#id at least like them to be upset that they hurt me so badly but that's asking way to much from a narcissist | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aliendes · 4 years

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BTS reacts to saying something hurtful and then regretting it PT.2

Anon: Hi Angel🥺 i adore your writing and i was wondering if you were going to make a part 2 to the BTS reacts to saying something hurtful I looooove part 1🥺

Anon: Absolutely loved the most recent reaction !! DEFINITELY NEED A PART TWO

Anon: Could YOU PLEASEEEEE DO a part two for the bts reaction where they something hurtful😭😭😭 but fluffy ending if possible, I LITERALLY LOVE YOUR WRITING

Anon: Hi dude, I was wondering if you would do a pt.2 to BTS reacts to saying something hurtful and then regretting it, pls do it if you're still thinking bout it!

A/N: ok damn I didn't think you’d want a second part this badly lol but here it is! * I’m sorry this is so shit, this was supposed to be posted earlier today, but I worked from home today because someone at my work was diagnosed with COVID yesterday, which is scary. But then I’ve had a migraine all day, and fell asleep for SIX hours!? That never happens. So sorry it’s so late, not that you guys know that, but still and sorry it’s shit.

Warnings: angsssssst, fluff, mentions of sex, but no sex, cursing, mentions of cheating in the past, mentions of blood and stiches, a lot of these deal with another member being YN’s best friend, sorry it made things easier D: *unedited as per usual

Word count: 6.7k ~

In your rush to leave the apartment, you hadn’t realized you left your phone plugged in on your nightstand. Now it’s been over an hour you’ve been walking around the streets of Seoul, no way to call your sister, who would likely come pick you up. It’s not like it mattered, you didn’t really want to talk to anyone anyways. You just wanted to walk. It was your coping mechanism for a lot of things; anger, fear, sadness, anxiety. You were feeling a mixture of all of those things, and walking was a relief to you right now.

You continued walking for a little while longer, not realizing that your feet had taken you to your best friend’s apartment building. Letting out a heavy sigh, you figure you might as well crash here, you know Yoongi won't mind.

Entering the fancy looking building, you pass the guard sitting near the front entrance, showing him your ID, which you thankfully had with you. You knew you were always on the list of approved visitors, and he was shortly letting you up the elevator.

When you reached your best friend’s door, you held your hand up to knock, but before your fist could make contact with the wood, it was being swung open.

“YN! Oh my God!”

Your eyes widened in shock as you took a step backwards, not expecting to see him here. “Jin?”

Your tall boyfriend steps over the threshold of Yoongi’s apartment, lifting his arms to hug you, but thinks better of it and drops them to his side. You can see dried tear tracks on his face, red rimmed eyes, and a purple bitten lower lip, all signs that he’s been crying, hard.

“YN, I’m so sorry,” he sobs, letting fresh tears roll down his cheeks, “I-I was so worried, y-you-”

His mumbling is cut off by a firm hand on his shoulder, making his eyes fall shut as he lets the sobs rack his chest. “Come on, man,” Yoongi says stiffly behind him, “go wash yourself up.” Nodding his head, Jin turns around with one last sad glance in your direction, and disappears down the dimly lit hallway.

Yoongi watches him for a moment before turning to you, gesturing into his apartment with a nod of his head. You hesitate for a moment, briefly wondering if you should just leave, but decide your feet hurt and it’s too chilly to start walking again. Reluctantly, you follow your best friend into his living room and plop down on the couch. Following you shortly after, Yoongi falls next to you, an arm wrapping around your shoulders.

“He told me what happened,” he says flatly, looking at you in the eyes, “he feels like shit.”

“Good,” was all you could say in response, crossing your arms over your chest. You were done being sad, now you were angry.

Yoongi sighs next to you, “YN, I know you’re upset. You have every right to be, trust me. But you love him, and he loves you. Right?”

You want to refute him, but he’s right. You both love each other more than anything, you know that. Nodding your head, your bottom lip juts out slightly and starts to wobble. Yoongi squeezes your shoulders at the sight, “I think the two of you should talk it out, hmm?” You nod again, not trusting your voice. “You guys can crash in the spare room, I’ll head out to the studio.”

“You don’t-”

“YN, it wasn’t an offer, it was a statement.”

Knowing how stubborn your best friend was, you shut up and nodded your head again, letting him stand up and grab his jacket.

“You know I love you both,” Yoongi said, hand on the doorknob, “but I will be upset if you fuck on my furniture.”

You scoff, head twisting back to glare at him, but he was already gone. Shaking your head, you let it fall back onto the plush sofa as you wait for your boyfriend to emerge from wherever he was.

It felt like hours later when you opened your sleepy eyes, realizing you’d fallen asleep on Yoongi’s living room couch. Blinking a few times, you turn, only to realize you’re laying sideways, and you’re in a warm embrace.

“Jin?” you mumble, sleepily, as you look behind you at your boyfriend’s sullen expression.

Closing his eyes and sighing through his nose, he lays his forehead against your shoulder. “I’m sorry, YN,” he whispers, voice cracking slightly, “I’m so sorry. You know I love you, right?”

Turning around in his loose grasp, you hear the squeak of the couch underneath you. Pressing one hand against Jin’s firm chest, you bring the other up to cup his wet cheek.

“Yes, Jin,” you mumble, making him open his eyes to stare into your own, “I do.”

“I don’t deserve you,” he cries softly, “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” you mumble, leaning forward to press a kiss on his nose, “I know you didn’t mean it. I’m sorry for running away.”

He shakes his head, pressing his plush lips to your forehead, “No, don’t apologize. I was just so fucking worried when I got to Yoongi’s and you weren’t here. I thought - I thought something happened to you, you always come here when you’re upset.”

You bit at the inside of your cheek, contemplating his words for a moment. “Yeah, I guess I just got lost in my thoughts,” you chuckle darkly, “but I’m okay, and I love you.”

Another tear rolls down Seokjin’s nose, “I’m so glad I have you in my life, YN. I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I lost you.” He sniffles, making you reach up and wipe at his tears.

“Then we’re lucky you’ll never have to find out.”

Jungkook and Yoongi are both jogging down the streets near the company building, trying to find where you went. Yoongi was about to have a full blown panic attack when he realized you had completely fled the building with no phone or bag. He was beside himself with grief, his mind turning to the worst case scenarios immediately.

After not finding you in the immediate vicinity of the building, he and Jungkook split up, Jungkook going to look at your best friend’s house, and Yoongi going to check your apartment. He brought your bag with him, which included your keys. He knew you wouldn’t be able to get into your home without them, and felt terrible that you might be wandering around the city, alone with no way to contact anyone.

Your bag and jacket in hand, Yoongi took the elevator up to your floor, hoping beyond all hope that he would find you somewhere around here. As he stepped off the elevator, his ears immediately perked up at the sound of light sniffles. Rushing out of the elevator doors, Yoongi stops dead in his tracks at the sight of you, sitting on the floor, back leaned against your apartment door, hugging your knees to your chest. Your forehead is resting on the tops of your bent knees, so you haven’t noticed him yet. He can tell you’re crying by the uneven breaths you take. His heart breaks, completely crumbles in his chest at the site of you attempting to curl in on yourself.

He instantly rushed forward, dropping your bag and jacket onto the ground next to you, and fell to his knees in front of you. His hands reach out and as he places both of his hands on your shoulders, your head jerks up, startling at the sight of your crying boyfriend.

“Y-Yoongi?” your eyes are so swollen and your vision is so blurry, you think for a moment you might be seeing things.

“Yes, baby,” he whispers, “I’m here, I’m right here.” He watches as realization slowly takes hold of you, your face falling and twisting into a pained expression, almost like you’re disgusted he’s in front of you.

You sniffle loudly, turning your head away from him, not wanting him to see what a mess he’s made of you. “Please go away,” you murmur into the empty hallway. You don’t see it, but Yoongi’s face falls even more as he realizes you really don’t want him near you. You never shy away from his physical affection, even when you’re upset with him.

“YN, please,” he begs, hands sliding down your shoulders and your arms, eventually reaching your hands as he gently takes them in his, “let me take you inside, at least.”

Without looking at him, you nod, letting him help you stand with the grip he has on your hands. He lets go of one of your hands and bends over to grab your bag and jacket before getting your keys out and opening your door. You let him lead you inside and into your kitchen, you let him sit you down at your kitchen table, and you let him make you a cup of tea. You don’t take your eyes off a water ring stained to your wooden dining table the entire time, and it isn’t missed by Yoongi.

“I didn’t mean it,” Yoongi whispers as he sits down across from you, setting your favorite RJ mug on the table, “If you want me to leave, I’ll leave, but I need you to know that I didn’t mean what I said.” You slowly looked up at him, eyes still devoid of emotion. He winced at the fact that he did this to you. “YN, you have every right to hate me, to kick me out, to slap me if you want,” he takes a deep breath, “but you are not crazy. You are not like your mother. You are beautiful, funny, smart, and the most caring woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Being with you has made me a better person, and there is no one in the entire world more deserving than you of love. I’m an asshole, and I used your insecurities against you for a stupid fucking reason. I regret it more than anything, YN.” He was crying by the end of his speech, looking down at his hands folded in his lap. The left side of his lips were doing that twitchy thing they did when he was upset, and you instantly felt the need to embrace him.

Standing up slowly, you move towards your sulking boyfriend, and put your hand on his shoulder. He looks up at you, bewildered that you are even touching him. “I don’t forgive you,” you start, making Yoongi’s hope dissipate, “yet. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. What you did was fucked up, Yoongs.” You whisper the last part, eyes starting to well up again.

Yoongi pulls you down onto his lap, swinging your legs over his lap and hugging onto your middle tightly. “I know. Trust me, I know. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I promise you I will work every day to gain your trust back.” You lean your head on his shoulder, nodding your head. You weren’t about to forgive him after what he did, but you weren’t about to lose what the two of you had either.

“I love you,” he sniffles, kissing your forehead, “and I’m sorry.”

You didn’t get far before your feet started killing you in your work heels. You made it a couple blocks away before you couldn’t walk any further, and sat down on a park bench. To make matters worse, it had started sprinkling as you sat there. You didn’t have your phone, or a will to get up, so you sat there and sulked in the rain. You figured you would eventually get up and head back to your apartment and fall asleep, but for now you just needed to think.

Tears slowly rolled down your cheeks as you contemplated your relationship with Hoseok. He is usually so bright and bubbly, seeing him so angry scares you. On top of that, he called you dumb. You knew he would never harm you physically, but then again, you thought you knew he would never harm you emotionally either, yet he did exactly that today.

You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t hear the light footsteps nearing your bench over the light drizzle of rain. Nor did you feel the presence of someone sitting next to you, just as drenched as you were.

Suddenly, you feel a warmth on your knee, making you startle violently, wiping at your face with your already wet long sleeve. It was no use, you were just making yourself more wet. You jumped so hard you caused the owner of the hand to pull away instantly.

“Hoseok?” you ask, blinking through tears, lips trembling due to the cold and your emotions. Looking up at him, you see he’s in no better condition. Eyes swollen and leaking, lip red and bitten, a habit of his when he’s anxious. He has the hand suspended in midair that was previously on your knee, and he looked almost like he was afraid to touch you.

“Baby,” he mutters, though you can barely hear him as the rain starts to pick up, “please come home, you’re going to get sick. I can stay at Jin’s place tonight if that makes you more comfortable.” He sounded completely broken to say those words, like if he spoke them it made it true that he made you uncomfortable.

At the thought, you furrow your brows. Did you feel uncomfortable with Hoseok? You didn’t think so. Disappointed? Sure. But not uncomfortable.

You shake your head lightly, reaching out to grab his hand in yours. He almost flinches away from your touch, so startled that you would initiate contact right now, but he composes himself and allows you to rest your hands in your lap.

“I’m not uncomfortable,” you mutter, gnawing on your bottom lip, “I know you wouldn’t hurt me like that.”

Hoseok looks even more distraught at your words. “But that’s the thing, I’m a fucking idiot. I shouldn’t have hurt you in any way, not just physically. It’s clear that I hurt you with my words, and I’m such a dipshit for doing so. I made a promise never to hurt you, and I broke that promise.”

He was right, he had promised that. Years ago when you first started dating, you had major trust issues because of your cheating ex. Hoseok had taken things slow with you and made sure that you trusted him fully before taking your relationship any further. You were thankful for him, thankful for how caring he was.

Tears were leaking from your eyes again, mixing with the rain water falling onto your face. “Let me take you home, please, YN?” He sounded so desperate, so small, like if you told him no it would break him.

Staring him in the eye, you nod your head. He lets out a relieved sigh as he stand ups, pulling you with him.

Once the two of you make it home, Hoseok leads you into the bathroom, both of you cold and shivering. Sitting you down on the side of the tub, he reaches over and turns the knob to turn on the hot water and then pours your honey bubble bath into the stream of water. The smell instantly relaxes you and you let your eyes slip closed as you sigh lightly. Before you could open your eyes, you hear the door to the bathroom opening again.

“Wait,” you rush out, snapping your eyes to Hoseok’s retreating frame. He stops, turning around to face you, lips blue from the cold. “Please,” you beg quietly, “stay.”

Hoseok looks conflicted. He looks like he wants to stay, so badly, but he also looks like he might make a run for it at any moment. “A-are you sure, YN? I can go to Jin’s for tonight, give you some space.”

“Do you love me?” The question surprises you as much as it surprises Hoseok. It slipped from your lips without your permission, giving away how you truly felt because of his words earlier.

“More than anything,” he answers instantly, dropping his hold on the door knob, “do you think I don’t?”

Hoseok takes a few steps towards your still shivering frame and reaches out to wipe tears from your cheekbones that you hadn’t even noticed were falling. “YN, I am so sorry if I ever made you feel like I don’t love you. I was angry earlier. I had a shit day and that is no excuse for the things I said to you, okay? Don’t let me make excuses for myself. But do not ever think that I don’t love you because of what I said.” His words were soft, yet firm. You could tell he meant everything he said. Sniffling, you nod your head in affirmation. When he stands straight again and goes to walk away, you grab his wrist quickly.

“P-please Hobi,” you whimper, “don’t leave me.”

“Oh Angel,” he says, sitting on the bathroom floor in front of you, “I would never leave you. I just thought you’d want some time to think.” He spoke so softly you could barely hear him over the running of the bathtub behind you.

You shake your head quickly, “I don’t want time to think. I want to talk about it, work it out. Together.”

He smiles sadly down at you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders. “I don’t deserve you, you know?”

You return the gesture, wrapping your arms around his tiny waist. “I know,” you whisper into his chest, “take a bath with me?”

“Of course, love.”

It’s been two weeks since you’ve been back to your apartment. Since the incident at work, you’ve been consistently working from home, so you’ve been staying with your sister since you and Namjoon got into the fight.

He’s tried to contact you multiple times, sent you countless texts, and even tried to show up to your sister’s apartment about a week ago. You’ve completely ignored him, other than the one text you sent telling him you were safe and not to worry. You had packed all your essentials so you haven’t needed to go home yet, though you figure you will soon.

You were working on your laptop when you heard your phone buzz on the table next to you.

From: Jimin [2:37 pm]: hey YN

From: Jimin [2:37 pm]: can you come over?

You [2:39 pm]: to the dorms?

From: Jimin [2:41 pm]: yeah, we need to talk to you

You set your phone face down on the table. You felt like they were tricking you into seeing Namjoon. You just weren’t ready to face him yet. You knew you would eventually, you still love him with all your heart, but you really just needed time.

*Bzz*

From: Jimin [2:48 pm]: he won’t be here, I promise

From: Jimin [2:49 pm]: please

You sigh after reading his last message. You loved the boys, you truly did. You knew that they wanted to talk about Joon, but still, it was hard for you to say no to them. Especially Jimin, which is probably why they had him text you.

You [2:55 pm]: ok I’ll be there at 5

From: Jimin [2:56 pm]: thank you!!

When you arrived at the dorms, the door was unlocked. Knowing they were expecting you, you let yourself in, slipping your sneakers off at the door and making your way towards the sound of voices in the kitchen.

When you walked into the dining area, the three men sitting at the table all turned to look at you. You were met with Jin, Jungkook, Yoongi, and Jimin.

“Uh,” you started dumbly, “what’s up guys?” You held onto the strap of your bag a little tighter, unsure of what was to come.

“Hey YN,” Jin said, getting up and walking towards you, pulling you into a tight hug, “we’ve missed you.”

You had to bite your lip to start tears from springing to your eyes. Jin was the most sincere person you’ve ever met, and you knew he meant it when he said it. It hurt you worse than you thought it would, seeing them. You missed them, too. Though you missed Joon more.

“Come sit down,” Jimin said softly from the table, “we’ll be quick. Promise.”

“Is Joon here?” Your voice cracked slightly, making Yoongi raise an eyebrow as you sat down across from him.

“He’s with Hobi-hyung and Tae-hyung in the studio,” Jungkook says from next to Yoongi.

You nod your head and set your back at your feet, folding your hands in your lap. Jin takes a seat next to you, with Jimin at the head of the table. “What did you want to talk about?”

All four men shared a look before Yoongi spoke up, “Namjoon isn’t doing okay, YN.”

Your head snapped up at this, worry filling your eyes. Jungkook was quick to speak up, “He’s not hurt, YN. Don’t worry. We’re just really worried about him.” He was gnawing on his lip and it made you nervous.

“He hasn’t been eating properly,” Jin whispers from next to you, “or sleeping.”

“He’s been staying at the studio sometimes all night,” Jimin says, “and he’s been staying here.”

This shocked you more than anything else they’ve told you. The reason you and Joon got an apartment is because he wanted his own space. He loved his members, but he liked time to be alone. He hasn’t lived with them in years.

“He says the apartment smells like you,” Yoongi says, dark eyes staring into yours, “YN, he’s hurting. Bad. What he did was fucked up, but don’t you think he deserves a chance to make it right?”

“Yoongi,” Jin cautions from next to you.

“No, Jin-hyung,” Yoongi cuts in, “I know he hurt you, YN, but he regrets it so much. I’ve never, in all my years knowing him, seen him this affected by something. I’m begging you, please talk to him.”

You worry your bottom lip between your teeth, tears threatening to fall. Jimin gets up and walks around the table to you and wraps an arm around your shoulders as you look at the other three men in front of you. Nodding, you let a single tear fall into your lap. “Okay.”

You decided to wait in Namjoon’s dorm room for him to get home, while Yoongi made up an excuse for why they needed them. When you heard the front door open and the baritone of Taehyung’s voice carry throughout the house, you braced yourself to see Namjoon for the first time in weeks.

The minute he walked through the door and saw you, tears were rolling down your face. Neither of you said a word as you ran to each other and crashed into the other’s arms. You didn’t realize how much you missed the sobbing man in your arms until you were both on the floor in a heap of bodies, crying into the other’s shoulder.

“YN,” he sobbed, “ar-are you actually here?” The sound of disbelief in his voice broke your heart. You could feel he’s lost a bit of weight, and he looked absolutely exhausted when he walked through the door, but the brokenness in his voice is what hurt the most.

“Oh Joon,” you pulled back from him to look into his tired eyes, “of course I’m here. I never left, not like that.”

He was biting at his lips, tears falling down his face and onto your laps as he nodded. “YN, I’m so sorry,” he says, bringing his hands from around your back and holding both of yours in his own, “I can’t believe I said such mean things to you, and over something so stupid.”

You gently shush him as you rub your thumb against the top of his hand. “It’s okay Joon,” you soothe, “we were both being stupid. You were right, I shouldn’t nag you just because I’m home more often now.”

“Please don’t apologize, baby,” he whispers, “I promise to do better and to make you happy.”

“Me too, Joon, me too.” You stare into each other’s eyes, a silent promise, before your lips are crashing onto his in a passionate kiss.

It didn’t take long for Hoseok to find you sitting in your car in the parking lot. You locked yourself in there when you decided you were in no shape to drive, crying into your steering wheel at the events that just took place.

Hoseok had coaxed you out of the car after a few minutes and now the two of you were sitting in his recording studio, while he told you about how Jimin had been lectured by their dance teacher, one of the things that gets his self esteem at its lowest points. After the lecture, the members were practicing one of their old choreos that they would be performing at an awards show, only to have Jimin fall multiple times while doing some of the more difficult moves. He was feeling like he wasn’t as good as he used to be, and it had him feeling insecure. Right before you walked into the practice room, him and Hoseok were trying to smooth some kinks out in the routine and he was too frustrated to get them right.

You knew Jimin well, and you knew he was probably feeling terrible about himself, and now probably even worse because of what just happened with you.

“I’m sorry Hobi,” you said, sniffling softly, “I should have listened to you.”

“No, bub,” he says reaching over and grabbing your hands, “you just wanted to make sure he was okay. None of this is your fault, okay?” You nod your head and let Hoseok’s words sooth you. You’ve been best friends since high school, he always knew how to calm you down. “I’ll go make sure Jimin is calm and I’ll have him come in here. You can have some privacy. You’re both pretty sensitive right now.”

You nod again, not trusting yourself to not cry if you spoke. Hoseok takes one last look at you before standing up and going to find Jimin.

You sit on the comfortable leather couch, collecting your thoughts, for what feels like forever, until you hear the code being input on Hoseok’s door. A moment later, you see the soft pink hair of your boyfriend poke around the corner. When he turns to look at you, he’s wearing an almost unreadable expression. You can tell he’s been crying, his eyes are a little red and his cheeks are a bit puffy, but otherwise he looks calm.

“Can I sit with you?” he asks in a small voice.

You nod your head, mirroring his unsure expression. “Of course, Jimin,” you whisper, scooting over slightly to make more room on the couch.

You both sit there staring at the other for a moment, before Jimin speaks, “Can I -”, he starts, before cutting himself off, snapping his lips shut as you raise your eyebrows. He takes a moment to configure his thoughts before he tries again. “I’m sorry, YN,” he mutters, hurt clear in his voice, “can I please touch you?”

Your heart broke at the fact that he felt the need to ask you. His hands were folded politely in his lap, making no effort to reach for you, like you didn’t want him close. Without saying anything, you stand up from your spot on the couch, and plop back down on his lap, shocking him, his hands flying to grasp your waist to steady you. You wrap your arms around his neck in response, placing a soft kiss on his head. He instantly relaxes into you, his hands kneading your sides, head resting on your shoulder as he lets out a deep sigh. You stay like that for a moment until you hear light sniffles and you realize your boyfriend is crying.

Scooting down a bit, you bring your hand around and cup his cheek, “Jimin-ie,” you whisper.

When he looks up at you he looks so defeated and you decide then and there that you hate that look. If it were up to you, he’d never feel this way ever again. “You’re perfect to me, Jimin,” you whisper, making him scoff, trying to turn his head away from you. You don’t let him, though. “I’m serious. You may not think so, but you are so talented, sweet, and funny. You’re the kindest person I’ve ever known and I’m so lucky that you love me.”

He scoffs again, “How can you say that after what I just said to you?”

“Because I love you,” you say simply without hesitation. “I know that you were feeling insecure and anxious. I understand that you need love and acceptance when you feel like that.”

Jimin’s eyes soften at your words, another tear rolling down his cheek. “What did I do to deserve you?”

You chuckle lightly, rubbing your thumb against his cheek, “You were so perfectly you, I couldn’t help but fall in love.”

“I love you, YN,” he sobs into your shoulder, “and I’m so sorry.”

“I know, Jimin-ie,” you stroke his hair, “let’s go home, yeah?” He nods into your shoulder as you place a kiss to his forehead.

Taehyung has posted himself up outside the bathroom door, waiting for you to come out. He wasn’t going to let this fight last. He wasn’t going to let you think he thought you were anything less than perfect. He couldn’t lose you because of his stupid and reckless mouth.

It’s been an hour since you locked yourself in there. He could hear you run yourself a bath, sit in there for a while, and then heard the tub draining. He hoped you’d be coming out soon, so he leaned his back against the door, resigning himself to sitting there all night if he had to.

Another 10 minutes go by before you slowly open the door, making Taehyung fall backwards as he reaches out to right himself. You gasp in shock, not realizing he was right there. When he falls through the doorway, you get down on your knees, towel wrapped tightly around your body as you make sure he’s okay. “Tae! Are you okay?”

Taehyung sighs as he lays flat on his back in the doorway of the bathroom. “Why are you asking me that? I should be the one asking you.”

Your face falls again at the reminder that he thought you were too caring, too happy, too positive. You spent the entirety of your bath talking yourself into not being so upbeat and chipper around him. To not be so caring and to back off him a little bit. That’s what he wanted, right? He could see the gears turning in your head, so he sits up, leaning back on the palms of his hands.

“YN, I love you,” he says softly, making you look at him with furrowed eyebrows.

“I know, Tae,” you say flatly. You didn’t think just because of a silly argument that he didn’t love you. You weren’t that insecure. You just truly didn’t want him to feel suffocated, and obviously that’s how he’s been feeling if he felt the need to blow up like that.

“No, YN. You’re too understanding,” he mentally slaps himself, “no, no. That’s not what I meant. Fuck.”

“I get it Tae, I’m suffocating you. I’m sorry, I will try to back off a little bit. I can do better.” You sit back on the heels of your feet and lean against the door frame, staring into his dark orbs.

“Oh, princess,” he whispers, sitting up straighter and reaching a hand out to rest on your thigh, “no you aren’t suffocating me. Not at all. I’m so sorry that I’ve made you feel that way.” The look on his face is so sullen, so remorseful that you can feel just how sorry he is from looking into his eyes. “You are the sunshine that lights up my day, the only person who really gets me. You are the sweetest, kindest, most caring human being on the face of this planet, and I’ve never met someone as empathetic as you are. You are literally perfect, and I am so fucking sorry,” his voice cracks a bit as a tear rolls down your cheek at his words, “that I made you think you weren’t. I’m the shittiest partner ever for doing so, and I will spend the rest of my life making you feel wanted and as special as you deserve to feel.”

You’re full blown crying now when you lunge yourself at him, locking your arms around his neck. Sobbing into his shoulder, you nod your head against him. “I love you Tae,” you whimper, “it’s just a silly fight, right?”

He chuckles softly, wrapping his arms around you bare back, still slightly sticky from your bath, “No it’s more than that.” He feels you stiffen in his hold, so he starts to soothingly rub his large hand up and down your spine, “This is me realizing how fucking perfect I have it and making sure I never do anything to fuck this up. Never do anything to dim your light, because you are the brightest star in my eyes.”

