she shoved her way through the crowd of other students parading through the hallways, shooting off one cold glance after another at those who refused to budge right away. "What the hell was that, you git?" she confronted and he didn't even seem fazed. She knew bloody well that she was in earshot, but he was just shutting her out and she didn't know why. "Draco, please." She reached out and grabbed his wrist in one last attempt, hoping to get something out of him.

Before she could plead with him anymore and make herself seem even more pathetic, Draco whipped around to face her. "Bloody hell, Y/N, don't you understand that I don't want to deal with you right now?" he spat, the words biting into her skin like they had fangs, and he ripped his arm from her grasp. "Just piss off already."

After he delivered the final blow, Y/N's eyebrows lifted in shock and she stopped in her tracks. She watched him as he strode away, his black and green robes billowing behind him, and she stood frozen in the middle of the hallway. The students that she'd fought her way through before passed her by once more, some of their shoulders knocking against hers as they maneuvered themselves around her.

Just piss off already.

The words echoed in her head, even after she'd composed herself well enough to make her way back towards the dungeons.

—

When dinner came around, Y/N found herself picking at the food on her golden plate, separating her mixed vegetables into individual piles almost without thinking. Usually, she'd be sat across from Draco, trying to make him laugh at one of her stupid jokes, which would normally result in him throwing a pea or two at her and rolling his eyes, but he'd been distant lately. Clearly. He hadn't even shown up to the Great Hall that night, and she assumed he was probably off doing something he shouldn't be.

He had told her weeks ago, before he'd started to pull away, that he'd been chosen to help the Dark Lord with one of his plans. He'd been sneaking away a lot, to the Room of Requirement, where he'd been working tirelessly in an attempt to repair the Vanishing Cabinet, but as far as she knew, it was all still a work in progress.

She figured that all of it must've been taking a toll on him—that he must've started to feel the crushing weight of the stress—and she wished he could understand that he didn't have to dissociate from her like he was, but Draco had never been one to seek comfort in others. She learned a long time ago that he tended to deal with things alone, even if that meant pushing away the people around him. She never thought she'd become one of those people, but here she was, going through the first day since their first year where she and Draco hadn't properly spoken, and it sucked.

Y/N still had Pansy and Blaise, both of whom she loved dearly, but talking with them wasn't the same as talking with Draco. They didn't understand her like he did, nor did they listen even half as well.

Plus, she had never spoken it out loud, but she cared for Draco much differently—much more deeply—than she cared for the other two.

A sudden pain in her side brought her out of her swirling thoughts, snapping her back into the hustling and the bustling of the Great Hall, and it took no time at all for her to realize that Pansy had just elbowed her in the ribs. "Watch it, would you, Parkinson?" she grumbled, rubbing her fingers over her side even though it had hardly hurt.

Pansy scoffed and tucked a strand of her shiny, black hair behind her ear. "Wouldn't have to if you weren't in sodding space right now. I don't think I've ever seen you so distracted," she pointed out, leaning against her sweater-clad arms which happened to have been crossed over the tabletop.

Y/N rolled her eyes and she looked over at Blaise, who bore the same nosey expression. He washed the food in his mouth down with a sip of the liquid in his chalice and he nodded his head in agreement. "Pans is right. What happened today?" he pried and he set down his fork, so he could prop one of his elbows up on the table and lean his head into his hand. "You look like a kicked pup," he added.

"Bloody Malfoy is what happened," she confessed, knowing it would be no use to hide anything from the two. They'd have bugged it out of her, either way. "I waited for him to get out of McGonagall's, like usual, and the twit didn't even acknowledge me. He told me to 'piss off', can you believe that?" She asked, rolling a couple of carrots around on her plate.

Blaise shrugged his shoulders at that and Pansy sighed. As they recalled, Draco hadn't seemed all-too-thrilled to see them lately, either. "Don't take it personally, Y/N/N. That's just Draco being Draco," Pansy promised, knocking her with her elbow again, but softer and on her bicep that time.

Blaise nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's been a bit off with us, as well," he included, backing up the statement of the raven-haired girl. "He's been short with us all day."

Y/N furrowed her eyebrows at them, glancing between the two of them. "Short with you? At least he's willingly spoken to you," she bit back, harsher than she'd intended to, and a look of discomfort crossed onto her friends' faces. She felt a pang of guilt at the severity of her tone, but she pushed it down, knowing they wouldn't hold it against her. "He barely even looked at me after class. I was practically begging for his attention," explained Y/N.

Pansy managed a tight-lipped smile. "Surely, it was just the result of a bad day. I can't imagine he's seriously upset with you," she said, trying to sound reassuring, but she came off like she was trying to sound hopeful herself.

