#just added fluff without improving much | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

randomperson3736 · 30 days

Text

I don't know why I bite

Paring(s): Bruce wayne x son! Reader, batboys x brother! Reader, justice league x male! Reader

Warning(s): mentions of blood, murder,child abuse, child testing, needles, trauma, knife's,katanas, crying

Genre: angst,sad, fluff at the end

Summary: people always believed that you were a violent person who bites at any second but deep down you were just an broken boy.

Word bank: M/N- male name

Ever since you were younger, you were taught to believe that you were nothing more than an experiment, an play thing.... a weapon. Your real father believed in nothing but cruelty and power and without those two things you were an weakly who should be cast aside to be forgotten.

When you turned 5, you started your training. Day by day, night by night you did nothing but train. No time for sleep, food, water, playing with other children your age. Not one thing an normal 5 year old should be doing. And if you did get caught doing anything but your training.... it wasn't an very beautiful and painless sight to see or hear.

Once you got to the age of 7, you were already a trained killer. Skills of any weapon, combat and the soul of a heartless monster. Your body and heart were built or more trained so you would never feel pain or react to it. If you were shot? No reaction. You were stabbed? No reaction. It was as if you were a robot. A shell of someone who had no heart or a soul.

By 10 you had already killed over a thousand people. Women, children, men, older people. Your hands were already stained with so much blood at an age no one would think would be capable of doing so. And no matter how many times you washed your hands even enough for them to be red raw or bleed.... you would always feel the dripping pain of their blood. Your father made you do it and God help if you refused.

He had an game were he would drag you to an chair, strap you down with chains and inject an liquid which made you feel the worst pain to ever exist. It was like your skin was burning off from your bones on the inside of your body. Every organ in your body exposing. It was like death itself. He would do it every day until you obeyed his cruel, Sinful wishes.

Eventually, you were some how saved by the justice league at 17. They had found out about what your father was doing to you and to others and put an stop to it. Though, you didn't go so willingly as they had hoped. You may have given them a few broken bones, added some more new scars to their bodies before Bruce sedated you. You were placed in an clear cell in the justice league HC, watched 24/7 day and night. You tried for weeks on end to break the cell but nothing you did made even a scratch nor a dent.

Bruce tried to get through to you and help clear your mind of your father's cruel training he had drilled into your mind for years. But nothing he said or did changed your mind or behaviour. It almost go to the point where you tried to break your own arm to escape from the cell. Bruce and the other league members all felt pain and anger at the fact someone would do this to someone so young. How could someone be so twisted in the head to actually do this to an child? The thought was in their heads ever since they saved you.

But after 8 long months Bruce finally made an breakthrough with you. It was small, yes, but it was something. It meant you were moving past your fathers training and becoming your own person. After that, you started to show some improvement where you could be trusted to be let out of your cell and talk to other outside of the justice league. The first being the batboys- Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian.

Surprisingly,you actully got along with Damian the most since you both had similar childhoods and shared similar interests. Jason and Tim helped you understand the modern world and how it worked. While Dick alway tried to make you laugh or smile though it never worked since you never felt joy or love before. Your face was always blank and emotionless. But the boys and the league never gave up hope that some day you would be able to smile brightly.

Over time, Bruce officially adopted you and you moved into the Manor with everyone else. It was strange at first for you to have your own room and have the choice to pick whatever you wanted. You never had that before so you didn't know how to act towards it. Bruce and the boys noticed after a few days of you living in the Manor that you still had some walls up and were worried you would lose all of your progress.

They would usually find you in the batcave trianing non-stop, even when your knuckles were bleeding from hitting the punching bag so hard to the point that it would break. You never felt the pain nor noticed the blood until Dick or Alfred mentioned something and helped bandage your wounds. This was all strange to you. It wasn't right for you. It was weird. You were trained to think that pain was nothing. That blood was nothing.

Now, you were sitting at the dinning table with everyone staring at you with worried gazes. You had bandages all around your body from your overstepping training, you held dark bags under your eyes from the lack of sleep you had gotten and you were starting to push away from them all. Bruce soon cleared his throat as he looked at you from his sit at the table. "M/N.... we need to talk about your.... behaviour and how you've been acting the past few weeks.... it's worrying us all..."

Dick was tge next to speak. "You've been training more harder lastly to the point your covered in cuts and bruises.... you barely sleep anymore or talk to us.... you're pushing us away." Dick's voice broke slightly as he was holding back his emotions. You clenched his jaw as he avoided everyone's eyes. "I'm.... fine...." he grumbled out almost in an annoyed tone.

Jason clenched his fists, his anger and worry was raising high as he heard you speak. "You're not fine, damn it!" He yelled out. "You're hurting yourself more and more! It's worrying us to death!" Jason breathed heavily as Tim patted his shoulder gently as a way to tell him to calm down. "Your not that person anymore M/N..... your away from that man.... your safe here with us." Tim's words were soft yet since filled with worry.

It was almost like everyone's words made something snap inside you and caused you to slam your fists down on the table in anger. "Shut up! Just shut up all of you!" You growled out as you glared at them with cold eyes. "I know what I'm doing! I've been doing it my whole life! It's nothing new to me!" Your emotions were getting the best of you now. "I was trained to be an weapon. It's programmed into me. I can't just get rid of it so easily! I was made this way!"

Tears pooled in your eyes for the first time and it shocked everyone. "I have killed countless people because of my father and I have to deal with that on my own..... I was made to do unspeakable things because of that bastard and I have to live with it all." Everyone looked at you with sad eyes as they listened to your words. "People thought of me as some heartless monster who was some lap dog for my father.... they believe I liked to fight and kill but it's just not true.... sometimes I'll lose my temper and blow off a little steam by training but I've never enjoyed it...." Tears flowed down your cheeks as your voice broke, "I'm not a violent person.... I don't know why I bite....."

In an heartbeat, Bruce pulled you into his chest holding you close as you sobbed out all the emotions you have been hiding for years on end. "Shhhh..... you're okay..... it's not your fault M/N...." Bruce rubbed your back in hoped to comfort you. "That man was a sick person who believed in nothing but cruelty and pain..... but your not that person..... you're a kind, sweet boy who is learning to overcome his past and become an better person for himself." He pulled you face from his chest so he could look you in the eyes. "You are loved here M/N.... you are my son and I won't ever let anything like that happen to you again I swear it..." he smiled warmly at you, hoping you'll calm down and understand his words.

You looked at Bruce as more tears formed in your eyes, but they weren't anger or sad tears like before.... they were happy ones as you smiled small at Bruce in returned which made tears form in his own eyes as well. You hugged him tighter as your head laid on his chest. "Thank you...... dad...." you muttered out causing his heart to melt slightly. You were finally letting your walls down and showing some type of emotion. Everyone was proud of you in that moment as they soon moved forward into a group hug.

272 notes · View notes

solemnarration · 2 years

Text

the girl with the books | r.l

pairings: remus lupin x reader (she/her pronouns) genre(s): marauder era, strangers to lovers, fluff, humour summary: james and sirius notice that it’s not the books that keep remus in the library, and are determined to know whether you – the object of remus’s affection – return his feelings. word count: 3.0k warning(s): none note: this is a 2022 update of the fic of the same name that i wrote back in 2016! my writing has improved by leaps and bounds and i couldn’t help but edit and improve the fic that a few of you seemed to really love :) i hope you enjoy it if you liked the original, or that you find something new to read

The Hogwarts library was the place where you found the most solace. Even on the few days that the Scottish countryside provided undisturbed sunshine, like today, you preferred to curl up with a book on one of the grand wooden tables. You enjoyed your time in the library; reading fiction or researching different topics that you were curious about. While your friends encouraged you to enjoy the warm day with them, you easily waved them off in favour of the dimly lit library.

Remus Lupin could be found in the library as often as you, except it wasn’t the books that kept him coming back. The sight of you sitting in a corner reading by yourself was enough to draw his attention every few minutes. He couldn’t even help himself, his eyes had no choice in the way they continually found your figure, but he was in no place to complain.

Remus sat with his three best friends at the other end of the library, and they were less than happy to be spending the first sunny day of spring in the library rather than bothering the giant squid in the black lake. Now that the weather was no longer freezing, Sirius and James were desperate to cause some mischief, and Peter was happy to comply.

“What is it that you find so fascinating about a hall full of books?” Sirius inquired, lifting a book up from the table, grimacing at the idea of spending his free time reading, and carelessly dropping it back onto the table.

Remus flinched as the sound resonated throughout the library, capturing your attention as you gave the four friends an inquisitive look. For a moment, Remus held his breath, unable to tear his eyes away from you as you gave him a speck of casual attention. Realising it was just James Potter and his friends messing around, you happily returned to your reading without a second thought.

“It’s not about the books, Padfoot,” Remus snapped quietly, glancing away with reddened cheeks, the heat of your gaze on him still warming his body. “And I didn’t force you to be here,” he reminded.

“Well, no,” Sirius sighed. “But it’s terribly tragic for you to spend the first nice day Hogwarts has seen in-“

“A decade,” James chimed in, exaggerating to help Sirius make a point.

“A decade,” Sirius agreed with a nod. “Inside a hall full of books instead of playing outside with us! As your friend, it’s our duty to convince you to abandon this wretched place and do something more fun.”

“Well said, Padfoot,” James agreed, tall frame spread languidly across three chairs in a makeshift bed. “Dare I say, revolutionary. So, black lake, Moony?”

“I’m perfectly content here, thank you very much,” Remus refused, thoroughly entertained by James and Sirius’s usual dramatics.

“Who could be content in such an oppressive place,” Sirius complained, as if he himself didn’t have good grades and didn’t spend time studying in this very library. “Other than Lily,” he added, recognising the smitten glint in James’s eyes that he got every time he brought her up.

“She’s so responsible, my lovely Lily,” James sighed, pleased with himself. “I’m going to marry that girl, just you wait and see. It’s the only reason I come to the library with her.”

“You come to the library to chat up Lily? No wonder you aren’t dating yet,” Sirius teased. As James and Sirius went back and forth poking fun at each other, Peter pondered Remus’s words.

“If you’re not here for the books, what are you here for?” Peter wondered aloud, causing Sirius and James to glance expectantly at their friend.

Remus rolled his eyes, intending to fabricate a fantastic comeback that would distract his three friends, but even the thought of you caused his stare to drift back to where you were, now getting up to choose a different book to check out of the library.

He loved the way you did that. Even if you finished a book in your time at the library, you always made sure to bring a book with you.

Remus loved the way you did everything, really. He had always liked you, ever since you loaned him a quill when he forgot his during Defence Against the Dark Arts. Even now, it was his favourite class just because it made him think of you.

“Moony?” Sirius waved a hand in front of Remus’s face in an attempt to grab his attention. “Remus, what are you staring at?” he followed Remus’s gaze and saw exactly what he was staring at. “Oh,” he said, finally connecting all the very obvious clues together. “It’s not a what, it’s a who,” Sirius practically giggled with glee.

James’s head snapped in your direction, scrambling to sit up and launch himself next to Sirius in an effort to get a good look at you. This commotion once again drew your attention, leading James and Sirius to act as naturally as they could. They picked up the books stacked in front of them and made a big deal out of reading the text aloud, the act so comical and over-the-top that it couldn’t possibly be convincing.

You grinned to yourself, shaking your head in amusement, and slipped behind a bookshelf to look over the Herbology section. Frank Longbottom had recommended a delightful title on growing Dittany and other healing herbs, and you took the older boy’s recommendations very seriously.

Once you were out of sight, James tossed his book thoughtlessly aside, snatching Remus’s book from his grasp to gain his undivided attention. “Who is that, Moony my dear?” James asked, adjusting his glasses. They had slipped down his nose when he whipped his head around to look at you, and the act had made the boy a little dizzy.

“Who?” Remus asked, knowing that his performance was pitiful and unconvincing, and pretending not to understand regardless of this fact. “What do you mean?”

Frustrated that Remus was lying, and subsequently that he was an absolutely terrible liar, Sirius exclaimed, “The girl you were staring at!”

“Who is that girl? Do you know her?” James asked excitedly, taking a more enthusiastic approach than Sirius in hopes that it would make Remus open up about his crush.

“Girl?” Remus repeated, squinted as if he was giving this conversation a real good thought, before widening his eyes sarcastically. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sorry boys.”

James and Sirius shared a look – having a silent conversation that Remus would promptly regret keeping them in the dark about his crush – before rolling their eyes and sighing. They had decided it: they were just going to have to catch you when Remus was gone.

A few hours later, it had darkened considerably since you first entered the library, and once you realised that you had been hauled up in the library for a considerable amount of time, you realised how hungry you were. Perhaps camping out in the library all day without a proper lunch wasn’t your best idea, but at least you knew dinner would be ready soon.

Rising, you stretched your legs before collecting all the books you had flicked through that day and moving to stow them back in their original places on the tall Hogwarts library shelves. Most of them were within a reasonable reach, slotting easily into their previous spots as you strolled happily throughout the library. However, one of the books was at a considerably higher place on the shelf, and you couldn’t put it away even on the tips of your toes.

With a huff of frustration, you stood flat on your feet and were about to reach for your wand when someone took the book from your grasp. “Here,” a voice said from behind you. “Let me help you with that!”

You turned just in time to see Sirius Black easily putting your book away for you, his friend James Potter standing nearby with an uncharacteristic spring in his step. Though James and Sirius were always a ball of energy in the classes you shared with them, the grins they sported today were difficult to identify. Perhaps mischievous would be the best way to describe the perfect simpers on their faces.

“Thanks,” you acknowledged his help with furrowed brows, wondering what Sirius and James could possibly be so ecstatic about. When the two boys simply stared at you, unmoving, you figured that they wanted something from you. “Did you two need something?” you asked, their unwavering smiles growing slightly unnerving.

“Oh!” Sirius seemed to realise that they were staring at you, and how disturbing this might be to a girl they had hardly spoken to. “Right! Yes, actually. We wanted to have a word with you.”

“Okay,” you nodded as if this wasn’t unusual. James and Sirius certainly didn’t seem to think their behaviour was odd, so you figured they were harmless on this particular occasion.

“We were just wondering if you knew Remus,” James explained himself, barely keeping still with excitement. “I mean, you do know him, don’t you?”

You nodded, still weary of where the conversation was leading. Sirius and James were known to be pranksters, and you weren’t sure if you were the next victim of one of their jokes. “Yes, I know Remus,” you confirmed. “He’s your friend, right? I speak to him sometimes when we’re in the library at the same time.” When Sirius and James linked hands and started jumping up and down, utter confusion overwhelmed you. “Uh, why do you ask?”

Noticing your discomfort, James and Sirius stopped jumping in favour of smiling at you. “I’m sorry, what was your name again? We share a few classes but between listening to the Professor and keeping James in check it can be hard to keep up,” Sirius said, his natural charisma making him instantly likeable.

“Y/n,” you introduced yourself.

“Nice to meet you, Y/n,” James said politely. “Now, this may seem quite blunt, but we want to set you up with our friend Remus,” he said matter-of-factly, followed by an encouraging nod from Sirius.

Your eyes widened at the confession. “Oh,” you said awkwardly. “I’m not going to lie, I had no idea that’s what you were going to say.”

“We have that effect on people,” said James, nodding sympathetically, as if people often had this reaction to the things they said. “So? What do you say? Give our mate Remus a chance?”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you shook your head, trying to smile politely.

The smiles on Sirius and James’s faces faded. “Why not?” Sirius inquired, tilting his head to the side as he observed your nervous expression. “Do you not like Remus?”

“Why wouldn’t you like Remus?” James added, appalled and affronted at the mere idea of someone not liking their best friend. “You like reading, don’t you? Well, Remus might even have you beat! He’s the world’s biggest bookworm.”

“Incorrigible,” Sirius agreed. “Can’t get him out of this bloody library. And you aren’t helping, either,” he added.

“I’m not?”

“Of course not!” James exclaimed. “You only keep him here even longer than usual! Even on a day as lovely as this.”

“Perfect for wasting time,” sighed Sirius, lamenting the wonderful day outside they had missed out on. “So, how come you don’t like Remus?”

“That’s not it,” you said hurriedly, struggling to get a word in amongst their quick banter. “It’s just,” you sighed. “Why are you asking me this anyway?” you changed the subject, hoping it would take some of the heat off of you.

Luckily for you, it worked. “Well, Remus seems to have developed a crush on you,” James said casually, as if he wasn’t bearing one of his best friends’ deepest secret. Well, second deepest secret. “It’s really quite adorable. All the typical crush symptoms. You know, longing gazes,” James began listing the many qualities he had noticed in Remus during the last few hours. “Romantic, hopeless sighing whenever you’re around, losing focus, refusing to play with his best friends even on a day as perfect as this.”

“The list goes on!” Sirius exclaimed. You had to smile at the two friends, not only were they quite comical, but they seemed to be buzzing with endless energy. “I think it would benefit you to give Remus a chance. He’s rather attractive, our friend.”

“Though, not as attractive as us,” James added, winking to show that he was joking.

“Well we can’t hold everyone to such impossible standards,” Sirius said sympathetically, nodding to himself. “Still, he’s quite attractive! Charming and kind, too. All the things girls like. So are you in?”

“Well,” you stammered, feeling your face burning with embarrassment when you saw how intently Sirius and James were looking at you.

To save you from your answer, the sound of Remus’s footsteps and voice interrupted your sentence. “What are you boys still doing here,” he froze when he came into view, noticing the way Sirius and James had cornered you. “Y/n?” he asked, the picture of you hanging out with his two best friends nothing short of foreign and unfamiliar. Remus sighed in annoyance when he saw Sirius and James exchange guilty faces. “What have these two told you?” he asked you, already dreading your answer.

“We didn’t tell her much,” Sirius said, quick to defend their actions. “We’ve just been… talking,” he added, purposely leaving out the subject matter. James nodded rigorously, smiling innocently at Remus with visible panic in his eyes.

“I’ll talk to you both later,” Remus said to his friend, tone firm and borderline scolding. Then, he faced you with what looked like an apologetic smile. “Do you need help putting that away?” he asked, nudging his head to the last two books in your arms

You smiled, instantly more comfortable now that Remus was there. With a nod, you left Sirius and James behind in favour of putting your books away. “Listen,” Remus began, gently taking your books and putting them on the correct shelf in the Herbology section. “I’m really sorry for whatever Sirius and James said,” he let out a nervous laugh, easily reaching the high shelves thanks to his tall height.

“Don’t be,” you shrugged, charmed by Remus’s very presence. Something about Remus’s gentle spirit contrasted comfortably with Sirius and James’s craziness, and it settled your heart in a wonderful way. “They meant well, I think,” you smiled up at Remus. “Your friends are really nice.”

“I wouldn’t say nice, perhaps deranged is more accurate,” Remus joked, a pleased smile gracing his lips when you laughed. “But they’re pretty great. I can always count on them to say things I’m too scared to say,” he admitted, trailing off into a comfortable silence.

“I don’t know about them being deranged, but they did have some interesting things to say,” you admitted, fully intending to tease Remus once you realised his friends were telling the truth. He really did have a crush on you. “All about crushes, and longing gazes,” you added, grinning when you saw Remus turn slightly pink at your insinuation.

Remus groaned, lifting his hands to cover his face in embarrassment. “Oh Merlin,” he muttered, nervous laughter bubbling from his mouth. “I’m so sorry! If anything they said made you uncomfortable, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” you shook your head. “I wasn’t uncomfortable. Stunned by the sheer force of their energy? Definitely. But not uncomfortable. I guess it was just hard to believe,” you admitted. “Still is, really.”

“What, that I fancy you?” Remus asked, uncovering his eyes once you assured him that you weren’t upset. “Why is that hard to believe?”

“I don’t know, you’re… Remus Lupin,” you explained terribly. “You’re a Gryffindor and you’re funny and popular. Your friends didn’t even know what my name was and I’ve been in your class for nearly six years now,” you recalled, shrugging your shoulders good-naturedly.

“Sirius and James hardly remember their own names, I wouldn’t take it personally,” Remus wisecracked, though there was a seriousness in his eyes that made you believe his words. “Besides, the trouble is only just starting!” he added. “Now that they know your name, you won’t be able to get rid of them.”

“Sounds terrifying,” you joked back, grinning.

