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literate-lamb · 3 years

Text

can I kiss you on the dancefloor?

Steve Rogers/Reader

One year into a relationship, yet still dancing in secrecy. Steve thinks he’s protecting you.

When a civilian and a hero fall in love, anything could go wrong. But not in the way Steve would have thought.

Or how the media play with the lives of superheroes.

►word count: 7.6k

► warnings(!): slight angst, alcohol

A/N: My gift to @blue-like-barnes for the Hoelentines Fic Exchange! I’m sorry it took some time, giftee. I didn’t expect this to turn into a monster (yikes). Thank you for hosting @amythedvdhoarder @chrissquares @drabblewithfrannybarnes ! Dividers from @firefly-graphics and GIF from Giphy

On his day-offs, Steve Rogers was a man full of disguises.

When they first started, it was the baseball cap and thick-rimmed glasses. He liked it, it was simple, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before someone would notice. How could one not when his face was the one plastered in old war propaganda, in the museums commemorating his achievements, and even flashes on the telly when you walk past the local electronics store.

Hence, it wasn’t a surprise when the tabloids posted a photo of him in his disguise, waiting at a crosswalk on a cold night.

‘Captain America spotted on a midnight stroll’ came the next morning. It was taken after he was done walking you home, thankful they didn’t catch a glimpse of you.

“So capsicle, where were you off to last night?” Tony greeted him at breakfast, offending paper in hand. He unrolled it, opening and making a show of reading, displaying the front page for all seated to see. “Nice reading glasses, wasn’t aware you needed them.”

Striding into the room, Natasha came and snatched the tabloid. She gave it a critical eye, judging, before turning towards him.

“Hmm, recycling disguises, Rogers? I’m disappointed.”

Steve just groaned in reply.

The second time it happened, he had gone to the Black Widow herself for advice. He had expected sound advice coming from a former KGB spy who spent her paycheck on hair, but all he got was a stick-on mustache. Something about ‘needing to blend in rather than pointing the obvious’.

“I don’t know what you’re up to, Steve, but at least it’s better than that nerd get-up,” she smirked.

You had liked it. Giggling every time he kissed you, the fibres tickling your lips. He had ‘a caterpillar’ on his upper lip as you called it. And Steve had learned to get used to the itch.

But it wasn’t long before his new look was the star in barbershops.

‘Captain America’s new look takes the world by storm.’ They had caught him again in another paparazzi shot. Tony had teased him for days after.

He couldn’t shake it off easily, constantly reminded of it when he walked the streets. Seeing them on screens when he’s channel-surfing. Even when he’s training new recruits, his vision filled with a sea of unshaved cadets, their hairy upper lips a prominent fixture.

He knew he had to do something when Bucky and Sam came in one day sporting twin mustaches.

He discarded the strip of fibre in the bin. Reminding to pay Natasha a visit.

The third time he decided, he seeked out the help of Scott Lang, who was a master in keeping out of sight during his burglary days. Scott had given him a black beanie and told him to grow out his facial hair.

The beanie hid his golden locks and the beard made him look rugged. You loved it, your thighs quivered when it was him and you in the four walls of your room. Uncontrollable groans as he went down. ‘Beard burn’ you had called it. Whatever it was, he loved the sounds you let out.

Four months. That’s how long the disguise lasted. His longest disguise to date.

Before he became a trend.

‘Captain America is the new style icon.’ The internet sleuths found out where he got it too. ‘The sale of Walmart beanies skyrocketed by 70% thanks to Captain America.’

Tony had bought everyone in the compound a black beanie for Christmas, including the receptionist.

“Our grandpa’s a trendsetter, who knew,” he announced. Steve had smacked the back of Tony’s head with the beanie before retiring the disguise.

Now, sitting in The Sleeping Cat, Steve had opted for aviators and a Nasa baseball cap. He still kept his beard after your pleads, and he liked the look, he admits. It was back to basics for him and this was one of the only places where he was safe from prying eyes. Afterall, it was in this very café where he had met you.

The Sleeping Cat was a quaint little thing, a hole in the wall in a quiet part of the city. Not many knew of its existence, the entrance obscure, a blink and you’ll miss it. Which made it all the more perfect for him. The baristas knew him and minded their own business, offering him a smile every time he visited. ‘You’re safe with us’ they seem to say.

He could say the same about the patrons. Most that frequented were regulars like him, they seemed the same, looking for a place to get away from the overbearing world. They seemed to share an understanding, paying him no mind as if he was just another man they passed on the streets. And that’s how he preferred it.

Just a boy from Brooklyn.

Ding!

The chime of the door pulled him out of his thoughts. Facing the door, he saw you, smiling as you came through.

This was the best part of his days.

You had met Steve Rogers at the most unexpected of times.

Terminated from your previous job at a small gallery, dumped by an ex-boyfriend after a 2 year relationship, you were at an utmost low. To escape your roommates —in case of pitying or prying, but if you were honest with yourself, it was to escape your own humiliation— you left the apartment on weekdays under the guise of going to work. In reality, you were at The Sleeping Cat applying for jobs on your laptop.

It was during one of the afternoon hours when you felt a tap on your shoulder.

Turning to your left, you were greeted by a pair of startling blues. They were bright but worn as if they’ve seen too many. Looking at the bigger picture, you took him in. Hair hidden under a cap, a sharp jaw and an equally sharp nose, and if you looked closely, you thought you could spot a few moles on his cheeks. He looked familiar, but you couldn’t put a finger to it.

Eyes fleeting to his lips, you realized he was actually talking.

“Huh?”

“I was wondering if this seat’s taken?” He smiled, gesturing towards the empty seat opposite. He was clearly amused.

“Yeah, sure, sure,” you nodded, making room for his things.

The following days, it became a routine and an arrangement. You would be at the café as early as the owner would allow, laptop in hand. While he would come in the afternoons in a different jacket each day, a sketchbook in hand. You would be propped up, sending application after application, praying for luck. While he would quietly sit, churning sketch after sketch, in a relaxed demeanour.

Sometimes you would peek over your screen and watch him draw for a few minutes, lost in his strokes. When you look up, you’ll find his eyes locked with yours, and you’ll immediately reimmerse yourself behind the screen, embarrassed.

It was a comfortable routine. You came to expect him everyday. And on the days that he didn’t make it, you felt a bit forlorn looking at the empty seat. You both didn’t talk much, yet you were getting comfortable in his presence.

Until one day, he broke the silence.

“So, what is it that you do?”

You stared, dumbfounded. Looking around there wasn’t anyone nearby.

“Were you talking to me?” you asked.

“Yes,” he chuckled. “It’s just that you’re always on your computer…” he trailed off.

“I’m an assistant curator at an art gallery— or, er, used to be,” you explained. “Long story short, I lost my job and now I’m looking for a new one, that’s why I’m here.”

He seemed to ruminate before replying, “So you know a thing or two about art?”

You both started a new routine; one with a lot of communicating. He would ask you about your mundane weekends and interests and in turn, you would ask about his. Except, he was anything but mundane.

On the days he was absent, you learned Steve was away on a lot of ‘business trips’. When he returned, he had never failed to present you with a souvenir. From matryoshkas to sarongs, it was always a surprise accompanied by a tale.

“The pattern on the sarong is called a batik, and it’s amazing how they’re drawn using wax like a liquid crayon. It’s an interesting art form.”

Outside of your little routine, he was an enigma. You barely knew about the Steve outside of The Sleeping Cat. Sometimes he threw the names ‘Bucky’ and ‘Sam’ a lot —out of exhaustion— without giving away anything, remaining tight-lipped. While his mysteriousness should’ve been a cause of concern, you couldn’t help but gravitate towards him, wanting to peel more of his layers, like the shell of a matryoshka.

The routine went on for a few more weeks, with calls of interviews and business trips in between. Before you received a phone call.

“I got a job! At the Whitney!” you squealed, shaking his shoulders over the table, oblivious to the other patrons. Steve endured it, smiling.

“Congratulations,” he said when you’ve calmed down. “I guess this is the last time I’ll be seeing you?”

You froze, high coming down, realization settling in. After a few weeks of secret meetings, of getting to know him, of having lunch together, of sharing laughs, you’ve come to see Steve as a good friend. And maybe, there was the birth of something more.

“Let’s exchange numbers,” you said, opening your phone. “This way, maybe we can hang out again. Have lunch sometimes?”

“I’d like that.” He smiled.

And the rest was history.

Making your way towards The Sleeping Cat, you amused yourself with past memories. Memories from almost over a year ago.

Steve had come to give a speech at the opening ceremony of an exhibition at the Whitney. Your first exhibition as a curator. An exhibition on art from the war times. When they had announced his title, a loud ‘oh’ was the only thing you could muster.

The ‘ding’ of the bell resounded, announcing your arrival. Heading in, you saw a head perked up, beaming, baseball cap securing his golden locks and aviators hiding his mesmerizing blues.

This was the best part of your days.

But maybe, you were getting a little tired.

If someone were to ask you months ago if you were happy and content with your relationship, you would’ve replied with a swift yes in a heartbeat. No hesitation, no reservations, no doubt. Now, sitting in the same cafe, the same one you frequent on dates, the same one you both met in, you weren’t sure of the answer anymore.

As Steve gets up to order for you both, your eyes wander to his sketchpad. It was filled with sketches of random objects; the flower on the table, the pastries on display, sometimes the patrons of the cafe, and occasionally, you.

“You’re my favourite subject, so far.”

It was not for the lack of love or the lack of affection. Steve was the most loving; loyal in so many ways, gentle when asked, and protective to a fault. Maybe the protectiveness was the cause of it all.

Staring at Steve’s back, your mind shifted to a memory from the past week, when your roommate pulled you aside from a get-together at the ice rink.

“Hey,” she called your name, taking a hold of your elbow. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Sure, what’s up?” you followed her, leading you to the sides.

Her eyes conveyed her worry. It amplified with the chewing of her bottom lip, a nervous tick.

“Are you and Steve… okay?” she asked, her brows perked. “I’m not sure if you notice, but today, it’s full of couples.”

You looked towards your group of friends. There was your roommate’s girlfriend tying her skates, your other roommate and her boyfriend talking to another couple —their friends— and they were all holding their significant other’s hand. Oh.

“I don’t want to throw you out of the loop, but there would probably be a lot of double skating involved today,” she said, widening her eyes, looking comical. “Do you want me to talk to Steve? Maybe I could convince him to come, y’know?”

Out of your two roommates, she was the only one who knew of your paramour. Having walked in on you and Steve making out on the couch. She was sworn into secrecy, with the promise of autographs from all the Avengers.

“Look, it’s okay,” you assured her. “I can handle skating alone, and you know why he can’t really come here with us,” you shrugged.

“Okay, but aren’t you tired? Of all this sneaking around? Don’t you want to shout to the whole world ‘I’m fucking Captain America!’” she flailed.

You shushed her, muffling her mouth with your gloved hand.

Part of the secret was how Steven Rogers was an engineered superhero. A superhero with many enemies, leading him to fear for his loved ones, and that included you.

You went into the relationship whole-heartedly knowing the challenges; discreet rendezvous, kisses in the dark, minimal contact in public. You were his secret and he was yours. It was for your own good, wasn’t it?

“What’s got your little head wrapped up?” Steve’s voice startled you, bringing you back to the café. On the table, two cups of coffee and a slice of cake was served.

“Hmm? Oh, just thinking about this party the museum’s throwing this weekend,” you took your cup, blowing, contemplating your next words.“Say, how about you and I, I don’t know, go as dates?”

Steve crunched his brows. “You know that’s a hard thing for me to do, especially with your colleagues around.”

“I know! But maybe… maybe, you can go in one of your disguises this time? Remember that one time we went to Central Park?”

Steve exhaled, he remembered that afternoon. It was the one-off that you both ventured on a date in the outdoors.

Decked in his beanie, casually strolling through Central Park with you beside him. Although he was still wary, keeping his hands in his pockets, fighting the urge to hold your hand.

No one had recognized him; not the ice-cream man, not the kids running around, not the mothers pushing strollers. No one.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

You leaned forward, pecking him on the lips multiple times. “Thank you!”

“You sure this looks convincing?”

“Trust me, punk. Grade A assassin here, thank you very much,” Bucky boasted while fixing the wig on his scalp, untangling the unruly strands.

Steve had sought Bucky for help, with the belief that assassins were good at hiding in plain sight (and maybe, he just didn’t want to go to Natasha twice). Bucky was also his most trusted confidant and he knew about you, Steve trusted him not to tell. But now looking at himself in the opposite mirror, he wasn’t so sure of that anymore.

Long dangly tresses hung on the sides of his face parting in the middle, a trimmed beard leaving a bit of goatee, and to finish it off, Bucky dressed him in a checkered shirt consisting of random coloured squares. He looked like he just stepped out of the 60’s.

“Oh, wear these,” Bucky handed him a pair of large wire-framed glasses. “Done.”

Steve took a look in the mirror. A seedy pimp was the first thought that crossed his mind.

“Thanks Buck, I owe you one.”

“Sure Stevie, just bring me around next time on one of your dates, I’d like to meet her,” Bucky winked. “Or make it double.” He wagged his brows. “Like old times.”

Steve snorted.

“Okay, I got—“ Steve’s words halted when an alarm blared overhead. It demanded their attention.

“Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes, your presence is required in Prep Room six,” called the disembodied voice. “There’s been a breach of extraterrestrial energy in the airspace of Sweden.”

Steve exited and rushed through the hallways, Bucky following close behind. He made it through the living quarters, trudging to the training wing before entering one of the many prep rooms.

“Nice costume, Cap. Halloween already?” Sam quipped. Almost everyone was present, they were equally amused.

Before anyone else could follow, Tony strided in immediately, grumbling. “Okay team, there’s been an E.T synthezoid putting holes in the ozone layer. I’ll fill you all in the quinjet. Suit up and meet me at the hangover in 10.”

Everybody gathered their equipment and hurried to leave, passing by him. Before Tony could, he took notice of Steve and did a double take. And then a third.

“What’s with the pimp daddy get-up, Capsicle?”

Steve huffed, ignoring the jab. “I have something that I need to attend. How important am I in this, Tony?”

“We need all hands on deck. We don’t really know what we’re up against, Fury’s still running recon,” Tony explained, squaring his shoulders. “Whatever it is you have, Cap. It can wait. Lives are at stake here.” With that, he left, not standing by for a response.

“Darn it,” Steve cursed, removing the glasses and the wig.

He left the prep room with his shield in hand. With one hand, he shot a text to you. He’ll make it up next time.

Loverboy [6:30 PM]: Emergency mission

Loverboy [6:30 PM]: Can’t make it, sorry

You switched the screen off, sighing. Around you, the party was in full swing. Invitees mingling with refreshments in hand, discussing the pieces on display tonight, and bidding on the pieces they find exquisite. Hors d’oeuvres and champagne were being served, brought around by servers on silver platters. You’ve been munching on them non-stop, grabbing one every time a server comes your way, needing something to occupy you.

Surrounding you, you’d see the occasional couple walking around, enjoying their time. The palms of their hands locked in each other’s as they navigate together, rarely straying afar.

You clenched your hand, reminded of how empty it felt.

It was inevitable, you were warned of this, you were told to expect this. Dating a superhero meant that he was never solely yours. You were sharing your boyfriend with someone, except that someone was the world.

“Hiiii!” a shrill voice broke your thought, calling you by name. A blonde woman, followed by a brunette emerged from the gathering of art-goers, headed towards you. “It’s been a long while!”

“Hey! Yeah, it’s been awhile,” you waved, recognizing the two.

When they reached you, you were aware of the slight tension in the air, leaving the three of you standing awkwardly. After all, these two were your ex-colleagues and you didn’t exactly leave the previous gallery on good terms. Tonight was a night with masks, it seemed.

“So, how are you two doing?” you decided to get it over with.

“We’re fine, everyone’s fine! But how are you? We heard you worked here now, pretty impressive,” the brunette —Claire— winked at you. You laughed.

“Yeah, it’s so nice seeing you again, and at the Whitney? The pay must be good, you know what I’m saying?” Hilda chimed, knocking her elbows with yours. You didn’t appreciate it but you endured.

“Say, what are you doing over here far away? Why not you join us over there,” Hilda pointed, towards a mounted canvas at the end of the hall. It was occupied by two men in a discussion among themselves. “Chat a bit to catch up, a bit of art philosophical debate in between. What do you say?”

You contemplated her offer, not wanting to seem pretentious, but thought about the false flattery and ego-stroking that would sure ensue in their company. The thought of it drained you.

“It’s okay,” you waved them off nervously. “I have to call my boyfriend sooner, gotta check up on him and let him know I’m... alright.” You held up your phone, playing on convincing.

“Oh? He isn’t here tonight?” Claire seemed to feign worry.

“No, he got caught up with something. He’s a busy man,” you cooked up an excuse. No one could know.

“Okay… In that case, we’ll leave you to it. Maybe we’ll bump into each other sooner.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you guys soon.”

They waved before backing away into the mass of patrons. You let out a breath you didn’t know you held in.

While the interaction was unexpected, this was what you had to deal with when it came to the question of your relationship. The excuses, they became second nature to you. The lies. The deceit. Anything to protect Steve’s identity, and inadvertently, you.

Throughout the night, you mingled with any clients interested in a work of art, all the while stepping out of Hilda and Claire’s line of sight. You didn’t wish a repeat of the earlier evening.

When the crowd started dwindling, signalling the end of the night, you were relieved of your duties. You headed straight for the restrooms after, one getaway before leaving. You huddled yourself in a cubicle, locking it shut.

Seconds in, you heard the creak of the restroom door followed by the clicks of heels.

“Can you believe it? Someone like that got the chance of working here.”

You recognized the nasally tone. It was Claire.

“Yeah? Not like she deserves it. I mean look at her? Demure, slow. It’s like talking to a mouse. I bet she’s a prude too.” That was Hilda.

The gushing of the faucet muffled their voices, but their sharp words were clear as day, your ear catching every snark and hiss.

“And when she was talking about her boyfriend? He probably doesn’t even exist, it was just to get off our backs,” Hilda paused. “Last time I heard, her boyfriend dumped her. So, I guess she’s creating imaginary ones now.”

They both cackled.

By now, you knew they were talking about you. Their words didn’t hurt as much, you knew the colour of their hearts beneath the masks. But was that how people viewed your hidden relationship? A facade? A farce?

Once the door clicked shut, and the tapping of their heels faded, you left the restroom, heart feeling heavier.

(y/n) [6:45 PM]: stay safe stevie ! remember to hydrate

(y/n) [6:46 PM]: punch those meanies

(y/n) [6:46 PM]: (`⌒*)⍟-(`⌒´Q)

Steve chuckled when he turned on his phone, amused at your texts. You always sent him good luck messages every time he went off for missions. Although he didn’t seem to get the emoticons that you sent, even after being taught by Peter Parker. He just didn’t get them.

Steve dialed your number, sitting on the edge of the bed as he dried his washed hair. Beeps ringed before you picked up, your smooth lilt permeating the speakers.

“Hello? Stevie?”

Steve smiled, missing the caress of your voice after a day filled with explosions and cries.

“Hello, sweetheart,” he greeted. “How’s my girl been?”

“Great, now that you called,” you teased. “But are ‘you’ fine?” you emphasized.

On the other end of the line, you mirrored his position, sitting on one corner of the bed. Picking the newspaper in your lap, you observed the front page: ‘Avengers saves the Arctic!’

“Same old, same old,” his voice carries. “Listen, about yesterday—“

“It’s okay,” you interrupted him, other hand gripping the newspaper. “You have to protect the Earth and that also means me. You don’t have to apologize, I knew what I signed up for.”

Did you? Or was it now a hollow statement to convince yourself?

“I still want to make up for it, my girl deserves that much,” he responded.

You slowly unclenched the paper. It left Steve’s form crinkled.

“If you want to sooo bad,” you exaggerated. “There’s a Valentines charity ball for our arts program in three weeks time. You think you could make it this time?”

“You know no promises, but I plan to, even if I have to do everyone’s laundry for a week.” You heard rustling on the other line. “What’s the exact date? I’ll put it on my calendar.”

“The 16th.” Scratchy scribbling filled your ear, the sound loud in the silence.

“Done. Can’t wait to see you all dolled up, sweetheart.”

“Me too, baby,” you said. “At least put on a nice moustache this time.”

He laughed. Your heart felt lighter. To him, it was probably nothing, but to you, it was a form of reassurance. A reassurance that what you had was real.

“Steve, you got a moment?”

The aforementioned man turned around, taking a glance over his shoulder. Sharon Carter slowed to a stop, a small smile on her face. As always, she carried an air of superiority, matching that of Steve’s wavelength. Yet today, it seemed dim.

“I think we need to talk, you have time for coffee?”

Glancing at his watch, he nodded. “Sure, Sharon. Lead the way.”

She took them outside of S.H.I.E.L.D and into the chilly air of DC, navigating through streets and crowds while huddling in their coats. They chatted, breaths puffing as they caught up, the familiar scenes passing by.

He hadn’t been in DC in awhile, it felt good to be back.

“We’re here.”

Sharon headed in first, holding the door for him. He thanked her. They ordered and got seated. A smile was shared, strained as it seemed.

“Better just rip the band-aid off,” Sharon sighed. “I miss us.”

“Sharon—“

“Please, hear me out first,” she insisted, showing her palm. “We probably shouldn’t have done what we’ve done after Aunt Peggy’s funeral. I just lost someone I looked up to the most, and you lost the woman that you loved. We were both grieving. It wasn’t fair to the both of us.”

“While I do miss us, I know that it wasn’t meant to be,” she continued, shooting a sombre smile. “I understand that now. I guess, what I wanted was closure.”

Her hand quivered on the table between them. Steve clasped his over hers, offering to soothe.

“I don’t regret what happened in Germany. While yes, it should have not happened, it was what we thought we needed at that time. We both lost someone we held dear,” Steve explained, hoping his words reached her. “None of it was a mistake, Sharon. You’re still someone I trust and hold dear, remember that.”

Steve clutched her hand tighter, running his thumb over her knuckles in circular motions, attempting to calm and show understanding.

In his efforts, unknown to the two, the shutter of a camera went off across the street.

Something felt off. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. At first, you thought it was your own anxious mind running.

You woke up late on a work day, burned your eggs and toast, accidentally wore unmatching socks, and your roommate was acting weird. All jittery when you entered the hall, stammering her words, and performing this bizarre dance when you walked past the living room. You gave her no mind when you passed the threshold and slammed the door, phone gripped in hand.

Loverboy [6:00 AM]: Good morning, dear

Loverboy [6:01 AM]: [image]

A photo of Steve, sweaty after a run showed on the screen. He was smiling, shirt stained and clinging to his chest. You had taught him how to take selfies.

You [7:20 AM]: morning, handsome

You [7:20 AM]: 😍😍😍

The morning texts were the best part of your morning commute. It made the arduous and packed journey worthwhile. Even when you almost tripped at the doors, it couldn’t take away your joy.

You made it just in time and clocked in, meeting clients and discussions with artists throughout the day. It was uneventful, although the bad luck seemed to have followed when you spilled your coffee on the concrete.

It was when you left the museum that your day took a turn for the worst.

On the ride home, the man opposite you was reading a newspaper. Nothing unusual, but at a glance, you thought you saw a familiar face printed on the corner. Before you could take a closer look, the man folded it in half and got off.

A few minutes later, you arrived at your stop, exiting the station with the fast-paced crowd. That’s when you were bombarded.

Lining the streets, your vision was filled with the scattering of a crowd of papers. Every face you saw was plastered in them.

‘The Good Captain In Love?’

‘A Superhero & A Civilian Romance?’

‘Captain America’s Girl? Mysterious Woman Sighted’

The sight of them left you in a panic, your anxiety spiking through the roof. Your world started spinning, everything —buildings, trees, faces— blending altogether. Everywhere your eyes deflected, a headline invaded your sight, imprinting itself on your retinas. Had they found out?

Composing yourself, you headed towards the nearest news stall, mind boggled with too many questions and not enough answers. How? Why? When?

Only, it wasn’t your face they were publishing.

‘“Oh Captain, My Captain” America in love? Spotted last week in DC was Captain Steven Rogers with a mysterious lady. They seemed to be cozy with each other, an eyewitness told Us Weekly. Story on Page 11.’

The photograph showcased Steve with a blonde woman, sitting in a café with their hands clasped on the table. Your heart shattered at the sight, remembering how empty yours have felt lately.

Was he purposely out with this woman in public? What did that mean for you? Why were you shadowed?

“Are you and Steve… okay?”

“She’s creating imaginary ones now.”

“Aren’t you tired? Of all this sneaking around?”