Y/N didn't buy it, though, and she shook her head. "I can't believe he's talked to the both of you today, but he chose to blow me off. He's acting like he hates me, now, but it's fine," she vented, trying to blow off some steam but the anger began to bubble up more in the pits of her stomach. How could Draco ignore her like that when she'd done nothing but walk through the fire with him? How could he be so quick to push her away when all she wanted was to help him do what he thought was best for himself? "It's just Draco being Draco, yeah?" she snapped, reiterating what Pansy had told her earlier, and she threw her silverware down onto the table. It clattered across the wood and a few of the other Slytherins turned their heads towards her to send her a glare. She looked around at the few of them, before she pushed herself into a standing position. "If you two would excuse me, I think I'm done eating," she growled.

She hadn't meant to come off as angry at Pansy or at Blaise, because she wasn't, but as she stormed out of the room, she decided she'd apologize to them both the following morning. Right now, she was too pissed off at Draco for ignoring her, at herself for not trying harder to make sure he knew he wasn't alone, and at the fucking Dark Lord for putting this sort of pressure on him in the first place. The entire situation was mad and Y/N was done with it. She was tired after worrying about Draco all day and she much preferred a night alone in the girl's dormitory to one where she picked at her food and wallowed in her own thoughts the whole time.

Her walk back to her dorm had been quiet, due to almost all of the other students being back at dinner. As she stepped into the room she shared with Pansy and a few of the other girls, she figured she had at least an hour to mope around before they all returned and disturbed the peace and quiet.

A sigh left her lips as she shrugged her robe from her shoulders, folding it neatly and setting it on her bedside table after. She ripped off every other unnecessarily difficult part of her uniform—her green tie, her sweater vest, and her newly-polished shoes—and she untucked her button-down shirt. She dropped her shoes on top of the trunk at the end of her bed, threw everything else over her robe, and when she felt like she could breathe again, she let herself flop onto her mattress.

Y/N sunk into it upon impact, relishing in the immediate comfort that it offered her, but when she rolled over to stare up at the canopy over her bed, something crumpled beneath her. She reached beneath her back and pulled out a piece of neatly-folded parchment—or at least it had been before she laid on it. She turned the paper over in her fingers and ran her thumb over the surface.

If this was another note from Millicent Bulstrode asking her to do her Charms homework, she was going to set the girl's entire mattress on fire.

When she unfolded the piece of parchment, she was surprised that she didn't find Millicent's jumbled, blocky lettering. Instead, the handwriting was long, slanted, and familiar. Considering she'd received dozens of letters from him in the past, it didn't take but a few seconds for her to identify it as Draco's.

Meet me in our spot at midnight.

Y/N's heart fluttered in her chest as her eyes flickered over his message not once, not twice, but three times, just to make sure it was actually there. Part of her wanted to rip the paper to shreds right then and there, but the other part knew that because it was the first time he'd been the one to reach out in a while, it must've been important.

Especially if he'd placed it there after what happened that afternoon.

Deciding that she would meet him when the time came, Y/N tucked the piece of parchment beneath her pillow and laid her head on top of it.

—

Y/N's stomach churned as she walked up the steps to the Astronomy Tower, happy she traded her black shoes for her something with a rubber sole, or she would've been clacking the entire way up. She hugged her robe, which she'd snagged off of her table on her way out of the dorm, tighter against her body, hoping it'd be enough to trap her body heat since she'd left her sweater back in the dungeons.

As she stepped up the winding staircase, she half-hoped that Draco would be running late, so she wouldn't have to be the one to start the conversation, but her hopes dissipated when she saw him already leaning against the railing. His elbows were propped against the wood, his hands were clasped out in front of him, and his head was tilted towards the sky. His blonde hair looked almost silver in the night and the moonlight cast sharp shadows over his face, but he looked almost peaceful as he stared into the stars. She found herself wanting to stand there and admire him just as intently as he admired the night sky, because he was all-too-enchanting, but he was waiting for her.

Instead, she hesitantly walked up behind him. "Hello, Draco," she said softly and he hummed out in greeting, pushing himself off of the railing in order to face her. Despite the rockiness between them lately, she wasted no time in stepping closer to him, slotting her arms through his and wrapping them around his torso.

Usually, when she hugged him, Draco would give her an awkward pat on the back, mutter a 'that's long enough, y/l/n', and push her away, but to her surprise, he hugged her back. His arms closed around her tightly, with an intensity she'd never felt from him, and he pulled her in as close as he could to his chest. "It wasn't your fault—when I snapped at you this morning," he murmured. "A lot's been happening. I've been meaning to— I've..." he started to say something, but his words were lost in her hair.

Y/N only hugged him tighter. She ran her fingertips up and down his spine comfortingly, like his outburst that afternoon hadn't even happened, and she propped her chin up on his shoulder. "S'okay. I've missed you, too," she hummed, her stomach lurching as she did, almost nervous that she'd misinterpreted him, but he sighed against her. He seemed grateful that she knew what he meant without him having to force it out of his throat. After all, he'd never been one for sentiment. "Is everything alright?" She questioned and she softly pulled herself out of his embrace.