“There’s no escaping those two,” Remus said dramatically. “I’ve been trying to shake them for six years now, but they don’t seem to care.”

“Maybe I should change my name,” you offered.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Remus burst out, laughing at your banter. You grinned at each other, so absorbed with the other person that you didn’t notice Sirius and James poke their heads around the shelf to eavesdrop on your conversation. “Y/n, do you think,” Remus paused, intimidated by the adorable way in which you turned your head and smiled at him. You were overwhelmingly perfect, and it was really starting to distract the poor boy. “Would you maybe…”

“Would I maybe?” you encouraged.

“Would you maybe want to go to Hogsmeade with me? This upcoming weekend? If you’re not busy that weekend, I mean,” Remus said, barely getting the words out without struggling.

“Oh,” the smile on your face widened almost impossibly so. “I think I might be busy,” Remus’s face dropped, eyes averting to his feet to hide his disappointment. “Changing my name to avoid these two boys I just met. However, their friend is pretty cute, so perhaps I could postpone my plans,” you added quickly, not wanting your joke to go badly.

Remus’s head rose quickly to meet your eyes, a relieved sigh leaving him. “Really?” he asked rhetorically, and before you could confirm your answer, you heard loud cheering come from beside you. Within seconds, James and Sirius leapt out from behind you and tackled Remus into a hug.

“Yeah Remus!”

“That’s our best friend!”

“Our best friend is finally going on a date!”

“Don’t scare her off,” Remus warned, pushing James away as he started peppering kisses across his face. “Seriously, stop it,” he laughed, not meaning a single word.

“No,” Sirius said proudly, pulling you in to join their hug. “Y/n’s just going to have to get used to us.”

You quite liked the sound of that.

6K notes · View notes

sprout-fics · 4 months

Text

Hellebore

(Simon "Ghost" Riley x F!Medic "Fix" Reader)

Part Five of Snowblind

Rating: PG-13 Wordcount: 5.5k Tags: Slow Burn, Found Family, Taskforce 141, Team Dynamics, Reunions, Fluff, Slow Build, Team Bonding, Jealous Ghost, Protective Ghost, Soft Ghost, Crushes Warnings: None A/N: (See Ao3 for full author's notes)

It’s a snowy Tuesday night in November when you come back to the team.

Ghost and the others arrive at the group’s usual haunt well before you do, and Price chuffs a little amused sound when he reads your message about being held up because of a baggage issue upon arrival. It’s not a worry. The team is in no rush. It just so happens that Laswell is chasing leads following the team’s most recent deployment, which means the task force has a rare week of tranquility between grueling deployments.

The pub is lively in the way only local places are- filled with familiar faces of neighbors and friends from the next town over. There’s no soldiers here besides themselves, and Ghost prefers it that way. Most of the younger gents from base tend to frequent the rowdier, louder bars- getting into brawls that spill out onto the streets and singing drunkenly along to the radio. The pub owner here refuses to entertain that type of behavior. Fortunately for the team, Price knows the fellow, and as a result the five of you are allowed an almost private sanctuary well away from the riotous demeanor of the younger recruits in their spare time.

It’s the perfect place to welcome you back into the fold.

It’s been three and a half long months.

Three and a half months of deployments, of irregular schedules, of sleeping in mice infested safe houses or camped out on desert bluffs. Evil never sleeps, Ghost had been told once when he was a younger man, and it meant neither did the 141. In the weeks they weren’t on mission, buried deep behind enemy lines or radio dark, the team had been training new troops to assist them on assignment. It had been a long, slow grind, one Ghost was accustomed too. Yet he, like the others, was grateful for a well deserved reprieve- even if it meant tackling the paperwork leftover from their time away from base.

He did notice, however, the silence in between him and the other three men on the team. Ghost often found himself checking his six, feeling the phantom absence of someone who was supposed to be in front of him. At least once a week he would step into a room with the others and pause, feeling the instinctual twinge of something missing- a presence that he’d never realized had ingrained itself into his awareness.

He noticed it in the way Soap seemed to come bother him more often these days, needing a listening ear, someone to impishly pester when Gaz tired of him. Ghost took note of the way Gaz hesitated on a fifth MRE pack when distributing food on mission. He saw it in the way Price turned just as he did, mouth halfway open to speak to someone who wasn’t there before remembering himself.

In the silence, the shadow of you lingered in them all.

Ghost remembered. He remembered from the first second he had last seen you- the way that your eyes had found his from your hospital bed as he’d lingered in the doorway. He remembered from the strangled call of his name he couldn’t answer, and the deafening boom of your voice as your chest emptied itself at Price, screaming for a recognition you would never give yourself. He remembered the uncomfortable squirming sensation in his stomach, like earthworms digging through graveyard dirt as he tried to absolve himself of the regret for letting you go without saying so much as a goodbye.

“There’s our lady of the hour!” Soap crows as you finally step inside from the winter chill, shrugging off a small smattering of flurries from your jacket. Ghost blinks under his mask as he takes you in, noticing instantly the way the coloring of your face has improved since your gaunt appearance trapped in his memory, the way you’ve added a little bit of weight that speaks of a good diet. Your hair is longer than he remembers, but as you turn your eyes to him he feels a recognition simmer to the surface.

It’s still you.

Simon is the last to rise with the others, hovering back as Soap and Gaz quickly embrace you, smothering you with their larger frames. You instantly return the gesture with a pleased laugh, eyes glimmering. Soap makes a point to squeeze you just a little too tight, and Simon feels an inward curl of amusement as you bat at the Scot’s back, wheezing for reprieve.

“You look good, Fix.” Price offers, quieter than the two sergeants, and something shines in your gaze as you turn towards the captain with a murmur of thanks. Simon observes the look in Price’s eyes as the captain smiles down at you. There’s trust there, in the same way he holds for the rest of his team. The ever-present sternness is gentled, somehow, eyes forever focused but gaze warm in a way that speaks of fondness.

Then you turn to Ghost.

“Fix.” He offers, and despite the curtness there’s a relief there that he allows to bleed through into his voice.

“Long time no see, LT.” You tell him, grinning ear to ear, and Ghost feels the remainder of...something tug distantly in his chest, long forgotten but not yet erased.

It’s gone before he can question it as Gaz tugs you over towards the group’s usual table and Price enlists Ghost’s help in ferrying a round of drinks back towards the booth. Soap distributes them easily, knowing each of the team’s preferences by heart. A whiskey neat for Price and Ghost each, a Guinness for him, a rum and coke for Gaz, and something suspiciously colorful and fruity for you. Ghost watches as Soap teases your choice of beverage, going so far as to taste it and make a face that has you shoving playfully at his shoulder.

“They didn’t push you out of the plane then.” Ghost offers when you turn to him expectantly, leg crossed and one arm slung around the corner of the booth comfortably.

Soaps rolls his eyes. “What Ghost means is that he’s happy to see you, hen.” The Scot supplies, and you only grin.

“You’re the one that oversaw my HALO training, Ghost. Pretty sure it was you that pushed me out of an airplane.”

Ghost shrugs. “You survived.”

You laugh, and once more that strange flickering feeling flutters in Ghost’s chest.

He studiously ignores it, instead opting to observe you as you turn to chatter to Price. There’s a weariness to your shoulders that speaks of jet-lag, and your clothes are slightly rumpled from being contained to your duffle for the long flight, but your smile is warm and your eyes are bright as you laugh at something Gaz says.

The conversation goes on, and Soap gets up for several long minutes, only to arrive back with several carefully balanced plates of snacks that are quickly set upon by the table. Ghost refrains, watching instead as you devour the food in front of you, adding something about how the military plane you were on didn’t have first class service.

“Getting spoiled back in the states, eh?” Soap nudges you.

You pause. Something flickers in your gaze. It’s gone before the others can notice, but Ghost pauses, mulling over the flash of whatever it was in his mind’s eye.

He’s seen that look before.

Ghost observes you idly as the rest of the team focuses on you, blinking slowly and letting his thoughts churn like the slow, amber haze of the whiskey in his tumbler. If you notice his unwavering stare you give no indication, and it allows Ghost to dip into the recesses of his mind, consider the woman before him now, trying to find the thread of memory that speaks of the something he saw for briefest of moments when you were confronted with the thought of home.

So, he starts from the beginning.

It had been two months before the Nepal mission, the one with the proximity of your freezing form forming a memory that itches under Ghost’s skin. He’d been surprised at first at Price’s introduction of you to the team, biting down on a comment of why Laswell would send a goddamn rookie out into the field alongside trained killers with years of experience. He’d withheld the comment, focusing instead on Price’s approval and Laswell’s recommendation, both of which lent weight to his respect for someone who he couldn’t help but think looked so young.

It’d been the eyes he noticed first.

Ghost knows the eyes of soldiers who have killed, and knows that something bright dies inside them at the act of taking a life. He’s spent enough years in the military to discern those who kill enemies, and those who kill for sport. Yet your eyes, facing forward, as if gazing expectantly into an unknown future, were somehow neither of those things. It was a strange paradox, one Ghost chalked immediately up to inexperience and naivety. He’d been half right of course, though neither of those things were any fault of your own. As a medic you’d seen less active combat than some of your comrades, but it didn’t extinguish the impressive set of skills that came with your file. A well- trained sniper, skilled in intelligence analysis, used to operating in areas of high conflict under less than ideal conditions. A note from Laswell stated you’d not only helped save the survivors of a suicide attack on Camp Lemonnier, but had been able to parse clues about the specifics of the attack in the process. Young, promising, with a very good career in the CIA ahead of you should you choose to pursue it.

Yet there was something about your eyes Ghost couldn’t shake in the weeks following meeting you. It wasn’t the lingering innocence there that would soon change, nor was it the focus and drive he had witnessed in your stare. Instead, Ghost wondered if, in your expectant and ready stare into the future, if you had ever dared to look behind you.

As if you couldn’t stand the thought of your own shadow.

Ghost couldn’t help but wonder what was hiding there, the things you refused to speak of.

He wondered, distantly, if they somehow mirrored his own.

Ghost had watched you adjust to your new surroundings with determination yet trepidation- straddling an aleatory balance between pure ambition and fatalistic doubt in your own abilities and self worth. Ghost watched you catalog your own mistakes, swallow down the acrid, bitter taste of failure and replace it with a resolve so deep it cracked at the marrow of your bones. You never complained, never tried to avoid the tasks before you, never expressed an inch of doubt in the team- only in yourself.

Ghost fully expected it to break you, the pressure of your own expectations on top of the crushing weight of responsibility that came with your new assignment to the 141. He’d watched you from afar with an admitted amount of disdain for the first few weeks you had settled in, waiting for the breakdown that would have you confess you weren’t cut out for this, that you were leaving. Yet you refused to speak of your doubts for a single moment, as if voicing your own fears was a failure in of itself. Instead you buried it deep inside, allowing the earth underneath your feet to drag you down with the force of gravity, swallowing you whole in hopes the blinding pressure would someday yield not broken bones, but diamond dust.

There was a small amount of sympathy Ghost held for you, reminded in some ways of the once wounded thing he was long ago, after the thing he’d long since tried to forget. Grave dirt filling his mouth and choking his airway, and the thing that had crawled out from hell had been broken just as well. Yet where you held sorrow, grief, for the secrets inside you, Simon held only fury for the things of which he was robbed.

Why you weren’t furious, blazing bright for all to see, remains a mystery in of itself.

Tightly coiled, shoulders tense, fists clenched at your sides as you’d raised yourself from the dirt of the sparring ring in the glorious temperance of mid September. Dirt under your fingernails, shoulders shaking, and in your eyes then too there had been grief. Ghost had put you on your back again and again on purpose, he’ll admit that. A test to see if you’d stay down after being tossed there one too many times by him- the man you looked towards in the thick of gunfire, of battle, as if he was somehow your northern star that you could align yourself with when you didn’t trust yourself.

Yet bruised, scuffed, you’d stood again with those same eyes. Looking forward instead of inward, a righteous fury tamed only by the reflexive disbelief in yourself.

He couldn’t stand it.

If you could see, if only you could see the things you were capable of, the things Ghost knew you could accomplish, then the shadow you refused to look at wouldn’t nip at your heels and send you hurtling into catastrophic, paralyzing doubt. Maybe you wouldn’t look to Ghost to find the way forward and instead trust yourself to forge ahead without the guidance of your team- emblazoning a trail ahead for them to follow.

If only you could see yourself in the way Ghost saw you.

Never your failures. Never anything else but you.

Just you.

Ghost had allowed you the victory of winning the match in hopes it would bolster your confidence, chip away at the thing inside you that festered doubt like a macabre bloom rotting inside the hollow of your chest. He’d hoped it would have been enough to allow you to see your worth for what it is.

For a while, it seemed it had. You trusted yourself more often, listened to your own intuition, didn’t hesitate as much in the field. Though you still looked to Ghost, your eyes had shifted from the gaze of someone who looked to the future in anticipation of the worst, and into that of a soldier learning to shape the future to your will. Ghost could see the way the team, who had long since adopted you as one of their own, watched your slow journey with pride, remaining by your side if you were to fall.

Would they, if only you would have allowed yourself to be caught.

Catch you he did, as he’d watched your legs crumple beneath your wounded figure, arms cradling you even as you protested his attention to the injury you’d tried to conceal. Biting down all complaints in your paralytic fear of failure, compressing down until you’d shaken and trembled in his arms- begging him to look away from the thing you saw yourself as.

“I didn’t want you to see.”

Him, who had been able to see you since the very beginning.

By all accounts, that should have been the end of it. Terminated from the task force due to pure negligence- an inoperable failure by the soldier designated as their medic. Price had been ready to do so, as he sat by your bedside in the hospital, eyes heavy as they rested on your comatose form.

“We can’t do this to her, Simon.” He’d murmured to his lieutenant, hovering near the door, arms crossed and observing the ashen pallor of your face with a bitter, sour sort of emotion he couldn’t quite place.

Simon listening silently, eyes focused entirely on you. Your shallow breathing had become ingrained in his memories twice now. The first in Venezuela, when a bullet had pierced you through and Simon himself had handed you to the medics with a small, scant prayer to a God he stopped believing in long ago.

Not this one. Not yet.

You’d fought then, pulled through despite the blood, the gore, the desperate lack of air your injury had rendered you. Constantly fighting despite your doubts, trying to claw your way out of a grave of your own design even as earth tumbled downwards onto your striving form.

“She’s doing it to herself.” Ghost told his friend and captain, and Price had looked at him for the first time, suddenly seeing the thing Ghost had witnessed all this time.

Right he had been, for as he stood outside the hospital room listening to Price’s conversation with you, the blazing fury Simon felt inside himself had spilled from your lips as well.

“I HAVE EVERYTHING TO PROVE!!”

Hiding behind the excuse of trying to appease them because you hated yourself, trying to prove your worth to the team even though you were just trying to find reasons to justify your own existence to your fractured soul.

There had been a moment after Soap and Gaz had arrived back to Price and Ghost, despondent and despairing at your rejection, where Ghost had considered the possibility that this time you would stay down.

Yet, in some ways a miracle, and in some way entirely expected, here you are.

Ghost allows himself to take in all the tiny details as you preoccupy yourself with showing off photos to Gaz on your phone. The sergeant crowds in close, and on your other side Soap cranes his head to see properly, complaining about the lack of attention until you reveal the photos to him as well. You’re smiling in a way Ghost has never seen before, and it makes something inside his stomach flip in that strange, foreign sort of flutter he can’t understand.

“Do you want to see, LT?” You ask, and Ghost blinks, nods mutely as he leans in to look at a landscape picture of autumn colors from Virginia. You look at him expectantly, and it takes effort for Ghost to not blink in surprise at the new, glimmering light in your eyes. Honest, yes, focused, but...happy.

He nods again silently, offering a little hum, and it seems to be enough for you as you lean across the table to show Price as well. The captain says something Ghost doesn’t make out beyond the odd thump of his heartbeat in his ears.

That flutter again. The one that makes his chest go strangely warm and tight.

Maybe he’s finally developing a heart murmur. Wouldn’t surprise him, given his line of work.

Yet the more he dwells on it, the more he realizes this isn’t the first time this sort of reaction has happened. No, as Ghost considers, he can recall a dozen different instances of something vaguely similar- an unnamed sort of self consciousness that began from the moment he met your eyes for the first time.

In training, when you’d looked at him after that first successful HALO-jump, hair wild, eyes wide, chest heaving with exhilaration but pride showing through for the first time he’d ever seen it. You’d looked to him for praise at your perfect performance, and Ghost had scarcely managed a ‘That’ll do’ before turning away from you with his chest clenching oddly.

In the field, propped alongside him flat against a rooftop staring through your rifle scope. Completely still, unmoving, scarcely breathing as you’d watched the target from a distance, not even flinching when Ghost instructed you to drop him. A single shot, and the slow exhale you’d released told multitudes of your own uncertainty at succeeding.

In a dim safehouse, where you’d dressed after your shower but your hair had clung damp to your exposed shoulders- an odd sort of sight that Ghost felt almost voyeuristic in witnessing. Vulnerable as you’d tugged a jacket over your sports bra, not seeming to notice the gaze trained on the sloping panes of your back.

Back at base, with your exhausted form crumpling into your bunk without even bothering to remove your gear. Ghost, who should have ignored you, chose instead to methodically remove your knee braces, your helmet, vest, your boots as you’d slept unaware. He’d meant to chew you out for not checking in your gear before falling asleep, but he never got the chance.

When you’d stood beside him after the sparring match, gazing towards the future as you were informed of your next assignment, Ghost had watched those eyes once more alight with something that pulled dangerously inside him. When he’d landed a hand on your shoulder, had offered a rare instance of praise, the strangeness inside him only grew warmer by the way your expression had changed into that of pride.

In Nepal, in the midnight darkness, when your trembling voice had whispered to him in the dark, only to grow pliant in his arms as his rumbling voice had echoed the truth he’d kept tightly concealed since the moment you first turned your gaze on him.

“I see you. Just you.”

Just you.

Ghost realizes he’s been silent for some time in his musings, which garners him a few sideways glances from the rest of the team. When Soap huffs a laugh and spouts some sort of Scottish gibberish, Ghost levels a look at him and reminds him with a small “English, MacTavish.” Which makes the Scot grumble further until you nudge an arm into his side.

“Tired?” Price murmurs, leaning imperceptibly closer to Ghost to question him in a tone the others can’t hear, and Ghost shrugs noncommittally. He could say yes as a means of covering his vaguely odd behavior, but then he’d hear some sort of remark from Price about sleeping properly- of which he doesn’t need a reminder.

“Blackball.” Gaz states solidly as he stands from the table a minute or so later.

“Pass.” Ghost states blandly, and adjusts in the space Gaz has left, spreading his legs wider so he’s more comfortable. Gaz shoots him an almost pouting look, and Ghost only blinks blankly back at him, to which the sergeant shrugs and looks at you.

“I’m rusty.” You confess sheepishly under his gaze, and before you can say anything else Soap is slinging an arm around your shoulders.

“We’ll teach ya.” The Scot offers, and Ghost can tell from the slight sway in his balance as he rises that the Scot is pleasantly tipsy- surprising, given his tolerance.

The three of you shuffle off towards the back end of the pub, and in your absence Price rises with a small groan from his chair.

“I’ll be heading out then.” He announces, gathering himself before placing a card down on the table. “My treat. Keep an eye on them, won’t you Simon?”

Ghost shoots his captain a withering look.

“No promises.” He tells him after a long pause, but he knows just by looking at Price’s smug expression that the captain knows it’s a lie. His second in command, asshole by design yet unable to not watch the six of his teammates.

“If you say so.” Price calls over his shoulder, and Ghost watches as he shrugs on his coat, the door chiming as he steps into the coming snow.

Ghost huffs, turns his attention towards the back of the pub where the younger trio has wandered off. Gaz, with his seemingly endless charm and amicability, has managed to snag the lone pool table out from under one of the other parties, who instead wander past Ghost towards the bar in search of another round. In their wake, Soap rambles the game’s rules to you, demonstrating his long reach with one of the billiard sticks as you nod studiously. There’s a slight scrunch to your brow that speaks of focus.

Loathe as he is to admit it, it’s...disarmingly charming.

He needs another drink.

