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#it starts early and it’s super competitive
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variousqueerthings · 2 years
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Hawkeye ending his No-Jokes-Allowed time literally Just Past Midnight and projecting them across the whole camp via loudspeaker and BJ reacting like this:
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Not for Hawkeye’s benefit (as he can’t see him), just unfiltered fondness for his favourite funny-man
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whataboutthesun · 1 year
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anyway just got rejected from grad school haha 🙃
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topherwrites · 8 months
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- start of a silver fox
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summary - back from deployment, you notice a change in your boyfriend's appearance. pairing - jake seresin x (fem!)reader word count - 1.4k rating - no smut, but 18+ anyways, mdni! content warnings & tags - age gap (reader is in her early twenties, jake is in his early thirties) / fwb to lovers / no use of (y/n) / vague allusions to sex / mentions of nudes / mentions of masturbation / no actual smut / mentions of death (sorta) / lmk if i missed anything! a/n: saw these recent photos of glen ➙ became possessed ➙ wrote this. reblogs, comments, and likes super appreciated!
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Jake is back after three long months on deployment, a fourth of your relationship — not counting the first couple months when you were ‘just hooking up’. This is your first welcome back. Having texted extensively with Nat’s girlfriend, Sasha, you were given a pretty good lay of the land by her, informed of what to expect.
Homecoming day has arrived, and excitement has consumed your entire body, making your limbs buzz. 
Awaiting his arrival on the pier, your foot tapping out a nervous rhythm, you stand in the back, allowing spouses and children to be the first in line. You’re just the girlfriend, the one almost a decade younger than him, the one you know his friends assumed wouldn't be around long. You assumed you wouldn't be around long. Jake is a charmer, and when he set his sights on you, you assumed it would be a one-night stand, a fling at most. 
But one night turned into two and then three, which turned into nearly three months of falling asleep and waking up next to him. Most days you’d get a text the second he was done with training, the buzz of your phone always kicking up your heartbeat. 
At first, you’d just meet him at The Hard Deck for drinks, then dinner at sit-down restaurants — the preambles to him fucking the shit out of you growing longer and decidedly less casual. Post-coital, he’d sling an arm around your waist in an attempt to keep you from slipping out, waking up with that same soothing weight on you. Eventually, he casually mentioned that you could keep some of your stuff at his place — for convenience, he said. He tried slipping the suggestion under the radar, pre-coffee on a Saturday morning. Bleary-eyed and half-asleep, you barely processed his words, absent-mindedly humming in response. 
Then you saw the half-cleared-out drawer — which you later learned was a measure in order not to spook you. Like a full drawer would make you wise to his intentions, like he was trying to acclimate you to the idea of commitment, to a relationship with him.
You remember the feeling of placing spare clothes in that drawer; a spare bra and sweatshirt. Jake watching you from the doorway, trying to not act too pleased in response.
You liked him, his company and his laugh and his baffling love of Taylor Swift that he blamed on his nieces. The man under the bravado wormed his way into your brain. 
Though, you could appreciate how he looked puffed-chest and cocksure. Near equally competitive as you are. The first game night you spent with his friends meant you both were banned from ever being on the same team again. Pictionary, trivia, One-Night Ultimate Werewolf — you mopped the floor with them. The rule wasn't entirely the case of sore losers, you can acknowledge the fact that you two were immediately, freakishly in sync. Ultimate Werewolf may have ended in tears of betrayal being shed.
And that's how things progressed for a while, falling deeper while avoiding acknowledging the fact that you were in a relationship. Afraid to say the words and make things complicated. Near everyone in both your and his life were trying to push you both to just trust it. Have a little faith in one another.
One minute you were his girlfriend in all but name, and then you were just his girlfriend. A confession on his couch in the midst of rewatching Veep, ‘Relax, cow eyes’ the soundtrack to everything falling into place.
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Once officers start filtering off the ship, your mind blanks in anxiety. Around you, tears are shed, and poster board is ditched in favor of tight hugs. Laughter and children squealing background noise. You scan the crowd, the sun beating down on you, searching for the handsome shape of Jake Seresin. People come and go, giving you a better view of the naval officers, till you finally spot yours moving towards you. He weaves through the throng with ease, standing before you in a matter of seconds. 
A smile stretches your face, eyes squinting from both happiness and the sun. You scan him, categorizing any minute change. Gray. A small streak above his right ear. Your nerve endings light up like a Christmas tree, the sensation doubling at the slight hint of age. Reaching out, your fingers run across his scalp, nails tracing back, playing with the hair that has decided in his relatively brief absence to go gray. 
He doesn't shy from your touch, his lashes fluttering at the sensation, an intimate moment playing out in public. Though no one is probably taking notice, wrapped up in their own reunion. He does seem to be a hint abashed at your attention. 
He breaks the quiet, “Hey, sweetheart.”
The sound of his voice, clear and unobstructed by distance, rushes through you. Fuck. You're trying to suppress the blatant arousal coursing through your system, keep it out of your voice. Words startled, voice pitched, “You've gone gray.”
Despite your age gap, it’s never been your thing, your Tinder age range has only ever been set 3 years older — but seeing Jake in the flesh, and with a few more grays, is making you muster every ounce of self-control so you don't fuck him in the parking lot, ride him in the backseat of his truck. He probably wouldn't enjoy getting dishonorably discharged.
He hefts his duffle over his shoulder, free hand taking your own to lead you to the car — his truck that he handed the keys over to, something in his gaze when he told you to not let the battery die. Maybe a way for him to feel connected to you, maybe a reassurance that you'd be around when he got back. Your board is still in the bed, having taken up surfing in the mornings since your time was no longer being occupied by Jake slowly fucking you into the mattress.
“I already had grays, I'm just… grayer now.” His pace is quick. It's clear that he's itching to get home. Your boots stamp on the pavement as you practically skip behind him, content with his hand in yours. He looks at you out of the side of his eye, eyebrow raised, “And I wonder why that is.”
“That suspiciously sounds like an accusation.”
“Those photos…” He stops at the teal-striped Ford, throwing his duffle next to your surfboard. Crowding you against the side of it.​, his​​ voice dropping, “​I was opening my mail in the mess, ‘bout gave me a heart attack.”
You’d sent them on a whim — a well-researched whim, ​​you didn't need some random desk jockey finding out your taste in lingerie. But you had missed Jake and wanted him to miss you in return. And what better way to make the heart grow fonder than with scantily clad pictures of your body?
“Well? Did you like them?” You know he liked them, it was a whole production to take them, but even if it wasn't — he’s a man, and you were in lingerie. You looked hot, are hot, present tense. An indisputable fact. And he’s not reserved with telling you and showing you that, but you can't pass up a moment to hear it voiced to you, not after how long he’s been gone.
“I think I have carpal tunnel.” 
You snort out a laugh as he exaggeratedly shakes out his hand, clenching and unclenching his fist for your amusement. Eyes skating along your features, he huffs, “Add that to the long list of ailments you've inflicted.”
Letting your fingers lightly trace down his biceps, you press your body even closer to his, perhaps a touch too scandalous for a parking lot in broad daylight. A coy reply rolls off your tongue, “I keep you young.”
“You're going to send me to an early grave.”
Rising to your toes, you brush your lips against his, holding back from full contact. You feel his breath stall in his chest, desperate for it. His hands settle on your waist, squeezing, his face awash in anticipation. He’s beautiful.
Your palm stroking the side of his head, you brush the hair away from his face, pinky skimming the top of his ear. You single out the silver strands between your fingers, silky soft as ever. He’s real and yours — home. 
“Ditto. Might as well invest in matching plots, right?”
Broad shoulders shaking with laughter, he brushes his nose against yours. Palms cupping the side of your face, thumbs sweeping across your cheeks, he stops waiting. A long-awaited kiss pressed to your lips, neither one of you able to keep the smiles off your faces.
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e/n: thank you for reading!
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okuhle23 · 10 months
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ASTROLOGY OBSERVATIONS- 21
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☆ Venus aspecting Pluto means the native can be very intense when it comes to love affairs or relationships in general (pluto is associated obsession/intensity while Venus represents love/romance). When you are attracted to someone you want them, and only them. You'd prefer a partner who is as committed as you are in the relationship (you are big on loyalty). Unfortunately, this could lead you to obsess about others or vice versa. The other side of this aspect could indicate that there may be toxicity or abuse in your relationships. Others can obsess about you because of your intense aura, this is a "femme fatale" placement.
☆Having Venus sextile Neptune would make you come of as quite charming (especially if one of the planets are placed in 1st, 3rd, 7th or 11th house.) You probably idealise the thought of being in a romantic relationship and when you are in one, you'd expect it to be to your standards. This is because Neptune is associated with the ideal/what you fantasize about and Venus rules love/romance. Having an "ideal"/"perfect" relationship can come easily to you because this is a harmonious aspect. On the other hand, with Venus sextile Neptune, your standards for romance could be very high and you might reject potential lovers quite often because they don't meet your standards.
☆Scorpio risings and Pluto aspecting the ascendant can have dark hair and can actually be quite small in size, because Scorpio is ruled by Pluto and Pluto is a small 'planet' (take this with a grain of salt, other aspects to the ascendant also influence the appearance). In terms of personality, people with this placement can appear to others as quite intense (stereotypical but true), even if you are not, this is how you appear to others because the ascendant is the 'mask' that you wear in public.
☆Because Saturn is the ruler of Capricorn and Moon represents emotions, Capricorn Moon's may find it difficult to express their true emotions, this is because Saturn is restrictive and therefore restricts your emotions *to an extent*. With a Capricorn moon you might have had to become emotionally mature early on in your life.
☆Pisces sun's are usually quite artistic and intuitive. Because your sun is in Pisces, and the sun represents your core identity, it's easy for you to be empathetic and sensitive because it is part of your nature. You could be an empath.
☆Pluto sextile ascendant can make you seem mysterious and sexually attractive. It's not as intense as pluto square/opposition ascendant, but you may attract slightly obsessive people (whether it's platonic or romantic relationships). Overall, people just want to get close to you and find out more about you. You may enjoy this attention because this is a harmonious aspect.
☆Aries venus natives can be impatient in love, and since Aries is a cardinal sign you can start romantic relationships but get bored in the long run, Aries, being ruled by Mars likes winning and competition, so you may like to win your potential lovers over. You like spontaneity and don't like a boring routine (check other placements). Your emotions can be fleeting/hot and cold.
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The 5th House rules one's first child, so, any planets you've got in the 5th house can represent how your child will be:
● Sun in the 5th House:
Your firstborn may exhibit Leo traits. They will likely be very outgoing, confident, talkative and veryy lovable. A negative traits they may have include being conceited. A standout feature about them is their hair, they may like it long and 'messy'.
● Moon in the 5th House:
With Moon in the 5th, your first child will likely be very close to their mother. Your first child may be a girl, since Moon rules women. They may be super cute and chubby when they're babies. Since moon rules the conception of offspring, you may want to have more than 2 kids, or may want a big family. Your first child may also be quite emotional, and caring.
● Mercury in the 5th House:
Your first child is likely to be a smartypants, talkative and it's very likely that they'll have a very good relationship with their siblings/cousins, as Mercury rules siblings and cousins. They may also be quite a perfectionist. A standout feature about them that they may have pixie-like features. Another thing ive noticed with this placement I'd that the child usually has some sort of respiratory illness, like asthma or something. You may likely also have twins as your first borns.
● Venus in the 5th House:
Your first kid will likely be super duper cute and beautiful (they'll probably give everyone baby fever 💓), it's quite likely that your 1st child will be a girl, since Venus rules femininity and women. Venus literally rules babies, so this placement may mean that you likely want a big family. Your first kid will probably love sweets, since Venus rules candy.
● Mars in the 5th House:
Your first child will likely be strong, boastful and they are defensive of those they love. This is because Mars is a combative planet. They may likely be involved in many accidents and may get hurt a lot, especially while playing. It's likely that your first child will be a boy, as Mars represents masculinity and men in general.
● Saturn in the 5th House:
Your first child is likely going to be serious, they probably will take games very seriously and want to lead the team😂. They may also be an old soul. They will probably be very close to their father. Your 1st child could be smaller than the rest of their peers. They may also be quite tan.
● Jupiter in the 5th House:
Your first child will likely be very friendly and curious, and they probably enjoy exploring new places. They will likely be very curious and they probably will like to debate. They will literally be a bundle of joy. 💓
● Uranus in the 5th House:
Your first child is quite gifted when it comes to science and technology. They are most likely going to be smart, and they'll probably think more with their brain than their heart. Uranus rules adoptions, so you may also adopt your child. Your kid will be very curious and will also broaden your knowledge. There is also a possibility of you having twins, as Uranus rules 'abnormalities' or things that aren't so common.
● Neptune in the 5th house:
With this placement you are likely to have a child that daydreams often. They will be kind, caring and compassionate. They may also copy a lot of the things they see you do, as Neptune gives kind of an impressionable personality. Your kid will likely be quite shy. They will probably have big eyes and long eyelashes.
● Pluto in the 5th House:
(I'm not gonna say that your kid will be emo 😭.) They may like all the attention and space for themselves, and will likely enjoy being an only child. As they grow up they may try to distance themselves and find their own way of living/expressing themselves, since Pluto rules drastic transformations. Your first child will likely have dark hair, and may be smaller than their peers.
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☆ Since Aquarius is a logical air sign and Mercury rules communication, Aquarius Mercuries can be very blunt when projecting their opinions/ideas. They are very smart and have an unusual but funny sense of humor. Aqua Venus people's voice could be different (Uranus rules Aquarius and represents *different* things in general while Mercury can represent one's voice). Your ideas and the way that you express them are innovative.
☆Having Leo in the 7th house means you may attract bold, confident, popular, smart, funny romantic interests. You could be very proud of your romantic partner as well and may oftentimes 'brag' about them.
☆Leo Mercury could mean that you are proud of your intelligence. You could have no problem with public speaking. When you do talk, everybody listens (check other aspects).
🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍
Thank you all so much for getting this far. I hope it resonated <3
If you'd like to purchase a reading from me, check out my 👉pricelist👈
If you liked this posts, check out more on my blog @okuhle23
x Okuhle ❤️
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subwaysurf45 · 1 year
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Team Bucky
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Summary: your secret relationship with Bucky slips out. Everyone else in the compound is happy for you both but your brother - or really your grandfather - is not pleased at all, all you can do is try and live normally with Bucky and attempt to fix things with Steve. 
Words: 6k
warnings: SMUT: passionate sex, unprotected, very loving, aftercare. arguing, yelling, swearing, protective Bucky. 
a/n: heyyy, yeah I’ve been away for a while, this semester as been kicking my ass. anyways, I’m on winter break and have finally gotten my spark for writing back, I’ve been writing a lot of essays so writing for fun was not fun for a while. I hope you enjoy and I will try to post as often as I can!
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There had always been a secret one-upping game going on between Steve and Bucky, it was something everyone had exempted and went along with. There would be countless times when they’d add more and more weight to their bars in order to prove their dominance to each other, or spar with one another until someone gets hurt.
At galas, Steve would be walking around with a trail of women behind him, showing off his skills with the ladies. That didn’t mean anything to Bucky, he would love to get laid more often or get a girlfriend but the ability to make women think they are into you and then drop them like a dead weight isn't appealing.
There were probably things Bucky did to get on Steve’s nerves that Steve didn’t care for. They didn’t do it all the time, just friendly competition. They had been friends for years and years, someone’s weight being a little higher couldn’t even cause a crack in their friendship.
But what Bucky was doing recently would.
There you were, sitting alone in the office as you filled out a debrief of your last mission. The computers were high tech but that didn’t mean they were super fast, most of the time you sat there waiting for anything to load, and seeing the logo in the top corner was a miracle.
“How’s that arm?” Bucky asked as he walked in, acting like he hadn’t been standing outside the door practicing what he was going to say.
“Hard to type with-aw, Bucky…” you pouted and saw the two steaming mugs in his hand, “stop, that’s so sweet!” you reached forward and picked up your favourite mug, looking at Bucky with wide eyes as he pulled out the chair beside you and sat down. “This is going to take forever, Bucky, you don’t-”
“I’m good,” Bucky sighed as he brought his mug right against his bottom lip to blow, “nowhere else I’d rather be.”
“You’re all soft” you giggled and turned back to your computer, “I do need to focus though, no distractions.”
“You have my word,” Bucky smiled and leaned back in his chair, “I’m just here for moral support.”
You just nodded, he loved the face you made when you tried to fight back being flustered. Your bottom lip was clenched tightly between your teeth to fight back a smile while you tried to cover your face and block Bucky from seeing your slight change in colour. The warmth that spread all throughout your body caused you to curl into yourself, he noticed that whenever he complimented you at all you wouldn't know how to react, telling Bucky you weren’t being complimented enough.
That’s how it started, casual compliments and conversation between you two. Trying to get to know you because there was this imaginary wall up for many reasons, you didn’t like to let people into your life because of how much you had lost and something more pressing…
You were Steve’s granddaughter, factually. But you two acted like siblings because you were a little younger than Steve’s age from when he was frozen. Nonetheless, you were related.
Which also meant off-limits.