Y/N took to the railing, leaning against it, and Draco positioned himself next to her. He shrugged his shoulders and ran one of his hands upwards over his, carding his fingers backwards through his hair and leaving it all disheveled after he had. "Nothing's been alright for a while, now." Draco sounded so tired and dreary, and now that she was up close, she could see the purple curves of the dark circles under his eyes. She'd known that he'd been worried about everything for a while now, that the Dark Lord's task had been getting under his skin, but she hadn't realized how badly it'd been eating away at him. "I'm trying to mend the cabinet, but I can't seem to figure it out. Everyone else is on the outside and it's like I'm doing all of this alone, Y/N/N," he confessed and she fought the urge to scoop him back up in her arms again.

"I know it feels like that, but it doesn't have to. I would help you if you needed me to, you know I would," Y/N told him quietly and Draco did know that.

She was as tough as nails when you looked at her individually, but if you threw him into the mix, she would always be weak when it came to him and he knew that. He'd never admit it, but he'd always taken a sort of pride in being her soft spot. It was in times like this, though, that the title came with a price. She must've seen the conflict on his face, because she placed her hand over his softly in an attempt to comfort him.

It was there for all of a second before he ripped his hand away. "No," he told her.

"Draco, you just said—"

"Merlin, Y/N, I know what I said, but it wasn't a bloody cry for help, don't you get that?" He hissed and she flinched at the sudden change in his tone. "He gave this task to me. Me. I don't need your help, you aren't even in the cards."

"Oh, okay." When Draco saw the look that crossed onto her face, the glossiness in her eyes, and the way that her head fell forward in defeat, he wanted to take it back. He wanted to retract everything he'd said, but the damage had already been done. "I was just trying to make you feel better about it. I didn't mean to upset you," she explained quietly and he could hear the whisper in her voice as tears started to well up in her eyes. It wasn't that she was sad, but the fact that it was starting to seem like he'd only invited her there just to bite her head off again was beyond frustrating. "You really have some nerve, Malfoy," she muttered, turning her head away from him as a tear rolled down her cheek, because she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing it.

"Oh, don't—" he started to snap again as he pushed himself off of the railing for the second time, but he caught himself. He sighed and he held his hand out, as if to offer her comfort with a clap on the shoulder, but as he did it, he hesitated. He settled for a stiff hand on her back, instead. Her eyes were still fixated on anything but him. "Look, I know. I didn't mean it that way, alright?" He told her and his hand slid off of her when she finally looked over at him. "I meant there's no place for you in what the Dark Lord's planning. It's dangerous." He hoped she would be less angry with him after his rewording.

Draco honestly hadn't meant to make it seem like he didn't want her around, but as far as he was concerned, Y/N was pure. She might've been a Slytherin and she might've stepped on a few toes for her own benefit here and there, but she hadn't been tainted in the way that he'd been. She wasn't damaged goods. She was kind, she was intelligent, and she had goals for herself.

She used to tell him all the time how she wanted to grow up to work in the Ministry, somewhere in the third level where she could help with the regulation of magical creatures. He remembered the glint in her eyes when she used to speak of it, and he refused to be the one who took that away from her.

"So, you can put yourself at risk, but I, your best friend, can't even help you?" Y/N called him out and he turned away from her.

Draco crosses his arms over the wooden railing and stared at the dark horizon. "You deserve far better than I do, Y/L/N," he told her, but he hadn't expected her to turn around and swat him on the back of the head. He winced. "Bloody hell, do you mind?" he grumbled, reaching up to rub the spot where it stung.

She scoffed, proud of herself. "Don't speak about yourself like that, Draco," she chastised. "You're so smart and talented. Yeah, you're a prat to everyone sometimes, but I've seen the good in you. And, I know you're oblivious to it, but there's people out there that think the world of you," she told him and from the blank look on his face, she knew he wasn't buying a word that she said. She sighed and patted the railing once, to dispel the nerves that were building up in her. "I know I do."

At her confession, Draco's eyebrows lifted and he tore his eyes off of the horizon like to look at her. The sincerity on her face was so intense and she was looking at him with such ferocity glittering in her eyes. Her eyebrows were knit together, a soft crease having formed between them, and he felt a sudden urge inside of him to step forward and kiss it away, but he didn't.

He didn't, because Y/N was good. Y/N was so good and so good to him, of all people, and he never deserved an ounce of it. When it all came down to it, Draco was a traitor—a traitor to his friends and to his school. Y/N knew that and she still showed him how much faith that she had in him and who he was. Part of him wondered if she'd still believe in him like that when he completed all of the Dark Lord's wishes.