Rather than rising for the bar, however, Ghost abandons the table and makes for the toilet. It’s only after he’s washing his hands that he pauses, looks up to the mirror placed on the wall and into his reflection.

He chose a simple balaclava tonight, dark eye paint not entirely smudged away from his time on base earlier. Yet it’s gone enough that he can make out the blonde of his eyelashes, the rims of his eyes that speak of pale skin.

Once there’d been a man there, in the mirror. Not much older than you, he thinks. Proud, arrogant, but dedicated and loyal to his duty.

Innocent, unknowing of the things that were to become of him.

Distantly, Simon wonders if maybe one day you’ll wear a mask too.

and silently, he realizes you already do.

Yet the thing hiding underneath your smile, your laughter, the blazing look in your eyes is not the shell of a broken man who has lost everything but has chosen to soldier on for the sake of doing something worth fighting for. No, the thing beneath your mask strives to claw out from the grave of grief you’ve found yourself in, dirt caught under your fingernails and voice choked of air as you fight to become the person you present yourself as. As someone who is free. Happy.

Like watching hellebore unfurl from the frost of a snowy mountain you can never seem to find the summit of.

and Ghost watches from below as the ascending shadow of you eclipses the rising sun.

When he makes his way back to the main room he finds the pub has begun to empty, the late hour beckoning folks home, and the incoming snowstorm hurrying those left behind. Gaz and Soap seem to pay the worsening weather no mind, if the clack of billiard balls is any indication. They talk in comfortable, slurring words, and Ghost distantly wonders if they’ll be hungover tomorrow. Maybe he should have them oversee the rookie drills. Just to be an ass about it.

Yet Ghost instantly notices you’ve wandered from the pool table back towards the bar, perched on a barstool and chatting to some young fellow beside you as the bartender makes more drinks.

Ghost feels his eyes narrow.

The bloke seems younger than you by a spring and then some, confident in the way of men his age. He seems to be doing most of the talking, and while to an outsider it may seem friendly enough, Ghost notices the way the man’s eyes dip to your lips as you politely smile and sip your drink, listening to him make small talk.

Ghost observes your eyes, the ease of your shoulders. You don’t seem uncomfortable, not with the way you smile back at him as Ghost passes behind you back in the direction of the booth. The fellow you’re talking to briefly glances over his shoulder, and does a double take at the skull mask wearing shadow behind his back before turning his attention back to you. Yet there’s a rigidity to his spine now, the sensation that he’s being watched.

Which, he shouldn’t be really. Ghost isn’t entirely sure himself why he’s observing the scene so closely, and even makes a point to tear his gaze away and pull out his phone for a bit. Yet he can’t stop the odd itchiness under his skin, the same instinct he has on the field. Sidelong glances at the bar reveal your conversation partner leaning in, his voice dipping an octave, how he barks a laugh at something you say.

You don’t seem to notice the gent’s clear interest in you, and that makes Ghost’s awareness itch with an odd sensation he can’t completely place. For his credit, the fellow doesn’t set off actual alarm bells in Ghost’s acutely tuned threat perception. In any other context, Ghost wouldn’t spare him a second glance. Yet now, with the way he tilts his head at you and smiles as you talk, Simon feels an odd discomfort brewing in the center of his stomach, like an inky pool of emotion he shouldn’t allow himself.

He should leave well enough alone.

Instead, he surprises himself by rising from his chair and trying to not stalk over to the bar so much as ease by catching your conversation partner’s eyes and murmuring something about an ID dropped in the bathroom.

The man pales, and Simon isn’t entirely sure if he truly believes the lie, or is simply intimidated by the hulking masked soldier grumbling at him. Either way he excuses himself, and Ghost makes a point to lean down into your ear as you watch him vanish.

“He’s bad news.” Ghost lies through his teeth.

You blink, gaze up at him in surprise with parted lips. “You really think so? He seemed nice.”

Ghost is silent, trying to ignore how that pit in his stomach seems to ease with the man’s absence. You seem to take his silence for an affirmation, nodding to yourself and sighing.

“I guess I should probably clear out before he comes back then.” You remark, finishing the remainder of your drink and catching Soap’s eye to gesture your exit. Soap makes a pout, but gives you a thumbs up.

“I’ll see you back at base, Ghost.” You tell him, easing off your stool and swaying only slightly. “Don’t stay out too late, it’s bad for your health.”

Says the woman that works alongside trained killers. Ghost thinks wryly.

Yet before you can make it five steps, Ghost surprises himself again.

“I’ll drive you back.”

You pause, blink at him, before a smile crawls across your face and you nod eagerly.

“Won’t leave me to the elements?” You ask, and Ghost wonders if you too are thinking of your shivering form caught in his arms in Nepal.

“No.” He responds quietly, sliding Price’s card across the bar to clear the team’s tab before following you out into the snow.

The bloke from before rounds the corner to the toilet just as Ghost hovers on the threshold, waiting for you to shrug on your jacket just outside. Ghost catches a single glimpse of recognition, of realization in the man’s eyes before the door jingles behind the two of you as it closes.

Ghost tries to ignore what this clearly looks like. What it actually is.

Snowflakes chase you into the car as you sidle into the passenger seat, catching on your hair. You shiver a little and tuck your jacket tighter around you.

“You should wear something warmer next time.” He finds himself saying over the start of the engine, and you offer him a bemused look.

“Looking out for me, Ghost?”

More than you know.

Yet Ghost doesn’t offer anything, shrugging noncommittally and turning on the radio to fill the silence. Cheery Christmas music instantly echoes through the tinny speakers and Simon reflexively shuts it off as soon as it starts, before the bitter taste of memory can poison his mouth. He expects you to call him on it, but instead you huff, shake your head.

“It’s not even Thanksgiving back in the states yet.” You complain. “I swear they start earlier every year.”

Simon hums as he turns onto the road. “Holiday plans?” He asks mildly, and notices the way you stiffen out of the corner of his eye.

That grief again.

“Probably some mice infested safehouse in a far corner of the world.” You reply after a beat. “Away in a manger and all that.”

That startles a snort from him. You turn to Ghost at the sound, eyes wide.

“You laughed.” You observe in awe, and Ghost gives you a momentary glance before shaking his head.

“Did not.”

“You did!”

“Had a snowflake in my nose.”

“Under the mask?”

“Mm.”

You huff, slumping in your seat a bit, but when Ghost glances at you out of the corner of his eye, he can see you smiling.

The silence lapses, fortunately, and Ghost is relieved to find you don’t try to fill the void. Instead you watch the snowy road ahead with drooping eyes, head nodding with the weight of a long journey and energetic evening. Eventually, he watches your eyes shutter close, and feels himself relaxing in response.

It would be frustrating, how much you trust him. Trusting him to get you back safe, to fall asleep beside him, believing him when he chases off a man with pure intentions only for the transgression of getting too close. You trust him to watch your six, to keep you alive, to drag you to safety. You trust him enough to push you out of airplanes only so he can catch you.

If it were anyone else, Ghost would be furious at you for being so blindingly accepting of them. Yet Ghost, in his seemingly infinite selfishness, soaks it in like the warmth of a rising sun. Like he himself emerges gingerly from the frost.

The lights of the town go by quietly, and in the lingering sound of festive lullabies Ghost is reminded of things passed- of the deadly cold and the searing heat of flames. He’s reminded of the grief he recognizes in your own eyes, wondering silently how it is you’ve found the strength to accomplish it despite it all and to keep smiling.

Silently, in the frost of his own heart, Simon tucks away a quiet warmth that’s begun to unfurl.

Tag List:

Please reply to or reblog this post with 'taglist' to be tagged in future updates. If you would like to be removed from the taglist, please DM me.

@dankest-farrik @zwiiicnziiix @moondirti @sritashimada @ladiilokii @sandinthemachine @verdandis-blog @guyfieriiii @fan-of-encouragement @starlitnotes @rentaldarling @mockerycrow @atenceladusiaawfytbwb @tinykaka @dumb-djarin @homicidal-slvt @selinn777 @nachtcirce @jujubashow @mutuallimbenclosure @kkinky @trash-boi-4-life @scatter-mind001 @alittlefansthings @allaboutirem0 @keiva1000 @makariaspresence @achelois-is-here @nightingale-ghost-writer @altered-delta @thetimidsarcasticcat @nestaarcheronss @bitchykittenconnoisseur @ghxstyops @whotfislynn @gazs-blue-hat @obi-wansorrow @liltofu99 @thatswhyilovetheghost @devilsfoodcake22 @dumb-fawkin-bitch @hlo-kty @children-of-epiales @definitelyanonymous @queenquazar @alicesfracturedmirror @stillinracooncity @paigetaylor628

#simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x you #simon ghost x reader #Simon ghost riley x oc #ghost x reader #simon ghost riley x ofc #reader insert #cod x reader #fic: shadow and bone #oc: fix #fic: snowblind

319 notes · View notes

secondhandsorrows · 4 months

Text

3 Quick Tips on Writing Dialogue

Okay… so one of the biggest writing hurdles I often face is writing dialogue. Good dialogue. I know such a statement can be pretty subjective, but there’s something to dialogue that demands attention. There’s things involved like subtext, purpose, characterization, and sense of realism. On the other hand, there’s also character voice, expression, body language, and dialogue tags (sparingly, if you can)… all of which can be important, too. Sometimes it’s tricky for me to get a handle on writing dialogue that sounds natural, less stilted, and more as though the characters are real and conversing like we humans would (not to say dialogue should include unnecessary filler-words and repetitions we tend to overuse in our day-to-day conversations).

Today, I’m going to share three quick tips I’ve accumulated from research and from my own experiences in creative fiction workshops on improving your dialogue.

1. Avoid needless filler-words and phrases.

Let’s just get this one out of the way. I know this was already mentioned a few sentences ago, but it needs to be further cemented. This is the kind of fluff that we use in day-to-day chatter, like misused grammar, useless small talk, and talking in circles that, more often than not, comes across as boring and trivial. We may think this is a good way to create realistic dialogue, but alas, there is such thing as too-realistic dialogue. Focus instead on crafting dialogue that sounds as natural as possible. At least, try to get rid of the fluff, or use it with caution, as it may bog down your pacing and slow down your readers.

This doesn’t mean you can’t utilize some small talk, repetitions, filler words, or speech patterns like stammering. Rules are sometimes meant to be bent, just a little. It can be used to create distinctions between unique character voices, lighten the mood, express an emotion that is being felt, if you know where to put them. Dialogue can — and should — be personalized to each character.

This brings me to the next point:

2. Refrain from revealing too much information at once.

Not only is this considered info-dumping, but giving away a ton of detail in a piece of dialogue can come across as stiff and out-of-place. Though it may seem convenient to utilize dialogue as a way to pass information to the reader without getting all repetitive or boring within the narrative, it tends to break away from what the character (or a real person) might actually say. Especially when it’s given to a character that has no reason or incentive to recite drawn-out exposition to give the reader some background. This can be attributed to being uncharacteristic.

Try tweaking it as to fit your character’s voice: their mood, how they communicate their values, which aspects they find more important to discuss, which topics they actively avoid or tend to overlook. Also keep in mind who they’re speaking to, and whether or not they need to hear the information, as well.

3. Think about what is being left un-said.

Now, I’ve mentioned subtext quite a bit, already. Subtext, as the definition goes from Literaryterms.net, is “the unspoken or less obvious meaning or message in a literary composition, drama, speech, or conversation.” Knowing this, we can implicitly communicate to the reader covertly a truer meaning or mood within a conversation or interaction between characters: that a character is smiling through a grimace trying to look as if he’s enjoying what his friend had cooked for him when in reality he’s forcing it to spare their feelings. Or, when a woman says “she’s fine” when actually she’s not fine (real). Her answer is forced, her tone clipped, her arms are firmly crossed and she’s angling herself away. How about when a character is pining for another? They might stammer over their words and are prone to blushing whenever they’re around.

There’s a lot of different ways you can go about using subtext. I probably could’ve added a lot more, but all I want to say for now is that the beauty of subtext allows to stir interest and to further character examination, especially in dialogue. There is more that can be said, but the characters may choose not to. It could also be used to hint at the reader, to foreshadow, facilitate themes, make contradictions, to build tension and emotion… there’s internal conflict that can be explored here. Let your characters tell their own stories in their own, unique ways.

That’s all, for now. Hope this helped!

#writer tips #writing process #creative writing #writing advice #fiction #character dialogue #writing #writing dialogue #dialogue tips #writing tips #character #on writing #story tips #subtext #writeblr #books #bookblr

105 notes · View notes

leeknowbuttsmasher · 9 months

Text

paper rings.

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭

࣭genre: fluff

featuring: Ranpo x Female reader

word count: 0.5k

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭ ࣭

ranpo was determined, determined to make your day better by gifting you something special. well it all started when he saw you post this one song called paper rings on your story and that's when he knew that you would love this little gift of his.

never did ranpo ever think that he'd end up so frustrated while making a paper ring, his desk littered with colourful sheets and a pair of scissors, going through all the difficulties just to create a simple yet a thoughtful gift.

after hours of work and countless mistakes he was finally able to make one using his own creativity and skills, though it didn't look as good as he wanted it to, he was still satisfied by whatever he had created.

"i hope she likes this" was all he could think of as he secured the ring in a small box, he couldn't wait to reach back home and see your reaction.

he felt a tingle run down his spine as he looked at you. he didn't expect himself to react in such a way—he could feel the warmth inside his chest, the beating of his heart, and the sudden rush of emotions.

looking down at the paper ring in his hand, it wasn't that he couldn't afford anything better, he knew that you deserved more than just a poorly glued paper ring but he also knew that the ring was a gift like no other.

without wasting another moment he called you out, holding out the small box where he had placed the ring earlier.

"what's this?" you asked with a tint of excitement in your tone.

"find it out yourself" he said as he placed the box in her palms. though his face showed no signs of nervousness— the boy was shaking inside, watching you nervously as you opened the box.

as you opened the box revealing whatever was in there, your eyes lit up with joy and surprise. you were overwhelmed by the feeling of love and gratefulness.

"did you make it?" she asked, she knew he did it and she couldn't find a way to express how good she felt at ranpo's sweet gesture.

"you like it?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"i love it!" you exclaimed, your heart melting just by the thinking about the amount of hardwork he must've put into creating this ring for her.

"i know this isn't much but i tried something new" he chuckled.

"isn't enough?" she gasped "honey this single handedly has raised the bar so high— i love it"

her eyes sparkled with joy and happiness as she went about how much this meant for her and how thoughtful it was to gift her such a thing.

your reaction was enough to fill him with pride as he listened to her admiring the ring intently, adding his own remarks and how it wasn't so easy to make one in between.

"i like shiny things but I'd marry you with this paper ring on the spot if i had a chance to."

"who is stopping you?"

moo's note!:

(THIS WAS SO RUSHED)² LIKE i was writing a rindou fic but well i couldn't stop myself from writing this. I hope you enjoyed this one! Thank you for reading this and please forgive me if this wasn't up to the mark! I'll try my best to improve as fast as i can!!!🫶🫶🫶

#꒰ 💌 leeknowbuttsmasher ♡#bungou stray dogs #bsd #bungo stray dogs x reader #bsd ranpo #ranpo edogawa #ranpo x reader #ranpo x you #ranpo imagine #bsd imagine #bsd x female reader #bungou stray dogs x reader #dazai x reader #dazai #chuuya #anime #tumblr #writers on tumblr #kunikida doppo

228 notes · View notes

avatarmerida · 3 months

Text

Truth & Love

I had this idea awhile ago and I’ve been working on it in the background and I’ve been stuck on it writing so I tried. I had trouble ending it so don’t come for me I wanted fluff k bye 💚💛

———

Before, Willow absolutely dreaded potions class.

Her magic thrived when it could tap into her emotions but potions required a precision and exact measurements that Willow found tiresome. Eda had tried to help her improve, but Eda’s ‘measure with your heart’ method was best done by someone who had mastered and then evolved the subject, not by someone who had a hard enough time focusing without Boscha dropping things into her vial when she wasn’t looking. She always second guessed herself and potions were often time sensitive, which didn’t help improve her confidence.

But then when they were finally able to return to Hexisde she was much better at believing in herself. Not to mention Hunter was in her potions class and Hunter had never had trouble believing in Willow.

Of course they were partners, there was no question about it. The moment the teacher had uttered the words “pair up” he had teleported beside her without even thinking about it. How odd that just last year she was everyone’s last pick and now well truthfully she didn’t care about where she was on anyone else’s list because she’d choose Hunter’s everytime.

Hunter had a decent knowledge of potions, but Willow would pick him even if he had never touched a potion in his life.They worked well together; Hunter loved to sort the different ingredients and he allowed Willow the honor of mixing them. They were a great team, although honestly Willow cared less about her improved grade and just wanted an excuse to spend more time with him. Her studies revolved around getting to sit close to him and watch the cute way Hunter furrowed his eyebrows when he reviewed measurements.

“Okay, wait,” said Hunter as he counted the vials in front of him. “I usually sort them by colors but I might’ve mixed up the milled orc wing and obsidian dust because when they’re liquidized they have a very similar color.”

“Oh, which one smells more sour? That should be the orc wing,” said Willow. She watched as Hunter cautiously sniffed the first one and his face instantly contorted in disgust. She giggled as she took the ingredient from him and added it to their assignment.

“I hope the soaked rosemary can dilute that because otherwise I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep that down,” he said, clearing his throat.

“Hey, I had to do the hair growth potion,” Willow reminded him. “And that one was spicy, and not in a good way.”

“Yeah, I remember,” he said with a smile. Hunter had offered to cut her hair back to its original length after and had unintentionally gotten distracted and had ended up cutting it much shorter. He had felt terribly guilty but Willow ended up loving it and decided to keep it. The cut was still fairly fresh and Willow loved flipping it and feeling how light it and easier it curled at the ends. The distraction was fairly familiar, as watching her joyfully exist was part of what caused him to cut her hair so short in the first place.

“Okay, which do I add first?” Willow asked as Hunter went back to the book.

“Ummm, hold on the pages are stuck together,” said Hunter as he attempted to delicately separate them. “I don’t think it matters as long as it’s still boiling.”

“Okie doke,” said Willow, sticking out her tongue as she focused on not spilling a drop. “Oh thorns, I think I added too much.”

They were supposed to be making a potion to change the drinker's hair color and according to the book it was supposed to be a dark turquoise but Willow simply could not manage to balance the color to match the picture.

“Hmmm,” observed Hunter. “It looks close. Add the orc wing and see if that’s the missing part.”

Willow obliged and the potion color changed slightly, but Willow still couldn’t tell if it was getting closer to the photo.

“Hmmm, whaddya think?” Willow asked her partner. “You ready for a taste test?”

“Okay, but if I don’t look good with red hair, you’ll tell me right?” Hunter joked as he went to take the glass container from her, swirling it like it was a fine wine.

“Absolutely not,” she smiled back, secretly expecting him to look handsome as ever.

“Fine,” said Hunter, having grown more comfortable with this type of joking. “Then just promise me you won’t find a new potions partner if I decide to keep it red?”

“That I can promise,” she said, scrunching her nose as Hunter brought the concoction to his lips. He took a gentle sip and didn’t look immediately repulsed, but Willow could tell the taste was not what he knew it was supposed to be.

“Is it minty?” she asked.

“Not really?”

“Darn it, it’s supposed to be minty,” said Willow. “Is it almost minty?”

“I’m not sure?” he chuckled. “What does ‘almost minty’ taste like?”

“Hmm, I think if you have to ask then the answer is ‘no,’” Willow sighed. “I think the issue is the potion is supposed to be blue-green and this is more green-blue. And your hair is still the same, so we didn’t get it yet. But wait, then what did we make?”

She flipped the pages, looking for something similar or a cheat but saw that the pages were still sticking together which could be the reason the potion did not line up. None of the ingredients were toxic, so Willow knew she didn’t poison him. But it was rare for a mixture with this many components to have no side effects.

“Hmmm, what other potions do you know are this shade of green?” Willow asked as she tapped her pen on the table. Before, she’d chalk this mistake up to an F, but now she had someone to work through it with her.

“None come to mind immediately,” said Hunter as he pulled out another book. “But I think the prettiest shade of green is the one of your eyes.”