You pull back to slap a hand lightly against his chest, smiling down at him still sitting on the floor. “Stop being so cheesy,” you mumble. He smiles at you before abruptly standing and picking you up bridal style, making you squeal. “Tae!”

“Mmm,” he moans into your ear as he tosses you on the bed and climbs on top of you, “let me show you what I mean, hmm?”

Jungkook didn’t waste any time running out your apartment door and chasing after you. He had only been gone for a minute or two, there’s no way you could have gotten far. As he walks down the street near your apartment, he calls your phone at least a dozen times, all of them going straight to voicemail. Your phone must be dead.

“Fuck,” shoving his phone back in his pocket. When he looks back up at the sidewalk ahead of him, he realizes he’s near your favorite cafe, the one with the cute Japanese trinkets for decor. Deciding to check to see if you’re there, he makes his way down the street. When he arrives at the cafe, he looks in the large glass window at the customers sitting around the restaurant, but doesn’t see you anywhere. Heaving a sigh, he turns around trying to rack his brain for other places you might’ve gone, when he sees a familiar figure sitting across the street at a bus stop. Squinting his eyes, he sees your sulking form, curled in on yourself.

Without thinking, he rushes to cross the street, only remembering at the last second to look both ways and halting his movements when he hears a car horn honking at him. Clutching at his chest, he backs up and allows the cars to pass before he’s running across the street towards you.

When he looks back to you, you’re already standing, a bewildered look on your face.

“Jungkook, are you crazy!?” you yell as he steps up on the curb in front of you.

“YN-” he pants, trying to catch his breath. His adrenaline was pumping now, but he was also relieved to find you okay. “YN, I -”

“Jungkook!” you cut him off, “You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

It takes him a moment to realize what you’re talking about, but once he catches on a blush overtakes his face and he has the decency to look sheepish. You were actually a little angry at him for being so careless, but then you think back to the argument the two of you just had, and your anger dissipates into sadness again. Jungkook sees the moment your face falls and reaches out to take your hand in his. When you wince and jerk your hand back, he feels another pang of regret in his chest, realizing you actually were hurt and he let you run out of the apartment without helping you at all. He was such a shit boyfriend.

Jungkook huffs a breath through his nose as he reaches out carefully, palm up, silently asking for your hand. You oblige reluctantly, knowing he’s trying to help, and place your hand, palm up in his hand.

“YN, I am so sorry,” he starts, moving closer to you to get a better look at your still bleeding finger,”I’m mad at something Namjoon-hyung and I fought about earlier, and my dumbass took it all out on you. I’m a fucking asshole.” He pulls your hand closer to his face as he talks, inspecting the cut. He saw it earlier, but it only looked like a papercut then. Now that it had bled a little more, he could see it was fairly deep, maybe even deep enough to need a stitch or two. Sighing, he closes his eyes to collect himself before he speaks his next words. “Why are you at the bus stop?” He knows the answer, and braces himself for the impact.

“I- I figured I should probably go to the hospital,” you nibble on your bottom lip, unsure why you felt bad for saying what you had to say, “I didn’t think you’d want to drive me.”

His heart breaks. He moves closer to you, pulling you into his arms and resting his chin on top of your head. “Oh, YN,” he whispers, remorse dripping in his tone, “I can’t believe I did that. I will always, always be here to help you. I don’t want you to ever feel like I wouldn’t.” He can feel tears stinging the backs of his eyes as he runs a soothing hand up and down your back.

“I just thought since, you know…” you trail off, letting more tears fall down your face.

“I know, I was an asshole,” he starts, pulling away to look down at you, “let me take you to get that looked at, and we can talk about it on the way, okay? I’m so sorry, YN. I don’t want you to forgive me yet, I don’t deserve it. Just let me make sure you’re okay, first.”

You look up at him, unshed tears welling in his eyes when you nod your head. “Okay,” you whisper, letting him take your uninjured hand in his and walk the couple blocks back towards your apartment. You knew what he did was wrong, but you also knew that he loved you. You loved him, too. Regardless of the fights you may have, and the tough times you experience, you know you will always fight for one another. You look up at him through misty eyes while you walk, he looks back at you, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. A silent exchange letting each other know it would be okay.

#bts angst #jungkook x reader #jimin x reader #jungkook angst #taehyung smut #yoongi x reader #cypherwritersnet

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marinetteplztakeabreak · 3 years

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ML Lies Episode Predictions:

There’s Two?? (don’t trust my math) more days before lies completely destroys me, so I’m going to make some predictions, and by predictions I mean wishlist. My walls are already up, so if none of these happen I won’t be disappointed, but also a girl can dream: (this is somehow 1700 entire words long because I have a lot of feelings, so it’s under a cut, you’re welcome)

—Adrien and Kagami’s are secretly dating: please I want it so bad, I’ve talked about this so much and emotionally I need it!! At the very least I want them to sneak out together so so bad I’d cry. But also, if they’re hiding it from their other friends for whatever reason, thats SUCH good angst potential.

—If we get to see some kinda montage of them sneaking out??? Id ride that high for months. Even just one actual example of them working together to sneak out would obliterate me. Like, how it shows Kagami sneaking out to go to the game in Ikari Gozen?? I’d cry

—The breakup happens as a direct result of it being a secret relationship: this would be SUCH a good parallel to lukanette. Lukanette broke up because Luka wanted Marinette to be more open with him and he hated being in the dark, so just, the parallels if Adrien wants to be more open about adrimi and Kagami is like “you dont understand, if your dad finds out about us he will end this immediately” but Adrien wants to believe that its going to be okay and no one will react badly? I’m probably explaining this badly and I’ll try to explain it better later I just,,, want parallels and opposites and truth v lies and hhhhh

—Fencing??? Friendly/ affectionate competition??? Them being idiot jocks in love??? Please??? I want to see them compete!!

—I’d love to see Kagami character growth + Adrimi relationship development!!! I want her to love herself more and be more comfortable around him!!!

—Specifically, if there was a parallel to Riposte,, and Adrien beat Kagami in a fencing match and Kagami was like “Oh nice!! :D good game!” I’d be so happy I’d cry!! And it’s kinda implied by Chat Blanc that they’re already there in there relationship?? But not confirmed?? So if I saw it or saw confirmation of it I’d cry!!

—in one of the released photos it looked like they were holding hands??? And at this point my expectations are so low I don’t even trust it yet but blease,,, let them hold hands,, i’d cry of joy

—If Adrien is also constantly leaving and disappearing due to akuma responsibilities, I want it to read SUPER differently from the Lukanette because I love parallels/foils!! Marinette disappears on her dates with Luka and its just “oh marinette is really distracted and busy and frazzled” but I dont think Adrimi but be loke that at all!!! Because as far as Kagami knows, she has the same backstory/current story as Adrien. She’s risking a lot by sneaking out to go on dates with him?? So Adrien seeing an akuma and being like “oh sorry father is calling” isnt even suspicious or anything??? Its 100% believable!!! If her mother called she’d immediately be like “oh fricking heck i Need To Leave this instant immediately.” So its less “Adrien doesnt care about her” and more of just twisting the knife and reminding her that life doesnt want them to be together and Adrien is never going to be free!!! Big ouch to her heart!!!

—also I want!!!! Them!!! To talk about their feelings!!! Because parallels to truth!!! Adrien is like “sorry I have to go” and Kagami is like “oh I hate that so much” and Adrien is like “big same.” (Also idk how realistic this is but I’d love it if ‘Kagami talking about her feelings’ wasn’t the cause of strife in their relationship!! Like, she talks about how she feels and when she’s upset and Adrien is like “yeah me too” and they’re just,, good bros)

—I need them to stay friends after the breakup, i need it i need it i need it!!! And the whole issue is!! I feel like the main reason they’d date is to try and hang out more?!?? So if the breakup was actually them talking to each other and being like “hey so this isnt working with sneaking out, we’re going to need to go back to the way it was before,” rather than them saying they were bad for each other???? Hoo boy i’d lose my mind

—Also!!! My favorite prediction, I’d die of joy if this happened (and also of angst). I want there to be so much drama with “secret relatinship” stuff that they try to fix it by going public with their relationship!! Very low chance of this actually happening but its okay if it doesnt, thats what the fanfiction I’m inevitably going to write immediately after watching the episode is for!!! But anyway,, multiple ways this could happen.

Maybe they’ve been secretly dating since Miracle Queen and they decide to go public at the beginning of this episode and that’s the primary source of plot/conflcit!!! I’d be thrilled!!!

BUT!!! if the episode ends with then Not Breaking Up, but instead deciding to go from dating secretly to dating publicly???? Holy Freaking Heck,,, I’d go feral with emotion!!!! I also need to expand on this so much more but basic rundown of how I imagine it could happen (again: Is it likely?? Probably not! but this is my last chance to dream):

Kagami is like “listen we have the same backstory and I KNOW in my soul that this relationship wouldn’t work if it was public”

Adrien is like “okay yeah I feel you, thats fair”

Kagami goes on dates with Adrien and its fun and nice and lovely and the honeymoon phase is so good and exciting

Adrien starts disappearing a lot, partly because of akuma attacks, but partly because of nathalie and gabe calling him constantly

Adrien starts to be like “well actually i think that my dad does care about me probably? And if he knew why I wanted to go he’d let me! Or at least Nathalie would because clearly she cares about me!”

Kagami is like “hhhnngg have you met them?? You think they’d want you to be happy and free??” Except she can’t just SAY that because if she did then she’d be crushing Adrien’s entire heart and possibly also making him get really defensive and he has to come to the conclusion that his parents are good on his own

Kagami also starts to get frustrated with how much more often Adrien has to leave than she does?? And its because of akuma attacks but she doesnt know that and he cant tell her

Adrien starts to get frustrated because he can take the “having to leave for akuma attacks” part but when he finally finishes an akuma battle and Natalie immediately calls him it is just aaaaaAAAAAAAA and he just wants to believe so badly that he could at least take control of that part??? He could at least get Nathalie to help him out??? Probably maybe right???

Because we all know he HATES having to keep secrets from Ladybug, but he’ll do it for her, and he’ll keep his life as Chat a secret, but Kagami??? He should at least be able to talk about that, right?? He’s not doing anything bad/dangerous/etc

Also there could very well be some angst with Adrien being so so worried about Nathalie because she’s bedridden and his dad is being sketchy and he’s SEEN this before and he doesn’t want to be avoiding Natalie or lying to her because what if he loses her too??? He’d feel so guilty! And he needs the support of a parent figure so much,,, so he HAS to tell her the truth

But he respects Kagami’s wishes and he’s not going to betray her trust

But unlike Lukanette, they DO talk about their feelings and they disagree and stuff, and even if he’s trying not to be confrontational, Kagami is like “i can tell youre uncomfortable about something, please just tell me what it is” so he tells her that he disagrees

Kagami gets akumatized?? idk if it’s even been confirmed that she’s the akuma “Lies” but I’d assume she is because parallels to Lukanette

Maybe it happens as a direct result of some moment where Kagami and Adrien are arguing and in the heat of the moment he says something hurtful??

Maybe they’re arguing and then Adrien has to leave before it can resolve and Kagami is mad about it even though shes trying not to be and she gets akumatized???

Maybe she does say something like “bc your dad sucks and nathalie sucks!” and he yells or something (i want to see Adrien yell and be flawed let me live, and this is one of the most likely scenerios for it to happen bc it would HURT for him)

Maybe Kagami shoots back with anger, maybe Adrien’s been calm but Kagami gets mean for a moment, but regardless, Kagami says something about her true feelings of anger at nathalie/gabe/ etc and before Adrien can respond he’s like “oh shoot sorry I need to get home NOW”

Then for one brief second Kagami’s TERRIFIED that he’s going to tell nathalie about this in his anger and then nathalie’s going to be like “oh kagami is clearly bad for you because she made u this upset” and Adrien will LISTEN because hes stupid and he still listens to his horrible adult figures and Kagami is so mad about the entire situation so then in her moment of weakness she gets akumatized

Look at that its a direct opposite of Lukanette because Luka was afraid of Marinette keeping secrets about why she’s always vanishing because he doesnt know and Kagami is afraid of Adrien telling secrets about why HEs always vanishing bc she thinks she does know,,

But anyway, after she gets de-akumatized, she’s so ashamed of it and she can see how far she took it and how many people it hurt,, and Adrien is really sad and apologetic and trying to support her,, and she’s like “no clearly I was actually wrong, keeping this a secret is hurting you and its hurting me and now its hurting random civilians”

So she tells Adrien that they should tell people about it and stop dating in secret

And then multiple possible ending:

Does he say “actually no, youre right, they wouldnt let this happen, so if we cant date in public and dating in secret is hurting us then we shouldnt date at all” and thats how the breakup goes??? That would literally obliterate me

Does the episode end on a false positive where Adrien hasnt told them yet and he is like “yeah this is gonna be great” and there isnt an actual breakup yet?? Because that would also kill me (even though i doubt theyre going to let adrimi take up that much time in the show but, let me dream)

Also if Adrien is like “we shouldnt tell my parents but we should tell someone” and then they tell Marinette and now shes got ANOTHER secret to keep and aaaaaaaAAAAA?? Id die on the spot

I’m still holding out hope that the episode will give me enough crumbs to at least be able to write this better, but regardless of what happens in the episode,,, the chances of me eventually writing fanfiction exploring this are SO HIGH, I’ve been thinking about this for ages

In conclusion:

—no matter what happens in lies, its going to destroy me

—please let them be in a secret relationship it makes so much sense for their characters and for the drama and aaaaAAAAA

—also please give me the parallels to lukanette where their issues are exactly the opposite and it still falls apart

Thank you for your time, I’ll be excitedly vibrating at the speed of sound for the next two days until we get answers!! Depending on how the episode goes, I’ll either be writing so much adrimi fluff to recover,, so much adrimi angst to vent,, or I’ll be staring at the ceiling screaming for a few days as I post nothing but keysmashes and try to sort through my emotions :)

#lies #ml lies #miraculous ladybug #adrien agreste #kagami tsurugi #ml spoilers #ml leaks #those are both super minor but i just want yo guve fair warning #ml theories #adrimi #adrigami #predictions #ml #long post #angst

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sylvies-casey · 3 years

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i’ve had so many thoughts since last weeks episode and i’ve just been writing them and keeping them in my drafts lol. but since 10x06 is tonight i’ll just post them lol. be warned, this doesn’t even flow and it’s just a bunch of thoughts piled together from the last week but here are thoughts no one asked for:

- i really don’t think they would’ve done the long distance relationship storyline without talking to kara. derek did say in the interviews that that he was telling her about how he wouldn’t see his kids for a while and i really don’t think they would possibly do it if she wasn’t okay with it i guess? (like especially since all of this was so sudden. idk do the actors/actresses even have a say in these things lol). i’m at least glad they got to talk to kara about it because this affects her just as much and i hope they considered her and how she feels about this storyline. i’m really putting so much faith into derek and the writers with this long distance relationship storyline and i really really hope they don’t mess it up. i know people are skeptical about it but i’m just praying it all plays out fine (i really really don’t want them to end it like idk what id do. they’re just meant for each other okay and ik i keep saying this but, i just cant see them with anyone else). i feel like they wouldn’t have done ldr if they didn’t have some sort of plan?? i’m curious to see how they handle it and i hope and pray they handle it well and not write it lazy. clearly derek and jesse wants them to stay together 💀 so i’m curious to see how this plays out.

- i understand everyone’s frustrations and emotions from this week. trust me, it’s been so hard. but i do think a lot of people need to cut derek some slack🤷🏽‍♀️ (and that’s a lot coming from me because i have a love/hate relationship with him lol). i really don’t think he even expected jesse to leave. i know whenever something happens to brettsey, we’re always like fck derek but i do think this is literally the one time no one can blame him. they did say jesse only came to a decision within the hiatus so i’m pretty sure if they knew beforehand, they for sure wouldn’t have made brettsey canon (cries). i just think people need to cut him some slack and ik it’s upsetting but it’s really not his fault or anyones fault (especially jesse’s. i saw tweets and i just…no thoughts), it’s just life. i’m going to try to be optimistic about this whole long distance storyline and if it doesn’t falls through then….lmao. i just think that a lot has to be done to make this storyline work and i hope the writers and derek know what they’re doing.

- ive been seeing the discourse about jesse coming back on every social media platform. i know people really want jesse to come back. trust me, i do too so badly, but i feel like he won’t come back as a series regular (i could be wrong, i pray i’m wrong lol). i only see him coming back for maybe 1-2 episodes (one of them has to be for severide’s wedding). maybe he could come back and have less screen time like boden. we really don’t know. its all up to jesse and when and if he is ready. he deserves the break. he’s been doing this for 18 years. as viewers, we don’t see how much this could affect this actors/actresses. there could be a possibility of him actually coming back but i think as of right now, coming back for an episode or two seems like the option right now. im just choosing to stay hopeful for now and hope we get to at least see him at the end of the season for stellaride’s wedding (we’ll, assuming it’s going to be this season. it has to. i don’t want them to push it). i also get a lot of people are mad, upset and hurt but i really can't stress this enough - it's not jesse's fault, it's really not anyone's fault. things happen in our lives. i remembered during an interview kara and jesse did in around february, jesse said "why would i want to leave?". things in life changed and sometimes we don’t like it but we gotta deal with it. watching the next episode (or even the rest of the season) is going to be hard and weird without seeing matt/jesse and it’s going to take some time to get used to. what we’re also not going to do is harass him and such. as much as i don’t want to talk about it (cause frankly, it’s absolutely none of us business), there could be family stuff going on and we all need to respect that. at the end of the day, family matters the most and if we were in his shoes, we would do the same if im being honest. for whatever the reason is, respect him and his decision.

- i started watching fire for brettsey and it really does hurt like hell knowing one of them left. if this was another show, i honestly would’ve stopped watching but i love sylvie sm. i did decide to watch until the season ends because i want to see how the ldr plays out lol.

- if anyone can work out long distance, it’s brettsey.

- you know what…at least they didn’t kill him off

#yeah idk what this is i just copied and pasted #here are thoughts no one asked for #chf discourse #text #brettsey

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yeahimaloser · 3 years

Text

Cutie 2

Hawks x shy!reader

Ok, so I wanted to make a part 2 of Cutie bc a lot of people really liked it!

But I didn’t think it had any spice, so here it is!! (just fluff tho nothing more :))

no pronouns mentioned!

Warnings: kidnappings

please enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You shuffled against your boyfriend Hawks, also known to you as Keigo, trying to get out of his grasp. But he just groaned against you. He was snuggling up against you in bed, being the little attention hog he is.

“Mmmm, babeeee don’t leave,” he held your waist tighter and nuzzled his face into your neck as your back was pressed up against his chest.

You were glad he couldn’t see your expression because of how flustered you were. “Keigo, we need to go to work.”

You wiggled a little bit more out of his grasp in order to turn and look at him. You cupped his cheek, making him hold tighter to you.

You and Keigo had been dating for a year now. And the both of you we’re so happy together.

...but no one else knew.

It was mostly for his job, but also for your safety as well.

No one in the office knew ethier, in fact Keigo acted like he didn’t even know you. But that was mainly because you asked him, you didn’t want any special treatment from him.

That being said, when you had to drop off some documents to him in his office he would give you a few quick kisses before you left. But besides that, Keigo was an amazing actor.

“Kei-”

This morning Keigo seemed particularly handsy. His hands ran circles on the sides of your waists, kissing down your neck.

“Y/n, as your boss it’s your job to stay in bed and cuddle with me.”

You gave a little giggle, “Kei, I love you a lot, but we really need to leave.”

At this, Keigo groaned.

“Lets just take off work,” he said, “I promise to make it up to you, I'll make breakfast~.”

You looked away from his face, “No Kei, p-please just let me go.” You didn’t mean to stutter, it would just come out when you were embarrassed.

But to this, Keigo just groaned, “Then stop being so damn cute. Do you realize how hard it is to stop cuddling you when you get all flustered like that?”

This just made you more flustered.

Keigo looked at the time and growled, “Damn, ok,” he said letting go of you, “you win, we should probably go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You and Keigo had fingered out a system in order for you two to arrive at different times.

It was quite simple, he would fly as you took the bus.

Keigo actually told you that sometimes he wished you two would go public with your relationship so he could escort you to the office himself.

When you finally walked through the doors, you felt something hot poor down the front of your shirt.

“Y/n! I’m so sorry!”

You told your co-worker you were ok, but your clothes weren't. The coffee would probably make stains on your clothes.

“Do you just want to go home and get something?” your co worker asked. “You’ll have to ask Hawks first, but he' a good guy. I'm sure he’ll be fine with letting you go home or something.”

You nodded, making your way to Hawkses office. You gave a light knock.

“Come in.”

After you entered and he saw you, Hawks seemed very concerned, “Are you ok? Did it burn you? If it did I’m ok with you going home for the rest of the day. Lemme take a look-”

“Keigo,” you said, giggling a little. Keigo was always a little protective of you, but you thought it was adorable. “I’m fine, really, I think I have an extra sweater,” you gave him a little kiss on his cheek, “But thank you honey.”

He just chuckled, pulling you into him, “You're so cute, you know that?” The embarrassed look on your face made his smile brighten.

He gave you a small kiss, and then you left.

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

If you thought your day couldn’t get worse, you were wrong.

Apparently one of your coworkers got sick, and the paperwork he needed to fill out needed to be signed by today. And for whatever reason, you got handed the job.

This was the one time Keigo wished he could use his power to make your life easier, but he knew better.

That being said, he pulled you away for a second to talk to you.

“Love bird, I’m so sorry. If I could, I would help you-”

You sighed, but smiled at him, “Kei, just go home and make something to eat. I'llI'll be home before you know it,” you ran your hand through his hair, “ok?”

He smiled and kissed your cheek, he chuckled at your flustered face, “Baby, we’ve been dating for a long while now. How are you not used to me kissing you?”

You shook your head, “J-just go home! I n-need to go to work,” but Hawks just chuckled in your ear, “Ok honey. I love you.”

You smiled, “I love you too.”

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

You thought that this wouldn’t take as long as it did.

But here you are, 2 hours in and all you wanted to do was go home to Keigo and cuddle with him while eating chicken and watch bad movies.

But, you had to get this done. You just had a few more documents to get into and then you would be done.

That was until you heard a loud crash.

Now, you were all by yourself. No one else was in the building, so needless to say you were scared.

Your first thought was to call Keigo and tell him that your concerns. But you decided against that, he was probably so tired and most likely it was nothing. Something probably dropped.

So you went to investigate.

You wished you hadn’t.

When you turned the corner to check on the sound, you saw 3 villains.

They all turned to look at you, and you tried to run but one of them got to you first.

“Awww shit, I thought you said no one was going to be here,” the one who caught you said.

“No one was supposed to be,” the bigger villain said, “The agence was supposed to be empty.”

You struggled against the villains grip, but he just held you tighter.

“I wouldn’t do that. Hey, I got an idea. Lets just use this dumbass as a hostage!”

The rest of the villains agreed.

All you wanted to do was run home to Keigo, for him to comfort you and tell you everything would be ok.

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

Keigo was getting worried about you.

It had been hours, and you weren’t home.

Keigo tried to calm himself by watching TV, but someone decided to call him.

He checked the caller ID to see it was his sidekick. He was confused, why was his sidekick calling him so late? He had the night off.

“Hello?”

“Hawks sir! Someone broke into the agency! And it looks like they have a hostage!”

Keigo’s mind went blank, he knew that only one person was left in the agency. You.

He quickly got his hero costume on, and was out the door under in a few minutes. He flew into the night sky, going as fast as his wings could carry him.

Keigo wouldn’t lie, he was terrified. You were his salvation, his whole world, if anything happened to you…

He shook his head, he couldn’t think about that. He just needed to get to you.

When he finally landed to assess the situation, he wanted to run in and kick the shit out of anyone who hurt you. But he strained himself, he needed to assess the information. He needed to calm down, he needed to find you and save you.

“Hawks sir!” his sidekick made his way over to him, “The coworker is still insi-”

Hawks cut him off, “I’m aware, what are you doing about it? '' his tone was cold, but he couldn’t care. You were the only thing that was important to him at that moment.

“No sir, we didn’t want to move in until you got here,” his sidekick informed.

Hawks thought for a minute “Ok, here's the plan…”

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

You were so scared.

The only reason you weren’t losing your mind, was because you knew Keigo would come and save you.

But that didn’t help you calm down.

“Did you make the demands yet,” one of them asked the other two.

“Yup,” the bigger one said, “the only thing they asked for was the hostage unharmed.”

“Well, I th- AHHHHHH!”

Your head shoots up to look at your captured scream, only to see your amazing hero boyfriend instead.

Hawks quickly finished off the other villains as well, tieing them up and knocking them out.

You’ve never seen him this mad in your life, but once his eyes turned towards you, he immediately softed.

“Hey baby, it’s ok,” he quickly untied you, and as soon as he did he enveloped you in a hug. He wiped the tears off your cheeks, you didn’t even remember crying.

“I’m here dove. I’m so sorry, I-I flew as fast as I could. But it wasn’t fast enough.” He kissed your face trying to calm you down, but all you could do was cry and cling to him.

He took a deep breath, “Sweetheart, I need you to stand up ok? I need to get you checked for any cuts or… deeper wounds,” Hawks sounded down right pained, you could tell he was worried about you. You just sobbed harder.

“I-I’m O-ok, j-just wanna g-go ho-home,” Keigo messaged your back, he looked so upset. He knew that he had to get you to the paramedics first, but all he wanted to do was go home with you and cuddle you to death. Tell you everything was going to be ok, tell you he would protect you with his life.

But his logical side took over, he needed to be rational.

“Love bird, we need to get you checked. I have dinner all made and I’ll run you a nice warm bath when we get home. But you have to do this one thing for me. Ok?”

You just nodded, tears still running down your cheeks.

Hawks helped you out of the building, being as gentle as he could.

After getting you checked and having the villains arrested, Keigo took you home.

As he promised he practically did everything for you. Made you dinner, ran a nice bath, he even offered to feed you.

You could tell how badly he was feeling, “Kie r-really, I’m o-ok,” you tried to stop the nervous stutter but you couldn’t.

But Keigo still felt like his heart was bursting into a million pieces. “My love, all I want is for you to feel safe again. I don’t think I can forgive myself for this, so please just let me pamper you.”