When he let the Deatheaters in.

When he killed Dumbledore.

When he betrayed her, too.

"I do enjoy it when you boost my ego, but you think too highly of me," he told her, his voice quiet.

His words were swimming with emotions—hurt, denial, and others she couldn't quite make out—and her heart ached for him. "Maybe," she admitted, but she'd never considered her opinion of Draco to be too high. In fact, she often wondered if she underestimated him. More hesitantly than she had before, she reached out to touch his hand again, and this time he let her. She smoothed her thumb over his skin. "But I've been told that the heart clouds the mind when it grows fond of someone," she whispered in another quiet confession and she could feel the way that his hand tightened on the railing.

Draco looked over at her and she was surprised to see the painful expression that had torn into his features. She could see the conflict spiraling in his eyes, his head and his heart fighting a war amongst themselves, as he shook his head softly. "What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned and it was almost like a plea, a soft begging for her to not say what they both knew that she felt.

"Well, I—" she stopped, taking his longing look in for a second longer, but she knew that this wasn't something she could keep to herself any longer. "I love you," she said and her words went off like a bomb.

"You can't love me, Y/N, don't you understand?" he all-but-shouted. "Don't you see what I've done? What I'll do?" he went on, images of the cursed necklace he'd given to Katie Bell and the bottle of poisoned mead meant for Dumbledore flashed through his mind, but Y/N seemed unfazed.

Instead of taking back what she'd said, Y/N shook her head and looked up at him. "Love is blind, Draco." She waited for a minute for him to say something, but he seemed set on just sitting in silence, letting her confession hang untended to in the air and his breathing come heavy. She waited a few moments longer, holding onto the sliver of hope that he might actually have something to say to her, but she realized after a while that she was waiting for something that'd never come. Her mood changed after that, her heart sank to her feet, and she made the sudden reconciliation that she no longer wanted to be there. She didn't want to continue to stand there, offering him everything on a silver platter, only to have him pretend like it wasn't even happening at all.

She gave his hand a soft squeeze, like a sort of farewell, and she pulled her hand off of his. She turned and began to walk away with her tail between her legs, taking a few steps towards the staircase that would descend back into the castle, but she didn't get far before Draco caught her.

"Wait," he'd called out to her so quietly that it was almost a whisper, but he practically leapt after her.

One of Draco's hands reached out to grab her by the front of her waist and spin her back around to face him, while his other hand cupped her cheek. Y/N barely had any time to register what the hell was going on before he was smashing his lips against hers, capturing them in a feverish kiss, and she hummed at the feeling of his hand slotting itself into her hair. His fingertips tangled in it and he pressed his lips harder against her own. The way he kissed her was so heavily, so needily, so desperately and his lips seemed to tell her everything that he couldn't say himself, because he wasn't good with words. He'd never been good with words. He'd always been so much better at putting his feelings into actions and she knew that.

Of course, she knew that.

She knew everything about him.

Y/N wasted no time in kissing him back in the same hungry, passionate manner, pulling him closer against her by his robes. She poured every little thought and every little feeling she'd ever ever had about Draco into the kiss and she didn't stop until both of their lips were swollen and their chests were heaving.

Draco had been the one to break the kiss, but to remain in close proximity, he leaned his forehead against her own. "I don't deserve you," he whispered when all was said and done and guilt in his voice didn't go unnoticed.

She took it upon herself to reach up with both of her hands, curving them over his cheeks, and she tilted his head down softly. "Everyone deserves to be loved by someone," she whispered and pressed the softest kiss he'd ever felt to the space between his eyebrows. "No matter what they've done." Draco crinkled his eyebrows—like he could trap the feeling of her lips against his skin there forever—and he pressed his face further into her hands.

If he was being completely honest, Draco wasn't sure what he was doing anymore. He'd already done a few questionable things and he still had a lot more to accomplish before the Dark Lord would fully accept him, but he didn't think he knew what was wrong or what was right to him anymore. He felt as though he'd lost his way, but he knew that didn't matter to Y/N. He knew that she would be there for him always, even if he took a few wrong turns along the way.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a Hufflepuff after that," he hummed, in a half-hearted attempt at a joke, and she laughed softly as he pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Oh, shut it, Malfoy," she chided and she pulled her hands off of his face. "D'you want to look at the stars a little longer?" She asked after that, reaching up to smooth out a wrinkle on his shoulder, and he nodded.

"That'd be nice," he admitted and he walked back over to the railing, part of him hoping that Y/N would stay. He let himself sigh in content when she sidled up beside him once more—her side pressing against his—because it was in these two things that Draco seemed to find his peace: in her and in the stars.