Bucky really tried to cut himself off but you were his drug, he couldn’t get enough of you. It didn’t help that you were very honest early on about being into him. When Bucky initiated conversations and would give you little touches here and there you were quick to give them back. The first time you played with his hair gave him shivers running up and down his spine but also caused his brain to go fuzzy.
You were alone in the movie room, you always watched some film every Thursday night to keep a schedule. He had come back from a mission hours ago and still managed to make his way down just to sit beside you, and he did but he realized he was too tired to do anything.
He wanted you to cuddle into him and he’d rub your back or whisper little things to just you, but his eyes couldn’t stay open.
“You’re so tired, Bucky-bear,” you whispered and threw your arm around him and to the other side of his head, gently pushing him to place his head on your shoulder, “you can go to sleep if you want,” you whispered.
His body was on his last reserve, not thinking straight at all. “Can I put my head on your chest, your shoulder is too boney,” he’d kick himself for that one in the morning. When you giggled and moved he seemed to sink into you more, wrapping both arms around you and nuzzling into your chest. Everything was so comfy he barely registered that his face was deep between your boobs, you didn’t move or say anything until… “you’re so pillowy,” he muttered.
“But my shoulder is boney?” you shook your head, “you can just say you like my boobs, most people do.”
“They’re great,” he nodded.
Your hand moved from his back and went up his scalp from his neck, earning a groan when you started to fluff around his hair and scratch somewhat intensely on his scalp. He was out before the beginning credits ended, snoring before the middle of the movie. Part of you felt this overwhelming feeling of something you couldn’t describe, Bucky Barnes, a man riddled with nightmares and trauma, constantly on high alert was asleep on your chest. The big man could dwindle down into a guy who has never once felt the touch of love from a significant other. The fact that he trusted you with the power made you proud, it made you like him just a little more.
“How much longer,” he sighed from his starfish position on the floor, being overly dramatic to try to get you to look away. You giggled and finally looked over your shoulder, scoffing at his dramatics.
“Go to bed, I’ll sneak in later.” You shook your head, “and one page left.”
Bucky sighed and sat up, staying on the ground and watching you work. It took a while but soon you were finished, reading it over before submitting it. Bucky helped you pack all your stuff away, holding your bag for you, he did that a lot, never wanting you to do any heavy lifting. Your eyes were barely open as you left the room with Bucky leading you out, you both headed down the hall and to the elevator.
“You still want to sleep with me?” Bucky asked when the door was completely closed, you were too tired to say anything, keeping your head resting against his arm and nodded slightly. “Alright, I think there is still a sweater you left in the room.”
You groaned and looked up, “your clothes please,” Bucky giggled after you whispered. The door opened and you both walked out, him wrapping an arm around you to keep you steady. “I also want to be little spoon please.”
Out of nowhere, a voice came from behind them, “watch your hands, Barnes,” it was Steve.
Bucky turned around but kept his hand where it was, “guess where I just found her?” Steve looked at your tired state, “little miss just finished her report is only going to bed now, I was walking her to her room to make sure she doesn’t pass out on her floor.”
Steve smiled a proud smile. He caught up to them and also helped you walk, subconsciously you leaned more towards Bucky at this moment, thinking of how you’d be cuddling with him soon. Bucky played along and brought you into your room, Steve was very adamant they both left before you got into your pajamas. Bucky couldn’t say no even though he had seen you naked, he had to play along.
Bucky went into his room and waited with the door unlocked, after five minutes you slipped in and found him in the bathroom. Both of you brushed your teeth beside one another, he had one arm around you while you looked at each other through the mirror.
In your opinion, his bed was much more comfortable, choosing to sleep there more often than your own bed. Both of you cuddled in close, you were practically laying on top of him with your head tucked into his neck.
“I love you, Bucky-Bear,” you mumbled, snuggling closer to him.
“I love you too, baby,” he whispered into your hair, leaving a few kisses after. “You make me so happy, I can’t explain it,” you both giggled as he tickled you.
The secret life with Bucky was great and terrible at the same time. There was a different side to Bucky that he didn’t show the team, he was much softer and more extroverted. When you’d sneak out for dates he’d always be the ordering and making conversation with the waiter because he felt safer at that moment. But at the same time, you still had to go on dates by sneaking out. Steve would kill you if he found out the two of you were seeing each other even though it had been going on for a while you both knew it wasn’t a joke. Your heart would still fall when Bucky had to drop your hand when someone else walked in a room, and both of you would grow envious of the couples openly displaying affection at galas.
The idea of telling Steve grew larger by the day because you knew it was bound to happen, part of you wanted to tell him before getting caught so it didn’t look like Bucky was just a hook-up to you. Yes, Steve would kill you but he would also tear Bucky apart because there were rules, apparently. Any type of family member was off-limits, even if Steve found a distant cousin of Bucky’s they would still be a no-go; but you knew that rule was just for you because you were all Steve had left when it came to family.
********
Steve and Bucky were sparring in the ring as you and a couple of other agents went to various machines during your workout. You couldn’t help but look over at them as they fought extremely hard against one another, there was no reason to give each other a broken nose but they did it anyway.
“Can I work in?” Sammy asked you, he had graduated from the academy the same year as you. You wouldn’t consider yourselves friends but you’d smile at each other in the hall and keep up with families.
“Of course,” you stood up from just sitting on the seat as you took your break, leaning down and picking up your water bottle. Absentmindedly you looked over to see the both of them fighting, Sammy must have noticed.
“I don’t get the game between the two of them,” he grunted, “I get it from a male perspective as in you constantly want to impress your friends but sometimes it gets bad, like what are they even doing right now?” he referenced both of them limping around the ring as they circled one another.
“Boys!” you shouted and they both looked at you, “quit putting on a show for us and just act like normal people for once in your life!” you cupped both hands around your mouth.
Bucky looked shocked, “we’re just playing around, relax!” he sassed you back, it was clear on your face you didn’t enjoy what he said, “oh come on, you always get like this, give us a break!”
“Watch it!” Steve snapped, “you better watch how you talk to my sister.” Steve looked back at you, “and you!” he pointed in your direction, “let the grown men handle their things, please.”
Bucky scoffed, “you better watch how you talk to my girlfriend.”
At that moment the world stopped. Steve whipped his head around to Bucky and just stared at him while Sammy dropped the handhelds for the machine, letting out a loud clunk. Bucky’s eye shifted towards you in what felt like slow motion as an apologetic look grew on his face, your metal water bottle slipped from your fingers and fell on your foot.
“Fuck!” the feeling of a throbbing big toe pulled you from your trance, all you heard was more commotion in front of you but you were looking down.
“You’re fucking my sister?!” Steve yelled and caused all the agents to run out of the gym, including Sammy who quickly patted your shoulder before bolting out. Bucky tried to run over to you to help with the toe injury but was stopped after Steve’s fist collided with Bucky’s throat. “You don’t get to even look at her anymore, I’ll take your fucking eyes out you pervert!”
“Steve!” you hobbled over and ran up to the ring, slipped under and grabbed Bucky’s head that was unmoving on the boxing ring floor, “you knocked him unconscious, Steve,” you gasped and pulled Bucky’s head to your thighs as you sat back on your heels, “you could have damaged his windpipe.”
“He won’t need one after he wakes up and I fully-”
“It’s not like he forced me, Steve,” You looked up at your brother, “we’ve been dating for a long time and it’s not just sex, it’s an actual romantic connection that both of our consent to, it’s actual dating!” you gently tapped Bucky’s cheek to wake him up, “don’t frame him or me to be a slut because all we do are normal dating things,” Steve’s face was red as he saw you carding through Bucky’s hair, he was starting to groan and stir.
“Both of you are dead to me,” Steve spat, “he broke the only rule I set up to protect you.”
“I don’t need to be protected from Bucky, and you know that.” you harshly whipped your head around again, “and I know you’re hurt and exaggerating, just walk away.” That was the last time you looked up at Steve, all your focus was on Bucky starting to wake up in your lap. As he groaned and slowly brought his fingers up to his nose your eyes began to water, this was exactly your worst-case scenario.
Bucky’s eyes cracked open and immediately closed again, “baby,” he mumbled, “don’t cry, please, don’t cry,” he reached up to swipe away your tears but completely missed your face, most likely seeing double. “I slipped up,” now Bucky was starting to cry, “my fault.”
You gently pulled him up in a hug and Bucky accepted it, continuously apologizing for what he had just done. Every time you’d quiet him or try to shift his train of thought but he’d make his way back there every time. After a while you got him on his feet and took him to med bay, many people came up to you and asked if everything was alright, you just nodded and kept walking.
“What happened!” Natasha was in med bay when you arrived, filling out discharge paperwork for herself, “Bucky, that looks really broken,” her fingers ghosted over his nose which caused him to wince backwards, “sorry.”
“Yeah,” you sighed and sat him on the cot, calling over a nurse who began examining, “just…going too hard with the sparring.”
Natasha shook her head, “but no one goes that hard, we all pull our punches except when it’s Steve and- oh my god…” she trailed off and looked at Bucky who was preparing to get his nose snapped back in place, “did Steve find out?”
“My fault,” Bucky cried, holding the sheet as he waited for the nurse to fix his nose.
“It’s not your fault, it was a mistake and yeah this is shitty but it will figure itself out.” you looked over your shoulder and immediately gave Bucky your hand, seeing his white knuckles gripping his sheets.
******
It had been a week and Steve refused to speak to either of you unless it was in a professional setting, even then, he’d be snarky whenever he would talk to you. He meant what he said, you really were dead to him. Part of you thought he’d just be mad at Bucky and get overprotective of you but that never happened, he viewed you like dirt; like how he looks at Bucky.
Bucky could see how it took a toll on you, it broke his heart to see you staring off into space after Steve passed by without looking at you. All Bucky could do was hold you closer, but deep down he blamed himself for letting it slip. Every tear, every longing glance, every hope he’d come around was all his fault.
He found you today curled up in bed, Bucky slipped in behind you and wrapped his arm around you, pulling you into his chest. “Everything will simmer sooner or later,” he whispered into your ear.
“I just-...” you sighed and buried your head into your pillow further, “he’s my only family, when he wanted to reconnect with me he was so adamant on making sure I came back to the tower with him, so he could have a sister,” Bucky rolled you over so you were facing him, “and now…I do something for me that makes me happy, you make me so happy, and I’m punished for it.”
Bucky planted a gentle kiss on your forehead, pulling you into another hug and letting you feel his warmth and comfort. “I will personally fix all of this, I will find a way, don’t worry, alright?” Bucky pulled back so he could see you nod, “alright?”
You nodded and Bucky kissed you again, crawling out of bed when you fell asleep. He knew where Steve was, and even though his nose had held quickly doesn’t mean he won’t get another broken nose from what he was about to do. Steve was always in the computer room, just like you. There was always something to be done when it came to paperwork and Steve had the energy for it.
Bucky stayed close to the wall and pressed his back against it, leaning over the corner to see Steve typing away at the computer near the back. Bucky pulled back and fully leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath.
Nat: We’re taking y/n out for a girl’s night, just want to let you know!
Bucky: keep me updated, and don’t let her get too drunk, please
Nat: don’t worry!
After shutting off his phone he slipped it into his pocket and took another deep breath. After mustering enough courage Bucky fully turned the corner and walked up to “Steve,” Bucky stood before him, “we need to talk.”
Steve gave nothing, he almost looked up at Bucky but it was just a flinch.
“Silent treatment?” Bucky scoffed, “that works for me to explain my side of the story without you verbally- or who knows - physically breaking me.” Steve huffed, Bucky looked at the chair but decided to stand. “I’ve been dating your sister for about a year and she’s made me the happiest man in the world,” Bucky fiddled with his fingers, “and I know we made rules and all that but this isn’t about that, we can discuss that later.” Bucky saw Steve was no longer typing but simply staring at his screen. “Steve, your sister misses you so much, she’s been curled up in bed crying about losing you, feeling punished for letting herself love someone, she’s kicking herself for something that was all my fault; I slipped up and y/n should be the last one to pay for it.” Bucky gave in and pulled up a chair, making Steve look at him, “I don’t care if we never talk again but my girlfriend is hurting and that’s what’s been killing me the most, so just talk to her, please?”
Bucky sat there, looking at his vacant face. After a sigh, Bucky rubbed his face and stood up, tucking in the chair. He ran his fingers through his hair, “y/n’s out for drinks with a couple of the girls,” Bucky said, “so she’s not here if you were thinking of talking to her.” Bucky left after that, knowing Steve wasn’t going to say anything.
When you stumbled back inside Bucky was quick to catch you, “what did I say about not letting her get stupid drunk?” Natasha just giggled and Bucky couldn’t help but smirk at all the ladies making their way to the kitchen. “How’s my baby?” Bucky whispered into your ear which caused you to get coy and curl into him, “are you a little cuddly, huh?” his finger made its way under your chin which caused you to giggle. You jumped on him to wrap your legs around his hips.
“I love you, Bucky-Bear,” you hugged him tightly, “we can run away together and never worry about anything ever again, do you want to run away with me?” you kissed Bucky’s neck as he walked into the kitchen to see them all eating chips and cookies.
“Sure we can,” he moved his head so you’d detach your lips from his neck and just cuddle into him.
Bucky stood with the group and held you like you were nothing, laughing and talking while the girls did their debrief at the kitchen island, talking about the songs and the dancing. Bucky kept you in his arms but placed you down so you were sitting on the island, letting your legs and arms wrap around him. You weren’t talking that much, Bucky looked over after five minutes of nothing to see you sleeping with your face on his shoulder.
“She did start to cry,” Natasha said sadly, “she had a lot of pent-up emotion and our uber cancelled on us twice so she was just really frustrated, but we all know she wasn’t crying about the uber.”
“Yeah,” Bucky sighed and rubbed your back, “I talked to Steve and told him to stop hurting her, you know?” Bucky looked at Nat and she nodded, “like he can be mad at me for as long as he likes, but stop doing this to your own sister, I can’t stand to see her like this, it’s awful.”
“I know,” Nat was the only one invested in the conversation, everyone else would forget this in the morning. “I feel like it’s borderline…I don’t want to say slut shaming but I can’t understand why he would be mad at her, I feel like he’d blame it all on you and only take it out on you- I know you didn’t do this but I thought he was going to pull the ‘you coerced my sister into dating you’ card… I really don’t understand his silent treatment,” Nat sighed and took a swig from her water bottle.
“I guess,” Bucky sighed and picked you up, having to hold you tightly because you were asleep and unable to squeeze your legs around his waist. “I’m going to get her ready for bed,” Bucky tried his best to smile, “I really appreciate you, Nat, she needed this.”
“She did,” Nat ran her fingers over your hair, “as much as she’s going to hate the hangover I think she really drained her emotions out and just let go for a moment,” Nat smiled at Bucky, “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Bucky left the kitchen, the moment he turned he turned the corner he saw Steve. He was trying to slip away after eavesdropping but Bucky caught him, all Bucky could do was keep walking; he’s said his piece.
“Is she ok?” Steve finally spoke as Bucky passed him with his chin up.
“From being shunned by her brother or her night out?” Bucky snapped, not even looking at Steve and heading to his room down the hall.
After making it to his room he got you ready for bed, cuddling up next to you and holding you close. He had already gotten the water and painkillers ready for tomorrow morning. All he could do now is hold you, making you as comfortable as possible.
As Bucky lay there with your head on his chest, hearing your drunk snores, he thought about Steve. Bucky reminisced all the days together, growing up and finding one another again. Part of him questioned if all of their history went away the moment he found out, was this really the breaking point for Steve? All he wanted was for you to be happy with your brother but selfishly, he wanted his friend back.
“I can, like, hear your brain,” you mumbled and hugged him tighter, “we’ll figure this out in the morning, just forget it happened and hold me normally, please.”
Bucky couldn’t help but smile, he rolled you both on your sides and kept you wrapped up. Getting into the familiar position his eyes started to feel heavy, and soon sleep took over.
********
Bucky stood in the kitchen by himself, sipping his coffee and watching the eggs and bacon cook. It has been two days since you had gotten drunk and Bucky talked to Steve, nothing had come out of Bucky’s attempt to get Steve to talk to you.
He could tell you were becoming depressed from losing your brother, the two of you were inseparable so it hurt a lot to have him cleanly break away from you. But all Bucky could do was continue to support you, and he did that by making you breakfast.
He flipped both eggs and poked at the bacon, trying not to have the grease spit back out at him, you were currently at the gym but he’d already be back in the room before you were done.
All at once, Sam ran into the kitchen, covered in sweat. “Barnes!” he yelled, “your girl is screaming at Steve in the gym-”
“Shit!” Bucky dropped everything and ran, quickly turning around and moving everything off the element while turning the stove top off. Bucky followed Sam all the way to the gym and busted through the door, immediately hearing your raging voice. “Everyone out!” he yelled at the agents standing and watching.
“Bucky, I can do this on my own!” you snapped at him, caught up in the anger towards your brother.
“I’m well aware,” Bucky put both of his hands out, “I’m just giving you two privacy, that’s all, love.” Bucky nodded when he saw you relax your shoulders, “I’m going to be right outside when you’re done, alright?”
Steve turned to Bucky, “you really love her?” he asked.
Bucky slowly tilted his head to the side, “I’ve been dating her for a year, crushing on her for two, and being fully hypnotized by her for three the moment she showed up to this place.” He looked at you, “can I keep going, or do you want this to still be you?”