You looked down at your feet, “Kei, really it’s not your fault-”

“But it is,” when you looked back up at him, he looked so distraught. “It is my fault, I should have stayed with you. Or at least checked up on you,” Keigo grabbed your hand, “what kind of hero would I be if I can’t even protect the one I love? I-I thought you could be hurt, and I’m so glad you wernt love bird.” His eyes were casted downwards.

He sounded so… sad.

Before he could say anything more, you leaned into him and gave him a kiss.

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

When you kissed him, he felt his whole body melt into yours. The softness of it all was so tender and sweet. He leaned more into you, hungry for your love. He wanted to feel your love and warmth, he needed it. It was practically intoxicating. The way you shyly squirmed under his grasp, the way you kissed him to let him know how much you loved him.

He wanted it

But you ran out of breath, so you tried to pull away.

But Keigo wasn’t letting you, not yet.

He just needed your tenderness, your softness. Just for one second more.

But he let you go, and he took a shaky breath.

“Sorry about that honey, I probably should have let you pull away,” he said nervously.

Your face was just so cute. Your embarrassed expression, your heart achingly soft eyes, everything about you was adorable.

“It’s ok Keigo, really, I just want you to feel better,” you stroked his face, he put his hand over yours.

“I should be the one conferting you dove,” Keigo said, giving you a sad smile, “I should be your hero. I want you to feel protected and safe, and I failed.”

“Keigo, I’m still scared. But you're with me, and I know that you’ll always protect me. And,” you looked down at your feet, “Maybe I can help protect you too.” You gave him the sweetest smile that made him almost burst into tears just because of how full of love his heart was.

He pampered your face with millions of little kisses, “God dove, I’m so lucky to have you. Thank you.”

But you gave him a shy look, “o-oh, Kei,�� you stuttered. “B-but I should thank you too. You amazing Keigo, I love you so much. Everyday I-” you stopped, just for a minute, “I want to be happy with you. I’m so glad that I found you, e-even though I get so shy and anxious you always make me feel loved. Do I want you to feel that way too! Because you deserve it.”

A tear slipped from Keigo’s eyes.

You quickly wiped it away, “Keigo! I’m sorry, did I say something bad? I’m sorry, I just-”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keigo kissed you, but this time it was more rough and passionate. Full of need and want, he wanted you, he needed you.

You kissed back harder, trying to tell him how much you wanted him too.

After dating Keigo for as long as you have, you thought you’ve seen it all with him.

But you realized you were wrong.

You had never felt him this needy.

His lips felt like they needed you to tell them how much you cared. He ran circles down your sides, cradling your body.

He pulled away, “I love you so much, my cutie.”

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hehe, I hope I did ok!

Also master-list should be uploaded tomorrow!

#bnha hawks #hawks x reader #hawks x y/n #mha keigo x reader #keigo takami x reader #mha keigo takami #keigo x reader #mha fanfiction #keigo takami #hawks fic

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taesbetch · 4 years

Text

Den Of Hybrids | 05

Pairing: BTS x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Angst

Summary: Taking care of six hybrids can be a pain in the ass but when a stray needs y/ns help, y/n brings him home to his new family. Follow Y/n as she tries to help Taehyung (The new hybrid in town) fit in and continue to keep the other six alive along with other troubles that life brings.

Word Count: 2k

You stood at the back of your parked car, hands folded over your chest as you tried to contain your boiling anger. The park you were at was one the family used to visit a lot when you were younger. Those memories seemed so pure and happy, did you miss something? was your child mind completely oblivious to the misery that was your bloodline?

The sun was setting and time continued to tick by as both you and Hyuna awaited the arrival of the devil herself.

Finally, A black vehicle drove towards your area. As the car drove past you, you could almost feel the eyes of relieved hybrids. Your heart stopped as the car parked itself several parks away from yours. Turning towards it you prayed that the injuries weren't as bad as the pictures...but your prayers were ignored.

As the seven boys walked out the car one by one guarded by her henchmen, Your eyes watered. Namjoon limped as he held his right arm tightly, wincing with every breath. Jin clutched his shoulder, his left cheek bruised badly and his right eye still dark and battered. Jungkook walked with his ears hung low, his small cut healing. Jimin followed with what looked like a fresh slap wound and a small limp, pulling the weight off his foot. Taehyung followed closely behind jimin, looking the least emotionally traumatised and the least beaten with only a bruise on his forearm. Yoongi was next shoved out, carrying a heavy scowl on his face and multiple bruises on his arms and legs. Then, Hoseok walked, looking at you with big hopeful eyes he swallowed pain as he walked.

you wiped away a tear as you walked up to them, stopping about two car parks away as May raised her hand.

“Are you guys okay?!” You asked desperately as your voice cracked.

Each of them opened their mouths to answer but May spoke first.

“Wheres the money?” She spat.

You narrowed your eyes at her before pulling an envelope out of your pocket.

“I've got it. Now, give me back the boys” You spoke strongly, clearly over her shit. A small smirk found itself on her face. She nodded to her two henchmen. They stepped back letting the hybrids hesitantly shuffle towards you.

“It's okay, you're okay now” You urged. Jimin bit his lip as his eyes quickly spewed tears. Running over to you with a wail he was the first to embrace you. soon, all the boys had run over, participating in a massive group hug, you quickly wiped away jungkooks tears as hoseok squeezed your hand. It had felt like a whole eternity that they had been away. But now they were back. It was time to finish May off.

“Here,” You said as you broke free of your hybrids hold to pass her the envelope. The seven boys watched curiously as they noticed your demoneour change and hyuna quickly typed away on her phone.

Opening the envelope with an expectation of cheques, mays smirk quickly dropped.

“what's this?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

“It's your warning. I'm charging you for assault and blackmail...oh, actually. What else was there hyuna?” You asked cheekily as you looked back at your friend.

“Oh, I believe it was - Blackmart hybrid fighting, illegal work hours and payments, Tax evasion and hmm what else of yeah! scamming money from the rich! sounds oddly familiar” Hyuna explained.

You looked back to May and sighed heavily.

“You have NO proof of this” she scoffed as she folded her arms defensively.

“Oh, but i do. Ya know, You could've just asked. I probably would've said yes. I wanted your love and approval THAT badly i would've handed over 7 million with no hesitation. I just wanted my family around. And because of that my real family ended up getting hurt.” You stated, your voice strong and passionate but full of hurt.

“y/n, I'm all you have. You cant do this to me” She said, whimpering slightly as she saw the fire in your eyes.

“But i can, And i will. Because you've crossed a line aunt May” You said nonchalantly as sirens chimed in the background, getting closer and closer.

“You're going to regret this y/n, Trust me when i say this” SHe sneered as her two henchmen start backing away, ready to make a run for it.

“I’ll never trust anything that comes out of your mouth ever again”

You turned to walk away but swivel back around as the police cars start turning into the parking lot.

“Oh and one more thing... I hope you rot in hell”

Spinning around towards your car you walked quickly, ignoring her yells and her pleas, with the boys following closely you watched happily as the cops nodded at you, reassuring you that everything would be handled on their end. Right now, Aunt May was dead to you.

----

“Okay, but are you sure?” You asked nervously as you stood at hoseoks door watching him dry his hair with a towel, clean clothes on his body.

“Y/n, I swear I'm okay. I just need some sleep honestly” He replied, his usual sunshine smile displayed on his face. You pouted at him as he sat himself down on his bed.

“Okay...but ill be checking on you in the morning” You replied. He smiled at you as you slowly closed the door, your eyes glued on him just in case.

You sighed as the door clicked shut, but your moment was quickly interrupted as taehyung walked around the corner. As you opened your mouth to continue your obsessive checking he cupped your face with his hands.

“Yes I'm okay, No I'm not mad at you, No I'm not upset that this was my first week in this household” He answered before giving you a tight squeeze.

“And don't worry, I will comfort jimin until you come to check on him” he added before walking off, his hands tucked in his pockets. You stood shocked for a second at how well he was handling everything. He seemed a little different to when he first arrived at the house, though he still seemed like a doe-eyed child, something had shifted and you weren't sure what..

Thinking of doe-eyed children you noticed how quiet it was. Jungkook.

Rushing upstairs you noticed that yoongis door was locked shut and took a mental note to check on him straight after. As you entered jungkooks room you noticed how he had rearranged his furniture.

“Kookie? You okay?” You asked as you nervously watch him throw clothes on the ground.

“Oh hey, y/n! Yeah, I'm fine” He replies. Not giving you a single glance. You walked closer, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Kookie” You said softly as he stopped.

“I'm fine, really. Namjoon and jin were the ones who took the most of it. especially in place of us...I just...I just think its time for me i change a little bit. To grow ya know?” He said.

You smiled softly at him.

“Well okay then, positive growth is never bad, just...tell me if you're not okay, alright?” You said. He smiled at you and nodded softly, returning back to what he was doing.

You bit your lip before walking out, heading to yoongis room. Placing an ear on his door you heard the shower running.

Your eyebrows furrowed but you shrugged it off. This wasn't his usual showering time but then again, he did just got through something rather traumatic. You walked to Jimin's room but the sound of two people snoring froze you in your spot.

A smile graced your face and for the first time in a minute, you felt calm. It was nice to know that the two boys had found peace with each other. Walking all the way downstairs you made your way to namjoons room, for some reason you weren't as concerned with your older hybrid before, but jungkooks words made your heart drop with worry.

“Namjoon?” You called softly as you slowly opened the door. Sobs filled the room. At the sight of you, namjoon shifted his body to face a wall, hiding away from you.

“Namjoon” You whispered as you closed the door, your heartbreaking a little. You rushed to his side letting him cry in your arms.

“You asked me to take care of everyone and i couldn't, i failed” He sobbed. Your heart broke even further as you realised the stress and pressure you had accidentally placed on your hybrid.

“Oh namjoon no, you didn't fail. You did your best! and jungkook told me all about how you and jin took the brunt of it all. God im so sorry, This is not your fault at all! AT ALL! I'm so sorry i put that pressure on you” You stated, a few tears falling out of your eyes.

“You did everything right namjoon. Grandma would be so proud of how you handled it” You added as you stroked his hair.

“I felt so..useless” He whimpered. You kissed his forehead softly before shaking your head.

“No. Don't ever think that about yourself. I need you here, things wouldn't work smoothly without you, i don't know how id manage this estate without you or the other hybrids....This was my mistake okay? don't be so hard on yourself I'm the one that fucked up...” You stated.

Namjoon took a deep breath before looking at you. His eyes blood red.

“I promise ill be better,” He said as he took your hand in his.

“That's not possible namjoon, You’re already the best”

----

You dragged you feet towards your own room, hoping jin would be in there - ready for bed.

As you entered your room you stood at the doorway and stared at jins back. Your mind floated to when you first got jin. Back then it was only him and namjoon. You were still figuring out so many things and there jin was, always supporting and looking out for you.

As he turned around you were reminded of the pain he had enured as the bruises and black eye called for attention.

“there you are! You ready for bed?” He asked with his bright smile.

You pouted as you tried to contain your emotions but couldn't stop yourself. Bursting into tears you ran to jin and engulfed him in a hug.

“I'm so sorry! I'm really so sorry!” You sob.

He laughs as he wraps his arms around you.

“Its okay y/n. Look! I'm back now! were all back and were going to be okay! Sure that was a shitty experience but were going to be alright” He said as he rubbed your back.

“God damnit i should be the one, comforting you” You sighed as you pulled away from him and wiped your eyes, the tears refusing to stop.

“Have you done your rounds? Check on everyone first then you can come and listen to me sob” He smiled ruffling your hair. You laugh before doing a mental checklist...Yoongi.

“I'll be back”

Odd. The shower was still running. You knocked harshly just in case he couldn't hear, but there was no answer or call...nothing.

“I'm coming in yoongi I'm worried!” you said before using your master key to unlock his door. peaking your head in you noticed that only one little lamplight had been turned on and the window was fully opened. A fully opened window was never yoongis style.

you walked to his second level but still...

Empty.

You walked over to the bathroom noticing the door was open and yet, nothing. Just an empty shower. Turning off the water you looked around his room once more even checking to see if clothes were missing, or certain items...but nothing...

Your heart drops in your stomach as worry starts to consume you. As you hold yourself to protect your skin from the sudden breeze passing through the room you let the silence further feed your growing fear.

“Yoongi?”

315 notes · View notes

miraculouslycool · 4 years

Text

in the dead of night, your eyes so green

Summary: What did he have to do to let her know exactly how much she deserved? She needed someone who would spend hours making himself good for her, someone who would open her doors, who would listen to her talk for as long as she wanted, who would see her for the wonderful person she was, even if....even if it wasn't him.

"Go out with me."

A loud silence followed his words.

Read in Ao3:

Adrien Agreste loved being Chat Noir. The thrill he would feel while jumping over rooftops and running along them, that couldn't compare to anything in the world.

Well, almost anything in the world. The thrill of getting to see Ladybug was still far greater.

He was the personification of everything unpredictable and wild, and yet, he loved the little routine he had with Ladybug. Not that he would ever wish akumatisation on anybody, but seeing her make a plan worthy of a million brain cells, fighting alongside her, meeting up for patrol, getting to see the city in a way no one would - he lived for that lucidity, as abnormal and extraordinary as it was.

"Why hello there, m'lady!" He said, half in surprise. "You're early today." He commented, landing on the rooftop next to her.

"Huh?" She started, looking at him. "Oh, hey Chat." She blinked, like she had just seen him there.

"Whatcha thinking about, Bugaboo?" He winked.

"Oh, oh nothing, nothing much." She muttered, shaking her head, and (he couldn't believe it) blushing.

He squinted. "Is everything okay?" He asked. "You really look lost in thought."

That's when it clicked. There were two akumas today, one was an old lady who was annoyed that there was so much traffic in the city, she became a supervillain with vacuuming powers that wiped out nearly every vehicle in the city, and of course, their daily dose of M. Pigeon.

He had barely gotten over his sneezing from all the pigeon feathers when Ladybug had hurried away, muttering a quick apology and saying something about being late.

He hadn't thought much of it then, but now maybe whatever transpired in her civilian life didn't go over so well.

"Did it go well? The thing you were late for?" He asked.

She gaped a little before composing herself. "Uh, um, yeah!" She stammered, before shaking her head. "Let's...let's pet gatrolling- I mean - patrolling, sorry." She said, readying her yo-yo. "You take the left bank, I'll take the right."

She was gone before he had a chance to open his mouth.

Chat sighed. He certainly didn't prefer getting tidbits or half-worded accounts of Ladybug's life, nor did he like watching his words every time he spoke to her. He understood why, of course, and he'd never question her about it

He knew Ladybug was his age, and so he knew she had a life of her own, university classes of her own, at least he thinks she does, and many, many other things she couldn't tell him.

Raising his staff, he took off to do his duty as one half of Paris's dynamic duo, quietly dreaming of the day he would get to simply talk to Ladybug for hours and hours without checking himself.

Talking. That was enough. They didn't even need to be together. He knew that was never going to happen since years ago, and he accepted it.

Which meant that he needed to stop going down that path, he thought to himself furiously. He was going to slow down, and once they met up, he was going to ask her again.

She was a completely different person when they met on top of the Eiffel Tower again. Then, she was distracted and flustered, now she was all smiles.

"All clear?" She asked - no, she practically chirped.

"Hm, yeah. Nothing happened." He said, noting her too wide smile and bright eyes. "What about you, though?

"Yep, everything is fine on my side." She said quickly, putting on that perky air he had never seen in her before. "Okay then, see you tomorrow, Chat-"

"Wait!" He caught her hand. "Ladybug, are you okay?"

"Yeah." She said slowly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Look, I don't know what's going on, and you don't need to tell me what's going on, but - you know that I can tell when you're upset, don't you?" He asked, squeezing her wrist.

"I...even if I could tell you," her cheeks turned a bright crimson red. "I can't. It's too embarrassing. And pathetic."

"I can do embarrassing." Chat said proudly, pointing to himself. "And it can't be pathetic."

"It is." She squeezed her eyes shut. "It really is."

"You can tell me." He perked up. "I mean - if you want to, that is!! I don't want to like, guilt trip you or force you into telling me-"

She stopped him by squeezing his shoulder. "I do want to tell you."

"Really?" He breathed. She wasn't just saying that?

"So, um, I went out on a date today and it went so-" Ladybug's eyes widened and she slapped her hand over her mouth, just as a large weight dropped in Chat's stomach.

"I'm sorry!!" Ladybug fell all over herself trying to apologize. "I'm so sorry, mon chaton, I didn't mean to- oh my god, I'll shut up now." She covered her face in her hands. "I'm so so stupid!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Chat held her shoulders. "What are you apologizing for?"

Actually he knew exactly what she was apologizing for. But it wasn't like she needed to.

Swallowing down that twinge of hurt, he let her speak. "I wasn't trying to rub it in your face or anything! I shouldn't have-"

"Wait, is that what this is about? M'lady, it's fine. If you want to talk about a bad date, if that's what it is-" he said, selfishly hoping it was. "-of course, I'm here for you. I've had my share of bad dates too."

She paused in her fretting over his words. Well, he wasn't lying about the dates part. Most of them were PR stunts set up by his father, sometimes the girl in question was genuinely nice and friendly but they just didn't click.

And then there were those disastrous ones, which were few far and in between.

"You - you have?" She blinked in wonder, like she couldn't believe it.

"Is that so surprising?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"No!" Ladybug shook her head, cursing herself. Chat Noir was the one guy in her life she didn't become a flustered mess around, but it seemed like she couldn't even do that right today.

Obviously, he had a life beyond defeating supervillains, beyond the mask and beyond her - woah, where did that come from - it shouldn't be such a huge surprise that he went on dates with girls too.

"No, it's just, I can't imagine - I can't imagine you ever having a date that went badly, I mean, you're- you know, all charming and dashing-" she regretted saying that the minute his smirk became cockier.

"I see, never knew you thought of me that way, Bugaboo. One learns new things everyday." He said smugly.

"Ha ha." She punched his arm. "You know what I mean. I'm just saying I find it really hard to believe you having a hard time with girls."

'If only you ever knew there was only one girl I want to have all my time with.' He thought dreamily to himself before snapping himself out of it.

His lady needed him, he needed to shelve the stupid fantasies for now.

He pulled her down as he sat cross legged on the roof of the Eiffel Tower.

"Come on, tell Chat Noir all about the dude he needs to punch." He said cheekily.

"No need to punch anyone." She sighed, hugging her knees. "The fault is mine this time."

"I seriously doubt that." He said so firmly it made her look up.

"You don't even know what happened!" She exclaimed.

He frowned, but nodded and let her continue.

"Okay, so, uh, the guy! Right, the guy." For heaven's sake, why was she so shy?? This was Chat Noir! She talked to him about everything and anything she could talk about!

"He is one of my classmates." She said. "He and I met while working on a project together and well, we had similar tastes, so uh, two weeks later, when the project is done and assigned and graded, he asks me out, and why not? I said yes." She snuck a peek at his face, making sure that he wasn't bored or something, to her surprise, she caught a momentary flash of hardness in his expression, but it left as soon as it came.

"But of course," she growled, continuing her story, "The butterfly bastard just HAD to bring out two akumas on today of all days. After the first one, I was so late I had to run to the restaurant and by the time the second one came out, I had to leave in the middle of lunch!! He didn't say anything, but I could tell he was pissed." She said sadly. "And I don't blame him, if I were in his shoes, I'd hate me too."

"Come on, don't say that. It's not your fault you stood him up." Chat rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Yeah, it's not like he knows that now, does he? And this isn't even the first time this has happened. You wouldn't believe the number of classes I had to catch up on because of akumas, let alone dates!"

Sadly, Chat could relate. He had to work overnight for a photoshoot he had missed because of akumas. And then he had to go home and work on his school work. He had gotten so sick the next day even Plagg decided to ban him from stepping out of the house.

"Don't worry. I feel the same way too." He said. "I love being Chat Noir and all, but..."

"Having a double life and not being to explain why?" She finished. "I know."

"Hey, if it makes you feel better, I once had to stand someone up because of an akuma and that girl was so pissed she dumped her soda on me. In public."

He remembered making the headlines in every tabloid in Paris. He had gotten a mouthful from his father. Alya and Marinette, once they heard about it, were very sympathetic, and once Nino stopped laughing at it, he did too.

"What?!" Ladybug cried. "That's insane!! No one should - who does that?!"

"People who've been left waiting for 2 and a half hours?" Chat shrugged, shaking it off like it was nothing. "Like you said, I don't really blame her."

"Still! I mean! I would never do that! I wouldn't humiliate someone like that in public!" She was enraged. Her poor kitty. He had probably gone home feeling awful as she did, when he didn't deserve to.

"Really?" He said bitterly. "You wouldn't wanna sock the lights out of some idiot who stood you up for a reason that wasn't an akuma?"

Ladybug had nothing to say.

"Bugaboo?" He prompted.

"Well...." she hesitated. "I've been trying to be more understanding about people standing me up or just arriving late. I mean, it would be hypocritical not to."

Chat blinked at her disbelievingly.

"Chaton? What's wrong?" She asked.

"Please tell me I'm not hearing that you don't take yourself getting stood up as seriously as you should."

"Well, it's not always so bad, sometimes they're late, sometimes he has to leave too soon, sometimes they just forget-" she was interrupted by him making an offended noise.

And he was offended! Deeply! Who on earth would forget a date with Ladybug?? He wouldn't have been able to sleep from the excitement and some idiot was LATE?

'Okay, Agreste, simmer down. It's not you she's on a date with.'

He was so focused on calming himself down, he didn't notice Ladybug staring at him, a soft smile on her face. She really hadn't expected him to get so angry on her behalf. Her chest tingled pleasantly, like she had just taken a sip of warm, delicious mead.

"It just...It just isn't fair. You shouldn't be accepting someone so inconsiderate enough to be late for a person who's waiting for them. You shouldn't, you just shouldn't."

Maybe it was his in-bred manners or it was his mind drifting to a world where he would spend every waking minute counting down to the day he would be meeting Ladybug at some quaint, little restaurant - okay, this had to STOP.

He wasn't that dumb kid with an unrestrained crush anymore, he had to restrain it, for her sake.

"I agree..." Ladybug said, fiddling with one of her slightly longer pigtails. "But at the same time...I don't."

He opened his mouth to argue, but she gently cut him off. "How about we trade stories? Yours really can't have been worse than the soda dumper."

"Uh....I once went out with someone who just asked me out as a part of a dare - a girl who was a lesbian and was just checking to make sure she wasn't interested in guys, one moved way too fast-" he noticed her eyes glinting dangerously at that. "-some were so shy I never wanted to make the first move, I got set up with a few people but..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "...we just never clicked."

"Oh dear." Ladybug clicked her tongue.

"Aaaand, then there was this girl who got so offended when I wanted to get a turn to talk. I mean, she asked questions about me and answered it with a story about herself." He mumbled.

"I know right?!" Ladybug exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "No! I don't want to be talked AT, I want to talk with you!"

Chat let out a low whistle. "You totally get it."

"And they expect me to come along with them back to my place when..." he winced. "I'm just not ready. Not that there's anything wrong with them wanting to!"

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, you know that right?" Ladybug said fiercely. "No means no. Did they ever try to-?"

"No, no, god no. But they looked so disappointed or miffed I just feel so bad." He traced low circles around his thigh absentmindedly.

Ladybug was surprised at that. She hadn't expected Chat Noir of all people to be someone who would take it slow and steady.

She didn't want to mention the creeps who acted betrayed because she didn't want to go home with them that night - lest she make him angry.

As much as it was sweet to see Chat Noir being protective of her, she very much enjoyed meeting the shy, sweet guy who was always scared if he offended people at every step.

That wasn't a side she expected to see, but oddly it didn't feel so out of place for him either.

' Oh, chaton. You are too good for this world. Loud, brash, reckless, but good.' She thought bittersweetly.

"What about you?" He interrupted her thoughts. "Any other nightmares you'd like to share?"

She gagged before continuing.

"Okay, this isn't so bad, but one guy took me out to a football game, and...I did not enjoy it."

'Ladybug doesn't enjoy sports. ' He mentally filed away. 'Okay maybe not all sports,' he corrected himself cautiously.

"Did you tell him that?"

"Not really, he was so into it, and I felt like it would be horrible of me to make him feel bad too."

'She's so nice.' He thought. 'If I could find a word better than 'nice', she is that.' he thought lamely.

"You are too good for anyone in this world." He said, yawning as he did.

"Oh come on. Most of my experiences weren't so bad. He wouldn't get a second glance if he so much as got any ideas, let alone a second date." She grumbled.

"Either way, this is mostly just my friends setting me up with someone. With how busy I am," she gestured to all of Paris. "I really don't think I'm dating material."

"M'lady, please don't sell yourself short." He lay back on the cold iron, stretching his limbs, leaving his legs dangling off the roof.

Ladybug snuck a peek at him. Chat was always so lively and animated, always talking a mile a minute, it was so unlike him to be this serious. He sounded practically stern while telling her not to sell herself short.

His eyes were loosely closed, and since her knee was touching his thigh, the heat from his body was emanating through hers. She remembered from her vague research on the internet that cats were warm blooded animals, and were natural conductors of heat.

Now of course she knew Chat Noir was a guy and not an actual cat, yet something was clawing away at her to cocoon herself into a ball next to him and find that out for herself.

Ugh, the lack of sleep was getting to her head.

She had very well moved on from her first (and so far ONLY!) crush Adrien and hearing about his own active dating life only brought a twinge of discomfort to her now.

She would have been on three-fourths of the dates she had been if it wasn't for Alya trying her best to get her to move on. And Marinette did appreciate it! But it really wasn't helping her out much. - she was practically admitting defeat in the art of courting.

And of course her tired mind was fixating itself on the one other guy she couldn't be with. A few years ago, it was rare to catch a moment when Chat Noir was not showering her with genuine praise or confessing his love.

Now only one of those two remained, and that was Marinette's own doing. She was the one who rejected him time and time again for another love as pointless as he seemed to be. How stupid would it be of her to hope he still felt the same

It was stupid. And Marinette Dupain Cheng wasn't stupid.

"I'm giving up on dating entirely." She ended up saying.

"Huh?" He gasped.

"Yeah, you heard me. I'm sick of going with people I don't fit in with, or being late for them or wondering if I'm being stood up or not."

She could live. It would just be her, her books, her classes. No drama would come her way.

"WOAH, don't you think you're being a little too hasty?" Chat sprung up from his doze.

"I'm surprised you aren't joining me! You're seriously considering trying after all those attempts?"