↴

taglist / @umpoedameron @pvintbreak @babyhoneystvles @draconisxcaput @glenscapris

#draco malfoy #draco malfoy imagines #draco malfoy x reader #harry potter #harry potter imagines #harry potter x reader #tom felton #tom felton imagines #tom felton x reader #slytherin imagines #hufflepuff imagines #ravenclaw imagines #gryffindor imagines

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btsinwonderland · 3 years

Text

A Drop of Poison - Ch. 1: The Beginning

A Loki fanfiction!

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Full Chapter List

---------------------------------

It’s your third week back in school and you're slumped over a tower of textbooks as some kind of makeshift pillow. Your head rests on the 394th page of “The Dream Oracle” where you’ve begun to drool. You raise a hand to wipe it away, which takes up nearly as much energy as trying to stay awake.

It was cold in the dark.

Chills ran up your arms, from your fingertips to your neck as you floated through the darkness. It was frightening the first few times you dreamt of it but now it was familiar. The cavern formed slowly as your eyes adjusted to the minimal light emitted by a fire below you. Small sticks and papers created a meager flame which reflected off the black pool of water you looked into. You always wondered who made the fire, but there was never anyone there.

In the centre of the cavern was a small lake, its ripples moved like serpents. On queue, your body flew over to the middle of the lake and dove in. You swam - more like sunk - to the bottom. It may have enveloped you in utter darkness, but you saw the glow. The bluish light of the object drew you in like a moth to a flame and you reached out for it. Once again, you were thrown out of the lake just as you were about to touch it.

You looked around at the empty cavern and noticed the shadows moving. This was new. Usually, you woke up as soon as the lake threw you out.

Near the shore, by a dangerous jut of rock, there was a man. He was tall, with raven black hair and a proud nose. His expression was one of wonder and fear. There was a green light that emerged from his hands and he waved this light in front of him and beside him, almost erratically, as if he was warning someone - or something - to stay away.

“Don’t come near me!” he shouted. It echoed through the cavern.

You came closer and recoiled at what he was speaking to. Every dark shadow was, in fact, a body. The green light that the man emitted showed their decaying, pale faces. These bodies moved towards him. Not a sound, but each expression was contorted painfully. Their bony hands reached out to him, and he threw a green ball of fire at them. Some flew backwards into the lake, but there were so many.

They surrounded him. You saw him put up the fight of his life, and yet they came closer still. Until he had nowhere to run. You reached out to try to help him, but your body was already being pulled away. The last thing you heard was him scream your name, “Freya!”

Hands slapped onto the desk, and your head bounced on the pages.

“My god, have you been sleeping here this whole time?” An annoyingly familiar voice said. “You wouldn’t believe it! They’re finally getting a replacement for Professor Rattowl.”

It took several seconds for you to remember where you were. You lifted your head and look into a pair of inquisitive brown eyes and an aloof expression.

Her hair was braided on the sides and drawn into a high ponytail. Her robes were wrinkled as usual. “Valkyrie, how did you find me in the Hufflepuff common room? I specifically told Thomas to throw you off.” Your voice was thick with sleep.

Valkyrie snorted. “Thomas is a fool for a flirty conversation. You’d think that boy had never had a wank before…”

The memory of the dream hit you, and your heart sank. “Valkyrie, I saw something.”

She glanced at you and then to the wall of the hallway. A long shadow approached swiftly. “Oh shit, the prefect!”

“Quick! Hide!” You said to Valkyrie, pointing her to the coat closet.

A gleaming head of blonde hair turned around the corner and walked towards you. His eyebrows were raised, and he adjusted his rectangular glasses, glaring at you. You tried not to look guilty.

“Eves, what are you doing? This is a quiet area, and I heard voices.” he walked around your desk, looking around suspiciously.

“I must have fallen asleep. I had a poor sleep last night so…”

“Hmmm,” he said, walking near the coat closet.

You held your breath as he reached for the brass door handle. “You know we don’t allow any other houses in our quarters, Eves.”

“Of course.”

He turned to you, reaching away from the handle. “Then you also should know we don’t condone dirtying the sacred pages of our texts,” he said, gesturing at your books with a frown. “Clean this up and head to the Great Hall. Headmistress Frigga has announcements to make.”

He left, adjusting his glasses again but with his shoulders straightened out as if he had done a good job. You wondered if he would pat himself in the back afterwards.

Valkyrie all but crashed out of the closet and mocked Gerald. “Sacred texts! What a prat.”

You chuckled as she took a chair beside you. “Sacred or not, this damned thing cost me twenty galleons!” You wiped the drool away with the sleeve of your robe. The inside was a warm yellow. You glanced at Valkyrie. “How do you keep sneaking into our common room?”

She winked at you with a mischievous smile. “I have my ways, my sweet innocent Hufflepuff darling,” she said, reaching out and patting you on the head. “I wouldn’t dare want to corrupt your purity with treasonous talk.”