“See,” you looked at Steve, “he cares about me, on a personal level that no one ever has,” you threw your arms in the air, “you need to accept this or I will have no problem sticking with Bucky.”
“You’d turn your back on your family?” Steve laughed to himself, “you’d seriously stay with him rather than your own brother-”
“You’re not even really my fucking brother, Steve!” the anger was making you jump in your spot, “when you found out I was related to you, you chose to keep me in your life, it was quick because you knew how much family meant to you,” you walked over to Bucky, taking his hand in yours, “well he’s my family now, and when shit got rough Bucky was not the one to run away, Steve…” you looked up at Bucky who couldn’t take his eyes off of Steve, “we can go now,” you whispered to him.
Bucky walked with you to your room, completely forgetting the breakfast he had made to lighten your day. The entire time you were talking about how much lighter you felt, having the ability to scream at him even though no solution was reached. As he listened to you his heart broke, you tried so hard to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal when in reality it was, you just weren’t letting yourself fully feel it yet.
Right as the door to your shared room closed you spun and pushed Bucky up against the wall, “I love you,” you breathed before kissing him harshly, it took Bucky three seconds before pulling away and trying to ask if you were alright, “I want passionate sex right now, I want you to fuck me, baby.”
“Woah,” Bucky whispered, “you’re not…honey, you’re not in the right mindset right now, this is not-”
“Please, Bucky,” you whined and dropped down to your knees, running your hand up and down his thighs, “I really want this.”
“Are you sure?” Bucky asked, shamefully getting hard. When you nodded he picked you up and threw you on the bed, “you tell me if you want to stop, alright?”
“I never want to stop,” you whispered into his ear before sucking on his ear lobe, moving down to kiss his neck.
“Do you want me to go down on you-”
“I’m already wet, just go,” you moaned, blindly reaching down and beginning to work on his pants.
The moment Bucky entered you, you pulled him close, letting his entire body weight crush you in a soothing sort of way. At first, his face was right before yours, kissing you every so often but really just wanting to look at you.
“Pretty girl,” he groaned and tucked his face in your neck, “fuck, I love you, it’s always been you, it’ll always be you, honey- holy fuck!” his hands were moving around, feeling you and touching you all over. “You’re fucking perfect, made for me, I got you,” he sucked harshly on your neck, “I’ll always protect you, and love you, and just-I’m gonna cum, honey.”
“Me too!” you threw your head back, “I love you, Bucky,” your fingers were splayed across his back, “all I want is to run away with you, just you.” your words of love quickly shifted in moans, all you could do was let yourself get lost in the moment.
Bucky had a strong aura, it was one that made you feel protected but also reminded you that he was your rock. Passionate sex with Bucky was something else, he could get you to your peak faster than anyone just because of how much love you feel as he whispers in your ear.
The moment you both let go was a moment of pure bliss, all you could do was dig your nails further into Bucky’s back as he rode out his own high. He stilled after finishing and just stayed there, keeping his head in your neck. While he whispered praises to you, part of you filled with love, an overwhelming amount.
“I love you, Bucky,” you tried to sound put together but the moment the words left your lips Bucky looked up at you, seeing tears stream down your face, “I’m not crying because I didn’t want it, it’s just…” you could see him freaking out, “it’s not you, it’s left over emotion from that fight.”
Bucky nodded and stayed where he was until you began to shift, he wiped you down and got beside you in bed after a while. He made sure you had enough water in your cup beside you and you were warm enough under those sheets. There were a few more sniffles, you’d wipe your face in the shirt Bucky put on because he was cold.
“I just want things to work out,” you cried, “why can’t he see I’m happy and just be happy for me?” your arms hugged Bucky tightly, feeling him hug you back just as tight.
“We’ll figure it out,” his lips brushed against your ear, “everything will work out, you just need to sleep, alright?”
It didn’t take much to knock you out.
********
Bucky’s mission was taking longer than expected but he wasn’t in any danger, his communications back to the compound were perfect with his updates. You weren’t allowed to know where he was or what he was doing but you were allowed time-frame updates, all because you held the title of ‘family’ for his file.
You stood at the stove with an apron on, it had caught three splashes which you were grateful for. The pasta sauce was bubbling so it was close to being done, you had gotten an update saying he was coming home in the middle of the night. If you or Bucky had a mission that ended late the other person would leave a meal in the fridge for when they got home, something easy to throw in the microwave.
“Hey,” you knew that voice from anywhere.
“Hi, Steve,” you said with your back to him. Nothing had changed since then and it had been over two months, Steve was slowly starting to adapt to you and Bucky showing affection in public but he still didn’t talk to you more than he needed to.
“What are you making?” you heard him pull out a bar standing at the island.
You were past trying to reconcile with him, he was the one acting like a child. “Pasta sauce, for Bucky,” you quickly added.
“Oh yeah, I heard he’s coming home tonight,” you could hear how uneasy Steve was, the way his voice slightly shook as he spoke to you.
You could feel his eyes burning holes in your back but you paid no mind, continuing to stir the pot and dodge the few bubbles. “Yep, late.”
“Yep…” Steve sighed but didn’t move, you could hear him just sit there.
Trying to meet him halfway was exhausting, it seemed there was nothing you could do to make him feel better except break up with Bucky. That wasn’t going to happen, it also helped that Bucky was very mature during this, always communicating with you about how he felt and if you needed anything. It further proved how immature Steve was, seeing that a man the same age was able to deal with their emotions perfectly.
FRIDAY came through on the speakers, “Sargent James’ jet is landing now.”
You spun around with a gasp, “he was supposed to be here at three in the morning,” you completely blew past Steve and ran to the land spot, laughing to yourself as you pictured hugging him.
The moment you opened the doors Bucky was already running to you, “there’s my girl!” he yelled and wrapped his arms around you the moment he could reach you, “no injuries for me, how was the month?” he whispered.
“Same as always,” you sighed, “but I’m so happy you’re home,” you nuzzled into his chest.
“He followed you outside, what’s that about?” you didn’t look over your shoulder, trusting Bucky was right. After pulling out of a hug Bucky called, “what are you doing out here?” towards Steve.
“I wanted to talk to you,” he was talking to Bucky, “I need to go for a walk with you.”
“Whatever you need to say can be said in front of y/n as well, bud,” Bucky wrapped his arm around you, “seeing as the situation involves her.”
“Look,” Steve walked up and rubbed the back of his neck, “I don’t fully approve of this but I do like the way you’re treating her, Buck, so…” he was awkward, not knowing how to word this because it seemed like a heat of the moment speech. “Yeah, I’m warming up to it.”
“Alright,” Bucky looked down at you, “I mean, that’s great but it doesn’t change anything about us, like,” Bucky laughed through the tension, “we’ve moved on like adults, I can honestly say we don’t care about what you think.”
“That’s a little intense,” you quickly added, “but I think what Bucky is trying to say is that we don’t need updates like this that you’re warming up to us dating because we are still going to date the same, your comfort is not a factor in our relationship.” you nodded and saw Steve’s face go red, “I hope one day we can be friends again and be buddies like before but right now, it’s team Bucky.”
Steve didn’t say anything else, he just watched you walk inside.
“Team Bucky?” he giggled in your ear, “I like it.”
You looked up at Bucky, “I have pasta sauce cooking, we can have it for dinner together.”
“Sounds good,” he kissed the crown of your head with his arm still wrapped around your waist, “can I make you a jersey that says team Bucky because I honestly love that?”
You laughed and fell into his side, “go for it,” he kissed you, “because it’s true.”
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punksocks · 4 months
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Birthday Observations (Capricorn Placements)
*Just based on my observations, only take what resonates
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(Today’s my birthday -woo- so I thought I’d put together some observations I’ve noticed about Capricorn placements)
-Capricorn in the big 6 (especially moon) are forced to grow up so fast. Usually, because they’re born to a family with some sort of immaturity in the adults. Because of this these placements usually have to reparent themselves at some point, and this can be why Capricorn placements tend to have more fun in their lives after 25-30
-Sometimes I feel like we forget that in old astrology Aquarius and Capricorn have the same ruler, Saturn. I believe this is why Capricorns can find themselves innovating or even find themselves being stand out loners
-Speaking of Saturn, Capricorn heavy people tend to have to break generational curses or they’ll end up victim to the same circumstances (but they can fall into the same patterns easily)
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-Capricorns tend to have such a dry sense of humor because humor is how we cope with all the stress and madness. When things get more lighthearted (and when developed) Capricorns can be much less serious and heavy individuals
-Capricorn mercuries may struggle with expressing themselves in their youth, and even as they get older they may have a hard time opening up and sharing details about their thoughts.
-I think the constant theme with Capricorn placements is taking time and being very deliberate in their processes. Capricorn Asc tend to be a bit slow paced in how they act and react (not in a lacking way, just very deliberate). Capricorn suns grow into their identity and how to express it often after their early 20s, Capricorn moons need time an space to understand and process the emotions they’re feeling, Capricorn mercuries need time to respond and often carefully consider what they’ll say next, Capricorn venuses often don’t fully embrace their beauty until after their mid 20s and they tend to have better luck in love and relationships after this point as well, Capricorn marses tend to need time to achieve their goals, even when they move toward them with consistency, etc
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-Underdeveloped Capricorn placements can be super competitive and try to out pace you in everything that you do better than them. (Capricorn suns will try to undermine your achievements and attention, Capricorn venus will try to make you feel ugly and try to throw shade on your style/friendships/romantic options, etc)
-Capricorns don’t enjoy inefficient behavior, they may complain about a process that doesn’t seem to be logical in all steps and may streamline the process if they can.
-The biggest lesson I’m trying to learn as a Capricorn is when to rest. There’s always more work that can be done and it’s hard to mentally step away without feeling guilty or unproductive.
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-I always felt some kinda way about The Devil tarot card being for Capricorns— but I will say it is a sign that is commonly tempted to chase after means (like Capricorn venus dating someone for money). Capricorns love respect and security so they can sell out their soul for this if they’re not self aware.
-I just barely started reading Alice Sparkly Kat’s Post Colonial Astrology book, but there and on her blog she makes a great point that “Capricorns have never been corporate”. I have a theory that conformity can be a great detriment to Capricorn placements (even if just on a spiritual level). But Saturn repeated his father’s ruthless attitude around power and was cut down by his sons. Capricorns can find themselves succeeding down these conventional paths and then they end up suffering personally. Or, as was my experience, these conventional paths never quite open up to you and you face more and more challenges in this route and can never quite match their progress to their ambitions. Capricorns tend to benefit much more when they create their own path (I’ve found that this true for business as well as other areas of life).
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doobea · 6 months
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BORN TO MAKE HISTORY - RIN ITOSHI
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synopsis: After his brother takes a nasty fall and calls out before the new season starts, Rin has to step up as your new figure skating partner.
✰ ✰ ✰જ⁀➴ PLAYLIST.
contents: an ice skating au fic (very much yuri on ice inspired), fem!reader, ice skating terms and irl figures thrown around but not that super important, lmao probably inaccurate depictions of figure skating, sfw, kinda enemies to lovers but its really just rin being anti-social and cold, sae is a decent brother in here, characters are in their early-mid 20s, talks about ISU grand prix, mentions of mental health (depression, anxiety, burn out, imposter syndrome), heavy narration, rin centric, multiple parts will be added but no set scheduling of course word count: 4.3K (sigh there will be more) a/n: you know... whenever i feel like i hit a writer's block... thinking about rin always helps me break out of it so thank u...
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For as long as Rin can remember, he's always followed in his brother's footsteps. 
Whatever that meant being interested in the same shows, books, and sometimes even hobbies, Rin would always be one step behind. It was a long-time habit that he picked up ever since he was little. There was a small running joke that if you wanted to find Rin, all you needed to do was find Sae. If anyone were to ask him why, he would probably shrug and refuse to answer, though his parents would gush on about how much he looks up to his older brother, and… it’s not a complete tall tale. 
His brother is talented and not in a ‘he can totally balance a stack of rocks in one try’ type of talented—though Rin is pretty sure that Sae can do that—but in a ‘he’s born with a natural gift to be absolutely perfect at everything he touches’ type of talented. So, regardless if Rin is always one step behind his brother, he knows deep down that it will always be Sae standing on the very top of the podium with a gold medal around his neck. 
Sae delved into figure skating at the age of eight, and Rin quickly followed suit. It began on a family night in, the brothers gathered around their small, worn-out television, fixated on the Winter Olympics in muted colors. Although ice skating initially served as mere background noise while their mother knitted, they both felt an undeniable pull.
Rin was only thirteen when he first won silver at his junior debut competition. In that same year, Sae also moved up to the senior-level groups and gave his first professional appearance during the Japan Figure Skating Championships. Unsurprisingly to no one, Sae effortlessly won gold, putting the whole world on notice and overtaking the competition by over 40 points. From that moment forward, Sae was recruited by an international coach and was sent aboard to different training facilities. 
It burned in Rin’s memories of all the irregular Facetime calls they would have of Sae giving him a walking tour of the cities he stayed in. New York was too loud and bright. Chongqing felt like something out of a fairytale and a cyberpunk city at the same time. Saint Petersburg was too cold but Sae liked grabbing pirozhki from a street food vendor before practice every morning. Despite being only two years older, he sometimes felt like he was worlds away from his brother’s place. 
Still, after everything, Rin looks up to him. It doesn’t bother Rin that he’s always ‘second best’—according to those poorly written sports magazines—because this is something they can bond over, something that only they can understand.
And maybe this is Rin’s motivation to eventually surpass him.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t go exactly how he imagines it. 
“You’re going to sub in for me.” 
Sae is sitting up on his bed, his right leg bandaged tightly all the way up to his knee, and he’s saying this with his usual straight-laced expression. Their mother has always complained about being unable to read Sae’s emotions and Rin always thought it was pretty amusing growing up. But now, he finally understands what his mother was talking about.
Rin straightens his back in his seat, a colorful plastic chair from their childhood that’s now too small for a person his size, and almost drops his phone. “Did you hit your head too?”
His brother rolls his eyes and continues, “I know you’re taking a break this season but I promised one of my juniors that I would compete with them. Luckily,” and he points to his injured leg, “this isn’t a permanent issue but I think it’ll also be good for you.”
Sae’s injury happened during practice overseas at a training facility in Madrid. It’s a mild ankle and knee sprain from overexertion and stress factors from jumping too often. He was treated briefly before their parents suggested flying back to Japan to fully recover. It’s not uncommon for skaters to suffer from these types of injuries but why does Sae feel the need to bring Rin into this? 
During last year’s Grand Prix Final, Rin had barely finished in the top ten. He fumbled with his short program and free skate, failed to land his quad jumps three times, and had a sloppy step sequence, both of which were supposed to be his strong suits. That day, he didn’t bother joining his coach at the kiss and tell, ignored all the swarming paparazzi self-proclaimed journalists, and uninstalled every social media app on his phone. His fans, coaches, and his family were all concerned as to how someone like him was able to fall that low compared to his higher-than-average stats. Rin had blamed it on something he can’t even remember, maybe a stomach bug, he thinks. 
Obviously, that wasn’t the case, everyone could see right through the lie but not entirely the truth of it. News outlets flooded the market with headlines shaming him for not living up to his older brother’s standards, not being a good representative for his nation, and that it was all karma for having an ‘unbearable’ personality to work with. His coaches retired after his flimsy performance and all but two of his sponsorships dropped him. Rin hasn’t officially given out a statement regarding anything. 
Depression is a hell of a thing to deal with. Rin’s dealt with it in the past when Sae first moved aboard. Luckily, Sae is perceptive to this kind of thing. The daily calls helped, despite the harsh timezone differences, and eventually Rin was able to move past it. The reality of it though, is that depression never really fades away, it’s almost like an addiction. Sometimes it takes hold in a moment of weakness, one that Rin doesn’t even realize he has until it’s too late. Maybe it’s all the rigorous training, all the comparisons to his brother—he tries not to think too much about it.
He didn’t know when the feeling hit him or why it decided to affect him that day. 
For the past several months, he’s been spending time gliding around their local ice rink, teaching some kids on the side to keep his mind preoccupied because, if not that, then he’ll probably end up laying in his bed all day. It works and it’s at least a healthy distraction but, at the same time, he can’t shake the gnawing feeling in his chest every time someone mentions his last performance. 
Rin feels like he’s hit a wall. A thick, towering, uninviting wall. And he doesn’t know if he’s ready to face his baggage yet.
“I’m not going to do that.” He finally answers and watches as his brother’s face stays unfazed.
“I need you to.” Sae presses on. “You need to get out of whatever rut you’re in. You’re not happy and going back might help. Forget about competing in singles and join pairs.”
Sae might be talented in everything else but, like Rin, he’s bad at choosing his words and comforting. Rin knows what he means though and he can’t exactly blame him. He’s lost weight, most of it being muscle, and whenever he does get back from work, Rin holes up in his room playing horror games all night long. Rinse and repeat. 
At least there’s a level of concern and sincerity behind Sae’s tone, unlike the vulture-like glee from the tabloid reporters.
“I’m…” Rin’s throat feels heavy all of a sudden and he struggles to find an excuse. 