"Uhhhh..." He didn't know how to answer that. He technically couldn't stop - keeping up the appearance of a bachelor with an active dating life was part of his job. And he wasn't even 20 yet.

"Forget it." She said, not waiting for him to answer. "I think I'm cursed, kitty. What's the point of putting myself through something that is obviously not going to work?"

What did he have to do to let her know exactly how much she deserved? She needed someone who would spend hours making himself good for her, someone who would open her doors, who would listen to her talk for as long as she wanted, who would see her for the wonderful person she was, even if....even if it wasn't him.

"Go out with me."

A loud silence followed his words.

"What?" Ladybug murmured, hardly being able to believe his words.

He hadn't meant to say that!!

Why, why, why didn't his head work faster than his big, fat mouth?

"Go...out with me?"

Apparently his brain still wasn't working, because he was still saying those stupid words!

"You're serious?"

It was too late to back out now, so what the hell, he may as well complete making a fool out of himself.

"I am. Let me take you out on one date. Just one, no strings attached. And if you still think you're cursed by the end of it, you can give up like you wanted to. I just don't want you to give up on a real chance of getting to enjoy atleast one date."

Ladybug blinked. Was she hearing him right?

He was asking her out? After so long?

"How - how would that work?" She stammered. "Wouldn't it draw a lot of attention if Ladybug and Chat Noir were seen out together on a date?"

Somewhere in his heart where that ember of hope when it came to Ladybug had died out, a spark fizzled.

She wasn't saying no. Yet.

"We could..." he said, thinking. 'We could wear disguises. We could wear sunglasses or masks if it doesn't end up being weird, and we could text each other how we're going to look! And hey, if an akuma shows up I won't hold it against you." He joked weakly.

She didn't answer for a full minute and Adrien could feel his heart flatlining.

"It's okay if you don't want to - I understand! It was just a suggestion and-" he mumbled the next part. "-I just thought it would be cool."

"When do you want to do this?"

She still wasn't saying no?

Was he dreaming?

"I'm not free this weekend." He said, trying to remember his schedule. Nathalie said his father would be out for the next full week at Milan. That would be a perfect chance to sneak out.

"So maybe next Saturday?"

Then slowly, she got up, reeled her yoyo out and smiled at him. "Text me the details?"

All he could do was dumbly nod at her swinging away.

If Paris heard a loud 'WAHOO!' coming from the Champ de Mars, they didn't comment.

A week later, Marinette found herself climbing up the stairs to her loft.

"Marinette dear, how did lunch with your friends go?" Her mother called from the living room.

"It went well, mom!" Marinette called back, once she got over her momentary shock.

"Okay, sweetie! Let us know if you need anything!"

"Marinette?" Tikki floated up to her chosen once they were in her room. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"What do you mean - oh you mean with Adrien?" Marinette realised.

She had managed to catch up with Alya, Nino and Adrien that afternoon.

Being with her friends after two years of not getting to see them in the hallways of the same school was incredible. Of course they got together every now and then but due to their busy schedules, times like today when they would truly get to hang out were rare.

Especially for poor Adrien. The sparkle in his green eyes was brighter today in their presence.

"Yeah, Tikki, believe me, I'm okay. I know Adrien has a life of his own and...I'm used to it." She shrugged lightly.

"You weren't upset when he..." Tikki winced, not wishing to complete the sentence.

Marinette sighed. She had happened to overhear Adrien and Nino talking about a date he had with someone from work while waiting for his ride.

Alya had given her a sympathetic pep talk all the way home, even if Marinette insisted that she truly was okay with it.

Adrien had a date with someone - whether it was because of his father or it was someone he actually liked - it really wasn't any of her business.

If Adrien asked her out now, she would have a hard time saying no - but...

"I'm happy for you, Marinette." Tikki said approvingly. "I'm glad you're moving on to Chat Noir."

Marinette nearly tripped on thin air.

"I'm not - what?"

"Isn't your date this Saturday?"

"Uh, um, yeah? But it's not really a date-date, we're just you know hanging out!"

"Well he did say 'no strings attached'." Tikki said, and Marinette missed the exasperation in her voice.

"He hasn't even texted me since, and...well, would it be awkward if I brought it up?"

"Why would it?" Tikki shrugged. "It is just a casual one, isn't it?"

The last week was pretty tame on akumas. They only had solo patrols scheduled and there was one akuma last Wednesday which she was particularly grumpy about. Hawkmoth chose to attack during a test she was taking and she had to rush back and beg her professor to let her retake it. She had to stay back in her university for another hour and by the time she went home tired and hungry, she had to have her lunch at 5 PM.

She had barely gotten to even wave at Chat Noir let alone discuss the date that they were supposed to have in four days.

They hadn't texted each other much since that eventful day a week ago.

Marinette flopped on her bed.

"I wish I had enough time to go out for a joint patrol with him. Then maybe I could..." She finished off with a sigh.

"Maybe you could?" Tikki prompted.

"Maybe I could finally ask him about it?" She shrugged, sitting up. "I mean, of course I know he's busy, when we were in school it used to take him less than a minute to annoy me with his silly puns." she rolled her eyes affectionately

Now if he sent her a text, it usually took her three days to respond. That was the case with him too.

Why did they have to grow up?

"Hey Tikki?" She said out loud.

"Yes, Marinette?"

"Is it just me or am I really looking forward to this?" She said in a muffled voice. "Much, much more than I thought I would be?"

Tikki laughed gently, "You're allowed to feel that way, yes."

"It would be nice to go out with someone I already know, instead of a complete stranger." Marinette picked at a thread in her jacket.

"Right."

"I mean, I know Chat Noir. He's a great guy. He's loyal and reliable and the best fighter I know. He always has my back."

"Yes, on the battlefield." Tikki said nonchalantly.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that you are thinking of Chat Noir, your partner, not Chat Noir, your date?"

Marinette squinted at that. "How is that supposed to make me think differently?"

"Well, when he is sitting across you at a dinner table - would you be thinking of how great he is at battle?" Tikki said wryly.

That made Marinette sit up. "What?"

Tikki immediately realised she said the wrong thing. "Marinette-"

"Oh no, oh no, Tikki! What if I have nothing to say?! What if he has nothing to say? What if we just end up sitting there silently and the whole day is ruined?!"

"Marinette, that is not going to happen." Tikki said comfortingly.

"But we've never asked each other personal questions before! We always stick to hypotheticals and that was only when it was necessary!"

"That didn't stop you from talking so freely that day he asked you out." Tikki pointed out. "You two are very comfortable around each other, only if you let yourself be."

Marinette considered what her kwami said.

All she had to do was ask Chat Noir how his life was going. That wasn't too hard, was it?

If they used pronouns and strayed away from getting too detailed, it should be fine.

They always would be. This was Chat Noir, she knew him, even if she didn't even know his real name.

They had grown up together as heroes and as friends for nearly 5 years.

And it's not like she never knew how good-looking he was, either. He used to be a lean, tall teenager with a cocky grin, but now...

She could have sworn the last time she saw him, he had a bit of stubble along his sharp jawline. And sometimes it was very very hard to not look away from his arms when he swung that staff around. And lately his smiles were softer, not smug like they used to be..

Marinette only realised how red her face became when her phone pinged with a message alert.

Slapping her cheeks, she picked her phone up. This had to stop!

Aaaaand of course he of all people had to be the one texting her.

Chaton-Noir: You have a minute

They had downloaded a texting app a long time ago so they could talk to each other without phone numbers getting in the way.

Badylug: Are you responsible for my new nickname? >:(

Chaton-Noir: Why, do you like it? ;)

Badylug : I'm blocking you. smh

Chaton-Noir: Wait, nooooo M'lady pleaaaasse

Badylug: Actually I have a better idea

Furry: What the fuck

Badylug: :satisfied:

Furry: You've really got nothing better

Badylug: >:)

Furry: *gulp* No worries! Furry is good! Furry is great!

Badylug: Good job. :D So, what did you want to tell me?

Furry: Uh, first, are you free?

Badylug: Yes

Furry: How free? Because I wanted to talk about Saturday.

'Badylug' nearly dropped her phone in surprise.

Badylug : Oh, that!

He didn't answer for a while and Marinette's fingers trembled. Had she been too on-the-nose with her reply?

Furry: If you want to back out, or if something came up that day, it's okay!

Furry: I understand.

Wait, he thought she wanted to back out?

"No way!” She thought out loud.

Badylug: Why would you think I'd say yes if I wanted to back out?

Furry: no, no I know

He was typing for a long time and she wondered if he was considering his words carefully.

Furry: I just wanted to make sure if you didn't have any second thoughts.

Badylug : Of course not.

Badylug: I wanted to text you about this for a long time but I was busy and I'm guessing you are too

Badylug : We don't text as much as we used to :(

She genuinely regretted it. If only she had found a way to meet him during circumstances that didn't have to do with akumas.

Hawkmoth shouldn't be the reason for her to see Chat Noir. It just wasn't right.

Furry: Me too, bugaboo. Sometimes in the middle of my job or my classes I want to talk to you too but you're never online and I don't want to disturb you.

Furry : Wait, does Saturday still work for you?

He was being terrified for nothing, she did want to see him - the boy who was Chat Noir without his mask - but this kind of adorable restlessness was something she had encountered often.

He was so scared she was going to cancel he was trying his best to set himself up for disappointment.

And she couldn't blame him either. He didn't tell her much, but she could tell that he didn't look forward to going back home each time they had to leave.

Settling her head on her pillow comfortably, she texted back.

Badylug: Of course it does. I really can't wait to see you, I promise.

Okay maybe she could have been subtler about it, but he sent her a string of happy emojis after it. She couldn't find it in herself to regret being so forward after something like that.

Furry: What time works for you?

Badylug: Hmm, let's see.

Badylug: Does 5 in the evening work for you?

Furry: Of course! If it works for you, it works for me.

Her insides clammed up.

She was about to type something acknowledging his gentleness, when he replied again.

Furry: Where should we meet?

Badylug: Definitely not somewhere crowded. I want to be able to find you.

Furry: Not somewhere cramped either.

Badylug: Why not?

She had been thinking of them meeting at the place directly. Wherever that was.

Furry: Um

Furry: This is weird.

Furry: I'm not fond of tiny spaces?

Furry: I guess you could say I'm claw-strophobic?

Badylug: That's not weird at all, chaton.

Badylug: There's nothing abnormal about having a phobia.

Furry: Thank you, m'lady.

He sent her a pink heart.

She hadn't even finished smiling at it when the next message came.

Furry: The Trocedaro isn't too crowded in the evening. And it's open and airy.

Badylug: Perfect.

Furry: Purr-fect* >:(

Badylug: Whatever, you clown.

Badylug: And where are we going?

Furry: That's for mew to know and for you to find out.

Badylug: Chaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

Badylug: Is it gonna be some restaurant I've never heard of?

Furry: Oh no, the restaurant is a part of the date, but that's not what I was talking about.

Furry: >:)

Badylug: You're making it sound so convoluted!

Furry: You're saying that like it's a bad thing :P

Badylug: smh

Badylug: In that case

Badylug: I'm taking YOU somewhere too.

Badylug: And I'm not telling you where it is.

She had the perfect place in mind.

Furry: Joke's on you, Badylug. I'm much better at handling surprises than you. I can wait a little longer.

Badylug: :O

Badylug: Meanie.

Furry: It's not my fault I'm so good at waiting for the things I want.

She blinked.

He didn't mean it like THAT, did he?

No, of course he didn't. The stupid cat was just messing around.

She really needed to stop overthinking things like she did with Adrien. She wasn't going to make the same mistake with Chat Noir.

Not that she was going to be pursuing him like she did with Adrien!

Furry: At the end of the day, I just want to have a good time with you.

Badylug: Of course, Chat, isn't that what dates are all about?

Furry: Is that what you want this date to be about?

Badylug: There's nothing I want more.

She let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding.

Furry: Me too.

Furry: So what will you be wearing?

Seriously? She bared her heart out to him and this was what she got?

Shaking her head, she told herself not to be too disappointed. He felt the same way she did. For now, that was enough.

Badylug : You first, I'm still trying to figure that part out.

Furry: I'm gonna be wearing black sunglasses, and a green scarf.

Badylug: Chat Noir's colors?

She typed with a smile.

Furry: Well of course. What about you?

Badylug: Let's see. How am I supposed to dress? Gee, it sure would be nice to know where I'm going...

Furry: Nice try. I think you can be dressy, but not too fancy either.

I'd say anything classy would work.

Marinette raised an eyebrow at his liberal use of fashion jargon. Did he by any chance work in fashion too? Or was he just flexing those terms at her?

With him, it was always hard to tell.

Badylug: I'll be wearing a red dress with a black jacket. And pink sunglasses.

Furry: Don't tell me you'll be abandoning the spots!

Badylug: Wouldn't dream of it.

She made sure to be coy. She was in a creative mood a few weeks back and she had started working on a jacket with an embroided ladybug in the back.

Badylug: Wait, how do we make sure you don't find some other girl with a red dress?

Furry: Do you have that little faith in me? Of course I'll be able to find you.

Buglady: ..you know I do, but it's better to be safe. Maybe we could use a code?

Furry: Like a question? oooo

Furry: It HAS to be "Has the ladybug landed?"

Badylug: Something tells me you've been picturing this scenario for a long time.

Furry: You haven't the faintest idea .

The color of her cheeks glowed a faint red. He imagined them meeting together like this? He even had a silly phrase ready?

Furry: Bugaboo?

Furry: You there?

Furry: Does the question work for you?

Badylug: Yeah, it totally does!

Furry: Something tells me you're lost in thought.

Something told her he was practically vibrating in excitement.

She may as well join him.

Marinette climbed out of her bed and pulled down her screen. She was a lot of things, but nothing if not meticulous when it came to her schedule.

The first thing she did after reaching home the day he asked her out was to mark the Saturday with a small drawing of a cat and cross down every day that led up to it.

Carefully taking a picture of those two weeks, avoiding anything that led to a clue about her identity, she sent it over to him.

Badylug: Nothing, just totally excited for this Saturday. ;)

She was sure his joy was palpable upon recieving it.

She was proven right when he sent her a screenshot of his calendar, the same date bookmarked with the emoji of a Ladybug.

"Tikki?" Marinette said in a wobbly voice, putting down her phone.

"Yes, Marinette?" The kwami had been quietly chewing on a cookie.

"Do you think I've got it bad?" She asked, trying to calm down her rapidly beating heart.

"Not to be Plagg, but honestly, I think you're screwed."

Getting out of the house was easy. Adrien had to tell Nathalie he was meeting a friend for a project - and she definitely preferred him out of the house rather than bringing some stranger into the house and risk incurring Gabriel's wrath.

The Gorilla offered to give the car, but he politely refused, choosing to walk instead. Getting the car would tip off Ladybug on who he was, and she definitely would not want that.

The hard part? Trying to not freak out and break character and get recognised.

If anyone knew Adrien Agreste was walking around in a pair of hipster sunglasses in dark attire that certainly did not suit his family name - AND on a date with some girl? Forget it. He'd get Ladybug into so much trouble. He'd be grounded till his 30th birthday.

He reached Trocedaro ten minutes early, like he always did for patrol. Not that Ladybug was ever late, it was just him being overly excited to see her again.

So imagine his surprise when he spotted a red dress and a black jacket in the staggering crowd of people.

'Calm down.' he told himself listlessly. This was so like him, going about and singling out the first girl in red as Ladybug.

Besides, they had agreed that she would be the one to approach him. Not the other way around.

So he leaned against the wall, waiting for his date.

If only it was a real date.

He needed to stop calling it that in his head at least. It wasn't a date. He was just hanging out with his best friend. Whether or not she happened to be the same girl he never got over was irrelevant.

His eyes wandered, landing briefly on a group of two boys and three girls strolling through the park, occasionally taking pictures. The girl in red whom he noticed earlier was looking at her phone. M.Ramier was talking to his pigeons again. Adrien silently hoped no one would depress him today. The poor man had been akumatised.....well, they had lost their count somewhere around 70. So it was definitely more than that.

And he really didn't want any heroing to happen during one of the rare chances he had with Ladybug.

'Oh dear god that sounded so selfish.' He shook his head.

His eyes landed on the same girl again.

This time, he lingered longer for some reason. Her dark hair was down and curled, and her knee-length dress, red as blood was fluttering slightly in the spring air. Her black jacket weirdly reminded him of the colour of Ladybug's spots.

No, it couldn't be her. It couldn't be that convenient. Nothing in his life ever came easily to him. He had to earn everything - his grades, his fencing rank, some time with his father....

They were going to have dinner this week, but the trip to Milan had come up.

He had tried to cheer himself up. It's not like his father could cancel an international conference just so he could sit with his son at a dinner table for less than an hour.

Besides, he still got to see Ladybug today...should he text her?

The girl looked up from her phone for the first time in the three minutes he'd been watching her. He inhaled sharply when he saw her wearing pink sunglasses.

She fit all three of Ladybug's descriptions. Maybe...maybe he was right?

She was looking right at him.

She still hadn't looked away so it wasn't a passing glance.

Involuntarily, he raised a hand to wave at her, and she perked up.

He suddenly felt really hot around his neck, despite his jacket collar being popped and despite it being spring.

She walked over to him, and his jaw dropped lightly at her boots. She was wearing boots! Behind Ladybug's mask there was possibly a girl who wore boots with dresses and leather jackets and looked absolutely breathtaking if he couldn't even see her eyes-

"Has...the ladybug landed?" she asked him shyly.

He didn't answer, he was still gaping.

She blinked. "Okay you're definitely my Chat Noir."

HER Chat Noir-

He closed his mouth to keep himself from combusting.

"How did you know?"

He grimaced. He could have sworn he had practiced something clever - but now he couldn't remember it.

She lightly patted his cheek. "Only he would make an expression like that."

"Heh." That was all he could say before he came to his senses. "Hey, bugaboo. I'll have you know I recognised you first."

"You did?? How?" she asked.

"Do you see anyone else here wearing the same colors as you?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fair." Ladybug said, seamlessly taking the arm he offered her with a suave 'M'lady.'

"Although that's not what tipped me off." he said, trying to tone down his giddiness. Ladybug's hands somehow seemed smaller out of costume.

"Then what did?" she joked, bumping his shoulder. "You looked at me and just knew?"

"I'd normally make a joke out of that, but yeah, that's exactly what happened."

He smiled to himself when he didn't hear her answer. Score!

"So," he heard her talk after a few minutes. "Where are we going?"

"Will it change your opinion on dating?"

"Huh?" she asked, confused.

"You said you would give up on dating if this didn't go well?" he reminded her. Had she forgotten?

"Oh! Oh right! Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm still uh," she became flustered by the minute. "Jury's still out. We've only been walking for five minutes." she turned away.

"Huh." he said, shaking off his light confusion. She really had forgotten.

A small flicker of hope fizzled and went out. He couldn't go down that path again, he told himself sternly.

'No strings attached.' His words. This was just a hangout between friends. He was just encouraging Ladybug to expand her horizons. It was nothing more.

He suddenly caught a flash of something red on her all black jacket.

He craned his head (she was shorter than he expected) to see the back of her jacket. An appreciative whistle left his mouth at the intricately embroidered ladybug.

"If you had been standing with your back to me, this would have been a dead giveaway." He caught her smug smile.

"I made it myself."

She sewed?

The momentary flash of Marinette at a sewing machine left as quickly as it came.

His brain cells really were fried. The minute someone mentioned something related to needle and thread, his head shouted his friend's name.

Not that he could actually see them, but from the crinkles on the side of her eyes, he could tell they were wide behind her glasses. She was waiting for his opinion.

"You like the ladybug?" She asked him eagerly.

'Yes, very much so.' The voice in his head babbled, but he was able to get himself together to utter a "You look beautiful."

She stopped in her tracks for half a second before opening her mouth again. "Sorry, I didn't get you?"

"I said that you look beautiful." He repeated without missing a beat.

Marinette's cheeks were growing pinker by the minute. Her dates had said she looked cute, that she looked pretty, but no one had called her beautiful outright, not with the reverent, sincere expression that Chat was wearing. He still hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

"Thank you." she said, her hand gripping his arm tighter.

She didn't ever actually think Chat Noir wasn't handsome, but she didn't think he would look this good in a jacket with an open collar. Her eyes had lingered on his neck and his hair (messy as always, but with a bit of control to its wildness) than what would be deemed appropriate.

"You don't look so bad yourself!' She said quickly, wanting to be done with the subject already. "So where are we going?"

His soft smile had never wavered.

"Well, how about a movie?"

"I didn't know you liked art films!" Marinette whispered excitedly as they made their way to their seats.

"I wasn't sure if you were a lady after my own 'art'" he said, and she rolled her eyes. "But it seems like my fears were unfounded."

Marinette smiled bittersweetly to herself. "I've wanted to watch 'Portrait de la jeune fille en feu' forever but I don't like watching movies without company." she adjusted her dress.

It never really hit her just how much they didn't know about each other until he had to go to the ticket counter for confirmation by himself so she wouldn't see his name.

"Do your friends not like historical romances?" he asked as he bundled up his jacket and laid it in his lap.

It was still semi-dark, and people were still pouring into the theater.

His dress shirt was unbuttoned two buttons from the top. Tearing her eyes away from that delicious sight, she answered. "Yeah, Al-uh, all my friends like either superhero films or action ones or...." she shuddered. "...horror and gore."

"Not a fan?" he asked, surprised.

"Not of horror." she said. "Don't tell me you are!"

A brief moment of deja vu crossed his mind. A few years ago, Marinette had been kind enough to help him get to this very theater to help him see his mother's film.

She didn't like horror films too.

"No, of course not." he said out loud, before realising that Ladybug had asked him a question. "Oh, uh, nope, not a fan of horror either."

"Phew." she said. "Finally there's someone who gets me!" She said.

Was she even aware of how cute she was?

"Besides," he leaned in to whisper, because the trailers were starting. "I think we're to blame for the market boom in the action genre. People love superheroes, don't they?"

She shrugged. "I mean, after actually doing it on a daily basis, the spark just isn't there when I see it on a screen."

"Interesting." he said. He had never thought of it that way.

He was about to say something, but there were several hushed shushes from their neighbours, so he focused on the film instead.

"Yeah, I don't think we'll be invited in there again." Chat said, trying to hold back his laughter.

She was the first to break. She giggled loudly as they walked out the theater, ignoring the annoyed stares they got.

"Shhh." Chat was saying in between broken peals of laughter.

The two of them had been so chatty during the film, always commenting on the scandal the two main characters had created, loudly pointing out the aesthetics they liked, Chat had been wiping tears from his eyes at the end of the film. She had to quietly pat his back to prevent everyone's attention on him.

They had tried to be quiet, they really did, but he was so talkative and he knew how to hold a conversation, she just couldn't help it. She had spent the entire movie leaned towards him, her hands draped over his armrest as they talked.

It had been like any other day on the rooftop, talking about close encounters and stories about their kwamis.

No wonder everyone in the audience was annoyed with them.

"We were so dumb." Marinette was nearly doubled over in laughter. "Remind me to keep our next movie sessions private. Preferably on a rooftop."

"Are you sure we won't wake up all of Paris with how loud we would be?"

He leaned against the side of the building, trying to catch his breath.

"That was..." He said. "The most fun I've had with anyone."

"At a movie?"

"Ever." he corrected. "I don't get to hang out with my friends a lot, because of...you know, my job. It takes up a lot of my time. So..." He straightened himself up as he looked down at her. "The only friend I see a lot of these days is you."

"Seems like there's barely any competition." Ladybug said, her laughter dying for now.

"There isn't actually." he said, and once again, she was left to be struck at his sincerity. "I don't get to speak as freely with them as I get to do with you. Well, most of them."

She couldn't imagine Chat Noir, the loud, brash, hot headed, yet sweet and good-natured Chat Noir she knew having a hard time being with his friends. She imagined, whoever he was in real life, he was probably the life of the party. Always the center of attention, full of charisma and bad puns.

Looks like that wasn't the case, if she - with whom he had to speak in half-worded riddles - ranked so high.

She wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him closer to her side. "I feel the same way too."

She didn't elaborate, even as she felt his arm go around her shoulder. If she did, she would go far past the point of no return.

"So, are you hungry?" she didn't miss how his voice cracked a little. "Because I know the perfect place."

Marinette had to pick her jaw off of the floor. He had brought her to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, a place she wouldn't even dream of going to.

"You coming?" He caught her hand when he saw her getting distracted.

"Who are you?" she asked blankly.

He was taken aback. "Are you sure you want me to answer that?"

"Oh, um, I mean - this place! You can't get here without a reservation made at least a month in advance! How did you even...?"

He smiled, but this time it lacked his usual warmth. He looked downright bitter. "Let's just say being me has its advantages."

"O..kay?" she was even more confused, but he didn't follow up on his weird statement.

When they got to their booth, which looked really nice and cozy, his easygoing smile was back again.

There wasn't a chair, but he didn't let her sit until he helped her remove her jacket. His fingers (his bare fingers!) brushed against the length of her arms and she shuddered even more when she heard him whisper "There you go." against the back of her neck.

This was just two friends hanging out. That was it. It was a part of a silly bet.

"Has your mind been changed yet?" He asked as he sat down opposite her.

"Huh?"

"You seem to keep on forgetting." He said wryly. "Am I that great company?"

"Of course you are." She said without missing a beat. "However, I don't think I can compare being on a date with, well, being with you."

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously.

"When I'm on a date with someone, it's almost always with someone I barely know, and we spend the time getting to know each other. And...I already know you, but I also don't know you - I didn't even realise this was your scene."

His face fell for a moment, and she held up her hand. "I'm not finished. It is weird, but a good kind of weird. And well, I actually like being with you, so that's a definite win."

His face broke into the biggest grin at her words. She wanted to say these things often if it made him look that handsome.

"What can I get you today, monsieur? Mademoiselle?" a waiter interrupted them, looking slightly confused. He was probably wondering why they were wearing glasses inside a building.

He looked to her first, courteously waiting for her to make her choice.

Marinette grimaced sheepishly. "Actually can you order for me? I don't even know what to choose."

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yep. I trust you."

The effect of her simple words was huge. His grin had been wide, but now it turned softer, more lazier somehow.

And it was doing things to her.

"Um, why don't you order for us? I do eat meat!" She said quickly. "I'll just go to the ladies room! Be right back!"

She bolted out of there as gracefully as she could.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Marinette was slapping herself.

"Marinette, you need to stop!" Tikki said sternly, "Why are you hitting yourself?"