You punched her in the arm. “You are a jock in the land of intellectuals,” you said with a smirk, glancing at her red and gold tie.

She linked her arm through yours and dragged you away from the desk. “Alright alright, miss intellectual, now that you’ve stopped drooling, let’s go eat.”

***

The great hall was washed in the warm light of the candles that hung beautifully in the air above you. It was a sight that had never ceased to amaze you, no matter how many times you saw it. The flames flickered in a soft dance. You followed the path of candles over to the head table where all your professors sat.

Professor Odinson was there, with his chiseled youthful face that made all the ladies, Valkyrie in particular, swoon. He was a handsome man, though he did not occupy your thoughts as often as he did for others. Beside him was Professor Sif, laughing humorously at something Professor Odinson said. Then there was Professor Fandral nodding and smiling at Professor Hogun - whom you guessed was discussing the riveting growth cycles of the mandrake.

Headmistress Frigga was in the middle, in her silvery blue robes with sequins sewn into intricate patterns. Her aura was one of a Queen, with a gentle and kind face. On her one side there was an empty seat and on the other side was Heimdall, the divination professor, with whom she was in a deep discussion with. His sunset coloured eyes drifted around the room before settling on you. He always knew. You smiled back and waved at him. He nodded, though his expression was strained, perhaps even troubled.

For a moment you wondered if he knew what you had dreamed. Heimdall was one of the greatest seers of your time, and you happened to be his favourite student. He already knew of your repetitive dreams regarding the cavern, but you needed to tell him about the strange development - and the mysterious man you saw. Most of the time your dreams were fuzzy, but you remembered his face with an aggressive lucidity. Blue eyes that reflected the green magic in his hands before they disappeared into darkness remained on your mind. You took a deep breath and pushed it away.

“Did they already do the first years?” You said aloud to your table.

Mo, a fellow seventh year Hufflepuff, nodded. “Yep, and I guessed about 25/30, not bad, eh?”

You smiled at him and turned around to Valkyrie, who was right behind you, seated at the Gryffindor table. She winked at you when delicious food marvellously populated the table and you all tucked in. She filled her plate and then roughly rocked Mo to the side and sat down beside you.

“What were you saying about Rattowl?” You said, biting into a chicken hand pie. The rich flavour of creamy peas and carrots filled your mouth, and you reveled in it for a brief moment.

Valkyrie had half a mouthful of sausage and chewed loudly. “Well, it’s been what? A month since he croaked?”

A Hufflpuff girl across from you both, Nila, balked at Valkyrie. “How can you say that? He was...killed.” She could barely say the last word.

Valkyrie gave her a look. “What? It don’t make no difference, does it?”

Nila huffed indignantly. Mo interjected. “Well, it’s not every day a professor disappears for three weeks, only to be found ripped apart in the Forbidden Forest.”

You all wrinkled your noses in a few seconds of awkward silence. He was right. It was a bizarre and terrible thing to have happened. You had no love for Professor Rattowl. He was a cranky old man with awful manners, but he did not deserve such a fate.

Valkyrie said, “Well I heard that the Headmistress’s son is going to be the new potions teacher.”

You raised your brows. “Professor Odinson has a brother?”

Valkyrie’s eyes lit up at the mention of him. “If there are two Thor Odinson’s, then I will die this very moment.”

You, Mo, and Nila rolled your eyes at her when the doors crashed open in an echoing sound. All the chatter in the Great Hall was silenced when a lean and tall figure in a black cloak strolled into the room. His languid pace revealed a streak of arrogance - or confidence - as he walked down the hall, towards the head table. He walked between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables and slowly removed his hood.

You audibly gasped when you saw the raven haired man with his high cheekbones and proud nose. His blue eyes snapped towards you, and you felt your face heat up in seconds. He kept his eyes on you briefly before looking back at the head table. You breathed again once he was well past you.

Valkyrie looked at you questioningly. She whispered, “what’s going on?”

You could not take your eyes off of him and whispered back, “later.”

Everybody at the table rose, and Headmistress Frigga spoke with her wand pointed at her neck. “We will never forget our dear Professor Hubert Rattowl and the legacy he leaves here. The tragedy of his passing will remain a bitter memory in the long colourful history of Hogwarts. It has been a terrible time trying to fill this role, and our surprise guest has been gracious enough to accept our invitation. Professor Loki Laufeyson’s entrance may give you a taste into his exciting curriculum as the new Potions Master.” She gave him a warm smile.

He walked over to his seat and placed his hands on the table to look out at the students. There was something both inviting and dangerous about him. You could not look away.

He smiled widely and raised his hands. “Your potions saviour is here!”