Instead of answering, he fixates his attention back to his phone, it’s a news article about Sae’s injury and his withdrawal from the skating season. The article also has a photo of you posing next to his brother, elbow resting on his shoulder while your other hand raises a peace sign towards the camera. Rin hasn’t heard much about you, not that he actively keeps up with any of his competitors, but Sae has mentioned your name here and there before since you both share the same coach.
From what Rin knows, you started skating around the same age as him. You won a few local competitions and managed a bronze medal in the women’s singles category during the Japan Skating Championships. Supposedly, this year you’re attempting to take a shot at qualifying for the Grand Prix Final for pairs. With Sae out of the picture, Rin really hopes the responsibility doesn’t fall on him.
The look that Sae is currently shooting at him is making him backtrack his thoughts.
“It’ll be good for you,” his brother reiterates. Sae scoots closer to the edge and plucks the phone out of Rin’s grasp. “Plus, I already told her that you would do it.”
Rin’s eyes widen. “You did what?”
Sae hums, and taps his fingers away at the screen, before handing it back to him with your contact information placed in. “She’s actually on her way over here.”
“I haven’t even—”
Sae throws a hand up. “No, you don’t get a choice, Rin.”
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Despite being three years younger than Sae, you had no issues barging into his room, suitcase in hand and hair in a frenzy. Rin is still seated, having to process his brother’s ridiculous request and now having to make himself semi-presentable to you. He also eyes the suitcase because… there’s no way that you’re actually staying with them right?
“Hope the flight here wasn’t too rough,” His brother starts casually.
Your cheeks are puffed out, eyes slightly baggy from the presumably restless flight, and you let out an exasperated sigh. “I hope you know that I didn’t tell coach about any of this.”
“Any of what?” Sae asks slowly. Now Rin is internally panicking.
Your eyes fall on him and they sparkle in recognition for a brief moment before you turn your attention back to his brother. “Um, that I flew all the way from Madrid to Tokyo?”
“I thought you said he approved of it.” Sae looks visibly annoyed.
You give a sheepish shrug and try to smile. “Yeah, I might’ve lied a bit.” It looks like you can’t decide if you want to be embarrassed by this fact or want to burst into tears.
Now it’s Sae’s turn to sigh. “Well, you’re already here so there’s no point. I’ll come up with something if Ego asks.”
You’ve made yourself practically at home within the next hour. Sae had told you that you could transform their home office space into your bedroom for the next several months in preparation for the competition, much to Rin’s protests. Right now, your makeshift living space composes of a shitty air mattress that Rin had in his closet since childhood and one of Sae’s extra pillows and blankets. You still need an actual mattress and a bedframe, and Rin doesn’t know if he wants to suggest the local hardware shop down the street. Because, if he does do that, it’ll mean he’ll be accepting his fate for the next upcoming year.
“Are you guys both hungry for dinner? I can whip up something real quick!” You’re saying this as if you’ve been living with them forever. It throws Rin off but Sae is unphased by your informality. 
“Pork katsu curry sounds nice.” Sae muses from the living room couch. He’s streaming a figure skating compilation video from the previous Winter Olympics on the TV while jotting down some notes on his phone. “Why don’t you help her out, Rin?”
“Do I have to?” 
“Yeah,” and Sae lifts his eyes away from the screen to give him a knowing look. “You have to.”
Three protein shakes. A pack of half-eaten grapes. And two boxes of forgotten leftovers from god knows how long ago. There’s not much in Rin’s fridge. His parents have been traveling around the world ever since he got back and usually, Rin would just get himself takeout to save some time. When he rummages through his pantry, he almost feels embarrassed by how barren it feels. A box of cup ramen, some curry cubes, and a small bag of rice on the bottom. It would honestly be better just to order takeout than to bother cooking up something less satisfying. 
“We should—”
“Let’s go to the store!” Of course, you offer that up. Rin can feel his shoulders immediately tensing when he sees you grabbing your jacket and wallet.
Sae throws him another penetrating gaze and Rin recedes. “Give me a second.” And maybe a drink or two.
You’re the complete opposite of what Rin expected. 
Bright, bubbly, and almost downright annoying. It reminds him of how he used to act when he was younger.
The first few minutes of the walk are silent not because Rin doesn’t know what to say but because he doesn’t want to say anything. His mind drifts off to an MMO he’s been currently playing with two of his ‘friends’ that he made during his last competition — if you count only exchanging numbers for the sake of playing games and talking about nothing else. That’s what friends do, right? It’s evening and, if it weren’t for Sae and you, he could be online right now, clearing a dungeon with them. This week is a double drop event and he’s going to miss out on it because you want to buy katsu curry ingredients. 
After passing the third block in the neighborhood, you start to see a few local shops and grocery stores lined up down an alleyway. There are more locals around, some are walking their dogs, others sweeping the sides of their house entrances. You decide to take this time to finally talk to him.
“Who’s your favorite skater?” It comes out as a blurt like you’ve been holding it in.
Rin blinks. “What kind of question is that?”
“A normal one,” You pick up a small shopping cart by the entrance and make a beeline towards the produce section. “Plus it can tell you a lot about a person.”
Can it really? “You first then,” Rin tells you.
You answer without much thought, throwing a couple of apples and potatoes into the cart. “Has to be Nathan Chen! He’s super bold and flashy with his programs.” He’s heard of him before, Rin thinks he’s around the same age as his brother. 
“Yuzuru Hanyu.” He answers right after.
You make a noise, and Rin assumes it’s a good one by the way you’re smiling. “I can definitely see that, he’s really elegant when he skates.”
The two of you fall silent again but it’s a bit bearable. You finish off by buying pork, onions, and a few soft drinks before heading over to the self-checkout. Rin pays for the entirety of the grocery run since it’s mainly his fault for having an empty fridge. If he had kept up with a healthier lifestyle then maybe he wouldn’t be in this current mess.
Dinner, for all things considered, doesn’t go horribly. It’s been months since Rin has picked up a knife, let alone use his cutting board, and you’re nice enough to show him how to properly score meat. And yeah, he just learned what scoring meant outside of sports. He’s learning a lot today. 
Adding apple chunks to the curry really made an immense difference. Tastes a lot sweeter but also comforting. The pork comes out crispy and tender enough for him to easily bite through and practically melts on his tongue. Maybe he should get back into cooking soon.
Sae wipes his mouth before setting down his utensils. “I’ve also taken the liberty to coach you guys too, so don’t let me down.” 
You blink. Rin looks like he’s going to drop his fork on his plate. He seems to catch himself though, and for just a moment. Your heads both tip to the side, and there’s a strange moment of eye contact, one where you are nervously glancing at Sae, and Sae is caught in a strange back-and-forth with Rin.
Yeah, Rin is learning more today compared to the average person.
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The next day at the ice rink is a surreal experience for Rin. A year ago, when he did skate professionally, he was used to practicing alone or occasionally sharing the rink with a few other skaters, but now there's a new dynamic—a pair dynamic. You and him. The thought alone sends shivers down his spine, and not the good kind.
Sae is sitting on the side, his injured leg propped up on a chair, and he's observing with a critical eye. Rin can feel the pressure, not just from the expectation of his brother, but also from the fact that you're now involved. His comfort zone has been invaded.
“Let's start with some basic warm-up moves,” Sae suggests, and Rin reluctantly nods. 
The two of you glide on the ice, trying to synchronize your movements to a random classical tune that his brother placed on shuffle. Claire de Lune—he’s warmed up to this song plenty of times before. It's awkward at first, the pacing and speed is off, and you’re both too tensed to initiate physical contact. 
“You need to trust each other,” Sae instructs, his voice echoing in the cold rink. 
Rin shoots him a dirty glare. Trust has never been his strong suit, especially not with someone new.
You decide to break the ice, quite literally, by attempting a lift. Rin braces himself as you come at him with speed, and then, in a moment that feels like slow motion, he lifts you off the ground. Success. You're now spinning in the air, and Rin is holding his breath, hoping he doesn't drop you.
“That was good, Rin!” you exclaim when you land back on the ice.
He's slightly out of breath, both from the physical exertion and the anxiety that came with it. “Yeah, great,” he mutters, avoiding eye contact.
After what seems like an eternity, Rin begins to find a rhythm. It's still not perfect, he’s not used to skinship so he can tell his grip around you is either too firm or barely there. Sae’s a rough teacher and quite possibly the king at micromanaging, the two of you bond quietly over the fact. Rin also learns that you’re pretty good at hydroblading and the Biellmann spin. Well, you’re pretty good at a lot of things. He’s surprised that you haven’t tried out for more international competitions prior.  
By the end of the day, both of you are exhausted—well, you look fine, it’s more like Rin feels like his quads are about to burn off. This is the most he’s done physically and with his career in the last several months. Sae, with his usual unreadable expression, nods approvingly.
“You’ve got potential,” he comments, and Rin is unsure if it's a compliment or just a statement of fact. “So, what’s the theme?”
Right. They need to figure out that first before deciding on anything else. Rin has always struggled with coming up with themes and settles with essentially the same one every year since he feels comfortable with it. The past years he’s played around with ‘solitude’, ‘dormant’, and ‘night’—and all of his programs contained dark, moody instrumentals that went along with it. 
You’re shuffling awkwardly by the benches, fiddling with your gym bag, and raise a hesitant hand. “How do we feel about ‘love’?”
Rin tightens his lips. “Isn’t that kind of vague?”
“Weren’t all of your themes the same?” Sae shoots back and it makes him quiet. “What songs did you have in mind?”
You’re quick to pull out your phone, a playlist pops up with songs that you’ve either wanted to skate or skated to. The song choices aren’t bad, most of them being soundtracks from musicals and pop artists.
“This Love.”
Rin lets out a loud scoff. “Guess you’re into that sappy stuff.” He remembers one of his skating colleagues was floating around the idea of skating to that song when they first jumped into a relationship but decided to shelve it once they found another person.
“It’s a good song,” You say with a huff, to which Rin only rolls his eyes.
“Guys,” Sae claps his hands three times, a signal that Rin recognizes from his earlier childhood days of basically saying ‘shut the fuck up’. “I need you to work together.”
Your index finger jabs into Rin’s ribcage. He manages to hold back every fiber in his body to not yell at you, especially not when Sae is staring right at him. “If you’re going to make a comeback, I think maybe you should get back on social media again to promote!”
“I’ll sleep on it.” He says with a clenched jaw and furrowed brow.
“We’ll see you later back home, gonna do a couple of laps around the neighborhood before we end the night.” You’re lacing up your sneakers while Sae grabs his car keys. Rin assumes his brother is just going to be ‘encouraging you’ from the driver’s seat. Classic big brother move. 
“Sure thing,” It’s the tone that says he’s decided. He’s done. End of discussion. Rin just really wants to lay in his bed right now.
As he walks home, Rin mulls over your suggestion and decides to reinstall some of his social media apps. Surprisingly enough, he still remembers his passwords (he definitely does not have the same password for everything, nope) and immediately logs onto Instagram, fighting back the weird twists and turns in his stomach as the app slowly loads.
There are maybe over a hundred notifications in his DMs, most of which are from random strangers giving half-assed ‘advice’ on how he can be a better skater and some messages from people he’s skated against asking how he was doing. He starts from the bottom of his inbox and recognizes a few of their usernames.
itsyoiboi — sent ten months ago are you doing alright? let me know if you need anything
hyo.chigiri — sent nine months ago Just checking up on you. Coach told me that you left.
megugu_skates— sent nine months ago (。┰ω┰。) rinrinrin!!  dont tell me ur quitting for good?? =͟͟͞͞ =͟͟͞͞ ヘ ( ´ Д `)ノ (⋟﹏⋞) u have to come back!!
baroushouei — sent eight months ago Hey, get your head out of your ass. We’re all worried about you.
Ignore. Ignore. Ignore. Rin semi-appericates the sentiment but he didn’t ask for it. He doesn’t need any of them checking up on him for the sake of it. None of them were ever close to him so why bother?
He eventually reaches back to the top of his inbox. What Rin didn’t expect was to see a message from you.
yn.is.here — sent a week ago um  hi there!! sorry we haven’t officially met before but your brother said you’ll be able to help me compete in skate pairs?? he told me that you’re thinking about coming back this season.  sorry if this comes off as weird!
Ugh, of course, his brother would plan this whole thing behind his back. It doesn’t surprise him, and it explains why any of this is happening. 
When he finally gets back home, he kicks off his shoes and heads straight to his bedroom. Rin plops and eases his back into the mattress, thumb rummaging through his photo album and trying to find a dumb professional photo to post on his page for stupid promotion purposes. He’s about to pick out an old photo from nearly two years ago when your text notification pops up. You sent over ten attachments—guess Sae took photos and videos from today’s practice run.
Rin shifts through the options before settling on a photo with the two of you in it. You’re both gliding side by side, hands barely touching. He looks scruffy, well he looks scruffy in all of them, the smile he tried to make came out more like a scowl, while you look like a complete natural—what’s new? On top of his skating, Rin needs to work on smiling and his skincare routine next.
Rin uploads the picture with a simple caption, ‘im back’, and turns off his notifications. He’ll worry about the lousy reporters tomorrow morning.
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[DISCUSSION THREAD] Rin Itoshi's Icy Resurgence, Unraveling the Mystery Girl, and the Journey Without His Brother by [MOD] Dooby
In the world of figure skating, Rin Itoshi is no stranger to both triumphs and challenges. The seasoned skater, known for his graceful performances and technical prowess, recently made headlines by returning to the ice after a brief hiatus. Taking the place of his brother in the figure skating pairs category, Rin has partnered with the talented and rising star, Y/N, to form an unexpected yet promising duo.
[yurio.fan.cl0b] - 17 minutes ago he’s going to make an embarrassment out of himself AGAIN just go back into hiding  [VICChan] - 15 minutes ago Lololol he thinks that piggybacking off another skater it’ll guarantee a gold medal lolol who is even y/n anyway… never heard of her???? [porkkatsu] - 14 minutes ago shes a nobody just like rin *shrugs*  [ISAGINUMBERONE] - 12 minutes ago ^ been a rin itoshi fan since day one — i believe that he’ll make a great comeback!! rin if you’re reading this please ignore the haters!  [itsJJStyleX0X0] - 9 minutes ago are you actually an idiot? there’s no way that they’re going to take gold, not at the level he’s currently at. compared to his brother, rin’s past performance was sloppy and weak. if he’s going to win gold then he’ll probably end up doping himself [SaeItoshisWIFE] - 7 minutes ago Can we please refrain from spreading rumors like this? Doping is a serious accusation to make…
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next rink!
a/n: ok... i meant to keep this in my drafts until i finish it but then i realized it would've been like... way too long with the number of scenes i wanted to write.... so here's some content until the next part bleh >:(( i need to fixate on one project at a time but at the same time i love sharing stuff w you guys haha
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redr0sewrites · 2 months
Note
Bestie, heard your cry for requests, no worries. Adam and Lute brainrot is real 😭. Perhaps something with Adam and Lute having this sort of crush on the gn!Reader who’s probably a member of the exorcist army. Like they both develop feeling for the person separately but once they find out, it goes into the direction of polycule? Love your writing and hope this helps!
THIS REQUEST>>>> EVERYTHING ELSE
🥀Cw: poly!guitarspear x reader, fluff
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both adam and lute having a crush on you is definitely an accomplishment, and its both the best and most infuriating thing to ever happen to you
if you're in the exorcist army then you're def interacting with them alot, but no matter where you are in heaven there's always at least one of them at your side
adam would fall first, and he'd start shamelessly flirting with you
whenever you were training he would come over and bother you, he'd use the cringiest pickup lines and call you every pet name under the sun
adam lays it on THICK, he really wants you to like him
lute just couldn't understand why it bothered her so much- i mean, adam had flirted with a lot of people before, right? why did she care if it was you?
her feelings hit her like a truck
the two of you were just relaxing together, and she couldn't help but realize how truly beautiful you were
after seeing what adam sees in you, she lowkey started to get jealous
adam caught on pretty quickly that she liked you, and it soon turned into a competition of sorts
adam and lute are close friends, but when it comes to you, they definitely have a petty "rivalry" going down
adam will purposefully send lute away so he can flirt chat with you, and in turn lute will rat on him to sera about how he's not getting his work done
meanwhile you're just sitting there having a bi-panic over the two of them
eventually you sit them down and have a convo about how you like both of them, which eventually leads to them agreeing to share you
however i genuinely think that they both have feelings for eachother too, and those would probably come to light once the three of you are in a relationship
once you three are officially together, they both dote on you SO much
adam is definitely more outgoing, and his love languages are quality time and physical touch. in contrast, lute's a bit more private, and her love language is definitely acts of service through and through
this leads to interesting dates for the three of you, some nights you're all crashing at one of your apartments and bingeing shitty movies, other nights your going out to clubs and dancing your hearts out
adam is so cuddly, and while she pretends that she isn't, so is lute
yall def have full on cuddling sessions where you all just lay together (usually on top of adam)
yall have the cutest mornings together!!!!! lute is def an early riser, and she methodically gets up at the same time every morning
meanwhile adam is pretty much a wildcard, sometimes he'll stay up ridiculously late and end up sleeping in until noon, and then other nights he'll crash super early and then wake up pretty early too. then sometimes he'll just pull all nighters and you and lute will come downstairs to find him curled up on the couch
lute works out in the mornings and will probably go on a quick morning run before coming back inside and getting ready. she often will help you get ready and will lay out things you need for the day. adam is usually the last person ready, he's always begging for one more minute of sleep!
yall r literally just so domestic
yall split chores too, lute usually does the cooking, adam does the laundry and clears dishes/plates, and then you do whatever other chores that are necessary. you all rotate when it comes to cleaning tasks such as sweeping, mopping, dusting, etc and while adam will sometimes pout, he actually does clean up after himself
adam and lute are both protective in different ways, and everyone in heaven knows not to mess with you
adam is more of the jealous type, and will get protective if he thinks someone else is flirting with you
meanwhile lute is more of the "worried about your safety" type, and will get more protective if she thinks you're in danger
overall, yall are genuinely such a power couple and you really have a sweet, adorable dynamic
I WILL MAKE A PT 2 WITH NSFW HCS. ALSO PT 2 OF THE ADAM FIC IS COMING SOON I SWEAR IM SORRY FOR KEEPING YALL WAITING😭
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pers1st · 1 month
Text
ducky
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pairing: leah williamson x jordan nobbs x platonic!reader
notes: no plot just vibes, bit angsty, mentions of parental neglect
"It's too early", you groaned as Leah finally opened her apartment door for you, allowing Bella to jump up against your legs, the force of the dog almost making you fall backwards as your senses were still slowed from a good night of sleep.