Willow froze, certain she had misheard him. “Huh?”

“Your eyes,” repeated Hunter. “They’re a beautiful shade of green, like gemstones or new leaves. They sparkle when you’re happy, and your glasses make them seem even brighter.”

“Oh,” said Willow, somewhat taken back. “Well, uh thank you.” Come on girl focus, she thought to herself. “Um…okay, so you can’t place the taste, what would you say the potion smells like?”

“I’m not sure, but did you know you smell amazing?”

“What?”

“You always smell like a greenhouse,” said Hunter casually as he skimmed his textbook. “Which makes sense since you’re there so often. Or maybe a meadow? It’s like a bunch of different flowers and fresh grass and dirt all mixed together. It’s really lovely. Like I can’t help but think of you whenever I go outside.”

“Oh, wow,” she said with a small smile. “That’s… so sweet Hunter, thank you.”

She was so taken back by Hunter’s effortlessly sweet words that she nearly forgot the task at hand until the professor started making her rounds to check everyone’s progress.

“Miss Park, the assignment was to create a follicle altering potion, this coloring is completely wrong,” said the professor. “I don’t know what you were trying to make, but if you don’t correct it posthaste it could settle into a more complex potion. Act fast now, I don’t want to have to dock you and Mr. Noceda’s final grade.”

“Oh yes ma’am, of course,” said Willow, redirecting her attention.

“No worries, professor; Willow is the most determined person I know,” assured Hunter. “I’m sure we can figure it out.”

“See to it that you do,” she said before walking away, unaware Hunter had already sampled the mixture. Willow hoped she would at least give them a hint as to what they had made instead, but the bell screamed to signal the end of the period.

“Alright everyone, that’s lunch,” said the professor. “This will give your potions time to settle and we’ll work on perfecting them in class tomorrow.”

———-

“Let’s see,” said Willow, zooming in on the photo she had taken of the potion on her scroll, every book she and Hunter had between them regarding potions took over the lunch table. “We had to have made something, right?”

“Yeah I probably should’ve waited to taste it until we knew for sure,” said Hunter, bringing over their trays. He didn’t have to ask Willow what she wanted; he always knew. “I guess I was just trying to impress you.”

Willow didn’t say anything about this time, she just tried to hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks as Hunter continued.

“So it didn’t really have a taste, it was more of an aftertaste I guess? So maybe it has a delayed effect.”

“Well I wanna figure it out before you start shrinking or something,” said Willow, only half joking. Hunter had a high tolerance for most potions, which is why he only let Willow be the tester if they were 110% sure they had nailed it. But that didn’t mean Willow still didn’t worry. “So it’s the wrong shade and consistency to be a mind reading or mind swapping potion, and you’re awake so it’s not a sleeping potion. Maybe it’s the lighting in the classroom but it actually kind of looks like this love potion? But that can’t be it, because you’re not in love with me.”

“Oh, I’m definitely in love with you,” said Hunter casually as he reached over to take one of her fries.

“What?” Said Willow, looking up from the book so fast her glasses nearly fell off. She was certain she had misheard him.

“Oh, could you not hear me?” Hunter asked. “I said I’m in love with you.

A vibrant golden sunflower appeared on the side of her head. She didn’t know how else to process Hunter casually saying the most accidentally romantic thing she had ever heard. He was so direct and so certain and it was so out of nowhere that she couldn’t think of the right thing to say. Willow was sure they were having two different conversations or that she was dreaming. The way he didn’t even hesitate, surely her mind was playing tricks on her! How was this real?

“Hunter, are you… um… are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I always feel great when I’m with you,” he said as casually as he would say “fine.” He spoke as though praising her was as natural as breathing. “Why?”

“I just uh…” Willow wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t mind what he was saying, not one bit, but she didn’t know how to express that while still making it clear that she felt guilty for how it came to be. “Just wanted to be sure.”

“Hmm, ya know I think that’s one of the first things I loved about you,” said Hunter. “I mean, right away I knew you were beautiful but I’ve never met someone so kind. Sometimes I can’t believe you’re even real.”

“Oh, uh well… I am, heh. R-real that is.” Willow knew it was the potion talking but she couldn’t help but blush. She knew she shouldn’t encourage it, that allowing him to continue might make the potion more potent and harder to subdue. She knew it wasn’t real, and yet it flustered her just the same.

“Well uh, anyway we should get back to the potions classroom,” decided Willow quickly, clearing her throat. She didn’t want to act like something was off, lest she worry him and agitate the potion somehow. “I think I figured it out so we can go make up the counter potion, all the ingredients should be in the classroom.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Hunter agreed, quickly darting away for a moment to put back both their trays. He darted back to help her collect the books. “Can we hold hands on the way there?”

“Um… sure,” she decided as she extended her hand to him. It wasn’t totally unusual for them to hold hands as they walked. Hunter was still getting used to the layout of the school and Willow certainly didn’t want him getting lost.

“I lied about that, by the way,” he said as though he was responding to her thoughts as he took her hand delicately in his.

“Huh? About what?”

“Not knowing my way around the school,” he clarified as they began walking. “I studied the blueprints for weeks before I started. I wanted to impress you with how much I already knew on my first day but when you offered to take my hand and walk me to my classes until I got the hang of things well I liked that option even better.”

Willow wasn’t the best at potions to begin with so it was possible she had messed up her mess up, but she couldn’t help but wonder why it had affected Hunter the way it did. He was so… casual about it, like it was a natural occurrence that didn’t alter the set up of his mind.

They had only covered these types of potions briefly as they were only intended for the advanced class as the ethics of them were highly debated but it was well known that love potions were meant to border on obsession. Hunter should be overwhelmed sitting near her, like a lovesick puppy. But despite the things he was saying, it was like nothing had changed. He was able to function just fine. Willow wondered if the effects got more severe with time, or if bringing attention to the early signs could cause him to spiral. Was it like waking a sleepwalker? Would it be dangerous not to indulge him?

“Your hands are always so soft,” Hunter continued, looking down to admire them in his own. “And I know you always get in trouble for always having dirt under your fingernails but I love that too.”

She smiled, in spite of herself. “Really? You don’t think it’s kind of gross?”

“No,” he said easily. “I think it shows how hard you work and how much you care about what you do.”

“Well, thank you Hunter,” she chuckled. “I guess I never thought about it that way.”

“Well, I should tell you more often,” said Hunter, giving her hand a small squeeze. “You deserve to know how amazing you are.”

Willow felt like her heart was spinning around in her chest. Hunter wasn’t showing any physical signs of the potion’s effects, but the blush on Willow’s face was proof that she was. She suddenly remembered the time she had offered to paint Hunter’s nails when the Entrails had a team building night. How she took his hand and asked what design he wanted and suddenly he couldn’t decide. The longer he took to think, the longer she held his hand. She wondered now if it had been intentional.

“Oh shoot,” Willow groaned as they re-approached the classroom. “The door is locked, I forgot the professor always locks it when we have projects brewing so no one can mess with them.”

“Well, I feel fine,” said Hunter. “I think I can wait until after school for her office hours.”

“Hunter, are you sure?”

“Yeah, we can always go to the nurse if I start not feeling fine,” he said. “But I’ll take any excuse to spend more time with you though.”

“Okay then,” she squeaked, overly aware that he did not let go of her hand. “Why don’t we uh, go find the others for the rest of lunch?”

“Sounds good,” he agreed. “As long as I can sit near you.”

———-

“Oh, Willow! Hunter! Over here!” Amity called from across the cafeteria. “Hey! What are you guys doing here? Willow messaged me that you guys were working through lunch.”

“Well, that was the plan,” said Willow. “But the classroom is locked up right now, so we have to wait until after lunch.”

“Too bad, but pull up a chair!” Gus said, sipping his juice. “So what’s up?”

Hunter pulled out Willow’s chair for her, which was not new but given the current circumstances it made her feel guilty. “Uh, well…”

“Nothing much,” said Hunter as he took his seat beside her. “I’m just thinking about how pretty Willow is, what about you?”

Gus nearly spit out his juice. This was not a totally unique answer from Hunter, but usually Willow was out of earshot when this was the case. He didn’t sputter to correct himself and Willow didn’t react, which suggested this was not the first occurrence.

Amity and Gus exchanged a look and adopted matching grins.

“Whaaaat’s going on?” Gus asked mischievously.

“Yeah, is there something you two wanna share with us?” Added Amity.

“Willow is beautiful every day, why do you two seem so surprised?” Hunter asked.

Willow’s face flushed and she gave a tiny giggle which quickly turned into a nervous laugh. She looked down and suddenly a vine crept onto the table and knocked over Amity’s drink. “Oh darn ! Oh wow, uh… Hunter! Could you go grab a napkin, please? And uh maybe another drink?” She added, attempting to prolong his return beyond a mere golden dash.

“Of course,” he said, getting up. “I’ll grab you something too, I think they have the little cakes you like. They’re small and sweet, just like you. It’s like most things remind me of you, isn’t that funny?”

“Haha yeah sooo funny,” Willow smiled nervously as she moved her hand to the side of her head trying to hide the blooming flower he inspired this time. “That’s so… yeah. Um, take your time! Thanks!”

“So…” began Gus. “Did something finally happen…?”

Willow made sure Hunter was out of earshot before dropping her false smile, stuffing the flower in her pocket and turning to her friends to explain in a panicked whisper.

“I messed up our assignment and long story short I gave Hunter a love potion,” Willow confessed quickly. “I don’t want to worry him so he doesn’t know because I don’t want to make things worse or make him feel awkward because it’s not his fault.”

“Well how do you know it was a love potion?” Amity asked.

“Well for one he told me that he’s in love with me,” said Willow, pulling out her scroll to show them the photo of what they made. “I added something wrong or out of order and this is what we made instead of a hair changing potion.”

“Did you taste it?” Amity asked.

“No, we always take turns being the tester,” said Willow.

“Willow, I don’t think it’s a love potion.” Amity said delicately.

“What do you mean?”

Amity didn’t know the proper way to say the effects would be moot as the potion creates attraction but if attraction was preexisting it would cancel out. But she knew Willow had definitely made something and didn’t want to add something else to her friend’s plate before solving the problem at hand so instead she said:

“I mean, it’s the right color but don’t you need intention when making a love potion?” Amity asked. “I mean, isn’t it supposed to have like your hair or something in it?”

“I dunno, my hair could have fallen in it or something,” said Willow. “What am I supposed to do? I don’t want Hunter in love with me?”

“Oh, don’t you?” Gus questioned smugly.

A mini field of yellow flowers sprouted in her hair. She quickly dusted them off and tried to whisper but her voice still managed to squeak. “Well okay maybe but not like this,” she said. “Like it’s so wrong for me to be enjoying all the nice things he’s saying about me when it’s not real.”

Amity and Gus exchanged a look, both knowing that wasn’t totally true.

“Oh shh! He’s coming back!” Willow pleaded, brushing the latest garden from her head.

“We didn’t say anything,” Amity murmured.

Hunter offered Willow a wide smile as he slid in back beside her. “They had cake cups and I wanted to get you one but I didn’t know if I should get one with a heart or a flower because they both remind me of you so I got them both and you can choose your favorite and Gus can have the other one,” said Hunter as he distributed the sweets and goods from his tray.

“Thank you, Hunter,” said Willow faintly, as she allowed Gus to take his pick because she truly could not choose.

“Um, why didn’t you get me a cupcake?” Amity teased as she took her new drink.

“Because I’m still mad at you for telling Darius that my O’Bailey cosplay wasn’t modern human realm fashion so he wouldn’t let me wear it in our holiday card,” said Hunter nonchalantly.

“What?” Amity said. “But you still got to wear it in the one with the Nocedas!”

“Yes but if you didn’t say anything Camila was gonna find him a general Midas outfit to wear when we took the photo all together next year but now he knows it’s not ‘in fashion.’” Said Hunter. “Which is also why I set all your clocks back a minute and a half when we came over for dinner last week.”

Gus sighed. “Hunter, we need to work on your pranks because that’s not-.”

Amity gasped in shock as she pointed a finger at him. “I knew it was you!”

“I also moved everything on your desk one inch to the left,” said Hunter. “That was Willow’s idea. She has a wonderful mind for mischief, it makes me feel like a puddle.”

“Hmmm,” said Gus as Amity continued to express her woe. He couldn’t help but be suspicious of the way Hunter admitted this with such a straight face. It wasn’t snarky or defensive; it was just factual. It was way too casual. It was unusual. Gus had a theory.

“Hey Hunter, what did you really think about the way I wrote O’Bailey in my Cosmic Frontier fanfiction?”

“You had him monologuing a bit too much and I’m not sure you captured his humor as well as you could have,” Hunter said as he took a sip of his own juice.

“Okay, okay,” said Gus, knowing this response was very different from what he had initially said. “What happens in the story you wrote that you won’t let me read?”

“Uh, nothing major,” said Hunter thoughtfully. “I just wrote about what I think happened with O’Bailey and Ivy when they got stranded on that moon. It had a lot of kissing but I don’t really know how to describe kissing and I didn’t want to risk Willow finding it and realize that because I want her to think that I-.”

“Okay!” Gus cut him off, his theory confirmed. He cleared his throat as he prepared to share. “Willow, you didn’t give him a love potion, you gave him a truth potion.”

“What, wait?” Willow said.

“How do you know?” Amity asked.

“Gave who a what now?” asked Hunter as he used his fork to take a bite of Gus’ dessert.

“I had a feeling there was a reason Hunter was avoiding giving me feedback,” Gus explained. “And I know he would never tell me outright that he didn’t like my story, and if he did he wouldn’t do it without me having to force it out of him.”

“No, no I’m pretty sure it was a love potion,” said Willow. “I mean, why else would he be talking about my eyes and my smile?”

“Because it erases his filter,” said Gus. “So he’s basically just saying everything he’s thinking.”

“So he… thinks about my eyes a lot?”

“Yeah,” said Hunter, unaware it wasn't a question he needed to answer. “But I mostly think about your face in general, it makes me feel dizzy and warm and safe.”

“Awh,” Willow couldn’t help but openly blush as Hunter went back to sampling Gus’ treat as though he had Neely given her the time. His words seemed to hit her twice as it spun her back to everything he had said to her since class, and they echoed with a new air.

“So when he said he was… that means he really is…”

Gus watched as the truth washed over Willow, her emotions leaping in and out of focus as they tried to decide what to display on her face. Gus wasn’t sure if Hunter would remember saying the things he was saying now, considering they had not intended to make a truth potion initially and he had no reason to be suspicious. Very often when a consumer had not been told they had been given a truth potion (as they were often used in court or interrogations) their mind automatically went to the things they wanted to keep secret and blurted them out against their conscious will. But when a person was slipped a potion, they acted like they would act in a dream; unsuspecting of the unusual.

But Gus wasn’t certain if this was a dream Hunter would remember fondly or instantly regret.

“Hey, if you guys wanna head to the Owl House and have Eda help you make the counter potion, I can whip up some illusions to cover for you guys for the rest of the day,” offered Gus.

“Sounds good,” said Hunter. “That way I can still qualify for the perfect attendance award which for some reason the thought of not having makes me anxious and can spend time with Willow, which both excites and terrifies me sometimes.”

“Worried about losing the award to me huh?” Amity teased, hoping to defuse the tension before remembering it was technically impossible for Hunter to save face right now.

“Well I think I’m afraid of missing a core memory that makes us all closer friends like in all the stories Luz told me when I was preparing to enroll,” said Hunter thoughtfully. “I mean, I’m also still wary of breaking rules but Willow seems to enjoy it and I enjoy seeing her enjoy things,” he chuckled before he turned to speak to Willow directly. “Mischievousness was not something I thought attractive until I met you, but I think it’s the gentle way you laugh when you talk about that makes me feel like my chest is going to explode.”

“Uh we should probably get going,” said Willow, swiftly getting up to try and hide the newest blooms sprouting in her hair.

“I would go anywhere she asked me to go,”said Hunter, sharing his thoughts as casually as he might say goodbye as he went to follow Willow outside. “Oh and Amity, Luz got you Azura earrings for your birthday.”

—-

The Owl Lady left them alone, not wanting to hear Hunter’s true thoughts about her, and also knowing this was teenage drama best left to be solved by teenagers. She had everything they needed and promised to check the final concoction to avoid any accidental poisoning.

“You look worried,” Hunter observed in the middle of silence which was unusual for this setting between the two recently.

“I’m not,” she said, as she added some crushed juniper to the mix.

“I can tell you’re lying,” he said. “I can tell by the way you move your hands. I know you’re not sad but you do the same thing when the weather is bad and you’re thinking about your plants. I don’t like when you lie to me about how you’re feeling. I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

She glanced up at him and knew he’d say this even without the potion prompting him. The potion typically didn’t allow his emotions about what he was confessing to be expressed, but his concern for her was just that heavy.

“I know,” she sighed. “I do know that. I’m just… worried that I didn’t respond the right way when I found out all your secrets.”

“Well you didn’t find out all my secrets,” Hunter said as he spun in his chair. “I didn’t tell you about the-.”

“Mhmm! Hey!” She exclaimed, cutting him off. “Careful! I’ll wear ear plugs; I mean it!”

“Fine, fine, but I do wanna tell you things,” he said. “Which you know is true, because of the potion.” She lovingly rolled her eyes and he smiled. “I’m really okay with you asking me things. I like when I can help you and I can tell there’s something bothering you.”

“Heh, of course you can,” she chuckled lightly. “It’s just… not something I was expecting to hear today, I guess? And I know it’s true but I’m still in disbelief, kind of. It’s just been… a lot? Ya, know not in a bad way I just mean like I know you weren’t planning-.”

“Is this about me being in love with you?”

The flowers sprouted back in her hair. She had given up trying to hide it at this point. “I mean, it’s not something you expect to hear at the lunch table I guess.”

It wasn’t the fact that he said it really it was the way that he said it. He didn’t say he had a crush on her or that he liked her, he kind of skipped a few steps. And Willow didn’t know if that was just how he happened to phrase it or if that was truly how deep he felt about her. She knew how serious Hunter took the things that were important to him, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he was even aware of these feelings. It took her weeks before she accepted she liked him more than a friend, but her acceptance didn’t stop the feelings from growing. She had tried to convince herself that it was nothing, that it would pass but one day her feelings just burst forth like water from a damn demanding to be felt.

Willow wondered if a Hunter in full control had already come to terms with these feelings or if this confession was news to him as well.

“Oh no, did it make you uncomfortable? Willow, I promise I wasn’t trying to embarrass you.”

“I know that, of course I know that, and I promise you that you didn’t.”

“Good.”

“It’s just that, you’re really in love with me,” Willow crafted her question carefully as she began to mix. “Then why haven’t you ever told me?”

“I don’t know how,” he said in the simple way the potion effects allowed him. “I’ve never really felt this way before, at least not toward someone I actually knew and knew for so long. I didn’t want to do it wrong and make things weird between us or offend you. I just kind of hoped I would wake up one day and just know how to do it.”

“Okay.” She didn’t want to pry further. Well no, she definitely did but she knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. She shouldn’t trick Hunter to find out his feelings about her despite desperately wanting to. She could at least be more open with her feelings with full confidence when this was all over but it still felt unfair that he didn’t have control over how she found out. But she couldn’t help being secretly happy about it anyway.

“Do you think you could ever fall in love with someone like me?” He asked calmly as though asking about the weather.

She wanted to say, no to scream: Not someone like you, you!

Instead she sputtered:

“Um, w-why do you ask?” She wasn’t sure if it was something he wanted to know right now or just something he was thinking about at the moment that slipped out against his will.

“That’s the main reason I never said anything,” he explained. “I didn’t think you’d like me back. And if I knew for sure that you didn’t then I’d have to stop feeling that way about you and things would be weird but I like feeling that way about you. It’s confusing, but nice?”

“Hmm you’re confusing but nice,” she giggled, feeling silly and bubbly for some reason.

He smiled. “Are you? Okay with it, I mean?”

Her smile grew. “I really like the way you get excited about things,” she said, looking down to trace some carvings on the table with her finger. “You take care of the things you care about and the way you care about things is really sweet. Being someone you care about is really special. And being someone you really like… well… I don’t see why anyone would mind that. In fact…”

She wondered if she should just say it. It wasn’t like she wasn’t sure her feelings were returned, but she didn’t want Hunter to think she was only saying it to make him feel better if his memory didn’t erase the moment. But she wanted Hunter to know that it was all equal; his hesitation, his confusion and his feelings.