“You know that’s a hard thing for me to do.”

“Hey lady, you gonna pay for that?”

You were shaken out of your stupor. Looking down, you were clutching the magazine too hard, ripping the image of Steve and the woman in half, right in the middle where their hands met.

You apologized to the man and paid for the magazine. Immediately discarding it in the next trash bin you saw.

“So… you and Sharon?” Sam had asked him after training.

“What?”

“You, and, Sharon,” Sam emphasized, pronouncing each syllable. “Are together. Man, when were you gonna tell me? I thought it was over.”

Steve froze before replying, “Because it is. A long time ago.”

“Well, this seems to say otherwise.”

Sam showed him his phone, the screen displaying an article; ‘Captain America’s Girl Revealed. A Family Affair That Transcends Time.’ On top of the article was a photo of him and Sharon at the cafe in DC, his hand atop of hers on the table. A zoomed in version of their hands were provided, fueling the tabloid’s narrative.

Steve paled at the sight. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This was his fears manifested; his anonymity taken, his privacy invaded, but his worst fear was putting his loved ones in danger. And if it was due to their association with him, it would leave him racked with guilt.

While the tabloids were wrong, he knew that Sharon could defend for herself. You on the other hand…

His heart rate rose, a new wave of anxiety spiked. Steve wondered if you’ve seen this. No, you must’ve seen this.

Fishing for his phone, with clammy hands, Steve quickly dialed your number, anxiously waiting for the beeping to end.

‘The number you’ve dialed is not—‘

“Damn it!”

His outburst surprised Sam, shocking him. Sam gave him a look, inquisitive.

“Sorry Sam, I have to run.”

He left, heart in his throat.

When Steve arrived at your apartment, he was almost out of breath. He was still anxious, the ride here not doing much to his addled mind. But he was determined.

Rapidly knocking on your front door, Steve composed himself. When it opened, he was met with the sight of your roommate -- the one that he has never met before.

“Ca-Captain America?” she yelped, shocked to see him on the doorstep.

“Is your roommate in?” he steeled.

“Which one—”

“Steve,” a voice interrupted.

The door pulled further, widening the entrance. Steve was met with your familiar roommate. She was tense, arms locked across her chest, eyes full of fury. Steve detected something else in them; worry.

“You fucked up,” she said. He winced.

“I know,” he admitted. “And I’m here to make things right. Can I please see her?”

She sighed, stepping in, nodding towards your room.

Steve hastily walked in, stopping in front of your door. He knocked thrice, signalling you, before turning the knob. It was unlocked. The room was dark when he entered, every source of light switched off, except for your curtains.

Sitting on the edge of the bed was you, figure illuminated by the street lights against pitch black darkness. When he stepped in closer, you looked up, eyes meeting his.

Steve turned on the lights and closed the door. He took a good look at you; hair frazzled, eyes bloodshot and dry, nose red. You were the image of heartbreak.

“Are you ashamed of me?” you asked, eyes locked with his.

“What? No, I—“

“Is it because I’m not strong?” you cut him off. “I know she’s Peggy’s niece… a-and I know how much you loved her. She was your first love.”

“She and I, it’s all in the past. She moved on and lived her life, and I… did too.”

“But did you really, Steve? Move on?” you whispered, getting up. You stood in front of him. Steve could see how puffed your eyes were from crying. “Or was I just… a rebound?”

“No. No, you were never a rebound,” he took hold of your forearms. “I care for you, too much.”

“Then why?!” you shrieked, shocking Steve. “Why the secrets? Why the hiding? Steve, you’ve never even introduced me to your friends. Shouldn’t they know?”

“I wanted to protect you!”

“Protect me from what?!” you roared, eyes full of fury. “The Avengers? If they knew about me, they would protect me. Don’t you think so?”

Steve had no words to that, his mind a jumbled mess.

“I’m… beginning to think that you’re embarrassed with me,” you sighed. “We’ve never been on a date publicly, as each other. We’ve never held hands in public. I want you to meet my friends. I want to introduce you to them, and maybe soon, I want you to meet my family.”

“B-but, I’m tired, Steve. Tired of all the hiding. Of all the sneaking around. I want to tell the world that I’m in love with Steve Rogers, not Captain America,” you sighed, shedding a few tears.

You waited for his reply, only to be disappointed.

“You know I can’t do that.”

You saw red. All you saw was red.

You started pushing him, swatting him in the chest. Steve didn’t fight back, letting you unleash your anger, your disappointment. He took your hits, letting you release your pent up emotions. He began backing away when you started advancing, back against the door.

“Get out! Get out!” you screeched, pushing him.

When he unlocked the door and crossed, you immediately shut the door in his face. Steve heard sobbing from inside, his heart shattering at the sounds.

“This way, Captain,” your roommate approached him, showing him to the door.

Steve relented, shame flooding him. He fucked up.

You stopped visiting The Sleeping Cat, wanting to avoid him at all costs. You blocked his number. You immersed yourself in your work, prepping for the upcoming charity gala.

Sometimes you find yourself thinking about him when sleep proved to be difficult. It’s when you’re laying at night that you missed him the most.

But it was for the best, you reasoned. For you and him.

The Avengers PR had pushed for a fix-it, publishing a story that spoke a truth. ‘Just Friends: Romantic Allegations Proved False’. Steve had hoped you’d seen it.

He called you every day but found himself blocked from everything. He still tried, hoping you’d come around one day. He came by The Sleeping Cat every other day, sitting in the same spot, hoping to catch you.

But you never came.

You clasped the necklace in place, admiring how it sat on your clavicle through the mirror. You took a step back and took yourself in, smiling at what you saw. It didn’t reach your eyes.

Today was the day of the Valentines gala and you weren’t feeling particularly giddy about it.

Opening your phone, you stared at the one contact that stood out, finger hovering over his name. That name used to give you so many feelings, but today it was a reminder that you were going alone, again.

Sighing, you threw it in your purse and left. Another lonely night, and on an even celebrating love.

Days turned into weeks, and soon, before he knew it, the day of your Valentines gala arrived.

Steve stared at the calendar. The heart-shaped doodle he drew called out to him, reminding him of fond memories. Fond memories that seemed like a distant dream. But then, he went back to last week, and it all came crashing.

He had hurt you. While thinking he was protecting you, he hadn’t realized he was inadvertently pushing you away. He had no one to blame but himself.

He loved you. No, still loves you. You grounded him, gave him the normalcy that he craved. Reminded him of a distant time before he was Captain America.

You made him feel like the boy from Brooklyn again.

While he was ruminating in his feelings, Steve was caught off-guard when the door burst open with Tony Stark coming through. From his peripheral, he could see Bucky and Sam peeking through the frame.

“Heard from the Manchurian Candidate that someone has a case of the achy breaky heart,” Tony said, smug.

“Leave me alone, Tony. I’m not in the mood,” he grumbled, setting down the calendar.

“And leave you wallowing like shit while your girl is out there probably equally miserable? I know a thing or two about women, Rogers, and it’s that they don’t like to be kept waiting.”

Tony snapped his fingers and from behind, Sam came in with a tuxedo in hand.

“Thought you might need this,” Sam said.

Bucky came out behind him, with a brush and can of hairspray. “And I still know how to do hair.”

“And I have friends in places,” Tony quipped. “I can get you in.”

Steve was surprised. His friends had surprised him. You would’ve loved them. He was left speechless.

“What are you waiting for, Cap? Suit up.” Tony winked.

Swirling the glass of rosé, your gaze fell towards the dance floor. An upbeat song was being played as people flocked near the middle, letting their bodies take charge for the night. You saw your former co-workers among the throng, hands thrown around their significant others, having the time of their lives.

The gala was in full swing, if the crowd and chatter was any indication. Red and roses were the main theme, with a red carpet stretching from the grand staircase towards the main hall and roses lining every corner and wall. Taking it all in, you were proud to see your ideas visualized and work came to fruition.

You sipped your rosé, enjoying every bit of the gala as you could. From the sidelines, you spoke with a few potential clients and art collectors. Their presence made you feel your importance, and if you dared say it, a little less lonely.

It was during one of your little chats that you didn’t realize when the hall suddenly fell quiet. You turned around when you felt a tap on your shoulder.

“Hi folks, mind if I crash your party?”

Steve smiled at Tony’s antics. They both had arrived at the gallery dressed in their best, and with Tony’s connections, they were granted access.

Stepping down the grand staircase, Steve felt all eyes on him. He paid them no mind, the thought of you the only occupant of his racing mind. Gazing over the crowd, Steve spotted you to the side, occupied in a chatter.

Taking deliberate steps, Steve soon found himself behind you. He admired your gown and hair, it entranced him. You still hadn’t registered his presence, even when your partner had ceased chatting and was now staring at him.

With a tap on your shoulder, he was taken away as immediately as you spun around. Steve took in your whole image; your dolled-up face, your intricate dress, your styled hair. It left him floored.

You always did manage to take his breath away. Was this what he had been missing out all this time?

Taking your unoccupied hand, Steve pressed a small kiss before meeting your eyes.

“May I have this dance?”

Giving away your drink, you took his hand as he pulled your towards the centre, taking space among the crowd. A slow number started, and before you realized, you were swept in a slow dance. It didn’t take long before you felt the sensation of his two left feet.

“Sorry, a hundred years and you’d think I’d know how to dance,” he said.

A small smile lightened your face. Steve savoured it all he could. Gulping, he took the first step.

“I’m... sorry for what I’ve done. I realize now that you were right,” he started. “I thought I was protecting you, but now I see that all it did was push you away. You have all the rights to be mad at me. I was being an idiot, a selfish one. I didn’t think about how you felt about it.”

You winced. Steve had stepped on your toes again. He murmured an apology, resorting to swaying instead.

“Can we start again? No more hiding. No more disguises,” he breathed, keeping his eyes locked on yours. “ We can meet your friends, you can meet mine. Bucky’s been pestering me to bring you to the compound, he wants to meet you.”

You laughed. How Steve had missed the tune.

“How can I make it up to you? How do you want to take the first step? A picnic at Central Park? Dinner at the compound? A trip to the beach?”

You seemed to contemplate, a thoughtful look on your face. You both failed to realize all the eyes on you two.

“How about now?”

“Right here? Right now?” he asked.

“Yes, right here, right now,” you said, determined.

Without hesitation —no more— Steve dived in, planting a kiss on your wine-coloured lips for the whole world to see. Your first kiss in public, yet it felt as if it was only the two of you there, lost in the moment.

You both didn’t notice the gasping crowd nor the clicks of cameras from photographers nor the booming laughter of Tony Stark. You both only felt the other in your orbit, and that was all that mattered.

“Can you put that down? You’ve been staring at it for the past hour.”

You pouted, setting the frame on the side table, where it has been designated since its publication.

“I can’t help it, I think it’s a good shot. Don’t you think so, Alpine?” you petted the snowy white cat lazing on the arm of the sofa. Its’ purrs intensified.

“Dinner’s ready!” Bucky shouted.

You and Steve left the room, joining the others in the dining room for dinner. On the side table, the framed article sat neatly, showcasing the tale of the famed occurrence that took place at a charity gala.

‘America’s Girl: The Modern Woman of The Captain’s Dreams.’

Fin.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers fanfiction #fluff #angst #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers angst #happyhoelentinesday2021

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latenightdecaf · 3 years

Text

Entry 6 - of light gaze and worrisome face

part of let the pile of good things grow series - series masterlist

previous entry here

Yoongi x reader

Ft. nonidol!bts

Producer!yoongi, roommate!yoongi, soft!yoongi

slow burn romance, friendship, slice of life

series of drabbles/one shots

no warnings for now

A/N: starting to get the hang of this again, it’s been a while so i’m just going where my imagination takes me. So i’ll probably be posting another one for tomorrow before the motivation leaves me. Hope you all like it.

Word count: 1,953

Pacing back and forth in the living room as you’re having this conversation with your friend and also editor, Hye Jin. Talking you out into the possibility of taking in another project that would put an indefinite pause to your own book.

“I couldn’t possibly say no, she had this whole speech on how she wanted to make this book for her baby. To read to her when she’s old enough. Words from a loving mother for her newborn child, my goodness.” You stopped and sighed. “I know, but having to accept this means also putting your book on hold, you’ve been working on that for months now—is that really something you are willing to do?” Hye Jin reminded you on the other end. You stopped on your tracks, not saying a word and just looking blankly over the view from your living room. Thinking to yourself, ‘I can’t believe it’s summer already.’

Yoongi who have just woken up and is getting himself some water in the kitchen and were just looking intently at your back not particularly eavesdropping in your conversation, but just looking. You haven’t even realized he walked in.

“I know you, you’re just running away from this. You’ve been so scared of finally publishing something that is yours and yours only. So when a small window of opportunity presents itself you immediately took the ticket to leave.” Hye Jin, your editor who has became a good friend to you throughout these years, has always been good to you—she can so easily read you, too.

“You know for someone who’s actually trying to get pregnant for months now, you don’t seem to understand her feelings. Of course, I’m just here to help.” Weak argument on your end, you know she’s right when she said that you were running away. “You’re always there to help. But what about you? You know for someone who doesn’t want to have kids. I’m surprised you’re too adamant to do this.” Her statement made you laugh. “Have you changed your mind?” She added.

“I may not want kids, but I’m not heartless.”

And those were the last phrase Yoongi heard from you as we backed to his room.

Your conversation with Hye Jin went on for a couple more minutes only to end up with some sort of a compromise.

“You’ll need minimum 3-4 months, and probably maximum 6/7 months to wrap this all up? You need to get this done more quickly. That’s my only deal.” You sighed in defeat. “I’ll try.” Ending the call and waving the white flag. You too were also not sure of what you’re getting yourself into. Is it just you running away? Or is this the small part of you feeling guilty again.

Weeks later, Yoongi’s packing up for their fishing trip that his friend, Jin insisted they would come. He felt like he has no choice but it might be good reason to go our for a change.

“Hey, I thought you said you guys were going camping? Why do you have your equipments with you… you poor corporate slave.”

He laughed at your remark. You’re still looking at his stuff all puzzled and confused by how heavy it all looks. You leaned on the kitchen counter as you watch him put his stuff out from his room.

You asked again, “Dont you think it’s a little too much? Cant you leave some stuff? Do you even have clothes in there? How bout food? Not important? Music is life?” He laughed. You’re good at making him laugh.

He finds all of your worrisome-sarcastic remarks endearing. He looked at you and said, “Look, it’s like you—you not taking your ipad everywhere you go. Or that small sketchbook you have. You draw every chance you get, you draw in the middle of lunch or while waiting for someone. And if not your ipad, you draw even on table napkins and ask the waiter for more. It’s the same for me.”

You let out a smile at his comparison.

“Okay okay, point taken mister. Point. Taken. But my ipad wont break my back—just saying.” You teasingly replied.

“Maybe i can leave some.” Looking at his bags and talking to himself as he puts some of his stuff back in his room and minutes later he’s done preparing for their camping tomorrow.

“All done?” You asked as you look over to a now somehow reduced luggage. “I’ll help you put some of it in your car.”

You carried with him some of his bags as he is the type to have everything ready before leaving.

As you walked down the stairs, just carrying the lightest possible baggage you could ever find. “You sure you have enough food in here?” Lifting the bag and shaking to hear whats inside. “I mean i know you can certainly whip anything and turn it into a meal but this looks like there’s just ramen in here.”

He finds you cute when you worry.

“We’ll do grocery tomorrow on our way, no worries.” That statement puts you at ease. You reached the ground floor and towards his car. “That sounds good. I mean—just incase the fishing thing wont work out. You know, like last time? There might be a lot of fish in the sea and then suddenly there’s none for you—i mean that in the most literal sense. Not just in women, you know—just incase.” Teasing him again and bringing up the time he went home from a fishing trip. He was so tired, they didn’t caught a single fish. And the trip was cut short and they all immediately went home. He declared then to never go with Jin again but I guess, he love that Hyung of him a lot to be packing all these for yet another fishing trip.

There’s a good sense of companionship between the two of you. The way you can always make him smile without even trying. The way you always tease him lightly. He’s known you for a while, has seen you with your friends and he knows that you’re just the warmest person—to everyone, not just to him. But it looks like something has been bothering you lately, he even offered if you wanted to go with him on their fishing trip, assuring you that Jin and Hoseok are good people and nothing bad will happen. But you respectfully declined. Not just because you don’t eat fish but because you just need some time alone. Not that Yoongi has ever been a bother to you in any way too but just alone would be nice, you thought.

Yoongi will be gone for the whole weekend and possibly be returning on Sunday afternoon. You don’t have any particular plans just work and then some more work. As soon as you’re both back into the apartment you asked, “You’re leaving tonight? At midnight?”

“Yeah around that time, why?” Yoongi confirmed.

“Nothing.”

“Are you okay?” He asked, as you stopped in front of the refrigerator to get yourself some coffee.

“Yeah, why won’t I be?”

“You do know you say that a lot.” Yoongi grabbed himself a glass and grabbed the pitcher in your hand and you just smiled. “There’s not much meat left in the fridge, couple of things are missing too. You want me to go to grocery before I leave?” Leaning in the kitchen sink and drinking your coffee. You let out a deep sigh unknowingly. “No, I’ll go. Don’t worry.” You left your empty glass onto the sink. “I’m just saying, I can go if you’re not up for it.” You shake your head to reassure him, “I don’t mind, okay? I’m going to be fine.” You walked passed him as you went to your room.

Yoongi definitely knows that something’s been bothering you for days. He doesn’t want to pry, if you don’t want to talk about it. He just keeps looking at you, just in case you want to talk—these days your mind has always been elsewhere and there’s just so much work to be done.

You wanted to say goodbye before he left but you fell asleep in the middle of the evening and woke up half past one. You went outside to check and it looks like he already left. You got yourself some water from the kitchen and there’s a post-it left in the fridge that says, “Got you some groceries, call me if there’s anything.” You opened fridge and he even refilled your ice creams. You know you couldn’t have a more thoughtful cat. Even when he went away for almost a week for work and you were dying from a sky high fever, you never really called him for anything. But he constantly reminds you that you always can.

Yoongi volunteered to drive this time for some odd reason. It’ll be an almost 2 hour drive from Seoul to Daejeon, he actually doesn’t mind driving and quiets enjoy it more than he’d ever admit. Everything is set, their fishing trip as orchestrated by his hyung, Jin and Hoseok who had no choice but to be dragged unto this trip. They’ve been his friends for the longest time, being in the same company who also works in the industry. Hoseok, a renowned choreographer and Jin, one of the company directors in his agency. He never would’ve agreed to yet another fishing trip if only Jin didn’t promised to have everything paid for and ready to go. He held Hoseok hostage though and so he has no choice but to go as well. Sleeping at the passenger’s seat they both drifted away as Yoongi drives.

They have gone to multiple fishing trips over the years, some where even overseas during their vacation and something wrong always turn out like the time they have to cut the trip short because they have been sitting in the boat for hours and they haven’t caught a single thing. The owner of the boat found it odd too.

But to Yoongi’s surprise everything’s turning out smoothly, on their second day of camping they were able to caught a lot of salmon and have it for dinner. Stuck in his own thoughts while grilling some salmon, Jin shouted. “Yoongi-ah! You’re burning it.” Immediately going back to reality, and thankfully saving the precious fish from burning. “What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“No it’s nothing, Hyung.” He replied as he kept tending to his almost burnt fish.

Once grilling is done they all gathered to have their dinner with some drinks. Soju and beer is always present and with Hoseok around to play some games. In the middle of all the silliness that is Jin and Hoseok and taking the game way too seriously for their own good. Jin asked Yoongi, “Why are you always staring at your phone?” He immediately hide it and said, “No nothing, hyung.”

“What are you thinking of again?” Knowing how Yoongi is sometimes, Jin pried as Yoongi kept looking distracted the entire trip. “Nothing, Hyung. Really.”

“Okay, it’s your turn.” Giving him his Nintendo, he eventually added “If this is about Hyuna, just let me know if you don’t want to work with her again. Maybe we can do something about it.” Yoongi let out a chuckle and drank a shot of soju. “Hyung it’s nothing really, it’s not about her either. The work is fine, we actually finished it sooner than I thought. You must have heard it already.” Jin eventually took the game from Yoongi replied, “I did, you guys were really professional about all this.”

“Of course.” Yoongi proudly replied as he sneaked a peek into his phone again. Unconsciously waiting for some call.

moodboard sr: x x x

#bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts imagine #bts scenarios #yoongi x reader #yoongi scenarios #yoongi fics #yoongi fluff #yoongi imagine #bts roommate au #roommate!yoongi #producer!yoongi

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kuroopaisen · 3 years

Text

12:54 am || kozume kenma

➵ some important introductions are finally made.

wc: 1496

warnings: gn!reader, kenma is a youtube g*mer

a/n: gracie dear, this one is for you! i remember you saying you were looking forward to it. you’re one of the loveliest people i’ve chatted to on here and you have such a kind and gentle heart. thank you for having such an accepting and calming vibe and you’re so so easy to talk to, it’s very relaxing! your blog is such a positive space you and you make me feel the big ❤️ bless your dear heart, and i hope that november is kind to you!

The sun is long gone, the sky above Tokyo draped with velvet midnight. It looks like the kind of night you’d want to go out and experience, to walk around the ever-bustling city centre, to watch the sky in the hope of seeing something that’ll make your heart stutter in your chest.

But you don’t have the energy for that this evening.

Your honours project is sucking all it can out of you. You’re not surprised, of course, but that doesn’t make the experience any less irritating. You’re at that point where you just need to push a little more and polish it off; but as always, that’s the hardest part. Trying to thread together every section into something that’s not only coherent, but also of passable quality is harder than you’d given it credit for.

It’s the time of night when your eyes feel like they’re about to dribble out of their sockets like candle wax, and you’re aware that you’re not going to get anything of substance done now. You sigh, squinting at your laptop screen.

12:54 AM.

You blink your sore eyes rapidly. Was it really that late?

You stretch your arms above your head, feeling the strain in your muscles. You want nothing more than to curl up in bed with your boyfriend, letting the stresses of the day fade away as you run your fingers through his hair. He usually lets you at this hour, melting into your touch in a way he wouldn’t usually during the day.

It’s much too late for you to get anything of worth down for this assignment.

As you stand up, you swear you can hear every bone in your body crack. You don’t just want to go to bed, you need to get some rest.

But there’s no way you’re going alone.

You totter down the hall as quietly as you can, balancing yourself on your tiptoes. Kenma’s gaming room sits at the end of the hall, chosen for its decent acoustics and spaciousness. You tease him for his set up all the time – ‘epic gamer’ is your favourite moniker, and currently crowns your LINE messages.

You and Kuroo had even made him a little sign for his birthday. It’s a plaque stuck to the door that reads, “WARNING! Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my Epic Gamer moment.”

You grin at it as the door creaks open.

Kenma’s clicking away on his computer as he sits at his desk, eyes narrowed and a little pout on his lips. You smile to yourself; he looks so cute like this, so focused and intense. He doesn’t tend to get like this about anything else, but gaming had a way of drawing the intensity out of him.

You can’t help but wonder if he was like this during his volleyball days in high school, analysing the court in the moment. You’ve never seen him play, and you doubt you ever will. He pays Hinata to do that, after all. You’re glad that such a bright boy is part of your boyfriend’s life. Between you, Kuroo, and Hinata, there’s no fear of Kenma going unloved.

You give him a small wave from the door.

Recognition flashes in his eyes as he catches sight of you, the smallest of smiles gracing his face. Someone outside of your relationship might assume that doesn’t count for much; a tiny, forgettable little gesture that isn’t worth taking note of. But you know how to read Kenma.

His gaze flicks back to his screen.

“You all want to know that bad, huh?” He teases, even though his voice is still monotone.

‘Know what?’ you mouth.

“They want to know what made me smile,” Kenma tilts his head at you, and you swear your heart is about to bloom into a kaleidoscope of light.

You nod, tottering over to him as he rolls his chair back. He’s left just enough space for you to sit. You settle yourself down on his lap like it’s second nature, and he loops his arms around your waist. Usually, that wouldn’t make you blush. But, knowing a significant portion of his viewership were watching this happen in real time brings a certain nervousness to mind.

He props his chin on your shoulder, as he always does. For once, he’s more casual than you; he’s in his element, immersed in a game and bolstered by people who adore him. It’s all you could want for him.

“Yeah, this is my partner,” he hums, small smile playing at his lips.

You see the chat rush by on the corner of his screen, but you opt not to look. Doing so would only make you more nervous.

“They want to know how long we’ve been together,” he says, conspicuously dropping the question in your lap.