It was good that she was the only one in the ladies room. She couldn't take any more weird stares.

"Tikki, he went above and beyond for me! He picked a film he wasn't even sure I liked and hoped I would! He brought me to this fancy restaurant whose food I will undoubtedly enjoy because he wanted me to have a good time!! This isn't an actual date, why did he go through all this trouble?!"

"Because he loves you, Marinette." Tikki simply said.

Marinette took off her glasses, blinking away the agitated tears. She didn't need ruined makeup either.

"Come on, Tikki. He doesn't. It's been a long time since...he would tell me everyday just how much he..appreciated me and trusted me and cared about me and..." she struggled to form the next words. "...loved me."

"He still does all those things. He may not say that last one out loud, but that doesn't mean it isn't true."

"Tikki..." Marinette said exasperatedly.

"Yes, it is true, Marinette, and you feel the same way and it's scaring you." Tikki said matter of factly.

"That's a bold claim to make, Tikki, you can't just say things like that!"

"Doesn't make it any less true." Tikki said. 'Why else would you have chosen to bring him to the park where your parents met each other for the first time?"

"I...thought it would be low-key and..."

"Romantic?" Tikki said coyly.

"Stop! No, I'm not in love with Chat Noir, and what he used to have for me is a thing of the past!"

"Marinette..." Tikki sighed. "It's okay if you feel that way."

"Either way, my plans are going to look like a joke compared to his. Why didn't I think of something better?" She slapped her forehead.

"You do realise that he would love whatever you planned, no matter how small it is? He just wants to be with you, and really, that's the only thing that matters. Would you have wanted to spend time with Chat Noir like this even without making definite plans?"

"Yes..."

"And so will he. Trust me." Tikki kissed her cheek.

"What if I go out there and act like the biggest clown ever?"

"He's Chat Noir. No one is a bigger clown than him." Tikki said. "Believe me, I spent several millennia with Plagg, I know what I'm talking about."

Marinette put on her sunglasses. "Alright." she told herself bravely. "Let's do this."

"Oh, there you are. I ordered some sparkling water and soup as an appetizer and a steak for us to share. Is that okay with you because I can change it if you'd like!"

"No! No, that's perfectly okay!" She said shakily, taking note of his wobbling left leg. He was just as nervous as her?

"So, I was going to ask you before you left, what do you want when you do win the bet?"

"You mean, if I still don't want to go on another date after this?

"Yep."

"Hmm..." she said thoughtfully. "I don't know."

"Doubt it." he said, waving it off. "You must want something."

"Oh and you'll give me anything I ask?" She quipped.

"Name it and it's yours."

Okay, how was she supposed to answer that? She wanted to whine about him being way way more sweet to her than she deserved, but she held it in.

"Hm, let's see." She rested her chin on her palm, staring intently into his black sunglasses.

What she would give to see what his eyes were like underneath the mask? Would they still be green?

Well she couldn't ask him that!

"You know what, I'll let you know once we're done here." She said.

"Seriously?"

"Yep. I'm still working my way to it."

He pouted. "Oh fine."

"What about you?" She asked, placing her hand back on the table. "What do you want if you do change my mind?"

"I'll already have gotten what I want." He purred.

"Huh?" Marinette was taken aback.

Adrien gathered up the last bit of courage he had, and took her right hand in his from across the table.

There was still a wide space in the cushion separating both of them. In a perfect world, he could have scooted over closer to her, held her face tenderly in his hands and kissed her, not caring about who was watching.

But this wasn't a perfect world, and he had to make do with pressing a kiss on her bare hand for the first time.

"I will have gotten to be with you like this, without any akumas or powers hanging over us, at least once. I really don't want anything more than that."

She was blushing? Oh dear god he made her blush for the second time today! Was this working? Was he changing her mind?

'Yeah, on the wrong thing you should be changing her mind on.' A voice that sounded like Plagg stopped him.

A small cough from their waiter broke them out of their trance.

"Your meal, monsieur." He politely placed his soup in front of him. "Mademoiselle." He set down Ladybug's bowl.

He squeezed her hand before letting it go. He was about to take his spoon, when suddenly, something stopped him.

Something was different today. He didn't know what it was, but it was eating away at him.

"Bon appetit!" Ladybug said heartily as she began to eat her first spoonful.

That.

That was what was so different.

He took a spoonful of soup, but he wasn't able to swallow it. The lump on his throat was preventing him from doing so.

"Everything okay?" She asked. No wonder, he must have looked constipated.

"Yep!" He gave her a weak smile.

He took another spoon, but it also went the way of the first one.

'Stop crying, stop crying, stop crying'.' he fisted his palm underneath the table, sinking it into the cushion, when suddenly, it was covered by a warm hand.

He opened his eyes to see Ladybug. She had abandoned her food to come and sit next to him.

"Chaton, what's wrong?"

No, he couldn't tell her! She couldn't see him like this!

"Please, tell me." she said, taking his hand and covering it with both of her palms. Her warmth felt heavenly compared to how cold his palms were. "I'm worried, what happened, you look...you look like you are going to cry. What happened? Don't you like the soup?"

"No, no, the soup is fine." he said. "I'm okay, really."

"No, no you're not. And it's okay if you're not. We were talking about everything and nothing when we walked here, and now you've gone really silent. What's going on?"

"Nothing...it's just.." he couldn't help the tiny sniffle that escaped. "This is the first time in 4 months that I'm not having a meal alone."

She was stricken by his declaration. "What?"

"It's stupid, I know-"

"No! It's not stupid!" She said angrily. "No, I- really?"

He nodded, "My father - he's always really busy, he can't always have dinner with me. Sometimes he becomes so busy he cancels the meals he does schedule with me and-" he paused, covering his eyes with his hands and pushing his sunglasses up to his forehead. He turned away from her so she wouldn't see who he was while he wiped his tears.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." He said rapidly, turning back to her with his sunglasses on. "Like I said, it's nothing, it was just a really nice change to eat with someone."

Ladybug had her free hand over her mouth. "That's awful! Who does that to someone?" She was outraged.

"Like I said, he's really busy-"

"No! That's not an excuse to stand up someone you said you'd meet - oh!" she stopped, realising. "Oh my god. No wonder you were so upset when I didn't turn up that day - I am so so sorry!"

"Ladybug, no, that was not your fault." He said fiercely. "You never said you were coming, it was my fault I got my hopes up. Besides, that was years ago and...and you're nothing like him. Believe me."

"Still...I..." Ladybug raised her hand to rub his shoulder. "My poor kitty."

She couldn't imagine not having meals with her family, not telling her parents about her day, listening to her dad bore her with pun after pun. Family mealtimes were just...a constant in her life she couldn’t imagine not having.

It wasn't fair that Chat Noir had to make do with scraps of what she got freely.

If she could, she would never let him have another lonely meal by himself. She would give him all the food he wanted, wrap him in blankets and give him warm tea and never let him go - and -

She loved him.

Shit.

"Ladybug? What are you doing?" He asked, seeing her push back his bowl a little further into the table.

He was surprised when she pulled him into a tight hug, her bare arms wrapped around his shoulders.

He let himself relent in her embrace. She kept on whispering sweet nothings in his ear and stroking his head and she smelt so nice - he could tell when he buried his face in her shoulder.

Another thing to add to his file. She smelt like cookies and bread. And vaguely familiar.

"I'm here for you, no matter what." She said, her hands dropping briefly to his chest. "Anytime you want someone to eat your food with or, you know just hang out, you're texting me immediately."

His mood was brightened up by that time. "There's no one else I'd rather call."

Marinette on the other hand was still reeling from her realization earlier.

She loved Chat Noir.

Probably had for a long time.

She couldn't go back to denying it now that it had hit her over the side of her head.

"Hold up." She said, taking her food on the other side of the table and placing it in front of her.

"Bon appetit?" She asked, scooting herself closer to him.

He nodded so rapidly, that if he were in costume, his bell would have jingled too. "M'lady?" he said, taking his spoon.

"Yes?"

He leaned in and kissed her cheek, just like that day Glaciator attacked, only this time it lingered a bit too long to be platonic.

"Thank you." he smiled crookedly at her.

'You know what, I can freak out later.' Marinette thought haphazardly.

Ladybug had insisted they suit up for getting to the place she had planned on taking him.

He followed her blindly, his head still stuck in the tender hug she had given him.

Her arms had been so small but the strength she must have had to hold him up like that...

He never did stop loving her, did he? He thought exasperatedly.

He gave up. He gave up trying to forget.

Before he could think further, Ladybug landed right in the shallows of.... Bois de Boulogne?

"We can detransform here." She whispered, pulling him behind a tree.

"Spots off."

"Claws in." He was in awe.

"What?" she asked. "Oh, hi Plagg."

Adrien waved to Tikki. "Nothing, I've just never seen you detransform before."

"Oh!" Ladybug blushed briefly. "Uhm, uh, w-would it be okay if Plagg and Tikki hid in my purse together? We're surrounded by people and they wouldn't be found out easily that way."

"Aw yes! Come on, Sugarcube!" Plagg pulled a yelping Tikki into Ladybug's clutch.

"Okay, so why are we here in this park?" Chat asked, letting her pull him into public view. It was nearing sunset, so the only people left behind were either couples or people who had come alone.

"Um, uh," Ladybug was fiddling with her hair. "It's just- you see-"

He held her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"It's okay. Breathe." he said kindly.

That gave her strength to continue.

"Okay, so um, it's actually in this park that my parents met when they were teenagers." She was blushing heavily. "They used to take me here all the time on their wedding anniversary when I was a little kid, and this is the first time I've come here without them."

"Really?" he was fascinated.

"And I know that this isn't much at all compared to what you did, but I didn't know what you were going to do and this seems really lame in comparison-"

He placed a finger over her lips. "Bugaboo, you have no idea how much it means to me that you would bring me here."

He could feel his eyes glazing over again. "Really." He confirmed, seeing the question in her eyes. "The fact that you would bring me to a place that means so much to you - come on, that's better than what I did."

He put his hand down and Marinette was at the verge of asking him to replace his finger with his lips.

"No way! You went all out for me!" She complained as he let him pull her down to sit as always.

"But yours had sentiment!"

"Like yours didn't! You have to stop selling yourself short!"

"Says the actual short person-HEY!" He winced when she shoved him.

"That...barely hurt." He said rubbing the part of his chest she had more or less punched. "Is that all you got?"

"Make one more height joke and you'll find out."

"Tell me something about your parents." He asked pleadingly some time later.

They were sprawled on the grass together, their jackets and scarves in a pile next to them. They had talked about the movie, M.Pigeon, their kwamis, and the brain freeze Ladybug had gotten at the restaurant when she had taken a huge scoop of ice cream. Chat only decided to help her after having a loud laugh at her expense.

She'd say something about identities, and they'd go back to talking about things they could talk about.

"My mom's side of the family didn't approve of them." She said, resting her head on one of her arms. "My dad was...from a different background and they were hesitant about letting her travel so far away. My mom's great uncle is the only one we're still in contact with. Apparently I have a lot of cousins, but I have never met any one of them."

"Huh." He said thoughtfully, watching her hair blow in the breeze.

What would it be like to have a huge family?

Family as far as he was concerned, it was pretty limited. There was Felix and Aunt Amelie, but he barely saw them. His father was an only child and his mother...

"So what did your parents do to convince them?" He asked, instead, turning to his side to look at her better.

She looked at him, taking in his features for a minute before answering. "They didn't."

"Huh?"

"My paternal grandmother helped them elope." She said it half wistfully, half sadly. "They got married here in Paris...and we've been here since."

"I'm sorry." He said, absent mindedly tucking a lock of her hair behind her hair, mindful of her glasses.

"No, don't be. It's fine. I wish I knew my extended relatives but..sadly that's not to be."

Diverting the subject to a topic that would bring her joy, he asked, "I'm betting your parents used to meet up here a lot huh?"

"Oh yeah, they used to meet up here for dates all the time. You see that gazebo over there?" She pointed. "A lot of the time, musicians would play for money or someone would have rented a quartet. My father would ask my mom to dance and they would do so for hours." She said, sitting up.

She let out a tiny laugh. “I wish I could do that.”

‘I wish I had someone to love like that.’ she thought additionally.

“You wanna dance then?” he asked, getting up as well

“Huh?” she spun around to face him.

“Yeah, you said you wish you could dance like that, right?” He said, reaching over and dusting off some of the mud on her shoulders.

Oh.

He had misunderstood what she was trying to say.

Thank goodness.

“A-actually yeah.” She said. “I’d love to, but there’s no music.”

“Music? Is that what you want?” he smirked, pulling out his phone, which noticeably had no phone case.

Suddenly, La Vie En Rose blared from his phone. “There you go.” he put his phone in his pocket. “Now, can I have this dance?” he offered her his hand.

“My answer hasn’t changed.” She said flirtatiously.

He helped her get up, and briefly dusted off his clothes.

He effortlessly pulled her closer by the waist, his hand hovering away from pressing too close, took her hand and placed it on his shoulder, and held the other one loosely.

Marinette was struck by a brief sense of deja vu. A long time ago, Adrien had pulled her in to dance just like that. The same conviction. The same amount of grace.

Wait, no, she couldn’t think about Adrien when she was still trying to process being in love with Chat Noir!

He slowly began to spin them around in time to the music, beaming down at her.

His hand felt firm and strong on her waist, and she was overwhelmed at how many things she was learning about Chat Noir today. He was a good dancer too?

“You’re a great dancer.” She said, letting him pull her closer. Her arm was draped around his shoulders to accommodate the new position.

“You’d be surprised at how many things I’ve been told to learn.” he said, pulling away and spinning her out and back against his chest.

Told to learn?

She didn’t have enough time to appreciate how snug it felt or how firm his chest was when he had spun them back into the main position.

“Very smooth.” She said, laying her head on his broad shoulder.

“Only for you, m’lady. Only for you.” He said, letting his chin press against her temple

“Ow!” She said, pulling away suddenly, but not out of his arms.

“What? What happened?” he asked, alarmed.

“Sorry, no, my glasses were digging into my face.” She said, adjusting them.

“Oh. Oh okay then.” He said. “Does it hurt?”

“No, it’s fine now.” She said.

‘It’s a good thing we aren’t kissing now with glasses on. That would be a disaster.’ she thought, relieved.

“What?” He said, his eyes wide. He had stopped dancing.

Oh crap.

Had she said that out loud?

Judging by his expression, she most certainly had.

“Uh, uh I mean,” Marinette moved out of his arms. “Oh no.” she clapped her hands over her mouth.

“Ladybug did you...did you mean that?”

“NO! I mean, I did, but I didn’t mean to say it out loud and I didn’t want to think that but not in a bad way but it’s not that - OH MY GOD I’M MAKING THIS WORSE!” She shouted into her hands.

Suddenly, she felt a warm pressure on her shoulders.

“Bugaboo?” He didn’t sound peeved.

“Bugaboo, please, look at me?” He begged.

She did, her glasses digging away from her skin.

“Did you mean that? Are you...are you feeling differently towards me?”

She wished now more than ever that she could see his eyes. His green eyes - always so expressive, always so bright. Maybe, just maybe if she could see them, she’d know if she wasn’t too late.

“Y..yes? I..I think I have been for a while but, I didn’t want to tell you because, I don’t know, I thought I was too late. I thought you didn’t love me anymore and -” I didn’t have any right coming back to you now.

“Not love you anymore?” He gaped. “Ladybug, I’ve never stopped being in love with you.”

A weird noise came out of her mouth. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything.

“I’m still in love with you, I didn’t want to keep saying it because I thought you didn’t feel the same way.” He was breathing heavily, his lower lip trembling. He didn’t know if he should smile or grin or cry. “You have feelings for me?” he asked again, hardly believing.

“I love you too.” She barely got the words out, but once she did, her burdened shoulders suddenly became naked.

“I love you too,” She said again, testing out the words. “I love you too - wait. Shit, I love you?!”

“Shit, I love you?” he paraphrased with a choked laugh.

“You have no idea how long I- I didn’t even realise until-” She was spared from making sentences by him pulling her into a tight hug.

He was shaking. Every bit of him was shaking. Any minute now his alarm was going to go off and he would be back in a world where he didn’t have the balls to ask Ladybug out.

Her arms were clawing desperately at his back, clinging to him. “I’m so sorry, I’m so so sorry.” She said tearfully. “I’m sorry I didn’t realise sooner, I’m sorry I put you through so much pain.”

“No, m’lady, don’t apologise. Don’t apologise for the past. I’m-” she looked up at him, and his hands were on her shoulders. The song was long over and neither of them had noticed. “I’m just happy for right now. And right now...I love you and you love me too.”

That was enough. That made up for the past 5 years.

“I wish I could see your eyes.” She whispered, her hands holding his cheeks.

“Me too.” He said. “But it’s okay, we don’t have to do this just because...are we together?” he still sounded dazed.

“Yes we are, mon chaton.” she rested her forehead on his. “Yes we are.”

Suddenly, an idea occurred.

This was it.

“I actually know what I want from you, on behalf of the bet.” She said. “I mean, I know that neither of us won but -” she choked out a laugh. “Can you do something for me?”

“Yes, anything. Name it and it’s yours.”

“Chat Noir.” She moved away, and pulled away her sunglasses. “Will you walk me home?”

He was still in shock.

“M-marinette?!” He exclaimed.

Her hands trembled. “Yes, yes it’s me.”

He pushed his sunglasses up to his head. “Hi, Marinette.”

Marinette dropped her sunglasses. “A-adrien?!”

“Yeah?” he said, nervously. “Is...is that bad?” Was being Adrien bad?

“No! No no, no!” She shook her hands. “I’m just…”

“Shocked?” he stepped closer to her, cupping her cheek and wiping away a stray tear.

“Now I know why...why I was thinking of Marinette sometimes when I looked at you.” he said.

“I thought I was going crazy. Why am I thinking of Chat Noir when I’m with Adrien or gee, something about this is familiar? What could it be?” She groaned. “We were so stupid.” “I agree.” He said with a dazzling grin.

“Adrien Agreste?”

“Yes, Marinette Dupain Cheng?”

“Will you walk me home now?”

“Yep.” he pulled her closer by the waist, as he leaned in. “Just as soon as I do this.” he captured his lips with hers, pulling her into a deep kiss that lasted for a long time.

#miraculous ladybug #ladybug #chat noir #ladynoir #civilian dates #fluff #ml fics #my fics #adrienette #marinette #adrien

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crystallic-moon · 3 years

Text

I’m reading Blood Like Magic so here’s my live comments

There will 100% be spoilers

Is she sitting in a pool of blood?

A lot of blood.

Ok but the whole Voya not being able to make a decision thing is exactly like me.

Fuck Uncle Cathius.

“And so humble” I LOVE KEIS BEING ABLE TO HEAR HER THOUGHTS

Wait- Alex’s bleeding came from her eyes and ears, but it was said that that’s how it is for the guys since they don’t have a period. Soo.. is Alex trans?

ALEX IS TRANS I LOVE THE REPRESENTATION

Aww i love what Voya’s mom said to her when Voya was becoming insecure about her hips.

Luc may be mean but he sounds hot ;-;

Holy shit- Mama Jova’s scars— my heart hurts for what she had to go through

Holy shit I think we’re watching how Mama Jova died

The year 2049, I’d be 44 years old in this story

Nooo Eden 🥺

Ok but maybe Mama Jova didn’t mean kill him? But also I get why she’d want bloodshed because of the way she died...

Voya just exposed Luc :0

Omg why am I starting to like Luc

I’m a Luc simp but I shouldn’t be

I suck at remembering to write in this. This whole mystery with Auntie Elaine is confusing.

I also loved that scene at the Night Market where Luc gave her a temporary tattoo. It felt like their first real raw bonding moment.

I wonder if Lucs secretly a witch. Like what if he is but he doesn’t know about it.

Aww Luc called over Voya while he was workinggg she’s growing on him.

LMAO DENNIS BEING LIKE HOW TF DID U GET LIC TO TALK TO YOU

Priya holding Edens hand hurts because she’s probably scared it may be the last time she might get to.

AHAH- LUCS LIKE U SURE UR MOM WOULD LET U HAVE A BOY IN UR ROOM, AND VOYA FREEZES AND HES LIKE DIDNT THINK ABOUT THAT DID U

Why was that cute omg

Oh they’re definitely starting to like each other

*clears throat* Lucs letting her get into his personal space

Justin did something to Elaine I know it.

I think Elaine had something to do with Justin discovering the genetic modification thing.

I like Luc and Alex kinda bonding over both being trans.

Are they really talking about her when they know she’s in the house or near it?? Y’all are witches I’d assume you’d be a bit smarter about this.

Omg he went after her crying, my heart.

HE OFFERED TO HUG HER

AWW HES SO AWKWARD IT HURTS

Dammit she has to kill him.

“‘I think you make him flustered.’” MHM YES SHE DOES

I feel so bad for Alex she didn’t deserve to find out that way.

I don’t know if I love or hate that Voya said yes to dinner.

“Every day, more and more cracks in our family get exposed” - my theory is that the whole ‘destroy your first love’ thing is about her family. Voya’s family is her first love and the has to destroy its secrets.

Can we not kill Luc please

Oh shit she killed Juras-

Oh he survived

*cough* they definitely like each other

Man, fuck Justin.

YES GO BE SPONTANEOUS

Peptalkpeptalkpeptalk

“If I give it back, what excuse will I have to keep inviting you places to return it?” STOP HES SO CUTE

I really love the representation of both Luc and Alex being trans. And Keisha being a lesbian.

He’s definitely given her profile more than a ‘glance’

I know I’ve said it before. And it’s probably getting repetitive. But I love the trans representation in Luc.

I feel like Luc is being more soft with Voya, when Voya was like examining his body cuz he told her about how often he eats, he awkwardly was like could u not examine my body. But like with other ppl I feel like he wouldn’t been more snappy with it, cuz as we’ve seen he’s not afraid to be a little mean.

Honestly I get Lucs thing about speaking Spanish to his family and being told he has an accent every time. Happens to me a lot, it’s irritating but I try.

Yes u like him and he likes u it’s so obvious now kiss.

THEY KISSED OMG

They are so adorable please don’t make her kill him.

I am so worried about her watching this.

JOHAN OMG

stop the man was wipping them like how Mama Jova died is that meant to be a sign???

Luc came to see her???

Okay okay but how tf is she supposed to explain to Luc that she got whipped by a magical man or whatever that wat because she wanted to watch a ritual so she could prepare to kill him?? - not even the killing him part, how is she supposed to explain the some magic dude whipped me part?!

No it’s a vision girl don’t believe it.

ITS A VISION STOP IT.

Omg can this girl catch a break she just got badly injured and almost died she doesn’t need this.

WAIT LUC WAS ACTUALLY THERE

WAIT THE THING SHE SAID IN HER VISION DID SHE SAY THEM OUTLOUD?!

CUZ IF SHE DID SHE MENTIONED HURTING JURAS SO LUC WOULD KNOW SHE DID SOMETHING TO JURAS.

NOOOO

I’m upset.

Watching Voya and her dad bind is bittersweet cuz I know he still hurt her despite this bonding moment.

Mama Jova better have a good ass lesson to teach Voya with this task cuz girl is going through it.

I want to see Luc again.

I am so anxious to keep reading cuz I genuinely don’t know what’s going to happen.

I feel like Lucs gonna show up to her cooking competition especially since he can easily find her location.

I WAS RIGHT HE SHOWED UP

Fuck Justin man.

At least he’s the successor

Ok I get Voya wanting to be honest but why would admit that he still considering killing him ;-; for all you know he could be recording this and take it to the cops.

“Are you breaking up with me?” STOP STOP RIGHT NOW

I hate that he blocked her but like -he has a very very valid reason. Surprised he didn’t get a whole restraining order.

Wait wait since Voya broke the circle when they were casting the spell to protect caribana that means there will be no protection and that has to mean something??

I’m betting that something bads gonna happen at the Caribana

I feel like her mom told her until to stay until they got back for a good reason

YAY SHE PASSED BUT WAT DID SHE ASK FOR

Omg I thought Voya got shot—

Ok yes technically Voyas partially to blame for breaking the circle but it’s not entirely her fault

No no no u could’ve just gotten rid of her internship or something but trap her in the house forever? Sorry girl I wouldn’t forgive u either.

I like that Lucs back but it hurts

Holy shit things have gone very south

Ofc he was gonna trap u in glass cage with Eden what did u expect Luc ;-;

Mf I swear to fucking god if u kill granny

Aww Luc and Voyas little moment through the glass. I can tell he feels guilty and still loves her...

He’s still trying to protect her.

Oh shit he’s known since before Luc and Voya even met

They’re not a legitimate genetic match-

THEY STILL FELL FOR EACH OTHER WHO CARES.

I like Voyas thing about him thinking what he had with Elaine was love, because wat they had wasn’t love if he expected her to do anything he asked just because she loved him.

Granny to the rescue

Granny is not to the rescue.

Yes Luc he’s a lying cheat.

Please I thought Luc was destined to die, not Granny 🥺

“Who will by my grandma is she’s gone?” STOP IT RIGHT NOW

“Does it also not matter that I can’t even have a conversation with my parents without arguing? That I’ve forgotten how to speak my own language because you told me it wasn’t important? If the outcome of good, are the consequences irrelevant?” STOP LUC MY BABY DOESNT DESERVE THIS.

Stop that actually hurts cuz Luc sees how great of a relationship Voya has with her family and he’s just there without a relationship with them besides shared genes.

Yes Luc argue with the asshole.

Even tho u were once an asshole.

Edennn 🥺

Omg u love Luc fighting for them

Like I love how Luc fought for Justin to let Granny hug her granddaughter goodbye. It shows he cares and how this really does hurt him especially the way Voya described him wiping away his tears and screaming.

“Granny puts Eden back down on the chair and pauses to stare at Luc. ‘Thank you. ‘Please don’t,’ Luc croaks. ‘Too bad. I already thanked you.’” - Luc probably feels like this is his fault, that’s why he doesn’t want Granny to thank him.

:0 granny was the one who saved Luc from Voya stabbing him in her vision.

I like that Granny respected Voyas wishes of not killing him by saving him herself.

Keis is eternally trapped in the house for nothing.

Seriously.

I mean I’m glad Eden was saved by that but still.

“Why would you tell me this now? Why would you make me sparked as shit with you right as your about to die?” 🥺

She regrets not trusting Voya 🥺

AWW STOP “That means you can’t die. You have to make it up to me. Borrow someone else’s gift. Fix this.”