But that would have to wait until it was his choice to tell her.

“… I’ll tell you after we have the counter potion ready.”

“You’re so wonderful,” he sighed, tracing the letters of her name on the front of her notebook. “You make my hands feel sweaty.”

Willow tried not to drop the spoon she was stirring with as she fought the urge to craft a flirty response. She wanted him to know she felt the same way but she knew it was wrong to dive too deeply into his trove of secrets. So instead, she giggled and bit her lip as she playfully responded. “Stooooop.”

“Do you want me to stop talking?” He asked, resting his chin on the back of the chair as he watched her work.

“Of course not, why would I want that?” She asked with a smile.

“Because what if I say something you don’t want to know?” He said. Willow marveled at a moment that even with his filter removed he still managed to be concerned about what she thought.

“I mean, I’m more worried about you saying something you don’t want me to know,” said Willow. “Maybe there’s a way we can erase the memories from today, about those parts at least. I know Eda could probably-.”

“I do want you to know,” he said.

“Huh?”

“I do want you to know,” he repeated. “I do want, well did want to tell you. I thought about it all the time. Sometimes it was hard not to say something. But there was always so much going on, I mean we’ve got playoffs and finals and then there was never a time with all the portal attempts in the human realm-.”

“Human realm? Wait,” Willow set down her supplies as she dreamily processed his latest confession. “Do you… you’ve liked me since we were trapped in the human realm?” Realizing what she had done, before he could reply she quickly leapt forward and her hand sprang to cover his mouth. “Don’t answer that! I’m sorry! I don’t want to trick you into telling me any more secrets!”

His response still came, muffled by her palm and safe from her ears. She felt him smile and his eyes softened as he went to remove her hand and held it to his cheek.

“Well,” he sighed. “Can I at least tell you again how soft your hands are?”

She giggled, unable to help how giddy and dizzy his unfiltered praise made her. “Well okay, I guess.”

——-

The counter potion was much simpler to make, and thankfully much better tasting too.

Willow watched Hunter’s face as he drank for signs of whether or not he remembered the details of the day’s events.

She could instantly tell by the way his eyes widened that he did.

And the way his face flushed told her his calm demeanor about it all was no more.

“How are you feeling?” She asked anyway.

“Uh… a lot?” He said, his voice cracking. “I mean, I feel fine but I uh…” he now found he couldn’t look at her without all the things he had said today overlapping in his mind. They were nothing he didn’t truly believe, nothing he was ashamed of, but he was mostly embarrassed that she knew he couldn’t easily say them to her now despite how truly he felt them. “Soooo uh can we maybe pretend today never happened?”

“I mean, we can if you want,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I mean, it’s my fault that you drank the wrong potion anyway, and I really am sorry that you had to-.”

“Oh, no!” He jumped in to say. “I-I don’t mean because of what you did I mean because of what I did.”

“Yeah because of what I did!”

“No! No, I… I don’t want you to feel bad,” he tried again. “But I don’t want things to be weird between us because of what I said. I mean, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me now that you know … ya know…”

“I know,” she said, reading between the lines. “And since we’re being honest… I was able to recreate the truth potion while the counter potion was settling and I took a sip of it and I can feel it starting to work.”

“What? Why?”

“Well I wanted to see what the after taste tasted like,” said Willow. “But also because I thought this would be a way to make things fair between us.”

“Willow, I don’t want you to admit all your secrets just to make me feel better,” said Hunter.

“I’m not gonna say all of them,” she said, mimicking his tone from before. “I’ll just answer any questions you wanna ask me.”

“But I don’t know what to say, I mean I don’t want to ask the wrong thing if it’s something you don’t want to tell me…”

“I figured you’d say that,” she said with a smirk. “So I wrote some questions down for you. That way you know what I want you to know and you can decide if you wanna know too.”

She slid a carefully folded piece of paper over to him, his name written in bold cursive with a tiny heart beside it.

“Are you sure?” He asked. “I’m fine with waiting for the potion to wear off, really. We still have some of the counter potion left and we don’t have to talk about… the other stuff.”

“I’m very sure,” she said. “I want to tell you these things.”

“Okay then,” he chuckled as he brought the paper closer to read. His eyes found the first sentence and he immediately slammed the paper down, his face beet red at the thought of saying it aloud. “Ok, uh..”

“Heh, you always look so cute when you do that,” she giggled, resting her chin in her hand.

“When I do w-what?”

“When you blush,” she clarified. “I love how the red reaches the tips of your ears and your mouth gets all squiggly; it’s very cute.”

“You… think I’m cute,” Hunter said, saying it more as an observed realization and purposely not as a question to answer. He cleared his throat as he tried to move on with grace. “Okay, cool. Cooooool. Cool cool cool.”

“I also think you’re cool,” she said, and the red on his face intensified and his smile grew. “I also love the gap between your teeth, especially when you smile.”

“Willow,” he said shyly, unable to suppress his smile now. “I thought you wanted me to ask you things.”

“You’re right,” she sighed. “But I can’t help it; no filter, remember? Did I make you uncomfortable?”

“No, no I just uh wanted to stick to your plan. So uh okay uh Willow,” he began, clearing his throat as he brought the list back up to his eyesight. “Uh ‘do you think I’m’ - oh wait, w-we just said that one heh.”

Willow bit her lip in anticipation as she watched him scan the rest of the list.

“Do you- hehehe,” he couldn’t help but laugh nervously at the sentence written plain as day in her bubbly green pen. He knew it was her own choice, that she wanted him to know, but it was a question he would never ask (at least not the way she had decided to word it).

“Go ahead,” she prompted.

“Do you think my hair looks… attractive pushed back?” He paraphrased from her list.

“Yes,” she said. “I like getting to see your face better, I don’t feel guilty about that.”

“Were you the one who let Hooty eat my history of magic notebook?”

“Yes, because you were stressing yourself out about the test even though you had everything memorized and it was the only way to stop you,” said Willow. “But I put a protection spell on it so it’s still usable, that I do feel a little guilty about.”

Hunter smiled, it had been his first official test at Hexside and he was determined to do well. Willow knew he knew the material and when his notebook ‘mysteriously’ went missing, the two of them went on a picnic. He had passed the test easily, and he knew without intervention he would’ve been up all night studying instead of getting a proper night’s sleep.

“Can I… actually ask you something that’s not on the list?”

“Of course,” she assured him. “I trust you.”

“I… uh,” he hesitated, if only to try and find the best way to ask her this. It weighed so heavily on the back of his mind and he knew what she’d say if he asked her any other time. But a sort of him would never believe her. He didn’t know if it would be better to really know but at least he wouldn’t wonder.

“Does it… bother you that I’m a grimwalker?”

“No.” She said without hesitation.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Like, not even a little?”

“I mean, it bothers me that it bothers you,” she said. “Because it’s not something you can change and I know sometimes you think it means you’re not deserving of things or that you have something to make up for. But I’m really glad you exist, and I don’t really care how it happened.”

“Okay,” he said with a sniffle, trying to not cry. “Cool. That’s… good to know I guess, heh.”

He was feeling better, but he couldn’t help but feel a small weight still tugging at him, he both did and didn’t want to keep going. It was scary, as Willow often was to him in a unique and safe way (yet another contradiction she summoned) but if he didn’t keep going it might haunt him forever. He knew deep down that no matter what she would not leave or belittle him, but this was still uncharted territory.

“Does it… bother you that I like you more than you like me?”

“No it doesn’t bother me,” she said. “Mostly because it’s not true.”

“What?” Hunter said, certain he had misheard her. “Do you not… Willow, I promise you it is true.”

“Mhmmm no it’s not.”

“Willow, I can assure you it is.”

“I can assure you it’s not.”

“Willow, I mean I know the potion was preeetty strong,” Hunter chuckled. “But I still remember everything I said. I know that I told you I’m in love with you which I know seems like a strong wording but it’s how I feel. I like you a lot, like… a lot.”

“Exactly,” she said with a smug smile. “You don’t like me more than I like you.”

As her mischievous grin grew, her words suddenly became understood and caused his ears to flutter. He felt like steam was escaping them, like he had finally landed after falling for so long. Her eyes sparkled the way they always did when she teased him like this and Hunter couldn’t help but feel like they were on the edge of something.

“Oh, then how does it make you feel? I-it’s okay then?”

“Do you wanna ask me the last question?”

“I mean, I don’t really know if I- wait, did you just ask me a question?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s just that you asked me a question instead of truthfully answering the question I asked which means… Willow, you didn’t really take another truth potion, did you?”

She knew the jig was up so she simply shrugged playfully and twirled a loose curl on her finger. “Okay, so maaaaaybe I lied about that,” she admitted.

“Willow!” He tried to say sternly but couldn’t help but laugh. He knew she meant no harm, that her silliness was not at his expense.

“I’m sorry!” She laughed in response. “But I didn’t remember exactly how I messed up the first time and I wanted to tell you I liked you too but I didn’t wanna wait until we got back to school because I’m pretty sure we’ll have to dump the potion and start over anyway so I-.”

“Wait,”said Hunter softly. “So… you do? Like me? Like… I like you?”

“Well, if you had read me the last question,” said Willow, reaching over to both point to the bottom of the page and to be closer to him. “You wouldn’t seem so surprised.”

#huntlow #huntlow fanfiction #winter toh #toh #willow park #Hunter toh #the owl house

129 notes · View notes

yunjinsstar · 9 months

Text

weak, only for you. | tim drake x reader

Tim Drake's philosophy is that sleep is for the weak. This is not a good enough reason for you to let him go without sleep. (Alternatively, a fic where Tim Drake is coaxed back to bed because we all need sleep, no matter how necessary it is to stay awake.)

pairing/characters: tim drake/reader genre: fluff tags/warnings: soulmates, sleep deprivation word count: 1.6k crossposted on ao3

You turned onto your side as you tried to get some shut-eye. Usually, you could get your eight hours of sleep but it felt odd sleeping without the extra weight of your partner, Tim. You understood his job didn't really allow for a lot of rest but he wasn't a robot, he was a human being. He had limits.

Tim hadn't slept for a couple nights now. The boys were hot on the trail of a new crime boss that recently moved his trade to Gotham from Star City. Green Arrow had been of much help but the home of Batman needed its' own vigilantes on the case.

While you appreciated the work Tim did as Red Robin for the city, especially in times like this, it made it especially harder to let him do his thing. You didn't sleep well at night knowing your partner and soulmate was sleep-deprived.

Time had run out for your patience.

You grumbled as you peeled your woollen blanket off your body. You did not appreciate having to sacrifice your warmth just to get Tim into bed. Gotham City was not a warm place at night, in both the literal and figurative sense.

Tim's insomniac-like habits were worse beforehand when he would stay at the Batcave. According to Bruce, Tim's 'bed' consisted of a thin blanket and a pillow off of the living room couch. Mind you, he didn't even use it to sleep, he used it for a quick power nap.

You eventually convinced to build his own Bat-computer at your shared apartment. He folded after you told him *exactly* how lonely you felt when he was away. With great reluctance, he left the Wayne manor that night and slept for a good five hours.

As soon as he woke, he started getting supplies to build a mini Bat-computer fit for the apartment. When you walked out to the kitchen for breakfast, you were met with a note on the bench: "Hi love, I've just gone to the tech store. I made eggs and bacon for you. I promise I won't be long. I love you :)"

Tim spent the entire day building the computer. He downgraded to only three monitors but the PC itself was still the same quality as Bruce's. He even improved on it, adding extra features.

Your genius finished his project on the same day, proud of his achievement. You kissed him softly as a congratulations and a thank you. He was grateful you made him come back home.

Now, the only hassle was having to travel outside, rather than across town. Wrapped in a cardigan you picked up from the bedroom floor, you watched your soulmate type away at the keyboard.

The monitors displayed maps tracking all criminal activity in real-time, personal information on the crime boss, and details of his criminal record. Unsurprisingly, the desk was littered with empty coffee cups, of which you could count eight.

If Tim noticed you, he hadn't shown it by now. You padded over to him, a quiet yawn escaping your lips. Approaching him, you stood behind him as you placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. You trailed your hand down his arm to his forehand, where the red mark stained his pale skin.

His body shivered as you brushed your fingers over the mark before settling your hand on his.

•

You stared up at the Egyptian coffin. According to the Gotham City Museum, the sarcophagus you were looking at was extracted from the tomb of Hatshepsut, a famous female pharaoh who began her reign around 1473 BC. She was titled "The Queen Who Would Be King."

As you admired the detailing, you felt another body sidle up next to you. You weren't sure whether to break your stare to assess the person beside you or just continue looking. You opted for the latter.

The two of you stood there in silence until you saw him enter your vision to read the plaque in front of the glass display. This time, you got a good look at him. He didn't look too old, probably in his mid-20s.

He was wearing a collared shirt under a Gotham University hoodie. The sweatpants he wore bore the Gotham University logo as well. You wondered why you'd never seen him around the campus before.

Deciding to entertain the unknown, you stepped up to the plaque, reading it alongside him. Granted, you'd already read it but he didn't need to know that.

His slender hand drifted over the words. It had some scars and discolouration. You desperately wanted to know the secrets behind them but curiosity killed the cat.

"Did you know that Egyptians thought the most significant part of your life was death?" he spoke without warning. You looked up at him, bewildered by not only the fact but by the tone of his voice.

It was rich and full, but had a tinge of aching behind it. It felt like he was hiding something but you couldn't tell exactly what.

"No, I didn't. Why, do you agree?" you asked tentatively. For all you know, he could be a creep. It was never good to easily trust anyone you met in Gotham.

"Not at all. There's so much merit that comes from living," he said softly. It was at this moment his piercing sky blue eyes met yours. His face looked familiar but you couldn't place it.

"Some of us aren't living, though," you tore your eyes away from his, "we're just surviving."

"A pity," he agreed, his hand still resting on the steel plaque. You looked over to him once more to see his head hung low. He was a tainted soul in the city of the living dead.

You couldn't explain why you did so, but your hand reached out from your side to rest gently on his. So much for not easily trusting people.

"Maybe one day, peace will find us," you pondered. You only hoped his eyes would find yours.

They did, as his head rose.

"I only hope so," he added.

When he finished his sentence, your hand started to tingle. His was too, as his eyes widened at the sensation. Suddenly, a bright burst of light shone through the museum. You lifted your hand from his and turned it over to see your whole right palm covered in red.

His hand remained on the plaque as he took in the red hand mark branding his left forehand. Your mouth parted slightly as you gazed up at him. He mirrored your shocked expression.

"You're..." he trailed off.

"I can't believe this. We're soulmates?" you asked to no one in particular. You touched your left palm gently and shivered at the feeling, the area still sensitive.

The mystery man beside you finally turned to face you completely and it was then you realised who he was. Tim Drake, successor of Bruce Wayne as CEO of Wayne Enterprises, the corporate group that owns the entire city, was your soulmate.

He attended Gotham U but according to one of your friends who was doing the same degree as him, he never really showed up to class. That made sense, but you couldn't imagine doing university and running a corporation.

"I'm Tim Drake," he stuck his right hand out. You took it in yours as you introduced yourself to him as well.

"I would've never guessed my soulmate was going to be a rich business CEO," you mused. He laughed and dear God, it was heavenly to listen to.

"I would've never guessed my soulmate was going to be the most insightful and beautiful woman I've ever met," he said. Your cheeks flushed at his kind words.

"Oh, I'm not anything like that. Once you get to know me, you'll find I'm just as ordinary as anyone else in Gotham," you denied. He clasped your fingertips and brought your hand up to his mouth, pressing a light kiss to your forehand.

"In Gotham City, no one's ordinary."

•

"What are you doing up, my love?" Tim mumbled, shifting your hands so his now laid atop of yours. He rubbed his thumb across your knuckles.

"Trying to get you to sleep with me," you responded, fatigue evident in your voice. You were heavily relying on the chair Tim was sitting on to hold yourself up.

"This case is important," he tried to reason.

"Your sleep is important too. When was the last time you got more than four hours of sleep, Tim?" you asked him, knowing the answer full well. He gulped as he let the silence act as his response.

"Exactly. Please, come to bed," you pleaded with him. He sighed, contemplating his decision.

"I love you, sweetheart but we're so close. I need to make sure I'm awake for when there's new activity," he told you. Now, you were getting frustrated.

"Timothy Drake," he immediately made eye contact with you as you took your hand away from his, "I'm not asking you to sleep for me. It's for you. I don't like seeing you barely alive and drinking unhealthy amounts of coffee."

His eyes softened as he saw how irritated you'd gotten.

"So, would it be that bad if you just got some good sleep?" you asked, tired of having to do this all the time.

"I guess not," he replied. You backed away as he pushed away from the desk and stood up. He took your hand in his as he tucked in the chair and walked to the bedroom with you.

The two of you tucked yourselves in and you faced in to each other. Your left hand laid on the pillow, the red soulmark faint in the glow of the Gotham moonlight.

His fingers traced over your palm lines ever so gently. The touch was soothing. He softly smiled at you and you returned the smile.

"Thank you. I just get so caught up in it, I forget," he whispered.

"You're in luck, because I'm always going to be around to remind you."

#dc universe #tim drake #tim drake x reader #useryjstar

165 notes · View notes

bartxnhood · 1 year

Text

daring | e.m

eli (hawk) moskowitz x reader

based on this request

warnings: fluff, fluff, and more fluff.

requests open

not proofread

✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵ ✵

you had always been the shy kind, never go out of your way to put the spotlight on you. you always preferred being in the shadows, even in karate. you wouldn’t participate in most tournaments because of just how shy you were. but that didn’t stop you from getting a crush on a certain someone.

eli. aka, hawk.

known for his antics in cobra kai, in fact, you hated him for a good portion of his reputation, especially what happened to the larussos. your abrupt feelings started when he turned over his leaf and his infamous mohawk was gone. he was a totally different person. someone you could actually like.

you had never been late to practice, always on time or even earlier so you could get some more work in.

the one day you were late to you saw some new faces in the dojo. and one in particular. eli. sam saw your confusion and pulled to to the side, “cobra kai is joining us.” your eyes widened, “what? as in..training here now?” she nodded, “yup. dad and johnny are working together. so here we are.”

you hesitated, dropping your bag. “great. only adding fuel to the fire.” you eyes stared daggers in the back of eli’s head.

why was this suddenly happening to you?

after that day, being around eli all day, and trying your best to avoid him. so, you stayed with sam that night.

“god, sam! how could this happen?” you huffed, falling into her bed face first into a pillow, sam laughed, “it’s not the end of the world, y/n. it’ll be fine!” you lifted your head and looked at her. “fine? i’ll be fine?” you retorted.

“yes! i mean just tell him how you feel! maybe he thinks you’re cute and then bam you will ride off into the sunset together” she threw a grape into her mouth, wiggling her eyebrows. “or, he laughs in my face, rejects me and goes to tell all of his friends how much of a loser i am” you sat up, pushing your hair out of the way. “just try it, y/n. you never know, the universe might be on your side.”

you kept thinking about your conversation with sam, what if she’s right? maybe you can just tell him you like him and it’ll be all over with. but on the other hand he could embarrass you in front of everyone and laugh at you. which was the scenario you kept playing in your mind.

getting the courage to just walk up to someone and put yourself in that position is something that terrifies you. which is why you’re so reserved.

one day in particular you’re earlier than usual, hoping to work on some things to help you improve. you had only been there a few minutes, earbuds in listening to your playlist while going over your workouts. without even realizing someone else was there, you felt the softest touch on your shoulder which brought you out of your head. ripping away your earbuds you spun around meeting with eli.

he started “i didn’t mean to scare you, but i tried calling for you but you weren’t answering” you hummed, feeling your ears go red. “sorry, i tend to get in the zone when i have my earbuds in”

“don’t worry. i just wanted to ask how come you haven’t participated in any tournaments? you’re insanely talented” you shrugged, looking away. “i get pretty nervous when i’m put on the spot. so, i just don’t. daniel is okay with it so i just kinda stay in the shadows”

eli frowned, “there’s still some time before everyone else gets here, how about we go over some moves?” you blinked, messing with the earbud strings. “sure.”