"You say that every morning", Leah huffed, gently pulling the dog by her collar and allowing for you to finally step into the familiar flat. This place had been your home for just a year. It had surprised quite a lot of people for Leah to be the first to offer taking you in, mostly because the woman wasn't known to be too responsible, but both her and Jordan had watched your career since you'd played for the under 15's of England and were more than delighted when you'd finally signed your first professional contract, at only seventeen years old, for the Arsenal. The picture of the three of you after your Arsenal debut still sat on Leah's shelf by the shoe rack, where you discarded your sneakers as if this was still your place. You hadn't lived here for just a year, but the familiar warmth still welcomed you every morning that you found yourself back here, never regretting, though never admitting it either, that you had agreed to join your jokingly-called mother ducks for breakfast each sunrise.
"Is she here? Is ducky here?", Jordan yelled from the kitchen, where you found her sitting on her phone, looking up at you with a large smile on her face.
"Oh, thank God! I was starving", she chuckled as she rose from her seat to gently pull you into a hug. You made no move to wrap your arms around her smaller body.
"Too. Early."
Pulling the hood of your sweater above your head, you waddled over towards the stove, ready to start the food.
"Seriously, this is child labour", you huffed as you grabbed a carton of eggs from the fridge.
"You say that every morning, ducky", Leah snickered once more as she took a seat next to Jordan, following your movements with her eyes.
"Besides, you're an adult now", Jordan added, still scrolling on her phone.
"Yeah, and so are you two! Learn to cook!", you groaned as you threw the empty carton at Jordan's head, not caring too much when the woman protested, threatening to kick you out again. You knew that she wouldn't. She was starving, after all.
It was a few hours later when you were finally headed to Meadow Park, getting ready to start the last fixture of the season. You had slowly but surely made your way into the starting eleven at Arsenal, and had joined the lionesses camp for a couple of friendly matches before the home Euros this summer, which was still looming over your head. Both Leah and Jordan knew that you were in contention to make the squad, and were hopeful that you would join Leah and the rest of the lionesses, but you had great competition, and your call-up wasn't a given. Not yet. The last couple of matches in the Women's Super League, you had given your every bit and piece on the pitch, wanting to keep yourself relevant for the Euro's selection.
Jordan and Leah would do their best to cheer you up if you didn't make it, but they knew that, despite the prospect of getting to spend the summer with Jordan, cheering Leah on, you would be absolutely broken if you didn't make it.
"Hey, ducky, gonna score some bangers?", Katie smiled as you entered the changing room, not even bothering to act offended about your nickname. You had received it after just a few weeks of being at the club, when Katie and Beth had started realizing just how much you followed Leah and Jordan around when you had no clue what else to do, subsequently naming the pair your mother-ducks. Though annoying at first, you quickly grew to accept it, knowing that arguing would not help when it came to this group of women.
"Hopefully", you grimaced as you discarded your slippers. In the past few weeks, you hadn't been up to small talk much. The whole team knew that you wanted this international tournament with England -the home Euros - every footballers dream would be to play in your country, for your country. But they worried anyways. You had always put yourself under a lot of pressure, and while Leah and Jordan knew it was due to the fact that subconsciously, you were doing everything you could to impress your parents, who didn't even seem to follow your career in the slightest, they kept that fact about you hidden carefully from the rest of your teammates, even being unsure of how to speak about the situation to you.
In truth, you had been shocked when your parents had first allowed you to move to London and away from your home in Manchester to pursue a football career. You had been training in the Manchester City Academy for years, devoting yourself entirely to football, but your parents had never taken notice of your efforts, no matter how much you begged and pleaded for them to watch one of your matches.
You'd had to rely on your teammates' parents to bring you to and from training or matches, and the only thing your parents seemed to appreciate was the fact that you were mostly busy - with football or school, either way, away from their house. It was impossible to reason their behavior, to pinpoint an event that made them change the way they saw you. But you didn't have to - your new club, your new home, your new mother-ducks mostly kept you distracted, never allowing you much time to meddle with your thoughts, to get lost in them. Still, it was obvious to Leah and Jordan that while you faced this complicated relationship with your parents, you had never really dealt with it, and it became evident when you injured yourself in today's match.
Jordan had been the one to hook your arm over her shoulder in order to get you to the medical room steadily, without putting any pressure on your knee. She had been the one to hold your hand while the medical staff worked their way in an attempt to find out what exactly caused your pain, but from the way your knee had given into the right when it had collided with that of your opponent, your mind was set - it was an ACL. Nothing Jordan or Leah told you on the way home could change your mind - you were merely waiting for the confirmation that tomorrow's scans would bring - and so you put in your earbuds and drowned their somber voices out of your head, desperate to escape their attempts at soothing you. You didn't need pity, you needed to be back on the pitch. You needed to be at the Euros, needed to play, needed to keep yourself fit. In your mind, though, everything had already gone to shit.
Dismissing the two women who had settled in the living room after Leah's shower, you waddled, as best as you could on your crutches, towards the sink, pouring yourself a glass of water. As you leaned over the countertop to push the emptied glass back, you knocked down one of your crutches, the sound of it connecting to the floor startling Leah and Jordan as their heads turned, all the while you were cursing under your breath. Your knee was throbbing with pain, despite the medication you had been forced to swallow in the medical room of Meadow Park, but you were damned if you'd let Leah, who had already rose from the couch, reach down to the floor to grab it for you.
"I got it", she mumbled as she came up behind you, but you were quick to push her back.
"It's fine", you muttered as you bent your knee painfully slowly, bending over to pick up the stupid crutch from the ground.
"Are you still in pain? Do you want more medication? We've still got-"
"It's fine."
And with that, Leah and Jordan were forced to watch you hop back into your room, shutting the door quite harshly, without knowing what to do with you.
"She's taking this really hard", Jordan mumbled as Leah joined her on the sofa again, snuggling into her side with Jordan's arm wrapped around her shoulder.
"Yeah", the blonde answered, huffing. "You did, too. Anyone would", she sighed. It was the worst possible timing for an injury, but they had no clue that your demeanor was not only a result of frustration, but rather rooted so deeply in a fear that they had no way of understanding. You were so, so scared.
Everybody knew that you were in the most important part of your career - you were young, only eighteen, and tearing your ACL when you'd just began starting for one of the top clubs regularly, just when you'd began making appearances for your nation could ruin absolutely everything you'd worked for. It could send you off the Arsenal roster, could send you right back to your parents' house with no education, a messed up knee and no future. Those thoughts kept you up at night, but no matter how hard you tried to silence your sobs in the soft pillow, you should've known that both Jordan and Leah were light sleepers, and that it was only a matter of time until you had to reveal the mess unfolding in your head.
The time came at round two in the morning. You had been lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, no longer able to bear your thoughts and breaking out into violent sobs. Of course, Leah had heard you, and cautiously stepped into the room that had once been yours officially, switching on the light.
The sight of you scared her. In the year you'd spent living with her, and another year of being your teammate, she'd only ever seen you cry with Jordan when she'd injured her knee not long ago, and that was purely because you were an empathic person. This, though - it was different, and she knew.
"Ducky? Hey, what's wrong?", she asked cautiously, voice still thick with sleep as she stepped closer to your bed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you."
Your voice sliced through the air shakily, hoarse, and so so small. Leah immediately pulled you into her as she lowered herself to the edge of your mattress, holding you closely as your frame shook with sobs.
"What's wrong? Talk to me, please", she begged, gently rocking you back and forth, still minding your knee which was packed with ice.
"I'm scared, Lee", you sobbed, just as the door creaked again and Jordan entered. If you didn't know any better, you would've believed she was sleepwalking, with the way she barely lifted her feet off the floor, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she scanned the room, pinching her eyes at the bright light.
It got the smallest of smiles to glisten on your lips, though it didn't last long.
"Of what?"
Leah asked, seemingly not having noticed her girlfriend in the doorframe.
"I can't- what if I have to leave? What if they get rid of me- what if- I can't go back there, Lee", you sobbed, crying even harder at the realization of just how scared you were. You had hoped that by proving to be a successful athlete, you could restore some of your parents' warmth in you. Showing up at their doorstep with a broken body and crushed dreams certainly was the worst-case scenario. It would rip you apart.
"Ducky, it's okay, calm down", Jordan asked of you, who had, in the meantime, settled by your feet, gently holding her hand out for you to grasp, which you did slowly after Leah released you from her grip.
"Nobody is going to get rid of you. We didn't get rid of Jordan either, look at 'er!", Leah chuckled as she watched her girlfriend shift into a position more comfortable for her own knee, never letting go of your hand.
"Besides, ducky, did you feel a pop in your knee?"
You shook your head. She had asked you this before.
"Did the pain go away after a few minutes?"
You shook your head again.
"Is your knee swollen? Do you feel like you can't move it?"
To all of those questions, you shook your head.
"Then I'll be damned if it's your ACL. You clashed knees, ducky. It's painful, and it's scary, but it's not the end of the world, it's not the end of your career", she hummed, gently lifting a finger to wipe a tear from your cheek.
"Wise words, Jordan. Never thought I'd say that", Leah chuckled, which immediately collected a laugh from you, even if you hadn't thought it possible just a few minutes ago. Jordan shrugged.
"Ducky is wiser than me", she sighed as she sprawled herself on your and Leah's legs, her back resting between your knee and your ankles by the very end of the bed.
"Thanks, guys. Go back to bed", you smiled at the dedication of the two women, seriously questioning where you'd be if it wasn't for them.
"What do you mean? We are in bed!"
And that was how you spent your last night in Leah's home with Jordan present, being pulled into the whirlwind of the Euros and the absolute bliss that came from winning it. Despite the fact that you were only granted a few minutes, usually towards the end of the matches, you were named the "super-sub", and gained quite the following on your social accounts. One thing never came though, and that was a message of your parents. Not even a little "congrats" text, no - instead, there was complete radio silence.
It was easy to forget about it in the afterglow of your win, and how quickly the season started off again. It was easy to forget about a lot of things, apparently, because you only noticed something seemed to be off when Leah glared as you let yourself into her apartment with the key she'd given you.
"Morning", you shouted into the space as you discarded your shoes, as usual, the slightest bit more awake given the fact that you had today off, meaning breakfast omelettes were served a little later than usually.
"Morning, ducky", Leah sighed from the kitchen as you joined her, noticing the lack of mother duck number two.
"Where's Jords?", you asked as you opened the fridge, pulling your hood above your head as usually to remain warmer.
"Not here, obviously", Leah gave back, and at that, you stopped in your tracks. Come to think of it, you hadn't seen Jordan for breakfast for about a week now. So far, Leah had always given you a good enough reason - her parents were in town, she was sick and didn't want to infect you and Leah, she had to take care of Blu.
This, however? Something was sketchy about it. The lack of interaction between your mother ducks during training or matches replayed in your head - how Jordan had stuck to Katie and Caitlin recently, seemingly only conversing with Leah when you were present as well. Something was sketchy.
"Why?", you asked, dragging out your word as you turned around to see Leah sitting at the kitchen table, looking back at you with something resembling defeat in her eyes.
"We broke up", she mumbled, her voice barely audible for you. Still, you understood her.
Her words took you aback, so much so that you completely disregarded your task, joining Leah as you sat across from her. Leah and Jordan had broken up. It all came back to you now - there had been a weird tension in the dressing room recently, but you hadn't noticed it until now that you thought back to it. Leah and Jordan only talked to each other when you were present. The past few breakfasts had been spent listening to you talk and talk and talk in a desperate attempt to hide the gaping hole of disappointment in your parents. Jordan hadn't been here in a week - to watch Blu?
"Why?", you asked, your tone matching hers.
"I don't know. It's complicated."
"When?"
At this point, you were bargaining for any kind of information.
"About a month ago?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
This time, your voice sounded hurt. You trusted Leah and Jordan with everything - opening yourself up completely, and although you knew that you were a lot younger than them, and somewhat like their kid, it hurt you to know that they had not even considered letting you know about this.
"You're still young, ducky. We just thought-"
"Thought what? That I wouldn't notice?"
Leah sighed at that, defeatedly, once more. You immediately regretted your harsh tone, knowing that your mother duck number one was going through a break up right now. If the two of them breaking up seemed impossible to you - how must it have felt for them?
"We just- I don't know. I'm sorry, ducky." Despite the emotions that must have been cursing through her, Leah smiled softly as you pushed yourself up from your chair and into her arms, burying your face in the crook of her neck as you let her rub your back comfortingly.
"Me too, Lee."
Things changed after the breakup, but not really for you. You alternated between Leah's and Jordan's flat, not caring about the both of them whining how hungry they were every other day, instead teaching them how to make an omelette, because it truly was time for them to learn. The two women were, as it seemed, on friendly terms as they still crowded around you whenever either they wanted something or you simply craved the both of their presence.
Jordan returned to the pitch shortly after the Euros, and for a brief lapse of time it truly seemed as if the three of you had fallen into a new routine, a different one, that worked-
That was until Jordan sat you down after practice one day, long after everyone else had left, and told you about her future departure of the club.
"You're leaving?", your tone seemed almost choked as you put your head on Jordan's shoulder cautiously, her words replaying in the back of your head all over again.
"Yeah. It's time for me to move on, to do something new. I'm old, ducky. It's time", she huffed, and you could tell by her tone that she was close to tears as well.
"But you love this club", you voiced, not understanding why Jordan felt the need to leave. Was it Leah? Was it you?
"I know. I do. But I don't get any minutes here, and I want to play football, ducky."
At that, you held your breath. Ever since the Euros, you had become a regular starter for Arsenal. Often in Jordan's position. You had taken her spot.
"I'm sorry, Jords. I didn't mean to-"
"No, ducky. Absolutely not. I will not have you apologize for being great. You are so young, and you deserve this more than anyone I know. You will be incredible for this club, I know it. Don't apologize", she immediately interrupted you, gently brushing her finger through your hair.
"But I took your place", you mumbled, the realization coming in slowly that Jordan wouldn't be here in a few months.
"No, you didn't. You earned your place. Matter of fact, I gave it to you."
You could hear by her tone that she was smiling, and you had to chuckle at her words.
"But you'll visit me, right? And I'll visit you?", you asked cautiously, the thought of not seeing your mother duck again suddenly climbing through your chest.
"You'll visit me, and I'll visit you. And I'll show you how good I'll get at making omelettes. I'm not leaving you, ducky."
The day she actually left the club was easily one of the hardest of your life. Leah's speech had you crying into Jordan's shoulder, and you were too far gone to say any of the words you had written down yourself to send off your mother duck. But you slipped Jordan the note before she left, letting her take you into one last hug before watching her get into her car and drive off.
Throughout the rest of the season, many of the girls joked that you would become an Aston Villa fan, given your dedication to watch every match of theirs, often in person. In the end, you truly found your footing at Arsenal and in the England team, relying on both of your mother ducks immensely whenever you needed to. They were both there for you, no matter what distance separated the three of you, and although you knew it was far more difficult for them, both Jordan and Leah kept their promises, often traveling back and forth for the three of you to see each other again.
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fanfictionlibrary · 1 year
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Hogwarts Legacy Headcanons: How the Companions behave in an Established Relationship
Includes Sebastian Sallow, Ominis Gaunt, Natsai Onai, Amit Thakkar, and Poppy Sweeting.
I tried my best with the pictures, but I couldn't find one that does Amit justice. Therefore, there is no picture for his section. BUT!!! Stan Amit. He is awesome!
Edit: Thanks for all the likes, reads, comments, and rebloggs. I never expected that my post would be received this well. This means a lot to me since writing is my passion. Thank you, guys.
Sebastian Sallow
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He is super protective of you. When you venture into the Forbidden Forrest, he insists on leading the way because he doesn't want you to get hurt or be surprised by enemies. No matter how often you point out that you are better at fighting than him, he will not relent. For you two, protecting each other is almost like a competition. 
Sebastian: "I didn't let a single spider touch you. You could have helped me with the Inferi, though." 