Granny was always planning making Voya the matriarch.

STOP SHE WONT GET TO BE A MAMA

Omg omg omg it’s Auntie Elaine.

Wait that’s so smart, turning him into the prototype

Omg her killing his body’s was intense—

“Why couldn’t you listen to me? Why couldn’t you find another way?” Luc still cared about Justin but of course he did, he wasn’t the best but it’s still the man who basically raised him.

Aww he tried to save Eden regardless

Omg she almost collapsed

Oh shit. “It’s the Luc I imagined once he knew the truth. That hateful twist to his mouth and narrowing of his eyes.” He hates her.

Wait that’s so sad, him only having the bionic lenses to remember Justin by.

“‘For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. But don’t forget that we both lost someone today.’ Luc shakes his head. ‘You lost someone. I lost everyone.’” - Stopp that’s so sad. Voya lost her granny but she still has her family, but Luc doesn’t have anyone else. He’s absolutely done with Voya, he doesn’t have any other friends, his sponsee siblings seem to hate him, and he argues with his family. Justin was all he had and now that’s gone too...

Sorry I’m mad a Voya too for trapping Keis in the house.

AWW LUC CHANGED THE CHROMOSOME ID THING

“Alex said that now her ID brings up XX the way it should.” I LOVE IT

“I like to think it’s because he’s better than that.” I think he hasn’t threatened or punished them for what happened because deep down he still wants to protect Voya and he’s aware they did it to save themselves and their family.

Woahhh Justina dads death

“The ancestors must love irony.” 💀

I guess she sort of did listen to Luc cuz she’s interning at Roti Roti for Johan.

I hate that Granny’s gone :(

Voyas showing Rena, Lauren’s mom, how she died 🥺

Wait I love that.

“I bring the intent. They bring the blood. We both pay for the gift of magic.”

This was a good book.

I loved the different genres blended together. I loved the magic side of it, it’s witches, and how they had this whole system with a matriarch, and a whole community. I loved the sci fi parts, with the genetic modification and this huge new company NuGene. I loved loved loved the romance between Voya and Luc and how they didn’t get their traditional happy ever after, and how they also weren’t a legit genetic match but they still fell for each other. And I loved the mystery side with figuring out who Mama Elaine was and what important role she played.

I’ll admit the story felt slow in the beginning and I almost decided to turn around and return it for another book but I’m so glad I didn’t because it was a good and eye catching book. But it does upset me and Keis really got the short end of the stick, she spent the whole book working to get a NuGene internship only to end up trapped in the house by the person who pushed her to get the internship.

This was a good book tho I do recommend.

Also Luc never returned Voyas food container.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished July 15, 2021 at 2pm

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dysfunctionaltrolls · 4 years

Text

i feel bad for making this but i feel like i have to

baby’s first call out post

anyway,, i have some things id like to say. i have proof of all of this and it will all be under the cut. this is gonna be really long and im really sorry but its going to be the whole story so stick with me

content warning: being weird towards minors, general nsfw elements, general creepiness, weed (mentions of being high).

everyone involved except for myself and, obviously, them, will have their names blocked out for privacy reasons.

thank you for reading this in advance, i just really need to get this out.

the blog in question is @ask-crappy-fantrolls

in advance

please do not send this person hate. please. i dont care whos wrong or right, hate anons arent necessary.

lets get down to business

point one of ??: ships

im going to say right off the bat, i agreed to some of these. some of these i liked. a lot i agreed to because i was afraid to say no because i didnt want to upset them. some were forced on me. some were made without my knowledge. i will not go into specifics on which ships belong in which categories unless its necessary because this post would be extremely long, but please keep this in mind if you see me reacting positively in screenshots.

this screenshot shows me trying to break off all of our ships the first time. i say right down there at the bottom that i want all of them gone. i thought i was being pretty clear.

one of my trolls (kaivin) has a moirail to whom he is extremely attached. this isnt a secret. he is so attached, in fact, that the two share most quads. so anyone kaivin would get into a relationship with, his moirail would as well. ive posted about this many times and i believe its on his bio but dont quote me on that.

this is me trying to cut the ship off again. i really hate being mean and hurting peoples feelings so i was trying stay polite and let them know gently that hey, i dont want this. keep in mind, this took place after me attempting to cut all of our ships off.

i could put more here but im tired and itd make the post longer than it needs to be. bottom line, i got messaged about ships a lot even though i had cut them all off and literally started shipping with other people by that point. it wasnt a secret, i was posting about new ships.

small tidbit thats very nsfw: one of our ships that we had was purely for their kink, apparently.

for context: axel is my human disguised as a troll who lives on alternia.

literally if you look at cimefas bio, his whole character is just that hes kinky. thats it.

point two of ??: infantalizing me

if you dont know already; hi im joey, im 19, and im a trans man. i am an adult. a grown ass man, if you will. i do not tolerate being spoken to like a dog or a child.

with that being said, here i am being spoken to like someone would a dog or a child:

oh also theres the time they sent me an ask calling me a lesbian HDSFJKSDHF

heres that

i know it was them because they messaged me the same day, claiming not to have known, but we’d already been talking for months and i never went by she/her while having this blog. he/him is all over my blog.

anyway heres a tidbit thats not big enough for its own point but needs to be said: the flirting.

^i just wanted to show them my new shirt :/

anyway next

point three of ??: being weird with minors

okay this bit is very gross but stay with me

right there, no minors. clearly stated. thats fine! thats whatever!! heres what i have the issue with. theyre currently waiting for a few of my friends who are minors to turn 18. no, this is not a speculation. they stated this.

i am keeping minors names blocked out, they dont need to be involved in this.

(quad blocked out so the minor cant be pinpointed)

(different minor, quad blocked again)

(the minor in question is the one from the first two screenshots about “waiting for them to turn 18″)

for context, this was after i reblogged a post about people waiting for minors to turn 18 being gross. yes it was a vague, no i do not care. i didnt say anything to them, they came to me about this unprompted and on their own accord. if the shoe fits, i suppose.

point four of ??: copying

theres been a few instances of this, but heres the main one

i run a cool blog over at @broadcastappear. i got with a friend of mine and they made theirs one day, i made mine the next. of course, i was excited about this! i wanted to tell everyone about my cool new blog, so i started messaging people! them included!

before i get into the screenshots, here is the premise of both of our broadcast blogs:

slightly odd radio host trolls who talk to each other over the radio waves. my friends troll for their blog is crazy and stuck in the desert, mine is slightly less crazy and stuck in an apartment. shenanigans and extremely cryptic flirting ensue.

so i messaged them with a link to my blog after i made it.

take a closer look at that time stamp!

keep this in mind

i get sent a link

its a cryptic radio blog. same concept, formatting, plot, everything.

and would you look at that

same day. it was an hour later, actually.

they were confronted about this and denied that their blog had anything to do with ours, even though it was a clear rip off. their blog has since been deleted, i believe.

anyway, in conclusion, i just really wanted this off my chest.

do with this information what you will. i dont care if i get hate for this, the people who know my situation know how badly this has been on me mentally. ive been archiving things in a server for months while ive been trying to cut them off and im just... fed up. i cant do it anymore. i feel gross. i am the main hub that this is circling around and no one can say thing about it but me. theres a lot more to this that im not adding, mostly because theres less proof but i still know it to be true.

im tired of adults being weird and nasty in this community. i know im an adult too but at least im not gross.

anyway, call out post over. rb or smthn i dont care.

#ask-crappy-fantrolls #discourse #drama #call out #sorry im just trying to hit all the tags #this took a lot out of me to write #ask to tag #im not good w confrontation so im gonna hit post then go hide somewhere

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bloodbitchwitch · 4 years

Text

The Sparda Family's Pet

Chapter #01

It was another normal day for you. You woke up in your dingy old mattress and dust-covered room. You lived in an abandoned building so this was normal for you to say the least. You had been given away to an orphanage at birth but as soon as you turned 18, you were kicked out and was forced to live on your own accord. You had nowhere to go so you wandered around a bit and eventually came across the oh so lovely, almost falling apart building.

You yawn loudly and stretch your limbs then throw your legs off the bed to sit up slowly. The light from the window across from your bed, temporarily blinding you as you stand and start to make your way over to the small dresser where you stuffed all your belongings in, which wasn't much, just a few changes of clothes and some miscellaneous objects. You take out a new pair of clothes for the day, you wonder what and how you were going to eat today. You didn't have money and without that, you were either left with dumpster food or stealing whatever you could and you were definitely going with the latter. You continued your daily morning routine and once finished, you left your little and barely standing paradise and headed into town where you'd hopefully find breakfast.

While walking, you spotted a man in a leather jacket swiftly following quite an attractive young lady with brown hair and glasses. You hummed to yourself and continued on, barely even acknowledging that the man had some sort of robot arm. After walking quite a bit past the loud couple that were now yelling at each other from behind you and could be heard about a block away, you saw a few small rocks roll past your feet and abruptly stopped. Turning your head left, the direction the rocks came from, you found yourself peering into a dark alleyway that you had failed to notice before. You shuffled your feet a bit nervously because you knew that rocks didn't just go rolling themselves. Swallowing the spit in the back of your throat, you inched closer towards the alleyway. "Hello?" your better judgment being thrown out the window even though you knew you probably should have walked away and not looked back.

A small cough that echoed through the alleyway and a small boy walked into view. He looked hungry and scuffed up. His clothes were dingy and his skin had small cuts everywhere and dirt-caked his face. He had tears brewing in his eyes as he huffed lightly. "Please help me. I'm hungry and have nowhere to go..." You were heartbroken the second he said "hungry" and frowned lightly. You crouched down and got eye level with the boy and beckoned him to come closer. When he finally got close enough for you to reach out and grip his shoulders firmly but not enough to hurt the poor boy, you looked him over to make sure he wasn't hurt too badly and once finished your eyes returned to the boy's face which had contorted into some sort of monstrous-looking being. Your eyes went wide and you screamed loudly which alerted the couple down the block that you had passed. Your breathing quickened as you were face to face with the demon child that had grown a pair of sharp teeth and huge claws. The demon boy coiled his arm back and was getting ready to impale you with his sharp claws when suddenly the man in the dark coat jumped over you and the demon boy. Guns in hands while still in the air, he shot multiple rounds into the back of the demon head causing him to fall forward and nearly landing on you if the brunette from before hadn't pulled you into her chest before so. Blood poured out of the monstrous child's head and pooled at your feet. Your mouth had gone dry as you stared at the deformed and deceitful demon child.

The pretty lady brought her hand up to your face and blinded you by covering your eyes from the horrendous sight. "Nero! Was that really necessary? Right in front of this poor gal?!" The man, apparently called Nero, clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "Well if I didn't then she wouldn't be standing there, would she? No. she'd be cabobbed onto the shit's arm and bleeding out." the man sassed the woman in front of him, not really upset or anything, it's just how their relationship kind of works.

While the two bickered, you could feel the creature's blood seep into the holes on the bottoms of your worn-out shoes. You cringed and panted, wanting nothing more than to get out of the bloodied alleyway. She tried to step backward, which only succeeded in getting the pair's attention. "Hey now Nero, we should probably get her outta here, she's probably scarred cause of your dumbass." and with that, she grabbed onto your hand with her other hand that wasn't shielding your vision from the gory sight in front of you and guided you away. When she deemed you both to be a safe distance away from the alley, she removed her hand from your face and smiled down at you. "Well aren't you a cute little thing." she snorted and grinned down at you. You blushed a bit and looked down at your blood-soaked shoes "Thank you..." you mumbled lightly and looked behind you to see how far away you were from the crime scene that just took place, only for you to see the man named Nero instead who was most likely intentionally blocking the view from you.

Nero stared down at you for a few seconds, taking in your appearance before huffing lightly and crossing his arms only to turn his head and look the other way. He sort of had a pink hue on his cheeks but you couldn't tell if he was blushing or if he had any kind of adrenaline rushing after that onslaught. You cleared your throat and began to speak. "Um....thank you for saving me back there. I almost became monster food." you then proceeded to give a small, nervous chuckle. The pair nodded and gave you a "No problem". You were about to say goodbye and go your separate ways until your stomach decided that now would be the perfect time to remind you of the reason you were out and about anyways. Your face began to turn a crimson color as they both chuckled at the sound of your stomach making gurgling noises. "Well, I see no reason to leave a pretty little thing such as yourself out on the streets and hungry. Hop on in the van and ill make ya a good ole breakfast that'll stop all that noise!" the pretty brunette exclaimed loudly and grabbed hold of your hand once again and dragged you into her van. "I'll even cook for ya for free since you're so darn cute!" she said in her raspy voice and gave another little snort. Your blush only seemed to darken at her words and you took a seat at one of the barstools by the kitchen area inside the van. "By the way Darlin, the name's Nico and that there is Nero." she pointed to the male who had killed the demon as he was taking a seat next to you on another bar stool. He looked over at you and gave a small smile and a nod before uttering a simple "Hey" which you returned. "It's nice to meet you both, my name is y/n" you gave both a small smile and continued "Thank you both for saving me".

While Nico was cooking and had most of your attention on her, Nero couldn't help himself but look you over again like he did outside. He found it attractive and after Kyrie broke up with him, claiming she was lesbian and started seeing some girl, he needed something to distract himself from the degrading thoughts he had about himself, claiming that he wasn't good enough for the woman he thought he'd marry. He licked his lips and took in your curves....or wait...curves? The more he looked at you, he could see just how hungry you truly were. You looked so small to him and compared to Nico, you were basically skin and bones. How long have you been in need of food? He also noticed all the holes and how dingy your clothes looked. He frowned and came to the conclusion that you were probably trying your hardest and living out in the streets. "Hey" he spoke up "You live around here?" you turned your attention to the white-haired male and pursed your lips. "Yeah, I live down the road. Two blocks away to be exact." Nero's eyebrows furrowed. "Nico and I just came that way. The only house that way is abandoned and falling apart". After hearing his words, your face turned red once more but not because you were shy but because you were embarrassed he now knew that you lived in some old and dusty building. He noticed that you looked upset at his words and mentally cringed at himself for being too blunt. "Hey there, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset... I just... I don't think you should have to live there is all." Nero then thought about his next words carefully and decided that any punishment he'd get out of this would be worth it. "I was thinking that if you wanted to, you could come live with my uncle, my father and I at my uncle's shop?" he peered down at you with what looked like puppy dog eyes and honestly, who were you kidding, it's not like you were going to say no anyways. You were hungry and living in poor conditions. "I... id be more than happy if you'd let me stay with you guys. I'll help around with your uncle's shop and make sure to pay you guys back in any way possible for letting me stay". Nero blushed at your words and felt his cock twitch in his jeans after hearing that you'd pay them back in any way possible. He bit his lip and looked away "yeah yeah whatever. We'll deal with all that when we get to the shop. While we're here though, do you have any belongings you want to pick up before we head out?" You shook your head no and finally turned your attention back to Nico who had just finished breakfast for everyone.

#devil may cry #dmc #dmc vergil #dmc5 #dmc v #dmc dante #dmc nero #dmc nico #dmc trish #dmc lady #dmc morrison #dmc kyrie #devil may cry sparda #dmc sparda #dante son of sparda #sparda #vergil son of sparda

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dottie-wan-kenobi · 4 years

Link

A @batfam-christmas-stocking fic written for @renecdote!! happy holidays <3

----

Alternate universes suck so much. Tim has always known that, but he’s never really grasped it, not until he and Dick were forcibly thrown into one a week ago.

Gotham feels different, even though it doesn’t appear that way on the surface. The violence is more personal, less showy, and as far as they’ve seen, there are almost no super villains. Somehow, though, there’s more crime on the whole, every corner of every street host to pimps and drug dealers and traffickers.

Tim tries to fight it, tries to intervene, but Dick pulls him back. “We can’t risk it, you know that.”

He does. But that doesn’t make it easier. “They need our help,” Tim fires back, everything he’s ever been taught about bettering the world, the pressure of saving people, battering around in his mind.

“It’s not our world or our place,” Dick explains, and for all that he sounds apologetic, his eyes don’t stray away from the shadowy parts of the street where they can hear people being hurt.

Dick is a good actor, but Tim can read him like a book. He’s following the protocols put in place for dimensional travel, playing the I’m The Big Brother And I’m In Charge card, but he doesn’t like it anymore than Tim does.

The rules are what they are for a reason, and Tim knows that. Grudgingly, he lets Dick pull him away, go back to their own little shadowy corners. They sleep on cardboard they find in dumpsters, huddling up for warmth. In the mornings, they go to the local library, hoping to fill out some of their knowledge on this world, since no rescue or way out otherwise is forthcoming.

There, sitting at the outdated computers, they find out that Martha and Thomas Wayne are still dead. Bruce wasn’t 8 when it happened, though—he was 16. He got shot too, making it painful and difficult to walk or move in general. According to one interview from a few years before, he’s kept on bedrest a lot, and has been in and out of physical therapy ever since it happened, now fifteen years prior. When he’s not doing that, he’s campaigning for control of Wayne Enterprises and tweeting about coffee.

There’s no Batman. Not like how they know him, at least.

One day, Dick flirts with a cop and Tim pickpockets the man’s scanner, and they learn that whole case files, suspects and evidence all neatly put together, have been sent to the GCPD over the past six years. They never see anyone fly overhead, though. At first, they think it might be Babs, but when they try to look her up, Tim finds that she’s been locked up in Arkham for at least the last four years.

Neither one of them want to know why, so they just don’t look into it any further. “This isn’t our Babs,” Dick reminds himself, and Tim, too. But mostly himself. “She’s not .”

They share a look, and don’t have to say anything to know it’s time to compartmentalize. This Babs isn’t their Babs. This Bruce isn’t their Bruce. This world doesn’t have the Joker or Poison Ivy or any of them except Two Face and the Penguin. This isn’t their world .

“Come on,” Dick murmurs, sticking close to his side as they leave the library. As they head to their latest alley, they pass all kinds of drug deals and gang members beating the shit out of people. By the time they actually get to where they’ve been staying, they’re both so tense, one smartass comment from Tim is all it takes to snap them into an argument.

”I’m sorry,” Tim says after they’ve gone back and forth a few times, sounding hostile even to himself. “I’m so sorry I can’t see things the same way you do. I’m sorry I’m not perfect Dick Grayson , who always knows what to do without even having to think about it, who always does the right thing, who is totally fine letting all these people suffer, because it’s in the protocol!”

He doesn’t even believe his own words. Tim’s just upset, unable to handle living on the streets for a week in a universe where everything is unfamiliar and grim, lashing out against one of the only things he can control. Dick is all he has here—and spending that much time with someone, let alone one of his brothers, would be hard even in the best of circumstances.

Dick flinches, and Tim only has a second to feel bad before the flash of a reflection from a gun in the window above them catches his attention. He moves on instinct, stepping forward and trying to pull Dick down even as Dick tries to move towards the mouth of the alley, protective to a fault. The bullet hits Dick’s left shoulder with a sickening and familiar crack-thwack .

For a moment, everything is silent, slow motion. Dick sucks in a pained breath, stumbling back a few steps, and Tim hopes and prays the bullet hasn’t hit an artery.

And then Tim twists to face the mouth of the alley and books it towards him, jumping on the bastard and bringing him to the ground. He rips the gun away and lets all of his pent-up anger and stress out, punching and punching. It’s only Dick, gritting his teeth and clutching his shoulder, calling out his name that saves the guy’s teeth from actually being knocked out.

Panting and shaking with fury and adrenaline, Tim stands. “Are you okay?” He demands.

“Fine,” Dick replies. “We—we should go.”

“Yeah, okay.” But he bends down instead, patting the guy’s pockets until he finds what he’s looking for: a wallet. As he rifles through, searching for a driver’s license or state ID, he explains. “We need to know who he is. If he’s working for Harvey….”

They both shudder at the thought, but the truth is worse. The name is Italian, familiar to Tim from a bust a few years before. He’s one of Maroni’s men.

Another thing they learned during their hours of research at the library: seven years ago, Haly’s Circus came through town. Bruce Wayne didn’t attend, or more likely, couldn’t. Mary and John Grayson fell to their deaths, and once it became clear that little Dick Grayson, only eight years old, knew something about the murderers, he ran. He’s been missing ever since, and if he’s still alive, then the Maronis are probably still on the lookout for him. Tony Zucco, apparently, is still alive. Still working Gotham’s underbelly, terrorizing and murdering. The Dick Grayson native to this universe is a threat to them.

They probably heard me say Dick’s name , Tim realizes, tucking the wallet away in the man’s pockets. Which means he was shot because of me. Fuck.

----

Big brothers, Tim finds, are fucking heavy. Especially when they’ve been shot and are steadily losing blood. When they’re dead weight, fading in and out of consciousness. When they’re relying totally on Tim to drag the both of them to uncertain refuge in an unfamiliar city.

And Tim…he wants to be someone Dick can rely on. (Obviously, he already is, but his anxiety says maybe this is just who Dick is. Tim could be anyone and the situation would be the same. Still, it would be better for Dick if Tim was Damian, instead. Or Bruce. Or Donna. Or anyone but himself, really.) But more than anything, he wants someone who can help Dick, who can keep him alive. Living on the streets the way they are just doesn’t lend much in the way of medical supplies.

Tim drags Dick all the way to the clinic, based on a vague awareness that it exists here, too. When they get there, though, the building is obviously abandoned, Leslie nowhere to be found. Wherever she is, he doesn’t know, but he hopes she’s okay. He can’t think of a situation that would keep her from helping the people of Gotham. Still, he sets Dick up against the wall and breaks in, hoping for something useful, and finding nothing inside but rubble and evidence of homeless people using the space for shelter.

He goes back to Dick, feeling like the world is ending. They don’t have any first aid supplies, and even if they did, even if a first aid kit fell out of the sky right now and Tim could patch Dick up, it wouldn’t mean anything. This only happened because Tim wasn’t paying attention, wasn’t thinking to be careful. It could happen again. What does he do then?

What would Bruce do? Roy? Wally? Diana or Clark? Hell, Kon ? Any of them could help Dick so much more right now. More than Tim can or will ever be able to. And really, what good is Tim if he can’t even keep his brother alive?

Aware the thoughts aren’t helpful right now, he shelves them for later and looks back at Dick, cataloguing everything he sees like Bruce taught them to do. Dick’s still steadily bleeding out, and though that’s most concerning of all, Tim finds the only thing he can think about is how they don’t have clean clothes so Dick can walk around in something not soaked in blood.

With a strangled shout, Tim kicks the wall. It doesn’t affect him, much—thank god he’d been wearing steel-toed shoes when they were transported here—but the brief release feels good. Sort of. It’d be a lot better if he were still laying into the Maroni guy, if he’s honest.

“Tim,” Dick says, both reproachful and concerned.

“Shut up,” Tim replies, dragging his fingers through his hair. His mind is racing. He wants to go home so badly his chest aches with it.

Dick knows him well enough that he can sense what Tim is thinking. Slowly, he shakes his head. “No, Tim. No . We can’t.”

“Where else are we supposed to go?” Tim cries out. It’s a stupid idea, it’s against the protocol, and they’ve already talked about it anyway. They’d agreed it’s stupid and they can’t do it and moved on. But he can’t help feeling the impulse, especially now.

“Stephanie’s,” Dick shoots back immediately. But they both know it’s not possible—here, Steph is another face on the dozens of missing persons posters that litter the city. He realizes it a second too late, and stumbles over his next words. “Just, anywhere but there.”

Jason is dead, has been for years now. Damian doesn’t exist. Cass is in Star City with Dinah Lance. Luke and the other members of the Fox family have never lived in this Gotham. Duke’s parents are still alive—they recently moved to Blüdhaven, and took their young son with them. Harper and Cullen are nowhere to be found, but Tim tells himself that’s a good thing—it means they aren’t in the obituaries. Kate is overseas on a honeymoon with her wife. Half of the Titans and Justice League don’t seem to exist, and the ones that do wouldn’t step foot in this cesspit of crime and drugs.

‘Anywhere but there’ means nothing. Nowhere. There’s no place for them to go, no one who can or even would help.

The words, or maybe the thoughts that come with them, wear Dick out. He starts to fade again, eyes slipping closed, and that means Tim’s in charge.

And Tim? Tim wants to go home .

He grabs Dick, keeping him from sliding down the wall, throws his brother’s arm over his shoulder, and starts off towards the Manor with every ounce of determination he can muster.

----

Several hours later, when it’s dark and Dick is pale and mostly silent, barely keeping up, they make it home. Everything feels different: the security that allows them to get all the way up the drive (after only a little effort on Tim’s part), the trees oddly placed and the doors and shutters all painted a light blue instead of the rusty red he’s used to. It’s disorienting and upsetting. Home is supposed to be familiar and it’s not and he hates it.

Tim knocks on a side door that only family knows about, hoping against hope it won’t be Bruce that answers. He doubts it, but he’s positive he won’t be able to keep his composure in front of his dad. It’ll be a little easier with Alfred. Probably. In any case, Alfred is the better option of the two.

While they wait, Dick mumbles, “This is stupid.”

Tim presses his hand against the wound, trying not to be impatient. Trying not to feel sick with nerves. He doesn’t reply, knowing Dick isn’t really paying attention right now.

When the door finally opens, Tim could collapse with relief. Alfred stands there, one hand hiding his rifle out of their sight in an all-too-familiar pose, while the other holds onto the doorjamb. His hair is darker than Tim is used to, his face less wrinkled. He’s staring at them like they’re weird, strange boys, standing at what’s supposed to be a virtually unknown entrance to a private, secure home in the late hours of the night.

Blood covers Dick’s upper body and Tim’s hands, and they both look and smell rough. They don’t make a pretty picture, and Tim knows that, but there’s nothing he can do except get Alfred to let them in somehow. He’s been thinking about what he wants to say, what’ll appeal to Alfred’s compassion or curiosity or both. Please, help my brother before he loses too much blood. Please, don’t tell Bruce about this. Please, I’m so exhausted and I need a cup of your chamomile and a cookie and also maybe a hug or I’m going to explode.

What he says instead is, “ Alfred .” It’s a relieved sob, leaving him without permission, and Alfred’s shocked and confused reaction is much more noticeable than it should be. “I—we didn’t know where else to go. He’s hurt.”

There are more words on his tongue, an avalanche of them wanting to come out, but Alfred stops him there with a raised hand. He doesn’t put the rifle down, but he says, “Come in, then,” and opens the door wide enough for them.