“so, you spent over an hour talking with him while training and you still didn’t say anything?” sam groaned, staring at you from her bed. “i know! i know. i was being stupid” you ran your fingers through your hair letting out a frustrated sigh. “i don’t think i could ever ask him that. i could barely look at him” you admitted. sam, stood up, resting her hands on your shoulders. “you are a wonderful person, y/n. you’re beautiful, funny, and incredibly talented. eli would be a fool if he rejected you, and i’d make sure of that.”

the following week you were back at the dojo, as it got closer to tournaments daniel and johnny had everyone do extra work. you and sam stood at the pond, talking as everyone else arrived. “he’s so looking at you” she said, catching you off guard. “what?” “eli!” she exclaimed in a whisper. you looked over your shoulder spotting him, but watched as he quickly adverted his eyes.

sam grinned as you turned back, “i think someone has a crush” she wiggled her eyebrows but you quickly shut that thought down. “sam.” she rolled her eyes, “just go talk to him. i’ll be right here and if anything goes south i’ll baxk you up” you sighed, “promise?” sam nodded.

you began walking across the yard to eli who was now on his phone. “eli?” you hummed and he looked up, fumbling to put his phone away in his pocket. “yeah?” “i hope you don’t find this weird or smithing but do you wanna go out one day maybe and get food or something? if not it’s totally okay because i wouldn’t want to go out with someone as shy-“ he laughed, cutting you off. “of course, i’d love to go out sometime. i really want to get to know you.” your face was burning now, “oh, okay awesome!” you totally blanked on what to say after. “should we exchange numbers?”

#eli moskowitz x y/n #eli moskowitz imagine #eli moskowitz x reader #eli moskowitz #hawk moskowitz #hawk cobra kai #hawk x reader #hawk imagine #cobra kai angst #cobra kai x reader #cobra kai blurb #eli moskowitz blurb

608 notes · View notes

grantgustluv · 9 months

Text

lucky number four - lando norris (part 2 to his champion)

pairings: lando norris x fem!footballer!reader

warnings: slight mention of summit and plenty of fluff

author’s note: FINALLY FINISHED, sorry it took so long guys. gonna try and create a master list so they’re easier to find. leave any requests in the comments and BIG thanks to @blueanfield for the shoey idea <3

part 1 - https://www.tumblr.com/grantgustluv/724584150120693760/his-champion-lando-norris

y/n had been there for Lando throughout his full career, and knew how much it meant to him whenever he did well in a race. The next race was the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. It was one of Lando’s favourite races and he had always dreamed of standing at the top of the podium after winning P1 in his home country.

Lando wished that y/n could be here with him for this race, but he knew that the World Cup was coming up and she couldn’t miss the training in preparation for this. Ever since he entered the sport, he always did better with her support, but he knew he had to make do with FaceTime calls and good luck messages.

“Are you sure I can definitely take this time off?” y/n asked Sarina, Wiegman her manager. Sarina sighed, “of course you can, I’ve told you a million times now that I’m completely fine with it,” she jokingly rolled her eyes at her “in fact if you ask me one more time I’ll change my mind, so get yourself out of here and go and support him!” y/n looked at her with a wide smile and rushed out the room, mumbling a quick “see you next week” as she left.

When she had got home, y/n quickly checked through her luggage, making sure she had everything she needed for the weekend, put everything in the car and started her journey to where Lando was staying before the race.

It was the night before the race and Lando was pacing around his hotel room with mixed emotions flying around his head. He had done extremely well in qualifying and had managed to score P2 ready for tomorrow’s race, this meant that for Lando there was added pressure to do well, especially because he was starting front row. He was also thinking about y/n, he hadn’t seen her in nearly 3 weeks, apart from their morning and before bed facetimes everyday. Lando and y/n had a lot coming up, Lando was in the middle of the season, y/n was heading off to Australia for the World Cup and their wedding was 4 months away.

Lando’s thoughts were interrupted by a light knocking at the door, and as he opened it he nearly dropped to his knees and started sobbing at the sight. At the door was his y/n, she was really here, he couldn’t believe it. Without a second thought, he threw her bags inside the room, grabbed her, kicked the door closed with his foot and held her tight to his chest, breathing a sigh of relief at finally having her back in his arms.

“What are you doing here?” he mumbled, nuzzling himself further into the crook of her neck. Grabbing a handful of his hair, she gently lifted his face out of her neck and held it in her hands, caressing his cheeks softly. “Thought I’d come and support Lewis”, she said, jumping slightly when he squeezed her sides in response to her playful comment. “You better not be” he replied with a playful glare. “Of course not Lan, I’ve come to support my handsome fiancé” she said with a grin and gave his lips a quick peck. Lando could only look down at her with pure adoration in his eyes, “I can’t wait to be your husband baby, I’m so lucky to have you,” a faint pink dusted her cheeks as she responded “and I can’t wait to be your wife sweetheart, just you and me forever.”

It was finally race day and to say Lando was nervous was an understatement. He never usually got nervous before races but with this being his home race and him doing so well in qualifying, it meant that expectations of him were high. He was snapped out of his slight panic by a set of familiar arms wrapping themselves around his waist. He leaned back into her embrace and let out a breath. “Everything okay darling?” she asked calmly, knowing that he could sometimes get himself worked up before races. He turned himself around in her arms and held her to his chest tightly. “Just nervous” he replied, immediately relaxing, finding comfort in her arms. “I know you are, but you’ll smash it, I’ve got so much faith in you” she said as she removed her face from his chest and looked up at him, only to be met by his love struck gaze staring right back at her. Suddenly, a playful glint shone in Lando’s eyes, “what do I get if I win?” he asked with a smirk on his face. y/n rolled her eyes jokingly “I don’t know what do you want?” she asked hesitantly, knowing that he could take this anywhere. “One thing quickly, do you promise that whatever I say, you definitely have to do?” He asked. She narrowed her eyes at him and then sighed when he gave her his puppy look “I promise.” “Pinky promise?” He asked. “Pinky promise,” she responded with a small smile on her lips, interlinking their pinkies, holding their thumbs together and then kissing their touching thumbs one at a time. He was quiet for a moment, wondering to himself what he could possibly ask for as a reward if he won the race.

y/n saw the lightbulb moment appear and a cheeky look come over his face, and with a sigh asked “oh god, what is it?” Lando just chuckled at her expression and before he could open his mouth, an arm found its way around his shoulders. “What ya talking about love birds?” Daniel asked with a teasing smile. “He was just about to tell me what he wants if he wins the race today” she responded to the Australian man. Daniel’s head spun round to face Lando, “what makes you think you’ll win today?” he questioned jokingly. y/n then watched as Lando whispered something in Daniel’s ear, she panicked as she then witnessed Daniel’s whole face light up at whatever Lando just said to him. “Oh god, please tell me what it is?” she begged. Both Lando and Daniel turned to her with large smirks on their face. Lando took a step forward, “I want you to do a shoey if I win.”

The shoey had been a joke within the relationship since Daniel had joined McLaren. He had tried to convince Lando to do it on multiple occasions and had even tried to get y/n to do one but she refused. Lando was adamant at first that he would never do it, but then obviously, as y/n believes, Lando must’ve been bribed by Daniel because he eventually did it.

“No no no no no way” she said with a look of disgust on her face. “Ah ah ah, you pinky promised” Lando quickly responded matter of factly. y/n was lost for words “I-I’m not,” she stuttered. She looked over at Daniel for help, but he just held his hands up and said “don’t look at me, I wanna see you do it, plus you can’t break a pinky promise” She looked at her feet and then looked back up at Lando, “are you sure there isn’t anything else you want me to do?” She questioned sweetly. “That look isn’t going to work on me now baby, you’re doing this, you promised,” he said as he grinned down at her. The interaction was interrupted by Daniel saying that he had to go and get ready for the race. Lando bid farewell to the Aussie driver before turning back to face y/n who was looking up at him with a pout on her face. He brought her into his chest and held her tightly, breathing a sigh of relief as her arms wrapped tightly around him. “Good luck sweetheart,” she mumbled into his chest. Lando released her and gently held her face in his hands, “I love you baby” he said before connecting his lips to hers. After a few seconds they pulled away and looked into each others eyes before y/n leaned up to kiss the end of Lando’s nose and said, “I love you too Lan, go smash it my boy.”

He’d done it, he’d won his home race. Cheers echoed around the McLaren garage and in the crowd. After parking in the number one spot, Lando jumped out of his car and ran straight over to her, leaning over the barrier and pulling her into him, crashing their lips together in a passionate kiss. “My champion,” she mumbled against his lips, causing him to pull away and grin down at her with a faint blush covering his cheeks. “It’s because my lucky charm was here,” he stated proudly holding her face and kissing the tip of her nose gently.

“And your winner of the British Grand Prix, number 4, Lando Norris” boomed out the speakers whilst she looked up at Lando proudly as he made his way onto the top of the podium. He grinned down at her before kissing the number “4” he had tattooed on his wrist and holding up a love heart towards her. y/n gazed up at him lovingly, before copying his movements, kissing her matching tattoo then holding up a love heart.

Time skip a month to the women’s World Cup final 2023

She’d done it, England had done it. They had won the Women’s World Cup 2023. She looked up in the stands at her biggest supporter staring right back down at her. Lando was wearing the biggest smile and had tears streaming down his face. He knew how much this meant to her and he was so incredibly proud.

Before they knew it, the celebrations had started and champagne was being sprayed over all the players by the staff. The players’ families and friends had started to make their way down to the pitch to congratulate the players and like the euros, Lando was accompanied by some of his fellow drivers who wanted to come and support her in the final. Before any of her family and friends got the chance, Lando had already ran up to her and they had crashed into each others’ open arms. Holding onto each other tighter than ever and whispering words of love into one another’s necks. Lando pulled away and gave her a sweet kiss before holding her face in his hands, “I’m so proud of you baby, you’re my champion again” he said with tears still streaming down his face, causing her to giggle. “It must just be our number 4, it’s lucky” she teased with tears and love in her eyes as she gazed up at her soulmate.

Suddenly, Lando perked up, “do you remember that promise we made before the British Grand Prix?” he asked. Confusion flashed through her eyes, “what promi- oh no, not that promise!” she said with slight panic in her voice. “You pinky promised baby and now is the perfect chance to do it,” he told her as he giggled at her pained expression at the reminder of the ridiculous promise she had made to him.

y/n turned around to grab a bottle of champagne and Lando stood shocked for a while as he saw her starting to take of one of her boots, quickly snapping back into reality when he was asked to hold it for her. She poured the liquid into her boot before shouting over to Daniel, “Hey Danny, this is the one time this is happening, so you better not miss it!” Daniel stood there with a similar expression to Lando’s shocked one before quickly grinning and cheering her on. She raised the heel of the boot to her mouth before swallowing the liquid falling from her shoe. As she removed the boot from her mouth, she was met with Daniel’s phone in her face probably filming the whole thing and a look of pure disgust from Charles who had made it clear to her many times that as much as Lando asked him to, he would never participate in doing a shoey.

She turned to Lando, who sported a proud smirk on his face. Pulling her into his chest, he mumbled into her ear “that was really hot,” causing her to blush but look at him with questioning look. “Whatever floats your boat baby, might do it more often if this is how you and little Lando react” she teased, smirking up at him. “How dare you call it little, you know full well that it-“ Lando started before she slapped her hand over his mouth, stopping him from finishing that sentence and ultimately exposing their sex lives to her family and their friends.

It was the day after the final and Lando and y/n were sat watching the sunset peacefully. Lando interlinked their fingers before gazing at the engagement ring glistening in the early morning sun on her hand. “What about if we do it next week?” he asked nervously. “Do what? The wedding?” she responded. Lando sighed, brushing his other hand through his hair before pulling her to straddle his lap so they were face to face, “Yeah, I mean, neither of us want a big wedding, it can just be small with family and friends, we can still have a party after and I was speaking to Daniel earlier and he said that he would take pictures so we wouldn’t have to worry about that and-“ Lando was interrupted by a pair of soft lips meeting his. “Lan, that sounds perfect” she whispered to him before continuing, “as long as I’m with you, that’s all that ever matters”

#lando norris x reader #f1 #lando norris #lando norris imagine #lando norris x female reader #lionesses #womens football #womens world cup #daniel ricciardo #football #football imagine #charles leclerc #imagine #f1 imagine

118 notes · View notes

jjmaybankslays · 8 months

Text

THE REUNION

A/N: Hope y'all are having a great day; if not, maybe this will help improve it. This is my first time writing and also English is not my first language, so I hereby apologize for any mistakes, Feel free to correct me. This random imagine erupted in my mind and I thought why not share this with you all. Requests are open, feel free to contact me. Re-blogs are very much appreciated.

pairing: jj maybank x reader

synopsis: Reader and JJ reunited after being apart for a week.

warnings: cuteness overloaded, nothing but just fluff, kissing

Word count -> 417

y/n could be spotted, reading a book, sitting on one of the hammocks of the chateau swinging back and forth while gentle gusts of wind rushed towards her.

Her mind continuously raced with the thoughts of a certain blue-eyed, blonde boy. JJ and Y/N had always been an inseparable duo, and with them starting to date, the bond only strengthened effortlessly. It had been a week since she last saw her boyfriend, and needless to say, she was eagerly anticipating their long not so long-awaited reunion.

The boys wanted a boy's camp week as a reward for everything they had been through while finding the gold. On the other hand, the girls were not opposed to the idea of having a girl's week over in the chateau either.

She admitted that the peaceful atmosphere surrounding the chateau during their absence was not complainable, but couldn't help but feel the emptiness of the non-stop crazy antics of the boys that made it feel like home.

With the setting of the sun, she moved inside and occupied a seat beside Sarah on the old, raggy pullout couch and chatted away the entire evening with the girls, discussing girl drama and whatnot, thoroughly enjoying her time.

This was however soon interrupted by a sudden and abrupt movement causing the door to be swung open to reveal the boys. Her eyes roamed over the place till her orbs were locked with the familiar blonde. Neither of the two wasted another moment and came crashing into each other's warmth. JJ, without even hesitating, swooped her gently off the ground and twirled her around, taking in her refreshing scent and murmured slowly in her ears "Missed me, huh?"

Y/n replied with a chuckle "Oh shut up and kiss me already"

He didn't have to be told twice, he quickly grabbed her face, softly caressing the edges of it, he smashed his lips in a rushed yet passionate manner, devouring every second of it.

John B was the first one to meddle in

"Finally, they have reunited. JJ can't seem to stop blabbering about her throughout the entire trip. But this is so gross, you guys do realize we're still in here, right?"

Pope piped in "Yeah you both make me feel more single than I already feel."

Sarah shrugged while adding "I think it's pretty cute."

"John B! I thought that we were gonna keep this to ourselves, come on man."

This caused everyone to break down into fits of laughter.

____________________________________

85 notes · View notes

cupidjyu · 11 months

Note

hi lovie!! 🩵 could you write a sangyeon fluff where you come back home all exhausted from work and he decides to give you a nice relaxation night + blow dry your hair (something abt men drying their loved ones hair just gets me all the time 🥺) hehe thankiewww 🫶🏻

beautiful mess

sangyeon x reader (request !!)

genre: comfort, sweetie pie sangyeon, he sings for you, and washes your hair, and also dries it, bathing together (except he doesn't see you without clothes, okay do not worry!) cuddles and kisses, he thinks ur beautiful

notes: if u guys notice my writing becoming increasingly more and more detailed, i wouldn't say it's improvement, its just that im writing something else separately so i kinda get mixed up with writing styles TT word count: 1.3k

In the reflection of the nearby window, you could see just how tired you were. You sighed as you continued on your way to your shared apartment.

To put it as simply as you could, you had a bad day. Work was tiring, especially with the growing tasks that you had responsibility for. People around you were snappy and rude. And just as you were this close to losing it, on the way home, it started to pour rain. The weather had literally said nothing about the rain. So of course, you didn’t bring an umbrella.

You were shivering when you opened the door, your hair and clothes completely soaked. You let out a weary groan. But you brightened just the slightest when you remembered who else was home.

“Sangyeon?” You called out, your voice was croaky from disuse.

Your boyfriend popped his head out from another room with a smile.

“Hi, my love. You’re home late,” He greeted softly, soothing that pit in your stomach you had previously. But then, he froze when he noticed your disheveled state. He immediately rushed over to you, cupping your face in his warm hands. He examined you with worry, his eyes gentle on you. His thumb caressed your cheek softly. “Is everything okay?”

And you so badly wanted to say that you were completely fine. But, with the way he was gazing at you with so much care and with how gentle his touch was, you couldn’t help but squeeze your eyes shut to try to control the tears already welling up in your eyes.

“No, not really,” You whispered as you opened your watery eyes which led to a few drops of tears running down your face.

“I’m sorry about that.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to your lips, and then to each of your cheeks to catch the tears falling down. His kisses immediately warmed up your cold body, ceasing your shivering. “Want me to take care of you?”

You shook your head in fear of being a burden.

“No, I– I can take care of myself. I don’t want to bother you.”

Sangyeon clicked his tongue in disapproval. He suddenly pulled you into a tight hug and whispered into your hair with a lighthearted tone, “Hey, who do you take me for? You would never bother me. In fact, taking care of you is in fact, my favorite lifelong hobby.” He pulled away, smiling. You could tell he was trying to cheer you up.

Your lips curled up just slightly.

“Okay, do as you please then.”

He led you to the bathroom. He began to set up the bathtub, turning the water on and adding bubbles. He even lit up a (very unnecessary) candle! He also made sure that the water wasn’t too cold. You watched from behind him with endearment of how much he was fussing over every small detail.

Finally, he turned around. “Go ahead.” He gently smiled, gesturing to the bathtub.

You just stood there, staring at him as you toyed with the hem of your clothes. He looked at you confused before he widened his eyes with realization. He blushed and turned away from you.

You still stood there, completely stiff.

“Are you… not going to leave?”

“No.” He shook his head. “You said that I could do as I please, right? Then, I’ll help you wash your hair.”

“Oh… Sangyeon,” You breathed out.

“Ah, ah. Get undressed already. I won’t look.”

You took a deep breath, your face feeling hot as you quickly did so and climbed into the bathtub. Your stiff muscles immediately relaxed in the warm water. He turned back around after a moment and he approached where you were sitting, your body hidden under the bubbles and water.

He smiled dearly at you, brushing a hair strand away from your face.

You flushed, averting your gaze. “Stop staring. I look enough like a mess already.”

But he leaned in and pressed a kiss to your forehead this time.

“You look beautiful.”

You gulped and stared up at him speechless. He only chuckled at your response before grabbing your usual hair products. “Turn around, okay?” You followed as he said. The room was silent up until you heard him grab his phone and put on a song. It was a beautiful, slow, and romantic song. When he got to work lathering your hair, you felt yourself relax as his fingers worked into your scalp, massaging gently.

You felt your eyes droop but you instantly woke up when you realized that he was singing. He was singing to you, his voice soft and pretty as he sang along to the lyrics. You felt your heart soar, the past day completely forgotten.

After he finished, he turned you around and pressed another kiss to your cheek.

“Go finish up and do whatever you want.” He smiled kindly. “I’ll be waiting for you in bed.”

“Interesting choice of words.”

“Don’t be dirty-minded,” He snorted.

Now with comfy clothes on, you reached for the hair dryer, only to realize that it was completely gone. You wandered into the room and you paused when you saw that he was just plugging it in. He had changed into a soft shirt, the one that you always fall asleep on.

“Why would you steal it?” You laughed.

“I did not steal it.” He pouted. Sangyeon was now sitting against the headboard, his legs sprawled on the bed. He raised an eyebrow and patted his lap. “Come sit.”

You stared at him in disbelief, almost like he was joking. But he tilted his head, completely serious.

“What are you waiting for?”

Hesitantly, you slowly walked over, playing with the hem of your shirt nervously. Even though you’ve been dating for a while, it was still hard not to feel flustered around Sangyeon, especially when he was looking at you with such a soft, fond gaze. You climbed onto the bed and sat on his lap, facing him. Your legs straddled his hips and your hands rested on his chest for support.