You: "I was busy keeping the goblins away from you. I had to disarm them, Sebastian. Otherwise, they would have attacked you with their swords, axes, and whatnot. I knew you could handle a few Inferi."
Sebastian expresses his love through physical touch. In the halls, while walking with you, he holds your hand. At dinner in the great hall, he sits next to you, legs touching. And in Potions class, you are his loyal partner. When you two are brewing a potion, he tends to whisper words of encouragement, brushing along your fingers or shoulders gently. 
Sebastian: "Good girl/boy. You added the right amount of Troll Bogeys." 
Against common belief, I don't think that he is the jealous type. Of course, he ensures that people who are romantically interested in you know that you are happily taken, but he is so confident in his charms that he doubts anyone comes even close to him in your book. Only when he notices that someone rivals his natural magnetism and winsome smile does he become jealous and starts sulking like a child. Then, his jealousy becomes extremely profound and unrivaled. 
Sebastian: *sitting on a bench in the hallway, pouting*
You: "Sebby, darling, what is bothering you? Don't make that dreary face."
Sebastian: "Dreary!? I’m appalled! Who does that seven-year think he is that he can steal my girlfriend/boyfriend/partner?"
You: *giggling* "No one will steal me from you. *you appease him with a kiss on his forehead*
Sebastian: *smiling exuberantly for the rest of the day until Ominis is so fed up that he swears that even he could see Seb's smile*
If you both belong to Slytherin, you spend hours in the common room reading books from the forbidden section until you fall asleep. You are usually laying on his chest, head buried in Sebastian's neck, and he holds you close with an iron-hard grip. Fortunately, Ominis always wakes up early, and when he notices that Sebastian is not in his bed, he walks down to the common room to wake you both up to prevent unnecessary rumors from spreading.
If you don't belong to Slytherin, your meeting spot for late-night reading sessions is in the Undercroft, and Ominis brings all of you some breakfast from the kitchens. 
Sebastian is so enchanted by you that he is convinced you are a rare kind of magic. Obviously, your ancient magic powers are great and all. But your smile and personality are an instant kill to him and equal fatality.
Ominis Gaunt
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Ominis is not big on showing his affection publicly. But trust me, this young man will make sure that you know he loves you ardently. He is the romantic type. He writes you poems and love notes. Sometimes he passes his latest creations to you in class, and he is so clever about it that no teacher ever catches him. 
Ominis: *scribbling notes in Transfiguration* "MC, could you pass me your book? I forgot mine." 
You: "Sure." 
After a while, he returns the book, and when you turn to the page he read, you find a little sheet that Ominis used to express his love for you: Your voice sounds like the waves rippling on the shore, and your skin is as smooth as a moonstone. Your hair rivals the soft grass below a willow tree, and your breath smells like the epitome of a sweet summer breeze. I may be blind, but you invigorated my other senses: smelling, tasting, hearing, and feeling. My world would be stale without you in it. Also, I think Sebastian is up to something again. You keep an eye on him, and I will strain my ears to find out what he is hiding. In utter infatuation, your Ominis <3
Ominis loves it when you describe the surroundings to him. Unfortunately, whenever something unexpected happens, for example, in class, and he hears people gasping in astonishment, he does not know immediately what is transpiring. Ominis has to rely on someone telling him exactly what happened after the event is over to grasp the entirety of a situation. Usually, he extracts the most important pieces of information by listening closely to the different sounds amidst the chaos, but he is glad that ever since you stumbled into his gloomy life, you supply him with detailed descriptions and explanations. He loves how attentive you are. He doesn't have to ask for your help. You just inform him in a non-condescending manner about that which he cannot see. You include and cherish him with all that you are. And if the two of you are walking through the grounds of Hogwarts, he inquires about the scenery. But he is not interested in how the trees, the sun, and the sky create a picturesque atmosphere, he wants to know what the view looks like to you. He is curious about your subjective opinion. 
You: "The tree looks beautiful. It is a bit crooked, and if you were to compare its leaves to human hair, you would think that it is in desperate need of a haircut. Oh! To our right, Leander Prewett is showing off his broom skills to a few first-years. They are elated and impressed." 
Ominis: "I hear them saying that Prewett is flying phenomenally." 
You understood his implicit question perfectly. "His flying sucks, honestly. The first-years just don't know what good flying looks like."
It takes him some time, but eventually, he opens up about his trauma. He talks in detail about how he was tortured as a child and forced to use the Cruciatus Curse. He may even cry, but you hold him tight and listen to him spilling his sorrow. You don't tell him that everything is alright. Obviously, nothing is alright. The past branded a mark on his soul. In these moments, when he is at his lowest, you understand why he possesses a sarcastic personality. Sarcasm helps him to cope with his pain. All that you can and ever will tell him is that he is safe with you and that you will be there for him as long as he wants you to be. 
Ominis: "I would do anything to stop this maddening darkness inside of me. No matter how high the cost. But then I remember I needn't pay any price because you light the way out of this abyssal cavern that I call my soul."
Yes, he has dramatic tendencies, but only if he expresses his genuine feelings does he become big on words. Only the ones closest to him – you, Sebastian, and Anne - get to experience that side of him. Little side note: You are a little jealous of Anne.
You spend a lot of time in the Undercroft together, and since he can't see you, he loves to let his fingers run over your face, feeling your facial features. He loves doing that and hates when he has to stop because you either have to attend classes or Sebastian barges in with a new idea that you cannot dissuade him from. It always ends with Ominis and you helping Sebastian out to make sure he doesn't get into serious trouble. 
Ominis: *his thumbs brush over your bows and the bridge of your nose* "You are dazzling." 
You: *your face is flushed red as his index finger traces your mouth*
Ominis: *his other hand moves to your collarbone, and from there, it wanders precariously low. *
You: *smacking his hand away* "I know you can't see, but you were about to touch my... well, you know." 
Ominis: *shrugging* "It was worth a try."
You: *your mouth agape* "Wha-"
Natsai Onai
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She is a very classy person regarding dating, and the most important aspect for her in a relationship is trust and respect. She abhors it when someone treats her patronizingly or disrespectfully. If you want this relationship to work, you and she have to be on eye level. 
She is not a big fan of public affection. However, she does not mind it much either. She likes to hold your hand or kiss you on the cheeks. Occasionally, she holds the door open for you.
She is even more protective than Sebastian and Ominis would be in a relationship. If anyone looks at you the wrong way, her dark eyes will settle ominously and threateningly on them. The Gryffindor in her sometimes urges her to say something provoking, and if she does so, it requires you to diffuse the situation. Incidents like these are rare though, and Natsai picks her battles wisely. You don’t have anything to worry about. 
*A group of students whispering and looking at you while you pass by with Natsai* 
You: *ignoring them and talking in detail about how you defeated the Lord of the Coast in hopes of impressing Natsai*
Natsai: *walking up to the students and crossing her arms as she stares them down silently*
The students: *confused and scared*
Natsai: “Have you ever experienced the horrors of an angry gazelle?” 
Natsai’s mother, Professor Onai, keeps a close eye on you. At some point, you contemplated dropping Divination, because whether in class or in the Great Hall, this woman watches you like a hawk. Especially after the whole ordeal with Harlow. 
You: *eating breakfast in the Great Hall and looking up to the teacher's podium, only to see Natsai’s mother staring at you* 
You: *turning to Natsai hastily and tapping her on the shoulder* “Natty, your mother is doing it again.”
Natsai: “Oh, don’t worry. She likes you.”
You: *breathing a sigh of relief*
Natsai: “But she said she was going to transfigure you into a toad if you were to hurt me.”
Needless to say that you and Natty spend most of your dates outside the castle in Hogsmeade, enjoying a butterbeer. Of course, the beverage tastes good, but the real reason you go to the Three Broomsticks is that you want to talk undisturbed in a secluded corner, preferably on the second floor. You talk a lot about Matabeleland and Uagadou, and Natty is glad that you are genuinely interested in her culture of origin and don’t ask questions just to be polite. Trust me, she experiences that a lot. More often than not, your talks become personal and even philosophical. 
When you trust her enough, you show her the Room of Requirements. Then most of your dates take place there, away from the prying eyes of others, and she teaches you wandless magic.
Amit Thakkar
He has an absolute glow-up in the summer leading up to your seventh year at Hogwarts. Amit was cute and handsome before but… just wow! However, he is absolutely oblivious to any male or female student showing interest in him. He is too focused on studying Astronomy and Gobbledygook. Only has eyes for you anyway, his beloved star.  
*You and Amit are spending time at the Astronomy Tower, looking at the stars*
You: “Amit, they were definitely hitting on you earlier. Did you not notice?”
Amit: *staring into his telescope* “I only noticed you.” 
He is not good at expressing his feelings. He shows his love by comparing you to stars and things that he likes, which sometimes goes horribly wrong. 
Amit: *showing you his map of the night sky while you study in the library* “You remind me of the Scorpion constellation.” 
You: “Oh, why is that?”
Amit: “Well, the Scorpion looks just as courageous and powerful as you when you return from your frequent excursions all muddy… and smelly…and covered in grime… barely holding on to life—”
You: “Stop it, Amit.”
Since we are already talking about your adventures outside of Hogwarts... Amit is worried sick when you don’t show up to classes because that is a clear indication that you are out in the wild, risking your life. Again. He always covers for you, though, when a teacher inquires about your absence. Unfortunately, he is bad at lying. When you return from your adventures, he is mad at you and scolds you tirelessly. Amit doesn’t even want to know what you have been up to because his poor heart cannot take hearing about the perils you found yourself in. He helps to clean the grime off your face with a handkerchief and fusses about your appearance. In these moments, he behaves like a worried parent. The handkerchief he uses has his initials stitched on it. By now, you have a whole stack of these handkerchiefs in your dorm room. 
Professor Sharp: *checking the class attendance and noticing that you are missing* “Where is Mr/Ms (Your Surname)?” 
Amit: *feels already guilty that he is about to lie* “Ah… ehm, Professor Sharp, I fear that they fell… ehm… yes, exactly, they fell off their broom. They are currently in the hospital wing…” *hunches his shoulders forward slightly to hide from the skeptical glances of the other students thrown his way*
Imelda: “That’s simply impossible, Amit. They are almost as good at flying as I am. I want to stress the almost, though. No one is as good as me.” 
Amit: *panicking and becoming angry* “Yes, Imelda, but accidents happen to the best of us. Don’t they?”
Imelda: “They don’t happen to me.”
Amit: *his head falls on the table in frustration, but he lifts it up right away and apologizes to Professor Sharp for violating the social codex of good behavior* “My behavior was highly improper, Sir.” 
You and Amit fulfill the stereotype of a goody-two-shoes falling in love with a daredevil and vice versa. You are over the moon and back for each other. Amit can’t stress enough how you are like the sun and moon. You are opposites that sought to unite your differences.
You: *making your way to Care for Magical Creatures*
Amit: *pulling you into an alcove, pressing you against the wall, and putting his finger to your mouth to prevent you from screeching*
You: “Amit! You are lucky I have a third sense for knowing when it’s you who ambushes me.”
Amit: “Right. Otherwise, I would have ended up like one of those dark wizards.” *brushes your hair out of your face* “Well, you know how stern I can be about time management. There is still some time until our next class starts.”
You: *giggling* “By Merlin, then don’t waste our precious time.”
Amit: *kisses you passionately*
Although Amit doesn’t want to be informed in detail about your perilous adventures, he does ask whether you have met any goblins that would help him with improving his pronunciation in Gobbledygook. 
Amit: *holding your hand while you are sitting under a tree, gazing at the Great Lake* “Remember that you once told me about Garnuff and Biscuit?”
You: *rolling your eyes* “How could I forget? It was not easy to save Biscuit and the other Mooncalves from the poachers. I had to free the poor beasts from the cage they were being held in by using Alohomora, but somehow the lock didn’t react to the spell. It took me multiple tries until I got it right.”
Amit: “Would you mind introducing me to Garnuff? I would like to improve my Gobbledygook.”
You: *kissing him on the cheek* “Not at all.” 
His parents love you, and they are already planning your wedding, although you and Amit are not thinking about that at all. Not yet, that is. 
Poppy Sweeting
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Poppy is very serious when it comes to relationships. She does not take them lightly and intends to show her true self to her romantic partner. 
Poppy: *looking seriously at you after you confessed to her* "I like you, too. But if we are going to do this, then it is all or nothing."
Poppy grew up in a company of poachers because her parents were part of said company. Early on, she realized that the harm her parents caused the magical beasts was immoral. She has a strong sense of what is wrong and what is right. Since she could never identify with the lifestyle of her parents, she has always felt like an outsider. That is partly the case because she has a strong personality and despises the thought of altering herself just to be liked. Also, her past caused her to be more emotionally mature than her peers.
You: "Poppy, maybe you should go to Hogsmeade with the others. They invited you, after all. You might make new friends."
Poppy: "I don't want to go. I have seen how Violet McDowell and Grace Pinch-Smedly sneer at other people behind their backs. They just need someone to look down upon so they feel better. At least I have enough self-confidence to define my worth solely by my standards and virtues."
You: *sighing, knowing that she is right* "A butterbeer with Highwing in the Room of Requirement it is, then."
Once she realizes she can show her true colors around you without having to be afraid of being judged or shunned, she becomes the embodiment of THE loyal Hufflepuff. She always has your back, no matter what. Also, she is so wholesome! Together, you spend a lot of your time in your Vivarium, where she is so busy with the beasts that she sometimes forgets you are there. But you are just happy to see her smiling, uninhibited and free. 
*You and Poppy are spending time in the Vivarium*
Poppy: *looking in your direction and running towards you* "Oh, you are so cute!"
You: *your ears turn red and you bashfully open your arms for a hug*
Poppy: *rushes past you*
You: *turning around confused, only to see Poppy hugging the Irondale Thief, a Niffler, who sticks out his tongue at you, smiling smugly*
Poppy does not mind public displays of affection, but kissing in front of others is as far as she would go. Make-out sessions are reserved for more private locations. Her love language is being attentive to you. She makes sure you eat enough and listens earnestly when something is weighing heavily on you. 
Poppy: *seeing that you are unfocused in Charms* "Hey, what is wrong?"
You: "I have been thinking about Professor Fig lately. I miss him."
Poppy: "I see. How about we eat something after class and talk about your grief?"
You: *kissing her when Professor Hecat is not looking* "Sounds perfect."
Poppy is your little ray of sunshine, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. Her grandma adores you and writes you letters, too. Occasionally, she sends you sweets or practical stuff like woolen gloves/scarves. Basically, anything that keeps you warm during the colder months. 
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yellowhollyhock · 2 months
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Hey do y’all wanna do a Raph event for March?
We could call it March for Raph.
@therebelinred and I put together a prompt list. We kind of started with the idea of exploring his goofier side more, but honestly there’s a lot of angst-leaning prompts on here as well. We just like Raph all around, and thought this would be a fun one to share
Could be any iteration, any length, you could do one for each day or one for the month. I wrote this with stories in mind but all kinds of things could work—art, gifsets, short essay answer style—the prompts are super simple and wide open.
So, prompt list under the cut so you can plan ahead if wanted. I’ll post each prompt by the day. If you wanna join you should tag whatever you post as ‘march for raph’ so we can easily find and admire it
1. Watching his favorite movie
2. Revenge
3. Surprise Party
4. Sunset
5. Video games
6. Left speechless by genuine praise
7. Prank successful
8. Because I’m the shield
9. What’s wrong with me
10. Bowling with Casey
11. Favorite novel
12. Stir Crazy
13. Worthless
14. Early morning
15. Fireworks
16. Dance competition
17. Good citizen
18. Watching sports
19. The others go missing
20. Raph vs a Volcano
21. Adopting a pet
22. Puzzling
23. Least favorite student
24. Purple Dragons at Central Park
25. Laser Tag gone wrong
26. Lonely holiday
27. Human friends
28. Broken vase
29. Ambush
30. Wrestling
31. Standing up to Bullies
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seat-safety-switch · 8 months
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Birdwatching got really popular in the early days of the Unpleasantness. However, now that the bosses are forcing us all back to the office, the birds don't have anyone to watch them. That's why I built an autonomous bird-observation robot. Its name is SparrowScope 9000, and I recommend not becoming too emotionally attached to it, because it is your competition.
There's a lot of obvious benefits to having a robotic birdwatcher. It can start up early in the morning and go to its charging dock late at night. It never makes a mistake identifying a bird. It won't get tired, cold, hungry, or develop pointless drama with "Uncle" Hudson Carl online over his fucking misdocumentation of Northern Cardinals. You can pop over to its little webpage and see what it spotted that day, and feel pretty good. It's like you're really there, even though you're stuck in an office building wondering if you have enough staples loaded in your stapler to get through the month, or if you should maybe talk to Jan in Requisitioning to get a fresh refill.
However, there are flaws. One of the big things is that the US military doesn't let regular people – civilians – have super-accurate GPS. They fuck with the data a little bit, so that you can't somehow threaten national security by knowing where you are. I didn't know this before I started on the project, and the bird sanctuary has a lot of elevated walkways ever since the flood. SparrowScope 9000 became more of a SoggyScope Wet-Thousand.