Dick groans when Tim drags him up the steps. Blinking sluggishly at Alfred, he says, “Alf…?”

“Yeah, it’s Alfred. Come on, help out here a little bit. We’re just gonna sit down and hopefully get you patched up, alright, Dickie?”

“Hrn.”

Tim bites his lip at the Bruce noise, stupid tears stinging in his eyes.

He’s home. It’s unfamiliar. Dick is hurt. He’s in charge.

Now is so not the time to cry.

Alfred leads them to a nearby couch in a sitting room they’ve never used in all the years Tim’s known Bruce. Rifle still in hand, he seems much more unsure than their Alfred, who would’ve already had the situation on lock by now.

“We need a first aid kit, please,” Tim says. He glances at the weapon, and adds, “We won’t cause any trouble, I promise. I—I know this is probably super weird, but….”

But what? Tim can’t think of a way to end the sentence so he just doesn’t. Instead, he turns to Dick and starts pulling his brother’s shirt off, something they really should’ve done hours ago. While he uses the fabric to put pressure on the wound again, he hears Alfred moving around behind him.

If this Bruce is anything like theirs, a first aid kit shouldn’t be too far away. There’s one in every bathroom back home.

It’s not long before Alfred is back, shooing Tim away and setting a large first aid kit on the couch. His rifle is gone, but Tim knows it can’t be far. There’s no way this Alfred trusts them enough to not have it close at hand. “Do I dare ask what happened?”

God, it’s good to hear his voice. “My brother got shot,” Tim says, reverting to his natural instinct to reveal as little as possible. Normally Alfred is someone he can give a full mission report to, but Tim is just Tim right now, not Red Robin, and this is not his Alfred, so he’s going to keep his mouth shut up tight.

“Well, my word. You wouldn’t know it from looking at him.” And there’s that Alfred sass. It doesn’t make him laugh like it usually does—no, it just reminds him again that he isn’t actually home. “Care to explain more? Should I be concerned you were followed?”

Tim thinks on it for a minute, but really, there’s no way Maroni’s guy got up in time to tail them. The rest of the mob family have probably heard about them by now, but Tim isn’t too worried about it. He can’t find it within himself to be. All he can really think about is Dick, Alfred, Bruce. If coming here was a mistake after all. If they’ll ever make it home to see their Bruce and Alfred. Eventually, he says, “No. We weren’t followed.”

Dick groans as Alfred starts to prep the gunshot wound to get the bullet out. He sways a little, dizzy, and mumbles an apology when Alfred has to readjust him.

Alfred says, “Just hold as still as you can, and you’ll be alright.”

Hearing the tenderness in Alfred’s voice does something to Tim. This is Alfred , he thinks. He can help us with more than just this.

He blurts out, “It was one of Maroni’s men.”

“Sal Maroni?” Alfred sounds suspiciously uninterested, not even bothering to look away from his work. “The mob boss?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm. Alright, young man, I’m going to get this bullet out now.”

“Tim,” Dick grits out, reaching out his hand. Tim takes it, sitting down on the other side of his brother. He forces himself to watch as Alfred goes through the familiar motions. Dick doesn’t actually squeeze his hand that much, too used to this kind of pain, but Tim thinks maybe they both feel better having the lifeline.

He stays there until Dick is stitched up and accepts a dose of Tylenol—no matter how much Alfred gives them concerned looks and insists on something stronger, a Bat doesn’t take hard drugs.

Not quite huffing in exasperation, Alfred acquiesces and leaves Dick alone, sitting back against the cushions. Then he turns to Tim. With his hands on his hips and his sleeves rolled up, he’s honestly kind of intimidating. “Now you, young man,” he says.

“Um. What? I’m fine. I didn’t get shot, I don’t need anything.”

Alfred raises an eyebrow. Tim can out-stubborn almost anybody, even his other family members, but Alfred Pennyworth is not one of them. Everyone bows down to him.

Tim sighs and scoots a few inches away from Dick, and when Alfred shoos him all the way into the other corner, he goes. Surprisingly, the older man sits next to Tim, between him and Dick, and instead of reaching for the kit, he just. Puts a hand on Tim’s shoulder. Which Tim finds extremely weird, considering how British and physically distant Alfred is. Oh sure, he hugs them all. He catches them when they fall, he reassures them with arm pats and shoulder squeezes. But it’s unlike him to just... sit here and rest his hand on Tim’s shoulder, looking him in the face with an expression Tim finds he can’t read.

Not being able to read people, especially someone he knows so well, freaks him out.

Tense, Tim says, “What?”

Alfred is quiet for a moment, then asks, “Where have you boys been staying?”

Oh. Yeah, okay. He’s suspicious of them. Tim can understand why. “We have a place.” It’s a disgusting alley behind a pizzeria they can’t afford to eat at, scraping by with the last of the money they had on them when they were sent here, but it’s not a lie.

Alfred backs off, picking his battles and probably recognizing this one for what it is: unwinnable. He’s more than perceptive enough to read between the lines anyway, add up all the clues—their clothes are dirty, their hair greasy, and Tim knows he’s looking pretty gaunt. And considering how jumpy Tim is acting, it’s likely Alfred thinks they’re homeless. Which they are.

“Are you injured anywhere?”

Tim holds out his hand, his knuckles split and raw from earlier, and ignores how badly he’s shaking. Alfred takes his hand, and grabs alcohol wipes from the kit. He dabs at the wounds, glancing at Tim’s face like he’s expecting a reaction. And yeah, it stings a little, but he’s had much worse. This is nothing.

“Hmm.” Alfred moves Tim’s hand around, looking for other wounds, finding a few little cuts. “So your brother’s name is Dickie?”

“Dick,” Tim corrects. Bruce and Jason are the only ones who call Dick that usually, and Jason almost always does it because it’s his ‘little brother duty’ or something. The only reason he said it earlier is because he hoped it would be comforting. “Short for—”

“Richard, I assume.”

“Yeah.” Tim falls silent, trying to keep his hand still. When a few moments of silence go by, he looks up at Alfred, finding him making an expectant face. “Oh! Yeah, sorry. I’m Tim.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Tim. You seem to already know my name.”

Yeah. Shit. Unable to think of a lie beyond ‘you look like my grandpa’, Tim laughs nervously. “Lucky guess?”

Dick snorts. “You jus’ look like our gran’pa, that’s all. His name’s Alfred. Yours too, huh?”

Alfred doesn’t look convinced, but he goes along with it anyway. “Yes, mine too.” What an odd coincidence , he doesn’t say, but Tim hears it anyway.

It doesn’t take long after that for Alfred to finish up Tim’s knuckles. He offers to put some band-aids on, but Tim shakes his head. “No, no, I’m fine. Thank you.”

Dick gives him a look, and despite the fact that he’s still acting loopy, there’s a strength to it. Tim can tell what he’s thinking—that if the cuts weren’t on the knuckles, a very awkward place to put bandages, Dick would be insisting on it. Well, whatever , he thinks, resisting the urge to stick out his tongue. You’re not in charge right now anyway.

Alfred stands and looks them over for a brief moment, hesitation obvious in the way he pauses, inhaling deeply. Then, with determination, he says, “I will prepare you something to eat. Do either of you have any allergies I should be aware of?”

“Sulfites,” Tim says at the same time Dick says, “Shellfish. And pet dander.”

“Dick, man, I’m pretty sure they don’t have pets. And even if they did, pets aren’t allowed in the kitchen under any circumstances.”

“Oh yeah,” Dick says with a faint chuckle. “Forgot.”

“Mister Tim,” Alfred cuts in before Tim can reply. It’s unspeakably weird to be called Mister Tim instead of Master Tim, even though Alfred called him that for years. “Will sandwiches suffice?”

The thought of eating Alfred’s food—and even more than that, something they haven’t fished out of a dumpster—is drool-worthy. Quickly, he agrees, “Yes, that’s perfect. Thank you.”

Alfred nods and leaves, probably thankful to get the heck away from them for a few minutes. Once he’s gone, the brothers fall quiet, both a blessing and a curse. Not having Alfred asking questions that Tim has to evade is great, but it does give him the opportunity to keep freaking out.

What do they do next? Alfred might not let them leave while Dick is healing, and that means the chances of running into Bruce raise astronomically. Tim knows that he won’t be able to handle that. Not at all.

“Stop it,” Dick whispers, loud in the overwhelming quiet. “I can see your forehead vein from here.”

“Shut up. I’m trying to think.”

“Don’t hurt yourself.”

Tim sighs, letting the banter drop for a moment. “Look, I’m sorry you got shot. I know it’s not my fault,” he says, speaking over Dick’s immediate protest. “I know that. But I’m still sorry.”

“…Thanks. I’m accepting your apology but not your responsibility.”

“Duh.” Tim fiddles with his hands, satisfied but also knowing, in his heart of hearts, that it is in fact his fault and Dick is totally wrong. “I’m not sorry I brought us here, though.”

“Duh,” Dick repeats, sounding more than a little peeved. Not that Tim can blame him, really. If Tim and Damian had agreed to something, and then Damian went back on it… that’d be really annoying.

Still, that little brother duty Jason talks about means he has to defend himself. “Dick, we were gonna end up coming here anyway, don’t you see that?” He shoots to his feet and drags his hands through his hair, pacing in front of the couch. Despite his earlier flip-flopping, he’s sure now. This was the right decision even if it does suck a lot. “Where else could we possibly go? We don’t belong here. The only way we can get home is by ask—”

Tim cuts off immediately when footsteps echo down the hall. They sound different from Alfred’s, a third tap that sounds a lot like a cane.

This Alfred doesn’t use a cane. The only person who could is—

Both Dick and Tim tense as the doorway is filled up by Bruce freaking Wayne.

“Um,” Tim says.

Bruce looks different. Not just in the sense that he is, in fact, using a cane, but just. Everything. He looks younger, a neat beard covering much of his face. There’s barely any salt in it at all. The scars that litter the skin of his face and arms, mostly bare considering he’s wearing only a t-shirt and pajama pants, aren’t there. Worst of all, there’s no recognition in his eyes.

His sons have become strangers. But no, this man is not their father. Tim has to shout it at himself. He’s not! Bruce Wayne would never look at them like this. Especially not Dick.

Dick makes a noise, a small and sad little whimper, and Tim thinks, shit. Shit shit shit. Unable to do anything to help, Tim shuffles closer to him, hoping it’s enough to comfort.

“Who are you?” Bruce asks, moving further into the room. He says it casually, like this is a totally normal situation, but there’s steel there, too. Of course there is. This is Bruce Wayne. He doesn’t mess around, especially when it comes to strangers invading his home. And as much as that feels like a knife to the chest, that’s what they are. Strangers . The word lingers in his mind, leaving a bad aftertaste.

Tim gets the distinct feeling that the cane, for all that it serves to help Bruce walk, is a weapon. One this Bruce will have no issue using against them. “Um. We—we’re homeless,” he blurts out, trying to push the thought away. “And my brother got shot, so we came here looking for help. We’ll be gone soon, I promise. Don’t worry about us, this is just a one time thing, and we won’t tell anyone else. I know this is a house and not a triage center.”

Bruce is already looking at him like he’s an intruder, but at that, the man’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. Oh, right. That’s something the other—the right —Bruce would say. Has said many times. Because it’s something their Alfred has always said, and apparently this Alfred too.

Scrambling, Tim keeps going, pasting a fake smile on his face. “Alfred knows we’re here. He’ll be right back. It’s okay, we’ll just wait right here and not steal anything, so you can go back to bed. Goodnight.”

“Tim,” Dick bites out, obviously trying to communicate that he thinks Tim is being a weirdo, and that he’s doing nothing but tipping Bruce off to the fact that something is wrong.

“I’m freaking out, okay?” Tim exclaims back, curling and relaxing his fingers in an effort to control himself. It’s impossible, though—this is their dad , for crying out loud. Their dad, who they haven’t seen in a long time, not since before they were attacked as civilians and flung through the wormhole that deposited them here. Their dad, who Tim really, seriously needs a hug from right now.

Bruce comes closer, leaning against one of the two unused chairs. Where Tim tenses further, unsure of what he’s about to do or say, Dick relaxes. He’s really out of it now, the blood loss and medicine finally catching up with him. He’s blinking heavily and listing to the side. “Hand me that, will you?” He asks Bruce, gesturing to a throw blanket resting on the top of the chair.

Suddenly feeling very protective of Dick, Tim says, “I can—”

“No,” Bruce interrupts, the corner of his mouth curling up like he thinks this is funny. “I’ve got it.”

He grabs the blanket and walks over to the couch. Tim stumbles back a few steps to give him room. For a second, it seems like none of them breathe—but then Bruce leans on his cane like a crutch, bends down, and lays the blanket over Dick.

Tim has seen Bruce tuck people in before, usually Damian. All those times, he either didn’t care much, or a swirl of jealousy had tightened in his stomach. He can remember wondering why Bruce didn’t tuck him in. Why his parents never did it, why Mrs. Mac and all the nannies hadn’t either.

This time, his eyes sting with tears. He forces them back, biting the inside of his cheek.

Dick snuggles into the cushions behind his back, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. “Thanks, dad,” he mumbles, slipping off into a nap.

Bruce and Tim both freeze.

“Um,” Tim says, because something has to be said, this needs to be nipped in the bud and stopped right now before Bruce can ask anything. But really, the chances of Bruce Wayne not asking questions? Less than zero. And Tim’s brain is screaming, because what the hell could he possibly say to explain that ?

Alfred enters the room again before anything can happen, carrying a tray holding a few sandwiches. He sets it down on a side table before looking up.

“Oh,” he stops short when he sees Bruce, hands hovering above the food. “Master Bruce, I thought you were downstairs.”

“I was just doing some reading,” he waves off, but he can’t quite manage to sound casual. “Now… did he just call me dad ?”

Oh fuck , Tim thinks. Awkwardly, he laughs, “No! What? No, that’s ridiculous.” Seeing that this tactic isn’t working—Bruce and Alfred both have legendary ‘bitch please’ looks that go beyond the confines of time and space, apparently—he shifts gears. “I mean, okay, yes he did. But—but it’s just because you look like our dad! A lot like him, actually. Haha.”

Bruce and Alfred stare at him, concern building as he keeps laughing, spurred on by a week of non-stop stress and the pressure of being in charge— maybe , he thinks, this was a bad idea all along and we shouldn’t have come here and Dick was totally right. It’s only when his laughter turns to hiccuping sobs that either of them move, Bruce managing to grab his bicep in time before Tim can sink to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Alfred hurries to his other side, fretting, “Come on, young sir, just sit down now.”

They lead him to one of the chairs, where he collapses, his head in his hands. Dick is better at this—at leading, at interacting, at not breaking apart. It should all be the opposite: Tim sleeping off a GSW while Dick lies through his teeth as he explains what’s going on. Not that Dick would’ve gotten them into this situation, anyway.

“I’m sorry,” he sniffles, refusing to look up. They’re both staring at him again, clearly unsure what to do with a strange, crying teenager.

After a moment, Alfred says, “You boys say I look like your grandfather, and now Master Bruce looks like your father. By chance, what is his name?”

“Bruce Wayne,” Tim replies to the floor. “But… not him. A different one.”

“A different Bruce Wayne?” The confusion and curiosity is clear as day in Bruce’s voice, and Tim can’t help but snort a little.

“Yeah. Um, this is going to sound really crazy, but my brother and I are from a different universe.” He peeks at their faces, not surprised at all by the blatant disbelief he sees. “I can prove it.”

Alfred and Bruce share a wide-eyed look.“How?”

“I know you’re the one who’s been sending the GCPD all those case files. And before you say you’re not, you just said you were doing some reading. Downstairs. In the cave below this property, right? Back home, it’s called the Batcave and you’re Batman.”

“Go on, Mister Tim,” Alfred says after a moment. “We believe you.”

Relief crashes down on him and more tears slip out against his will. “I need your help. We need your help. We’ve been here for a week, and—and—and we have no idea how to get home. None. There’s no one else we can turn to, ‘cause the people who would usually help us either can’t or wouldn’t, since they don’t know us here. And god, this world is nothing at all like ours…. I just want to go home. I don’t know what to do. Please,” he begs, desperate. “I need advice.”

Bruce hesitantly sets a hand on Tim’s back, rubbing up and down in a motion that is, wow, extremely soothing. “We’ll figure this out, Tim. I promise you, Alfred and I will help you boys any way we can.”

Before Tim can ask if it’s just because they’re his sons in some other universe, Alfred clears his throat. “It may take some time, mind you. But you and your brother will need to stay here anyway, seeing as that wound needs time to heal. I can’t, in good conscience, let that happen out on the streets.”

Tim wants to refuse. Wants to say thanks but no thanks, you can put us up in a motel or something until everything is worked out. Wants to cry and cry and wake up from this nightmare. Instead, mentally and physically exhausted, he just says, “Okay.”

Both men are concerned by the response, he can tell. Though he isn’t looking, he can practically hear the silent conversation they’re having over his head. Then Alfred stands. “I will make up two of the guest rooms, then, sirs. Mister Tim, could you help bring Mister Dick upstairs?”

“Just set up one, we can share,” Tim replies. It’s late and he doesn’t want Alfred to have to do anything more than he’s already done. Than he’s already doing.

“If you’re certain….”

“I am. Thank you.”

He’s not gone for long, and thank god, because Tim can hardly stand to be alone with Bruce without spilling even more. He’s already said so much tonight, he feels empty and hollowed out, kind of like a balloon that’s been blown up only for all the air to wheeze out of it, leaving it sad and stretched. Holy shit, that metaphor. He needs to go to bed, and he needs a mattress instead of another cardboard box laid over hard cobblestone and concrete.

Shaking his head to stop his thoughts, he moves over to Dick and wakes him, a hand on his uninjured shoulder. “Dick, wake up,” he says a few times until his brother is blinking heavily at him.

“Wha’?”

“We’re gonna go upstairs and sleep. Come on, I’ll help you.”

“Hrn,” he says again, and this time, Bruce hears it. Tim glances at him, almost surprised to see the emotions on Bruce’s face. Apparently that’s a Bruce noise in this universe too, and it only helps to cement Tim’s story.

Tim helps Dick stand up, swinging Dick’s good arm over his shoulders. Together, they slowly ascend the stairs, something Tim is more than familiar with considering how many times something like this has happened at home. At the top, they meet up with Alfred, who takes them to a guest room that is thankfully unused in their version of the Manor.

Alfred helps Dick get settled into the mattress, his shoes and belt shed. “I could get you both some pajamas,” Alfred says when he sees the way Tim flops down, both of them still in battered, dirty, expensive chinos.

“We’re okay,” Tim says, aware that the only pajamas in the house must belong to Bruce and Alfred, and that neither size would fit them. He’s not sure he could handle it right now even if they did. “Thank you though. For…for all of this. It means a lot.”

Alfred graces him with a gentle smile. “Of course, young sir. I would like to think that your Bruce will appreciate this.”

He leaves, and then it’s just Tim and Dick. They’ve shared a bed plenty of times before, on nights when there was no one else around and they didn’t want to be alone. Dick was the one who taught Tim one of the best parts about having siblings: cuddles. Dick is a cuddle monster, but maybe tonight Tim won’t wake up being held protectively to his brother’s chest.

Under the covers, Tim stares at the ceiling. His mind refuses to shut off even though they’re finally somewhere safe. Somewhere he can sleep and not worry about what might happen when he’s not paying attention.

He feels a little better, now that there are actual adults in charge, who are going to help. Who can keep Dick from getting hurt again, especially from Tim’s carelessness. But it makes him miss home, just reminds him how far away he and Dick are from their real family. He’s curious, on some level, about this Bruce Wayne. He trusts him to take care of them long enough for them to return home. How long that’s going to take is a question, though, one that he thinks can probably be answered by: a long time.

It’ll be good for Dick, at least. Give him time to heal.

God, Dick shouldn’t have been hurt in the first place. But of course he did, and of course it was because of some dumb argument, because of Tim—

“’M not perfect,” Dick whispers, making Tim, who was certain he was asleep, jump. When he turns to look, he finds Dick’s eyes are closed. Squeezed shut. “’M not . I don’t know what I’m doing, Tim. I didn’t wanna come here ‘cause of the rules, and ‘cause it’s hard… hard to see them. ‘M lucky I getta sleep through it, I guess.”

“Dick—”

“I woulda done the same thing, okay?” And now he opens his eyes, meeting Tim’s head on. “This was the right choice. Coming here. Alfred gives the best advice.”

“Yeah.” Tim’s throat feels thick, the word hard to get out.

Dick reaches out his good hand and rests it on Tim’s cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here. You saved me. Now go to sleep,” he says, and then teasingly smacks him. “I can hear you thinking all the way from here.”

“You’re like two feet away,” Tim points out, but he tries to listen anyway. He closes his eyes, thinking maybe he will be able to rest. Dick is the best at comforting people.

“Shhhh,” Dick says, grinning. “Doesn’t matter. Sleep.”

“Yes, mom.”

“ Shhh !”

Tim laughs, and for the first time in a while, it’s real. He feels safe and warm and not alone, and while he can’t exactly say he’s happy right now, he’s a lot closer than he was just a few hours before.

Tomorrow , he decides, settling down, I’m going to take a shower and eat a real meal. And then, then I can finally start figuring out how to get us home.

#bcs19 #tim drake #dick grayson #alfred pennyworth #bruce wayne #batfam #batfamily #batfam fic #fanfic #my writing #renecdote

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clumsyclifford · 4 years

Note

“i just lost the Celebrity X Lookalike Contest (I AM Celebrity X) and threw a tantrum about it, you’re the security guard who escorted me out and doesn’t believe me” au

thank u anon for this gift it’s precisely what i needed. literally just whacked this out instead of doign my lab final please forgive me if it sucks at least i finished something for once lmaoo (also me?? being brief?? nah)

Calum’s done security for plenty of these events, but he’s never seen a blowup quite like this one.

“Sir,” the host (Jeff) says, “please step off the stage.”

“This is bullshit,” the Michael Clifford lookalike says. He’s wearing a five around his neck and he looks positively enraged about it. “You’re telling me I lost a lookalike contest for my own face? Do you even know who this contest is for? I’m Michael Clifford! I can’t lose a lookalike contest against myself!”

Calum squints. He supposes Michael #5 looks roughly like the real Michael Clifford — not that Calum, like, knows what he looks like, not that he follows him on Instagram or likes all of his Tweets or anything like that, because Calum is a normal 24-year-old man — but some of the other Michaels onstage have him beat. And anyway, Calum’s pretty sure Michael isn’t even in Sydney today. His show isn’t until tomorrow. (Not that Calum would know. He’s not going.)

(Not on his measly security guard paycheck, anyway.)

“Sir, we appreciate your participation in the contest, but if you don’t calm down we’ll be forced to remove you from the premises,” Jeff says, belatedly realizing he’s speaking into the microphone. Michael #5 laughs wildly.

“This is insane! I literally have my driver’s license right here, I can prove it. I’m actual Michael Clifford and you’re going to let this —” he grabs the number plate of the winning Michael (Michael #12) — “this guy win “Best Michael Clifford lookalike”? This contest is not, by the way, Michael Clifford-approved!”

“Security,” Jeff calls, and that’s Calum’s cue. He heads for the stage as Michael #5 looks around and seems to realize he’s not going to win this battle. Calum watches that thought pass over him and sees him decide not to care.

“Brilliant,” Michael #5 says, “call security on me, the real Michael Clifford. Look, it’s not a fame thing, honestly, it’s just a pride thing. You can’t say you know what I look like and then let me lose in a lookalike contest for myself.”

This guy’s really lost it, Calum thinks. He really, properly thinks he’s Michael Clifford. But the brown in his roots has grown too long. It can’t be him.

“Sir,” Calum says, hoping he won’t have to use force. Michael #5 may not be the real Michael Clifford, but he’s just as pretty, and it would be a shame to hurt him. Calum’s not above it, but he’s largely opposed. “Please step off the stage and come with me. I won’t ask again.”

Michael #5 groans. He sounds frustrated. Calum thinks he’s a little bit crazy. “This is insane,” he says again, but at least he gets off the stage. “Congratulations, Michael #12. Are you Michael Clifford?” Michael #12 shakes his head. “Thought not,” Michael #5 mutters as Calum puts a hand on his shoulder and guides him to the exit. He’s almost embarrassed for Michael #5. Calum’s more of a fade-into-the-background kind of guy. He’d never have a meltdown like that, and certainly never over such a delusion.

Michael #5 turns to Calum as they leave the building. “You don’t have to hold on to me, I’m not going to make a break for it,” he says bluntly. Calum lets go. “I am Michael Clifford, you know. Those guys don’t believe me, for some fucking reason, but why would I lie?”

“If you were Michael Clifford,” Calum says, disbelieving, “why would you enter a Michael Clifford lookalike contest?”

Michael #5 throws his hands up and laughs incredulously. “For fun! To see what would happen! Look, some of those people really did look like me. But I swear up and down, I am Michael Clifford.”

Calum shakes his head. The inside silence had felt like everyone was holding their breath (which they all had been), but the quiet outside is peaceful, and the cool air of the night feels like a refreshing reboot on Calum’s brain. He’s been sitting in there, watching contest after contest, for what feels like forever. He needs water. Or a smoke.

“To be fair, you do look like him,” he says kindly. This seems to further upset Michael #5. “If I were in charge, you’d have won.” Michael groans and rubs his face, aggrieved. “Look, mate, I’m really not trying to step on your parade or — I mean rain on your parade, or whatever. If it’s, if it makes you feel better to, like, embody Michael Clifford, I’m not going to be the one to stop you.”

Michael #5 looks like he’s at war with himself, stuck somewhere between entertained and dismayed. “Jesus Christ, I’m losing it. What’s your name?”

“Calum,” Calum says, because whatever. Calum’s a common enough name that if Michael #5 turns out to be a maniac, he should still be safe. And he feels a little badly for this guy, to be honest.

“Calum,” Michael #5 says, “I swear on my life that I am really Michael Clifford. I can call Ashton — my manager, Ashton Irwin — right now and have him confirm it. I can literally call James Corden and have him tell you, if that’ll make you believe me.” He sounds desperate. A very, very small part of Calum thinks, what if it is him?

It’s not, the majority of Calum’s brain insists. It can’t be.

Yeah, but you’ll be really humiliated if it turns out to be him.