You grin, fighting the urge to roll your eyes. “Officially, two years,” you smile. “But basically three.”

He chuckles lightly, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. “They also want to know how we met.”

“I was Kuroo’s roommate in university,” you say, well-aware of Kuroo’s much-loved presence on Kenma’s channel. “He decided I’d be a good friend for Kenma so he wrestled me into their little duo. He likes to say that us getting together was part of his plan all along, but I have my doubts.”

In all honesty, you’re surprised by how relaxed your reveal is. You’ve been worried about it for the past year, fearing the backlash that romantic partners of youtubers – especially gaming Youtubers – tend to receive.

Kenma had told you it would be okay, that you won’t have anything to worry about.

It feels nice, just sitting in his lap, getting to be part of this little world of his.

You stay for the next fifteen minutes or so, answering a myriad of questions pinged your way; was Kenma the same as he is in his videos? Does he ever sleep? Do you game with him much? Does he go easy on you in 1-v-1’s or is he ruthless?

“Thanks everyone,” Kenma yawns, propping his chin on your shoulder. “We’ve run over time, but you guys did a great job today.”

You bite back a giggle as you listen to his ‘Youtuber Outro Voice,’ which was just a shade brighter than his normal cadence.

You sit patiently as he wraps up, mentioning something about his next upload and the charity this stream was for. You know it’s got something to do with ensuring that children with disabilities are offered opportunities to take part in sports, and to help schools accommodate for that. You’re pretty sure Kuroo’s the one who linked your boyfriend up with them; you often teased him for ‘exploiting’ kodzuken’s following for charity.

Kenma clicks off the stream, letting out a long sigh as his shoulders deflate.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, nestling his face in the crook of your neck.

You giggle, reaching a hand back to smooth his hair. The angle’s a little awkward and your fingers bump against his headset, but you don’t mind.

“Did you raise a lot of money?” You ask, shifting in his lap so you can see his face.

He nods. “Not as much as the collab with Shouyou and Kuroo, but a fair bit.”

“Good,” you smile. He looks exhausted; he often does after long charity streams. But you know he cares about them – he wouldn’t bother with them otherwise. You gently slip his headset off – you bought them for him as a one-year-anniversary present, a cute, high-tech thing with cat ears – and place it gently on his desk.

You run your fingers through his hair, gently grazing his scalp. He hums in response, letting his eyes flutter shut. It’s like all the tension is melting away under your fingers, as if you’ve brought him a moment of precious reprieve. He never complains about his work – not in any real capacity, anyway – but even he got tired of his job.

As you gaze at his face, you’re content in the knowledge that you don’t need to flit amongst the city or watch the sky to see something that’ll make your heart stutter. He’s right in front of you.

“Hey, Kenma?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

The words flutter between you, threading a proper smile across his face. He doesn’t need to say them back to know your feelings are reciprocated; Kenma isn’t a man of many words, and his affection doesn’t tend to come out in grand statements or confessions. His love is in the little gestures; in a gentle kiss to the nose, or his fingers laced through yours, or permission to be part of his little world.

His love is shy, gentle, purposeful. You know he struggles to let people in. To let himself be seen. But he opens his windows for you, lets you filter through like the sunrise.

It’s all he’s capable of giving; but he gives it all with a quiet thoughtfulness.

And that’s more than enough.

#kenma x reader #kozume kenma x reader #kenma x you #kozume kenma x you #haikyuu x reader #fluffvember 2020

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siren-dragon · 3 years

Text

After Eight -- The Cat Returns fanfic:

So... I had a Ghibli movie marathon recently and remembered my old childhood OTP of Haru and the Baron. Then I read a few fanfics by @catsafarithewriter and landed in another fandom abyss, lol. And that later spawned this au one-shot from a prompt I read. Anyway, this is my first time publishing anything for another fandom so hopefully it’s good. Enjoy! ^_^

AO3 story link

Human AU -- “I need to finish my term paper and you’re the only 24-hour internet cafe open. Help me.”

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The front door of their small flat closed with a soft click as Haru shrugged her backpack higher onto her shoulder and soon hurried down the corridor and out onto the streets with a determined step. To be fair, Hiromi and Tsuge did try their best to accommodate her as she stared helplessly at her computer screen within her bedroom while they giggled and chatted on the sofa. And though Haru managed to continue through her term paper despite the late hour; her concentration quickly began to wane while the tell-tale sounds of snogging managed to reach her ears despite the closed bedroom doors. So, she rather quickly decided to pack up her supplies and laptop, stuff them into her school bag, and exit the flat in an attempt to find somewhere quiet.

Of course, she didn’t really consider the fact that a) it was 10 in the evening on a Friday and b) she would need wifi if she were going to try and continue her paper.

“There has to be somewhere open…” she groaned, having passed another bar filled with her fellow college students enjoying the beginning of their weekend. “Why are there so many bars everywhere?!”

After traversing the streets for a good 20 minutes, all the while debating if she could chance stealing the wifi from a late-night McDonalds, the brunette soon found herself pausing to stare at the building her feet seemed to have led her to. It was a rather quaint building, reminiscent of European cafes with it’s white and green paint and black sunshade. Written beside the glass and wooden doors was a simple plaque with the words The Cat Bureau scrawled across in dark lettering. However, it was the petite sticker smacked boldly on the corner of one of the windows with a drawing of a cat on a laptop reading “free wifi” that nearly made Haru weep tears of joy.

“Oh, thank God; an internet café!” she beamed with delight before hurrying inside.

If she thought the outside was charming, the interior was spectacular. Alongside the windows were various tables with off-set white tablecloths and a small flower vase as a centerpiece, while opposite sat a wrap-around wooden bar complete with stools. The entire room was bathed in a warm, golden glow from the hanging antique light fixtures and Haru couldn’t help but be captured by the small café. “Wow, this place is beautiful…”

“You are too kind Miss,” an accented voice chimed, causing her to swivel to the source.

Standing behind the countertop was a man, perhaps a few years older than Haru herself, offering her a kind smile with a rag in hand. Though Haru was practically half-asleep due to exhaustion and the creeping energy withdrawals her last study-snack tried to prevent, even she couldn’t deny how attractive the man was. Slightly tousled tawny locks and vivid green eyes stared back at her with an intensity that caused her face to take a distinct pink tint. His attire was a bit formal, what with the crimson vest and collared shirt with a bowtie- though his black apron and rolled sleeves didn’t undercut the professional appearance.

“Erm, I’m sorry- were you closing soon? I can leave if you want. It’s just that I saw you had free wifi and I needed a space where I could finish my term paper…”

The man gave a gentle laugh, “no worries Miss, this is a 24-hour café; stay as long as you like. The Bureau doesn’t often receive customers on Friday evenings, what with many preferring venues that serve alcohol.”

Haru grinned, “you’re a life saver. And this place, I’ve never seen such an amazing café before.”

“Thank you, and please sit wherever you like. Make yourself at home. Is there anything you would perhaps like to order?”

Taking a spot at one of the tables near the window, Haru immediately glanced at the menu resting upon the table, looking over the pamphlet for something cheap that would keep her awake. She was rather impressed by the modest selection- ranging from teas and beverages to cakes, sandwiches, and even a few pastries. “I’ll just have a cup of the house blend tea, please.”

The man smiled, “as you wish.”

If the food wasn’t going to bring her back here, the charming waiter certainly was- though as quickly as the thought crossed her mind Haru prayed her internal feelings didn’t make themselves known with the reddening of her face.

Quickly pulling out her laptop and research materials, in an attempt to finish her work and not stare at the handsome waiter, Haru set to work on trying to finish her paper. The quiet atmosphere gave a rather calm and ideal setting, allowing the brunette student’s work to continue at a steady pace. On occasion Haru would steal a glance to the waiter as he set about making her order, humming a gentle tune under his breath before returning to her paper. It was only when the cup and teapot was set gently beside her did Haru startle from her concentration while another plate- this one bearing a slice of angel food cake with whip cream and strawberries found it’s place beside her tea cup.

“Oh! Um, but I didn’t order-“

“On the house,” the man smoothly replied. “Besides, nothing goes better with tea than some angel food cake.”

Haru giggled, saving her work before closing the laptop and setting it aside for the meanwhile. “Thank you very much.” Pour a dash of milk into the cup, she raised it for a tentative sip and blinked in surprise. “Woah, that’s got to be the best tea I’ve ever tasted.”

“You flatter me with your kind words, Miss.”

“Wait, did you make this from scratch?”

The waiter laughed, “indeed I did. That’s my own personal blend, though it tends to be a little different each time so I’m afraid I can’t guarantee the taste.”

“Well, it’s certainly better than the school’s local Starbucks.” Haru complimented, making the man grin. “Did you make the cake as well?”

“Unfortunately, no. While I am no stranger to the kitchen, that particular cake was made by our resident chef Muta. He has a penchant for sweets which has earned quite a following from the locals.”

“I don’t blame them, if the cakes are as good as the tea- I don’t think I’ll be able to go anywhere else.”

This time the man gave a teasing smirk, “and here I thought it was the free wifi drawing in customers.”

Haru laughed, “well, it certainly did help. I’d take a quiet café with wonderful tea over my small flat and a roommate making out with her boyfriend any day.”

“Well, that certainly would cause a bit of a distraction to a working student. If that’s the case, feel free to stay as long as you like Miss.”

“Haru,” she answered back. “My name, it’s Haru.”

He gave her a soft smile that made Haru’s stomach do nervous flips as bright green eyes met her own warm caramel irises. “Humbert von Gikkingen, at your service but please; call me Baron.”

Now it was Haru’s turn to give a small smirk. “So, Baron… this teapot looks like there is enough for another cup or two. Maybe, you would like to share it?”

This time it was Baron’s turn to flush the faintest pink before giving a rather delighted grin and retrieving another cup from behind the counter and taking the seat across from her. “I would be honored. After all, nothing makes a cup of tea better than sharing it with a rather fetching young woman.”

If Haru’s face wasn’t red before, it certainly was now- and judging from the slight mirth dancing in Baron’s eyes, the warmth of her face was easy to spot.

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“I didn’t even know we had a 24-hour internet café near the campus.” Hiromi commented in confusion, “must have been nice since you didn’t come back till after midnight.”

“Hey, I was giving you and Tsuge some space so I could work on my paper.”

Hiromi grinned, “uh huh, then why were you frantically typing this morning in an attempt to finish it? Maybe you got distracted on your little night excursion.”

“Yes, by tea and cake.” Haru answered dryly, trying to keep calm and prevent a tell-tale blush to creep up her face. “Trust me Hiromi, you’ll love the place.”

“Alright Haru, I- hey is this the place?”

The two girls stopped in front of the familiar white and green painted café, same black sunshade up though this time there were a few tables set up outside and a few more customers than the previous night. However, this time, a waitress with white-blonde hair and a pink ribbon around her neck was serving customers outside while inside a tall and thin black-haired man clad in the similar formal attire Baron wore yesterday tend to the waiting patrons. Yet she couldn’t hide the small frown at the lack of Baron’s presence, wondering if perhaps he only covered the evening shift.

It was then did she finally hear Hiromi’s laughter, when the chestnut-haired brunette pointed to a sign on the door. “Haru, you did read the sign before you went in this place last night, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

She merely silently pointed to the hours of operation, which clearly stated that the café was only open from 09:00 AM – 10:00 PM, with it opening later in the morning on Sundays. Haru felt her jaw drop slightly as her face turned cherry red while Hiromi merely laughed louder.

Of course, she did get a slight just desserts when the two friends were seated inside and Haru noticed Baron nearly fly out of the kitchen, hastily tying his black apron before catching her gaze. The black-haired waiter was whispering frantically to him while Baron looked to be offering some polite apology. Though when he caught Haru’s eye he couldn’t help the knowing smile on his face while Haru gave a rather sheepish look as he approached the table to take their order.

“Welcome back, Miss Haru. I hope your paper was a success.”

“Yeah, it really was…. Especially after the extra 2 ½ hours I worked on it last night.” She said with an embarrassed groan. “I am so sorry for butting into your café last night. If I knew you were closed I would have left and-“

“Think nothing of it, you needed somewhere to work and I was happy to help.” Baron replied with a kind, though slightly tired smile from the previous evenings unintentional long shift. “Perhaps… I could suggest another cup of our house blend in the name of bygones?”

Haru gave a shy smile, “yes please.”

“Make it two,” Hiromi added. “And whatever pastry you would recommend.”

“Certainly. I shall return momentarily, ladies.”

As Baron returned to the counter, Hiromi waited perhaps 2.1 seconds before whirling upon Haru with a large grin reminiscent of a satisfied shark. “Do you think he’ll write his number on the napkin for you to take home?”

While Haru didn’t make a point of causing scenes in public places, she couldn’t help flicking a sugar cubes at her friend’s laughing face. Though judging from the laughter dancing in Baron’s vibrant emerald eyes and the tint of pink dusting his cheeks, she wouldn’t be complaining if that was the case.

#the cat returns #neko no ongaeshi #haru yoshioka #baron humbert von gikkingen #haru x baron #one shot #human au #cafe au #fanfiction #my writing

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knifewieldingenby · 3 years

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I couldn’t get “Aiden and Jaskier as chaotic adhd roommates” out of my head so here is Geralt’s take The last time Geralt had been over to Jaskier and Aiden’s place was when he’d helped them move in a few months ago. Not that he didn’t want to spend time in his boyfriend’s space, but their schedules were often so out of sync that they rarely found the time. He’d come home from work around midnight, too tired to do much more traveling, and find fresh take out in the fridge, Jaskier curled on his couch half asleep. Whenever he needed him, Jaskier was always there. He wanted so badly to be a part of Jaskier’s life in every way, and that meant also spending time at his apartment.

This...this was not what he had in mind. When he’d entered Jaskier’s apartment he was met with what could only be described as a bomb. He wasn’t foolish enough to think Jaskier was a tidy person - he’d seen his last place a few times - but it was apparent now that Jaskier had done some big cleaning before Geralt came over in the past, because this was. Well. It was something. Piles of clothes thrown about the couch and floor, papers falling off every surface, cups and plates left about. It wasn’t dirty - surfaces were clean and the apartment smelled nice - but completely disorganized and cluttered. Geralt took a deep breath and squashed the part of him down that was itching to clean the place.

“What do you think? We moved the furniture around from when you first saw it.” Jaskier spread his arms and waved around the room, nearly smacking the wall in the process.

“Uh, it looks-”

“Oh, Aiden bought wine! We should celebrate!”

“Celebrate?”

“Yes,” Jaskier hopped over a basket of laundry to get to the kitchen. “This is the first time you’ve been to my place since we moved in. That’s cause for celebration, is it not?”

“Hmm.” Geralt tried to sit on the couch, but a crunch under his foot stopped him. He lifted his foot and guilt overwhelmed him as he realized he’d broken one of Jaskier’s fidget cubes.

“Um, Jask?”

“Yes darling?” Jaskier popped his head out of the kitchen, a piece of cheese sticking out of his mouth.

Geralt held the sad, broken cube up. “I’m sorry, I think I broke your fidget cube.”

Jaskier waved him off. “Don’t be ridiculous, it was already broken.”

“Then why do you still have it?”

Jaskier shrugged. “Might need it someday. I don’t know. Cheese?”

Geralt shook his head fondly but accepted a piece of cheese from his lover. Today was shaping up to be quite interesting. He wandered over to the wall by the balcony door that had Jaskier’s instruments in a surprisingly organized fashion. A few of the instruments - a set of bongo drums, a ukulele with sunflowers and daisies on it - were unfamiliar to him, and he idly wondered how Jaskier had failed to mention that Aiden was also a musician.

“Why don’t we have a glass of wine on the balcony? The sunset is supposed to be lovely tonight,” Jaskier said as he came to stand next to Geralt. The glass part must have been symbolic, because Jaskier was holding two styrofoam cups.

“Sounds good.”

But of course it wasn’t that easy. He nearly tripped over a pile of blankets that were spread out in front of the sliding glass door. “Wha- were these left here for Lambert?”

Lambert being Aiden’s cat, a little orange feral he’d picked up off the street. He lovingly referred to the cat as Lambert and his boyfriend as Human Lambert. Human Lambert didn’t find it funny, but it was one of the things that instantly warmed Geralt up to Aiden. Not many people could handle his brother, but clearly Aiden was just unhinged enough to do so perfectly.

“Mmm, no, that’s for Aiden.” Upon seeing the look of bewilderment on Geralt’s face, Jaskier shrugged again. “He likes sleeping in different places.”

“In front of the balcony door? That doesn’t strike you as odd?”

Jaskier snorted. “Everything he does is odd. You get used to it pretty fast.”

Looking around the room, Geralt doubted he would. He noticed another pile of blankets under the dining room table and shook his head.

“Come, darling, let’s see this sunset.” Jaskier grabbed him by the hand and pulled him outside. Geralt twined their fingers together and smiled, and although the sunset was beautiful, his attention was entirely on Jaskier.

#geraskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier #aiden the witcher #lambden #my writing #I meant for Aiden to actually be in this fic #but it just became geraskier #lambert the cat #adhd Jaskier #adhd Aiden

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liv-laugh-die · 3 years

Text

||Admiring|| 💖Miya Osamu x Gn!reader

trope: strangers meeting in the park (ik its random bear with me😭)

warnings: its not proofread all the way through (im sorry im tired), so theres probably grammatical errors or typos but other than that none

genre: fluff pretty much just sappy stuff

pairing/s: osamu x gn!reader

wc: about 2.5k

a/n: oh my god idk where i came up with this but i think its cute so :p i hope you enjoy!!

You stared at your blank computer screen, hope of finishing your assignment before its due date at midnight slowly vanishing.

The clock on your desk read 11:27pm, the green lines wavering in your vision as your eyes slowly drooped, trying to drag you into the depths of slumber. You wanted to sleep, you really did, but you knew there was no way you could give up writing your essay, even now, knowing you weren’t going to submit it on time, because you would stress too much about it if you didn’t at least try to complete it before the due date.

Pushing yourself away from your desk, your chair squeaking against the floor ever so slightly in your dead silent dorm room, you tried to think of some excuse that your professor might believe. You doubted there was anything you could think of, but hey, your professor was better than what your roommates’ had mentioned theirs being, and you were grateful for that. Maybe you could tell him that you were exhausted from working extra hours at your job since you had had to cover your coworker’s shift and that’s why you couldn’t complete your essay on time? Or, maybe you could get away with a simple “I was lacking interest in the material, and couldn’t understand anything, and I didn’t ask for help because I knew that you are such a busy man trying to do so many things at once. Another hopeless near college drop-out wasn’t something I thought you needed on your hands.”

....Maybe not the latter.

You sighed, running a hand through your tangled hair, practically feeling it screaming at you to wash it. You barely had time in the mornings to take showers anymore, and when you took them at night, you never had the strength to wash your hair, always knowing that putting a hat on overtop or throwing on your hoodie would make it seem fine on the outside, and that was good enough for you. As long as you looked at least decent and somewhat presentable.

Your dorm room was fairly small, like every other one, but the lack of furniture made it seem larger than the rest. Nothing more than you and your roommate’s joint desk, the mini fridge in the corner, and the beds filled the space. You almost tripped over your backpack lying next to the bunk bed pushed up against the wall, falling to what would’ve been inches away from your roommate’s sleeping body.

In an attempt not to disturb them, you tiptoed through the room, stepping over the occasional heap of clothes or homework, until you reached the bathroom. You fumbled over the door knob before almost tumbling into the small space. Glancing in the mirror, you didn’t fail to notice your messy hair, the dark circles tracing beneath your eyes, or the way you looked like you were seconds away from passing out. The sound of running water rang in your ears as you turned on the sink faucet, cupping your hands together and bringing your face down to meet them, rubbing the cold water all over you in an attempt to keep you awake for just a few moments longer.

Your eyes returned back to the mirror as you sighed at your dripping wet face. There was no way possible you were going to finish your assignment on time. You knew it, your roommate knew it before they passed out, and you had noticed your professor’s wary glance this morning in class as a sign that he knew it too.

An idea sprang into your head, part of you dreading the optimism that seemed to seep through your brain slowly. You didn’t feel like being energetic right now.

---an hour later---

You weren’t exactly sure how, when, or why you decided it would be a good idea to take a shower (you did end up washing your hair, thank god), get your things together in your bag, and head to the off-campus coffee shop (since the one on-campus had already closed), but you found yourself with a warm cup of coffee in hand as you exited the shop, the cold midnight air enveloping you in an unwelcome embrace.

You shivered. The only thing your spontaneous brain had forgotten had to have been your jacket, the one thing your normal brain would’ve remembered if it weren’t already past midnight and if you weren’t majorly sleep-deprived.

You most certainly weren’t done with your essay yet, nor was there any possible way for you to finish it on time since it was now approximately thirteen minutes past the due time, but you let yourself breathe for now.

There weren’t many people out at this hour, and it made the usual busy city streets seemed like a ghost town. There were a few restaurants still open as you strolled along the sidewalk, their lights responsible for illuminating more than half the area in front of you. You passed by an onigiri shop your friend had recommended to you, but you just weren’t that hungry. Most nights, you’d kill for a midnight snack, but your single shot of espresso coffee was satisfying your needs for now.

You decided to head to the park after seeing a rabbit hop its way across the vacant street and into the bushes in that direction. The fresh air was nice and cool against your dry and croaky lungs, and your ears needed a different sound than that of you miserably attempting to touch type quickly, your fingers rapping against the keyboard with vigor.

A stream nearby flowed softly, the dripping of the water against the rocks complimenting the noise of the crickets chirping in sync just downstream. Your footsteps cut through the grass slowly, not bothering to follow the stone path. The park was a nice change of scenery. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d been here by yourself in peace, it was always you and your rambunctious friends who ran through every now and then just to see the dogs running through the sprinklers, or the occasional poor cat whose owner dragged them out into the daylight for exercise. This was peaceful, though, and you appreciated that.

A few more rabbits crossed your path, giving you that wide-eyed, side glance before darting off into the darkness, outside the reach of the lampposts emitting light. The sound of the stream soon faded out as you continued to walk through the park, sipping your coffee every so often. The warmth from your cup was soon dying out, and you figured you’d have to start walking back to your university sooner or later. Maybe you could crash at your friend’s house who lived just off campus, though you had forgotten your phone back at your dorm and had no alarm, no laptop to complete your work, and no contact with anyone else who might worry where you’d be. You had really no choice but to trek back to your dorm in the darkness, cutting your peaceful visit to the park short.

You let yourself have a few more minutes of stress free relaxing as you sat down on a bench just before the ground let out into a downhill slope overlooking the rest of the city below. The trees around you swayed in the breeze, and for a moment, you thought it was the wind talking, and not an actual human being who had somehow made his way beside you without gathering your attention.

“Didn’t think anyone else would be up at this hour,” the stranger mumbled. You glanced up, almost startled that, indeed, someone else was actually awake and strolling through the park.

The boy couldn’t have been much older than you were, maybe the same age. He had his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, the wind tousled his dark hair ever so slightly, and the moonlight played along, illuminating his face just so you could actually see how gorgeous he was.

You cleared your throat, averting your eyes back to the ground as you shifted over, creating more space on the bench in case he wanted to sit down beside you. “I decided to actually take care of myself for once and give myself some time to breathe before facing the wrath of my professor tomorrow when he finds out I didn’t turn in my essay on time.” You let out a low, breathy chuckle, not exactly sure of what would happen next.

The guy sat down on the bench next to you, though he made sure to give you some personal space, which you were grateful for. He laughed along with you a bit, and you could tell just from his tone just how tired he really was.

You gave him a side glance, raising an eyebrow. “So, what the stressful thing that brought you here in the middle of the night?”

He smiled half-heartedly, eyes trained on the moon. “Work stuff. Jus’ been busy, I guess.” He shrugged.

You waited for him to continue on, but he stayed silent. You didn’t complain, though. Wasn’t your whole reason for coming out here in the dead of the night for some quiet? Plus, it wasn’t awkward either. You were comfortable sitting next to this stranger.

“What do you do for work?” You waited a little longer than necessary to ask, but he didn’t seem to mind the long pause.

“I own a restaurant a few blocks away. I love the job, it’s just tiring havin’ to deal with rude customers like my brother who won’t get the hint and get out sometimes. I got into an argument with him earlier today and he just wouldn’t shut it.” He rolled his eyes and took his hands out of his pockets, making eye contact with you as he went on about his day, and you couldn’t help but smile at his passion. “The guy thinks he can just walk in when I’m working with a new employee and just act like he runs the place! Quite stupid if you ask me. Such a jerk, he is. Thinkin’ about just banning him from the place, really.”

You snorted. “He really bugs you that much, huh?”