If a real technology company had assembled it, that would probably have been the end of the story. They'd have put in some total garbage like a modern microcontroller, maybe some parts made in this century. Not me. This thing is half old pinball machine parts and the other half Aibos. It kept trucking right down the river, and I never saw it again. I do get updates from it periodically as it spots a new bird, but my work schedule forbids me from taking a few days off to drive to the next county over and see if I can figure out which swamp it's floated into this time.
Even with this small disaster, I'm pretty proud of what I accomplished. Our avian friends get looked at by a creepy robot covered in seaweed, and we can all experience what it was like for one brief, shining moment in which we still had hobbies.
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ellephlox · 11 months
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Lie Detector
Pairing: Matt x f!reader
Summary: Matt thinks that you can't successfully lie to him. The only way to settle the dispute is to challenge one another to a bet, but trying to deceive a human lie detector isn't quite as easy as you'd expect.
A/N: Finally on summer break and I've had time to do some writing. I'm really drawn to a reader/matt dynamic that's super competitive, so... here we are, with yet another "game". Hope it's alright!
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Sometimes, having a lie detector as a boyfriend sucked.
You realized this early on, when all of the sudden the white lies that you told habitually in order to protect others' feelings crumbled into a big dust cloud of useless whenever Matt heard them.
Last week at supper, for instance. Matt had cooked a beautiful meal — homemade rolls, oven-roasted vegetables, and your favorite pasta — and it was all delicious. Except for one experimental vegetable thrown in that you were... less fond of, to say the least.
But of course he asked you if you liked it, of course he did.
"It's incredible," you told him, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "The pasta is cooked perfectly. Also, homemade rolls? I mean, these can't even compare to the local bakeries. It's all really good, Matt."
"And the... new vegetable?" he asked, taking a bite.
Shit.
You sat stock still for half a second, your mind whirring. Fortunately, you'd gotten better at dodging situations where typically you would just save yourself with a white lie, but with Matt, there was rarely a safe way out of a question.
"It's got such a unique flavor!" you said warmly. Truth. "I don't think I've ever had it before. Where'd you get the recipe?"
"Foggy's sister. It is unique," he agreed. "You like the taste?"
Damn it. Something told you that Matt suspected you didn't like it; why else would he be so persistent about asking? "It's so unexpected," you hedged. "You cooked it really well."
Which was also a truth. The texture was good, at least; Matt had roasted it perfectly. It was the flavor you were less keen on, and you had to fight the urge to drink water after every bite.
Matt's lips turned upwards. "Sweetheart, you don't have to choke it down for me."
From there, everything unraveled. "I love it," you tried to say, but Matt's eyebrows were raising and you yourself could feel that your heart was speeding up. "Really! I love it, it's fantastic—"
You loaded your fork with it, preparing to take a large bite out of a manic desire to ensure Matt didn't find out the truth, but he deftly reached forward and grabbed your wrist. "Lost cause, Y/N." His thumb grazed your wrist, as though to match the sensation of your pulse to what he could hear.
You reluctantly put the fork down. "Come on, Matt, stop reading me for once! You cooked a beautiful supper and I want you to know how much I appreciate it—"
"You can appreciate it while letting me know you don't like a certain type of food. I promise my ego isn't dependent on a single vegetable."
"But I feel bad!" you protested. "And with anyone else, I would have just lied and said it's amazing, but with you, I have to be a schmuck about it!"
"You're not a schmuck."
"Matt, I'm a schmuck." You pointed at yourself. "Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad schmuck. Plus, it's unfair. I'm sure you lie to me all the time, and I probably just don't even notice it. Like last week, when I asked you if I have a nice voice to listen to and you told me that me that it's music to your ears, or some crap like that."
"It is music to my ears."
"I call bullshit. Unless by 'music' you meant death metal or country."
"So start lying to me," Matt said, his fingers absently moving up your forearm. "If you're able to control your nervousness when you do it."
"Is that a challenge? I'm sensing a challenge."
Matt was smiling now, and it wasn't his charming smile, it was what you thought of as his shit-eating grin. "Aw, let's not call it a challenge. I know how upset you get when you lose."
"That's it." You slapped his hand away from your arm. "Prepare to be lied to. Constantly. And if I succeed, and you don't notice that I've lied to you, then you have to..." You thought for a moment. "You'll have to wear your Daredevil suit to Foggy's when we have dinner with him and Karen on Sunday night."
Matt's smile dropped instantly. "Why the hell would I do that?"
"Um, obviously because it would be hilarious seeing you uncomfortable, and Foggy and Karen would take some awesome pictures of you?"
He grit his teeth as though contemplating. "Fine. And if I win, and I notice every lie, you can go through all of the old archives sitting in Karen's filing cabinet at Nelson and Murdock and make copies so that they can all be organized by legal topic as well as by date."
"What? How is that fair? That's hours of my time!"
"I thought you said you were confident that you'd win?"
"Well. Yeah." You leaned over to playfully shove at him. "Okay, then. I'm in."
"But if you actually are apprehensive about this bet, then we don't have to do the challenge. I won't hold it against you."
Bold way to throw down the gauntlet, Matt. There was no backing out now. "Nope. Deal accepted," you said, and stood up to clear the plates. "Oh, and by the way, I don't get 'upset' when I lose. I'm a fantastic loser."
"Lie," Matt said, almost lazily.
Damn.
That was how it began. Of course, together you enumerated more rules, both printed and in braille, and posted them on the fridge.
Rule Number One: A lie had to be the subject of whatever you were talking about. It couldn't be a throw-away comment unrelated to the conversation itself, nor could it be anything so minor that it didn't even matter. It was forbidden to, for example, tell Matt about your day and say green shirt when you were actually referring to a blue shirt and count that as a lie. It had to stand on its own, loud and proud.
Rule Number Two: You had forty-eight hours to complete the challenge. Which, admittedly, didn't give you a lot of time. Matt was on his guard every time you opened your mouth, which meant you'd have to be strategic about this, if you wanted to win.
Rule Number Three: The lie had to be delivered in heartbeat earshot. That meant you couldn't lie to him through text messages or a long distance phone call.
Rule Number Four: If Matt falsely accused you of lying more than twice, then you won. You argued this rule in as a safeguard; otherwise, he could call out your lies on whims without any consequences.
And, finally, Rule Number Five: A lie had an expiration on it of ten seconds. If Matt didn't name the lie within ten seconds of you delivering it, then you won. You had even argued for more time, but it was Matt who had told you, with a particularly cocky wave of his hand, that he'd sense it within that time.
Several times you had tried lying to him since the start of the challenge. Each time, he'd sniffed it out immediately — almost instinctively, even — so that it was almost embarrassing at how readable you were.
"You heading out tonight for patrol?" you asked him when you emerged from the shower that night, wearing only a tee of Matt's and a towel around your head.
"Only for a bit. I've got to catch up on some paperwork this evening."
"Anything I can help with?"
"No, it's just prep for my opening next Wednesday." Matt tilted back in his chair, stretching with a restlessness that told you he'd much prefer to be out on the rooftops than reading through paperwork.
"Well, let me know if there's anything I can do," you said, and then added the lie: "I'll go do some reading, then."
Matt didn't hesitate. "What're you really going to be doing?"
You scrunched your nose at him, irritated. "And I thought I was so nonchalant. My heart is a traitor. Slow down, you." You slapped at your upper chest and lied again. "I actually wanted to do some online shopping. I need a new pair of sunglasses."
"No, you don't."
You released a dramatic exhale. "Fine! I'm going to journal a bit."
Matt listened for a moment, and then nodded, clearly placated. "I'll come say bye before I head out."
And then you even thought that you might get him when he came back, because it was past two in the morning and he'd taken a faster shower than usual — an indication he was anxious to get to bed —but when he crawled under the covers, apparently he was still on guard.
"Come in closer," you whispered, half-asleep yourself despite your hope of lying to him. "I meant to stay up for you, but I fell asleep."
Which wasn't true, even though you did often stay up for him. Tonight you had slipped into bed and fell asleep almost as soon as your head hit the pillow.
But Matt caught it; his hand nudged at your arm to acknowledge the lie. "Even this late, you're still trying to win the bet?"
Loopholes in the rules were hard to find, you realized. Matt seemed to appreciate your attempts to bypass them the next day — in fact, the closest you came to successfully lying was that morning, when you had about thirty-two hours left in the challenge. You had left to pick up bread for breakfast, and had just stepped out onto the street when you put your plan into action and dialed Matt's number.
Because technically, here on the street, right below the apartment, Matt could still hear your heartbeat, if he sought it out. But you hoped that if you were talking with him over the phone, then he wouldn't pay attention, and that he'd be distracted by the background fuzz of the call.
"Hey," you said, walking slowly down the sidewalk; you didn't want to be accused of leaving the earshot radius. "I just got a text from Foggy. He asked if I could bring that book I was telling him about the other day to dinner tomorrow night. Is it still on my dresser or did I return it to the library? I can't remember."
It was a clever lie, you thought. You had told Foggy about the book, and he did text you about bringing it to dinner. You did, however, specifically remember leaving the book on the dresser and not bringing it to the library the other day. It wasn't violating Rule Number One, either, because the question you asked Matt pertained directly to the lie.
There was a brief noise on the other end of the line as Matt presumably cocked his head, sweeping his senses out for a book on your dresser. In your head, you counted down the time. Ten... nine... eight... seven... six...
"The thick one?"
"Yeah."
Four... three... two...
"Lie," he said suddenly, and you could hear the smile on his face. "Nice try. Almost got me on that one."
"Crap," you said, sighing and adjusting your jacket as you picked up the pace, crossing the street after taking a quick glance left and right.
"If the lie hadn't been about a book, I wouldn't have thought to listen to your heart," he continued. "You care too much about your books to not know whether you've returned one to the library or not."
"Crap," you said again, but this time it was because the convenience store was closed; you'd have to go a couple blocks further to the larger supermarket. "Matt, I'm going to take a few minutes longer. The store's not open until nine."
Matt was quiet for a moment. "If that was a lie, that doesn't count. I can't hear your heartbeat from here."
"Nope. It's the truth. Anything else you want me to pick up while I'm at the grocery store? Ibuprofen, Advil, ice packs?"
Matt answered, but you didn't hear; an idea was formulating in your mind. "Sorry?" you said after a moment, picking up your pace as rain began to fall.
"Just more tea, I think."
"On it. See you in a bit," you said, and hung up.
Rule Number Four, you realized, was your ticket to winning. If you could get Matt to call you out on a lie when you weren't lying — and if you could get him to do it three times — you'd win.
So, the trick was to get your heart rate going at precisely the right moment. You left the grocery store with bread, tea, and a large espresso from the café next door.
And, miraculously, it worked. You walked in, your heart already feeling a bit more spry since you downed much, much more caffeine in the span of five minutes than you typically had over the course of an entire day, announced to Matt that the grocery store had been strangely busy today, and—
"Lie," he said, almost without even paying attention.
"Ha!" you said triumphantly, setting the bread down on the counter. "Wrong, Murdock!"
His brow furrowed. "What?" You could see him reaching out with his senses now, seeking what his mistake was, and...
"Espresso," he said, so quietly and forlornly that you laughed. "Damn. Your heart is racing."
"Brilliant, right? The grocery store really was packed." You waved the bread at him. "I'm starving. Can we make French toast with this?"
"Yeah. And don't get too happy yet, sweetheart. You haven't won yet."
"And there's the key word: yet," you reminded him.
Matt was on guard after that, so you waited the rest of the day before trying again; too often, and each effort would be futile. You could tell he was listening with far more diligence every time you spoke, and while it was slightly unnerving knowing that your heart rate was under constant scrutiny, it was worth it. Matt felt threatened that you would win. Even if you didn't end up winning the bet, that gave you enough pleasure to make the entire game worthwhile no matter what happened.
Step Two was getting Matt to watch a horror movie. You were a bit limited in your options, since Netflix didn't have many scary movies with audio descriptions available, but you agreed on one eventually and started it only once the sun had set.
And you waited. Waited, with Matt's arm wrapped around you, watching the movie and letting yourself get absorbed in it, because you were relying on your own natural adrenal responses to secure you the next false lie through Rule Number Four.
Fortunately, it was actually terrifying, so it didn't take much effort for you to feel a chill genuinely running up your spine.
"A door slowly creaks open," the audio description narrated. "The bathroom mirror suddenly swivels open. Standing in the reflection is a dark figure."
You physically jumped — thank you, jump scare — and seized the opportunity as your heart beat doubtlessly spiked. "Matt, I found some fan fiction that people posted online about the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. And I read it. Every last bit."
Matt's confusion was so palpable that you had to bite back a laugh. He reached over for the remote and paused the movie, his head tilted. "This feels against the rules."
"And yet, it's not," you said, rubbing his arm. "So, was that a lie? Or not? I'll give you a solid ten seconds starting now to answer."
"You can't just say something insane at the very moment your heart rate jumps from a movie!"
"Tick, tock."
"I've said it before and I'll say it again — you'd make a good lawyer."
"Aw. Thank you. Five. Four. Three."
"Come on!"
"Two. One."
"Lie," he decided, his jaw tight. "And for your sake, I truly hope it's a lie, because there better not be people writing fan fiction about me—"
"Sadly, it's the truth, Matt. Both that people have written it and that... I've..." You trailed off at the look on Matt's face. "Uh, that I might've possibly glanced over some of it."
"Please tell me there's not much of it."
"Um... well, there's a fair amount. People are fascinated by real life vigilantes, I guess. If you wanted you could always sue them for defamation."
"Sue? Sue as Daredevil? Show up to court wearing the suit?"
"Better yet, hire Nelson and Murdock as your lawyers, and you can switch back and forth during the trial between your lawyer suit and Daredevil suit, playing both roles. It'd be hilarious, like a real-life Mrs. Doubtfire moment."
"You find all this so amusing, don't you?" Matt tipped you back, his hands against the back of the sofa and caging you in. Goosebumps pricked up your arms as you glanced at his forearms; he'd rolled up his sleeves, and you could see the toned muscle in the dim lighting.
"Not at all," you said, your voice a bit higher.
"Lie," he breathed out, and leaned in to kiss you.
The next day passed, with every hour sliding by and bringing you nearer to the end of the bet. Once again you didn't dare press your luck, and chose to instead act naturally. The following morning and midday passed without only one or two halfhearted attempts to lie. ("Matt, did you hear that Captain America is starting up his own jazz band and he's going to be doing a world tour?" "Yeah, I did, right after the news segment announcing Black Panther's new clothing line of lingerie that he's founded.")
The loophole of Rule Number Four, however, was proving to be no longer viable as your winning method. Matt caught on to every truth that was meant to make him accidentally call you out on lying. In desperation you even did fifty jumping jacks to raise your heart rate, to Matt's amusement, but he had somehow latched onto the subtle difference between a heart rate raised by the adrenaline of exertion as opposed to the adrenaline of a lie.
So — you'd have to brainstorm instead.
With only about an hour to go until the bet ended, you set your alarm on your phone to go off just three minutes shy of the actual forty-eight hour mark.
The only challenge now was making sure Matt didn't check his own watch between now and the alarm.
"Time's almost up," he said, with the audacity to smirk at you, catching your arm as you went by him towards the bedroom. "Where are you headed?"
"To get something presentable on for supper," you said, gesturing down at your outfit.
"Karen and Foggy wouldn't mind if you showed up wearing that."
"I love you, Matt, but I look like a clown right now. I wish you could see the color combinations I've got going on. Think blue raspberry slushie dumped on top of black raspberry ice cream."
"Well, if you're changing, then what should I wear?" he said, mockery edging his voice. "That plaid shirt you got me? A white top? Or a sweatshirt? Y'know, since I won't be wearing the Daredevil suit, of course."
"Don't speak too soon. We still have a few minutes left." The bet still had five minutes, in fact; but the alarm would go off on your phone in two minutes. On a sudden whim you wrapped your arms around him, loosely holding your hands together around his neck as though you were about to slow dance together. Matt's hands naturally went to your waist, fingers grazing your hip bones. "If, in the extremely unlikely case that I do lose, you should wear your loose-fitted button-down from your birthday last year."
"Is that too fancy?"
"I don't think so. I'll be wearing a sundress. It's casual enough."
Matt spun you around, backing you into the wall. His eyes were intense, unblinking. "I know you're trying to keep my attention off of you. It's not going to work. I know you too well."
"Maybe you know less about me than you think," you challenged him.
"I doubt it."
"You'd be surprised, Matt. I've got secrets and ways of keeping them."
"Want to play that game, love? Because I can play that game." He tilted up your chin with his left hand. "That mosquito bite on your neck is still itching you, even if you've resisted scratching at it. You've still got the taste of mint in the back of your throat from when you brushed your teeth a few hours ago." His hand left your chin and brushed at your temple. "You got dehydrated this morning and had a headache, but it's gone away now. And your blush is practically a heat lamp right now, getting hotter with every second."
"Point taken," you muttered, but Matt wasn't finished.
"Down here," he continued, his hand now trailing down to your lower arm, "there's a bit of residue from the jam you got on your forearm during breakfast."
"I washed it off!"
"And I can still smell it." Matt lightly let go of you. "I could continue, if you'd like."
And then — your phone buzzed out a loud jingle, jolting both of you simultaneously. You fumbled in your pocket for your phone, shutting off the alarm. "Shit."
"Time's up," Matt said, with far too much pleasure in his voice. "I'm looking forward to spending a day at the office with you. Maybe we go in on the weekend?"