His hand came to your waist to pull you even closer. With a shaky breath, you looked down at him with round eyes. He simply smiled sweetly and turned on the dryer.

“You can relax with me,” He whispered soothingly. As he began to blow dry your hair, his fingers combed through it, getting rid of any tangles. He made sure not to accidentally blow the warm air on your skin or to pull on your hair too hard. Your heart skipped a beat at how cautious he was being. Usually, you dried your hair quite aggressively. But this time, he was treating you with so much care.

But then you winced at how loud the machine was with the earache you already had from the rain.

Sangyeon noticed quickly. “Is it loud?”

You shrugged. “It’s always this loud. There’s nothing to do about it.”

He thought for a moment. And then his hand suddenly hooked around your back. He pulled you into another position where your head was against his chest and you were now laying against his warm body. This way, the sound was muffled and he could focus on the back of your hair. You were quickly filled with warmth and you snuggled into his chest, reveling in his familiar, sweet scent.

“This is… comfortable.”

“I think so too,” He mumbled, pressing another kiss to your forehead.

You hadn’t noticed that you had dozed off. When you awoke, the dryer was off now and when you looked up, he was staring back at you with so much affection that your cheeks flushed.

“Beautiful.”

You whined, burying yourself back into his chest. He wrapped his arms around you and held you close.

“Love you,” You whispered.

“I love you too. So much.”

“Thank you for taking care of me.” You pulled away to press a long kiss to his lips.

“Of course, beautiful.”

“Stop with that word,” You muttered. “I looked like a mess today, admit it.”

“I think that you’re the most beautiful in the world, baby.” He scrunched his nose, cutely. “Anytime, anywhere.”

You huffed, your ears turning red. “You’re insane.”

#the boyz imagines #the boyz reactions #the boyz fluff #tbz fluff #tbz imagines #the boyz x reader #sangyeon x reader #sangyeon fluff #requests 💞#drabbles 💞

110 notes · View notes

burrowingkelce · 1 year

Text

Round-up

Joe Burrow x Fem!reader

Lil thing I thought of when I seen this picture, pure fluff, no smut.

You were herding cattle on your 30 acre ranch in western Ohio with your boyfriend Joe. He was a simple guy and never wanted anything too huge and extravagant. But you were adamant about buying this property and raising black angus steers.

You rode your prize barrel racing horse, Comanche, and he rode your favorite paint mare, Euro. He looked around admiring the lush landscape ahead.

While you were ogling at Joe, one of the calves ran into the woods behind your house. You and Comanche took off like lightning to catch that steer.

Joe pulled Euro to a halt and watched as his girlfriend chased a wayward calf all through the grass. He could help but laugh as you roped the calf and trudged back to him

"What're you laughing at?" You asked playfully.

Joe continued to laugh more at the way your southern accent altered your voice.

"Nothing, just watching my girl chase after our next meal."

You laughed and punched him in the arm and pulled the calf behind you.

It was getting late and as you herded the last steer into the sorting pen, you heard Joe sigh beside you.

"Finally, there all rounded up."

"Not all of them." You said feeling high spirited.

And just like that you took off on Comanche yet again, Joe trailing behind on Euro.

Joe grabbed his lasso and whirled it around above him, attempting to get it over Comanche and pull you to a halt.

He tried relentlessly, but Comanche knew how to duck and weave anything being thrown near him. Being a champion barrel horse came with it's perks.

Finally you stopped Comanche like you were reigning, as he dug his back legs into the ground, Euro didn't quite get the message to stop and kept running.

You laughed at the way Joe tried to get her to turn around. As he walked back to you, he hung his head in embarrassment.

"Oh Joey, looks like this one got away." You said as you hopped off Comanche's back.

"Yeah but guess they aren't all meant to be caught, some are meant to be wild." He said as he jumped off Euro before waltzing over to you to plant a kiss to your forehead.

You walked with him to the stable and took the saddle off Comanche and gave him some extra hay and water.

Joe finished brushing down Euro and put her back into her stall. He walked over to you after he seen you struggling to get the heavy western saddle back up on the high rack.

"Here babe, I got it." He lifted it up and set it down on the rack carefully.

"Thank hun, don't know what I'd do withoutcha." You said hugging him, making sure to take a deep breath into your lungs.

As you were walking back to the house you stopped in your tracks. Joe turned to look at you and noticed you were a couple feet behind him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, a worried expression plastered on his face.

You just looked at him and took off running behind you, looking back to see of Joe was following.

His long legs caught up to you quickly, his strong arms grabbed your waist as he gently tackled you to the soft grass.

You both started laughing immediately as you laid on his chest, looking at the stars. He wrapped his arms around you and held you as tight as he could without hurting you.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you Joey?"

"Everyday sweetheart, but I will never get tired of it."

He kissed your head once more before sitting up and carrying you to the house.

This was my first little thing I wrote, so please tell me what I can improve on, I love the advice! I hope you enjoyed as well 🫶🏼

Tags ❤️

@joebrrrrrr9 @burrowjoe @burrowstan please tell me if you want to be added to future Joey B stories ❤️

#joe burrow #joe burrow fluff #joe burrow x reader #ranch living #cattle

184 notes · View notes

maochira · 1 year

Note

Hello! I've been obsessed with your platonic writings and I have an idea, feel free to ignore it!

What if you tell either bachira, reo, sae, and maybe shidou, that you're aromatic, but yet also a helpless romantic. And you're kinda just sad you have all these cute date ideas, but you feel like you can never experience it.

So they just decide to take you on a platonic date to prove you wrong.

I LOVE THIS ANON IT'S SO CUTE AAHHH THANK YOU😭😭 I'm not aro but I'm a lesbian who's VERY platonically in love with Zantetsu so I'm gonna add him,, added Tokimitsu as well!!

Requests open! - current writing event - masterlist

Characters: Bachira, Reo, Sae, Shidou, Zantetsu, Tokimitsu

Tags: aromantic!best friend!reader, platonic dates, fluff

A/N: Writing these scenarios made me giggle kick my feet doing muffled screams smiling to myself SO SO MUCH

Bachira - Ikea date!

Bachira really wants you to feel loved and wants to make you feel special. He knows how much you'd love to experience all these cute scenarios you always talk about, but none of them ever sounded like something he could put his entire heart into. What mostly stuck in his mind were the domestic scenarios you imagined sometimes. and it gave him an idea. Bachira wants to surprise you, so he pretends he needs to get a new desk and wants your help to choose. Of course, you agree and go along. While you walk through Ikea, Bachira makes you sit down in one of those presentation rooms and starts acting out a scenario you once described to him, in oddly specific detail. It confuses you at first, but you play along and it ends up being a lot of fun. You do that in many more of the rooms, and even if it's silly and childish, knowing Bachira always paid so much attention to what you talked about makes you feel so loved. And even if it's just playing pretend, acting out some of your imagines scenarios makes you very happy.

Reo - shopping date!

When Reo notices you're having a particularly rough day, beating yourself up about how you'll never be able to experience all the cute things in your head more than usual, he decides to take you on a shopping date after school. And from the beginning, he calls it a platonic date. It confuses you a bit, since you've never heard of that before, but to avoid the rest of your day going downhill, you agree to his offer. Reo makes it very clear that he wants to spoil you by buying things that will bring you joy. At first, you hold back a little, but Reo keeps encouraging you to choose more. But because you don't want him to go out without anything for himself, you choose a bunch of matching things you can share with him. After that day, you never see Reo without the matching bracelet on his wrist.

Sae - cat cafe date!

Sae wants to prove to you, that you don't need the romantic aspect to feel so loved. And he's very serious about it. He wants to prove it to you with something special that you will definitely keep in mind for a while. He knows he wants it to be something typical like eating somewhere together, but he always thought there was something missing. It was a coincidence when he found out about the cat cafe in the next city, but he immediately knew it's where he'll be taking you. From the moment he invited you, to the moment you sit down in the cafe, you notice how serious Sae is about this. But the cute cats walking around, asking for his attention make him break the serious facade a little. Sae still acts like he usually does around you, but it's obvious how he puts more effort into making you feel loved by being more affectionate with his words. In the end, you not only feel happy from the cat lying and purring on your lap, but you also feel very loved by your best friend Sae. He definitely proved his point.

Shidou - concert date!

Shidou has never been good at comforting or giving advice, but he's always been there to listen to whatever is on your mind. Usually, he tries to lighten your mood with jokes, but he knows that won't improve anything in the long run. When Shidou finds out your favourite band is playing at a festival nearby soon, he immediately buys tickets so he can take you there. You're surprised by this and insist on paying him back, but he doesn't let you and explains it's his job to pay because he's the one taking you on a platonic date. This surprises you even more, since it's something you wouldn't have expected from someone like Shidou. You're overjoyed and thank him over and over. Both of you look forward to the concert, and it ends up being one of the most fun experiences you've ever had. During your favourite song, Shidou even gets on his knee and pretends to propose to you, which makes you laugh a lot.

(A/N: that last part is based on a thing my friends did at a concert we went to recently, hehe)

Zantetsu - late-night picnic date!

Zantetsu didn't plan to make it a late-night date. His original plan was to surprise you and take you to your favourite spot in the nearby park and watch the sunset together. But he forgot the time and arrived at your place when the sun was already completely set. Still, you're surprised to see him on your doorstep at such a late hour, especially because he's dressed so nicely. Zantetsu is extremely serious about this, that's why he even put on a suit. Zantetsu awkwardly explains his (new) plan to grab some food and drinks at a convenience store and do a late-night picnic in the park. Of course, you agree to it and get dressed in something nice as quickly as possible. You and Zantetsu have so much fun, you end up spending the entire night until sunrise in the early morning together. Sharing that sight with your best friend is a memory that always makes you smile when it crosses your mind.

Tokimitsu - boba date!

Tokimitsu has always hated to see you so sad over how you feel like you're missing out on something. And as your best friend, he definitely wants to let you experience at least a fraction of the thing you've told him about. Usually, Tokimitsu likes to plan things days ahead, so he can make sure nothing goes wrong. But when you ask him to get boba after school, the words "How about we make it a date?" shortly followed by a panicked "a platonic one, of course", slip out of his mouth. Tokimitsu immediately starts apologizing, thinking he crossed a line, but you tell him it's okay and you'd love to make it a platonic date. Tokimitsu always treats you very gently and is careful with you, but that seems to double during your boba date. He also makes sure to remind you to chew the tapioca/bite the popping boba properly, as he's afraid you'll choke on it. It's a bit cliche, but the cliche is what Tokimitsu wants to have you experience, so you share one drink with two straws. Even though there's nothing romantic about it, spending this time with Tokimitsu makes you feel very happy and loved.

140 notes · View notes

trentsixtysix · 1 year

Text

Behind Closed Doors

Summary: Being the Gaffer's niece certainly helped in landing you a new job as the Liverpool team’s physio, but one too many disagreements with a familiar player makes the whole experience slightly less enjoyable..

WARNINGS: This series will contain Angst, Fluff and Smut

Word Count: 3.5k

Chapter 6 - Chapter 5 here

The sun hadn't even properly come up yet, but for some reason you were awoken by deafening blares coming from the other side of the room, frustrating you as it couldn't have been any later than 7am.

'Turn it off.' You groaned, pulling the covers over your head, sensing Trent pace around the room after he stopped the noise.

Memories from last night instantly flooded your mind, and you were furious at yourself for giving in to him. You couldn't believe he had you under his trance yet again and convinced you to not only stay the night, but sleep with him - and although you knew it was on your terms and your own doing, you felt terrible.

'Get up.' He demanded, sitting himself upright whilst he scrolled through his phone next to you.

'What time is it?' You questioned, suddenly remembering you had work today, both of you due to be there for an early morning training session today.

'6:50.' He replied, getting out of bed and heading towards his bathroom.

'Shit. What am I gonna tell my uncle when he asks where I was?' You panicked, knowing it'd be questionable as you'd arrive with Trent.

'I'm going for a shower, you joining me?' He smirked, ignoring you.

'Shut up.' You pleaded, rolling your eyes at his smug face as you lazily put on last night's clothing before getting out of bed.

'Just tell him you stayed the night at a friend's?' He thought, pleased with his suggestion as he walked into the bathroom, leaving you alone.

You walked out of his room, and found yourself making your way to the guest shower to get ready. There was no way you were doing the walk of shame in the state you were in to your uncle's house right now, so you figured you were somehow better off spending the morning with Trent before you arrived at work.

You got out of the shower and returned to his room to see him ready on the bed, with an LFC branded training jacket laid out on the bed.

'Wear that.' He commanded, making you let out a sigh of relief as you'd just have to suffice with the jacket and your joggers.

You followed him downstairs and watched him go into the kitchen, pulling out two glasses and his protein powder, preparing to make two shakes.

It pretty much tasted like chocolate flavoured leaves, and you weren’t even sure if you could call it breakfast, but you couldn't see him consuming bowls of sugary cereal being the athlete that he was, which is why you stayed put and took it anyway without complaining.

'What are you looking at?' You asked him, noticing he was vigorously scrolling through his phone distressed for some time.

'Huh? Oh nothing.' He answered, slightly tipping his phone towards you unknowingly, allowing you to sneak a glance; he was on Twitter, reading through hundreds of responses about his performance the other day.

'You gotta stop looking at that stuff.' You told him, taking a sip of your shake.

'I don't look at it.' He claimed, switching his phone off to end the discussion.

'It won't benefit you at all, only you know how to improve.' You added, as both of you knew he was dwelling on how he played the other day.

'Speak when you're spoken to Y/n, I didn't ask for a pep talk.' He slammed, placing his glass in the sink, leaving you a little embarrassed.

'My bad, talking to you in general is just a mistake.' You said, placing yours in the sink too when you were done.

'Yet you're still here, in my house.' He challenged, mockingly.

'And it'll be the last time, this isn't happening again.' You explained, standing your ground, all whilst he chuckled at you cockily.

'I mean it Trent, it was a mistake.'

'I’m sure it was, you just can't stay away from me..' He smirked, jingling his car keys as he went to start the car, leaving you with your thoughts.

You met him a few moments later in the car, aware you were showing up to work without any of your essentials due to last night's annoying choice of events.

There was traffic already, and you decided to shut your eyes to catch up on the sleep you missed, as you were both sat stationary at the red light for some time. You opened your eye slightly to catch his gaze focused on you, quickly looking away as soon as he noticed you watching, eyes back on the road as the light turned green.

'Watching me sleep?' You asked, chuckling.

'Just wondering how one person can be so lazy.' He shot back, making you yawn loudly dramatically.

You guys were now late, with training starting 15 minutes ago, but you still managed to catch up with the team and slot yourself between the other staff.

'Where were you last night?' Asked your uncle from next to you.

'Oh I stayed with a friend, that's why we were late..Trent had to pick me up.' You informed him, hopefully saving yourself from any speculation.

'Joe is here today, I want you to examine him again.' He added, making you raise your eyebrows.

'Joe is here?' You asked, wanting him to repeat himself for confirmation.

'Yes, he's in the exam room.' He informed you.

You didn't want to see Joe right now; especially not after what went down last night, where he made a fool out of you in front of all his friends and then his confrontation with you and Trent.

As soon the boys had finished training, they were all sent inside for a team talk, which was your cue to attend to Joe.

Most of all you were angry at yourself because you knew Joe could be right, and even though you only ever saw him as a friend, you knew he was correct in saying you needed his attention when you didn't have Trent's. His words replayed over and over in your head, and yet you still couldn't figure out why you needed Trent's validation, the two of you were only past hookups to each other, and it wasn't anything other than ridiculous teasing and the sex you regret last night.

'How's your ankle?' You asked, staying professional as Joe was laid out on the chair.

'Bruised.' He replied, making you take a look at how gnarly it was.

You reached for a bandage and began to dress it for him after cleaning it up, and although you were looking down at it, you could tell that his gaze never left you.

'Y/n.' He said, in a bid to gain your attention as you asked him to try and move his foot.

'Just focus on this, try moving it.' You suggested, watching him do so, struggling lightly as he got frustrated.

'Y/n?' He repeated, forcing you to face him.

'I'm sorry about last night, please let me say sorry properly.' He begged, and as soon as you realised what he was going to say you sighed, stepping away from him.

'Joe, I'm just here to do my job.' You explained, ignoring him whilst you continued.

'Just let me apologise, it was completely out of order.' He argued, all whilst you wished the conversation would quickly end.

'Yes, it was. But I'm not dwelling on it.' You revealed, packing your things away.

'You’d be dwelling if I were Trent though?' He teased, shaking his head.

‘Stop talking about Trent, there’s nothing with him, he just drives me to work and back, that's all.' You fought.

'He was your knight in shining armour last night, why did you call him then Y/n?' Joe pushed.

'I don't have to explain myself to you, I'm just trying to stay professional.' You reminded him, getting ready to leave.

'Staying professional apart from when you guys have sex right?' Laughed Joe, catching you off guard.

You knew Joe had a hunch, loads of players probably did - but you assumed his comments last night were made from speculation, which is why you were shocked right now.. wondering if he knew you and Trent went home together last night too, even though it was highly unlikely.

'What are you talking about Joe?' You asked, getting ready to deny.

'I'm not an idiot, I know about you and Trent in the past.' He started, leaving you silent as you waited for him to continue.

'He told the whole team about your hookup the first day you got here, wouldn't shut up about it.' Joe revealed, and you felt yourself feeling nauseous all of a sudden.

You were embarrassed, hoping this wasn't true, fearing all of your credibility was gone, and you didn't want to believe him but it would make sense as to why most of the players saw you in a different light now.

'What?' You questioned, silently.

'He's just like everyone else Y/n, I don’t know how many times I have to explain this to you.' Joe explained, his soft tone making you affirm that he was telling the truth.

You were furious at yourself at this point, how stupid had you been to continue being kind to Trent, staying over at his house, unintentionally creating a feud between him and Joe, and most importantly sleeping with him again when you knew you had to keep it appropriate with him, and knew what he was like.

You stormed out of the office, it was the end of the day now and you had to endure a journey with Trent again, seeming more and more difficult after finding out he had exposed you to his teammates whom you worked with.

'Y/n, how is it looking for Joe then?' Your uncle asked, catching you off guard as you strolled through the hallway.

'Oh..he's doing better, still no sign of him playing anytime soon though.' You told him, as he pursed his lips together in frustration.

'Ah well, you go on and get home then, we won't be home for tonight.' He told you, patting you on the head.

'Why? Where are you?' You asked, curiously.

'We have a meeting, I will be here tomorrow afternoon for training though.' He informed you, making you nod in approval.

'Go and relax now, I'm sure you didn't get much sleep last night did you? Feel free to invite some friends over.' He suggested, before playfully pinching your cheeks as he walked off.

'You ready to go?' Trent asked, waiting to talk to you as he noticed you were busy in conversation with Jurgen.

You shot him a disapproving look, before nodding your head stubbornly, pacing ahead of him to get to the carpark, wanting to avoid as much conversation possible with him.

Eventually you met him there, after a few moments of standing by his car, waiting for him to arrive and unlock it for you.

The majority of the drive was silent as per usual, but this time it was you who turned his music higher, a sign from you to tell him you weren't in the mood to talk right now, even though you knew he wouldn't be either.

'How's Joe?' Asked Trent, lowering the volume.

You simply stayed silent, turning your head in an act to pretend you didn't hear him.

'I said how's Joe?' He repeated, taking his eyes off of the road this time to look at you.

'He's fine, now stop talking.' You bluntly said, pulling your phone out to avoid him, and you could see him furrowing his brows in confusion through your peripheral vision.

'When’s he gonna be back?' He continued to ask, as you sighed in annoyance, whilst he turned the corner to get to your shared neighbourhood.

'Don't know and since when do you care? He's injured because of you remember.' You told him, regretting it as soon as the words left your mouth, because you both knew he felt bad about it.

'Wow..he's still my friend, always has been.' Trent told you.

'Just because you've got your own problems with him and got me involved last night doesn't mean I have a problem with him..' Trent slammed, leaving you shaking your head at his audacity.

'Good, I don't expect any favours from you Trent, we're not friends.' You said, coldly, as he parked up on your drive, and as you got ready to get out of his car you heard the locks click, realising he'd locked you in.

'What are you doing?' You asked, frustrated.

'What’s with the sudden mood change.' He explained.