The guy smirked at your laugh, admiring it, though you would never had guess that was what flashed across his face in a million years. He nodded. “Yeah, ‘course I love ‘im ‘cause he’s my twin and my best friend, but he really knows how to annoy the hell outta me.” He shrugged. “Maybe I’ll just get a sign in the window that says “no shirt, no shoes, no service” and cross it out and write my brother’s name instead,” he reasoned, and the pondering look in his eyes made you wonder if he was actually considering the idea.

You smiled. “You’re funny.”

“You say that like ya weren’t expectin’ it.”

A laugh made its way out your lips. “Well, when you’re approached by a stranger in the middle of the night you sort of expect the worst.”

The guy glanced off in the distance, away from you, furrowing his eyebrows. “Sorry, didn’t think of that comin’ off that way.” He shrugged a shoulder. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m funny then, and not some creep, eh?”

You nodded, the smile on your face not fading as he changed topics.

“So, what’s your essay on? Any way I can help ya finish it?”

You shook your head dismissively. “Oh, no. It was due thirty minutes ago.” You quickly explained the topic you were writing about in class before getting side tracked. “My professor had said he would allow it to be turned in the next morning, but I doubt he actually meant it.”

He smiled a wide grin, making butterflies flutter in your stomach. “You go to the university nearby, right?”

You nodded in confirmation, raising an eyebrow. “If I’ve got any luck, there’s a chance you go there too?”

He laughed a little, shaking his head. “Nah, I don’t, sorry. I’ve visited campus a few times because some of my friends go there, but I just usually focus on work.”

His gaze was tilted upwards towards the sky, and you couldn’t help but admire how the exhaustion still shone in his eyes, but somehow that same passion gleamed there too just mentioning what he did for a living. You wished you were that passionate about something that would actually support you financially in the future and make you happy.

When he glanced back at you, you were still taking his essence in, and he made a look of confusion. “What?”

You shook your head, chuckling. “Nothing. I just admire that you can dedicate yourself to something and make it seem so easy.” He looked at you, interested to hear what you had to say, even though you were sure you couldn’t be the first person to tell him this. “I haven’t even known you for more than ten minutes and I can already tell you’re passionate about what you do and if you’re stressed about it, it must mean you’re dedicated to seeing your work through, and that’s more than enough to admire and appreciate, especially when that can be so difficult sometimes.” You finished your short tangent, looking back up at him to see him staring intently at you, seemingly in awe of what you’d just said. You felt a blush creep onto your face as you quickly blurted out, “Sorry- I didn’t mean to be so straightforward and weird like that- I sound like some crazy secret admirer or something...”

The crickets chirped in the silence between the two of you, and it felt like it would never end.

“Y’know, I wouldn’t mind havin’ a secret admirer. I mean, wouldn’t be so secret, but...” You saw the smile creep up onto his face. “It’s nice being appreciated. Nobody really tells me that kind o’ stuff, so... thanks, I guess.”

The heat on your cheeks didn’t go away by any means, but you grew more comfortable with it as you mumbled, “Maybe I wouldn’t mind admiring you.”

Now, it was the boy’s turn to blush, and you smiled at how his cheeks grew redder with every passing second, and how his subtle grin spoke a thousand words he didn’t need to say.

“Miya Osamu.” The boy’s hand came into your view as he extended it for you to shake. “I own Onigiri Miya across from the grocery outlet.”

You smirked, grasping his hand in yours as you said, “L/N Y/N. I own an official license for being a horrible driver and an ID that proves I’m a sleep-deprived college student and that’s about it.”

He laughed, shaking your hand and standing up, letting go too soon for your liking.

Because for some weird reason, his hand felt right in yours.

Osamu said a quick goodbye, mentioning something about how he should get going and how you should get some sleep before he disappeared down the stone path back into the darkness.

You stood up not too long after he’d left, your coffee now entirely cold as you plopped the half full cup into the trash can on your walk back to your dorm, not needing the pathetic warmth anymore. Your heart was beating fast and the feeling of Osamu’s hand resting in yours lingered on your palm, and that kept you warm enough.

Maybe you’d be visiting that onigiri place your friend recommended to you a little sooner than you’d originally planned, and maybe more often than you would’ve expected.

#osamu miya x reader #haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fluff #hq fluff #hq #miya osamu #osamu #osamu x reader #oml i actually like this #ahhhh its cute #since when have i been motivated #i hope this doesnt flop *sob*

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so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed · 3 years

Photo

Last Updated:24/03/2024

🖤 Larry🖤

Chaptered:

there’s no fair in farewell [218k, E, soulmate AU]

forever is in your eyes [126k, T, Mythology AU]

saw some things on the other side [61k, T, Historical Murder Mystery AU]

there now, steady love (so few come and don’t go) [42k, M, fantasy AU]

Oneshots:

now you’re in my life (I can’t get you off my mind) [34k, M, ace A/B/O]

with no way out and a long way down [31k, T, soulmate/royalty AU]

some things fade (some never do) [25k, T, exes to lovers, magic AU]

why take your life when you give it so willingly [19k, M, enemies to lovers, pirate AU]

I know I’ve got this (because I’ve had it all along) [16k, T, girl!direction, boudoir shoot]

under the moonlight [15k, T, fake dating AU]

in a sky full of stars, be my Northern lights [13k, T, strangers to lovers AU]

it’s time to find your wings again [12k, T, fantasy AU]

room for your love underneath this tree [11k, T, Christmas AU]

love put us two together (but we don’t know how to stay) [11k, T, 5 times fic]

my love will never leave you [10k, T, dystopian AU]

serve me up a little hope on the rocks [10k, M, bartender AU]

you’ve set my soul to dreaming [9k, T, soulmate AU]

if you’re lost just look for me [9k, T, university AU]

there’s really nothing better (than a beautiful boy in an ugly Christmas sweater) [9k, T, Christmas AU]

All I know is I’m in trouble (cause the atmosphere’s so cold) [8,4K, T, Christmas Holiday AU]

baby I’ll never leave (if you keep holding me this way) [6.4k, T, accidental kidnapping, covid]

I don’t care if the world knows [6k, T, gender identity AU]

you and I love like it’s a secret [4,7k, T, childhood friends, 7 minutes in heaven]

call my name and save me from the dark [4k, T, car accident AU]

(knew that we would be alright) from the first time [4K, T, kid fic]

there’s a piece of you in how I dress [3,8K, podcaster Louis, reminiscing]

we’re not who we used to be [2k, T, exes to lovers]

I’ll run (run to you) [1,1k, T, established relationship]

find a way (to send me a sign) [666, M, MCD, halloween, closure]

the ghost of love keeps haunting me [666, T, reluctant ghost whisperer Louis]

these days I watch you from afar [666, M, MCD, ghost fic]

when love gets involved [666, T, cursed characters]

what kind of magic [417, T, fanfic trope mash up]

this love is difficult, but it’s real [272, T, fanfic trope mash up]

🖤 Lilo🖤

Oneshots:

just see those hometown lights [12,6K, T, post break up, letters to the fire]

we were lucky once, I could be lucky again [4,5K, M, Buffy AU]

🖤 Ziam 🖤

Chaptered:

leave my life outside (or let me in) [52k, M, fantasy/demon AU]

not even a landslide or riptide could take it all away [49k, M, leaked sextape AU]

let’s be alone together [47k, T, roadtrip AU]

Oneshots:

the birth of love like a force of nature [22k, T, magic AU]

it’s a long shot just to beat these odds [14k, T, reality show AU]

and right from the start [13k, T, roommates AU]

there’s always room for common ground [10k, divorced parents AU]

escape me from reality [9k, T, fantasy/depression AU]

I got myself in a mess (and without you I’m in more) [9k, M, emergency contact fic]

(I pray to God I didn’t waste) all my good years [7k, T, fix it fic]

the hidden love burns [6.8k, E, masturbation, d/s fic]

sadness is a little boy looking out the window [6k, T, fantasy AU]

(don’t you ever) hope for something else [5,4k, T, ace Zayn prophecy AU]

eyes up on the prize [3k, T, meetcute]

and they call it puppy love [3k, T, meetcute]

I see the midnight on your lips [3k, M, rehab/addiction fix it fic]

we will get another day (to begin again) [2k, T, ice bath h/c]

guess I always push my luck when I’m with you [1k, T, tinder AU]

then he just leaned forward and kissed me [1k, T, accidental kissing]

floating in a most peculiar way [1k, T, fanfic trope mash up]

and in time you see the truth [909, T, fanfic trope mash up]

life in the daytime is over [905, G, crackfic, cats]

love me like we don’t have tomorrow [666, T, fantasy AU]

🖤 Zouis 🖤

driving down a one way road (to something better) [26k, T, friends to lovers]

we’re still the kings of the Friday nights [22k, T, highschool AU]

let’s get naked and explore (our inner secrets) [8k, E, BDSM, Daddy Kink]

darling just dive right in [5.7k, T, royalty exes to lovers]

like a moth into a flame [5.4k, T, fake dating teachers AU]

I hope you never look back but you never forget [2k, T, friendship, letters]

be the end of me [666, T, MCD, fantasy AU]

🖤 Poly🖤

the missing piece that makes me fit [17k, T, zouiam friends to lovers]

you’re like the moon that turns my troubled tide [666, T, poly ghosts]

🖤 Generic: 🖤

(now I realize that the world outside) it’s bigger than me [3,5k, T, accidental coming out]

I don’t mind being lost at sea [2,8k, T, Zouis friendship, bad pick-up lines]

you try to stop it tumbling (but on and on it goes) [2,7k, G, Lirry friendship, ADHD]

🖤 Ficlet Friday: 🖤

I’m falling again [2.2k, T, Larry, reconciliation]

and there’s no one to blame [1,8k, T, Larry, break up AU]

you don’t have to say “I love you” to say I love you [1,5k, T, Ziam, ABO]

rain makes the flowers grow [1,2k, G, Larry, fantasy AU]

a life that’s lived without you [1,1k, T, Ziam, vampire AU]

🖤 Pre-2017: 🖤

these fics are old and not indicative of my current writing ability and style :)

midnight doesn’t last forever [Ziam, 28k, T, magic AU]

a game that I’m destined to lose [Ziam, 22k, T, coffeeshop AU]

if only time could just turn back [Ziam, 16k, T, friends to lovers AU]

give yourself to the rush [Ziam, 6k, E, established relationship]

what a mess I made upon your innocence [Ziam, 4k, E, gangbang]

a place where life runs at a different pace [Ziam, 3k, E, subway sex]

your heart so close to mine [Ziam, 3k, E, five times fic]

but bear this in mind, it was meant to be [Ziam, 3k, M, high school AU]

all these little things [Larry, 3k, E, high school AU]

remove the masks [Larry, 3k, M, fix it fic]

there’s an awful lot of breathing room [Ziam, 2k, M, hurt/comfort]

a perfect pleasure [Ziam, 2k, T, high school AU]

the one time that ‘need a hand’ actually worked (or: Liam Payne’s attempt at dirty talk) [Ziam, 2k, E, smut]

I’d end my days with you in a hail of bullets [Ziam, 2k, M, MCD, song fic]

wishing only wounds the heart [Zarry, 2k, T, unrequited love]

watching the days [Gen, 2k, M, Zayn-centric, self harm]

all the ways to say “I love you” [Gen, drabbles]

#fic masterpost #my writing #my fic post #masterpost

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alecmagnuslwb · 3 years

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Plus One

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Izzy & Meliorn ~ May 1st, Saratoga Springs, New York

“So?” Alec says tentative and a little nervous. He’s never had to give a wedding speech before and he can guarantee he’ll never give one as important as this. His baby sister will only have one wedding, god willing, and he wants to get it right.

Magnus taps his finger to his lips quietly the setting sun catching in his brown eyes as he leans against the pillar outside of the venue where the reception is being held.

“Pretty good, could be a little shorter though,” he settles on with a serious nod of his head.

“Shorter?” Alec says all nerves gone. “Magnus it’s not even five full minutes, I make it much shorter and it becomes a haiku.”

Magnus perks up with a smirk. “A haiku could be nice!” he says pushing off the pillar and stepping closer to Alec. He reaches out brushing something Alec was unaware of off of his shoulder. “People are here to dance and take advantage of the free bar, not listen to the Gettysburg Address.”

Alec rolls his eyes and brushes Magnus’ hand away. “I’m not making it any shorter, Isabelle will hate it if I keep it too short and if I upset her I’ll get that disappointed head tilt that Meliorn gives when anyone makes her sad, you know how bad that head tilt is.”

“It is very judgmental, makes you feel like you kicked a puppy,” Magnus says before tilting his head towards the entrance. “Come on you better get in there.”

Alec nods shaking out the last of his nerves and following Magnus into the hall beautifully decorated like some sort of magical forest.

The first few hours of the reception are a blur, Alec makes his speech and Magnus raises a glass of champagne at him with a wrap it up gesture that has him barely containing his eye roll while letting out a chuckle that eases any lingering nerves he has about the whole thing. After that he loses track of his friend, being passed around from family member to family member inquiring about his obvious lack of a date and plans for the future.

Eventually he finds himself at the bar finally shaking the grilling of his great aunt about the nice man from church she knows that’ll be perfect for him. Meliorn sidles up next to him flipping their complicated braid over their shoulder.

“Finally shake great aunt Emma’s love connection attempts?” they ask pausing for a moment to order two glasses of wine.

Alec nods taking a sip of his whiskey, “I thought I was going have to physically fight her to leave me alone.”

Meliorn hums in understanding. “Give her till the day after the wedding and she’ll be hounding Isabelle and I about having children, that should lighten the burden on you.”

Alec snorts. “Damn is she going to be more disappointed with that venture than she is with her failed attempts at setting me up with every gay man who so much as smiles at her.”

Meliorn smirks a little as he accepts the two glasses of wine from the bartender and turns out to face the dance floor.

“We’ve been debating whether lying and making her think we might have them or being truthful about our complete lack of ever wanting to procreate is better,” Meliorn says taking a sip from one of the glasses. He looks out at the dance floor watching mesmerized as Isabelle glides across the floor dancing with their little brother Max. Alec smiles, he’ll never stop being so endlessly happy for his little sister finding someone who adores her the way Meliorn does.

“Either way we’ll figure it out together,” Meliorn says finally pulling their gaze away from the dance floor. “Speaking of together,” he says looking over to the right where the singles table sits. “You should go check on your boy.”

Alec looks over and sees Magnus slumped over his head on the table and his fingers gliding along a few too many empty glasses.

Alec turns ready to correct Meliorn on the ‘your boy’ comment, but they’re already gone sliding over to hand the second glass of wine to Isabelle. It’s not the first time since Magnus moved back to New York that Meliorn or a number of others have made such a comment.

He and Magnus aren’t together, not like that. They’re old friends and that’s all. They’d met in college when Magnus had briefly dated Alec’s roommate, in the short tenure of that relationship they became closer than Magnus had with his roommate and from there they’d just stuck, their friends’ groups crossing over and even hooking up like Izzy and Meliorn eventually had.

Their friendship became distant after graduation though Magnus moving to London for work made them more email on your birthday friends than anything else, until nearly six years later he’d made his return to New York. They’ve been pretty tight since then, but more and more lately as all their college friends have paired off and they near thirty people seem to assume he and Magnus are a thing.

He’s not quite sure when the shift occurred for everyone else and why exactly it happened. He’s shaken from his thoughts about it however when he watches Magnus attempt to stand and he practically falls right back into his chair far less graceful than he usually is.

Alec discards his glass and heads for the table arriving just as Magnus attempts to stand again. Magnus stumbles a bit and Alec catches his arm just in time preventing the fall.

“Woah there, maybe it’s time we cut you off,” Alec says as he stabilizes Magnus.

Magnus looks up at Alec confidently. “I’m fine, Alexander,” he says closing his words out with a hiccup at the end.

Alec snorts. “Sure you are,” he says. “Let’s get you to your room.”

Magnus shakes his head furiously and then looks like he instantly regrets it pressing a hand to his forehead.

“Don’t have one,” Magnus says with an overexaggerated sigh.

“You don’t have-,” Alec starts and sighs. He shakes out his arm and looks at his watch. It’s nearing midnight, the reception is already pretty empty, his mom and Luke are some of the only one’s still here dancing with Max to a song he knows for a fact his little brother requested, and he’s fairly certain Isabelle won’t be offended if he takes his leave.

“Just wait here a second,” he says settling Magnus back down into his chair. Magnus salutes him playfully before resting his chin on his hands.

Alec walks over to where Isabelle is tangled together with her partner. Meliorn whispers something in her ear and she giggles into his shoulder. It’s such a beautiful, private moment that he loathes to intrude, but he also knows he’ll never hear the end of it from her if he just leaves without a word.

She waves him off before he can fully explain the situation getting up from her spot on Meliorn’s lap and hugging Alec tightly. He moves back over to the table where he left Magnus, ruffling his little brother’s hair as he passes by him.

Magnus hasn’t moved an inch and for a second Alec wonders if he fell asleep.

“Magnus,” he says startling him upward. He attempts to stand but sways a bit again and Alec puts an arm around his waist stabilizing him. “Come on let’s get you out of here.”

“So handsy,” Magnus says with a chuckle. Alec just huffs out a laugh and tugs him along. The hotel he’s staying in is luckily only next door and aside from stopping Magnus from chasing down a cat they see in the alleyway they make it there without incident.

They’re quiet as they walk into the lobby. Alec looks to the elevator a line of people waiting and sighs pulling Magnus along in the hopes that he can handle the stairs.

“Where are we going?” Magnus asks finally saying something as they start up the steps.

“My room since you didn’t deem to get one,” Alec says moving so Magnus goes up the stairs first that way he can catch him if necessary.

Magnus wiggles his eyebrows with a giggle and Alec just rolls his eyes once again at his drunk friend.

"And why didn't you get a room?" Alec asks as he helps Magnus up the stairs.

"Because I had intentions of catching the bus back tonight," Magnus says with a confident smile right before he stumbles over a step making his recovery look impossibly elegant despite his state. Alec holds his hands out hovering over him just in case, but Magnus keeps going. “Which I still could you know,” he adds on.

Alec shakes his head even though he knows Magnus can’t see him. “No way. It’s late and I am not letting you get on a bus alone and drunk, I already had to speak at a wedding I’m not speaking at your funeral too.”

Magnus snorts as Alec pulls them to a stop on his floor. “You’re not allowed to speak at my funeral, you’ll talk too long,” he says with a bright smile as Alec tugs him along down the hall to his room.

“Still on that, huh?” Alec says as he checks open the door with his shoulder and guides Magnus inside.

Magnus walks directly over to the bed and falls backwards onto it. He groans as he lays an arm across his eyes. “The singles table sucks, I wouldn’t have drunk so much if I wasn’t so heavily reminded of my terminal singlehood all night,” Magnus says with a sigh.

Alec walks over and sits down on the bed beside Magnus he reaches out a hand to pat Magnus on the shoulder the best he can.

“I get it,” he says sympathetically. He does get it, he’s been to his fair share of weddings solo, tonight he just had the luck of being a part of the wedding party instead of being relegated to a table with a bunch of other rejects he doesn’t really know. The older they get the more he realizes that he seems to be one of the only ones not settling down, each new wedding invitation he receives is a reminder that he hasn’t had a relationship go beyond a few dates in years.

Magnus sits up holding his stomach a bit as he does.

“I’m gonna get you some water,” Alec says heading to the bathroom he returns a moment later with a glass and some Tylenol in hand. He holds both out to Magnus and he takes them gratefully.

“Thank you,” he says before downing the whole glass of water and both pills.

Alec just nods and heads back into the bathroom to change into sweatpants and t-shirt discarding his suit. He grabs an extra t-shirt and some running shorts. He leans out the door and tosses them onto the bed beside Magnus startling him from another micro drunk nap it seems.

“You need to sleep,” he says. “Get changed, I’ll take the floor, you take the bed.” The last thing he sees before giving Magnus his privacy is a pout on his face as he looks down at the clothes beside him. He waits a few minutes before heading back out to find Magnus, clothes changed and sitting cross legged on the bed under the covers on one side.

He lifts his head up and smiles at Alec then immediately puts his head back down with a groan.

“You gonna be okay?” Alec asks as he walks over to the bed. Magnus just waves Alec off with a hand not lifting his head back up.

Magnus takes a moment to compose himself as Alec grabs the second pillow. He moves his bare feet and feels satisfied with the feel of the carpet under him as a sufficient place to sleep.

"Alec. Alexander. Alexander Lightwood," Magnus says after a few more beats his head in his hands.

"Are you just saying my name for fun or," Alec says trying not to laugh at Magnus as he struggles with his words lifting his head successfully this time.

"You can't sleep on the floor. You're 7 billion feet tall, you'll never fit," he says gesturing to the room at large.

Alec laughs at that and Magnus glares.

"One I'm literally only like four inches taller than you and two I think the floor has plenty of space," he says tossing the spare pillow down.

"Nope come on," Magnus says tossing aside the covers on the empty side of the bed.

Alec sighs. He knows he's not winning an argument with a drunk Magnus they may not have been bff’s in college but he's seen that determined blurry look in Magnus eyes before and he's lost the battle every single time be it over which drive through place to hit up or how many games of beer pong is too many games of beer pong.

He sighs picking up the pillow off the floor and throwing it and himself down dramatically next to Magnus.

"If you throw up on me I'll never speak to you again," Alec says as he gets comfortable.

Magnus rolls his eyes and settles down as well. "So dramatic," he says as he snuggles into his pillow. "I'll have you know Mr. Lightwood I haven't thrown up for any reason alcohol or otherwise related since 2003."

He reaches a hand across the bed bopping Alec on the nose. Alec scrunches up his face at the action as Magnus giggles, a cute little titter than Alec can't help but smile in response to.

"Vomit free since '03, my friend," he says proudly before promptly and immediately falling asleep.

***

The next morning Alec wakes up with Magnus impossibly sprawled sideways across the bed his legs strewn across Alec’s chest, his head dangerously close to falling off the side of the bed. Alec just shakes his head and slides out from under him heading downstairs to grab some of the continental breakfast for the both of them.

Magnus is awake by the time he gets back, looking impossibly good for someone who’s hungover and slept in their makeup. They eat quietly in companionable silence before Magnus drags himself into the shower.

Alec gets dressed while he’s in there forgoing a shower of his own in favor of getting on the road early so he can avoid any unnecessary traffic.

Eventually Magnus rolls out of the bathroom in the shirt and now wrinkled pants he’d worn to the wedding the night before and pair of sunglasses so large Alec has to laugh.

Magnus holds up a finger to him in warning and snatches the extra coffee Alec had picked up for him off of the tv stand before heading to the door.

Alec smiles, and only laughs a little bit all the way down to his car.

Magnus is quiet for the first hour or so of the drive sipping his coffee slowly and leaning his head against the window. Eventually he pushes the large sunglasses up on his head settling them in his messy, yet somehow still artfully styled hair.

“Thank you for last night,” Magnus says tilting his head to the side to look at Alec.

Alec shakes his head. “Don’t mention it.” He means it, ensuring the safety of his drunk friend isn’t a burden in any way.

“Well still, I didn’t intend to get so sloppy drunk last night and you saved me a lot of embarrassment and I appreciate it,” Magnus says.

“You may have not planned it, but I understand your reasoning. If it weren’t for the fact that I had to give that speech I would have been drinking right alongside you,” Alec says glancing at Magnus quickly with an understanding smile before looking back at the road. “I’ve got way too many of these things to go to this summer and I’m not looking forward to getting sat at the single’s table every time either.”

“I feel like I have like two dozen weddings to attend this summer alone, sadly you won’t be at every one of them to collect my drunk ass though,” Magnus says with a sigh.

“If you strategically plan out your drunkenness, I will be there for,” he pauses thinking in his head about the ones he knows they’ve both been invited to. “Five of them and I’ll make sure you don’t embarrass yourself too much. Well, at least not in front of anyone except me.”

Magnus laughs. “Ugh, from what I recall I wasn’t too bad, I’ve been worse,” he says in his own defense. “Hell, you’ve seen me worse.”

He has. Alec is to this day not a big drinker, but in college he always found himself dragged to some party with an empty red solo cup in his hand safely collecting his sister and friends at the end of the night.

“Like Omega-Phi senior year?” he says with a smirk referencing a specific evening he’ll never forget. Magnus however he knows doesn’t remember much at all, especially not the pants-less karaoke.

“How dare you?” Magnus says with a smile as he slaps Alec lightly on the chest.

“What was the song again, Spice Girls right? Not even one of their good songs too,” Alec teases, Magnus reaches out again smacking him a little harder this time. Alec playfully winces taking a hand off the wheel to rub at his chest as though it hurt.