"Saturday I'm free," you said, as casually as you could possibly muster. "On Sunday I'm visiting a friend."
Which was a complete lie.
And Matt...
Didn't notice.
"We'll go in early," he said. "I had to go in this weekend anyway to get work done."
"Mm," you said, counting down the ten seconds in your head. "And I'm assuming you wanted me to help organize the files so that you wouldn't have to go into the office alone this weekend? This was all a ploy to get some company?"
"Of course. What kind of weekend would it be if I didn't get to spend it with my favorite person?"
"Foggy will take offense to that."
"Well, maybe I'll invite him too. And Karen. We can have a whole work-weekend at Nelson and—"
"Yes!" you shouted, so loudly that Matt tensed, as though scanning the room for a threat. "Get your suit on, Matt!" Without waiting for his answer you strode to the closet and pulled out the familiar red suit and mask. "A certain swindled devil now needs to make his appearance at a certain dinner party tonight."
Matt's expression was baffled. "But I won."
"Check your watch."
His fingers immediately felt for his watch, and then his face dropped. "You set the alarm early."
"And then proceeded to successfully lie about visiting a friend on Sunday. Oh, I can't wait to see Karen and Foggy's reaction when you arrive on the fire escape, dressed to the vigilante nines—"
"I can't believe you."
"Me either," you admitted. "I was getting nervous towards the end."
"I can't believe you," Matt repeated. "You're going to pay, sweetheart. That was playing dirty."
"Enjoy your retribution sometime else," you told him, tossing the mask over. He caught it, plucking it from the air without turning his head in the slightest. "We've got a dinner party to go to."
And maybe you'd still go into the office that weekend to help him out, you decided, a bit of guilt still stirring inside you, because he did just want you to be there with him, keeping him company.
After all, having a lie detector for a boyfriend really wasn't so bad.
968 notes · View notes
its-time-to-write · 11 months
Note
Ooh I just read the other part to the baby Jamie tartt story and it was amazing!! What about where it’s bea’s first soccer game and the team shows up and Jamie is just a proud dad or she’s 2 or 3 watching her dad play and cheering super loud and getting into it!?!
Heyyo! Mixed this with another ask. It was fun to write! Thank you!
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today’s a day like any other
Bea is two years old and five months, and she’s at the age where she is talking in sentences and can understand things that are happening around her. She makes little two-year-old jokes that only she understands, and her favorite person in the whole entire world is Sam Obisanya. 
You have a picture of her at her second birthday party, pointing at something while Sam holds her, both in matching Obisanya 24 kits. She can’t read, but she knows enough to tell that the markings are the same. She wears it every day it’s clean, and some days it’s not. You think it’s hilarious because Jamie has to cajole her into wearing her Baby Tartt 9 kit. 
Jamie is her second favorite person. She calls him “dada,” and shrieks whenever he comes home from training. Both of you are in your mid-twenties now, and you get stares whenever you’re out with her. The press is still the press, but they keep Bea’s face out of it when they speculate how long Jamie will keep “playing house,” or you will “put up with his antics.” They comment on young marriage and early divorce, and you and Jamie make the choice to laugh through it. 
He calls Ted about once a week for advice on marriage and fatherhood, and Rebecca stops by for lunch for you and Bea twice a week to give you advice on marriage and encourage you in motherhood. Bea adores her, almost as much as she does Sam. Almost. 
Rebecca had been hesitant at first to share, but once you said, “I’m pretty sure you know what red flags I should look for,” she laughed and went full steam ahead. 
All that to say, Bea’s favorite people are Sam, Jamie, and you, in exactly that order. (You could rank the rest of the team, but honestly it’s pretty close between some of them and they don’t need that type of competition.) 
Bea is two years old and five months, and she is at yet another football match, wearing her Obisanya 24 jersey and bouncing up and down in your arms. You’re three months along with your son name undisclosed so you can still hide it, but you’re wearing one of Jamie’s kits as opposed to your own. You put tiny lines of red and blue face paint on Bea and are standing up in Rebecca’s box, pointing things out to Bea. You point to a tiny Sam on the pitch, and Bea starts yelling, “Sam, Sam, Sam!” He can’t hear her, of course, but he’s looking around and smiling. The stadium is chanting, “Go, Sam Obisanya,” and Bea picks it up. You see Jamie nudge Sam and point up to where you’re sitting and Sam waves. Bea waves back, giggling.
“Bea, do you see Dada?” you ask. Jamie’s face is on the big screen, and she wiggles even harder. She’s practically vibrating in your arms. You think this might be the first game she actually understands enough to remember. You spend the first half narrating the game to her- “See, Sam has the ball. He’s trying to get it to Dada. Oh look, there he goes. Do you think he’s going to pass it?” 
Bea is watching intently as Jamie zips by player after player. You see him fake out Wolverhampton’s last line of defense and then the stadium erupts. He’s scored the first goal of the game. 
Bea is yelling her head off and bouncing again. Jamie looks up to where he knows you are an blow a kiss, which only makes Bea lose it more. 
On the drive home, all she can talk about is how “dada got a goal,” and “dada is my favorite.”
— 
Bea is seven years old and one month, and she is very adamant that she wants to play football. Her friends are all playing, plus she’s Beatrice fricken’ Tartt. Isn’t football in her blood?
You and Jamie tried to talk her out of it, not wanting her to feel like she had to. She insisted.
So there you are on a Saturday morning, seven months pregnant (yes, again thanks to goddamn Jamie Tartt) getting ready to cheer Bea on in her first match of the season. 
Her kit says Tartt 24 because of course it does. The teams are doing little stretches to get ready, so you smile and reach down to get a juice for four-year-old Theo (no, you don’t call him Ted) out of the cooler Jamie brought. 
“Eyy, it’s the Tartts!” says a voice. You look up to a grinning Dani. 
“Dani! What are you doing here?” you ask, grinning back.
“Couldn’t miss my favorite niece’s first match, could I? And I heard you had drinks,” he says, peering into the cooler. 
You laugh and someone else says, “let me know what’s in the cooler, bruv.” You turn, and there’s Isaac, Colin, and Michael. Dani waves to someone across the field, and it’s Sam, Jan Maas, Richard, and Bumbercatch. Roy’s Jeep screeches into the parking lot, and you see him get out followed by a flurry of pink. Of course it’s Keeley. 
“I hope I’m not late,” says another voice, and Bea runs up to say “Aunt Bex!” and does a flying leap at Rebecca. 
All of Bea’s uncles are here, minus Ted and Beard, to support her at her first game. 
You think you might cry.
Jamie, on the other hand, is looking extremely proud of himself. 
Bea is showing of her number 24, Sam is grinning proudly, Richard, Isaac, and Jan Maas are hyping her up, and Dani is doing arm curls with Theo hanging onto his wrist. 
Jamie slides his arm around your waist and presses a kiss to your neck. 
“Jamie Tartt,” you say, “did you invite all of them?”
Jamie grins. “I might’ve.“
“That might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever done. It might even make me not mad at you anymore.”
Jamie pulls away a little, indignant. “What’re you mad at me for? I haven’t done anything!”
You point to your stomach and say, “Oh really, then what do you call this?”
Jamie fixes you with a devilish grin. “Proof that I’m still fucking sexy?”
You giggle like a teenager. He is definitely still fucking sexy. 
The game is filled with wild cheers from Bea’s aunts and uncles, especially when she performs a header. 
“I taught her that,” Roy says to anyone who will listen. 
They swarm her on the field after the game’s over, uncaring if she’s won or lost. It doesn’t matter. They don’t all play for Richmond anymore, but they will always be a family. 
Bea is sixteen years old when she causually mentions a boy named Thomas in one of her classes. You’re all at the dinner table and Jamie doesn’t clock it, but you do. 
Jamie is only a few years out from retirement. He’s around the age Roy was when Roy hurt his knee, and although he’s still tearing it up on the pitch, you both know his time is coming to a close. 
He’s a lot sadder than he lets on, but you remind him there’s more to life. Your family has become somewhat famous, even in the States, so he’ll still have opportunities to do what he loves. Just not with the League. It’s become a bit of a routine, at this point, having the same conversation at the end of ever season. 
Just one more, Jamie promises, One more and then I’ll retire. You just hope he isn’t forced to by an injury.
But anyway, Bea’s got her eye on a boy and Jamie is completely oblivious until you bring it up that night while getting ready for bed. He’s flossing his teeth and your putting lotion on your face. 
“She fuckin’ what?” Spit goes flying. 
“Jamie, that’s disgusting. Please wipe that up.”
Jamie grabs a towel and swipes at the mirror. “How d’you know? It could just be a friend. She’s too young to be thinking like that!”
You smile. Bea’s a very thoughtful girl. You’re pretty sure she timed the name-drop with great precision and care, testing the waters. 
She’s a lot like you. 
“Babe, I just know. And, not sure if you’ve noticed, but she’s not seven anymore. Plus, I’ve seen Thomas around. He’s a very bright, respectful young man. Bea’s got a good head on her shoulders.”
Jamie pales, not listening to a thing you said. He grabs your hand. “Babe. Babe. Think about what I was like. Fucking hell, I was an absolute wanker. Oh fuck. This is not fucking good.”
He’s spiraling. He’s spiraling about his oldest daughter and it’s adorable. His hair is all crazy from running his hands through it, and his eyes are wild. You know what Jamie was like. You met a toned-down version of him, and you’re pretty sure he wouldn’t want Bea even near someone like that. You’ve heard the stories of how he was before. 
“Jaim,” you say, “it’s going to be ok. Seriously.”
“You don’t understand,” he says, hands now on your face. “I was an absolute shithead. I was rude and a fucking dick. I didn’t treat women well, or anyone well, and I don’t want Bea with someone like me.”
You understand. You’re not minimizing his concerns or apathetic about Bea, it’s just that you know the daughter you’ve raised, and you tell Jamie as much. “I know this is new for us, but she’s wonderful. And anyway, it’s not like she’s going to end up like me, twenty-two and knocked up.”
“We were married!” Jamie protests, “And twenty-two is like being a real adult!”
You raise an eyebrow. “We were barely married. And we were basically kids.” 
Jamie still looks distraught, so you place your hands on his wrists. 
“Darling, don’t worry. She’ll be ok. We made it this far being stupid, and she’s so much smarter than either of us.”
Jamie snorts, which you take as a victory. 
“And anyway,” you continue, “any boy that breaks her heart has like a million of her scary uncles to deal with. I promise, promise, promise she’ll be alright.”
Jamie smiles at that. “She does, doesn’t she?” He kisses the tip of your nose. “Suppose it’s a good thing you didn’t have any of those, otherwise we might not have gotten together.”
You laugh. “Alright, you sentimental dweeb. It’s past your bedtime.”
“Just one more kiss,” Jamie replies, and then his lips are on yours and you forget what you were even talking about, anyway. 
488 notes · View notes
shubblelive · 7 months
Text
— FRIENDLY COMPETITION
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summary : you and tommy have been dating for months, and there's a million things you love about him. however, you're usually not doing that in front of your entire audience. but after a surprising mcc debut, what's one more good thing?
genre : fluff
warnings: mentions of reader breaking a bone as a kid
pairing : cc!tommyinnit x fem!cc!reader
pronouns : she/her, reader is tommy's girlfriend
featuring : cc!tommyinnit, cc!philza (mentioned), cc!smajor (mentioned), cc!shubble (mentioned), cc!orionsound (mentioned)
request : I was wondering if you could do a fic where y/n (with fem pronouns) is a streamer and wins her fist mcc and when she wins Tommy comes into her room and is so excited that she won that forgets they hadnt told the internet they were dating and kisses her <3
word count : 1.1k
note : i love writing for tommy so much but unfortunately i don't get a lot of ideas, so whenever i get reqs for him i get super excited. for context, i wrote this around mcc 26 because it's my favourite (i KNOW it's almost a year old at this point, like i said it's my favourite). reader replaces fruitberries on the violet vampires team, he won that mcc with phil, oli and shelby, so you can probably tell why it's my favourite lmao but also i feel like tommy would call you girlfriend in place of a petname, i think it's cute. i hope you enjoy angel <333
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When you were six, you broke your wrist. You and a group of your classmates had been out at lunch in the playground, engaged in an intense monkey bars contest when you fell. You didn’t remember much, the ambulance ride to A&E, maybe. Being comforted in your hospital bed as you awaited X-ray results with cuddles and cookies, definitely. Not a lot of pain, not a lot of suffering. You never got back on the monkey bars after that though. Competing with the other kids just felt like a bad idea after that. You learned to run your own race, and you’d been living like that for over a decade.
Your left hand twinged, aching slightly. Maybe it was that the bones never realigned on your wrist, but it was most likely due to the intense keyboard-pressing you’d been doing for the last five hours. You weren’t big on MCC, you were a builder rather than a combative player, and that suited you just fine. You tuned in once a month, sure, but that was mainly to support. You and Tommy had been dating for eight whole MCCs now, and he’d been the one to encourage you to apply. 
Your shooting skills were… fine. You knew how to play the game, of course, you’d been playing it for over half your life. You just didn’t do much of it recently, hence the two hour practice you’d taken before the start of the event. The first game had been Parkour Warrior, which happened to be your best. The early confidence boost (combined with the encouraging messages you and Tommy had been exchanging on Discord between each event, unbeknownst to your chats) had helped you - you’d come in second overall. But by the fifth game your team wasn’t even in the top 5. You were nervous, worried about letting your team down but, as Phil rightfully pointed out you had “did the best out of all of us, dude.” You’d been really lucky with your team. Everyone on it was someone you knew at least vaguely. You’d spoken to Phil a bunch since starting your relationship with Tommy, and he’d been a big help. Shelby and Oli, your other two teammates were both complete sweethearts and you’d loosened up massively since the beginning of the event. 
Things picked up after SkyBattle, and no one in your chat even noticed when you and Tommy took breaks at the same time (two waterbottle refills and a reassuring kiss that had you on your A-Game for the last hour and a half of the event). 
And then came DodgeBolt. 
Your shooting skills were fine. Truly, but your entire team getting killed in less than five minutes leaving you and Scott in the arena alone. You were silent, focusing too hard on not dying to even think about addressing your chat. Phil was murmuring encouragement into the VC that you were actively tuning out in an attempt to concentrate. Tommy was sitting at his desk three rooms away, quiet as a mouse. He hadn’t moved in so long that his chat had started spamming lag. He had been trying not to be too obvious about it, but it was you versus the manager of the event engaged in a 1v1 for your first time in the contest. Your hand was cramping and you were biting the inside of your cheek so hard it was painful, but you had an arrow and a shot. Scott had an arrow as well, and you knew that if you left it any longer he’d get you, so you let your instincts take over and let it go. 
VIOLET VAMPIRES TAKE THE CROWN!
Shelby was screaming in the VC before you could comprehend what had just happened, and before you could even move arms were around you. Your office door had swung open as your golden retriever of a boyfriend all but lifted you out of your chair, pressing a proud kiss to your lips. 
“Oh my god,” you murmured, face hidden in the blue fabric of his shirt. “I won?”
“You won!” Tommy was yelling, grin taking over his face.
You let out a squeal of delight as you kissed the corner of his mouth in return, your temple being peppered with supportive kisses. “I won! Chat, oh my god-” You turned back towards your stream and were suddenly struck with the fact that you were, in fact, broadcasting this live. “Chat. Oh my god.”
Tommy was suddenly very still. You did a double take between your monitor, chat zipping past so fast it was making your head spin, and your boyfriend. You had about three seconds to make a move before it was awkward and you already knew that the cat was out of the bag. You’d be trending on twitter within an hour if you weren’t already. 
“Chat, I won!” You turned back to Tommy, wrapping your arms around his neck. Tommy was stiff, but you pressed a kiss to his jawline, right below his ear, out of frame of your camera. “We’re okay, boyfriend,” your voice was soft as you held him, his hands coming up on your back, squeezing you tightly. 
That snapped him out of it, and suddenly the two of you were back to screaming. “I’m so proud of you,” you were swaying on the spot, you gazing past his arm to your monitor, evidence of your win right there on your screen.
“I love you,” he kissed your hairline. “Girlfriend.”
He had to get back to his chat eventually and you needed to get back in the VC with the rest of your team members, exchanging congratulations. You hung around on the server for another twenty minutes before excusing yourself and finishing up the stream. You and Tommy had both silently agreed to not address what had happened and you reconvened in the hallway half an hour after the end of the event. Sitting on the sofa, you pulled out your phone and were immediately introduced to the downside of having a famous boyfriend. His full weight was put on your, your phone slipping out of your grasp and between the couch cushions. He mumbled into your neck. “No twitter. Don’t care.”
Your hands delved into his curls as he closed his eyes. “But-”
He lifted his head off your chest to glare at you and you missed the weight. “Fine. But you’re ordering me dinner after my spectacular win.”
He laughed, rumble of his chest spreading warmly throughout your entire body. “You don’t even need your phone, see. You’ve got me, and don’t worry, yes I called the papers to tell them how well you did. Being a girlfriend gets you perks.”
“Being a boyfriend gets you perks, too.” You point out.
Tommy lifted his head again, only slightly, eyebrows raised. You kissed him one more time and he nodded, content. “I think maybe I win, actually.”
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