The students clapped and eventually broke into applause. The Slytherin table was particularly ecstatic. There was no mistaking what house he belonged to. He looked at every table with a wide grin, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. They rested on you and your heart stopped. They flickered away, and he moved on before sitting down as the Headmistress continued her announcements.

Your hands were still clasped together in mid clap as you looked at the same man that was in your dream. His screams echoed in your mind and you wondered if this was all a nightmare. Regardless, it was going to be an interesting semester.

#loki #loki x reader #loki fics #loki (marvel)#loki fanfiction #loki imagine #loki series #mcu loki #loki of asgard #loki odinson #loki laufeyson #loki layfeyson x reader #hogwarts au #thor odinson #valkyrie #Professor Loki #loki moodboard #loki of hogwarts #norse mythology

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my-simp-land · 3 years

Text

Orange Blossom Kisses

more domestic fluff because that's all I dream about. Bucky x reader. 1747 words. again, i didn't do any profreading so...happy reading!

Fridays are reserved for baking. Ever since I moved into the compound, I’ve trashed my(Stark’s) kitchen making delicious cakes, pies, pastries, you name it. Each week I try to make something for someone, but I don't tell them it’s for them. Kinda like gift giving. This week, I’ve been pestering Steve about things Bucky may like. I think he knows I’m trying to get recipe ideas out of him, so he’s made it quite difficult.

“Cakes? From the old days? Oooooh, I don’t know. It’s been so long ago. You said yourself I’m an old geezer. My memory isn’t as good as it used to be.”

“What’d ya say? I can’t hear ya. These ears aren’t as good as they used to be.”

“Oh I don’t remember any pie recipes. I was but a wee lad and didn’t pay attention to the kitchen.”

Thankfully, I got Sam to work as my spy in exchange for an apple pie. Steve had told him about the orange blossom cookies Bucky’s mother would make. Usually Steve and Bucky were joined at the hip, but on orange blossom days, Bucky and Becca would stick to their mother’s side. Steve would usually hang around and enjoy the fresh orange smell. I used a couple favors to track down an old fashioned orange blossom cookie recipe. I changed it up to fit Bucky’s description of a good cookie (don’t worry; he can be pretty critical.)

“Damn hothead. The whole building smells like an orange. What are you making?” Tony asked. He funded my Friday

baking extravaganza as long as he got his ‘blueberry stuff.’

“I’m making orange blossom cookies, Tony. Orange. Blossom. The kitchen is sticky, so I couldn't come any closer.”

“The kitchen? The whole thing? How did you manage to get orange juice everywhere?”

“I’m the one baking. What did you expe- oh hey guys. Y’all are back early. What are you doing here so early?”

Steve, Sam, and Bucky shuffled their soaking wet bodies onto the dining room rug. “Rain. Apparently, the weather station is as bad as it was in the 40s.”

Tony switches his concern from the sticky kitchen to the soaked rug, but Bucky steps into the kitchen.

“Whatcha makin, doll?”

“Uh, just some cookies. Go get dried off and you can help me if you want.”

“Sure. I’ll be right back.” Bucky hurries down the hall. His heavy steps down the hall gives Steve enough cover to slip into the kitchen behind me.

“Bucky loves orange blossom cookies. It was one of the only things that could separate us. I know you’re good at guessing, but how did you end up hitting the nail on the head?”

I could only smile. Steve was a smart guy, but he could get pretty boy syndrome sometimes.

“A little red bird happened to mention something to me. A few favors later and I was presented with the finest orange blossom cookie recipe in the Northeast.”

“I see. I guess I should’ve known the master baker could get whatever they want with the promise of a home baked pie or honey butter croissants. I’ll keep that in mind next time you need something. I’ll see you two around.”

With Steve’s departure, Bucky slides right next to me, hip to hip. He’s only wearing some classic grey sweatpants and the tee shirt I embroidered a chibi Bucky onto. His hair is pulled back into a bun, still dripping water onto the nape of his neck. At this distance, I can admire Bucky’s baby blue eyes and his 5 o’clock shadow. Once Bucky got back from Wakanda, he cut his hair short and shaved his beard, but recently, he’s been working towards the white wolf look.

“Alright, doll. Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Oh okay. Uh, I’ve got all the ingredients prepared for baking. Let me check the recipe.” I go to grab the sheet of notebook paper that I scribbled the recipe down on, but Bucky gets to it before I do. He studies the paper hard. His brows scrunch together and his lip between his teeth. His metal arm falls around me and brings us shoulder to shoulder. At this proximity I can tell Bucky spritzed a little cologne on. The refreshing smell of pine and eucalyptus cuts through the overwhelming smell of oranges.

“This recipe is shit. What if I told you I know a better one?”

“Oh um well then I’d say take the lead. I hope I’ve got everything you need.”

“You’re everything I need sugar, but this stuff should be good.”