“Spice Invaders is an underrated hit,” Magnus defends.

“It is called Spice Invaders it is absolutely not an underrated hit,” Alec says with a chuckle eyes on the road from the corner of his eye he sees Magnus roll his eyes.

They settle in quietly for a while after that Magnus looking brighter than he has since before the reception started the night before. They chat lightly for the rest of the drive on and off before Alec pulls up outside of Magnus’ building.

Alec gets out first, getting Magnus’ door for him. He stands gracefully not even needing the sunglasses anymore to block his eyes from the bright sun.

“So, I guess I’ll see you at Helen and Aline’s wedding in a couple weeks?” Alec says as Magnus stretches out his arms.

“Yeah, see you then,” Magnus says with a smile before turning and heading to his front door. Alec rounds his car once again when Magnus’ voice stops him as he opens the door.

“Alec?” he says turning back around the end of his sunglasses between his teeth clearly in thought. “What if we went together?”

“Went to what together?” Alec questions closing his car door and leaning his arms on the roof.

“Helen and Aline’s wedding, and well, all the other one’s too,” Magnus says stepping closer to the car. Alec raises an eyebrow and Magnus quickly adds on. “I mean as friends obviously, but we can mark the little date box on everything and not get stuck at singles tables.”

Alec takes a breath and thinks it’s not the worst idea. They’re close enough to keep each other company and play offense against any nagging relatives or friends that want to enquire on their singleness. Magnus is pretty much the only person outside of Isabelle he’d want to spend that much time with at events he only kind of wants to be at anyways.

“Plus,” Magnus continues on not realizing he’s basically already sold Alec on this idea. He reaches the car again and leans on the passenger side mirroring Alec. “We could split the cost on everything, rooms, travel all of it. Having a friend to get through it all and saving some money wouldn’t be so bad, right?”

Alec smiles with a shake of his head. “That’s a pretty great idea.”

“Really?” Magnus says a smile of his own forming on his face.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun taking on the hells of married people together,” Alec says. “Especially the straight ones.” He adds on with a laugh.

Magnus responds in kind before he rounds the front of the car, Alec does the same until they’re standing right in front of one another.

“So, be my wedding date for the summer?” he says holding out a hand to Alec with a smile.

“Only if you’ll be mine,” Alec replies taking Magnus’ hand with a soft agreeing grasp. And for the first time since each wedding invitation arrived in his mailbox he feels a little bit excited about attending each and every one.

***

Helen & Aline ~ May 15th, Napa Valley, California

Alec tosses his phone back and forth between his hands sitting on the edge of their hotel room bed. He hadn’t been expecting the news his mother just gave him. She’s getting married. It’s not that she and Luke haven’t been obviously in love for years now, but part of Alec thought she’d never take the full plunge again, not after how terrible her marriage to his father had been.

But she’s doing it and she’s not wasting any time already planning for the ceremony in October. More surprisingly she wants Alec to be her man of honor and to make a speech. It’s a big thing, a big thing that makes him even more nervous than speaking at Isabelle’s wedding did in some ways. For Izzy he had to get it right for what will hopefully be the only time, for his mom though this has to better than anything that was said at her first wedding considering how that turned out.

Magnus steps out of the bathroom looking damn good in white pants and a light blue shirt. Alec’s wearing a similar outfit just with a light pink shirt instead, as per requested by the dress code, and he feels like he looks ridiculous. Magnus looking as good as he does makes him feel this to be even more true.

“Everything okay?” Magnus asks nodding to the phone in Alec’s hand.

Alec nods. “Yeah, my, uh, my mom’s getting married,” he says and Magnus smiles. “She wants me to be her man of honor and give a speech and everything.”

“Woah, even after that long drudge at Isabelle’s wedding huh?” Magnus says jokingly.

“Ha, ha,” Alec says dryly with a roll of his eyes and Magnus just keeps that teasing smile as he rolls up the cuffs of his shirt.

“Let’s go we have to hike up like ten miles to get to the ceremony,” Alec says standing and pocketing his phone as he heads to the door.

Magnus follows and tugs the door closed behind him. “You’ll do great,” Magnus says more seriously, completely genuine as he reaches out flicking some invisible fuzz off of Alec’s shoulder.

Alec smiles thankful and holds out his arm for Magnus to take. Magnus doesn’t hesitate.

***

Alec and Magnus come to a stop when they reach the bottom of the hill that leads to the ceremony. Magnus slides his sunglasses down at the same time Alec does and admires the sprawling vineyard. Helen and Aline have gone all out or more likely it’s more Aline’s mother has gone all out. If she’s half as controlling now as she was in college, Alec assumes she did everything down to picking what underwear the brides are wearing.

“Who makes their guests walk a hill?” Magnus questions as a few other guests slip past them making their way up.

Alec shrugs and starts walking, Magnus falling in step right alongside. “You remember how Aline’s mom was in college, I’m sure she thinks this will build character for the guests or something.”

Eventually they make their way to the top of hill and find their seats. With all its sprawling beauty and extravagance the wedding is nothing but classy. Helen and Aline seem more and more in love every time Alec see them and in a way he envies that.

They have to make their way back down the hill for the reception and Alec only half-jokingly suggests that they just roll down. Magnus looks like he almost wants to do it.

For the most part the reception passes by quickly, they drink and catch up with old friends. Magnus even drags Alec out onto the dance floor a few times. It’s the most fun he’s had at a wedding in a while, all because he’s not doing it alone.

Every time the subject of his romantic life comes up Magnus is there to divert the conversation and Alec does the same for him, instead of being constantly reminded they’re single they have each other’s back the whole night.

“What about him?” Magnus says tilting his champagne glass towards the right. Alec’s eyes follow the motion to see a somewhat handsome dark-haired man at the end of the bar.

“I don’t know what about him?” Alec asks taking a sip of his drink.

“As a potential suitor,” Magnus says turning his attention back to Alec. “I figured being a decent wingman through this whole thing would be good compensation for the fact that I’m a bed hog.”

Alec snorts. There’s nothing in this world that would make up for that, that morning Alec had woken up with Magnus half on him and his own body half on the floor. Bed hog is an understatement to what Magnus somehow manages to do in his sleep.

Alec takes another look at the guy and grimaces a bit. “Pass, I try not to date men that look exactly like me,” he says. “Also, potential suitor, you’re such a nerd.”

Magnus flicks him on the shoulder for the nerd comment before taking another quick glance at the man at the other end of the bar.

“You’re right he’s like a less handsome you,” he says before scanning the room. “I’ll keep my eye out though.”

Alec has no interest in finding a potential suitor tonight, so he surprises himself and holds out a hand asking Magnus to dance just to distract.

***

“You know I’d say this was a complete success,” Magnus says later sitting cross legged on the bed while Alec packs for their departure the next morning. Magnus only teased him slightly for insisting to do this now and not wait till morning.

Alec looks up from his bag and smiles. “Yeah I had a lot of fun,” he says. Fun might even be underselling it.

“So,” Magnus says with a bright smile. “When’s our next wedding?”

***

Lydia & Raj ~ June 5th, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

“The gentlemen at the end of the buffet asked me to give you this,” Magnus says when he returns to their table holding out a pink napkin that smells of peonies to him. Alec takes it looking at a name and a few digits written hastily in black ink.

Lydia and Raj’s wedding has been a blast so far, everything here looks like a tricked out floral cabin and it’s perplexed them both to no end. The wedding itself has been the most heterosexual thing in human history, from the color schemes to the seventeen-tiered cake to the crazy scented napkins.

Alec never could have done this without someone else, specifically someone who’s not straight. Lydia has been a family friend since he was a kid, he’d even call her one of his closest friends if he really thought about it, but sometimes she’s so straight it baffles him.

Alec looks up at the buffet and sees the man in question, he’s tall, dark skinned and doesn’t look like Alec which is an improvement over Magnus’ attempt to get him laid at the last wedding. Alec vaguely remembers making some small talk with the man earlier in the night when Magnus had been engrossed in some conversation about art with Raj’s grandmother.

He gives Alec a bright toothy smile and Alec gives him a light one back pocketing the napkin. The guy seemed nice enough and is definitely good looking enough, but Alec doesn’t think he’ll actually utilize it. He isn’t however cruel enough to blatantly reject the man from across the room.

“I’m killing this wingman thing now,” Magnus says with a smile sitting down with a heavy plate of snacks for them to share. Under the plate is another napkin with the start of a number on it as well. Alec slips it out from under the plate and sees the name Abby written in bright red marker.

“Seems like you’re doing alright for yourself too,” he says handing the napkin over to Magnus. Magnus takes it from him with a shrug.

“The buffet was busy what can I say,” he says stuffing the napkin into his pocket carelessly. “Now try one of these little sandwich things, they’re to die for.” Magnus holds out one of the said tiny sandwiches for Alec and he leans over, Magnus popping the bite sized thing right onto his tongue with a smile.

They spend the rest of the night like that chairs close together, laughing and making up outlandish backstories for the stuffy rich people that surround them while snacking on every bit of free food that’s available to them.

“I’ve never seen a man look more like he’s the owner of a diamond encrusted toilet in my life,” Magnus says subtly pointing at a man on the dance floor who’s wearing an insane looking purple suit with a matching rhinestone hat. Alec’s not sure, but he thinks it might be Lydia’s uncle that runs a chain of furniture stores.

“Probably has a second one in gold too,” Alec says. Magnus laughs and looks down at their plate that’s been refilled too many times to count. The party is winding down, most of the guests starting to say their goodbyes and make their way back to whatever flowery cabin themed hotels they’re staying in.

It’s weird, but Alec kind of doesn’t want it to end, it’s something he’s never experienced with a night like this. It speaks volumes to the impact Magnus’ company is having on him.

***

The next morning they don’t even ask if the other had fun, it’s clear on their faces, it’s clear in the way Alec doesn’t even complain when he wakes up with Magnus hogging all the covers and his knee in his side.

This deal of theirs works, and it’s going to keep working for the rest of the summer without a doubt.

Magnus tosses a couple bottles of hotel shampoo into an open bag before he heads for the door his backpack slung over one shoulder. Alec looks around the room checking to make sure they haven’t left anything behind when he catches sight of the napkin from the night before on the nightstand and picks it up looking at the digits for a moment.

Magnus is already at the door back turned, his foot holding it open for Alec to follow. Alec looks at Magnus and then back down at the number. He bites his lip in thought for a moment before he crumples the napkin up and tosses it in the small garbage can by the table near the door.

He leans down to pick up their last bag that’s sitting beside it and catches sight of a second napkin next to his crumpled one. This one is barely folded with digits he doesn’t recognize on it and the last letters of the name Abby visible. He pauses with his fingers wrapped around the handle of the bag and looks up at Magnus who’s still standing in the doorway holding it open for Alec.

He thought that Abby was a sure thing, the woman coming around again later in the evening and asking Magnus to dance. Alec had seen them out there and for a moment thought he might be going back to their hotel room alone. He must have read it all wrong, he’s not quite sure why but he’s oddly pleased about that.

“You coming?” Magnus says turning back to look at Alec with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, yeah,” he says covering up his surprise at his find with a light cough and grabs the bag following after Magnus.

He allows himself a small smile all the way down the hall wondering if maybe he wasn’t the only one who had more fun with his wingman than anyone else last night. And that, that’s an interesting development.

***

Maia & Raphael ~ June 12th, The Ridge – Marshall, North Carolina

They spend the week between weddings constantly texting. Magnus is more than a little excited about this one it’s clear. Alec doesn’t know Raphael or Maia, but he’s heard a lot about them.

The flight to Asheville, where they’ll be staying and taking a wedding bus into Marshall for the actual ceremony and reception, is filled with Magnus telling Alec a thousand tales about the shenanigans he and Raphael have gotten up to over the years. Each new story, even if Alec doubts the full truth of some of them, makes Alec a little more excited for to meet him. Raphael is part little brother, part mentee to Magnus and it’s not lost on Alec that he’s delighted to see Raphael has found his match, found someone who doesn’t ask him to change anything about himself.

And his match she is, Alec sees it clearly when he meets the pair instantly getting along with the both of them. He and Raphael have similar grumpy demeanors that bonds them fast and Maia is a fiery soul that reminds Alec of his own sister. He gets Magnus’ love for them immediately and isn’t disappointed in the slightest when the four of them end up spending most of their time together.

They attend the rehearsal dinner for this one, while Maia and Raphael have opted for no wedding party Magnus is unofficially the best man. He gives a speech that night that sounds more eloquent than anything Alec could ever come up with. However, he doesn’t have it in him to not tease Magnus just a bit when he sits back down.

“Could’ve been shorter,” he says into his glass of water looking at Magnus playfully from the corner of his eye.

Magnus nudges him in the ribs lightly, “Shut it.”

The wedding the next night is beautiful. Maia and Raphael say I do just as the sun sets in a ceremony that is a perfect combination of Maia’s heathenism as she called it the night before and Raphael’s devout Catholicism.

Nothing is overly flashy or overdone despite the sprawling beauty of their location. The warm summer night drifts by easy and slow, Alec choosing to keep close to Magnus the whole night in favor of any sort of mingling.

“You two are great together,” Maia says smiling at Magnus and Alec as they chat with her under a sparkle of twinkling white lights.

“Oh we’re not together, together,” Magnus corrects her smiling at Alec quickly almost a little nervously before looking back at Maia. “It’s just like a friend thing, you know single people unite situation.”

“Right,” she says like she knows something they don’t know as her eyes pass between them. She doesn’t get to further on whatever it is she does seem to know though because Raphael finds them with a plate of food in his hands that he holds out to her like a precious diamond.

“Mi corazón,” he says looking at her with eyes so filled to the brim with fondness it seems almost impossible.

If he though Helen and Aline were in love-love these two are on another level entirely.

“Food! Real food,” she exclaims making grabby hands for the plate and digging in immediately. “You’re a saint, Raphael Santiago.” She adds on between bites.

Raphael rolls his eyes fondly wrapping an arm around her waist as she continues to eat. “I bring her one plate of rice and tamales and she’s putting me up for sainthood.”

They chat some more in the short time it takes for Maia to finish her plate of food before they re-enter the fray making their rounds to other friends and family. Magnus gets Alec out on the dance floor a lot as the night moves on.

First it’s a few fast songs that he just follows Magnus’ lead for and then a slow number that he can actually keep up with.

“I really like Raphael and Maia,” Alec says as they sway together, bodies close his hands linked together at the small of Magnus’ back.

Magnus smiles looking all too pleased. “Good, I’m glad,” he says slipping his hands down from behind Alec’s neck and to his shoulders. “They’re two of my favorite people in the world.”

Alec smiles, he can see why and says just as much. They fall back into a companionable silence after that just swaying to the sweet romantic song playing around them. He spots Maia and Raphael to their right not really dancing just holding each other and whispering things that makes the other laugh in each other’s ears.

“God they’re cute,” Magnus says looking at them too and then back at Alec. “I mean we’re cuter obviously,” he adds on quickly. “In a platonic adorable way of course.”

“Of course,” Alec says in agreement his eyes on Magnus. They hold each other’s gazes for a while till their swaying becomes more stagnant, more like they’re just holding onto one another.

“Alec,” Magnus starts and the music switches to something far faster paced, the dance floor getting a little more crowded. They pull back from one another and Alec lifts a hand to rub at the back of his neck, a nervous gesture he rarely does these days.

“I’m gonna go, uh, get another drink,” he says and Magnus opens his mouth to saying something but stops and just nods as Alec walks away.

Alec leans against the bar waiting for the bartender to spot him and runs a hand through his hair. He’s not totally sure what just happened, but he’s pretty sure that had that song gone on a minute longer Alec might have kissed Magnus. A tension has been building between them since Alec saw that crumpled up napkin next to his in the trash in Tennessee.

First the texts got more teasing, then there was the trip here that was filled with such joy and openness. And now, now there’s this lingering between them. They’ve been doing this thing as friends, but this trip has felt different this trip has felt almost like they were a real couple.

It’s a dangerous line to be playing at if Alec’s the only one feeling this way.

“Wanna get out of here for a while?” Magnus says pulling Alec’s head back upright. He raises an eyebrow in question.

“Evidently there’s a pool connected to the little hotel down near where the bus will pick everyone up and some people were gonna head over,” he explains and Alec nods his head. If Magnus wants to get out of here, Alec does too.

The pool is probably the least fabulous thing about this whole space, but that doesn’t deter anyone from jumping in fully clothed. Magnus introduces Alec around to few people that he knows making small talk before he himself hops in. Alec makes camp in a plastic chair at the far end of the pool watching as people slowly pair off one by one drifting down to the bus stop.

His eyes for most of the time stay on Magnus, Magnus who does a few laps and then lifts himself up with strong arms to sit at the edge of the pool chatting with a curly haired woman that Alec can’t remember the name of. She reaches out and brushes her hand across Magnus’ exposed forearm when he says something that makes her laugh and it sparks a twinge of jealousy in Alec’s gut that he’s never experienced before.

Magnus meets his eyes when he slips back down into the water and Alec looks away quickly.

“Alexander,” Magnus says slowly in a way that Alec doesn’t have the ability to ignore. His eyes return to Magnus’ the makeup around them a little smudged from the water and his once spiky hair is completely flat and pushed back away from his face. He looks impossibly good in the artificial lighting around them.

Alec’s always been aware that Magnus was attractive, he has two perfectly functioning eyes after all. But now here in this moment he’s never been more aware of the fact.

“Come on, get in,” he says and Alec shakes his head. A few others are lingering at the other end of the pool, but for the most part it’s just them. Alec’s not even sure what time it is, his phone discarded with Magnus’ dead one behind him.

He stands crouching over beside the edge of the pool with a shake of his head.

“I’m good staying dry,” he says and Magnus lifts up onto his elbows on the edge of the pool pretty brown eyes shining up at Alec.

“Come on, five minutes,” he says with a tilt of his head. “For me,” he adds on sweetly and Alec can’t resist.

“Fine,” he says trying to sound put out, but coming off fonder than intended as he settles down on his butt and takes off his socks and shoes. He slides into the pool next to Magnus and turns to him.

“There, happy?”

Magnus pushes off the wall and swims over till he’s hovering in front of Alec. “Almost,” he says just before he reaches out putting both hands on Alec’s shoulders and pushing him down with all his strength.

He submerges Alec and then swims away with a laugh. Alec pops up from the water shaking his head out like a wet dog and chases after Magnus catching him at the center of the pool by the ankle and pulling him back.

Magnus doesn’t fight it, just lets himself be pulled until they’re face to face again splashing a little more water playfully at Alec’s face.

“Really, Magnus?” he says with a smile splashing back at Magnus a bit.

“Really,” he says with a chuckle swimming around Alec once until he settles back in front of him. Magnus lifts his right hand from the water and pushes back the trusses of wet hair that have fallen in front of Alec’s eyes. His fingers drag through Alec’s dark hair and slowly move down across the shell of his ear and down till it’s settled on Alec’s neck. Magnus’ thumb falls a bit rubbing slowly at his exposed collarbone where Alec’s unbuttoned his shirt, his tie long abandoned.

Alec’s not sure which one of them leans in first or if it’s a simultaneous reaction, but between one heartbeat and the next their lips are a centimeter apart just about to touch when a loud honk breaks them apart.

“The bus,” Alec says as Magnus curses under his breath. They both swim to edge quick grabbing their discarded phones and shoes and making a run for it.

The bus is pulling away just as they reach the sidewalk, just far enough away that no one inside can see them.

Alec holds out his phone and sees the time, it’s just past midnight, he doesn’t know where the time went or how he lost such track of it. Magnus puts a hand on his arm and he is reminded of just why he lost track of it in an instant.

“That was the last one wasn’t it?” he says and Alec nods. Magnus sits down on the curb and slips his shoes back on. “Guess we’re walking.”

Alec sits next to him and does the same before pulling his phone back out and pulling up his GPS. As soon as he gets it connected to their coordinates his phone screen goes black.

He curses and pockets the dead device looking around.

“Follow the lights that’ll take us back into the city,” Magnus says pointing in the direction Alec agrees might be their best bet. “Once we get back to street signs we can figure it out.”

“Yeah, okay,” Alec nods and starts walking. They’re quite all the way till they reach the city limits just walking and enjoying each other’s presence. Or at least he hopes that’s what they’re doing, he hopes this isn’t actually an awkward silence after what had almost happened in the pool and on the dance floor.

The area starts to get a little more familiar as they walk, but Magnus starts to slow down his feet clearly getting tired. Alec can understand why with the heel on his boots being what they are.

“Hey, let’s cut through this graveyard, I’m pretty sure it’ll get us to the hotel faster,” he says coming to a stop in front of the large stone wall of the graveyard. The gate is cracked open and while technically they’re not supposed to enter after hours he’s willing to take the shortcut for Magnus’ feet sake.

“Through a graveyard?” Magnus says a little hesitantly peeking into the gates.

Alec smiles stepping up to Magnus’ side. “What, you scared?” he teases.

Magnus turns his head giving him an offended look. “I’m not scared,” he says assuredly. “Just a little superstitious.”

He leans down using one hand to stabilize himself on Alec’s arm and slips off his first shoe then switches and does the same on the other side.

“Magnus what are you doing?” he asks as Magnus holds his shoes in his hand.

“If we’re cutting through a graveyard, we’re running and holding our breath,” he says holding out his free hand for Alec to take.

“Seriously?”

“Most seriously,” Magnus says wiggling his fingers for Alec to take. Alec huffs out a little laugh and twines their fingers together. They step up to the gate hand in hand pushing it open enough so they can both fit through side by side. Magnus takes a deep breath in, holds it and then they’re off.

The warm summer wind whips around them as they rush through the graveyard, bobbing and weaving around gravestones as they go. Alec has to take a breath when they narrowly dodged a large epitaph and laughs.

Magnus joins in with him just as Alec trips himself up over a small epitaph just barely sticking up from the ground and lands face first into the grass.

“Alexander!” Magnus startles as their hands separate. He falls to his knees at Alec’s side as Alec turns over looking up at the stars and then at something much brighter.

“Ow,” he says when he meets Magnus’ eyes. Magnus giggles falling down into the grass beside him.

“Well so much for getting through quickly huh?” he says between giggles and Alec can’t help but join in. Magnus rolls to his side, pushing up close against Alec. He lifts himself up on an elbow and looks down at Alec still giggling just a bit. He moves one leg to tangle with Alec’s.

It’s not the first time they’ve been this close, they’ve woken up in the same bed numerous times now and they were even closer than this not but an hour ago in the pool. But something about this, about this carefree laughter and silly superstitions feels even more intimate.

Alec lifts himself up just enough for their lips to meet. There’s no hesitation on Magnus’ end, their lips slide together slow and easy until Magnus’ tongue trails along the seam of Alec’s lips. He opens his mouth to Magnus easy and falls back bringing Magnus along with him.

Magnus moves with him like it’s as natural as breathing resituating himself until he’s straddling one of Alec’s thighs. He can feel Magnus growing hard against his leg as they kiss making Alec rut his own hardness up against him.

Alec lets his hands drift to Magnus’ waist untucking his shirt and letting his hands drift up to naked skin. Magnus moves his hands down as well unfastening Alec’s belt. Alec gets with the program working at the buttons on Magnus’ pants as well.

They pull back before either of them go any further a question in both their eyes.

“Can I?” they say at the same time and start laughing. Magnus presses his forehead to Alec’s as they laugh hands still lingering at the edge of his briefs.

“Yes,” Alec says enthusiastically when his laughter settles down. He leans in kissing Magnus fast and hard once before he pulls back again. “Yes.”

***

Alec wakes to the whirring sound of a lawnmower. He peels opens his eyes to see the blinding rising sun. Magnus is cuddled up against his side, his head on Alec’s chest. Alec lifts a hand smiling as he runs a hand through Magnus’ hair. For a moment he forgets where they are until the lawnmower gets far too close to his head.

Alec watches as a graveyard groundskeeper cuts around them like they’re just a part of the grounds and Magnus grumbles.

“Magnus,” Alec says shaking his shoulder gently. “We gotta go Magnus.”

He moves slowly lifting his head up from Alec’s chest and squinting at the sun. He looks beautiful in the morning light, all bleary eyed and sleep warm. Alec doesn’t remember falling asleep here, doesn’t remember much after his mind-blowing orgasm and the look on Magnus’ face as he followed close behind. Evidently though they fell fast asleep not long after that.

He smiles despite the grass stains no doubt on his clothes and the ache in his back from laying half on the corner of hard stone. Magnus sits up, Alec following along as they help each other stand. Magnus reaches out with a chuckle redoing Alec’s belt, thankfully they’d had enough energy the night before to tuck themselves back into their underwear at least not giving the graveyard groundskeeper an eyeful.