“Michael Clifford’s not due in Sydney until tomorrow,” Calum says, ignoring the voices. He’s almost embarrassed to know that, but it’s not like Michael #5 doesn’t know that. Anyone who’s willing to go to such lengths to pretend to be rockstar Michael Clifford is clearly acquainted with his schedule.

Michael smirks. “Oh, so you know my schedule to the minute, then? Coming to the show?”

If this were the real Michael Clifford, Calum wouldn’t engage. But it’s just some random person who’s had a bit too much to drink, maybe, or a few too many fantasies, so whatever. It’s better than sitting in there watching the next lookalike competition (Selena Gomez), even if that is technically his job.

“No, I wish,” he says. “Like I can afford concert tickets on my salary. Are you going?”

Michael #5 sighs heavily. “I’m performing, mate. It’s my show.”

“You’re awfully committed to the role,” Calum remarks. “I have to say, I admire your persistence. What’s your name?”

“My name is Michael Gordon Clifford, and I’m embarrassed for you,” Michael #5 tells him, which is funny, because Calum had been thinking the same thing about him. “God, this is literally the strangest day of my life. I thought it would just be a laugh, enter, see what happens. What can I do to prove it to you that I’m the real Michael? Can I show you my license? Will that do it?”

Calum thinks. He’s seen his fair share of fake IDs, but some people are willing to go to great lengths to pretend to be someone they’re not. And Michael #5 had been willing to use it as evidence against the host, so it’s probably a prop.

Michael #5 has already taken out his license, though, and is holding it in Calum’s face. “Please, please believe me,” he begs. “I’m starting to lose my sense of self, honestly.”

“What does it matter if I believe you?” Calum asks, looking bemusedly at the driver’s license in Michael #5’s hands. “I’m just security.”

“Well, for one, you’ve been nicer to me than anyone else here,” Michael #5 says. “And for another, I’ve never been flat-out told that I’m not the person I am. So that’s weird. Admittedly, I’m not used to anonymity on this level, and it probably won’t last very long. But moreover, I was going to invite you to my show. You know. The actual show that I actually have tomorrow, at Sydney Opera House, where I’ll be performing my own music.”

Calum takes the license and looks closely at it. He’s a very good security guard, he likes to believe. And he can tell when an ID is fake. He can.

This one is absolutely real. Michael Gordon Clifford, it says, and then a picture of this guy — of Michael —

Oh, holy shit.

Calum looks up, and Michael #5 — no, this is Michael, real Michael Clifford — is looking expectantly at him.

Somehow, all he can think to say is, “You were right. I’m extremely embarrassed.”

Rock star Michael fucking Clifford laughs at him, amiably. “Oh, that’s alright,” he says. “You seem like you’ve had a long day.”

“The longest,” Calum agrees, somewhat dazed. “You think that was boring? Imagine sitting through seven hours of that.”

“You should try my job,” Michael says.

“Oh, I did,” Calum says. “Didn’t really take off for me. Way to complain about fame and fortune, though. I really pity you.”

“Hey, you didn’t even think I was really me,” Michael shoots back. Which. Fair enough. “Wow, I must have sounded like an asshole, huh? That’s not me, I swear. I’m usually super chill. It’s just…imagine entering a contest for Calum lookalikes and losing. Wouldn’t that just throw you?”

“You weren’t so bad,” Calum says, and then amends, “Okay, you were a little bad, but only because nobody believed you. In retrospect, your anger is justifiable.”

Michael looks gratefully at Calum. “Thanks.”

Okay, Calum’s cool. Calum’s totally relaxed. He’s just having a chat with his favorite musician of all time. This is fine. Calum’s a security guard, for fuck’s sake. He’s practically known for being stoic. That’s his whole gig.

He tries a smile. Okay, he’s not cool at all. Michael is gorgeous and Calum is weak and he doesn’t even know how to talk. He can’t remember any words. Relevant topics. Calum sifts desperately through his brain. “Uh, you’re in Sydney early?”

Michael laughs again. It’s a wonderful sound that Calum’s heard many times in radio interviews and the like, but never in person. He wants to hear it again and again forever. “Yeah, well. It’s home, you know? And I didn’t have anything else going on. Plus, I heard about this,” he gestures vaguely behind them to the building which is housing the lookalike contests, “and thought it’d be a good time. You know. Funny prank, or something.”

“That went well,” Calum says, joking.

Michael shrugs. “Could’ve gone worse. Met you, didn’t I?”

Well, if Michael’s trying to stop his heart, he’s succeeded. “I’m not,” Calum says. His tongue fails him. He tries again, smiling feebly. “I’m not, uh, usually the one people are excited to meet, out of the two of us.”

“Well, I’ve already met me,” Michael says. “And honestly, I could take me or leave me. You’re nice, though. And very handsome, which helps.”

Calum hums. “I thought Michael #12 was a bit better-looking than you.” Oh, don’t mind me, just FLIRTING WITH MICHAEL CLIFFORD OVER HERE.

Michael fakes looking hurt, impressively well. “Unbelievably rude of you. Here I am, being charming and delightful, and you say that shit?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” Calum says. Michael eyes him suspiciously, but Calum can’t resist: “Michael #8 actually did it for me.”

“That’s it,” Michael says. “I take back the invite. You can sit at home and eat chips and feel sorry for yourself tomorrow night.”

“What invite?”

Michael raises his eyebrows. “The…the show, Calum. I was serious. Unless — if you were joking about wanting to come…” This time he really does look hurt, and does a bad job trying to hide it.

“No,” Calum says hastily. “No, no, I meant it, I just — I thought you were joking. Of course I’ll come, that’s — that would be amazing.”

Michael bites his lip. “If I asked you to get dinner tonight, is that too forward?”

“Too forward?” Calum echoes, because that’s the only part of that sentence he’s able to process without his brain melting.

Michael nods. “Yeah, like. We just met, and you’re a fan, which is cool, but you just, honestly, seem like a really good guy. And you’re cute. I’m not trying to leverage power or anything because you like my music. You can totally say no, I won’t, like, have another meltdown. Just, I don’t know. I guess I could stand a few more good guys in my corner.” He looks down at his shoes, scuffing the ground.

It makes Calum (the part of Calum that’s still chugging along and not frozen solid at being asked on a date by Michael Clifford) wonder if Michael is lonely, or something. He’s clearly nervous. He’s nervous. He’s Michael Clifford, and he’s played to sold-out stadiums hundreds of thousands of times, and he’s standing here, nervously asking Calum on a date.

“I’d love to,” Calum says sincerely. Michael’s face lights up. “But, uh, I work until midnight. So unless you want, like, midnight pizza…”

“Midnight pizza is exactly what I want,” Michael declares. He glances back at the building. “You should probably go back in, right? Without me, since you were supposed to escort me out and, like, discipline me.”

“Discipline you? What do you think my job is?”

Michael waves him off. “It’s fine. Here, let me give you my number. You can just call me when you’re done here.”

Calum tries to blink the stars out of his eyes as he unlocks his phone and hands it to Michael. Michael puts his number in and says, “How’s that?”

“Perfect,” Calum says. “I’m starving. Midnight pizza sounds fantastic.”

“If one of the other Michael lookalikes showed up in my place, you reckon you’d notice?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Calum says. “None of them are as pretty as you.”

Michael blushes, lips wide in a smile, and Calum had been kidding, but now he really means it; there’s no mistaking the sheer beauty of Michael Clifford. There never will be again.

(When he goes back in, the other security guard, Emily, gives him a sympathetic smile, and Calum almost breaks down laughing.

“Sorry you got stuck with the crazy one,” she says, grimacing.

“Oh, that’s alright, he turned out to be more misunderstood than anything,” Calum says cryptically. “But we worked it out.” Emily looks confused, and Calum grins. “You can take the next one.”)

#fic #malum #ur a goddamn hero for sending me a prompt #i needed to break out of my writing slump or whatever was going on with me #did i need to do it TONIGHT?? instead of MY LAB FINAL???#no #yall are gonna hear a lot about this lab final tonight and then never again #bc i believe it's due tomorrow #so if it's not done tomorrow....hmmmm #anyway #i love u for sending thissss #my fic #Anonymous #ask #answered #5sos

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ashtheshortstack · 4 years

Text

take my scars & make them stars - ch 5

Rating: M Ship: Kristoff/Anna Chapter Five

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Sick Fic, Cancer Fic, Chronic Illness, Chemotherapy, Modern AU, Coffee Shop AU, Fluff and Angst, Fluff, Eventual Smut, Angst with a happy ending, Mutual Pining, Mentions of Character Death

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Anna usually went to the coffee shop after treatments, but she decided to have a different routine that day. Surely, Kristoff wouldn’t mind if she popped in on a different day. If Anna was honest with herself, despite their constant messaging and videos…. she missed him. And she was having one of her bad days, so it’d be nice to see him. The need to see him seemed so silly since they’d just gone to the park a week prior, but Anna could never really get enough of him. She didn’t know a--whatever they had--could feel like this. She’d spent so much wasted time with Hans, but she’d never felt like this.

Never had she felt so cared for… Even from her own family. Sure, Elsa tried her best now. And it wasn’t her fault she was kept away when they were children. But, her sister had stayed a little distant until the diagnosis. Which was probably because of Hans, and Anna didn’t blame her for that.

Anna was grateful that Elsa opened her door to her when she said she was leaving Hans. She was glad Gerda and her sister still wanted to be with her after she left, despite both of them warning her that Hans was bad news. They probably believed she would eventually come to her senses. And hoped she would move on. And although Anna hadn’t expected to move on so quickly after such a long term relationship, it was like a breath of fresh air. Even though… if she were honest with herself, the time with Hans hadn’t felt like a relationship in years. It had just become a regular constant in her life. Not actually anything with true meaning anymore.

So, walking into the coffee shop and seeing that familiar smoothed back ginger hair had Anna completely disoriented. Her chest tightened as she swallowed thickly. There was a familiar crowd of frat boys at the table, including those two guys--Erik and Francis--that Hans had started to hang out with frequently right before their break-up. There were cute sorority girls attached to their arms, smiling and laughing along with them in their seats. There must’ve been some event nearby, and they’d all stopped by for coffee.

Of course, Anna rationally knew by living in the same college town that there was a chance of running into Hans. Arendelle was big but not that big. But she just didn’t think it’d happen. She’d gone months without seeing him, so he’d not really been on her radar. What were the chances he’d show up in the very coffee shop her new, uh, not boyfriend worked at?

Kristoff saw her when she entered, and while he seemed a bit stunned to see her, he grinned fondly--completely unaware of the mental collapse she was experiencing. Anna kept glancing in Hans’ direction, hoping he wouldn’t notice her. She forced a small smile, and instead of approaching the counter, she pointed to the table that they normally occupied during her visits. Kristoff furrowed his brows, looking a bit concerned, but nodded anyway.

She returned the gesture and headed towards the seat. Anna huddled herself in the corner, busying with her phone in an attempt to avoid drawing any attention. God, she wanted to kick herself for not wearing makeup that day… or just dressing up at all. She hadn’t felt great that day to begin with, that’s part of the reason she’d wanted so badly to see Kristoff to cheer her up. She’d just left her house in an Arendelle University sweatshirt with leggings and comfy running shoes. And one of her beanies, of course. She was full “sick girl” style… and it pissed her off that Hans could see her in such a state. Anna wanted him to know she was strong, didn’t need him, and was fighting her cancer just fine. In fact, she’d felt better than she ever had. The therapy included in her treatments worked wonders… It was group therapy, but it helped to rant about Hans in the times she needed it.

Her eyes kept flickering around as she scrolled through her phone. Not really reading the content in front of her, she was mostly paranoid about being seen. She felt her blood boil when she recognized the blonde girl she’d caught him macking on the day of her diagnosis. There was part of her that wanted to confront him. To call him out on what a bastard he was.

But she couldn’t. It wasn’t a battle she wanted to fight. Anna just wanted to enjoy her day, despite how utterly drained she felt.

Kristoff’s gaze never left her. That frown was plastered on his lips. She knew he could tell something was wrong. That was just one of his many quirks: reading her like a book. Anna watched him as he called Ryder over to take the register and he stalked over to her, apron and name tag still on and everything. Quickly, he pulled up a seat next to her and looked her over.

“Okay, what’s wrong?”

Anna simply shakes her head. The last thing she wants to do is to upset him while he’s working. She knows how fierce Kristoff’s sneer is, and she doesn’t want to get him fired for glaring down a paying customer. “It’s nothing. J-Just a lot of people in here is all.”

The blonde scoffs at that. “You got that right. They had a fall festival event for the Greek organizations at the park,” he smirked leaning in to her. “You would not believe how many pumpkin spice lattes I’ve had to make in the last hour.”

She couldn’t help but giggle at that. Pushing him gently back by his shoulder, Anna smiled up at him. “When is your break?”

“In about twenty minutes? But if you need me, I’m yours, okay?”

Her heart fluttered at that. Nodding, she agreed. “Yeah.”

Kristoff gave a gentle squeeze to her shoulder with a reassuring smile. Giving her one more once over, he seemed hesitant to leave her, but he stood and went back to work.

Despite her spike in anxiety, he really had helped her calm down. At least a little. She felt safe when he was there, but now she felt exposed to the world again. So, she returned to scrolling through her phone. If only she had earbuds so she could drown out the crowd. But she was pretty sure she’d forgotten them on the counter.

Her phone suddenly chimed, startling her but when she saw the ID was Elsa, she instantly answered.

“Hello?”

“Anna, where are you?”

Blinking, she was a bit stunned by her sister’s harsh tone. “I’m at Arendelle Roasts, why?”

“Did you cook something?”

“Uh, yeah? I wanted to lighten the load on Gerda since I was at home all day and baked the chicken for dinner ahead of time.”

“You left the oven on.”

“Oh. Oh, God, Elsa… I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t mean--I’m so--ugh!” Anna grimaced, smacking herself in the face. God, chemo brain was so stupid! So, not only had she left her earbuds on the counter, she’d also almost burned the house down. Fuck, could this day get any worse!?

“Hey, hey, hey--calm down, Anna, it’s okay. No one got hurt. Just double check from now on, okay?”

“Okay… I just--I’m sorry, it’s only the afternoon and this has already been a horrible day.”

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you with Kristoff?”

Anna tapped the table, glancing her in her ex-fiance’s direction, glad to see his back was still to her. “Yeah, it’s who else is here. Uh--you-know-who.”

“Hans is there!?”

“Yes. And he hasn’t seen me yet, and I’m just trying to keep it that way.”

“Do you want me to come get you?”

“No. I’ll be fine.”

After a few more brief reassurances from her sister, they exchanged “love you”s and “goodbye”. When she hung up the phone, she was grateful that she was still alone. There was a small glance from Kristoff, but she just grinned at him and he bobbed his head before returning to customers. It was very crowded. She was lucky their table wasn’t taken when she walked in. Kristoff and Ryder were busy bees as they sped through multiple orders. Their teamwork was impeccable, really. Anna wasn’t sure how on earth Kristoff would be able to take his break.

She was so lost in watching the boys work that when Hans suddenly stood, it completely startled her. Gasping, she hurriedly looked down at her phone, hoping he hadn’t noticed her. He was at the counter, ordering something else it seemed. When he turned towards her, Anna felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. She glanced up fully, and Hans was staring at her. He arched a brow, squinting harshly at her as he slowly processed who she was. It disgusted her to see Kristoff speak so politely to her ex as he handed over the drink. Hans’ expression changed to that fake pretty boy smile as he thanked him for the drink. But she saw the way his eyes changed, the way his lips quirked into a smirk as he meandered towards her seat.

Feeling her eyes widen, she went back to piddling on her phone. She could just pretend she had no idea who he was. Maybe, he’d think she was some other girl with cancer? The treatment center was highly regarded around the country, so there were a lot of patients in the area. Anna just lucked out with living in such a prosperous town.

Hans pulled out the chair, sitting down in front of her with that smarmy look on his face. She ignored him. Not even sparing him a glance.

“Well, this is the last place I expected to see you,” he said with a chuckle.

His voice made her skin crawl. She hid her flinch pretty well, she was sure. Anna still didn’t pay him any mind and casually played a word game on her phone. Maybe her constant swiping would pester him enough to leave. He usually had a problem with the way she did anything.

Tapping the table, Hans took a sip of his drink. “You could at least acknowledge me, Anna. You’re lucky I’m even speaking to you while you look like that.”

Anna decided to muster her best Kristoff scowl as she slowly lowered her phone. She kept her gaze hard, lips in a harsh frown. “What do you want ?” she growled with as much venom as she could muster.

His brow twitched. “That’s rude. Is this how you treat all of the men who spare you a glance?”

“Too bad you’re not a man, you’re just a cheating coward,” Anna said, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

Hans laughed at her words. Which fueled her anger even more. “Such big bad words for someone who looks like she can’t even fight off a fly.”

“Everything is about appearances for you, isn’t it!?” she spat, standing quickly.

Anna felt her nostrils flare, her body shook as hot hatred brewed inside her. Heart pounding, her hands clenched against the table. And while Hans seemed a bit shocked at the display, he still didn’t move. He would learn that she wasn’t that meek little girl she manipulated for far too many years despite how she looked on the outside.

She wasn’t even sure when Kristoff got there.

“Excuse me, is there a problem here?” he asked, voice cool and professional despite the anger Anna recognized in his eyes.

He was glancing at Anna seeming to beg for an answer, but she just crossed her arms. Staring her ex-fiance down with as much fury as she could.

Hans waved him off. “Oh, nothing to be concerned about. Her bark is far worse than her bite.”

Kristoff’s lips parted at his words, brows shooting past his bangs. “Uh, do you know her?”

“This is Hans. My ex-fiance,” she murmured.

The blonde gaped. “Your what?”

Hans snorted. “Yes, it’s embarrassing to even admit I was with someone like you. You know I’ve always had more of a preference for blondes? Maybe, if you had looked a little more like Elsa, I would’ve found you sexier.”

Kristoff’s jaw snapped shut and clenched. If Hans didn’t shut up, Anna was worried her ex may get decked. Not that she would complain. But Kristoff was working, and that would definitely not look good with his boss.

Shaking her head, Anna scoffed. “Oh, c’mon. You’re pathetic if you think you can goad me.”

“Goad you into what? I’m not afraid of a fragile, desperate, little wallflower like you. Do you know how much it pained me to deal with you for all those years when I didn’t even get the pay out? And I already knew how I wanted to spend our money.” he smirked.

She knew what he was doing. Trying to manipulate her into reacting. Into doing what he wanted. Forcing her into acting. Just as always, trying to be the victim. Make her look like the aggressor to the crowd of people.

He can’t hurt me anymore , she reminded herself. His words meant nothing. Hans Westergaard was nothing to her.

“Look at yourself, Anna. All you ever wanted was for someone to love you and now? What man would ever desire someone like you?”

Kristoff’s hand slammed onto the table, startling both of them, and a few customers at nearby tables. “I would,” he snarled. Anna’s breath caught in her throat. A flood of emotions began to overwhelm her. Gripping Hans by the arm, the blonde brought him to a stand. “I would appreciate it if you’d leave, sir. I’m sure my boss would not be too pleased to hear you’re harassing one of our favorite customers.”

Hans glanced between the two of them before jerking his arm away. “I see. Well, don’t expect any more business from any of us,” he retorted with a glare.

“I can live with that.”

As Hans began to move away, Anna’s feet were suddenly moving on their own. She hadn’t thought through her actions. She didn’t know what came over her. But there was a sick sense of satisfaction when she smacked Hans’ cup in his hand, making him pour the contents all over his clothes. He shouted, gaining more attention from the crowded shop. There was a chorus of laughter from his Greek comrades as Hans flicked coffee off his hands and looked down at his ruined shirt.

“You bitch,” he hissed taking a step towards her.

But Kristoff was faster, getting between the two of them. “Touch her, and you answer to me.” His voice was deep and dark. The fire in those honey-brown eyes spoke more volumes than his words ever could.

Anna blinked innocently. “I’m sorry. I get muscle spasms sometimes. It’s a side effect from chemo,” she chimed loud enough for the witnesses to hear.

With a glare, Hans straightened out his shirt, standing taller and stomping back over to his friends. They quickly gathered, standing and leaving the shop as some of the girls went back to buy a few sweets to go. When he was finally out of the coffee shop, Anna felt her shoulders deflate. Her wobbly legs somehow led her back to a chair as she practically collapsed into it.

She knew the spike in blood pressure was not good for her. But she was so proud of herself. Even though… she honestly just wanted to cry. Her eyes watered, tearing pricking the corners as she quickly wiped them away.

Kristoff’s expression was almost unreadable. There were so many emotions etched along his face. With a sigh, he turned to her. “Are you okay?”

Sniffling, she nodded. “Yeah.”

He cocked a brow. “I’ll be back.”

When he walked off, Anna felt her heart plummet to her stomach. She should’ve told Kristoff about Hans much sooner. She was kicking herself for not being honest with him. It was just something she wasn’t fond of talking about. Just springing “hey, i was engaged!” on someone wasn’t a reasonable thing to do. Especially not in a relationship that wasn’t labeled yet.

Anna was stunned to see Kristoff come around the corner in his regular clothes. No apron or name tag in sight. He bobbed his head towards the door. “Let’s go.”

“Go? Go where? What about your shift?”

“I have time I can put in. Honeymaren is already here in the back to cover for me. I’m taking you home.”

Her eyes went wide. “Oh, God, Kristoff. I’m so sorry. I’m totally disrupting your life. I didn’t mean--”

Taking her hands, he pulled Anna to a stand. “Hey, hey, none of that. We’ll talk on the way, okay?”

Anna nodded. “Okay…”

o~o~o~o

They didn’t talk on the way. The truck ride to her home was awkwardly silent. Anna couldn’t help but feel like Kristoff was upset with her. And he had every right to be. She just waltzed into the coffee shop while he was working, had a confrontation with her ex-fiance he didn’t even know about, then forced him to leave his shift early to take her home. It was completely justified if he was furious with her.

When they reached her home, Kristoff put the truck into park. Before she could change her mind, Anna turned to him. “Do you want to come in?”

He seemed stunned, but nodded nonetheless.

Anna opened the door, grateful when she noted there was no one there to ask questions as to why he was here. Kristoff followed her up the stairs as she guided him to her room. He seemed just as in awe of the inside of her home as he had of the outside. Hopping on the bed, Anna patted the place across from her so they could talk face to face about this.

She crossed her legs as Kristoff mirrored her position and looked at her. He sat silently, waiting for her to speak. It took a few moments for her to gather her courage, but Kristoff never rushed her. He just sat patiently as he always did.

Finally, she sucked in a breath. “Hans and I met in high school. I was young and dumb and desperate for a happily ever after. People talk about how romantic it is to marry your high school sweetheart, so I convinced myself that’s what we were,” Anna gazed down at her lap, watching her thumbs fiddle in her lap. “It was all a lie. Hans was so, ugh, convincing . I believed every word he said. I believed him when he told me I was a bad girlfriend if I didn’t do as he wanted. I’d never been in a relationship, how was I supposed to know? As you saw today… Hans was only with me because I have money. And don’t get me wrong his family is loaded, but he didn’t want to have to share with his brothers.”

Kristoff was nodding, absorbing her words like a sponge. “So, what happened? How’d you get out?”

“I had been miserable since we graduated. As soon as he started college, he got worse. More...manipulative than before. Loved drama. Knew how to get under my skin and pick a fight. I knew he was cheating on me, but I just kept pretending he wasn’t. It was just too much. Then… I got diagnosed. And I knew if I was going to be in the fight of my life, then I didn’t want to spend it with Hans. Plus, like hell would I let him get my money if I didn’t make it.”

Snorting at that, he agreed. “True,” he said. She watched him purse his lips, seeming to think something over. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Anna smiled sadly. “I planned to. I just never felt like I had a reasonable opportunity. Our first date already had such heavy discussions that I didn’t want the added bonus of ‘hey, I had a fiance’ on top of it. I just never wanted to ruin the moment.”

“I understand.”

Sighing, she felt her shoulders deflate. “I’m sorry for all the shit I caused today. This wasn’t how I wanted you to find out.”

Kristoff chuckled at that, nervously scratching at his neck. “It was a shock, for sure. But you have nothing to apologize for. You were so badass.”

“Really?” she giggled, hugging herself slightly.

“Yeah. And when smacked his coffee on him? I had to try so hard not to laugh.”

Anna busted a breathy laugh. “It felt pretty great. You know… the day I left I punched him in the face.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah…”

“God, you’re amazing.”

They shared a small laugh, but suddenly… Anna felt all of the anger and hatred she felt for Hans bubbling to the surface. All of the horrid things he’d said to her floated in her head. Despite not caring for Hans for a long time, what he said still hurt. It hadn’t been too long ago that he was still a part of her life. When she still let him control her. And she didn’t want to give him that power over her again, but it was hurtful anyway.

She felt herself fall silent, hugging herself tighter and looking away from him.

“What’s wrong?”

Anna gave a bitter hiss. “I just… He basically admitted that I was nothing to him. Even said I wasn’t as pretty as Elsa and said that I’m even worse off now. It’s so disgusting. It makes me so angry that I let him touch me when he didn’t even find me attractive. That I gave him my virginity. He didn’t deserve me like that. And I deserved better.”

Crawling towards her, Kristoff came to sit beside her. His hand rubbed comforting circles on her back. “You’re right, he never deserved you. But you made the right decision for yourself in getting out. I’m grateful you’re here now. I… I really like being with you, Anna.”

“Me too,” she smiled up at him. “You have no idea how much you’ve helped me through all of this.”

“I’m glad I can be here for you,” he said. His smile was so sweet and genuine. She’d never seen someone whose honesty was plastered on their face.

Anna felt her cheeks heat a little as she leaned in closer. She noticed his eyes flick to her lips and back to her eyes. It had her heart pounding. Was he going to kiss her? Did he want to? She wanted to…

Kristoff cupped her cheek, pulling her in slightly before closing the gap between them. The kiss was featherlight. Barely just a brush of their lips together. But it was enough to have her eyes fluttering shut, and leaning into his touch as he deepened the kiss. She sighed, letting out a small, happy hum. Kristoff chuckled in response, laughing against her lips.

For an absolutely shitty day… Anna decided it didn’t end as badly as it began.

#kristanna #kristoff x anna #the queen & her reindeer king #ash writes #frozen fic #anna x kristoff #kristanna fic #tw: cancer #tw: character death #cancer fic #angst #hurt/comfort #mentions of chemotherapy #tms&mts #take my scars & make them stars

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