I can feel the heat rush to my cheeks. “Let's start by making the wet mix and then we’ll slowly add the dry ingredients in.”

Baking with Bucky is a dangerous game. We work well in the kitchen, but Bucky’s hands tend to wander. Resting on my lower back, brushing my thigh, standing close enough that I could feel his warm breath on my neck. By this point, my face is flush enough to cook these cookies, but the cookies are already in the oven. Maybe next time.

“Lookin’ beautiful, dollface. The cookies are looking pretty good too. They gotta rest a bit. We can work on the glaze now.”

Oh god. Things got saucy with the glaze. Not only did Bucky wiggle his eyebrows and point to the glaze in an inappropriate manner, but he was very handsy. We basically recreated that one dirty dancing scene with the kitchenaid. It didn’t help that Tony walked into the kitchen halfway through our romantic mixing. He had quite a lot to say: tinman and hothead, the cold and the hot, opposites attracting. You get the bit.

“Doll, I think this is the best glaze I’ve ever seen. We make quite the pair.”

“I’d have to agree with you there. I wonder what else we could get into.”

I realize what I said too late. His eyes grow wide and his smirk stretches from cheek to cheek. “Is that so, doll? I would love to work with you some more. Cooking dinner, dodgeball, go karts. Maybe some f-”

“Aren’t you supposed to be best friends with Steve? Like two peas in a pod? I wouldn’t want to upset Steve. That just doesn’t seem right. A disrespect to America. America’s ass, you know? A disrespect.”

That shuts him up.

“You look at Steve’s ass?”

“Well, yes. I mean no! I don’t look. I mean it’s a nice butt, you have to agree, but I wouldn’t know since I don’t look. I do not look at Steve’s ass.”

“Oooooo. You look at Steve’s ass. No wonder you zone out during meetings so much. All that cake bouncing around. Is that why you bake? Trying to recreate that dump truck? Do you look at other people’s ass? Do you look at my ass?”

“Bucky! I- I just know a good ass when I see one okay?”

“Well, what about my ass? Whose is better: mine or Sam’s? I know you’ve looked.”

Christ on a cracker this man is gonna kill me. “Bucky, y’all both have nice asses okay. Steve has the ass. You have the thighs. Sam has the pecs. It's as simple as that, okay? Why don’t we invite everyone down to try these cookies”

“Whatever you say, angel.”

Once everyone made it to the kitchen, we fixed everything up nice and served them to the rest of the family. They were an overall hit. Tony loved them because he’s a hardass, but Rhodes would’ve liked them just a bit softer. Thor enjoyed them with milk. Natasha made quite a few comments about how silky smooth the glaze was and how it complimented the cookie perfectly.

Once everyone was served and sent on their way, Bucky and I sat down to try our creation. I set our plates and meet Bucky in the common room. We cuddled up hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder in the common room to enjoy our cookies and begin a movie.

“You know, my mother used to make orange blossom cookies when I was young.” I looked up to Bucky’s face. I could see all the emotions. Pain. Happiness. Nostalgia. “My sister and I would always help her cook them. It was damn near impossible to come by an orange back in the day so sometimes we’d use other citruses. Orange was always the best. There was one time Becca had gotten some flowers from a sailor visiting from down south. The flowers were damn near dead when she brought them home. My pa told her that they would eat the flowers on their journey, so she did what she could to stick the flowers in the glaze and make pretty cookies. I wish I could remember what the flowers were.”

“I’m sorry Buck. I wish I could help.”

“No, no. I should say thank you. Coming in and smelling the orange and you telling me what you were making awoken something in me. At first, I was upset because I never got to make those cookies with my mom and sister again, but I’m glad I go the opportunity to make such sweet memories with you.” My breath was caught in my throat. I could feel the tears in my eyes and could just see the reflection of some in his. “She would’ve loved you. So strong, don’t take any shit, but so soft and gentle. You could keep me straight and make me bake cookies with you. Becca would’ve picked at you a bit to see if you’d hold, but she would’ve made you her sister quicker than I could’ve married you.”

“You want to marry me?”

“Well, doll, I love you. I’d love to spend a future together with you, but I think I should ask you to be my girl first. But I don't want you to feel pressured. Or you might like Steve or Sam or someone else. I don’t know. I don’t want to assume. You-”

I don’t you what came over me, but his lips were so sweet. They were sugary sweet from the cookie glaze, but the tartness of the orange made it refreshing. His lips felt so soft against mine; I never wanted this kiss to end.

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“I’ll be your girl. Only if you’ll have me.”

His smile took over his face. His lips were stretched thin and wrinkles fell beside his eyes.

“My girl. My best girl.”

#bucky x reader #bucky fanfic #bucky imagine #bucky fluff #bucky fic #bucky x you #marvel #mcu fandom #mcu #bucky barnes #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes fanfiction #winter solider

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