They cut the rest of the way through the graveyard, which yes it turns out actually would have been a shortcut to the hotel if they had made it all the way through, hand in hand giving a passing wave to the groundskeeper who barely chances them a glance. It makes Alec wonder just how many times he’s found living people fast asleep here.

They’re in a rush once they get back to the hotel cutting their checkout time close, so close that they don’t have any time to talk. By the time they get on the plane to head back home they’re both still so tired they fall asleep almost instantly.

They share a cab once they land back in New York and Alec helps Magnus gather his bags from the trunk as they both linger outside of his building.

“So,” he says handing Magnus his bag their fingers lingering a touch as he does.

“So,” Magnus says in reply an almost shy smile on his lips.

“We should probably talk,” Alec says with a huff. “Maybe we can get lunch tomorrow?”

“I’d love to, but I have to leave for that business trip,” Magnus says sounding disappointed.

“Right, London and you won’t be back until the day before Hawaii,” Alec says sadly. He’d forgotten about the two-week business trip that will keep Magnus away, it’s why they won’t be flying to Hawaii together for Simon’s wedding.

Magnus nods his head. “We can talk then though right?” he says.

“Of course,” Alec says. Two weeks is a long time for Alec to think about this nonstop, but he can handle it.

Alec hesitates for a moment not sure what to do next, Magnus makes the decision for him leaning up and pressing a light kiss to his lips before turning away with a wave and a goodbye over his shoulder. He gives Alec one last look over his shoulder as he enters his building winking as he goes.

Yeah, it’s gonna be a long two weeks.

***

Simon & Maureen ~ June 26th, Oahu, Hawaii

Alec lands in Hawaii and just like the past two weeks his mind is instantly on Magnus. It should probably be on their old college buddy and his pending nuptials, but frankly he couldn’t care less about Simon right now.

They’ve talked here and there over the past two weeks a few passing texts and funny photos, but they still haven’t really talked about what happened, about what exactly they are now.

They fucked in a graveyard and it’s fine, it’s not weird, it’s not consuming Alec’s every waking moment or anything. It’s not. It’s just consuming about half of his waking moments and yeah, his wet dreams have gotten a lot more specific and star the same gorgeous man now, but whatever it’s still totally not a big deal.

He's totally cool with however this goes down once Magnus arrives in Hawaii and they see each other face to face.

***

He’s too jittery and eager to see Magnus to hang out in their hotel room once he’s settled in. He sits outside of the hotel at one of the little tables for far longer than he should head perking up every time a cab pulls through and being disappointed each time it’s not Magnus.

Eventually at least for a little while he distracts himself with the book he brought down to at least create the illusion of doing something other than eagerly awaiting his dates arrival like a dog waiting for their owner to come home from work.

“Oh my god, Alec Lightwood is that you?” a familiar voice says. Alec looks up pushing his sunglass back up the bridge of his nose to find Magnus hanging halfway out of a cab window.

“Oh my god it really is you,” he says far louder than he needs to pushing open the door. Alec huffs a little laugh and stands making his way over to the cab as Magnus hands a tip to the cabbie who’s pulling his suitcase from the trunk.

Magnus turns his attention. “It’s been what ten years, Cabo right?” Magnus says exaggeratedly as he bounds up to Alec tossing his arms around him in a tight hug.

He pulls back with a smile. “You look so different, the doctors finally figured out what to do about that face huh?” A few other hotel guests eye them questionably at that, but Alec’s focus stays on Magnus.

Alec smiles playing along, “Just like they figured out what to do about that hairline of yours it seems.”

Magnus shimmies his shoulders playfully thanking the cabbie as he sits his bag down beside him.

“It’s a miracle the things they can do with horse manes these days,” he says and the cabbie startles giving them both an odd look before he’s backing away and retreating to the driver’s seat.

“Hi,” Alec says with a smile amused by Magnus’ antics.

“Hi,” he parrots back finally speaking at a socially acceptable level. He looks down at Alec’s hands and snatches the book he’s still holding onto. “Did you bring a book to a Hawaiian vacation?”

Alec shrugs. “I was bored,” he says in his own defense.

“Aww couldn’t have any fun without me?” Magnus says using his free hand to tangle his fingers with Alec’s.

Alec pushes up his sunglasses and smiles. “Something like that.” They stand there for probably longer than two people should smiling at each other and swinging their joined hands between them.

“Be a dear and get my bag,” he says squeezing Alec’s hand once. “You have to show me this beach view we’re paying for.”

Magnus doesn’t drop his hand all the way up to the room only separating himself from him when he catches sight of the big fluffy bed that Alec has yet to touch.

Magnus flops back onto it bouncing a bit as he lands. He spread eagles out moving his arms back and forth like he’s making a snow angel.

“Well this is fancy,” he says smiling as he lifts himself up from the bed. He takes a moment to look out at the view as Alec looks at him before he catches sight of the bouquet of roses and chilled champagne sitting on the table.

“Was this you?” he asks turning back to Alec.

“Complimentary for all the wedding guests, but I’ll happily take credit if it scores me some romantic points,” Alec says just putting it out there. He’s been thinking about this, about Magnus nonstop for two weeks now and even though he’s not sure why it’s happening now he’s okay with this happening. He wants to try this with Magnus, something about them has always clicked and now it just clicks a little more.

Magnus runs his fingers over the petals of one of the roses before stepping over to Alec wrapping his arms around his waist.

“The way you’ve been looking at me since I hung my head out of that cab is earning you more romantic points than this would anyway,” he says. Alec leans down just a little hesitant to place a light kiss to Magnus’ lips.

“About what happened in North Carolina,” Alec starts as he rests his hands on Magnus’ shoulders.

“I don’t regret it,” Magnus says quickly.

“Neither do I.”

“Good, so should we maybe do it again some time? Preferably not in a graveyard,” Magnus says his finger unlinking behind Alec’s back to rub up and down slowly. Alec tenses at that, if Magnus just wants to keep having sex Alec’s not sure he could handle that. As much as he wants Magnus he’s never been good at separating sex and feelings and there’s no way in hell he could do that with Magnus. They’ve become too tangled up in one another lately for that.

Magnus must sense his tension though because he quickly continues on. “And other stuff too, you know like hand holding, cuddling, double date brunches with people we really don’t like and low-lit dinners.”

“So, like a relationship?” Alec says lifting his hands to cup Magnus’ neck.

“Yeah, one of those,” Magnus says leaning in to Alec’s touch. “If you want to try.”

Alec nods his head maybe a little too enthusiastically and Magnus chuckles. “I want to try,” he says before leaning in to kiss Magnus again.

***

They wander around the hotel for a while after they talk Alec’s arm slung over Magnus’ shoulder and Magnus’ hand in one of his back pockets like they’re some sort of teen rom com couple. It’d be cheesy if Alec didn’t like it so much.

Magnus tells him all about being back in London and how it felt odd that it didn’t feel like home anymore, which makes Alec a little sad for Magnus, but happy knowing that it means Magnus is staying put in New York.

Eventually they head down to the hotel bar meeting up with one of Alec’s lacrosse buddies that Magnus had never met when they were all at college together and his fiancé.

“Say what you will about us as people, but a queer couple would never make you travel this damn much for a wedding,” Victor says resting his hand on Elias’ thigh.

“Clearly you weren’t invited to Lorenzo and Andrew’s Canadian dream then,” Alec says with a disgruntled sigh, he’s not looking forward to that one at the summer’s end.

Victor chuckles, “Matter of fact I was not invited to that one, Lorenzo still hasn’t gotten over the fact I shagged his fiancé three full years before they even met.”

“Well, then how’d Alec get invited to that one, he did the same thing?” Elias says twisting the umbrella from his drink between his teeth.

Magnus turns to Alec with glee. “You did what now?”

Alec shakes his head furiously. “I did not! Fuck you very much Elias, I have better taste than your fiancé does, I turned blondie down after he fairly aggressively hit on me ten seconds after Vic dumped him.”

“Damn,” Magnus says with a sigh leaning a little closer to Alec. “We could have caused a real scandal at that one if you had.”

“Okay Alec what the hell? Why did you never bring Magnus around to hang with us in college, he’s my new favorite person,” Victor says with a laugh. Magnus raises his glass in his direction in thanks.

“That’s exactly why. I needed you to be my friend so I could cheat off your math homework to stay on the team and you’d have ditched me to hang out with him without thought,” Alec says pointedly and Victor concedes with a ‘you got me there’ shrug of his shoulders.

They stay at the bar till late drinking out of coconuts and trading stories with Victor and Elias until the other couple decides to call it a night. They head back to their room and get into their pajamas falling into bed together. For a moment they stay on their own sides of the bed just like they always have when sharing a bed, or at least have when they first go to bed how they wake up is between their sleeping selves, until Alec reaches out for Magnus because he can.

Magnus shuffles up close to him until they’re chest to chest and they fall asleep tangled together purposefully for the first time.

***

"How tacky would it be to steal all of these towels?" Alec asks from the bathroom as he ties one around his waist. He’s happy, hasn’t been able to take the smile off his face since he woke up in the morning with his head on Magnus’ chest and his strong arms around him. "Cause they're like heaven sewn into a towel."

"It's only tacky if we get caught,” Magnus says turning away from the mirror where he'd been fixing his hair to face Alec as he steps out of the bathroom still in nothing but the towel.

"Cool, we're definitely stealing them all then," he says and stops when he notices Magnus’ eyes dropping down, lingering, ogling really. That's when it hits him Magnus has never actually seen him without a shirt on. He's had his hands on Alec's dick, but they're graveyard tryst hadn't exactly given them time to get naked anywhere above the waist.

"Sorry, I'm back," Magnus says after a moment shaking his head, pulling his eyes away from the dusting of hair on Alec’s chest and the stark black tattoo over his heart to force himself to look Alec in the eyes. "I support you in all your towel thieving endeavors" he says taking one last look at Alec's chest before turning and walking over to his suitcase rummaging through nothing. Under his breath Alec swears he hears Magnus say a quiet emphatic "damn," and maybe just a little Alec privately gloats about it.

He gets dressed quickly, he and Magnus moving in each other’s space easily with lingering touches and quick kisses. The wedding is a lovely affair, Simon stumbles over his vows and Maureen doesn’t mind, she just laughs when a particularly hard wind comes through and nearly blows Simon’s yarmulka off his head catching it and pinning it back into his hair softly.

They spend the ceremony like a real couple, which ironically isn’t all that different from the way they were at the last wedding. They do shots with Victor and Elias and Alec gets to taste the tang of lime on Magnus’ lips when they’re done.

They slow dance a little slower and kiss this time though which is nice and when Magnus feeds him hors d'oeuvres he playfully bites at Magnus’ fingertips.

They don’t linger long at the reception both equally as eager to get back to their room and be alone. They don’t waste any time when they get there the door shut firmly behind them without pause. Alec pushes Magnus up against the closed door without hesitation kissing him for all he’s worth and pushing at his jacket.

It doesn’t take long for them to fall into bed both completely naked.

Magnus' reaction to Alec's bare chest pales in comparison to the no doubt slack jawed look Alec is sporting now. Alec's never seen anyone who looks like they were actually cut from marble before, Magnus' chest is like a damn Greek god. He always knew Magnus was fit could tell from the teases of skin he's seen over the years when Magnus would sport something particularly low cut, but the glimpses never could have prepared him for the full view. Alec dated a literal male model for a brief time a few years ago and even he couldn’t hold a candle to every bit of downright gorgeous that Magnus is. If Alec ever had any doubts that he was gay the vision of a naked Magnus straddling his lap makes him 1000% certain.

It's intense, but in the best possible ways. If they're graveyard quickie hadn't left Alec's mind for weeks this, this is going to be imprinted in his mind for the rest of his life. It's just him and Magnus and endless hours on soft sheets. He put his lips on every inch of Magnus' skin committing every pleased sound to memory, runs his hands over every dip and curve making a pathway he hopes to memorize as he goes. He gives it all, puts his whole self into making Magnus feel good. And Magnus, goddamn does Magnus give right back.

All it takes is one full night together and he's pretty sure Magnus has ruined him wholly and completely for any other man.

***

The glow of them being together doesn’t fade away when they get back from Hawaii like Alec feared it might. Dating Magnus in the city is just as good.

They get takeout and watch bad tv together on his couch, they even manage to get drinks with Izzy and Meliorn one night. It’s an easy thing almost like they’ve been double dating for years.

It’s all so easy the transition from friends to couple and for a good long while Alec doesn’t even get in his own head about how easy it’s been.

***

Lorenzo & Andrew ~ July 3rd, The Royal Conservatory of Music – Toronto, Canada

“I’d bet Andrew cheats on him before they hit their second year,” Alec says idly watching the couple as Lorenzo snips at something Andrew says.

“Alexander,” Magnus says chidingly stealing away his glass of champagne and sipping from it. “You can’t say that at their wedding, it’s so cynical.”

“Oh I can and I just did,” he says with a smile stealing his drink back from Magnus.

“Just because they’re,” Magnus pauses looking at them as Lorenzo straightens out Andrew’s tie, Andrew looking increasingly annoyed at Lorenzo’s micromanaging. “Unconventionally happy, doesn’t mean it’s doomed.”

“True,” Alec says sliding his glass back over to Magnus after he takes a drink of his own. “It’s doomed because Andrew has the ability to commit to monogamy the way a shark can commit to giving up living underwater, just ask Victor, and Lorenzo is an overbearing windbag.”

Magnus snorts covering his mouth to hide his obvious laughter. Alec smiles wrapping an arm around Magnus’ waist and pulling him closer to his side. This wedding has been ridiculous, a tacky nightmare of two personalities that clash so much Alec can’t fathom how they lasted this long. If it weren’t for the open bar, the giant complimentary gift basket back at their hotel room and the way Magnus looks in his auburn suit Alec would be questioning why they even made this trip all the way out here.

“You wanna get out of here soon?” Magnus asks discarding their shared glass on a passing ornate tray with a smile.

“Definitely, but I’m gonna steal some more of those shrimps before we go though,” Alec says already heading for the buffet with full intentions to stack a plate as high as he can and feed them to Magnus in bed.

***

Ragnor & Catarina ~ July 17th, San Francisco, California

Alec doesn’t realize he’s nervous about the San Francisco trip until he lands in San Francisco. This isn’t just some wedding of a college friend; this is meeting Magnus’ family. This is Magnus’ hometown; his sister is getting married to one of the friends he met in London that made London feel like home right in his mother’s backyard.

This is more than a wedding; this is Magnus bringing Alec home to meet his family like real boyfriend’s do. This is five days of Magnus showing Alec the places he liked to go to when he was younger, telling him stories about the streets where he used to ride his bike. This is what Alec does every day they spend together in New York when they pass by some place he has a memory, but packed into just five days. Even more so it’s Magnus really showing Alec a piece of him he’s never gotten to see. This is a man who despite his outward life of the party vibe is actually quite closed off saying to Alec here I am please still like what you see.

This is serious, because they are serious now Alec realizes, with each passing day Alec becomes more and more infatuated with his boyfriend. He won’t say he’s in love just yet, but that’s what this is.

“They’re gonna love you,” Magnus says reassuringly as they stand on the front steps of his childhood home.

Alec looks at him and lets out a deep breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

“Mom’s gonna love you instantly it’s in her nature and Rag and Cat will hound you but I promise it’s only because they’re tired of hearing me talk about you,” Magnus says squeezing his hand once. “You got this.”

Alec nods his head and takes another deep breath before putting on his best win the boyfriends family over smile. Magnus smiles a happy little smile at him before pushing the front door open and pulling Alec inside.

In an instant there’s a woman turning the corner with a big, bright smile on her face rushing towards Magnus.

“My baby!” she shouts barreling into him and holding him tight. A little too tight it seems judging from struggling, but fond look on Magnus’ face.

“Hi mama,” Magnus says when she finally pulls back. She lifts up a hand and pats him on the face once before running her fingers along his goatee.

“This is new,” she says observing the look. “It suits you.” Magnus smiles pleased.

His mother turns from him and sets her eyes on Alec seriously looking him up and down once, twice before turning back to her son. Magnus looks so much like her and it’s especially clear in the way she looks when she’s in deep thought, sizing up something or someone and forming an opinion. He’s seen that exact look on Magnus’ face a number of times, even on himself when they met for the first-time years ago.

“So tall, and quite handsome,” she says turning back to Magnus with another big smile. She turns away from him and puts her arms around Alec pulling him into a hug. She’s about the same height and build as his mother when she doesn’t wear those sensible heels she’s prone to so Alec’s reaction to hug her back is immediate.

“I’m Nadira. It’s nice to meet you Alec,” she says pulling back from him. “Well I guess meet you again. Drop your bags, come along I’ll get you some tea.”

She grabs Magnus’ hand and gestures for them both to follow her along into the kitchen.

“You remember the first time?” Alec says as he trails along after them. She pulls out two chairs for them to sit in and gently pushes them forward to take a seat as she flits about the kitchen fetching them some tea.

“Of course,” she says as she turns around attempting to juggle three mugs. Alec jumps up to help her and she smiles at him in thanks when he takes two of the mugs, keeping one for himself and handing Magnus the other.

“So, polite,” she says with a smile towards Magnus before she takes her seat. “Anyways, yes I remember you. You were still growing into that handsome face, but just as polite that parent’s weekend at NYU. All of Magnus’ other friends were hooligans, but you called me ma’am and held doors open for me.”

Alec smiles putting his hands around his mug. “I was just doing what any decent person would.”

“Exactly, it made you stand out,” she says. She reaches out laying a hand on one of Magnus’. “Plus you two were so cute together, I’m surprised this,” she says gesturing between them. “Didn’t happen sooner.”

Alec looks at Magnus unsure of what to say. People here and there have been saying as such since they officially got together in Hawaii and Alec to started to wonder about it himself.

Magnus just shrugs. “I guess we happened when we happened,” he says and then the conversation shifts. Magnus and his mom catch up while she asks questions here and there of Alec wanting to get to know him better.

***

“So, do my west coast ways live up to your east coast snobbery?” Magnus teases as he kicks his legs out swinging them back and forth.

They’re sitting on the edge of his and Catarina’s childhood “treehouse” it’s more of a cabin than a treehouse really, but any argument about the semantics of its design died on Alec’s lips when he saw his boyfriend and Cat jump inside both really too tall to fit now but squeezing in anyways. Magnus had just looked so damn carefree and happy that Alec couldn’t stop smiling.

From there they’ve spent two days just exploring the city, Magnus taking Alec to all his favorite spots, showing him the little corners that tourists don’t get to see that he and Cat would spend hours just wasting time away in.

Of course there’s been wedding duties and huge family dinners as well that have felt so easy. Cat and Ragnor have welcomed him in like family just as Magnus’ mother had from moment one.

Alec laughs. “With the food your mother has been feeding me alone, and you can never tell my born and bred New York family this, I would happily convert into a California guy.”

Magnus smiles one of those private bright little smiles he does and wraps his arm around Alec’s leaning his head on his shoulder.

Alec places a kiss on his hair and smiles. Things with Magnus are just so easy, sometimes he wonders if it’s almost too easy.

***

The night before the wedding is a frenzy of decorating the backyard and attempting to the cover it all with tarps in the hopes no raccoons will wreak havoc on their hard work. Magnus is moving nonstop, Alec isn’t even sure what he’s doing half the time, but he watches from the sidelines fondly lending a hand whenever his height is needed.

“Well you’re in love-love with him then aren’t you?” Ragnor says coming up behind Alec and startling him from his post happily just watching Magnus flit about the backyard. He turns to Ragnor stumbling over his words a bit.

“It’s not like, we’re not,” he says and Ragnor just waves him off with a chuckle and an amused shake of his head.

“Sure you’re not,” he says. Alec starts to try and explain, it’s not that he’s not very fond of Magnus and it’s not that maybe he’s there already, but it’s too soon. It’s way too soon to be showing his hand like that, things have gone so smoothly so far he’s certain dropping the L word so quickly would not be the right move.

But he doesn’t really get the chance to say any of that, which is probably for the better, because Catarina calls out for her husband to be across the lawn.

Alec leans back against the railing of the back porch again and finds Magnus once more. He’s crouched down talking to one of the daughters of an old childhood friend of theirs. Magnus says something that makes the little girl giggle before handing her a twisty little bouquet of flowers that he has in hands.

The scene makes Alec smile and just like that he realizes Ragnor is right, but it can’t be that easy can it? Nothing is ever this easy.

He knows he’s distracted the rest of the night thinking about Ragnor’s words and his own realization.

It’s not until they’re alone in Magnus’ room that he finally snaps out of it his attention solely on Magnus when he crawls onto the bed and straddles Alec’s waist. He trails his hands slowly up under Alec’s shirt and leans down placing a light kiss in just the right spot on Alec’s neck.

“Magnus,” Alec says trying to sound put out while turning his head to give Magnus more access to the long line of his neck.

“Alexander,” Magnus says breathy and warm against his neck before pressing another slow sweet kiss there.

“Magnus we can’t have sex in your childhood bedroom,” Alec says looking around the space, he makes eye contact with Magnus’ plush llama and shakes his head. Magnus lifts up his hands still on Alec’s chest.

“Why not?” Magnus pouts and oh, boy Alec is going to have a hard time standing his ground here.

“Because your llama is watching me and your mom is down the hall,” he says sitting up so that he and Magnus are nose to nose. It’s a bad idea because now his resolve is crumbling even more with Magnus’ lips so close to his.

Magnus leans over for a second knocking the llama to the floor.

“One problem solved,” he says with a smile. “As for my mom wells she’s a heavy sleeper, don’t worry I used to sneak out all the time and she never knew. As long as you can stay quiet we can do this, baby.”

Alec scoffs. “Me stay quiet?” he says incredulously. “As if I’m the loud one, I thought for sure you’d end up waking the dead in the graveyard that night.”

Magnus chuckles resting his forearms on Alec’s shoulders. “Okay so we’re both a little rowdy, it’ll be a fun game to play see if we can both stay quiet.”

Alec sighs and feels his resolve completely crumble when Magnus leans in and brushes their noses together.

“Fine, but one loud noise and I’ll leave you wanting,” Alec says flipping them over so that he’s hovering over Magnus.

Magnus hums pleased. “Keep talking like that and this won’t last long.”

Alec rolls his eyes fondly then kisses Magnus all messy tongue and teeth letting himself get lost in it, letting himself drown out the little voice in the back of his head that’s saying he can’t be this happy by accident, that somethings gotta give.

***

Alec promises himself that he’s not going to overthink for the day and somehow he manages to keep that promise. He ties Magnus’ tie for him in the morning and just basks in the closeness of it, he helps Nadira set out food for the reception and sings along when she starts her own little karaoke party.

He lives in the moment for the day, just like he had when things with him and Magnus first started, when he wasn’t overthinking how this happened and what could go wrong.

The wedding is by far the nicest one he’s been too of late because of its simplicity. There’s no flash or fanfare, Cat wears a dress she borrowed from her adoptive mother and looks more beautiful than any bride ever has. Ragnor dresses like a librarian and says vows that Alec can’t believe aren’t prepared. They’re incredibly in love and happy in the backyard where Cat and Magnus used to play and it’s perfect.

“Thanks for coming,” Magnus says while they sway on the deck of the treehouse, some slow 90’s song Alec doesn’t recognize but Magnus had gotten insanely excited about playing in the background. The lights in the yard twinkle in Magnus’ eyes and here in this moment it kind of feels like they’re the only ones here despite being surrounded by dozens of people.

“I know this was probably a lot with the whole family and everything, so thank you,” he says quietly tightening his arms around Alec’s waist.

Alec shakes his head. “You don’t have to thank me, I wanted to be here. With you. This wasn’t a lot, you’re not a lot,” Alec says truthful. Whatever the hell has sparked his sudden brain melt about this being so good and thinking it can’t be this good has nothing to do with Magnus or his family being too much for him to handle.

Magnus smiles at him pleased and a little surprised which makes Alec want to fight anyone that ever told him he was too much to handle.

“Good, that’s good,” Magnus says before laying his head on Alec’s chest. They stay like that for a long while, well after the song has switched to something more upbeat.

***

The five days in San Francisco move by almost too quickly. Before Alec knows it he’s getting another massive bear hug from Nadira and being handed a massive bag of leftovers that he has to load into the car. Leftovers that he knows they will absolutely confiscate at the airport, but he appreciates the thought nonetheless.

He shuts the trunk and leans back on it watching as Magnus says goodbye to his mother and now in this moment he’s back to slipping into his own head.