'I’m just returning the same energy back to you.' You fought.

'So you're in my bed this morning, then drinking my protein shakes and now you're telling me we're not friends?' He asked, laughing.

'We're not friends, you said yourself we can’t be...Besides I can't stand you.' You claimed.

'You can't stand me? You were screaming my name last night.' He joked, angering you even more.

'You gonna go tell the team about it again?' You slammed, watching him go silent.

'What are you talking about now?'

'Joe's told me, why the fuck would you tell them about this Summer?' You complained, having to fight back tears.

'Y/n, I haven’t told anyone.' He said, standing his ground.

'Why should I believe you?' You asked, head facing the floor.

'So you'd believe Joe? When you know he's raging every time he sees me near you?' He laughed.

'Be real Trent, you've just seen me as someone to get your dick wet the entire time, Joe's been good to me.' You claimed.

'Joe is the reason you were begging me to pick you up last night, I can fuck whoever I want I don't need to brag and tell people about it.' He blasted.

'You do that then, because we're not fucking again.' You attacked.

'We don't need to, but I can imagine you'll go running to Joe for that now won't you?' He said, harshly and you couldn't believe he was speaking to you in this way.

'Unlock the car.' You demanded, wiping your eyes.

'Crying again? For fucks sake Y/n.' He tutted, feeling guilty as he pressed the button to let you out.

You charged past him, hurrying to unlock the door to let yourself in, noticing he had followed you up.

'Go Trent.' You petitioned, wanting him to leave.

'I'm not done Y/n.' He revealed, tailing you as you unlocked the door.

'Well I am..fuck off.' You shouted, slamming the door in his face.

You spent the majority of your evening cuddled up in your bed, watching Netflix and not even beginning to focus on anything work related, as any mention of it would seriously make you go into overdrive.

Joe: Are you okay?

You took one look at the notification, and even though it'd be logical of you to ignore it, you found yourself typing away, responding to it anyway.

You: I'm better.

Joe: Can you come over? Just want to talk

You: I just wanna stay home right now.

Joe: I'll come to you then?

You argued with him a little longer, as you felt bad making him come over with his leg, aware he'd have to take an Uber.

You: What if my uncle sees you on the cameras?

Joe: I'm supposed to come round to pick something up anyway.

You knew your uncle wouldn't necessarily mind if Joe was there, aware the two of you were friends - but you were already fearing he'd catch heed of you and Trent, and did not need any rumours about you and Joe on the list too.

You attended to the door hearing it ring, letting Joe in at once, watching as he moved easily with his crutch to the sofa.

'Trent's been calling me.' He started, and you knew instantly why.

'I didn't pick up, do you know what he wants?' He asked, as you prepared to tell him the story.

'I just confronted him about it, and of course he denied it all.' You revealed, explaining what went on in the car.

'So I'm guessing he wanted to give me a piece of his mind?' He inferred, making you both laugh.

'I'm sorry about before Y/n, I want to stay friends with you.' He added, making you feel bad for your disagreement the other night.

'It's no big deal, you were emotional and you had every right to be.' You backed, talking a little longer.

The truth was, you were confident there was nothing romantic with the two of them, and you missed the friend you had in Joe, who was for sure the better person when it came to him and Trent, which is why you both spoke with ease for the rest of the night, waiting for Joe's uber to get here to pick him up as he prepared to leave.

You heard the doorbell ring, wondering if it was his ride, rushing to open it as you were faced with no other than Trent at the door.

'Who is it?' Joe called, leaving you silent as Trent raised his eyebrows, realising you were with Joe.

'You not gonna let me in?' Asked Trent, entering anyway before you had the chance to say anything, and soon all three of you were in the same room.

'Leave mate.' Joe said, being faced with Trent.

'Y/n can we talk?' Trent asked, ignoring Joe.

'She doesn't want to.' Joe fought, as Trent remained calm.

'Joe, it's fine..' You said, as he got up to leave.

'My Uber's here anyway, see you Y/n.' He said, before leaving and shooting Trent a dirty look.

It was now just you and Trent faced with each other, and you didn't know what he wanted, as his opinion was clear from what he said to you in the car earlier.

'What do you want?' You asked.

'Can you just hear me out?'

'No Trent, just go.' You sighed.

'No. Believe me when I say I didn't tell the team anything about us.' He argued, and you flopped onto the sofa in defeat.

'Why do you care what I think? Do you get this attached to every girl you've been with?' You challenged.

'No. Just you I guess.' He said, making you laugh as you knew he was just teasing and wasting your time now.

'Okay, you can save your breath and leave now.' You encouraged, taking his arm to guide him to the door.

He took hold of your hand and pulled you to him, your faces opposite to each other, just inches away from contact.

'What are you doing to me Y/n?' He muttered, staring at your lips.

‘What am I doing to you?’ You repeated, not sure what he meant.

‘I can’t fucking think straight when you’re there.’ He confessed, leaving you gobsmacked.

'You can fuck any girl you want remember? So stop wasting my time, there's nothing else to us but work.' You argued, and as soon as you finished your sentence he pulled you in for a kiss, which you couldn't even back away from as it happened so naturally, and you found yourself begging for more before you gained consciousness.

All of his words instantly collected back into your head, and you remembered how hurtful it was for him to discard you today after sleeping with him, enraging you as he'd let people know about your personal life with each other, causing you to break away, leaving him yearning for more.

'I think you should go Trent.' You whispered, shyly.

'Y/n don't be like that.' He begged.

'You can't treat me like shit and then turn up telling me what I want to hear so you can take me to bed.' You criticised.

'That's not what this is, I just wanna talk.' He claimed, cutting you off.

'You've said plenty..'

'You accuse me of running to Joe but that's what you're doing right now.. running to me because you need me to keep your bed warm, because you're lonely.' You analysed, leaving him startled, maybe because he knew there was truth in the statement.

'Just leave me alone Trent, go home.' You recommended, and he did as you asked, walking out with his head kept down as you were all alone again, both Joe and Trent gone.

You wondered all night if there was any truth to what he had said, was he attached to you?

'What have you done to me Y/n?'

‘I can’t fucking think straight when you’re there.’

Maybe he was just bored. But you knew better and knew that he was most likely acting affectionate with you because he was hot and bothered, but you refused to give in to him tonight..

-----------

Chapter 7 - 14/11/2022

#trent imagine #trent x reader #trent alexander arnold imagine #trent alexander arnold angst #trent alexander arnold fluff #trent alexander arnold imagines #trent alexander arnold x reader #football imagines #football fluff #football blurb #footballer x reader #football imagine #england imagines #england x reader

184 notes · View notes

junosmindpalace · 2 years

Note

Hi!! If you're open I'd like a Dr stone senku one shot! where senku is being confronted by (gen and other characters) that he has a crush on his best friend(reader) and obviously he denies it lol with "his love is illogical" nonsense 🙄 but everyone can see his bullsh*t and point out all the cute sh*t he does whenever hes around reader like leaning on them whenever hes tired or making some stuff that they like on his free time and even asking their opinion of things when he's in deep thoughts and being the only one he gets excited around when they ask him on scientific subjects that he loves and reader just listens and talks to him all day if they could 💕 but I don't think he'd be lovey dovey with them knowing senku I just feel like he'd be more comfortable and just be very slightly touchy? like not full on hugs just soft tender touches😭💗 like would he end up realizing that gen is right? and what would he do in the end?

"There’s nothing worse than getting involved in a romantic entanglement, and he swears he's not in love, but Senku’s friends think he’s full of crap. "

THIS IS SO SWEET AWWW I WAS SO EXCITED TO GET THIS REQUEST. I love fluff so much and hopefully this is good compensation for my previous angst oneshot. i hope i did your request justice!

warnings: tiiny bit of swearing, implied panic. No manga spoilers :)

words: 2,663. i'll try to edit this in the morning.

P.s., if you’re interested in knowing a bit about my hanahaki oneshot, click here :) italics in the story are flashbacks!

Constructive feedback is always welcome! I’m always looking to improve!

Requests are open! (check my pinned post!)

There’s nothing worse than getting involved in a romantic entanglement.

Especially after being sent back two million years in scientific advancements. One day, a mysterious green light swept over Earth and turned every woman, man and child into stone. After teenage science genius Senku Ishigami broke out of the stone he was petrified in for 3700 years, he swore to rebuild civilization and beat fantasy with science.

There’s nothing worse than getting involved in a romantic entanglement, and he swears he's not in love, but Senku’s friends think he’s full of crap.

It was, of course, Gen who first brought this idea up.

The guy could be such a pain, and it seemed like his attention was only ever focused on his own personal benefit. That was until Gen started paying closer attention. It was especially when he first joined the Kingdom of Science that Gen noticed Senku’s behavior toward you. He would pay special attention to your words, always answering questions you asked seemingly no one and finishing thoughts you spoke out loud to yourself without missing a beat. Hell, Gen even managed to observe that Senku…attempts to make small talk with you? About things that aren’t entirely science related?

“Holding a conversation doesn’t equate to romantic feelings, mentalist.” Senku told the former magician annoyedly while in the midst of an experiment when he brought this up, adding his self-proclaimed title at the end as if to say “smart ass”. Gen blinked. Sure, Senku wasn’t wrong, but it was Senku.

So he continued to observe, sharing his findings with others and provoking the villagers’ thoughts on the matter. Soon enough, you two had a fanclub hellbent on getting Senku to recognize his feelings and make a move on you.

When Senku, Chrome and Ginro returned to the village from their mission to acquire sulfuric acid, you immediately took notice of Senku’s exhaustion and helped him carry the jugs he was hauling, laughing as he shifted half his weight onto you while helping him walk to the shed. Gen obviously saw this from a distance and made mental notes of the way Senku didn’t mind in the slightest that you were holding his arm around your shoulders even after he had caught his breath, and how he was leaning into your touch, not uncomfortable with the physical contact.

“I was tired and Y/N helped me,” Senku glared at Gen as the two and Chrome were working together on a task in the lab, his voice a lot more irritated and his face contorted into one of great annoyance. “I’m not picky about who I use as a crutch.”

“Now that I think about it, Senku, you are pretty touchy with Y/N…” Chrome placed a finger on his chin and closed his eyes, looking up in thought. Senku huffed.

Sure, that wasn’t a lie. Sometimes Senku would guide you towards something by putting a hand on the small of your back, or he’d drag you away from the others by pushing your shoulders. Gen recalled one particular instance where you had been talking to him and some others and Senku had unexpectedly shown up to retrieve you.

“-and I told him it was a bad idea! The thing exploded in his face!”

“Yo, Y/N! You’re coming with me, I've got a task for you!” Senku approached you with a determined fire in his eyes and a smirk, pushing you toward the lab by your shoulders.

“Wh? What? Senku?!” You exclaimed, wondering why he needed you so urgently.

“You’ll wanna hear what I’ve got for you,” he said, craning his neck so your noses almost brushed. “Get excited!”

“And what about all those times you’d insist on cleaning them up? They make it clear they can handle themselves.” Gen raised his eyebrows.

And yeah. Senku always picked twigs and leaves out of your hair and cleaned up wounds you may have received from training or in battle. Of course, it was always followed with a remark that made you hiss at him, but it was just the way you two were.

“Do you want a member of the Kingdom of Science getting sick? We need everyone in ten billion percent tip top shape to win against Tsukasa!” Senku hissed at Chrome, even though Chrome’s point still stood. You didn’t struggle with taking care of your appearance and health; Senku didn’t need to help you with anything.

“Chrome does have a point there, Senku. You go through an awful lot of trouble to take care of them despite Y/N being fully capable of looking out for themselves.” The conversation had been moved outside from the lab and old man Kaseki had now approached the small group with observations of his own. “Chrome and I’ve noticed that you’ve taken a lot of spare materials to craft things for Y/N.”

Senku had started off with making antibiotics, creams and other medicines for you that he realized were useful tools that he could incorporate into daily use for the rest of the citizens, but he wouldn’t have been inspired to make these upgrades if it wasn’t for you. Things Senku gave you were also more personalized; if you were an artistic person back in the modern world, he’d try to recreate instruments, make you notebooks, pencils, canvases--all sorts of art tools. If you were more athletic, he’d make sports and workout equipment (that you shared with the other villagers). Senku would make you crafting tools, attempt to recreate your favorite foods, and was attentive to the things you missed. He knew that the petrification had taken a much bigger toll on you than you were willing to show— it was the same way for him—so he wanted to make adjusting to this new primitive lifestyle a bit more comfortable.

“Where do you even find the time to complete all these mini projects?” Kohaku had now joined into the conversation as she held up a small item Senku had made specifically for you.

He was busy during the day with plans to revive others and defeat the Tsukasa Empire, so he’d stay up at night to craft those wonderful creations from the past for you. He did it all willingly, and in his mind, it was worth it to see your face light up in excitement.

Senku’s eyes widened and he shook his head. What was he thinking? He promised he’d bring back all of the old world’s entertainment, and he was doing just that. It’s not specially for you, he misses all those old things himself too. But they certainly weren’t a priority for him, and he wouldn’t have made any of them as soon as he did if it wasn’t for your longing.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t be making things that are useless to us. We can use these items and materials for future projects and missions. What’d I tell you guys? Science is all about recycling.” Senku stared at his friends exasperatedly, trying to shake them off his back. Why the hell were they suddenly so persistent with this?

“It just goes to show how attentive you are to them. You seem to be so interested in every word Y/N has to say, constantly praising them.” The corner of Kohaku’s mouth twitched upward into a small small as she crossed her arms over her chest. Similarly to what she thought of Chrome’s obliviousness to his crush on Ruri, Kohaku found it sweet that Senku seemed so oblivious to all the things he does for you.

You’ve contributed plenty to construction, discussions and other scientific endeavors. You were responsible for a lot of the brilliant creations that Ishigami Village utilized and Senku often consolidated with you on projects and theories. You spend hours forming ideas and putting together blueprints with Senku- Chrome, Kaseki and others joining in here and there. There were many ideas you brought up with Senku that seemed to sometimes work better than his original proposals, and he’d compliment you on your skills, saying “that kind of thinking is going to chart us a pathway to victory!” and “great work, Y/N! Ten billion points for you!”

Senku would rarely give intimate compliments, but he has his own ways of showing his admiration toward you.

You were always extremely fascinated by all of Senku’s knowledge, and so you were constantly asking him questions about different science topics, both in the modern and stone age. Senku would patiently explain to you the science behind inventions, their purpose, and his calculations. Sometimes he found himself getting carried away, talking in scientific terms that no one besides him could understand. With how many times people have asked him to simplify, he usually stops himself midway and cuts to the chase, but that wasn’t the case for you.

You wanted to hear everything. Every scientific term, invention, formula- truly everything, which is why you insisted that Senku left nothing out. Senku’s excitement would only grow as he continued talking, speeding up and gesturing wildly at the materials sprawled onto the table in the lab. He constantly finds himself marveling over his passion, his love of science seemingly boundless, and you would sit and listen to every word that spilled out of his mouth, taking mental notes and asking questions. He’d always demonstrate what he was talking about through experiments, gestures or math, and though there definitely was a lot to learn, Senku was an awesome teacher. He remembers you telling him so during one of his rants.

“Seriously, Senku, you’re incredible!”

Senku shook his head. There he was, letting his mind wander again! Why the hell did he keep thinking back to those things?

“This is all to help us win against the Tsukasa Empire. We need to keep ourselves in good spirits, and our new inventions help us progress even further in scientific advancements. This isn’t exclusive to Y/N at all- it’s helping all of us be more efficient workers and raise our chances of success!”

The group eyed each other and sighed. Maybe you would eventually make him realize, though you were just as clueless as Senku was.

A couple of days had passed since the Kingdom of Science had interrogated Senku, and he didn’t like it, but he was left thinking.

The sun had set and everyone was asleep; everyone except you and Senku, that was.

It was one of those nights where you two worked together running experiments in the lab and documenting information. Sometimes you crafted things here and there, sometimes you’d bombard Senku with a bunch of questions and a lesson would ensue, but tonight was peaceful. The air was still and only the buzzing of cicadas could be heard from inside. There wasn’t much conversation shared, but neither of you minded. It was nice simply being in each other's presence.

Senku must’ve gotten caught up in his experiments however, because when he turned to ask you a question, he saw you were hunched over asleep on the table, paper sprawled beneath you.

And he doesn’t know when or why in that moment it dawned on him that he was in love with you, but it really was a shock to him. Senku Ishigami, the scientist who strictly believed in logic, was falling in love with you, which is probably one of the most illogical things someone could be doing right now.

Gen was right. From the very beginning, Senku has always been particularly affectionate with you (well, as affectionate as Senku can be.), and persistent in taking care of you. He’d never say it, but he truly did love and care for all his friends an unbelievable amount, but he never once would’ve expected that he’d be in love with one of them.

Senku stared wide-eyed at your sleeping figure as he reflected, watching you shift a little and your chest rise up and down. No. No, no, no. He was in love with you. Senku, the leader of the Kingdom of Science, was in love with you.

What if an enemy were to find out that you were particularly special to him? What if they tried to use you as a way of taking him down? Was he endangering you even more than he already was because he was in love with you?

Senku blinked and put his head down, resting his hands on the head of a chair. He’s realized (finally) that he’s in love with you, there’s no denying it now. It would be illogical to avoid confronting these feelings, but what was he going to do about them?

“Look, you’ve felt this way for five years but never said anything? I can’t praise such illogical behavior.” Senku remembers telling his best friend, Taiju, this way back 3700 years ago. Was he seriously going to wait five years to tell you? Was he seriously going to tell you at all? Did he really plan to pursue you, especially in the midst of so much unknown?

Senku lifted his head to look at you again. You were still completely unbothered, which was ironic considering the battle raging in his head. Your mouth was slightly open and your cheeks were squished against your hand. Hair fell in your face.

Senku straightened and walked around the table to you. He crouched down and moved the stray hair away from your face and mouth, leaving his fingers against your temple for a minute to analyze (admire) your face. He could hear his heartbeat quicken.

In love. Endangering.

With the current state of the world, even Taiju must’ve realized that it would be inappropriate to confess his crush on Yuzuriha to her. Hell, just having these feelings for you was inappropriate.

“Aren’t you ever scared, Senku?” You asked him as the sun was setting, your knees tucked into your chest. Senku paused what he was doing for a brief second before his hands got busy again. “Scared? Of Tsukasa?”

“I mean…generally. So much has happened. We were stuck in that god forsaken stone for thousands of years. We’ve been ripped apart from everything and everyone we’ve ever known and now we’re preparing to fight a battle.” Senku turned around to face you hearing your voice becoming hoarse as you sunk into your knees, lowering your gaze. “Isn’t it all…a little much sometimes?”

He stared hard at you. It definitely wasn’t easy. Senku has been working ever since he was revived, his mind having very little down time. A whole village was looking to him for direction, and he was leading them all into a war with an uncertain outcome. It was stressful.

And if he were honest, he was glad he wasn’t alone in what he was feeling. Senku is not an openly emotional type of guy, which is why he was grateful that you could grieve openly for him as well.

He slowly walked over to you. “Nobody said this was going to be easy. Even I sometimes get lost in the sheer scale of things, but regardless, I do know this,” he placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, and you hesitantly met his gaze with tears pricking your eyes. An uncomfortable pit formed in his stomach and burned his skin. He hated seeing you cry.

“We’ll get it all back. We’ll revive everyone and two million years of science. We’ll rebuild civilization!”

And you smiled at him, wiping your tears away, and in their place took over a determined glint. “Yeah, we will!”

Despite everything at risk, Senku chuckled. He had the upmost confidence that the Kingdom of Science would beat the Tsukasa Empire, and afterward, Senku could consider what to do with his feelings. He’d figure it out while rebuilding civilization and every wonderful thing it had to offer that you held so dearly to your heart. He’d do it alongside you. Maybe it’s illogical, but Senku is absolutely content with simply staying by your side for now.

#dr stone oneshot #dr stone hcs #dr stone x reader #dr stone fanfiction #dcst senku #dr stone headcanons #dr stone senku #senku ishigami x reader #senku x y/n #senku headcanons #senku ishigami #senku x you #senku ishigami oneshot #senku ishigami headcanons #senku fluff #dr stone fluff

704 notes · View notes