Alec looks at Magnus and he realizes he’s doing that thing he does. That thing where he questions something good that happened without any rhyme or reason, without him having to put any work in to make it happen. He’s the happiest he’s probably ever been and he’s questioning it, he’s questioning why it’s happened when it’s happened and what will inevitably go wrong.

He doesn’t want to do that with this, but he can’t seem to stop it creeping in.

***

Victor & Elias ~ July 31st, Brooklyn, New York City

“Earth to Alexander,” Magnus says waving his hand in front of Alec’s face. Alec shakes his head, once again overthinking just like he has been on and off since San Francisco. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Alec says smiling so that Magnus doesn’t worry. Again this is all Alec’s dumb head, Magnus doesn’t need to worry about it. “Of course, ready to go?”

Magnus nods and holds out his hand for Alec to take. Tonight’s not technically a wedding Victor and Elias just didn’t care about the fanfare of it and plan to at some point get down to the courthouse, tonight is just for bringing them presents and drinking on a rooftop.

Magnus talks all the subway ride to the party telling Alec about a guy he works with who made a fool of himself earlier in the day. Alec listens like he always does, but he finds himself drifting.

He continues to drift when they hit the party only halfheartedly putting his energy into conversation with Victor and playful photobooth pictures with his boyfriend. Magnus notices of course giving Alec all these concerned looks as the night goes on.

“Or at least that’s what I heard,” Victor says finishing up on the rumor he’s heard about Lorenzo and Andrew already having problems.

“Well damn, looks like your cynicism was not misplaced,” Magnus says nudging Alec’s shoulder. Alec just hums into his glass in agreement. He doesn’t want his cynicism to be right, because if his cynicism about that was right then what if it’s right about how they’re relationship has been too easy so far. He wants to be wrong about that.

“Okay, what’s up with you?” Magnus asks turning his body to Alec. Alec looks up from where he’d been gazing off into his empty glass to find Victor and Elias gone.

“Nothing,” Alec says pushing back from the table. “You wanna dance?”

Magnus gives him a somewhat incredulous look. “Now I know it’s not nothing you never dance unless I make you, so what’s going on. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve been having these moments where you’re so distracted ever since Cat and Ragnor’s wedding, so tell me what’s going on.”

He takes one of Alec’s hands in a tender hold and Alec says the wrong thing.

“Do you think we happened too easily?” he asks and instantly wants to put the question back inside his mouth.

“What?” Magnus says dropping Alec’s hand.

“I just, fuck,” he says running a hand through his hair. Now that he’s opened his mouth he can’t seem to stop. “Everyone seems to think we should have gotten together ages ago and I just can’t help but wonder why now and then it’s been so easy, so goddamn easy being with you.”

“And that’s a problem?” Magnus says. He sounds angry, not that Alec can blame him for that, but he’s keeping his tone controlled making sure to not draw attention to them.

“Yes, no, I don’t know,” Alec says his hands moving as he talks. “I mean good things don’t just happen and if they do I mean somethings bound to give right.”

Magnus laughs humorlessly stepping back a bit from Alec. “So what we’re doomed because we’re happy?”

Alec shuts his eyes in frustration for a moment trying to collect his thoughts to actually say something right.

“No, that’s not what I mean, I guess I just wonder if this is too good to be true,” he says dropping his arms to his side feeling a little defeated. That’s not what he wanted to say, that’s not how he should have worded it. He’s in love with Magnus and he’s scared that something is going to go wrong because it’s all gone so right so far and he didn’t even have to try to make it that way, that’s what he should say but he can’t seem to get any of that out.

“No I don’t think that, god Alec where is this coming from? All this time you’ve been here with me you haven’t questioned it, you haven’t second guessed it, so why now huh?”

Alec opens his mouth and nothing comes out so Magnus soldiers on.

“I mean do you want this to end is that what you’re saying?” Magnus asks a sad look in his eyes that Alec hates he’s the one responsible for putting there.

“No, that’s not-“ he starts and stutters out uncertain of what to say to fix this. Of course he doesn’t want this to end, that’s the last thing he wants that’s why he can’t stop thinking about losing it. He’s not lost on the irony that he was in his head about this falling apart because it’s been so easy and here he is the one making it fall apart because he can’t get out of his own head.

“Why are you suddenly questioning this Alec?” Magnus almost shouts.

“I-” Alec stutters out frustrated with this argument and with himself for starting it, for not being able to turn off his damn brain just once. Just for this one thing, this one good thing. “I don’t know,” he settles on running a hand through his hair tugging a little too hard at the ends of it.

Magnus huffs and just shakes his head. “Okay, well when you figure it out, give me call,” he says turning to leave. “But don’t wait too long, I know I won’t.” He moves fast turning for the exit before Alec can even get out another word. Before he gets the chance to say something to maybe convince him to stay.

Not that Alec has the words, he’s doing what he always does. He’s blowing up a good thing because he can’t figure out quite how he earned it.

***

Sebastian & Kaelie ~ August 7th, Lakeville, Connecticut

He doesn’t want to be here. He doesn’t want to be anywhere, really. He wants to sit at home and wallow in his sadness and think about all the things he should have said to Magnus and didn’t, about the fact that he hasn’t mustered up the courage to call him because he’s now worried he’ll just keep saying all the wrong things but Isabelle won’t let him. So now he’s watching two people he only kind of knows through family connections get married and he’s doing it all alone.

Despite the fact she quite literally dragged him from bed to be here Alec doesn’t talk to Isabelle the whole day. Every question she asks about Magnus or what happened he brushes off. He huffs his way through the ceremony his arms crossed and a no doubt upset look on his face. When Kaelie’s vows talk about timing and how it’s random sometimes it hits a little too close to home and he just barely refrains from getting up and jumping into the nearby lake.

Everything at this wedding sucks without Magnus so to make up for it the second vows are exchanged Alec is at the bar. It becomes his go to spot ignoring the concerned looks from his sister and ordering drink after drink. He orders a few more when they find their way to their table and he sees the little place setting beside his with Magnus’ name. He crumples up the paper and shoves it into the bottom of a glass of whiskey and still drinks it anyways.

The sun is still high in the sky and Alec is well and truly wasted sipping on his he doesn’t even know what number drink of the day at their little table.

He looks down at his glass determined to refill it and stumbles as he gets up from the table. Izzy is at his side instantly gripping his arm.

“Okay, that’s enough of that for you big brother,” she says taking the half empty glass from his hand. “Let’s get you some water.”

Meliorn stands at his other side and takes his other arm. “Let me take him.”

Alec watches as they have some sort of silent married people conversation with each other, he tries to open his mouth to defend himself, he’s not their child he doesn’t need them to take care of him but the second he starts to Isabelle is covering his mouth with her hand.

He sighs behind her hand and evidently their silent conversation is over. Izzy lets his arm go and nods at her partner.

“Get him some damn mints,” she says before sitting back down at the table. “His breath smells terrible.” Meliorn chuckles dragging Alec off to the side and through the little pathway that leads to a series of benches.

They sit Alec down and sternly tell him not to go anywhere. Alec waits till Meliorn is out of sight and tries to stand an action he regrets instantly when he feels everything start to spin. He barely manages to fall back onto the bench his head in his hands

“Drink this,” Meliorn says holding out a glass of something that smells of vinegar to him. Alec takes a sip and instantly grimaces regretting the day he met Meliorn.

“All of it,” Meliorn chides giving Alec a look that’s very akin to the ones he’s received from Isabelle since childhood when she means business. Alec grumbles a bit but complies downing the whole disgusting glass.

When he’s finished it down to the last drop he must admit he feels better, clearer, even if there’s a putrid taste lingering in his mouth.

“What was that?” he asks wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“A mix of kombucha and some other things, a guaranteed instant sober cocktail I invented,” Meliorn explains taking the empty glass and sitting it on the ground beside them.

“Does it make people instantly sober because they want to be clear headed enough to punch you in face for making them drink something so disgusting?” Alec says still attempting to wipe the taste away.

Meliorn chuckles and gives him that I know more than you do look he gives sometimes. “Sometimes,” he says before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a water bottle and handing it to Alec. He takes it gratefully chugging it down and swishing some around for good measure in the hopes that it can wash the taste away.

“So, shall we talk about what’s going on with you and Magnus?”

Alec shakes his head. “There’s nothing going on with me and Magnus.”

“Yes, that seems to be the exact problem,” Meliorn says brushing their hair over their shoulder. It’s blue now a change from the last time he saw them. “So, what happened? Isabelle and I are very concerned, especially after that little display.

“How did you choose to marry my sister so easily?” he asks evading Meliorn’s question. They hadn’t hesitated when Isabelle had proposed on a whim after six months of dating. Alec can’t even get out of his head enough to make a relationship that could be the most important one he’ll ever have last a whole summer.

“I just did,” Meliorn says magnanimously.

“You just did?” Alec says laughing a little hysterically. “That’s it? God, I wish it was that easy, I wish I could just make a choice and not question it. In my head something doesn’t just happen, you don’t just do it. There’s work and there’s planning and if there’s not then the other shoe is always going to drop eventually.”

He runs a frustrated hand through his hair wishing Meliorn hadn’t sobered him up so easily.

“Alec loving someone sometimes just is, it’s not that there isn’t work you have to put in because there is, but sometimes things just happen and maybe the other shoe, as you say, will drop, but when it does you’re not alone,” Meliorn says. He reaches out a comforting hand resting it on Alec’s shoulder, it’s a rare moment of touch for them aside from when they first met and shook hands.

“And what do you do if you’re the one who dropped the damn shoe?” he says.

Meliorn drops his hand and stands up from the bench. “I hate the metaphor, but you pick it up and tell the person you love you’re a cynical asshole who is very sorry.”

He walks away at that leaving Alec alone on the bench with his lips turned up just a bit in a smile. He thinks about what Meliorn said in his own unique way and with a bottle of water in his hand and the lingering taste of vinegar hell in his mouth he decides to take their advice.

He might not be able to stop being a cynical asshole but at the very least he can tell Magnus what’s been running through his head, how he got scared and questioning because he’s a little messed up when it comes to these things. He doesn’t know if he stands a chance, it’s been a long week of radio silence that Alec himself has caused, but he’s determined to at least try to explain. To find the words that he couldn’t that night when Magnus walked away.

***

Bat & Gretel ~ August 14th, Queens, New York City

Alec technically wasn’t invited to this wedding, he knows that. He was just supposed to be Magnus’ date and that’s it, but that doesn’t mean he can’t hang around outside in a suit with a bouquet of Magnus’ favorite flowers hoping to catch the other man.

He thought about doing this some other way, but calling or texting seemed empty. Showing up without warning at Magnus’ apartment felt like a thing he just wasn’t allowed to do right now, so he decided to be here. Maybe in its own little way it’ll be romantic showing up at a wedding with some flowers since this has become their thing now, since weddings are what got them started in the first place.

Thanks to the fact that all of Magnus’ friends follow him on social media now he knows the wedding is still on and Magnus is still very much going, it’s just a matter of catching him at the door.

He’s spent a week planning what to say, planning exactly how to tell Magnus why he got so in his head and why he blew it all up and vow to do better. He also really needs to tell Magnus he loves him because it feels so stupid that he never did.

He wrings his hands as he waits leaning up against the wall outside of the church he smiles politely at guests who pass him by twisting around every time he hears a car door to see who’s getting out of the next cab.

What seems like hours pass as he waits until finally a cab door opens and Magnus steps out. He looks gorgeous and Alec’s never been so certain of the fact that absence makes the heart grow fonder because god he has never felt so much from just looking at person before. He stands up straightening out his jacket and double checking that the flowers are still intact and that’s when Imasu rounds the cab from the other side.

He doesn’t hold Magnus’ hand or offer his arm, but it’s clear they came here together. Off all the fucking people in the world it had to be Imasu. Magnus could have showed up with the ghost of Stalin and Alec would have been less annoyed.

Alec watches as Imasu looks Magnus up and down, a borderline predatory smirk on his lips. Alec wants to scream, to run and to punch Imasu for this and about a million little things over the years all at the same time. Magnus smiles at something Imasu says and he knows it’s not physically possible, but he feels his heart fall right from his chest.

“Shit,” he says to himself; this was clearly a mistake. He tries to move fast, turning around to find a place to discard the flowers and get lost before Magnus can spot him.

“Alec?” Magnus says and Alec hears his footsteps getting nearer, there’s no making a run for it now.

“Shit,” he whispers to himself again before putting on a brave face and turning. He does his best to keep the flowers behind his back out of sight and out of mind, but Magnus notices them his eyes trailing across the tulips.

“Hey, Magnus,” he says trying to come off casual and missing by a few thousand miles.

“Alec, what are you doing here?” Magnus asks and Alec for the life of him can’t read him. He’s more closed off than even when they first met in college. Alec can’t blame him for that, he’s the reason he’s put back up the wall, but it makes his heart clench.

“I am here to give these flowers to,” he pauses looking around and catching sight of a little girl who’s just about to walk past them. “You, here you go kiddo.”

The little girl smiles up at Alec and takes off with bouquet calling out to her mother excitedly.

“You’re here to give Gretel’s little sister flowers?” Magnus says his arms falling to the side.

“Yup and that’s done so, I should go,” he says with a nod trying desperately to ignore Imasu.

He starts to move, but Magnus shifts just enough blocking his path. “That can’t be the only reason you’re here.” The walls fall a bit at that, Magnus’ eyes looking a little softer at him.

Alec sighs sadly. “It’s not, but the other reason doesn’t matter now I guess.”

“Of course it still-” Magnus starts, but he’s cut off by Alec’s phone ringing. Alec curses under his breath once again and pulls it from his jacket pocket.

“Hey, mom,” he says as he answers it his eyes still locked onto Magnus’ like it’s the last time he’ll get to see them. On the other end his mom is talking fast, way faster than she usually does. So fast that he has to have her repeat what she says three times before he believes it.

He hangs up a few beats later his mom giggling away on the other end.

"I gotta go. My mom is high at a mini golf course and needs me to pick her up," Alec says running a hand through his hair.

"Alexander," Magnus says his arm reaching upward. For moment it’s almost like he was contemplating reaching out to touch.

"I know it sounds like a fake made up excuse to avoid talking but I promise it's real," Alec says with a disappointed chuckle. "All I've wanted to do is talk to you for the past two weeks, to tell you how I felt." He adds on more somberly.

Magnus says his name again, so much emotion that Alec doesn't deserve in the one word. Alec waves him off stepping back just as he spots Imasu hovering just off to the side clearly listening in.

"It's okay you've got a date," he says nodding his head in Imasu's direction. Magnus barely spares his date a glance. "And I've got a high mother. I blew it I get it, it's okay."

He says it quickly not even hiding in his tone of voice how not okay it is for him before he brushes past Magnus and heads for his car parked down the street. For a moment he wonders if he should take one last look back, but he just doesn’t have it in him.

***

Alec slows down outside of the mini golf course double checking the address to be certain he’s got the right spot when he spots his mother running towards his car a few of her friend trailing behind. She pulls open the door before he even has the chance to stop the car fully.

“Hi sweetheart!” she says as she ushers in her friends all giggling their asses off before she rounds to the front hopping in the passenger seat. “Drive!”

“Mom,” he starts and she cuts him off.

“No seriously drive, the manager was not happy with our shenanigans, we are banned and we stole these,” she says with a big bright smile holding up a bag of multicolored golf balls. His eyes go wide before he focuses back on the road. He’s questions her, but his mother is clearly too high to care already rattling off addresses of her friends so that Alec can take them home.

It takes nearly two hours to get everyone settled in which is time his mother uses to finally explain that for a little early bachelorette party she bought some weed from the neighbor kid and decided mini golf was the best way to utilize it.

Soon enough after dropping off the last of her friends and making said friend take all the golf ball contraband but one it’s just him and his mother driving slow as the sun goes down.

“Where is the lovely Magnus tonight?” Maryse asks tossing the bright pink golf ball she kept back and forth between her hands. She’s always asking after him even though she’s only met him once before at Izzy’s wedding. She was smitten with him immediately; a reaction Alec understands wholeheartedly.

“We, uh, we broke up I guess,” Alec says trying not to think about the image of Magnus walking into that wedding with Imasu, fucking Imasu.

“Oh, Alec,” she says sounding sad and pitying.

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” he says quickly squeezing the steering wheel a little too tight. “I overthought it and ruined it, business as usual.”

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry,” she says sounding even sadder than she did before. She tosses her golf ball into the backseat accidentally and undoes her seat belt crawling over the middle console to follow it.

“Mom!” Alec shouts as she stumbles her way into the back very narrowly missing kicking him in the face.

“I’m good,” she says triumphantly as she lands in the backseat making a little aha sound when she finds her golf ball.

Alec rolls his eyes focusing on the road as she settles in and leans forward her hand on Alec’s shoulder.

“It’s my fault,” she says with a sigh.

Alec squints looking back at her briefly with a raised eyebrow in question.

“Your father and I, we never taught you to accept good things when they come,” she sighs again squeezing Alec’s shoulder in comfort. “We always told you the only way to have good was to earn it, that there was always a catch when something just happened and to question it from every angle.”

“We made you doubt every accomplishment, every win, every little thing that made you happy. We made you skeptical,” she drops her hand from his shoulder in favor of leaning forward to rest her chin on his seat just over his shoulder. “We made you think everything through so much you over thought to the point of distraction; we made you bottle up all your feelings thinking it was for the best. I wish I could undo it; I wish I was a better mother to you all growing up.”

From the corner of his eye he sees her looking out the window a sad look in her eyes.

He doesn’t say anything though, because deep down he knows she’s right and he’s gotten a lot better in recent years at not giving her an out for the way she used to be, for the number that her and his father did on all four of them, him as the oldest in particular.

“I know it’s a hard habit to break, but sometimes things are just good. Sometimes things happen and you don’t have to work hard for them. All that cynicism and overthinking will only lead to a life filled with loneliness and you deserve to never feel lonely.” she says pausing to give him a moment to respond. He stays quiet and she carries on. “I know you’ve been thinking about why now when it comes to you and Magnus after all these years, that you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Alec freezes at the red light and looks at her a little wide eyed. Damn if he isn’t his mother’s son and she can read him like a book when she’s paying attention.

“But sometimes the shoe doesn’t drop, sometimes good things happen without having to sacrifice, sometimes things take their time and happen at just the right time and you can’t overthink it,” her face transforms and she smiles at him. “Like me and Luke, all these years later and now it happens if it’d overthought it, if I’d questioned every little thing, I wouldn’t be here right now. A few months shy of marrying my dream guy.”

“Yeah, well I think I already blew it with mine,” he says finally responding to her.

“Oh, honey, you’ve only blown it if you don’t fight for it. Don’t think just speak from the heart it’s a lot better than bottling it all up and waiting for a fall,” she kisses Alec on the cheek making him feel like he’s five years old again just as the light turns green and he drives forward. She falls into the backseat laying down.

“Can we get taco bell?” she says suddenly like she hadn’t just poured out some shockingly coherent wisdom for a stoned woman who was just forcefully removed from a mini-golf course.

Alec huffs out a little laugh with a nod of his head, “Yeah, we can get taco bell.”

In the rearview mirror he sees his mother’s fist rise up triumphantly.

***

After their trip to Taco Bell his mother seems satisfied and a little bit more sober so he takes her home leaving her in the capable arms of her fiancé. Luke chuckles at his high wife to be when she offers him one of her quesadillas and salutes Alec in thanks.

He smiles as he watches Luke usher her and her bags of Taco Bell inside carefully before he turns around and heads to his car. He drives home quietly in thought thinking of how happy his mom looked with Luke or how happy he probably looked with Magnus before he obliterated it all.

But he wants to take his mother’s advice, take Meliorn’s advice once again. He wants to fight for it.

Alec parks outside of his lonely little brownstone wondering if it’s too late to call Magnus. To take his mom’s words to heart and just throw it all out there, no overthinking just him with his heart on the line and the hope Magnus would listen.

He gets out his phone as he gets out of his car thumb hovering over Magnus’ name when he hears someone clear their throat. He startles, his phone leaping out of his hand he just barely catches it before it hits the concrete when he finally looks up and there in the dim light of his brownstones stoop is Magnus sitting with his elbows resting on his knees looking far more beautiful than any person has the right to be. He’s still wearing his clothes from the wedding sans the jacket; it highlights his arms even more and Alec can’t help but look them over intently for a beat.

“Magnus?” he questions as he rises back to his full height, phone in hand as he meets Magnus’ eyes.

“Is your mom okay?” Magnus asks as he stretches out his legs.

Alec nods a little numbly, still trying to rattle his brain with the reality that Magnus is here.

“Yeah, got her a Doritos crunch wrap and you would have thought I handed her a bar of gold,” he says with a small smile, chuckling fondly at the memory of the child like glee she’d exhibited when he handed her the bag of food.

Magnus laughs a little, that small beautiful smile he does when he’s happy coming to his lips.

“Good,” he says with a nod. He pauses for a moment chewing on his bottom lip a little nervously. “So what was it you wanted to say to me? Because you didn’t play off bringing flowers to a little girl you’ve never met as being your sole reason for showing up today very well.”

Alec opens his mouth and nothing comes out, of course.

“Come on Alec, I’m not sitting on your doorstep for another mouth gaping silent treatment. You said if you just wanted to tell me how you felt, so tell me,” Magnus says a surety and forcefulness that’s oddly gentle in his voice.

Alec takes a deep breath and finally pockets his phone. He wrings his hands together nervously pinching the skin to ground himself.

“I have this tendency to overthink things,” he says. Magnus snorts at that, the ‘tell me something I don’t know’ clear in the sound. Alec just playfully glares at him before soldiering on. “And that’s exactly what I did that night. How we happened, when, if something could go wrong someday, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is we did happen, that if something did go wrong someday maybe we could face it together and then I just blew it up.”

He takes a step closer to Magnus, comforted when Magnus doesn’t even break eye contact.

“The short of it is that sometimes I’m a cynical mess, and I can’t promise I won’t be that sometimes, but I want to try so damn hard to not be for you, for us. And the long of it is I’m in love with you and it scares the hell out of me, not that that’s an excuse for how I acted or how long it took me to say all this to you, but it’s the truth and I just, I get it if I don’t stand a chance here, but considering you’re sitting on my doorstep I’m hoping I’ve got a little bit of one left.”

He runs out of steam at that and waits. The silence is excruciating in a way it’s never been between them as he waits and watches as Magnus twirls the rings on his fingers and thinks. Alec’s not sure if it’s minutes or hours, but eventually Magnus stands straightening out his vest. Slowly he gets closer and closer to Alec until he’s standing right in front of him.

Alec holds his breath.

“You do realize that if I give you another chance you absolutely don’t deserve it right?” he says reaching out a hand to smooth the collar of Alec’s jacket.

Alec nods with a little laugh.

“And you do realize that for at least the next two weddings you’re paying for the hotel all by yourself to make up for your jackassery, right?” he says this time curling his fingers into Alec’s lapels.

Alec nods again.

“Well, in that case you’re forgiven I suppose.”

Alec finally breathes and it’s a good thing too, because before he can even nod again Magnus is pulling him in connecting their lips. As their lips slide together, for the first time in weeks Alec feels happy, just purely happy.

It takes a while, but eventually they part needing to breathe, that silly living human requirement.

Alec’s hands move from Magnus’ hips where they’d landed during the kiss and slide around him pulling him in even closer into his embrace. Magnus tilts his forehead to Alec’s and smiles that small beautiful smile again.

“I’m in love with you too, for the record,” Magnus says after a beat his hands moving up and twining around Alec’s neck.

Alec smiles.

“Also I just brought Imasu to the wedding to make you jealous cause I had an inkling from some vague weirdness Meliorn texted me that you’d show up, he wasn’t actually my date or anything in case you were overthinking that too,” Magnus adds on kissing Alec lightly on the lips once.

He wasn’t actually overthinking that, he’s weirdly proud of the fact, frankly he’d forgotten entirely about Imasu the second he saw Magnus sitting on his front steps.

“Well it worked,” he says honest, even though he hadn’t thought it about since he saw Magnus here, that doesn’t mean he hadn’t seethed all through the drive to get his mother about seeing the two of them together.

“You always did hate him,” Magnus muses twisting his fingers in the hairs at Alec’s nape.

“He’s pretentious,” Alec says defending his dislike of the man, it goes far beyond his attachment to Magnus and all the way back to college. The second Imasu had played three different instruments in front of him just to show off and called a bowl of party snacks charcuterie Alec had not an ounce of patience for the man.

“He’s cultured,” Magnus defends with smirk, absolutely just teasing Alec at this point. It’s nice, it’s a thing he’d missed and craved desperately these last few weeks without him.

“That’s just a polite way of saying pretentious,” Alec with a roll of his eyes. Magnus laughs scrunching up his nose and getting impossibly closer to Alec holding him in a proper hug.

***

Luke & Maryse ~ October 2nd, Atlanta, Georgia

“So?” Alec says with a bright questioning smile turning his head to look Magnus in the eyes.

Magnus runs his fingers along Alec’s shoulder in thought as Alec’s grip on his waist gets a little tighter.

“Bringing up your mother’s ex-husband, your deadbeat father, might not be the best course of action,” Magnus says lifting his other hand up to brush Alec’s bangs to the side. “This is supposed to be a happy occasion.”

Alec rolls his eyes. “It’s a metaphor Magnus, you know about things not always happening the first time around,” he says pointedly making it clear it’s not only about his mother, but about them, about how they ended up here in the right spot close together where they were always meant to be.

“And while I appreciate that, love, I mean isn’t it a bad omen or something bringing it up?” Magnus questions hand now fiddling with the collar of Alec’s shirt.

“If I take out the part where I mention my dad, I have to rework the whole thing, babe,” Alec says reaching up to take Magnus’ hand in his. “The reception starts in like ten minutes I can’t commit a new one to memory in that time.”

“Fine, but if they don’t like it don’t complain to me,” he says squeezing Alec’s fingers once softly.

“Mom loves a metaphor she’ll get it, and Luke owns a bookstore, words, metaphors he’s all about that stuff,” Alec says with a smile, maybe it’s a bit of a risk, but he’s 99 percent certain they’ll like it. “Also, you’re my boyfriend I’m absolutely going to complain to you if they don’t like it whether you want me to or not.”

Magnus huffs out a laugh giving Alec a quick kiss before pulling away.

“Shall we?” he says holding out a hand that Alec immediately takes happily being pulled through the archway to the reception hall.

***

One Year Later

Magnus & Alec ~ City Clerk’s Office, New York City

“Are you sure?” Alec asks once more because he needs to hear it.

“Of course I’m sure,” Magnus says with a smile eyes locked to his. “You’re sure, right? Not doing that thing where you’re going down cynicism lane again?”

“Of course not,” Alec says a little defensively. He’s been working on that little voice on ignoring it and just thinking about the good, about the future they can build together. Not the what ifs or the how’s. “I just figured you’d want to do a whole party or at the minimum make everyone travel a million miles to our wedding since we had to for all of theirs.”

“Oh don’t worry my dear, we’ll have a big party somewhere down the line and make every single one of them attend somewhere far, far away,” Magnus says, he drops one of Alec’s hands and taps his chin in thought. “Like Greece or Aruba.”

“I like the sound of that,” Alec says pulling Magnus’ other hand back to him. He squeezes both of his hands with a bright smile. “So, we’re doing this?”

“We’re doing this,” Magnus says leaning up quickly once for a kiss before turning to the Justice of the Peace. “I know I’m supposed to wait till the end for that, but look at him, it’s hard to resist.”

The Justice of the Peace chuckles as Alec rolls his eyes.

“Magnus,” he says chiding and teasing. Magnus just smiles at him unbothered.

“Shall we proceed?” the Justice of the Peace asks. He’s been very patient since they showed up here with a marriage license and two freshly bought rings cracking jokes the entire time.

They both nod in unison stepping a little closer to one another. It all started at a wedding a year ago, a wedding that he thought might be the most important one he’d ever attend, but he was so, so wrong. This wedding right here, this spur of the moment thing in a courthouse is the most important wedding he’ll ever attend. And just like how Magnus made that one a year ago a little more special, he’s doing the same here when he says I do.

#my fic #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #shadowhunters #malec fic

18 notes · View notes

honeyzen · 3 years

Text

domesticated - k.d

genre: smut, petplay

words: 4.4k

warnings: kitten!play, dom doyoung, choking, unprotected sex (use protection!)

The sky outside darkened a midnight blue as you sat quietly on the couch, watching shapes and colours contort on the television. Your mouth widened in a yawn as shuffling footsteps wandered over from the kitchen, they gently pattered until your boyfriend Doyoung appeared from behind a wall. His eyes darted around the room as he set a bowl of popcorn on the table, fingers curling around a piece before he lumped down beside you. His tall frame slumped on the sofa, arm nearest to you stretching around, giving you the room the snake around his torso. Cosying into Doyoung you felt his fingers bury into your waist, his other hand reaching over and grabbing the remote. You felt the rumble of a pondering sigh, Doyoung beginning to flick through the channels as he always did. He was indecisive, easily bored and on nights like this, where neither had work the next day or a reason to protest, you knew how it would end.

Even the night you met he was like this.

In college, you had found it difficult to bond with anyone. Parties were too loud, being alone in your dorm was too quiet, balancing the two was near impossible. Especially when you hadn’t had much experience with people or being away from home in the first place. In the end, you relied heavily on your roommate to take you out and show you the way of the world. And she tried her hardest, it’s just that not much of it interested you though you did try your best.

After another night sat in the quietest room of a frat party, you began to feel despondent to the entire college experience altogether. You flicked through the books in the bedroom you’d barricaded yourself in, sighing when a porno magazine fell from between two classic novels. You bent over to pick it up, skirt riding high although it didn’t seem to matter alone in the room. As your fingers grabbed the corner as to avoid any residue that may linger between pages, you heard the oak door behind you open wide. A panic washed over you, heat rising to your cheeks as you half expected to spin around and find a drunken couple wanting to consummate. Instead, as you turned, while holding the magazine behind your back cautiously, you saw a sober looking man stood in the doorframe.

The blush hanging over your cheeks only intensified. His stature was large, shoulders broad in his blue, baggy jumper. Eyes big and brown, dark hair falling into his eyes as his slender fingers came up to brush it away. You stood speechless as his bottom lip became hooked beneath his teeth, his eyebrows furrowing for a moment before he stepped into the room. Your chest felt thick with embarrassment. You kept the magazine pressed tightly to your back, stepping back and the man stepped forward.

‘Sorry, I thought this room was free.’ You said quietly.

‘Uh, no, no, it’s fine honestly, I just um, usually keep my bedroom off limits while there’s parties. I like it, clean, don’t want people you know, in my bed.’ The man whispered, and despite the loud music, you could hear his every low toned word perfectly.

‘Understandable. I’m really sorry, I just kinda wanted to get out the way of everyone,’ you chuckled nervously, ‘I don’t really like parties that much.’

‘Like I said, it’s fine.’ The man smiled wide, exposing a gummy grin that only made you blush further. ‘I’m Doyoung by the way.’ He finished, reaching his hand out to shake yours.

Instinctively, you lurched forward. The magazine slipping out of your grip for just a moment, but long enough for it to drop to the ground. It splayed open on the carpet, thudding wide to the centre fold. Your chest tightened; stomach burned. You couldn’t bare to look back at what Doyoung was seeing.

‘I’m so sorry.’ You apologized quickly.

‘Where was that?’

‘Um, on the bookshelf, between Dracula and Wuthering Heights. It kinda just fell out, I, um, wanted to read.’ You laughed at how ridiculous you sounded.

‘Oh, right.’ Doyoung managed somehow to look more worried than you, his fingers scratching at his head. As his arm raised up, so did his jumper, revealing the soft toned torso beneath. You felt yourself tighten.

‘Look, I’m sorry, I should let you get to bed or,’ you mumbled as quickly as you could, wishing to vanish from the building altogether. You spun on your heels once again, bending down to pick up the magazine and return it to its owner. However, when you did, you actually saw what was sprawled across the pages.

A woman was sat on a red, leather sofa in a pristine lingerie, her privates covered though the sheerness left nothing to the imagination. Her arms were twisted behind her back, threaded together perfectly with thick, crimson rope. Her legs were wide open on the sofa, still covered in the same beautiful rope but this time only for aesthetic purposes. The expression on her face was that of pleasure, eyes closed, mouth wide kind of pleasure. Her makeup and hair was immaculate, untouched. It was a beautiful image, the kind that could have gotten away with being in an art gallery.

Confusion waved over you. The expectation of seeing unrealistic, graphic depictions of two women or a woman and a man had been dashed. There was only a soft, artistic image that left you with no words, only a deep yearning that maybe one day, you could be that woman. Clearly desired, clearly within someone’s control but beautiful and immaculate all the same.

Doyoung let out a withering sigh as you lifted the magazine and turned to face him. He stepped closer, fighting back the urge to rip the magazine from your grasp and throw it underneath his bed. Doyoung waited for you to wrinkle your face in disgust, to snicker at the image but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, you began to flick through the images. Turning your head to see all the sideward pages, tracing your fingers over the threads of rope that where consistent throughout the entire magazine. You pondered at it as though it were an art magazine, you seemed to appreciate it as one. Doyoung was gobsmacked.

After a few moments, you closed the magazine, handing it over to Doyoung. He gently took it from you, his fingers dancing over yours for a moment before the heat of his digits disappeared.

‘It’s beautiful.’ You said without thinking.

‘What?’

‘Um, it’s beautiful.’ You repeated.

‘Yeah, yeah, it is.’ Doyoung concurred nervously, staring at your features as they twisted in thought.

‘Do people actually do that? Or is it just for the pictures?’

‘You mean the, the rope?’ Doyoung asked politely as you merely nodding back shyly, your lip between your teeth.

‘I think I’d like to try it.’ You admitted, looking up at Doyoung to find his eyebrows scrunched in disbelief. ‘With you, please.’ You finished, not quite understanding what you’d asked for, but knowing in your gut that it felt right.

Nearly two years later and you were still trying out so many different, new things with Doyoung. When you met, you were both shy. Wrapped up in desires both of you thought no one but you had, but meeting each other, it gave you both the outlet you desperately needed. You often looked for things to try, often on nights like this when you both had time to kill. Whether it was between the pages of magazines or online, you found that both you and Doyoung had an endless stream of erotic things you wanted to try.

A ritual you’d created early into your relationship was looking at the trending page of a porn site, rooting around for something you hadn’t already done a thousand times and trying it. No pre-judgements, no reservations, just trying something to see the outcome. There were times when you or Doyoung decided the thing was not for you but often enough, both of you found that whatever you did, as long as it was with each other, it was perfect. This ritual however meant that things often got a little taboo which didn’t bother either of you but there was a certain stigma to some things and sometimes that did give you reservations. Out of an ingrained habit that was built into all people, when you saw something strange, it took a lot to try it. But with Doyoung, you never felt uncomfortable.

Doyoung sighed from beside you signally that he could find nothing to watch and so, the ritual begun.

You peered up at him, eyes big and doe. Doyoung waited for a moment before looking down and smiling warmly. ‘You wanna choose something tonight?’

Your mouth lifted to smile back at him, nodding happily, hands almost snatching the remote from your boyfriend. He chuckled. Usually you both picked, though really, you’d go along with whatever Doyoung wanted. Letting you choose without protesting was a special occasion and it made you light up like nothing else. You opened up the website on the television, still shy about looking at such lewd things in front of someone else on a large scale. The screen became sodden with erotic video links and dirty advertisements, all clearly made by men who knew nothing about women. You tutted to yourself, flicking down through the pages and pages until something towards the bottom left caught your eye.

‘Naughty kitten punished.’

With eyebrows knotted you turned to Doyoung. ‘Is this really a thing? Dressing up like a cat, I mean, I know I’ve done it for Halloween but for, fucking?’

‘Of course, it is. If you can think of it, there’s probably porn made of it.’ He retorted with a smirk wiped across his lips.

‘I don’t like that sentiment.’

‘So, that’s a no?’ Doyoung peered, careening his head to stare his umber orbs into yours. His grip around your side tightened a little, allowing you to feel the warmth emanating from beneath his black t-shirt. From habit, you closed your eyes, enjoying the small circles he drew into your hip.

‘Well?’

‘I, I mean, it’s weird, right? Dressing up like an animal?’ You said sceptically.

‘Obviously, but it’s not out of the league of what we’ve done before.’ Doyoung added.

‘I guess.’

‘It’s your call, princess.’

‘Uh, I mean, I have the costume… maybe it’d be nice to get some use out of it?’ You felt yourself defending your ideas, ideas that you knew deep down Doyoung would never judge. And yet, the shame of desire was so engrained in you, that you could not help it.

‘Let’s go get you dressed then.’ Doyoung smiled, standing from the couch, his stature above you like a skyscraper. You fought back the urge to reach out for his jean button right then and instead smiled to yourself with sparks alight in your mind.

‘Maybe I should go alone, if you come, we’ll never get back out the bedroom.’ You taunted standing up beside Doyoung. His smile lowered as yours grew ten-fold. You found your hands resting on Doyoung’s wide shoulders, pushing him back slightly until he sat back against the sofa. His legs widened, back slumping, as though inviting you to sit atop him, instead, you began walking to the bedroom, a chuckle leaving your mouth.

After sulking into the bedroom, you shared with your boyfriend, you began the hunt for the outfit you’d worn once and long forgotten. While it was true that Doyoung accompanying you would’ve lead to something before you’d be able to grasp the costume, you also needed to root through your messy wardrobe for it. Which was, undoubtably, a mood killer. Through grumbles and profanities, your hands dived through piles of clothes, each pile loosely organised by occasion. Dating Doyoung meant that the fancy dress pile was rather large and took some time to sift through. Until, almost at the bottom of the pile, two clip on ears poked out. As you grasped them, the soft fur tickled your palm, their deep brown nearly matching Doyoung’s eyes. Beneath the ears was a pink, leather collar that Doyoung had gifted you separate from the costume and to match, you pulled a set of pink, lacy lingerie from another messy pile.

You tugged down your sweatpants and removed the hoodie you’d stolen from Doyoung earlier in the day and pulled the pink lace over your head. The soft material felt like warm honey on your skin, and perfectly covered your body enough that you felt like the woman in that magazine. After slithering the undies up your bare legs, you grappled the ears once more. With fur between your fingers, you attached them high on your head, staring in the mirror at how sweet the clips looked. You smiled strangely excited for what you had been a little weirded out at first.

Staring down at your collar, a thought came to you, bringing warmth to your loin. You wandered over to a set of draws by the bed, heaved open the bottom section and pulled out a chain leash, the metal clasps jingling as you did so. Your smile grew as you flattened your hair and prepared yourself.

Timidly, you tiptoed back into the living room, head low as you approached where Doyoung still sat. With open palms, you knelt before your boyfriend, raising the items that sat atop your hands. After a few moments of silence, you peered up gently, looking over his face for any kind of emotion.

‘Look down.’ He muttered sullenly.

You followed his order immediately, keeping your palms up but eyes toward the hardwood floor. After another moment, the weight of the chain and collar disappeared and Doyoung’s feet came into your view and moved behind you. Though a cautious wave of anxiety rolled through your stomach, you still remained staring at the floor in silence. A sigh passed through your lips as cold fingers brushed your hair aside and cool leather pressed against your throat. Doyoung’s cold digits appeared again as he buckled up the collar and latched on the chain leash to hold you in place.

His hand remained low of the chain, gripping it so tight that it choked you slightly but still, you stared at the ground, motionless. A low snicker came from behind you, making your stomach swirl and tighten as moisture moved toward your heat. It was torture not to turn and look at him but following his orders was more important. You waited for what felt like forever until a palm mellowed over the top of your head, soothing over your hair, and following over the ears. Doyoung’s frame moved around you, allowing for you to see his lower legs once more and just knowing he was there, that he was the one touching you made it harder not to look up.

‘Look up at me baby.’ Doyoung finally said.

Your head snapped up immediately, big eyes staring desperately toward Doyoung and the grin smeared across his face. The confidence clearing instilled in him was terrifying and so, so arousing. You mewled, Doyoung raising his eyebrows as he smoothed over your head once more. From instinct you pushed your head up into his palm, nuzzling close to feel warmth from him.

‘My good kitten.’

A warmth filled your lower region, burning with every moment Doyoung touched you in any way. Until suddenly, a large heave bevelled through your body, the chain rattling as you were forced to push into Doyoung’s legs. Your hands leant atop his feet, wide eyes begging him to do something, anything. Doyoung merely grinned, tugging on the chain once more as he sat back on the couch and pulled you between his legs. Your features faced his crotch, mouth only a few inches from his covered length that tented his tight jeans. Just seeing you knelt before him, perky ears and collar and pink lace made him unimaginably hard and Doyoung struggled to compose himself. One more tug on your leash and your chin came to sit above his thigh. Doyoung released the chain, sitting it beside himself as he moved his fingers to his jeans.

You felt yourself smile, knowing what was to come. Pushing your face against his thigh, you purred, nose nuzzling into his clothed muscles. Doyoung let out a splintered moan, coaxing you to continue. As you did, you heard the undoing of a zip and rustling of thick material. The silence that settled in after is what made you look up, your eyes widening as you saw Doyoung holding his member tightly, slowly moving his hand up and down. He kept his darkened gaze locked upon you. Moving his other hand, Doyoung cupped your cheeks, soothing his thumb over the blush that painted your skin. His fingers moved slowly until he danced them to the back of your neck, his grip tightening and forcing your face forward. He pulled violently until you were face to face with his length.

‘Go on, kitten.’ Doyoung whispered.

He pushed his length toward you slightly, allowing your lips to engulf the tip and sink down the shaft. Doyoung let his head fall back against the sofa pillow and a low growl fall from his mouth. His noises only propelled you to continue, head bobbing up and down quickly as his member began to hit the back of your throat. It burnt, a kind of burning that travelled all the way down to your core, that was beginning to drip with desire. You lifted your hands and placed them atop Doyoung’s thighs for stability. Doyoung gripped your hair, twisting it into a makeshift ponytail and using it to control your pace. The tightness spread all over your body and ached in your loin. A need for Doyoung to be buried deep within you exploded.

The speed became relentless as you peered upward, staring at Doyoung’s scrunched up features; small, rhythmic groans pouring from his lips. You longed to kiss him, to nuzzle your fuzzy ears into the crook of his neck. You wished to be his pet forever.

‘Baby, stop, stop.’ Doyoung repeated frantically, pulling your mouth off his length by your hair. You understood why he stopped, for he wanted to be within you just as much as you wanted him inside you, but the loss of contact hurt, nonetheless. Spit dribbled from your lips, lining from Doyoung’s member to your mouth. He groaned low once more as you mewled, staring up at him with pleading eyes.

Watching from the ground, Doyoung pushed his hard member back in his jeans, sat up straight and patted his lap. You nearly leap up, pouncing onto Doyoung like the kitten you were pretending to be. With legs either side of him and arms slung over his shoulders, you waited. His expression twisted into a smirk, a devilish thought swirling around his mind.

‘Lie down on me, ass up.’ He muttered sternly. You watched his eyes for a further moment before Doyoung raised his eyebrows and nodded downward at his lap. You lifted yourself slightly and flipped over, placing your waist in Doyoung’s lap. Your face burrowed into the couch, feet kicking the edge of the seat and heat pressing directly onto Doyoung’s still stiff length. After a second, you felt as your boyfriend pulled your lace underwear down your thighs, cold fingers dragging over your skin. He lingered them back up to your ass, spreading his palm wide over the flesh. Doyoung kept it there for a moment, still and gentle, your stomach settling before suddenly, his touch disappeared and reappeared with a sharp, jolting sting.

A yelp came spurting out your lips, a chuckling emanating from Doyoung as again, his touch left and smacked back down. You mewled helplessly, another slap.

‘Count for me, okay kitten, five more.’ He said softly, swaying his hand over your red, hot skin before once more, lifting it and slapping it back down. A gasp escaped your throat.

‘One.’

Doyoung chuckled again, forcing down a particularly devilish spank.

‘Two.’

Your ass burnt painfully, the side that Doyoung had been slapping beginning to feel bruised and swollen. It was beautiful, and as another hit pummelled down upon you, a wave of pleasure rippled through you.

‘Three.’

Another.

‘Four.’

Doyoung soothed over your skin one more time as he lifted his hand and brought it down mercilessly. You yelped once more, feeling the other side burn just as the first. A small tear spat from your eye, trickling down your cheek and dripping onto the couch below.

‘Five.’ You croaked.

You lay down for a moment, air aggressively attacking your bruised ass as Doyoung removed his hand and placed into on the back of your thigh. He gently stroked the skin, giving you a few moments to catch your breath and recuperate.

Doyoung held onto your upper arm, pulling you up to kneel beside him. A finger coming up to swipe away a stray tear.

‘Do you wanna stop? We can?’ He enquired softly; eyes tender as his hand careened your jaw.

‘Fuck no.’ You said, leaping over once more to sit back in Doyoung’s lap, legs either side of his and lips reaching forward to kiss the man beneath you. With mouths collided, you wrangled your arms around Doyoung’s shoulders, his tongue darting between your lips and exploring your mouth. Instinctively, you began playing with the hair on the back of his neck, pulling slightly so Doyoung tilted his head back. You took advantage of the position, dragging your lips down to kiss and nibble at his slender neck. Doyoung groaned, his hands wandering to the underwear that still sat at your thighs, pulling them lower until they could no longer move. You felt the material dig into your flesh, stuck in their current position. While you wanted your bare heat to sit against Doyoung, you dreaded the idea of moving. He tugged again, helpless.

‘Rip them, rip them please, please.’ You begged, merely wanting to feel him beneath you, desperate for any pressure or friction against your heat.

‘Sure?’

‘Do it.’

Doyoung wrapped his fingers around one side of the fragile, lacy material and heaved it apart. The sound of ripping filled the room as Doyoung groaned, moving the material away as finally, he had access to your core. You felt the bulge in his jeans harden once more, pressed tight to the wetness that was pooling from within you. It burnt to be so close but separated by the already unzipped jeans. Doyoung held your hips, pushing you down to tease. A whimper fell from your lips.

‘Aw, is my kitten desperate? What does she want?’

‘You, please, I want you.’ You mumbled, unable to speak properly from sheer desperation.

‘Want me? To do what?’

‘I want you to fuck me! Please, fuck me!’ You almost screamed helplessly, Doyoung merely grinning, proud he had made you so desperate.

With his hands on your hips, Doyoung pushed you backwards further down his thighs. Giving him enough room to pull his jeans below his waist, allowing his hard member to spring gently from the material. It clung, pressed between his groin and your heat, that had, by now, created a wet patch on Doyoung’s trousers. You pushed upward, kneeling as you moved back up the thighs below you. Doyoung held your waist with one hand and with the other, moved his member to the entrance of your core. He was moving slow, but you wanted him, wanted him buried within you. And so, you pushed downward, feeling as you sunk onto Doyoung and he disappeared within you.

Doyoung let out a moan as you whimpered. The feeling of him inside you, putting pressure against you was intoxicating, so intoxicating that you could not move for a moment. As you began moving, slowly up and down Doyoung’s length, every inch of him burnt against every inch of you. The man below held desperately onto your hips, pulling you up and down to take complete control of the pace. The rhythmic tempo made a coil of pleasure begin to spin in your stomach, the grip upon you tight and almost painful. Another whimper fell from your lips as Doyoung let his head tilt back in pleasure. You shook, placing your hands upon his shoulders for stability, body nearly slumping against him.

His fingers began to trail up your body, tracing the pink, sheer lace that covered your breasts, swirling past and up your throat. His journey stopped, fingers halting and spreading up against your skin as he grappled the chain that attached to the collar. You let a loud moan explode into the atmosphere as you lifted yourself up and down Doyoung’s member, the pleasure in your loin beginning to burn. Low growls fell from Doyoung’s mouth, filling your ears like music as his grip upon you, both on your waist and collar, tightened. Air tightly passed through your windpipe, head spinning as you arched yourself quicker upon Doyoung. He growled loudly, his face scrunching up in pleasure as you felt him release inside of you, the warm liquid applying even more pressure inside your heat. The hot, wet feeling made you complete, and you felt yourself tighten and spasm on his member.

A last, prolonged mewl fell from your lips as you ceased your movements, still sat upon Doyoung’s member. His tempered sighs filled the room, grip on your collar loosening and hand falling back to your waist. You fell into Doyoung. Chests pressed together as sweat mixed like a cocktail of pleasure and sleepiness. Doyoung wrapped his arms around your waist, holding you close, your cheek pressed flush against the crook of his neck. While holding you, Doyoung lifted slightly, giving him enough room to remove himself from your heat. A stifled moan fell from both of you, heat swelling around the room. You sighed, sleepy upon your equally tired boyfriend.

‘That was nice.’ You whimpered in a hushed tone.

‘It was, wasn’t it?’ Doyoung agreed, your head tilting upward to stare into his big, doe eyes. ‘C’mon kitten, let’s go and get you cleaned up and in bed.’ He soothed, fingers weaving through your hair as you purred once more against his chest. Nuzzling into him as your ears nudged his chin.

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